Thousand Oaks, California, December 13, 2012 — There is no place like home for the holidays, and with the whole gang in the house it could be time to move the party outside. SunBriteTV all-weather televisions transform open-air kitchens, fireplaces and decks into the ideal hotspots for sports, TV and movie entertainment. Offering a comprehensive range of US designed, engineered and manufactured outdoor televisions for permanent installation, SunBriteTV is the perfect gift to bring the family together this season.

Built to the most exacting of weatherproofing standards, all of SunBriteTV’s televisions easily endure the extremes of cold, rain and snow typical of North American winters. Equipped with internal heaters and powder-coated aluminum exteriors, the Marquee and Pro Series shrug off the cold weather in temperatures as low as -40° F (-40° C), while the Signature Series, with its durable, high-impact resin exterior, operates comfortably in temperatures as low as -24° F (-31° C). In summer, the televisions’ internal airflow system keeps them cool in temperatures as high as 122° F (50° C). Starting at just $1,495 for a 32� Signature Series model, each SunBriteTV comes with a weatherproof remote control and features a powerful speaker system that delivers sound quality far superior than most flat screen TVs.

“Our televisions are designed to be enjoyed year round,� said Tom Dixon, VP of Marketing, SunBriteTV. “Even blanketed in snow, these TVs work flawlessly, year after year. Whether it’s a Christmas classic or a big football game, there’s something truly exciting, unique and magical about watching television outdoors.�

Purchase one of SunBriteTV’s Signature Series televisions by December 31, 2012, and receive a rebate of up to $600. Available in 32-, 46-, 55- and 65-inch sizes, there’s never been a better time to put a SunBriteTV under the Christmas tree.
For more information on SunBriteTV and the rebate program, please visit www.sunbritetv.com.

About SunBriteTV
SunBriteTV’s all-weather televisions have been time-tested in home installations, outdoor sports arenas, restaurant and hotel patios and even on military vehicles participating in field operations. All models are available through SunBriteTV’s network of Authorized Dealers. To inquire about becoming an Authorized Dealer, contact SunBriteTV at 866.357.8688, or visit the Reseller Inquiry page at www.sunbritetv.com.

HEMPSTEAD, New York — Hofstra University is Long Island, New York’s largest private college, offering a broad range of liberal arts and sciences, education, health sciences, law and other courses with full accreditation in 19 academic areas. When the Hofstra University School of Communication finally needed to replace the analog broadcast production consoles in its two TV studios, it chose HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si Compact 32.

“We’d been living with two analog consoles for 25 years!� noted Joseph J. Valerio, Chief Video Engineer. “We were ready for a serious upgrade to our studios. As part of a complete rebuild, we took our time to explore all console technologies and manufacturers and the choice came down to another brand and Soundcraft. We compared them neck and neck at NAB and at a dealer demonstration and the vote was for the Soundcraft Si Compact 32.�

Hofstra’s consoles have 32 mono inputs, though these can be grouped to stereo by linking faders, and two additional stereo line inputs for a total of 36 inputs. The Si Compact 32 also has an AES input and 16 outputs plus an AES out. “Although the board is the smallest in the line of Soundcraft ‘smart’ consoles, it’s the largest model of the Si Compact Si range and has proven to be just right for our needs,� Valerio said.

“We recently used the Si Compact 32 for a very large production in our main studio that involved a band, live audience, a mix for television and the web and a mix for stage monitors,� Valerio continued. “For the first time there was no longer a need for an external console in the studio to mix the band, as we had done in the past. The Soundcraft handles all these mixes at the same time.�

Valerio finds that the Si Compact 32 is well suited for an educational environment. “The students, with some basic training, essentially programmed the configurations and handled all the mixes themselves with no problems,� he said. “One of the students specializing in audio production was glad to see we’d installed this console as he had worked with it at various venues and knew its capabilities.�

“The operating surface has a good clean layout with plenty of indicators to assist the person using the console,� Valerio said. “A simple mix is easy to set up, but so are highly complex mix-minus feeds, mono feeds and groups of busses. You can get very complicated if you need to or want to. Also, the onboard effects are wonderful especially considering they’re genuine Lexicon effects. If you want to, external effects are easily connected—we have a vintage compressor and effects unit.�

