UK - A Panasonic 103" plasma screen was chosen by the United Colours of Benetton's flagship store on Oxford Street, to deliver an eye catching display for its London shoppers.

This eye-catching addition to the store's vibrant and distinctive design was selected for its ability to work in portrait, reproduce accurate colours naturally and for its new anti glare surface, which allows the screen to perform in high ambient light environments essential for this store.

The 103" plasma's high contrast, brightness and true colour reproduction means it replicates the "perfect skin tones and vibrant colours featured in Benetton's famous adverts relayed on the screen", say the company.

The screen was installed by 103" experts PSCo, using a bespoke stand to secure

Sweden - Wireless Solution Sweden has added three individuals with over 60 years of collective experience to its W-DMX research and development team.

Mats Jonsson is the new CTO for Wireless Solution, with 25 years experience in software development for major manufacturers of infrastructure equipment. Jonsson will be project manager for W-DMX, responsible for software design.

Kjell Johanesson is a new radio engineer with 20 years experience from Ericsson, the provider of mobile phones and GSM Networks, which were the technologies that formed the basis of W-DMX when the company formed in 2004.

Willhelm Alhgreen is responsible for hardware design and will work together with Johanesson and Jonsson to continue the development of new products.

"We're very excited to add these talented individuals to the R&D team," says Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution, "

China - Leading connector manufacturer Neutrik, based in Liechtenstein, reports that thanks to tireless efforts Ningbo Neutrik succeeded in taking legal actions against shops in China which sell Neutrik product copies. In close cooperation with the authorities in Guangzhou, a search in the Guangzhou Component Distribution Center took place on 2 March 2009. This concerted action was accompanied by the quality manager of Ningbo Neutrik Electronics Co. Ltd. who clearly identified the confiscated product copies on site. In total more than 100,000 connector copies were seized and destroyed.

Neutrik says the success of this measure exceeded its expectations considerably, and that it will "continue in suing product copiers in a calculated and adamant way and to strike back at them with all means and instruments that are available for this purpose".

(Lee Baldock)

Germany - At this year's Prolight&Sound, Meyer Sound will celebrate the company's 30th anniversary.

"Meyer Sound is known for creating legendary products," notes Helen Meyer, executive vice president and co-founder of Meyer Sound, "but underlying our success is a total commitment to supporting our customers with comprehensive design services, exceptional technical support, and a worldwide education program. It's a full-spectrum, creative approach to solving specific customer problems while innovating at the forefront of audio technology."

At Frankfurt, Meyer Sound will feature the Milo family of line array loudspeakers, highlighting the small M'elodie line array loudspeaker and the complementary 500-HP subwoofer, which recently started shipping. The compact UltraSeries products will also be shown, featuring the two latest additions-the UPQ-1P wide coverage

Macau - Situated on Macau's glittering Cotai Strip, a peninsula known as "Asia's Las Vegas" that connects the islands of Taipa and Coloane, the City of Dreams is steadily climbing skywards. Melco-PBL's glamorous casino resort will include Hyatt, Hard Rock and Crown Towers hotels, as well as an apartment hotel, that will offer 2,200 rooms and suites for visitors from nearby Hong Kong, mainland China, and further afield.

The crowning attraction of the many multi-media and live entertainment venues within the complex will be the Dragone aqua spectacular, which is scheduled to première towards the end of 2009. The resort's permanent show is expected to dazzle audiences with the same imaginative flair as previous Dragone productions such as Le Rève and A New Day.

Designed by the renowned architectural office, Pei Partnership of New York, the City of Dream'

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ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

USA/UK - Designers on both sides of the Atlantic have been signing up to support Behind the Scenes and Light Relief By Design Day, the day the industry comes together to celebrate its successes and to give back in thanks.

On 24 April, designers with shows around the world will be donating their royalties to support one or both of the two charities dedicated exclusively to helping entertainment technology and design professionals, Behind the Scenes in the US and Canada and Light Relief in the UK. Designers and others not in royalty situations have also stepped forward in support of By Design Day with direct donations.

By Design Day champions Ken Billington, Rick Fisher and Ken Posner have already been joined in donating their royalties by Mike Baldassari, Paule Constable, Don Holder, David Howe, Tim Mascal, Paul Miller, Brian Monahan, Peter Mumford, Peter Nigrini, Paul Pyant, M

Germany - HoloTerminal from Pronova is a new display product which the company says presents a bright, crystal-clear message. Available to rent or buy, the HoloTerminal can display information and presentations in a wide range of environments. The sleek design hides the projection technology safely away in the base of the unit, while a shaped glass screen with a 30" HoloPro 4 film laminated into it presents your message as a floating image.

The base includes a Casio XJ-S52 DLP projector, and a MacMini where content is stored. The image is projected onto the screen via a mirror. The design means that the HoloTerminal is simple to set up on location: the HoloTerminal is delivered completely mounted in a flightcase which can then be rolled out, unpacked, set up and connected on location in less than one minute, the company says.

