Belgium - Barco reports that its CLM and FLM rental projectors are supporting renowned visual artists during the Ghent Light Festival. From 27 - 29 January, 20 international artists and light designers take visitors on a tour as they bring the historic city centre to life with light and projection. No less than 21 projectors have been installed by long-standing Barco partners XL Video and Spectaculaires.

For the first-ever Ghent Light Festival, a large number of national and international light artists and AV companies have joined forces to create a spectacle. XL Video and Spectaculaires opted for Barco's event projectors to support four different artists and artist collectives, who want to spotlight some of the city's magic. In total, eight CLM and 13 FLM projectors support creations from noted artists like Pablo Valbuena.

"In recent years, Ghent has invested heavily in

UK - With more layers and more clips, the latest version of Screen Monkey media playback and control software is sure to have something you are looking for, says the company.

Highlights of the new version include: New audio layer; Extra video layer bringing the total to five layers; New Scribble Clip to allow freehand drawing on a layer; Test card clip to display test images; SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) support; Text Clip for displaying text on the screen; Optional larger toolbox icons for touch screens; Extra effects generator shapes; Add custom images to effects generator; Improvements to display profile editor; Firefox web browser; Layer size and position control through DMX.

Other Features allow users to adjust settings whilst running a show at the same time. Visit www.screenmonkey.co.uk to download and install version 3.5 and to view a video demonstrating the latest ve

UK - West Midlands and Bristol based AV specialist Central Presentations (CPL) has boosted its stock of Sony HD digital cameras, lenses and accessories with a new £250,000 investment.

This is to service current and ongoing work due to an excellent end to 2010 and a busy start to 2011, as well as to meet the increase in client demands for HD video, and to maintain the company's policy of keeping abreast of the latest technology in this fast moving world, says the company.

The cameras are Sony HXC-100 HD/SD studio spec units. These are HD/SD switchable, can also run both formats simultaneously and have an array of programmable function buttons on the camera head. The camera uses the latest 14-bit A/D conversion circuit and 2/3-inch Power HAD FX CCDs for superior picture quality.

(Jim Evans)

China - Its popularity in western countries may have been largely transitory, but karaoke is still a huge attraction in the Far East, with high specification facilities providing entertainment for many thousands of people. The latest raft of karaoke - or KTV - clubs has recently been unveiled in China, with Apex Intelli-X48 processors at its heart.

Dalian Wanda Group is one of China's biggest real estate development companies, with the construction of many hotels and other high profile facilities to its name. The hotels are managed by a range of global chains - including Hilton, Sofitel, Intercontinental and Crown Plaza.

2008 saw Apex audio processors recommended for use in a Sofitel-managed hotel's private KTV club. Supplied via local distributor Budee Technology Development Co, the system has proved a great success and so Apex Intelli-X48 processors were specified for Wanda

UK - Pentewan Sands Holiday Park near Mevagissey in Cornwall is one of the country's leading camping and caravan parks and was voted Britain's best beach holiday park in 2008.

When the owners decided to expand the facilities to include a new on site leisure facility complete with two pools, jacuzzi, gym, fitness centre, bars and restaurant, they asked Pyramid Presentations to design and install high quality lighting and AV systems throughout.

Since the audio brief required 20 different sources and outputs to 12 different areas, Pyramid saw it as an opportunity to design an audio system around a Bose ControlSpace ESP-88 audio management system. An additional requirement was for speakers that blended into a clearly defined interior design, and the Bose FreeSpace range was chosen.

According to Bose Pro Partner, Nic Black of Pyramid, the audio brief consisted of two main element

Norway / The Netherlands - Projector manufacturer projectiondesign has appointed Åsmund O.Fodstad to the position of executive vice president. Åsmund O. Fodstad started with projectiondesign on 1 February, coinciding with the first day of the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition.

Åsmund O. Fodstad has over 15 years of solid sales, marketing, management and operations experience in the energy, software and telecom industries across four continents.

