UK - XL Video supplied 254 panels of Barco MiTrix video screen and Catalyst media server control for the 2007 Nationwide Mercury Music Prize Awards, staged at London's Grosvenor House.

It was the first time that scenic video has been used on the event. The MiTrix was specified by lighting and visual designer Nigel Catmur, who has lit the show for the last four years, and wanted to introduce a new contemporary look. The show was broadcast "as live" on BBC radio and television, and was won by The Klaxons with their album Myths of The Near Future.

With 11 of the 12 nominated artists performing live, the video element added to the dynamics and presentation of the show, ensuring that each band's set looked different.

Richard Turner came onboard as video designer and programmer to work with Catmur in producing special content for the show. They also collaborated c

International - The first digital edition of Lighting&Sound International magazine goes live today, on the eve of the 2007 PLASA Show.

Timed to coincide with both the PLASA 07 and the re-launch of the popular LSI Online website, L&SI's digital edition will offer an easily navigable and fully searchable on-screen version of the familiar magazine, accessible for subscribers anywhere there is Internet access, as soon as the magazine is published.

The digital edition will allow PLASA Media to significantly increase the global circulation of Lighting&Sound International magazine.

Available free to industry professionals worldwide, the digital edition will boost readership, particularly in developing markets where the cost of subscriptions has previously been an obstacle, and equally in far-flung territories where

UK - The new look PLASA07 opened for business this morning, 9 September, following a rush of last-minute registrations and confirmation of a substantial number of major product launches scheduled over the four days of the exhibition.

This year's show features a new layout, new features, over 50 new exhibitors, plus an expanded educational programme with many sessions free to visitors. These include special interest sessions from BEIRG, InfoComm International and the Theatres Trust, plus specialist sessions from Cirque Du Soleil, Duran Audio and Wireless Solutions. Additionally, the organizers have invested a range of visitor facilities including wi-fi lounges and meeting rooms.

The PLASA Awards for Innovation will be announced at 6pm this evening in the Central Bar area, located between Earls Court 1 and 2.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The Green Hippo stand has relocated to the newly opened Earls Court 2 at the PLASA Show this year, where all the team are present, including two of the newest members. Simon Harris, who joins from Avolites, has been appointed to look after Training and Business Development in addition to taking over some of Nigel Sadler's territories. Daniel Brown joins straight from University and is a new addition to the programming team. The rest of the team comprising James, Nigel, Sean, Kitty, Tom and Jean-Luc will all be there to offer the customary combination of Green Hippo hospitality and expertise.

Green Hippo have been working alongside designers create a new look casing for all Hippotizers. This case is a response to all the feedback they had over the years concerning the physical elements of the systems. "We believe that this case will elevate the Hippotizer's status as a

UK - Following discussions between PLASA Events and A.C. Lighting, an agreement has been reached that will see A.C. Lighting sell its A.C. Lighting North Trade Show to PLASA Events.

The agreement reflects the intention of both organisations to work together to ensure the entertainment, event and production industries in the north have a single industry-led event that serves their needs.

A.C. Lighting, a long-standing member of PLASA, started their event in 1999 and quickly established it in the industry calendar, developing it further in recent years to provide a strong focus for the region.

A.C. North 2008 will be the last trade show organised under that name by A.C. Lighting. Immediately after its close, PLASA Events will take over the management and ownership of the event and will look to build on the regional platform established by A.C.

The move fits the strategic aim

UK - The 2007 PLASA Awards for Innovation, announced last night in a special presentation ceremony at the PLASA Show, reflect the ever-more dynamic, diverse and creative health of the global entertainment and installation technology industries.

65 products from 10 different countries were entered this year, and covered a broad range of lighting, audio, rigging and staging, AV, effects, software and accessories - amply reflecting the industry's diversity and global nature.

"The energy, ideas and innovation that feature at PLASA start from the imaginative minds that make up the industry," said PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths. "The talent in this business is formidable, and it's that talent that we're celebrating."

During the ceremony, attended by special guests from across the industry, eight awards were presented.These went to:

beyerdynamic (GB) Ltd - Hea

USA - The 2007 Worldwide Partner Conference, better known as WPC07, a computer industry gathering, took place in Denver, Colorado in July. 12 Martin Maxedia digital media servers were used to provide digital content to a remarkable 36 plasma screens, two LED curtains and centre LED Wall.