(Lee Baldock)

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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies has given its web site www.ac-et.com/bargains a major facelift to provide customers with an improved online experience, following the continued success and expansion of this area of the company's business.

A.C. updates the bargain stock website on a daily basis with ex-demo and second hand equipment available. To reflect the web site's much expanded stock inventory, the site features dedicated lighting, audio, rigging and video product pages, based on the popular format of the distributor's 24-hour online shop. The Just Landed page enables customers to see at a glance what stock has been added in the last seven working days.

Most items on the Bargain Stock list are stocked in the company's Leeds Warehouse and can be viewed by arrangement.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - At ProLight&Sound (1-4 April, Frankfurt), Neutrik will be showing the opticalCON 4 with four fibres. Based on the well-established opticalCON 2, this is equally dust-proof and compatible to LC connectors. The 4-fibre version is an ideal solution for multi-channel point-to-point connections in broadcast and pro audio applications, say Neutrik. It is also available as a 12-fibre Y-split connection.

Neutrik will also present its multimedia product series which includes USB, HDMI and Firewire feedthrough chassis connectors, as well as locking USB and HDMI cable connectors - as usual in Neutrik quality, water-proof and extremely robust.

Also on show will be the HD version of the IP67-rated XX series which is totally dust-proof and protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m in mated condition.

Next up, Neutrik's Trouble Shooters range aims to avoid the

UK - GE Lighting's Vio high power white LEDs were announced the winner of the recent Lighting Design Awards in the Light Sources and Controls category, sponsored by Ex-Or. The Vio won the award for what judges described as a "major advance in colour stability".

GE Lighting's highest power, white LED yet, the Vio 7.2, also available in 1.2W and 3.6W, provides has light outputs of up to 350 lumens. Receiving the award, GE Lighting's product manager for solid state lighting, Andy Davies, said, "We are thrilled that the Vio has been recognised as best in class at the Lighting Design Awards. This prestigious award demonstrates that the Vio truly is the best available high power LED on the market and is valuable recognition of GE's commitment to bringing innovative top quality products to market."

See GE Lighting at PLASA Focus -

The Netherlands - The numbers are huge: 125mwide stage, 4000sq.m palace façade set, 400 plus Martin Professional automated lights, 80 containers of transport. What is being called the biggest transportable touring set ever graces Andre Rieu's World Stadium Tour: A Romantic Vienna Night.

The 34m high stage - a reconstruction of the Schonbrunn castle in Vienna - includes a ballroom with gilded chandeliers, majestic fountains, and even ice for skating. Lighting the massive set is an equally impressive Martin lighting rig made up of 30 MAC III Profiles, 185 MAC 2000 Washes, 58 MAC 2000 Wash XBs, 114 MAC 250 Washes, 10 MAC 2000 Performances and 14 Exterior 200s. Lighting contractor is Rent-All BV, one of the largest rental companies in Holland, who have been supplying lighting for André Rieu shows for years.

Lighting design for the tour is in the hands of Maurice Ver

Germany - Sennheiser has announced that WiCOS, a wireless conference system that automatically avoids interference, will soon be available.

WiCOS, short for Wireless Conference System, features automatic dynamic frequency management with two frequency ranges (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), for wireless transmission, and automatically switches the range if it detects interference on its wireless frequencies. This means that WiCOS can be operated much more reliably than conventional wireless conference systems, says the company.

"A conference system has to operate with absolute reliability," explained Jens Werner, product manager for conference and information systems at Sennheiser. "For that reason, in addition to the usual 2.4 GHz range, which is often subject to interference from Bluetooth transmitters and WLANs, WiCOS uses the range from 5.1 to 5.8 GHz for its transmissi

USA - Bandit Lites began 2009 with a large number of high profile special events working with some of the biggest names in the industry.

The year kicked off with designer Mark Carver and the Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Nashville at the Opry House. This year the show was hosted by Sinbad along with Grammy winning entertainers Donnie McClurkin and Dorinda Clark Cole. The show is broadcast globally on television and is the pinnacle of the gospel Music year. Carver used an array of technology including VL 2500s, 3000s, 3500s and Coemar Halos as well as Coemar infinity XL.

In Europe Bandit was very busy with a wide range of events including UFC Pay Per View, PURE Fashion at London Fashion week, FA Carling Cup Final and Ringling Brothers Circus events.

Belmont University in Nashville again called on Bandit to light their 2009 Belmont Country Showcase and its Rock Show

Germany - LED Factory - a leading manufacturer of high end LED entertainment lighting systems - has launched its latest mobile LED product range designed for the professional event market.

The new LED-Pixel system includes a number of different items of furniture and was exhibited for the first time at The Event Show, London and at the World of Event Show in Germany.