"With Åsmund's global depth, experience, knowledge and skill, he has the perfect mix of talent to lead projectiondesign's international operations and to drive the company's efforts in establishing itself as the world wide preferred projector manufacturer and supplier," says J°rn Eriksen, CEO and president at projectiondesign. "We envisage an excellent potential for projectiondesign's growth and maturity in spe

The Netherlands - TC Group - parent company of TC Electronic, Tannoy, Lab.gruppen, Lake and TC Helicon - announced on Tuesday at the opening of Integrated Systems Europe 2011 that it is to become part of the AVnu Alliance, the industry forum dedicated to the establishment and promotion of the IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) open network standard.

TC Group is fully supportive of the move towards IEEE 802.1, stating that the establishment of AVB as the leading open standard will benefit customers, manufacturers and the industry as a whole by providing a level playing field for future product development while giving end users greater confidence in, and choice of, network-compatible devices.

A statement issued at ISE declares, "TC Group sees networked audio as a critical issue in pro audio - in both the install and tour world - and has already utilized digital audio ne

The Netherlands - Barco has announced a newly designed three-chip DLP platform for mid-sized event venues. The HDX-W14 is a 3D projector with advanced image processing, increased and easy control options, and a compact design.

The HDX-W14 comes with a 14,000 lumens light output, a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution and active 3D capabilities. It features controls through a user-friendly, built-in LCD screen with a preview mode, and control options through wired and wireless IP. Furthermore, users can control the projector through new technologies such as tablet PCs and smart phones.

"The development of the HDX was heavily influenced by three key areas where Barco has gained considerable expertise," says Chris Colpaert, strategic marketing director of Barco's pro AV business, "We carried over our experience in 3D from our digital cinema portfolio and fused it with our

The Netherlands - Chief has announced a new partnership with Luidia, the developer of interactive solutions.

Luidia's eBeam technology will be integrated into Chief's Short Throw Projector Mount line. Any Short Throw projector can now be upgraded to perform a variety of digital functions by simply installing the interactive wall mount. This solution complements Luidia's eBeam interactive whiteboard system, of which hundreds of thousands have been installed. Like previous eBeam systems, it works with standard computers, projectors and a variety of input devices to transform existing whiteboards and writing surfaces into interactive whiteboards.

Luidia's patented technology makes it easy for users to present, annotate and interact with projected content, while capturing the results, which can be shared over the Internet for remote meetings. The announcement was made today at the

World - PLASA is pleased to announce the launch of its Facebook pages. Visitors to PLASA Focus, The PLASA Show, members of PLASA and anyone interested in the industry can join (or "like") the Facebook pages from today.

Members of the pages will be the first to find out about industry news, PLASA news and show news and content Plus, PLASA 2011 is offering the first 1000 members the chance to win a pair of Sennheiser HD 380 Pro collapsible high end headphones! To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is "like" the PLASA 2011 page, then a winner will be picked at random.

To view the PLASA Facebook page, click here.

For the PLASA Focus page,

UK - London-based The Projection Studio was commissioned to create a magical work on the Almond Pavilion in Saltwell Park, Gateshead for the NewcastleGateshead Initiative's 2010 Enchanted Parks event. This popular pre-festive occasion featured a collection of 25 family friendly 'after dark' art installations that ran for a week.

Enchanted Parks was presented by the NewcastleGateshead Initiative in association with Magnetic Events, and funded by Gateshead Council, the Arts Council England and the Northern Rock Foundation. Projection Studio's Ross Ashton has worked on previous projects for Magnetic Events and their producer Robin Morley, including the opening of Sunderland Aquatic Centre in 2008, the North East's first Olympic sized swimming pool.

The Almond Pavilion has been restored to replicate the original appearance of the 1881 building - it also loosely resem

Denmark / The Netherlands - dnp Denmark reported an "outstanding response" to the launch of its new Zenith rear projection screen at last week's ISE 2011 in Amsterdam.

Aimed at the 100"-plus market, the new display pays homage to the fact that recently, brighter, more powerful projectors have become available. This has given rise to new challenges, such as how to prevent hot-spots showing up on the screen, while at the same time improving contrast / brightness uniformity and balancing viewing angles. This has been achieved with a low gain (of 2.2), along with more tint, and an anti-glare surface that minimises reflected ambient light and produces optimal 'eye-gonomics', says the company.

Proof of concept at ISE was in the form of a 128" Zenith display in partnership with Hitachi 5000 ANSI lumens projectors.

