Putting its money squarely behind its stated commitment to serve as a complete business partner for its 9,000 dealer network, Stampede Presentations Products, Inc. today announced that it is expanding the credit facilities it offers to qualified dealers and investing millions of additional dollars in deepening its product inventory to be in a stronger position to meet dealer demands for faster order shipments.

“Our dealers have made it very clear to us that they see 2012 as a very strong year for them if they can obtain the credit they need and the product they need to complete their customer installations in a timely way,� Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today. “Stampede is in a very strong financial position to meet both of these needs and we intend to do so by expanding the credit we offer to qualified dealers and increasing the inventory we carry on critically important core products, such as displays, projectors, and video conferencing equipment.�

Stampede has successfully served as a beacon of financial stability for its dealer network throughout the most recent recession. While many of its competitors cut back in every part of their business, or exited the business entirely, Stampede invested tens of millions of dollars in new product lines, company acquisitions, new technologies, and people. During 2011 alone, Stampede extended over $55 million monthly in credit lines to its dealers. This critically important credit lifeline helped countless customers not only maintain their businesses but expand them in very challenging times. And now that business in general is improving, Stampede is totally committed to increasing its financial support to dealers in the two areas that matter most to them — credit and inventory.

Stampede is able to step in and provide the support its dealers need because it has a record of sustained year-to-year growth despite the recession, a detailed understanding of the economics of the ProAV industry, and a rock solid relationship their its financial partners. “You have to remember that last year Stampede experienced a 51-percent growth in unit sales in core categories and a 48-percent increase in operating profit, constituting the most successful year in our 15-year history. In fact, Stampede now represents more than 120 different manufacturers, with 35 new lines added just in the last two years, to support our 9,000-plus dealer partners,� Kelly emphasized.

Amplifying this message further, Stampede Chief Executive Officer Mark Wilkins invoked Warren Buffet’s famous investment maxim in explaining that Stampede’s strategy is to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. “If you think back to when the financial crisis really started in 2008, credit lines were being closed down almost overnight. Stampede throughout this entire time provided stable and growing credit to the professional AV marketplace. We circled the wagons and, with our financial advisors, we decided that this can’t go on forever.�

As a result of their ability to offer financing, Stampede helped keep the market liquid for countless customers. “We’ve invested millions of dollars in financing and in additional inventory, to be able to provide that value to those manufacturer partners, and to be able to have that product on hand and available for immediate shipment to our dealers. At the end of the day we are enabling dealers to do a job that they may not have been able to do themselves without the value-adds that we provide. It could be a situation where they didn’t have access to a certain category of products. It could be a situation where they didn’t have access to certain credit facilities that would enable them to do a larger job. We are stepping in an filling in the gaps wherever they exist.�

About Stampede
Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,� an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

New IR-over-coax kits support the latest generation of LCD and plasma display screens and work in all lighting conditions

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, January 23, 2012 — Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution for 40 years, will next week introduce the new XtraLink infrared-over-coax kits that allow remote control operation of a satellite receiver, cable box, DVD player or other device from a second room using existing coaxial cabling. These new Xantech XtraLink IR-over-coax kits support the latest generation of LCD and plasma display screens and work in all lighting conditions. This new introduction will take place at ISE 2012, in the Amsterdam RAI, at Stand 1N73.

Introduced in response to the growing residential market and with input from contractors and system integrators, the new XtraLink kits allow IR remote control functionality to be implemented over previously installed coax cabling without impacting the cable and antenna TV signals currently being carried, and without the need to install additional cable runs. The DL85CK DinkyLink Coax IR – Surface Mount and HL85CK Hiddenlink Coax IR –Table Top kits each include an injector, which introduces the IR signal into the existing coax cable, and a coupler that interfaces between the coax cable and the device being controlled. Each kit, which take only minutes to install without the need for tools, also includes Xantech’s best-selling, Hall of Fame Dinkylink surface-mount IR receiver, IR emitters, power supply and coax jumper cables.

For installations that require IR-over-coax remote control to more than one room, Xantech is also introducing the DL85CX Dinky Link Coax Expansion Kit and HL85CX Hidden Link Coax Expansion Kit. Each kit includes an IR receiver, injector, power supply and coax jumper cable for use in conjunction with a standard DinkyLink or Hiddenlink Coax IR Kit as appropriate.

Graham Hallett, Xantech President, stated, “Our new XtraLink IR-over-coax kits have been designed with contractors and system integrators in mind. As more look toward expanding their business into residential installations, the use of existing cable makes everyone’s lives easier, including the end user. We are proud to offer the new IR-over-coax kits and our compatible products to this unique and growing market.�

Visit www.xantech.com for more information.

About Xantech:
Xantech designs and manufactures an extensive range of audio, video and control products and systems, many of which have become de facto industry standards. Xantech IR products are specified into more audio/video installations than any other brand. Xantech also supplies hi-definition HDMI video solutions, touch-panels and IP control systems for residential and commercial applications, multi-room audio/video systems, audio source components and processors, and software programming tools.

Products are sold to professional installers and distributors directly from Xantech. Xantech’s products are marketed in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. Xantech is a part of The AVC Group in Carlsbad, California. For additional information about Xantech and its innovative products, please visit www.xantech.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video and control system solutions. The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: NILES® Audio, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON®, and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.

Xantech is exhibiting at booth #1N73 at Integrated Systems Europe 2012 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

AVC Group Media Contact:
Kate Harrington
Griffin Integrated Communications
212.481.3456 x25
kharrington@griffinpr.com

Xantech Media Contact:
Robert Clyne
Clyne Media, Inc.
Robert@clynemedia.com
Tel: (615) 662-1616 x17

Stampede Presentation Products Inc., the leading value-added distributor of ProAV solutions, today announced the addition of a completely integrated series of online courses to its Stampede University training curriculum, making Stampede the first ProAV distributor to offer online courses to its dealers at times that meet each dealer’s unique requirements. In addition, Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said that the University is now offering new categories of courses to address the larger business issues confronting today’s dealer, including mergers and acquisitions and new market development.