“I want to put in a word about the optional Compact Stagebox: outstanding,� Valerio continued. “We connect it with Cat5e cabling to run MADI audio to the board. You can get up to 32 ins and 16 outs although in practice we need some in the control room for monitor functions. The setup was literally plug and play; no fancy tricks needed to be done other than basic board mapping of inputs and outputs.�

“The sound quality is invisible, pristine.� Valerio concluded. “Overall for the money this board is astoundingly powerful and easy to use–a winner.�

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

NORTHRIDGE, California – New York City’s Birdland is one of the most legendary jazz clubs in the world, an intimate room where aficionados can enjoy the world’s greatest jazz artists in an up-close environment. Perhaps more than most venues, the sound system at Birdland is a vital part of the musical experience. Birdland has taken its in-house audio to new heights with a host of HARMAN’s JBL loudspeakers including six VRX932LAP powered Constant Curvature loudspeakers, a pair of ASB6112 subwoofers, two Control 29AV loudspeakers and six PRX612M powered portable PA speakers used as stage monitors.

“As the engineer at Birdland, the most important thing for me to be able to do is amplify the musicians’ stage performances in the most naturally sounding way so that the system is almost invisible,� said Birdland house engineer Richard Bernard. “The legendary musicians who perform at the club almost always have their own very distinct sound and that’s what people want to hear—‘that sound’.�

A sound system that needed to be heard while not drawing attention to itself was quite a challenge. To achieve this goal, Birdland hung six JBL VRX932LAP loudspeakers directly above the stage facing the audience—two facing downstage towards the main house, two located stage right towards one side of the room and two on stage left facing the rear side of the bar. In addition, two Control 29AV loudspeakers are hung at the far side of the bar, giving total coverage for the room. The two ASB6112 subwoofers are hung downstage on the left and right front corners.

“I’m running the system in mono, and the subwoofers are connected to the spare aux send on the mixing desk, so I’m free to choose which channels I send to the subs,� Bernard noted. “I used to have to mix for the house and the bar would basically get what they would get. That’s no longer a problem as we’ve had many compliments on being able to hear from that side of the room.�

That said, the most noticeable improvement in the system is the level of clarity, Bernard noted. “This is a massive help because the response of instruments and vocals is very true and I’m not forced to just keep turning up an instrument in order for people to hear it—once everything is in its own little pocket in the mix, it just sounds great!�

In addition to JBL loudspeakers, Birdland installed a variety of additional HARMAN equipment, including AKG microphones, dbx processing and Crown amplifiers.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

CHULA VISTA, California, December 5, 2012 — Hitachi America, Ltd., Digital Media Division, Business Solutions Group now offers its CP-AW252WN ultra short throw 3LCD projector, which combines an array of versatile features including a new Projector Quick Connection iOS App, a Projector Cloning function and in a compact, cost-effective design. The networkable, ultraportable
CP-AW252WN can project a 100-inch (diagonal) image at just 15.4 inches from the front of the projector, making it ideal for use in educational and commercial applications where space is limited yet where bright, clear image quality is required.

The new Projector Quick Connection iOS App enables users to monitor and control multiple Hitachi projectors from a single Apple® iOS device. The app provides access to the projector’s Projector, Contents, Control and Settings menus.

The CP-AW252WN includes a new Projector Cloning function: a Hitachi convenience feature that lets users copy the settings data from one projector and transfer it to other projectors via USB memory. The Projector Cloning function can copy and transfer almost all projector settings such as gamma and keystone.

The CP-AW252WN’s ultra short throw lens design enables it to be mounted close to a projection screen or whiteboard, which prevents obstructed images and shadows and avoids light shining in the presenter’s eyes. The projector can also be used with an optional tabletop stand that enables images to be projected directly onto a tabletop—ideal for small group presentations or where space is at a premium. Hitachi’s Perfect Fit 2 image adjustment system corrects for any geometric image distortion and precisely fits the images to the screen or tabletop.

The CP-AW252WN features wired and wireless network connectivity via its RJ-45 Ethernet jack or optional USB wireless adapter. Once connected, content can be sent directly from a computer to the projector via the network. In addition, control monitoring and maintenance can be facilitated via the LAN. Hitachi’s PJMessenger function allows text messages and audio alerts to be sent on all networked projectors throughout an entire campus or facility.

