UK - Panasonic has expanded its business projector line-up, with the launch of the PT-LB360 series - a new range of portable projectors with up to 3,600 lumens of brightness.

The series features four models*1 that offer an easy and simple projection solution for education or corporate environments.

The PT-LB360 series feature a compact body, brightness ranging from 2,800lm to 3,600lm and a high contrast ratio of 5,000:1, ensuring images are clear, bright and easy to view.

With a long lamp life replacement cycle of up to 8,000 hours in Eco mode and 5,000 hours of filter life, these models promise low maintenance and hassle free operation.

The series is designed with Panasonic's original Daylight View Lite function, which allows total control of image brightness, even in a brightly-lit room, for comfortable viewing.

Hartmut Kulessa, Marketing Manager at Panasonic, said, &q

USA - BenQ America Corp., one of the fastest growing display brands in North America and top 1 DLP projector manufacturer, has announced additions to its S Series line of high-brightness professional projectors.

Made specifically to meet the demands of medium- to large-sized classrooms, corporate meeting rooms, and auditoriums, the company's latest projectors provide up to 5,000 'Colorific lumens' to intensify projections in any professional installation environment.

"As projection technology continues to evolve, we continue to offer professional systems integrators enhanced performance and increased flexibility in our high-brightness series," said Bob Wudeck, associate vice-president, strategy and business development at BenQ America Corp.

"Rounded with a number of benefits including Colorific image quality, ease of installation and maintenance, and lamp-savi

UK - Lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment kick started another busy festival season this year by supplying lighting equipment and design, LED screen, rigging and crew to We Are FSTVL which made some serious noise at Damyn's Hall Aerodrome, Upminster, east London.

It was the second event after bursting audaciously onto the EDM scene last year and this year the organisers upped the ante on several fronts, expanding the event to two days, increasing the level of production and securing an action-packed line-up with main stage headliners Richie Hawtin (Saturday) and Fatboy Slim (Sunday).

Colour Sound deployed five trucks of kit, 26 crew, around 500sq.m of their proprietary BT LED screen, over 350 moving lights and lots of strobes, blinders and atmospheric effects to the site, where all their elements were co-ordinated by crew chief Andy Melleney.

Colour

USA - Northeast High School is a four-year public high school in Pasadena, Maryland. With almost 1,600 students, Northeast has several notable sports teams, a growing music programme and its own designated acting troupe that puts on three shows a year.

Originally constructed in 1964, Northeast has recently undergone a major renovation. As part of that renovation, the school received new AV systems in its main and auxiliary gymnasiums, its multi-purpose cafeteria and its black box theater.

Northeast hired consultant Steven Sinclair of Polysonics, an engineering firm in Warrenton, Virginia, to design the new AV systems. After winning a public bid, HP Electronics, a full-service AV integrator in Baltimore, installed the school's new AV systems.

Sinclair specified Community loudspeakers for all three Northeast venues. The gymnasiums feature Community R1-94 two-way loudspeakers s

South Africa - After Electrosonic SA hosted the successful Hippo School in February 2014, the demand for Green Hippo Professional media servers has grown exponentially. Knowledge is power, and as the pool of Hippo knowledge grows so does the demand for servers.

Video walls and video projection are fast becoming the norm in productions, live shows and TV broadcasts; thus the need for a professional, reliable, and real-time media server for content playback and manipulation is rapidly on the increase. Large and small stages, and complicated and simple set-ups, can benefit greatly from the Hippotizer media servers' flexibility, functionality and ease-of-use. Furthermore, the Hippo range is vast and offers different hardware capabilities on the same software platform, which means there is a server for every budget and application.

The first orders for Green Hippo Professional medi

Europe - London based projection specialist The Projection Studio worked as a consultant for live communications agency Wasserman to activate a pan European large format video projection campaign for the Vodafone Firsts initiative.

This took place via a series of giant projections in key cities across Europe through which Vodafone inspires and engages people to do something remarkable for the first time using mobile technology.

Projection Studio's Ross Ashton and his team were asked on-board by Wasserman's Production manager Mark Bustard after seeing their work in the same capacity for Jack Morton Worldwide at London's New Year Eve celebrations and festivities along the South bank of the River Thames. The projections then were onto the Shell Building.

