Hochschule der Medien (HdM) is a state university in Stuttgart, Germany, that offers numerous degrees in Media Studies. The programme includes an Audio-Visual Media degree course that provides students with practice-oriented training in film, television, and media studies. To keep their students up to date with the latest broadcast lighting technology available, the department recently upgraded the lighting package inside both of their film and television production studios. After extensive testing, we were thrilled that HdM – whose research has gained international visibility in the fields of High Dynamic Range, Wide Color Gamut, and Higher Frame Rates – decided to specify Rosco DMG Lighting fixtures as the soft lights in their studios.
HdM shows off the capabilities of their upgraded lighting package - including several DMG Lighting fixtures.
The goal of the lighting team at HdM was to determine which LED panel lights produced the best color spectrum that could be used both in the studios and in location filming. The team performed a comprehensive shootout that compared all professional LED panels currently available on the market. They measured the spectrum of various white light settings as well as the output of the individual emitters. The lighting team also took test shots of illuminated objects with three different camera models.
The patented, six-chip MIX® technology (Red, Green, Blue, Lime, Amber & White) inside of every DMG Lighting fixture was engineered specifically to produce a fuller spectrum than other color-mixing LED lights. The lighting professionals at HdM commented on the results: “After evaluating the tests, the DMG Lighting technology was the clear winner over all other participants with RGB-W, RGB-WW-Units. The decisive factors were the best colour quality with the best spectrum as well as the modularity and the low weight.”
Rosco’s MIX LED technology features unique, phosphor-converted emitters that enable our DMG Lighting fixtures to produce colors other LED lights can’t. “In addition to the excellent white light quality and the possibility of using full color, the DMG Lighting fixtures can be used universally both in the studio and on location,” reported the HdM lighting team when asked why they chose Rosco's DMG lights. “The ideally soft shadow gradient and a very homogeneous light field also made DMG Lighting the first choice when purchasing our LED soft lights.”
The modular and compact design of the DMG Lights was also highlighted as a significant advantage for in-studio and on-location lighting setups. The HdM team remarked how “the slim design of the stable aluminum housing, combined with passive cooling, makes the DMG Lighting fixtures light and flexible in their installation. A sophisticated connector system allows the DMG MAXI luminaires to be mounted as a matrix and hung securely due to their low weight. This function is so far unique and excellently implemented.”
Another critical procurement criterion was the ability to control the LED soft lights using ArtNet and WDMX technology. All DMG Lighting fixtures are enabled to be controlled via these protocols.
Hochschule der Medien, working closely with Rosco dealer Lightpower, ended up purchasing 24 DMG MAXI fixtures for their production studios. 12 fixtures were mounted on Single Pole Operated Yokes, and the other 12 were doubled up on six Double Pole Operated Yokes. The HdM team noted how, “using the double yoke, larger soft light assemblies in the studio ceiling can be easily mounted as a soft top-light.”
In addition, HdM also procured 11 DMG DASH Pocket LED Kits, four DMG MINI Kits, and Four DMG SL1 Kits for shooting on location. Not only do these fixtures provide the same superior light quality, but the HdM team also reported how "the narrow and lightweight design of the DMG SL1 and DMG MINI fixtures make them a perfect portable lighting solution.”
Because this is an educational facility, HdM also bought a number of MIXBOOKS®.
These digital swatchbooks enable the students to explore different color and lighting possibilities outside of the studio using the free myMIX® app. There, they can create or choose colors and save the ones they want to use in the app. Then, because the MIXBOOKS have the same MIX LED technology as our DMG Lighting fixtures, they can easily re-create those same colors in the studio or on location by sending their saved color choices to the DMG Lighting fixtures they have on set.
The HdM lighting team posing inside the television production studio during their recent Visual Lab Conference.
Thank you to the HdM team and to our partners at Lightpower for sharing this story with us. We are so appreciative that Rosco’s DMG Lighting fixtures passed the stringent tests of this prestigious, global university and we look forward to seeing the marvelous content that its students create with them in the future.
If you’d like to learn more about the broadcast lighting technology that HdM chose to illuminate their production studios, please visit the DMG Lighting product page on the Rosco website.
Tatiana Massano March 16, 2023 Questions?
Content Marketing Specialist: Based in the Madrid office, Tatiana is ideally positioned to share inspiring stories of how customers use Rosco products to accomplish their ideas in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
