By Steve Sechrist Luminus Devices announced it is shipping a new LED chip set (PhlatLight PT120) optimized for DLP technology, specifically the xHD5 1080p DLP chip  used in many high-end MDTVs.  The new RGB LED package offers more than 1500 white lumens, suitable for sets up to 62 inches, the company announced.  Luminus said one of […]

The one product story that jumps out at me this month is the $500 projector from Ben-Q. This is a major milestone for our market – heck, I remember when Clint Hoffman and I were sitting around a bar one night at InfoComm talking about the day when projectors might be under $1000 and what […]

Da-Lite Screen Company has a new veneer frame option for the Cinema Contour and Imager fixed frame screens. The visible face of either frame can be covered with a real wood veneer available in a variety of standard finishes: Light Oak, Medium Oak, Natural Walnut, Heritage Walnut, Mahogany, Cherry or Honey Maple. The company will […]

NEC is soon shipping the new 60XM5, a 60-inch plasma that is specified at 1365×768 WideXGA resolution and 350 percent greater contrast ratio than the previous model (but we can’t find the exact contrast ratio anywhere on the website!). Still this is a nice panel for the price — $7,999 – since the input panel […]

In attempt to TRY and catch up to Christie Digital’s MASSIVE lead in in-theater advertising projection, NEC announced availability of the company new line of digital projectors, the NP1000 and NP2000, with NEC’s ADVASuite In-Theatre Advertising system. The NEC NP1000 and NP2000 are specified at XGA 1024 x 768 resolution and 3500 and 4000 ANSI […]

OK it’s just SVGA resolution. But the new TDP-S35U is bright (2000 lumens) and has a nice contrast ratio (2000:1) for the money. This $699 projector is a DLP model that weighs 6.6 pounds and is pretty much barebones, as you’d expect from this price, but it does have digital keystone correction. Did I hear […]

This thin craze reminds me of the late-1990s when Sony and NEC were battling it out for the thinnest laptop computer. Eventually, it was determined size didn’t matter as much as they all thought as the market leaders are all, for the most part, selling the middle-grade weight and size laptop (i.e. 4-6 pounds and […]

Toshiba’s new TDP-FF1AU is a palm-sized, battery-powered DLP projector the company says can project up to 68 inches. The unit is specified at 400 lux, SVGA 800 x 600 resolution, 1500:1 contrast ratio, and it uses an LED as the light source. It comes with a 23-inch folding screen, rechargeable battery, battery charger and carrying […]

ViewSonic has two new projectors, a mobile DLP unit and a bright LCD model. The PJ558D DLP projector is specified at 2500 lumens, 2000:1 contrast ratio and XGA 1024 x 768 resolution. It has a one-touch setup button and digital keystone correction and works with the ViewSonic WPG-100 Wireless G Presentation Adapter for projecting from […]

A one-day seminar in Chicago was announced by NSCA. The November 7 event is a full day of classes hosted by Sound Marketing, Middle Atlantic Products and Harman Professional. Normally a $260 cost, the event is free to AV professionals. Two of the courses will be taught by Gary Kayye. The first, “The future of […]

The ISE Road Shows (Warsaw, Prague, Budapest and Istanbul) begin in days. This is an initiative supported by our partner, rAVe Europe, as one of the Media Sponsors. If you are in the region, it is a great way to meet some of the industry’s leading vendors, (many are expected to send their top execs, […]

By Rick Williams The advantages of using an Independent Manufacturer’s Representative over a direct sales force in a competitive ProAV market. As a ProAV integrator you have heard it many times when you answer the phone, “Hi, I am John Smith with ABC Marketing, and I want to make an appointment to see you and […]

Yes, you read that right, I said Home Depot. The latest entry into the AV market is America’s largest local home improvement store, Home Depot. I was shocked to walk into the store last month to pick up something for my garage and see, on an end-cap, a Home Depot packaged AV system. Want to […]

Da-Lite has a new version of the company’s Screen Designer software. The software allows dealers or custom installers to configure a custom screen product unique to the client’s requirements. Screen Designer Software guides the user through the process of configuring the projection screen with possible options such as added drop, custom case finishes and available […]

Teq Gear, the company with products that look like a cross between Extron and Altinex, has a new 12 x 1 presentation switcher with audio — the SPX201, billed as an entry-level product that combines a number of features that would usually require several pieces of equipment. Teq Gear designed the SPX201 Presentation Switcher and […]

Intelix is shipping the new VGADA-2, a multi-function 1 x 2 distribution amplifier that supports composite video, s-video, HD component video, VGA, analog audio, and digital audio. The VGADA-2 is configured for distributing a single VGA signal to two outputs but, with the addition of the Intelix universal breakout adaptor kit, the VGADA-2 can be […]

