Panasonic has returned to Prague’s Signal Festival for a second consecutive year as the event’s projection technology partner, and for 2026 it is bringing two new tools to the city’s streets: the Panasonic PT-RQ45 4K laser projector and HIVE Media Control’s Beeblade Pluto media players. Running from 15 to 18 October, the festival’s 14th edition spans 21 installations that blend contemporary art, digital technology and architecture across Prague. The deployment underscores the growing role combined projection-and-playback systems play in large-scale public art, as Panasonic positions itself as a single source for ambitious lighting and video mapping projects.
Connecting creative ideas with technical expertise
Signal Festival’s varied locations and artistic concepts pose familiar challenges for event producers and AV professionals: projecting onto large façades, adapting content to architectural features, and coordinating playback across multiple devices. Through its ongoing partnership with the festival, Panasonic helps artists and technical teams select and use the technology needed to bring their ideas to life.
Julius Štefan of Signal Festival explains the choice: “We chose the PT-RQ45 projectors for their high brightness and image detail, which are essential when projecting onto a large façade, while HIVE’s Beeblade Pluto media players provide synchronised content playback and control. HIVE has been a great fit for the event – the system is easy to use, eliminates need for rack space and simplifies setup. Both technologies are new to our festival, but our experience of working with Panasonic gave us the confidence to use them in front of a live audience.”
Panasonic PT-RQ45 lights up the Archbishop’s Seminary
At Signal Festival, Panasonic’s PT-RQ45 projectors bring German artist Felix Frank’s “Missing Interval” to life on the façade of the Archbishop’s Seminary in Prague’s Dejvice district. New to the festival’s route for 2026, the historic building also hosted the opening ceremony on 15 October.
The PT-RQ45 is a 3-Chip DLP laser projector built for large venues, live events and projection mapping. Its 42,000-lumen output provides the brightness large-scale façade projection demands, while 3840 × 2400-pixel resolution, achieved through Panasonic’s Quad Pixel Drive technology, keeps fine artwork detail intact. Despite the brightness increase, the projector retains nearly the same body dimensions as Panasonic’s PT-RQ35 series, easing transport and installation for touring crews. Full specifications are available on Panasonic’s PT-RQ45K product page.
HIVE Media Control keeps playback in sync
HIVE Media Control, now part of Panasonic Projector & Display, develops compact, scalable media players and software for synchronised, immersive experiences and permanent installations. Instead of a conventional media server occupying rack space, HIVE’s Beeblade Pluto players slot directly into the projector, bringing playback into the display device itself. At Signal Festival, seven Beeblade Pluto players are deployed across three installations, delivering synchronised, high-resolution video content to Panasonic’s projectors. This builds on Panasonic and HIVE’s earlier joint work, including the National Museum of Qatar’s 128-projector upgrade, and points to a broader push to pair Panasonic’s projection hardware with HIVE’s playback ecosystem.
Pricing and availability
The PT-RQ45 and Beeblade Pluto players are part of Panasonic and HIVE Media Control’s existing commercial AV ranges – no festival-specific pricing was disclosed. Both products are available to order now through Panasonic’s professional AV channel and HIVE’s distribution network for upcoming live events and permanent installations.
Key specifications
- Projector: Panasonic PT-RQ45, 3-Chip DLP laser
- Brightness: 42,000 lumens
- Resolution: 3840 × 2400 pixels (Quad Pixel Drive)
- Body size: near-identical to the PT-RQ35 series
- Media playback: HIVE Beeblade Pluto, slots directly into compatible projectors
- Synchronisation: HIVE Beesync software
- Festival deployment: 7 Beeblade Pluto players across 3 installations
- Featured installation: Felix Frank’s “Missing Interval,” Archbishop’s Seminary, Dejvice, Prague