Drawing on the engineering services of their UK

UK - Creative Technology (CT), the worlds leading supplier of AV and technical staging services, welcomed over 250 of their clients and friends to a series of Open Days entitled "Video Another Dimension", held at the Riverside Studios in London on 26 and 27 January.

A joint production with sister company Presteigne Charter, the event provided a unique opportunity to learn more about the technology and processes involved in creating and displaying 3D content in the events market. Showcasing a variety of applications and products specialising in the 3D genre, the higher than expected attendance and the level of interest of all who came, clearly demonstrated the impact this revolutionary display medium is expected to have on the events market.

Dedicating the event to introducing and demonstrating a range of new technologies featuring that extra dimension, the video and

UK - Ten Christie Roadster HD10K-M 3-chip DLP projectors were deployed by rental and staging company A to V recently, when Travel Weeklymagazine hosted the Globe Travel Awards before 1000 guests at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

The awards are voted for solely by travel agents, and the event is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the travel industry calendar. Hence production company, Three Media Creative (Three MC), designed a highly creative technical infrastructure that would befit the occasion, which was hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr.

Manchester-based A to V had been introduced to the event by local VT house Editz, who were assisting Three MC with the content for the show.

Working alongside Three MC's creative director, Steve Csanyi, A to V rigged three stacked pairs of projectors to fire onto a 40ft x 10ft edge blended main screen, while the remaining four

USA - Intelix has recently added Bruce Stelman to their team as a senior product manager. In this capacity, Stelman will work with the Intelix team to ensure timely product development and introduction.

"Bruce is a welcome addition to the Intelix team," states Mike Konkle, Intelix CTO. "His deep understanding and experience in the AV industry are a tremendous asset; he will be crucial to the design and production of innovative, reliable electronics based on the needs of the AV industry for years to come."

Stelman served as director of product development for a major manufacturer in the wireless assistive listening industry, as well as a product development consultant for other audio-visual firms.

(Jim Evans)

Malta - Christie has confirmed the sale of 170 MicroTiles for installation in Malta International Airport.

The order, placed with Christie's Cyprus distributors, ALA Equipment Co, by Michael Kyriakides of International Airport Advertising Corporation (IAAC), follows the concession won by IAAC and its strategic partner, Clear Channel Airports (CCA), to take over the advertising programme on the MIA premises for the next 12 years.

Divided into seven separate displays (including five 8 x 3 synchronised videowalls in the Baggage Reclaim area), the installation forms the bulk of a €1m investment which will see all static media convert to video signage.

Kyriakides comments: "We were recommended MicroTiles as representing an original approach to digital signage technology; and because of MicroTiles' size and flexibility we knew we could not only offer clarity and crispness of

UK - Currently being packaged for Video on Demand and DVD release, Imogen Heap's live show at the Royal Albert Hall was the largest High-Definition shoot to date for London agency Bluman Associates.

"Equipping for an 11-camera shoot, providing screens for the concert, and mixing feeds for a webcast by Rebild Productions to half a million viewers has been our most demanding assignment as a production company," says MD Pod Bluman.

The Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Imogen Heap is an outspoken advocate of using new technology to interact and collaborate with her fans. At the end of 2010, she took to the Royal Albert Hall, with friends and family, a 67-piece orchestra, 40-piece choir and her own band, and some adventurous creative ideas.

Imogen Heap was conducting the orchestra and choir herself, as they performed her original composition, the score to the concep

UK - When 300 guests sat down at a gala dinner at Australia House, to celebrate Australia Day on 22 January, they could little have anticipated the production awaiting them.

Although the Exhibition Room inside the landmark building - situated on the corner of London's Aldwych and The Strand - has been immortalised by Harry Potter (the opulent room took on the role of Gringotts Bank and has also featured in many other movies), production company Eclipse Presentations had other surprises in store.

Down the staircase in the basement they had created an outback theme (with some inspired props and an outback station pub) for pre-drinks and after dinner disco (the DJ operating from a purpose-constructed 'outback' hut), while in the main auditorium they had fielded a g 12 x 5 Christie MicroTiles media display, supplied by dry hire specialists Paragon Projection.