The projector offers WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution with 2,500 ANSI lumens white/color output and a 4000:1 contrast ratio, and includes a wide selection of inputs and outputs including HDMI, S-Video and composite video inputs, USB and RGB computer connections, RCA, stereo mini-jack and microphone audio inputs, and audio and video monitor outputs. In addition, an RS-232C port enables integrated system control when used with Crestron® and AMX® automation systems.

The CP-AW252WN provides a number of useful convenience features. Its PC-Less Presentation function enables use of the projector without a computer, by means of a USB stick or other storage device. The projector offers Hitachi’s exclusive Template function which projects four types of line templates, making it easier to write on a whiteboard. In addition, the optional TB-1 wireless drawing tablet and pen enable users to write over the projected image for more engaging presentations.

Hitachi’s ImageCare technology is a lamp power control function that combines optimal picture performance with maximum energy savings by decreasing energy usage, improving contrast ratio and lengthening lamp life. The results are decreased maintenance cost and a lower total cost of ownership.

Additional useful features include an Input Source Naming feature that lets the user customize the names of input sources instead of using the factory default settings. The projector’s power saving Eco standby mode enables up to 5,000 hours of lamp life, and an improved hybrid filter provides up to 4,000 hours between maintenance.

For more information on Hitachi visit www.hitachi-america.us/digitalmedia

Follow Hitachi on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hitachi-Projectors/131067323636829

Follow Hitachi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/HALProjectors

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi America, Ltd., headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and services, automotive products and consumer electronics with operations throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.hitachi-america.us. For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United States, please visit www.hitachi.us.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totaled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.

NORTHRIDGE, California — HARMAN’s JBL Professional today announced the launch of its VTX Field Evaluation Program, making a complete JBL VTX/Crown Audio VRack system available for sound contractors and potential clients to audition in the US. To launch the program, a complete system consisting of nine JBL VTX V25 per side, complemented by ten VTX S28 subwoofers, four VTX G28 subwoofers and a center cluster of six VERTEC® VT4887A is currently installed at the Madison Square Garden Theater until December 7 and VTX Listening Experience events will be hosted by Sigmet Corporation on December 4 and December 6—for further details and to register for either session, please contact Clif Barkalow at clifbarkalow@sigmetcorp.com.

The VTX National Field Evaluation System will then be deployed to provide partial support for “12.12.12 The Concert For Sandy Relief� at Madison Square Garden with featured artists including Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West and The Who.

“With the launch of our VTX Field Evaluation Program, sound contractors now have an unprecedented opportunity to listen to a turnkey large-scale JBL VTX sound reinforcement system,� said Paul Bauman, Senior Manager, Tour Sound, JBL Professional. “Since its introduction, the JBL VTX Series has established itself as a new industry-standard line array and now people don’t have to travel far to hear VTX—we’re bringing it to them so that they can hear ground-breaking D2 dual diaphragm, dual driver technology for themselves.�

Brian Pickowitz, Business Segment Manager for Crown International added, “The VTX Field Evaluation Program is a great opportunity for people to hear VTX in action and experience the power, sonic accuracy and tight system integration that Crown Audio VRack and Performance Manager software provide as part of the turnkey VTX package.�

The VTX National Field Evaluation System includes twenty-four JBL VTX V25 line array speakers, eighteen VTX S28 and eight VTX G28 subwoofers, four Crown VRack4x3500HD and four VRack12000HD pre-configured amplifier racks, a 64-channel Soundcraft Vi1 digital mixing console, dbx 4800 loudspeaker management system, including all cables and accessories with system control provided by JBL HiQnet Performance Managerâ„¢ software.

The VTX National Field Evaluation System will be available from December 1, 2012 through June 1, 2013 and will be complemented by a number of Regional VTX Evaluation Systems that will be available for audition in East, Central and Western US regions. The program is intended to provide listening opportunities for system specifiers such as FOH/system engineers, consultants and sound designers while addressing audition requirements for A/V rental companies and fixed installations. Types of evaluations include regional 1- to 2-day listening events at larger venues; individual client evaluations at their facilities or a pre-determined location; evaluations at a live event, concert or trade show.

Raul Gonzalez, Field Engineer, Tour Sound, JBL Professional will coordinate the VTX National Field Evaluation Program and inquiries should be directed to raul.gonzalez@harman.com.