LifeSize announced a new suite of enterprise-class video network infrastructure products designed to provide network interoperability, and reliable and high quality video and multimedia across distributed organizations. The new products are LifeSize Gateway, LifeSize Gatekeeper and LifeSize Multipoint. LifeSize says the Gateway delivers seamless connections between IP and ISDN video systems so users can use […]

Within hours of the Cisco announcement about their new HD videoconferencing system, Polycom announced availability of a new conference system based on a new architecture. The Polycom HDX 9000 system delivers HD Voice, HD video and HD content sharing, and has new features such as simultaneous HD dual streams for people and content, and Siren22 […]

Electrograph announced a new series of flat-panel displays designed specifically for the installer community. The new line is called the RevolutionHD, and it includes HD LCD and plasma displays. The RevolutionHD line consists of 32”, 37”, 42” and 46” LCDs, and 42” and 50” plasmas. They are specified at 1080i and include PC and HDTV […]

Mersive Technologies showed its Mega Display at a recent exhibition. The company says this 25 x 15 foot display is a seamless, ultra high-resolution projection of 50 million pixel images and video using a coordinated projection from 80 individual, off-the-shelf projectors processed by the Mersive software. The company points to training, simulation, research & development, […]

In the wake of so many 1080p display announcements in September, Panasonic has declared the company’s 1080p plasma line up. It includes the 65-inch TH-65PF9UK, which is shipping now, the 103-inch TH-103PF9UK, scheduled to ship at the end of the month, and the 50-inch TH-50PF9UK, schedule for November. The panels are specified at 2.07 million […]

At the FPD International 2006 show in Japan, Samsung showed its anticipated 70-inch HD LCD panel. The company says this is the first display that can reproduce full HD video images at 120Hz  with most LCD panels having a 60Hz refresh rate. The company plans commercial production of these 70-inch, full-HD LCD panels early […]

Sonic Foundry announced enhancements to the Mediasite EX Server for the Enterprise and to Mediasite Recorder software. New to Mediasite 4.0 are the Mediasite Management Portal, end-to-end security, expanded reporting, remote Recorder control and enhancements to the Mediasite Viewer interface for watching recorded presentations. In addition, EX Server now provides an integration-ready solution for customers […]

NSCA is bringing the leading business executives in the systems integration industry together for an intensive conference that focuses on strategy and tools business owners need to keep their businesses going strong. October 26-28, 2006 owners, presidents, and managers will gather in Myrtle Beach to evaluate the health of their organizations and learn from others […]

This column is long overdue. It’s a topic that just about every major manufacturer seems to agree with me on but, coincidentally, those manufacturers still using Reps (manufacturer’s representative sales firms) won’t go on record as agreeing with me. Is the Rep dead yet? OK, fair is fair. A disclaimer: I was identified by the […]

Altinex’s AC101-202 is an RF Adapter designed for wireless communication between the ALTINEX MT101-151 MultiTasker LCD front panel and any computer/controller using standard RS-232 communication software. The AC101-202 transmits and receives RS-232 data. Wireless communication can be conducted from any PC, and it allows control to be changed from one computer to another by moving […]

Along with new 92- and 106-inch HD screens, Da-Lite Screen Company expanded the company’s Polacoat line of optical coatings with the addition of DA-100 WA and DA-075 WA. These are specifically designed for applications using high-lumen projectors with short throw lenses — the coatings provide wider half-gain angles than traditional coatings, reducing hot-spotting. DA-100WA is […]

The Extron MGP 464 lets you create an almost infinite number of picture-in-picture arrays. Each window can display just about any video source, from composite video to HDTV and computer-video, analog or DVI. The MGP 464 features four fully configurable inputs for a wide range of video sources, from standard definition video to HDTV and […]

JDSU has a new network installation meter, the IVT-600, and a new software management tool called Plan-Um AP (advanced planning). These are mostly home networking tools, but they are also useful for small-scale networks, and they are designed to help with quick deployment of broadband, such as VoIP over FTTx and digital cable networks as […]

Gefen showed at CEDIA the new Wireless HDMI Extender, offering cable-free extension of high definition video plus multichannel digital audio delivered through HDMI connectors. The company says it’s a plug and play solution and it extends audio/video wirelessly up to 20 meters (60 feet) with “perfect replication” of the video and audio. It uses compact […]

Premier announced the PDS Series of projector mounts, which feature custom brackets made by Premier Dedicated Solutions (PDS, thus, the product name), a new division of the company that specializes in custom fabrication and dedicated bracketry. The PDS Series is designed to be very low profile and to fit the top-selling projectors in the industry, […]

The two new electronic whiteboards from Panasonic, the UB-2815C and UB-2315C Panaboards, are large-scale, double-sided models designed for full color scanning and PC-free document creation, storage and printing. The UB-2815C features two 70.1-inch-wide by 34.2-inch high panels; the UB-2315C has twin 51.1 x 34.2-inch panels. Both models are fully TWAIN compliant and capable of scanning […]