Mt. St. Helen’s Johnston Ridge Observatory
Mt. St. Helen’s Johnston Ridge Observatory Utilizes New System To Deliver High–Definition Video “Messages From The Mountain”
Gaithersburg, MD, July 7, 2011—Professional Products, Inc. (PPI), a technology–driven, design–build, media integration company, announced today that it has just completed a project for Mount St. Helen’s Johnston Ridge Observatory. PPI was contacted by the USDA Forest Service and asked to renovate the observatory’s multimedia presentation systems last year. What the team at Johnston Ridge wanted was to provide visitors with information and exhibits on the volcano’s past eruptions and to demonstrate how scientists continue to monitor the mountain’s activity today. They needed a state–of–the–art system to deliver the observatory’s video “Message from the Mountain” utilizing technology designed to present a more vibrant, high definition image.
“This project with Johnston Ridge Observatory is very exciting for PPI,” said Bruce Kaufmann, PPI’s President and CEO. “We feel privileged to be able to assist the observatory in educating the public about Mount St. Helen’s powerful beauty and history.”
Mr. Kaufmann continued, “The challenge was not only to design a system that created a more spectacular audience experience but one that addressed performance, flexibility, longevity, and remote access. Reliability, expandability and user friendliness were also critical and our design team worked diligently to create solutions that were compatible with current exhibits.”
The renovation included an upgrade to the content player, along with the video and audio control systems in the observatory’s auditorium. The existing video content—originally produced in 4:3 aspect ratio—was up–converted to HD to maximize its potential by increasing the format to 3476 x 1080. Using the newest technology in media wall image processors, projector edge lending units and high resolution features, PPI was able to help create more dynamic visuals for viewing on the existing 30’ wide x 10’ tall screen. The sound was also dramatically improved with the installation of a Dolby Surround Sound System.
About The Johnston Ridge Observatory: It sits on a bluff just 5.5 miles from the crater at an elevation of 4,314 feet (1,327 meters) and offers grand views of Mount St. Helens and much of the 1980 blast zone. The visitor center is the closest you can get to the mountain by car when driving in from the west and is located 53 miles east of the town of Castle Rock at the end of State Route 504. Here you can enjoy spectacular views of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain and the landslide deposit. In the newly renovated auditorium, a wide–screen theater presentation and many interpretive displays depict the sequence of geologic events that changed the landscape. The video is a “must see” so be sure to stay for the curtain finale! Various displays and eye witness accounts from eruption survivors provide information that helps visitors discover the art and science of monitoring an active volcano and predicting eruptions.
Professional Products, Inc. (PPI) is a company of proven creative thinkers who are dedicated to providing media integration solutions to clients in need of advanced video, audio, data, and control systems for use in broadcast, video on demand, training and presentation applications. With an engineering and IT–centric core, PPI designs and architects intuitive solutions that are aligned with business needs and anticipated enterprise growth. All systems designed by PPI can be remotely supported from their exclusive state–of–the–art Network Operations Center (NOC). PPI’s extensive portfolio includes projects for federal and state government entities, broadcast and television production studios, command and control centers, training facilities, distance learning centers, corporations and professional organizations, institutions of higher learning, medical and healthcare facilities and entertainment and sports venues.