"We used a Matrix Preview monitor so that I could preview all outputs during programming, rehearsals and show," commented Thomas Walls, Maxedia and Maxxyz programmer at Stardust Productions. "The networking was a godsend. I was given custom content what seemed like every hour or so and with 12 servers online, the networking made my life a breeze."

When all was said and done, approximately 68 gigabits of custom content was used on the show. Mike Amelang of Flying Spot created custom content on-site which Walls immediately loaded into the Maxedia systems. Several other types

UK - Brian Dempster has been appointed head of the systems integration division of Blitz Communications. This new division is dedicated to developing the company's permanent AV installation business.

Dempster has a lifelong electronics passion and his AV career journey plays testimony to this. After four years with Sony (UK) professional and broadcast division he joined Marcom Systems as technical general manager and progressed to become technical director. Dempster went on to spread his wings as a Freelance AV consultant, providing systems design and project management, to a wide range of blue chip companies for 13 years.

Paul Hutton, managing director at Blitz comments, "We have gained a fantastic reputation in this market with most of our existing business coming through referrals. We have a unique position in the market as a company that can provide permanent installa

UK - Projected Image Digital (PID) has supplied, installed programmed and commissioned a stunning live video artwork in the atrium of Edinburgh College of Art's Evolution House building. The customised system comprises four Catalyst DL1 moving head projectors, two special Catalyst digital media servers and a Pharos LPC2 DMX controller.

Originally constructed as multipurpose offices, the building was recently acquired by the College and now houses its main library, several art studios and administration.

New York-based architect/designer Shashi Caan of the Shashi Caan Collective - and a former ECA graduate - was asked to design an interactive public artwork for the new building that would create a special ambience and imbibe the space with meaning.

Utilising different elements of projected art - stills, video and animations - created by the students, offered the opportunity f

UK - PLASA 07, the first PLASA Show managed in-house by PLASA Events, has been judged an 'outstanding success' by exhibitors and visitors alike - with a large number of this year's exhibitors already confirming their intention to return to the show in 2008. The show featured over 500 new product launches and attracted over 50 new exhibitors.

With the show floor packed on Monday morning, PLASA Events also announced its acquisition of the A.C. Lighting North trade show, bringing the PLASA Events' team's expertise and drive to this fast-growing event for the north of the UK.

PLASA 07's radical new layout saw an easy-to-navigate, one-floor event occupy both Earls Court 1 and 2, combined with lower noise limits and a smoke-free atmosphere - plus exhibitors' determination to make the most of the new opportunities with brand new stand designs. The massive growth in innovative video a

Trinidad - The 3,000-seat Trinidad Christian Centre in Petit Valley, Trinidad has installed a Renkus-Heinz self-powered loudspeaker system for its highly production-based worship services, as part of an ongoing programme of investment in its facilities.

The church, one of the Caribbean island's largest houses of worship - hosts eight to 10 services a week in its main hall, where the new system has been installed, while a second smaller hall caters for 1,200 people and further breakout halls serve community events, children's groups and special events.

A very high, curved ceiling characterises the wide, 180° fan-shaped main hall, where system integrator AMR, based in Barataria, Trinidad, began a series of upgrades of the room's house system in 2005. The original system consisted mainly of ceiling loudspeakers, which while providing some sound reinforcement gave neither 'pre

UK - Forward Vision has announced the appointment of Darren Gaffey as product manager. He will oversee the development of the company's product portfolio. He brings over 25 years experience of product support and management roles in consumer electronics, He previously spent five years at Pioneer Europe NV, where he was responsible for product marketing, planning, and development for professional plasma displays across Europe and Russia.

Peter Beare, managing director at Forward Vision said: "Darren's appointment give us the additional expertise to take an already excellent reputation for providing high quality products to new heights."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Large-scale projection specialists E//T//C UK has expanded its London-based team with the addition of Richard Porter.

This follows two exceptionally busy years and an increasing amount of projects now utilising E//T//C UK's video capabilities for their building, monumental, son et lumière and commercial projection requirements, says the company.

