January 6, 2020. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, The Belonging Co. (TBCo) is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing and most culture-shaping churches in the USA:  its congregation has increased from just seven at its outset to many thousands in only six years. Along with weekly worship services, the church also includes a worship collective comprising a number of well-known Nashville-based artists who call the church home, an annual conference, and even a college. With such a strong reputation for the quality of its live services, TBCo has always prioritised excellent live production that amplifies its mission and DNA to create an experience where people can connect with God without distraction. With a recent video system installation by integrator Diversified, in partnership with THOR AV, developer of LED video walls and headset microphones, TBCo now has a beautiful LED video wall to match, driven by Brompton Technology’s Tessera S8 LED processor.

TBCo has lots of experience with LED wall products from multiple manufacturers and of various quality levels, but when it was time to develop the look and feel of its new facility, it was determined that a large LED canvas would be a critical, central component of the visual brand in the new space. Each week, the church’s online broadcasts increase their reach exponentially beyond the in-person gatherings, making the on-camera performance of the LED wall especially critical and existing products in its inventory would not meet the performance expectations of the new space.

Thanks to Diversified’s previous experiences partnering with THOR AV for LED installations for other churches with similar values and priorities, the project team went down an intentional path to consider THOR’s EDGE 3.4 LED panels for the new facility. “Our teams collaborated closely with the client and manufacturer on the design of the stage, placement of the LED wall and its relationship to artists on stage and camera positions, as well as associated sight lines throughout the space,” says Tim Corder, Director of Strategic Accounts – House of Worship for Diversified. “Brompton processing was a critical component from the beginning because of the benefits the Tessera platform brings in both picture quality and panel calibration over competitors.”

Members of the church’s production staff flew to THOR’s headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota to meet with the product team, see the product in person ahead of the installation, and test their cameras with the actual panels that would be installed in their room in combination with Brompton’s processors. To ensure that the best result could be achieved, everyone spent a considerable amount of time confirming that the cameras, lenses, and focal points all worked seamlessly together to create visually stunning content.

“We had a great time, good conversation, and were able to answer remaining questions,”says THOR AV’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Luke Vettel. “The Tessera S8 processor was the preferred choice for this project because the client didn’t need the fibre distribution associated with the SX40. They simply wanted to be able to put all their Cat cables in their rack, plug it in and be good to go. The S8 fits the best price point for this functionality.”

The new video wall has already proven its worth and is a central part of the stage design for the weekly services and live broadcasts from TBCo’s new facility. 

“Our primary goal from a worship and production standpoint, is to eliminate distraction for people to encounter a real and living God,” shares TBCo’s Executive Creative Pastor, Sean Loche. “In order to do that, you need a product that only adds to the overall system, without taking away from the reason why we are gathering, to worship Christ. That is precisely why we chose our system. THOR and Brompton stood out in both excellence and quality. The system is powerful enough to create big moments when you need it, but does not sacrifice in the quality needed for the subtle moments. We have been thrilled with the versatility of this technology implemented into our services.”

One of the primary values driving partnerships such as the one between Diversified and THOR AV is to maximise the investment clients make in LED video technology so that they can communicate their message with excellence.

“Every church we partner with only has one shot to get their space right,” says Corder. “There is so much at stake and so many decisions to be made. It is wonderful to know manufacturers such as THOR and Brompton have our backs with products featuring extremely high performance, flawless service and support, but also excellent value. The ROI is exceptional.”

“With the Tessera S8 processor, we can help our clients create a visual experience so lifelike and real, the audience is truly captivated with the message,” concludes Vettel. “We never tire of saying that ‘every component matters.’ That is why having a solution in place we can trust, and that our customers can fully rely on for making their on-camera performances excel every time, is invaluable to us. We are excited to have Brompton Technology as our partner. They offer world-class service and product quality, and continue to be the thought leader in LED processing.