According to LED Factory, the main unique features are: "Most advanced rechargeable Lithium ION batteries; Remote controlled via hand or DMX transmitter; Highly efficient RGBW (Red/Green/Blue/White) LED light sources; Pixel design (each 1m strip consists of 8 individually controllable LED segments); Over 10 integrated light effects similar to sophisticated LED moving heads / stage systems"

LED-Factory is one of the first companies in the world providing a whole range of high end mobile LED-systems or c

USA - The broadcast of the 81st Academy Awards on 22 February 22, saw Oscars awarded for outstanding sound achievements in film, but there was one more audio accomplishment that evening: at the famous Governor's Ball after-party, where the EAW UX8800 Digital Signal Processor optimised the sound system in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Centre. The sound system was provided and operated by Goodman Audio Services of Santa Fe Springs, California.

For the Governor's Ball, Goodman Audio positioned two UX8800s as system processors at the FOH position. Signal from the Yamaha PM5D FOH mixer fed the UX8800 processors in loudspeaker mode, paired with various speaker/amplifier rack locations such as catwalks and amp world near the stage. A typical amp rack will have one UX8800 and four QSC PL236 amplifiers, and these were configured as left and right, with a

UK - Martin Professional invites you to experience their brand new lighting and fog offerings at the new PLASA Focus show at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on the 28 -29 April 2009.

Visit Martin Professional's stand (B2) in Saviles Hall for the opportunity to get up close and personal with their latest products and talk to staff.

On display will be the brand new MAC III and the new K1 Hazer. Also, some of the company's industry standard MACs will be available for visitors to have a closer look at along with a few key new products from the Visual Solutions range, including the new EvenLED panels.

"So, don't wait, register for free online at www.plasafocus.com/leeds/register; then come by and visit us to see our new products," say the company.

There is also a two day programme of free educational seminars and workshops. The seminars are designed and delivered by a co

Changing of the Guard - The value of the live music scene has overtaken that of recordings, according to the Performing Rights Society (PRS). Figures state the recorded music industry generated £896m during 2008. This compares with the estimated worth of the live music, increasingly vital for new and established bands, which amounted to an estimated £904m. The PRS, which collects royalties for live and recorded music on behalf of artists and writers, called the landmark a "changing of the guard".

Speaking to BBC 6 Music, the organisation's chief economist, Will Page, said: "We've been doing some maths back at the office. We have all the data on live music at the PRS because we license all the live performances that go around the country, so we're actually able to put a number on how much live music is worth." For their final calculations, Page exp

USA - The most notable thing about weekly services at Christ's Church at Mason, Ohio, is that each service is in a distinctly different style - traditional, contemporary and blended. The church's 1300-seat sanctuary was recently renovated with a new sound system to handle the contemporary and blended services, while a smaller chapel was built to handle the traditional service.

Long time integrator, Worship Resources, was brought in to develop an appropriate audio design, and Allen & Heath's iLive digital mixing system was chosen to handle Front of House and monitors for the larger sanctuary.

With a volunteer technical staff and a large musical presentation, it was essential that the new console be easy to learn and use. "Previously, the sanctuary had an analogue console but Sunday morning worship now comprises two back-to-back rehearsals and two services," explains T

Germany - The J-INFRA is the cardioid infra subwoofer for the J-Series that can be used to supplement J-Series systems consisting of J8, J12 and J-SUB cabinets in various combinations. It is tuned to fit below the J subwoofer in terms of phase, sound and impact and extends the frequency response of a J-Series system down to 27 Hz.

It is an actively driven two-way bass-reflex design housing three long excursion neodymium 21" drivers of which two face to the front while the other radiates to the rear of the cabinet. The two forward facing drivers are housed together in a bass reflex chamber and are driven from a single channel of the D12 amplifier. The backward facing driver is in a second chamber and is driven by the other D12 channel.

Through this driver setup its cardioid dispersion pattern avoids unwanted energy behind the system and greatly reduces the reverberant fiel

UK - Following many months of discussion, Lighting Effects Distribution has been appointed exclusive UK distributors for the wide range of lighting solutions produced by the company Colours in Italy.

The pact marks a reunion for L.E.D. managing director Ian Kirby and Ivano Burato, who was most recently with French company Ayrton (distributed in the UK by L.E.D).

Burato, in conjunction with former colleagues from Coemar spa, set up the new company in the north Italian lighting hotbed of Castelgoffredo, and this month presented its innovative range in the UK at an open day held by television specialists, Richard Martin Lighting.

Ivano Burato said: "It was always my intention to approach Lighting Effects Distribution to handle our products after meeting at last year's PLASA Show, and once the Ayrton contract ended in December we started talking."

"This is a hig

Qatar - LCI Productions provided a 'light show' for Qatar's National Day in December 2008, in Doha. LCI was contracted to provide a turnkey service for the project, from original concept through to delivery.

The brief for the show production was to "grow" the national pride of the nation, by depicting its history and heritage, to show their progress and make the audience reflect on the country's national heritage. The elements included the History of the Country, Pearl Diving, Desert Living and the Craft and Art of Qatar.

On winning the tender, LCI set about creating a storyboard and sourcing original material shot in Qatar in both stills and HD video as well as using archive material from Qatar, working in conjunction with local agencies. The majority of the show content was then developed at LCI's in-house Avid editing studio, and demonstration studio, using Wings

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