The latest project involved conducting comprehensive site surveys in all eight cities - which included Budapest Sapientia Col

USA - At InfoComm 2014 Barco will dramatize a 'Day in the Life' of a smart city, demonstrating how its large-scale visualization, wireless collaboration and enterprise communications solutions are woven into everyday life to connect people, places and technology.

In the Barco Booth C6308, visitors will interact with Barco smart solutions as they're experienced by businesses and consumers in the real world: innovative controllers dynamically stream and display intelligence to public agencies on giant video walls; event projectors powered with the latest presentation switchers wow audiences at live shows and entertainment venues; vibrant and interactive signage engages shoppers in a retail promenade. These are just a few of Barco's latest innovations on display at InfoComm.

"We want to show our customers how Barco is transforming the way people present and share information

Spain - YCD Multimedia has announced its participation with Coca-Cola in creating the Coca-Cola lounge at this year's CineEurope 2014 convention in Barcelona, Spain, June 17-19 2014.

Working in close cooperation with Littlebit Technology, as well as NEC Displays Solutions and Intel, YCD brings a rarely seen immersive digital signage solution to the Coca-Cola lounge. Coca Cola is the main sponsor for this year's CineEurope show and "it was important for us to help Coca-Cola showcase a complete digital signage solution for cinema complexes," said Eran Sharon, VP product management for YCD Multimedia.

From box office ticketing, concessions, future film promotions and wayfinding, each solution shown addresses today's Cineplex needs and business goals while incorporating immersive and experiential elements to enhance the movie-going experience. Content will be presented i

UK - Engage Production Ltd, specialist in interactive technologies for branded environments, has supplied technology and technical expertise to the world's first Bloomberg Hub, which has been unveiled at London City Airport. Engage supplied a digital display, media wall with audio distribution, as well as all the hardware necessary for technical integration.

The Bloomberg Hub provides "timely and relevant news, data, and information within a visually-compelling, technology-driven space". Engage's electronic wizardry, along with Bloomberg's rich content and design, all combine to create an interactive, energetic, and functional space devised "to make the business traveller's journey more productive, more efficient, and more enjoyable".

"It's a great privilege to be asked to work with Bloomberg again, particularly on such a big project and a world's firs

Australia - ArKaos PRO's Australian distributor, ULA Group, were once again a proud sponsor of 2014 BMW Bruce Lynton Charity Ball, a prestigious event hosted in May at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on Australia's Gold Coast. Working together with Jesse Radatti from Digital Lighting Solutions, the team delivered a spectacular production for the ball, which has become one of the Gold Coast's prime events.

Australia's famous Choirboys, supported by local group,The Accidents, were entertaining the crowds until late into the night. The evening's celebrations were crowned by a pixel mappable chandelier, installed as a centerpiece in the Grand Ball Room. This was controlled by ChamSys MQ 60 console through ArKaos PRO media server technology to create a festive atmosphere for the event.

Bruce Lynton Prestige Automotive Group dealer principal, Beric Lynton, explains that the event's sole

UK - For the month of June Green Hippo is offering a limited time free Connect and Control software upgrade to everyone buying a new Hippotizer Chipmunk. The offer will run throughout June and finishes on Friday 4 July 2014.

Chipmunk is Green Hippo's latest release in their Hippotizer media server range and since its launch in January this year it has received exceptional feedback as well as being awarded the 2014 Live Design projection product of the year award.

Everyone buying a new Chipmunk this June will receive a free software upgrade to the top of the range model Chipmunk Connect & Control.

Chipmunk is driven by the same software engine as all servers in the Hippotizer range and delivers two layers of 1080p HD with ease. It includes full on-layer geometry, FX and colour control, keystone correction as well as Timeline functionality as per Chipmunk's siblings, along wit

Belgium - ArKaos PRO has partnered with PSAV to roll out progressive projection and mapping solutions across its global network in the hotel, resort and conference centre industry. ArKaos PRO media servers and software deliver the most versatile, easy-to-use video media server and mapping capabilities to clients who want to add impact to their events and presentations.

PSAV's product management of audio and IT, Mark Consiglio, has been an advocate of ArKaos PRO media servers since he was introduced to the brand at InfoComm 2012. "When ArKaos PRO was brought to my attention, I knew this technology would be something that our team and customers would be interested in," stated Consiglio. "Media servers are normally large scale installations so we were excited to learn about this product. The ArKaos Stage Server demo - just a small scale display that mapped video extr

USA - Green Hippo technical director and AViary product manager Sean Westgate will be holding a special seminar at InfoComm, discussing the capabilities of 4K+ in the real world, new mapping solutions and the challenges of displaying video in environments such as corporate AV, Retail and Installation.