Eclipse have handle

Denmark - Speckle-free clarity and a wide viewing angle - plus an environmentally compatible solution - that is what Danish waste management company, Vestforbrænding needed for its process control centre. Installers eyevis (Germany) and Viju (Sweden) delivered in full, with a 6 x 2 array of 50" DLP rear-projection cubes featuring LED projection technology, SXGA+ resolution and Cross Prism Screens from dnp denmark.

Vestforbrænding processes around 900,000 tonnes of waste a year, 95% of which is recycled or used in energy recovery.

When the time came to equip its process surveillance centre, Vestforbrænding demanded more than the unobstructed visual clarity of a rear projection system. The solution also had to be compatible with its strong environmental philosophy. The exisiting system was based on lamps, "We recommended DLP rear projection cubes for Vestforbrændin

Germany - Green Hippo has signed a distribution agreement for Germany with B&K Braun. Established in 1977, B&K Braun also distributes for GLP / G-LEC and has a large market share in trussing products by Global Truss.

Markus Augenstein from B&K Braun comments: "B&K Braun are looking forward to a successful collaboration with Green Hippo. Their products allow us to complete our product range perfectly and provide our customers with the necessary tools to put their ideas into practice. These days it is unthinkable to work without the countless possibilities and advantages that media servers have to offer and this will undoubtedly develop further in future."

Samantha Bailey from Green Hippo states, "We are pleased to welcome B&K Braun to the Green Hippo family, the enthusiasm and support they bring to the product is second to none and we have high hopes for the deve

South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa's AV division has invested in an initial batch of 100 of Christie Digital's multi award winning MicroTiles which have already been utilised for a wide variety of projects.

Gearhouse AV's operations manager Bhans Sheomangal explains how they were looking for a "reliable product that can be easily deployed and used for numerous tasks including the creation of multiple plasma screen effects". The brief was to find something that was: "Good quality with excellent and consistent colour reproduction," he comments, adding MicroTiles are proving to be the "perfect" solution for many applications.

Built on proven DLP technology, MicroTiles are designed for maximum image quality in demanding, high ambient light level environments. "The price is also good, and this combined with the general robustness and great long

Qatar - Qatar celebrated its National Day on 18 December 2010 in a spectacular party atmosphere. The all-day event began with a military parade at the Doha Corniche in the presence of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Thameem bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The Corniche area was dressed for the festivities with illuminated palm trees, LED screen displays and lightshows.

Colourful and fun-filled events were held at different locations across the city and Christie high-powered projection was at the centre of the action. Auditoire was awarded the project for the Doha Corniche, which featured illumination, audio and large scale PA equipment, video projection and LED screens, distributed along the Corniche area. TechnoPro (Qatar) was awarded the execution and supply of the technical production.

As a part of the celebrations, a giant 36m x

UK - Rental specialist PSCo has added the 3D capable 103 "and 85" Panasonic Plasma to its rental fleet, enabling their customers to hire these Active 3D screens for events, conferences and exhibitions.

Active 3D technology is billed as the most immersive way to watch 3D content, with viewers using high-precision active shutter glasses triggered by an infra-red imager built in to the screen bezel. This enables both eyes to view Full HD resolution images. The 103" and 85" offer big screen 3D experiences on a high impact scale.

PSCo's range of 3D plasmas are available on the bespoke Screenlifter system, an in-flightcase lifting solution which makes manoeuvring them into place by one man, simple and quick. The screens are accompanied by a selection of accessories including 3D glasses, and 3D compatible Blu-Ray players.

PSCo's managing director Stuart Holmes s

USA - All eyes turned to the stage as the familiar Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey heralded The King. Elvis was indeed in the building - but on video.

For two days in February, Elvis Presley came alive. Pete's Big TVs/Performance Video (PBTV/PV) supplied the video projection and production to the Stig Edgren event to make it happen.

Elvis Presley in Concert reunited Elvis on video with some of his former bandmates including original musical director & conductor Joe Guercio and a 16-piece orchestra, The Sweet Inspirations female backing vocals group and a band lineup featuring James Burton (Presley's lead guitarist 1969-1977), Glen Hardin (pianist 1970-1976), Paul Leim (drums) and Nathan East (bass).

This year's shows at the Mohegan Sun Arena and at Radio City Music Hall were similar to past shows, featuring a 15x20ft high screen - portrait style - on which Elv

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