Da-Lite made a number of new product announcements of late, including new HDTV screen sizes, a fixed large venue screen up to 90 feet and a new AV cart. The Professional Electrol and Senior Electrol are the screens that are now available in HDTV sizes. The Professional is now available in 159”, 188”, 216”, 243” […]

Kramer Electronics introduced a new 1:2 distribution amplifier for HDMI signals that can store and recall EDID information. The VM-2HDMI is a compact and high quality 1 input, 2 output distribution amplifier for HDMI signals from tuners, set top boxes, DVD players and other HDMI equipped sources.  The unit supports up to 1.65Gbps bandwidth for […]

CyberTouch introduced new Touch Screen Kits designed for 6.4″ through 32″ diagonal flat-panel displays. The touch screens are designed for standard- format as well as 16:9-aspect ratio LCD displays and use resistive technology, activated with a gloved-hand, finger nails or any die-electric stylus. The Kits consist of 4 and 8-wire resistive touch screens, USB or […]

Hitachi’s new ED-X10 is a 3LCD projector specified at XGA 1024 x 768 resolution, 1500/2000 ANSI lumens and 500:1 contrast ratio. The interesting thing is the color – it’s a very bright orange. Not only is it a cool looking color, the bright chassis is great for security which, says the company, is the most […]

Not many details are yet available about the new VT Series projectors from NEC, but we do know the prices. They range from a low of $699 to a high of $999. The VT series projectors have quick start up, plug and play setup and operation, color-coded connections and ‘Autosense’, which intuitively syncs the projector […]

Sony’s new 18,000-lumen, 4K Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD) digital cinema projector was shown at ShowEast. The SRX-R220, which ships in early 2007, is capable of displaying 2K and 4K content on screens 55 feet or larger according to the company. The projector was designed to be compliant with the Digital Cinema Initiative specifications for […]

AMX announced the company’s acquisition of Eneleo, a UK-based company specializing in TV and multi-format media distribution technologies. The company’s managed television and multi-format media distribution systems allow organizations in a variety of vertical markets, such as business, education, government, retail and entertainment, to simultaneously deliver broadcast and video content to multiple display devices throughout […]

We’ve been watching projector prices plummet more each month and now, we’ve reached a new low. That is, $499 for a 1500-lumen from BenQ. The MP510 is specified at 1500 ANSI lumens, SVGA 800 x 600 resolution, and 2000:1 contrast ratio. It weighs 5.9 pounds and measures 10.9” x 8.2”. It has a nice quiet […]

InfoComm announced the organization will seek accreditation from ANSI/ISO for InfoComm’s Certified Technology Specialist certifications. InfoComm Executive Director Randal A. Lemke tells rAVe that other organizations, such as Microsoft and Cisco, are also working with ANSI/ISO for their certification programs.  “In general, we’re trying to align our programs with world class organizations,” Lemke told rAVe. […]

A new survey by TFCinfo indicates that 60% of the 345,000 U.S. churches are looking to purchase and expand upon their projection systems.  The findings are in the research company’s new report: “TFCinfo: The Use of Projectors in American Churches 2006” co-sponsored by Church Production Magazine.  900 church representatives responsible for AV purchases were surveyed. […]

TV One announced that the company attained ISO 9001:2000 certification for the design, manufacture, test and distribution of audio and video products. The certification is based on product, service and environmental quality. The ISO 9001:2000 certification was issued to TV One by CQS (Certified Quality Systems) Ltd who conducted the independent audit. CQS Ltd is […]

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 […]