For further information please refer to:
www.theateratmsg.com
www.121212concert.org

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

VIENNA, Austria – Newly constructed over one of the busiest transportation hubs in New York City, The Barclays Center, home to the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets, has finalized its internal PA and is now equipped to host concerts, conventions and numerous additional events with the help of HARMAN’s AKG DMS700 digital wireless system. Installed by Parsons Electric, the complete system is used for numerous aspects of sound reinforcement throughout the 18,000-seat arena.

The Barclays Center has numerous club level suites, which will be used for events throughout the basketball season and beyond. The versatility of the suites allows events ranging from company presentations, birthday parties, or additional ‘meet and greet’ opportunities with the Nets. Each club is installed with two DMS700 systems to ensure flexibility and quality, without signal weakness. The suites and additional back rooms also host post-game interviews, press conferences and VIP events for the Nets.

In the arena, or “bowl,� the AKG system is deployed for the national anthem before the games, and during events as emcees carry handheld units, running around entertaining the crowd with promotions.

In such a large venue, where numerous events may be live at once, it was imperative the wireless functionality was not easily impeded. Project Engineer, David Potts of Parsons literally sat in the announcer’s booth for a week to perform an RF analysis for the entire building. During the center’s debut concert series, eight performances by Nets co-owner Jay-Z, the in-house AKG wireless system was running in the background and showed no signs of interference.

“AKG is very reliable, feature-packed and easy to use,� stated Potts. “As system designers, we chose DMS700 for its reliably, durability, ease of installation and functionality. The customer-friendliness of the system is amazing, and each club maintains a strong signal. It sounds great in all of the rooms, which makes the customer happy.�

The Barclays Center now boasts 18 AKG DHT700 D5 handheld transmitters, 16 SRA2B-W remote antennas, nine DSR700 dual wireless receivers, two HSC271 headsets, two Perception 170 condenser microphones, a DPT700 digital bodypack wireless transmitter and a PS4000-W antenna DA/power distributor.

“When I first saw the AKG systems on the spec sheets, even before I was allowed in the building, I was excited to come in and try them out. DMS700 are robust units, and have plenty of feature sets other systems simply do not,� said Matt Kaitila, AV Technical Engineer at the Barclays Center. “Our mics are providing a thick sound, with a nice bit of brightness to it.�

“AKG has a trust worthy reputation and it compliments the Barclays Center sound system quite well,� continued Kaitila. “DMS700 cuts through nicely. We’ve basically locked in all of our frequencies. It’s going to be a great unit for the different type of events we’ll have for the bowl.�

For more information about AKG, please visit http://www.akg.com and http://www.youtube.com/AKGacoustics. For more information on Parsons, please visit http://www.parsonscorp.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

LOS ALTOS, California — The David and Lucile Packard Foundation was created in 1984 by Hewlett-Packard co-founder David Packard and his wife Lucile to provide grants to improve the lives of families, children and communities and to restore and protect our planet. The Foundation recently inaugurated its new headquarters in Los Gatos, which is the largest Net Zero Energy building in California. The building is equipped with a host of state-of-the-art amenities including a HARMAN BSS Audio Soundweb™ London conferencing system.

The system was installed by San Jose, CA-based Integrated Communications Systems (ISC), a communications contractor/integrator with a client roster that includes some of the best-known names in Silicon Valley. The BSS Audio system features two BLU-800 devices and eight BLU-160 devices, and includes six Soundweb London Telephone Hybrid Cards and 14 Soundweb London AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation) Cards. The BSS Audio devices are complemented by 32 JBL® Control 26CT in-ceiling speakers, six Control 128W in-wall and four Control 126W in-wall speakers installed in the Foundation’s six videoconferencing rooms and throughout the facility.

“Everything about the new Packard Foundation building is top quality and we wanted to install a system to match,� said Mark Berlo, Project Manager at ICS. “We chose the Soundweb London conferencing system because of its superior sound quality, especially its Acoustic Echo Cancellation. The AEC adapts very quickly. We have had nothing but compliments on the sound quality.�

The BSS Audio components and other A/V equipment are located in one of four intermediate distribution frames that send the audio and video to the six conference rooms, and divisible meeting room. In addition, audio can be fed to the building’s center courtyard. The system is used primarily for conferencing and presentations.