Porter has just graduated from Rose Bruford College in Kent, and his area of expertise is digital media servers.

E//T//C UK's Ross Ashton says: "Its great to have Richard onboard - he's enthusiastic, quick to learn and brings a fresh outlook and plenty of creative and technical ideas to the melting pot. We're anticipating an expansion in the video elements of our work as more equipment is constantly coming on line to help produce large projections cost effectively. It makes total sense to invest in more people with skills

UK - DMi D&M Installation has announced two new DVD players from Denon Professional - the DN-V210 and DN-V310. These players feature a host of high end features and professional AV functionality, principal among these being the inclusion of a High Definition Multimedia Interface for feeding uncompressed HD video signals to an HD flat panel display, projector or HDMI specified AV receiver, says the company.

The DN-V210 and DN-V310 are equipped with all of the standard functions required for CI and professional AV applications. In addition, a number of advanced features extend the operational flexibility and range of potential applications for these players: these include Hide OSD, Change Wallpaper, NSTC/ PAL conversion, and different Auto Play and Repeat modes. The DN-V310 includes a RS-232C serial port for additional control and networking capability.

The Hide OSD function all

UK - Academy Music Group's long-term A/V system suppliers, Marquee Audio, have taken an inventive approach to the installation at its newest Carling Academy venue in Oxford, which opened on 20 September 2007 with New Young Pony Club.

Formerly the Zodiac on Cowley Road, AMG invested £2million into the refurbishment programme and increased the overall building capacity to 1,350, creating three, production-complete performance spaces.

Marquee Audio carried out a site survey and identified where they could overhaul and upgrade some of the existing equipment, re-cabling each room to allow them to be used as part of a site-wide network, for which they are designing an advanced control system.

Marquee Audio's project manager Scott Wakelin said that this installation was not only about what the integrators were able to achieve, but also the forward-thinking approach of Academy

Canada - étienne St-Jacques is the technical quarterback behind all those performances on Canadian Idol, a summer blockbuster show seen on Canada's CTV Television Network. He is the project manager at Solotech, a Montreal-based company supplying lighting, sound and video equipment on the market since 1977. He makes sure that dozens of microphones will be in working order during all those taped rehearsals, run-throughs and live shows.

étienne states: "Confronted with such a challenge, you start with the obvious. The thing is, most performers associate the word microphone with the name Shure. There are quite a number of singers out there that are basically expecting nothing less than an SM58 microphone when they arrive here. This suits me fine because Shure has a great tradition for quality and reliability while being able to stay one step ahead of the pa

Australia - Novatech Production Services have used the power and reliability of LSC to bring Australia the third annual Roc Tha Block series of concerts, the biggest urban experience ever to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere.

Novatech provided all the sound, lighting and video production services that were required, including the logistics for touring three states in 72 hours: Vodafone Arena in Melbourne, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The concerts presented a huge challenge due to the close proximity of the tour dates and the tyranny of distance which needed to be covered, some 5,600km, with Novatech arranging the logistics, equipment and staff for the shows as well as the actual production.

Lighting control included a combination of six LSC ePAK dimmers and numerous LSC Delta DMX splitters to ensure that the shows ran smoot

Russia - FusionPro+ MultiViewer technology from Zandar Technologies, a leading technology innovator and pioneer in MultiViewer systems, has been installed in one of Russia's leading TV channels, TRK5.

Based in Saint-Petersburg, TRK5 uses the FusionPro+ to process video and audio signals for the display on a 16-display videowall in its sports news department, and the second unit is used with a four-displayvideowall in a talk-show studio. The latter setup is configured so that the four displays can be used to display a large single image.

Anastasia Mikhailova, marketing manager for Viking Russia, reports, "We specify this equipment to all of our broadcasting and television studio clients due to the advanced image processing qualities and competitive price. Our client, TRK5 required a solution that would combine multiple inputs in all the commonly used formats such as HD, SD

UK Tarmled reports "an overwhelming response" at PLASA 07 to its 4x4 video tiles which are equipped with 3-in-1, 3-Watt, SMD-LEDs designed for indoor and outdoor use, and deliver quality video images, even in direct sunlight.