The session will be taking an overview of the challenges faced in the world of high resolution digital displays, tackling both its problems and the solutions, including a presentation of Par4Keet, the flagship player of the AViary Video Tools range. We will also discuss our FlexRes codec, the new approach to media encoding focusing on non-standard aspect ratios and unconventional pixel counts.

"4K+ demands attention and at the Green Hippo's manufacturers training, we aim to deliver you the best in digital display solutions," says the company.

As the AV world continues

Belgium - Barco has introduced its groundbreaking E2 image processor - featuring native 4K inputs and outputs and supporting 4K content at professional frame rates (up to 60p 4:4:4). Raising the bar for live screen management, this brand-new presentation system provides superior image quality, exceptional input and output density, great expandability, and durability.

A truly versatile system, it offers eight mixable PGM outputs and four scaled Aux outputs for full show control with a single box. The E2 will be showcased from 18 - 20 June at the Barco booth at InfoComm in Las Vegas.

"We are proud to be breaking ground in superior image processing technology with the launch of our revolutionary E2 image processor," says Bill Morris, vice president venues & hospitality at Barco. "Supporting native 4K input and output, it is the first and only screen management syst

USA - Coldplay recently held an intimate secret show to mark the release of their album Ghost Stories to the delight of the 800 lucky fans in attendance at Sony Studios Los Angeles. The spectacular event, recorded for a TV special and album bonus DVD, saw the band play a very special set, including a recital of the new album in its entirety for the first time.

Expertly directed by Ben Miles of Mixed Emotions London and engineered by Phil Haynes with Phil Johnston as Lead Projectionist both working for XL Video, the show featured 32 unique outputs from only five live Avolites Media Ai S8 systems. These, connected to a total of 46 Panasonic 20k projectors, and coupled with three floating backup servers, created a stunning visual environment.

"Avolites Media were very proud to supply our servers to XL Video for use on this special project," stated Avolites Media

USA - ArKaos PRO, Belgian software and media server manufacturer, will be exhibiting at InfoComm this week, with its exclusive North American distributor, A.C. Lighting on booth C5054.

The newly released ArKaos PRO MediaMaster 4.0 software will be on show for the first time in the USA, alongside ArKaos PRO's full range of media servers.

MediaMaster 4.0, the fourth generation of ArKaos PRO's software, brings more flexible protection via an optional dongle and many additional features. This ever-more powerful version of this favourite media server software still retains the simplicity of operation familiar to its users.

Comprising the Stage, Studio and Stadium servers, ArKaos PRO's range of media servers offers up to two-, four- and six-outputs respectively with features and controllability that meet any challenge or project requirement. The powerful systems offer a vast libra

Belgium - Barco is expanding its projection portfolio for rental and staging with a new three-chip DLP projector. Offering a brightness level of 35,000 centrelumens, the new HDQ-4K35 is capable of showing native 4K content at 60 Hz frame rates. It features an integrated design with internal power supply, rental frame and no external chimney fan.

TheHDQ-4K35 is fully ready to be combined with Barco's ground breaking 4K screen management system, which allows native 4K projector blending - a first in the industry. Barco will unveil the new HDQ-4K35 at InfoComm, from 18 - 20 June in Las Vegas, and the projector will be commercially available as of Q4 2014.

"Barco has been the industry leader in high-brightness and high-resolution projection technology for decades and with the introduction of the HDQ-4K35 projector we continue to raise the bar for image quality," comments

South Africa - South African equipment rental and technical support house Kilowatt AV recently invested in the Avolites Ai Media Server EX series to power the country's first-ever choreographed 3D video-mapping experience.

The event, for global car manufacturer Nissan, integrated live dance with 3D virtual mapping technology to create a show that demonstrated the blurring of lines between human and virtual arts.

"Our scenic team designed a 24m wide 3D stage set that required the Ai Media Server to power three 14K HD Christie Projectors, which covered the area," explains Dillon Jearey, chief executive officer for Kilowatt AV. "The biggest challenge for us was that the deadline between content load-in and show production was incredibly tight. Thankfully, the Ai proved itself to be extremely versatile and reliable, handling the fast-tracked programming schedule wit

Spain - NEC Display Solutions and Coca-Cola have partnered in Europe to promote the development of digital signage installations in cinemas at CineEurope 2014, being held in Barcelona, Spain from 16-19 June, 2014.