“It’s a testament to how well thought-out the system is that the setup and commissioning went quite smoothly,� Berlo noted. “The system is versatile, works perfectly in keeping everyone connected both in the building and in remote locations, and the client is very happy with the sound quality.�

“I should point out that the David and Lucile Packard Foundation building is an LEED Platinum Certified Building, which is the highest rating given by the USGBC, the US Green Building Council. We’re proud to have participated in this project.�

For more information about Integrated Communication Systems please visit www.ics-integration.com.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

CORK, Ireland — Faced with a busy summer of sporting and music event production, Irish OB specialists Television Mobiles Ltd (TVM) decided to boost its fleet with the commissioning of its first 3D-capable OB. The fully-featured, 30-camera HD 3G truck, offering monitor capability of 1080/60p signals, upholds the company’s long relationship with HARMAN’s Studer Vista consoles, with the first Vista 9 in Europe to incorporate backstop PFL at the heart of the audio control.

The 52-fader console is configured with 760 Input Mono Equivalent Signals and 680 Output Mono Equivalent Signals, with 16 channels of audio embedded in an Evertz hybrid router.

“The new unit had to be fully 3G capable and audio embedded,� explained TVM owner Bart Arnold. “As for backstop PFL, this was part of the original spec — if you are used to fader-controlled backstop PFL it is hard to do without, and provides a more elegant fade solution.� Studer implemented this now standard Vista option for TVM.

“We also like the layout of the Vista 9 — particularly its ease of use for someone moving from analogue to digital, and we like the optical fibre options of Studer’s D21m and new Compact stage boxes. The desk itself has some nice innovative features, such as FaderGlow™.� This last feature provides the operator with an instant overview of the console status by illuminating each fader in one of eight freely-assignable colours.

TVM has enjoyed a relationship with Soundcraft Studer dating back to their first truck in 1986, which featured early Soundcraft 200, 400 and 800 consoles. In 2007 they embraced their first Studer Vista console, installing a Vista 5 in OB3 and later a Vista 8 became a central component in the fast track fit of OB7. Soundcraft still retains a presence at TVM, with an Si3 handling the audio mix in OB4 and a new Si Compact 16 specified as a sub-mixer/grams mixer in the new OB8, sending MADI and AES signals to the main desk.

But this time, confirms Arnold, they had a much longer lead time to design their first 3D truck, and after an 18 month gestation, coachbuilders A Smith Great Bentley Ltd. delivered a vehicle that provided TVM with a flexible studio environment. The design was a particular challenge to their Senior Design Engineer, Bob Hanks, but he came up with an innovative solution to meet the requirements. “This included separate Tx / comms areas — and a very large sound production room with the digital mixer placed in a quiet environment where it is not exposed to the clutter of comms and line checks, and leaving the engineer to focus on the sound mix. This concept works well and the truck is adaptable to our work model.�

One innovation, he emphasised, was having all the audio embedded in the video signal, accessed via the hybrid router. “There are no separate audio feeds found on the truck, resulting in a massive reduction in wiring,� Bart Arnold confirmed.

He adds that OB8 has justified the large investment as the Co. Cork-based company continues to work alongside providers such as Visions, SiS-Live, CTV and Telegenic, generally on sports and music production. With the latter they covered the Isle of Wight Music Festival in 3D and have also been mixing in 5.1 for Premiership football, the Open Golf Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes and Heineken Rugby, for clients such as ESPN, Sky and BBC.

The Vista 9 can cope comfortably with all requirements. From surround input channels with an intuitive input balance section to stereo input channels with a 5.1 up-mixing panner to automatic down-mixer processes for outputs, everything is integrated — including dual speaker group 7.1 control room monitoring connectivity.

“We are fortunate in being supported by a great after-sales team from Studer, and that is very important to us and a key factor in our decision making,� concluded Arnold.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

NORTHRIDGE, California – The recent Arsch Huh music festival in Cologne, Germany was one of the largest of the year, with 85,000 people enjoying performances by more than 25 bands including BAP, Bläck Fööss, Brings, Tommy Engel and other notable German artists. The concert, organized in 1992 to stand against racism, celebrated its 20th anniversary with spectacular sound courtesy of Sirius Showequipment AG and an audio system featuring HARMAN’s JBL VTX Series line arrays.