Their transparent (82 %), lightweight, modular, aluminum, grid structures can be assembled into various configurations, such as cylindrical shells or wavy surfaces.

Individual tiles are interconnected via daisy-chaining involving just a single cable that transmits both the necessary drive power and electronic control signals.

Tarmled 4x4 video tiles and their interconnections are fully IP65-compliant, thanks to their passive cooling system. They are self-contained units, incorporate all of the electronics need for their operation, measure just 418 mm x 418 mm, have a pixel pitch of 100 mm, and weigh just 13 kg (28.8 lb.) per sq.m. Video signal

UK - After establishing the concept for an upmarket bowling alley, diner and bar at Bloomsbury's Victoria House in January 2006, All Star Lanes' directors Mark von Westenholz and Adam and Charles Breeden this month opened their second site at Whiteleys Shopping Centre in Bayswater.

All Star Lanes has revolutionised the bowling industry in Britain, and the larger, more luxurious Bayswater site has seen the concept evolve into a flexible space, with eight bowling lanes (including two in a private room), a large sophisticated diner /bistro and glamorous American cocktail bar.

To develop the sophisticated switching and routing of audio and video sources, the owners again turned to the Sound Division Group - who first worked with the Breeden Brothers on their award-winning Lonsdale Bar in Notting Hill.

Technology has moved on apace since then, and the new bar would not only requi

UAE - Gearhouse Middle East staged a preview of the Lighthouse R16i/o-II panel for its industrial customers at the Medinot Jumeirah in Dubai on 12 September. The screen, 16 panels wide by 8 panels high - 128 panels in total - measured 16.26m (w) x 6.10m (h).

A Dataton Watchout system was used to provide the graphics animation and video overlays through to Lighthouse processor LIP-KX to the screen. Customers were thrilled about the quality of the 16mm panel, say Gearhouse.

With 5,000 nits brightness, high contrast ratio and 16mm pixel pitch, R16i/o-II panel is ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications, say Lighthouse.

(Lee Baldock)

Scandinavia - In a meeting of Scandinavian design classics, F1+ sx+ video projection systems from Norway's projectiondesign have been deployed in two visitor-centre environments at the Volvo Cars brand experience centre and the Demo Center for Volvo Trucks.

Systems integrator Primetec, now part of the MediaTec group, specified the projectors and carried out the system design for both applications. Primetec's Torbjörn Sterner takes up the story: "Volvo wanted to update the safety and environmental exhibition at their car factory in Göteborg, Sweden and in the process they decided to merge their existing visitor centre into the same facility, creating a Volvo Car brand experience centre. As well as the safety and environmental displays, the centre has an auditorium with a car presentation stage, together with conference facilities and press rooms."

In the auditorium

UK - Blitz combined forces with 2LK Design to provide a complete AV solution for the QinetiQ exhibition stand at the Defence Systems Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition held at ExCel London.

Blitz project manager, Stephen Rickard comments: "The QinetiQ stand was particularly noteworthy as it involved the use of the highest resolution widescreen, soft edge projection system yet supplied by Blitz, creating a 15.5m wide display by using four Panasonic DW10000 projectors plus the Watchout GFX system to create an image of 6666 x 1080 pixels."

Blitz also provided 18 LCD screens, 13 plasmas screens and a quantity of laptops displaying various QinetiQ products throughout the stand.

Andy Bowen from 2LK comments: "The DSEi Global Defence Conference was established to provide delegates with insight into the latest approaches to acquiring and supporting capability,

Ireland - Zandar Technologies has received the prestigious Irish Industry Research & Development Group (IRDG) R&D Project Award 2007 for its newly announced Predator II MultiViewer.

The IRDG is an Irish lobby group for research, development and innovation companies based in Dublin. The award was presented to Deirdre Smith, CEO at Zandar Technologies at a ceremony held at the Heritage Golf & Spa Resort in Killenard, Co Laois, last month.

"We are delighted that all the research and hard work that our technical team has put into developing the new Predator II MultiViewer has been formally recognised in our home country," says Deirdre Smith, CEO of Zandar Technologies, who accepted the Award on behalf of the whole company.

(Jim Evans)

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