Digital Projection International was originally formed in 1987 as a division of the Rank Organization. Interview with Mark Wadsworth, Vice President of Global Marketing at Digital Projection.
1. Brief summary: when was your company born and what is your entrepreneurial background?
Digital Projection International was originally formed in 1987 as a division of the Rank Organization. Specifically, Rank created Digital Projection to identify the projection technology of the future, and to begin ground-breaking research and development of precision, high-performance, large-screen projectors, which would be based on this core technology.
In 1989, the team uncovered Texas Instruments’ Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) and was impressed with its potential. Namely, it could very accurately reflect individual pixels of light. Digital Projection began designing the subsystems that would comprise the display and also began conducting scientific tests to assure each silicon-based chip could withstand the rigors of an extremely bright light source. To complement their skills, they turned to another Rank-owned company, Cintel Limited, a world leader in the film to video conversion process, to produce the ‘state-of-the-art’ video electronics that the projection systems would soon employ.
In 1992, the first static DMD images were projected at Texas Instruments, and the first on a 3-chip DMD projection system were demonstrated at Rank-Brimar in Manchester, England. In 1995, Rank-Brimar demonstrated its prototype large-screen projection system. In 1996, Digital Projection Limited was established as a separate company to complete development work, manufacture and market the Company’s first products – soon to be known as POWER Displays.
2. Where can your product be found? In which countries? In which markets?
Digital Projection branded projectors and LED walls can be found all over the world as we have had a global presence for many years. With major offices in Atlanta, USA, Beijing, China, Dubai, Taiwan, Korea and India, we have a global presence that is further strengthened by our parent company Delta Electronics.
Due to our extensive product range, our projectors and LED walls can be found in almost every market, from theme parks to flight simulators, and everything in-between including live events and corporate boardrooms. Our high-end cutting-edge technology runs through our full range of projectors, ensuring that our customers always have the latest technology at their disposal.
3. What advantages does your brand provide in comparison to your competitors?
Digital Projection have been at the cutting edge of projector technology since its inception – we invented the first 3-Chip DLP projector in 1996 and this innovation has continued throughout our history, with milestones such as the first Laser phosphor 3-Chip projector in 2016, the world’s first 8K projector in 2018 and our Satellite Modular Laser system in 2020.
This means that by working with Digital Projection, you can be assured that you are working with a company at the pinnacle of the projection market
We back up this technology and expertise with world-class customer service. We pride ourselves on being there for our customers at every step of a project and offering the best possible help and support. It is this level of commitment that keeps our customers coming back to us year after year.
4. Who is your product targeted to and what are its uses?
As previously mentioned, our range covers the majority of the projection market. We are well known for powering some of the world’s most prestigious live events and attractions, but our expertise and products can also be found in your standard boardroom or corporate lobby.
5. How many divisions or categories do you have? What range do you fit?
We deal with both our projector and LED Wall range with the same sales and support teams. This allows us to closely follow the customer journey and provide the best advice and support, both pre and post sales, ensuring that the final installation is the best it can possibly be.
6. What price range is your catalog in?
What surprises most people is the affordability of our projectors which range from roughly 3,000€ MSRP right the way up to our specialised 8K or Satellite Modular Laser Systems.
7. Do you offer an ‘after sales’ service?
Yes, and this is a source of great pride for us. We support the Spanish market with an in-house Spanish-speaking training manager and engineer. We have a wealth of experience in helping our partners produce awe-inspiring visual experiences. We bring that knowledge to bear on our own processes, ensuring every element is focused on our partners’ needs, from research and development through to after sales support.
Our partners have access to our pre-sales and post-sales support teams, and it is not unusual to find a customer deep in conversation with our CTO or Head of R&D. it is only by getting to know the customer, their needs and their issues, that we can continue to develop class leading display solutions.
8. How can we find more about your catalog and its purchase system?
The best place to start is our website.
9. Now a question related to Spain and other countries, do you have a distributor? Can we buy directly from your company? Are you interested in establishing a dealer in Spain? How?
We have a very close relationship with our distributor Estalella Audiovisual who are based in Barcelona and are a trusted partner for Digital Projection.
10. Is there any noteworthy issue you would like to tell us about your company?
We have won 2 x EMMY Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Our latest Satellite Modular Laser System is genuinely a revolution in the projection industry. The projector “Head” is fundamentally compact, quiet, light-weight and consumes very little power. This offers huge benefits at every stage of a system design, from transportation and installation to serviceability and lifespan.
By separating the projection “Head” from the light source and linking the two by robust and flexible fibre-optic cables up to 100m long, we offer the installer many more options, particularly where space and access are restricted. Compare the installation and rigging of “Heads” weighing in at between 19kg and 45kg, with that of more traditional integrated projectors that can weigh as much as 150kg!