“We were one of Europe’s first users of the JBL VTX Series and knew from previous experience that they are remarkably clear and powerful, especially for their size and they would be ideal for this big outdoor festival event,� said Wolfgang “Schabbach� Neumann of Sirius. For the main PA the company deployed two left and right towers with 15 VTX V25 fullsize line array elements and eight S28 subwoofers per side. In addition, several delay towers were set up, with the main (first delay line) towers each containing seven V25 line array elements.

The speakers were driven by 30 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers, and Neumann and his crew used HARMAN’s JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ software to set up and tune the system.

“We had more than 25 bands and artists going on and off the stage and a number of different front of house engineers using this VTX-based system for the very first time,� Neumann said. “Some of them performed only two or three songs. As a result there was not much time to get the sound right for each act. We also had the added pressure of knowing that the entire 5 1/2-hour show was being broadcast live on German television.�

“However, using the new JBL VTX Series is easily explained,� Neumann continued. “You switch it on, you power up your desk, you push the faders up and the sound is already there, sounding really great right from the start.�

In addition, Neumann noted that the Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amplifier is an ideal match for VTX. “It’s the most powerful amp on the planet,� Neumann said. “We’ve experimented with other amplifiers including 4-channel models but I would say that 2-channel amplifiers, especially the I-Tech 12000 HD, have more power when you push the masters to ’11.’ It also helps that the VTX Series and Crown amps work hand in hand with Performance Manager, which works very well and is easy to operate.�

“Achim Schnall, front of house mixer for headliner BAP told me it was ‘an easy to mix on system,’ and our front of house ‘babysitter’ engineer Daniel Schindler told me that for him the system was ‘unbelievably powerful and easy to operate,’� Neumann added. “Without a doubt, the JBL VTX Series are the most efficient and best-sounding loudspeakers we have ever had in our inventory.�

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

CHULA VISTA, California, November 27, 2012 — Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, recently updated a number of its Hitachi CP-WX4021N projectors with the new Hitachi Solutions connectivity products. The projectors are now being used with the Hitachi MS-1WL Wireless Multifunctional Switcher, which comes equipped with a transmitter and receiver.

Saddleback College currently has more than 40 CP-WX4021N 3LCD projectors, which were purchased in early 2011. “We purchased them because we found them be above and beyond other projector models in terms of performance, the image quality was better and they were more cost-effective,� said Will Lakow of Saddleback College’s Multimedia Department. “We also found the HDMI connectivity to be a huge advantage.�

Saddleback College recently equipped four of its projectors with the MS-1WL Wireless Multifunctional Switcher. These projectors are located in a collection of classrooms known as The Village, with each classroom in close proximity to each other.

According to Lakow, the MS-1WL has proven advantageous in a variety of ways. “As far as installation goes, it’s very convenient because it’s allowing us to eliminate a lot of cabling, plus the install time is quicker,� he said. “Overall, the entire system is now more efficient and easier to operate.�

The Hitachi Solutions Products include the MS-1WL Wireless Multifunctional Switcher with receiver, the MS-1 Multifunctional Switcher and CS-1WL Wireless Switcher with a document camera, all of which enable expanded wireless connectivity between data and video sources and compatible Hitachi LCD projectors. The transmitter, which is built into the MS-1WL Wireless Switcher, connects to a video source such as a laptop and the receiver connects to a projector, enabling wireless transmission of a variety of video formats up to 1080p HD over a distance of up to 22 feet. The transmitter supports HDMI mandatory 3D video formats, eight bits-per-color HDMI video transmission and up to six Mbps audio.

“Installing the MS-1WL was seamless, quick and easy. And to the end user, the entire system is transparent,� Lakow concluded.

Saddleback College is a fully accredited community college, offering more than 300 associate degrees, certificates and occupational skills awards in 190 program areas taught be a faculty renowned for its expertise, experience and commitment to student success. The College’s rich academic traditions and strong reputation make Saddleback College an ideal place for students seeking associate degrees and certificates, transferring to 4-year colleges and universities, preparing for the workforce, or pursuing lifelong learning opportunities.

For more information on Saddleback College, please visit www.saddleback.edu

For more information on Hitachi visit www.hitachi-america.us/digitalmedia

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About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totaled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.