NEC is working with Coca-Cola to create "CineEurope's most interactive and visually appealing show lounge". It will demonstrate the exciting future of the cinema-going experience to the industry. Coca-Cola chose to work with NEC based on its vast range of cinema solutions optimising every space in the cinema, from outdoor billboards to the foyer and concession stands, through to the latest projection technology for the big screen.

Coca-Cola invited NEC Display Solutions, YCD Multimedia, Littlebit Technology and Intel to provide digital media and digital menu signage presence on its booth on the Trade Show.

NEC installations on the trade show include motio

The Netherlands - After seven years of using Hippotizer on some of Europe's most high-profile productions, Netherland's Tenfeet have decided to upgrade their first generation Hippotizer.

In conjunction with Green Hippo's exclusive distributor in Benelux, Interlight, technical sales manager Sarah Cox arranged for Tenfeet to trade in their first generation Hippotizer HDs for the latest spec i7 machines. Says Sarah, "Green Hippo offers a very competitive trade in policy to their customers to get new i7 Hippotizer servers for their V3 legacy machines. We want to make sure all our clients have the opportunity to trade in older hardware to the latest specs, so they can produce the best possible projects with the latest available hardware."

At Tenfeet, where the Hippotizers have well proven their value over the last seven years and it was decided to trade in the old machine

USA - Barco has joined USAV's Preferred Manufacturer Partner (PMP) programme as its latest outstanding ProAV supplier. Under the arrangement, Barco will gain access to a nationwide network of more than 40 integrators, serving as a preferred supplier of business projection, presentation/collaboration, digital signage, and networked visualization solutions for use in many applications throughout the enterprise.

The new agreement between USAV, the leading ProAV integrator association, and Barco offers significant mutual benefits. As a USAV PMP, Barco will now be plugged into a network of integrators who can specify Barco products in their solutions to meet a variety of ProAV needs in all types of businesses, government entities, educational institutions, houses of worship, healthcare organizations, and entertainment venues. From digital lobby signage and artwork, to high-performanc

India - AV Express, an audio-visual equipment hire company based in Chennai in India, recently added a QSC WideLine-10 system to their sound reinforcement inventory comprised of 16 three-way WL2102-w modules with six GP218-sw subwoofers.

For a decade, AV Express on India's East coast, has been one of the city's premier audio-visual events hire companies, handling audio, video and lighting for everything from live bands and DJ sets to corporate shows.

"When we were looking for a new system to upgrade our existing audio inventory, we would not compromise," comments Mr Murugesh, one of AV Express's principal partners. "We had a lot to choose from, but only the QSC WideLine system matched our parameters of quality and performance. Plus, QSC's representative, Pro Visual Audio, walked us through the entire operation and workflow of the system during our demo, and gave

UK - The Panalux TekTile 2 is a slimline Bi-Colour illumination solution created by Panalux exclusively for the film, television industry and entertainment media industries.

Featuring instantly variable colour temperature from 3000k to 5800k with no shift in light output throughout the transition via an on board Tektile2 controller or when used in conjunction with Panalux F-stop 8way Controller units

The impressive specification of these new high quality, high output fixtures includes: mains or battery power; local or DMX control; fully dimmable with no shift in correlated colour temperature; Panalux F-Stop® compatible; choice of mounting options; range of accessories; optional wireless control - all housed within a sleek aluminium unit weighing just 2.5kg.

Simple to operate and just 30mm deep, Tektile 2 is perfect as an effective, balanced 'solo' soft light or can be co

UK - Eclipse Presentations - the east London based technical solutions provider known for innovation and flair - collaborated with the marketing team at Central Hall Westminster (CHW) led by Maria Schuett to provide all the required technical production and infrastructure to facilitate their very successful recent one day 'Meet The Future' event.

Central Hall is one of the high profile central London event spaces at which Eclipse provides managed and technical services and Meet The Future, attended by over 300 delegates, was designed to showcase and raise awareness of a number of state-of-the-art technologies that could potentially shape the future design and production of all types of events.

Meet The Future was co-ordinated for Eclipse by key account manager Matt Green who looks after Central Hall and MD Robin Purslow.

Says Green, "We were keen to support 'Meet The Fu

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