“Today’s ProAV dealer is challenged as never before to find new ways to grow and expand their business that go far beyond the basics of product knowledge,� Kelly emphasized. “To be sure, dealers must be fully educated on the products they sell, but they now need to be experts in long term business planning, business transition, and new market development. What’s more, their businesses run virtually around the clock. All of this means that a university tasked to meet their needs must keep pace with the demands of the times. That is what we are doing with Stampede University.�

According to Kelly, Stampede University’s training programs now include more business-oriented courses, including courses on transitions and mergers and acquisitions, as well as a consulting program designed to help residential dealers develop commercial markets and vice versa. What’s more, many of these courses will now be available online 24/7/365 to allow learners to proceed at their own pace and on their own schedule.

These new course offerings come in addition to Stampede University’s already substantial collection of dealer and integrator learning aids found on the website. These include training materials in the form of webinars, how-to videos, white papers and other media that cover the breadth of the AV technology experience from video walls to distance-learning technology, and represent large numbers of major equipment manufacturers, including Hitachi, Sharp, VUKUNET, InFocus, NEC and Samsung.

No other AV systems distributor offers a more comprehensive and knowledgeable array of training materials than Stampede University, and Stampede has established its learning proposition to be a bridge between manufacturers and dealer/integrators, achieving unprecedented synergies by serving the needs of both simultaneously. “Part of our mission is that not only do we have to offer a value to our customers but also we have to offer a value to our suppliers,� explained Kelly. “A significant part of the value we offer to a manufacturer through Stampede University is by educating the marketplace in new technologies, and manufacturers do want to teach dealers how to use their products and how to sell their products. In that way, we act as a very necessary bridge between the manufacturer and the dealer.�

Kelly pointed out that Stampede University’s training hub not only disseminates product training widely but also does it cost-effectively for manufacturers: instead of multiple manufacturers redundantly mimicking each others’ training efforts, Stampede University acts as a portal through which dealers and systems integrators can search for and find new products and platforms as well as the training and information they’ll need to best leverage them. The enhanced availability of information through Stampede University has enabled many dealers to broaden their product and services offerings to customers, and that’s helping the AV industry as a whole, as it continues to operate in a challenging economic environment.

“More than ever, knowledge is power, as dealer/integrators seek out new markets, add core competencies and expand their knowledge base, in the effort to bolster revenues. Stampede University is the sole commercial resource nationally that can offer that necessary link between manufacturer and integrator to assure the needed exchange of information that will guarantee future success. “We know that knowledge and training are the keys to the future in this industry,� said Kelly. “And Stampede University exists to make sure they are always available to our customers.�

About Stampede
Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,� an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

All it takes to go from an average “Joel� to a professional custom integrator with a nearly six-figure job under your belt is determination, vision and about six months — if, that is, you choose to work with the ELAN® g! Entertainment & Control System. That’s precisely what Joel Berrettini, a former world-traveling musician and 12-year professional IT veteran, learned last May when he decided to change careers and start a new custom installation company, IT and Media Solutions.

From May through August 2011, he learned everything he could about home control systems. He went to trade shows and took classes for every system out there, from Crestron to Control4, and after meeting representatives from each company, comparing the costs and learning to actually use each system, he determined that ELAN g! was the top choice for value, ease of use, ease of installation and dealer support.

“I’ve been working with high tech equipment most of my life, whether on the road as a touring musician, in my recording studio or in my career as an IT professional,� said Berrettini. “So I know that the easier something is to use and the more attractive it looks, the more people will buy it, fall in love with it and make it a part of their everyday lives. That’s what drew me to the ELAN g! system. Not only does it have the simplest user interface in the industry, which is very familiar for anyone who’s ever used an iPhone or iPod, but the entire ELAN management team was so supportive and helpful to get me started as an integrator that other manufacturers just couldn’t even begin to compare.

“The truth is nobody cares about the box! It doesn’t matter to the end user which component is installed, it’s all about the quality of living and the experience of using and interacting with the technology! That’s why before I ever pitched the ELAN system to a client, I personally installed a full-blown system into my own home so I could eat, sleep and breathe ELAN, and then speak truthfully about the ways it makes life easier and can simplify how you control every system in your house, restaurant, bar or office.�

Berrettini has just completed his first installation, a nearly six-figure system for the Boneyard Pub & Grille’s new second location in Sussex, Wisconsin, and it took him just seven weeks from start to finish. Jim Jones, the pub’s owner, recognized Berrettini’s passion for perfection before he even contracted the job when Berrettini came up with a complete redesign of the TV system layout for the whole restaurant. The new layout maximized the viewing areas and ensured that every guest could see the TVs without having to move or turn around, and it helped land him the contract.

According to Jim Jones, “Joel was here everyday for nearly two months and he’s been extremely supportive in helping me and my employees learn the best way to use the system for every situation. The ELAN g! system is an incredible improvement over what we have in the original Boneyard Pub & Grille and it’s making the whole entertainment aspect infinitely easier to manage, and therefore better for me and my guests. All of the TVs come on automatically at 6 a.m. when we open for breakfast, it’s easy to go through the surveillance camera footage if I need to view an event, and I control everything from one device. The other location is more work and has bugs in the system, because it’s very hard to get 16 DirecTV boxes to work and change channels using just the standard-issue remote.

“If it weren’t for Joel, I probably wouldn’t have used such high quality components in the new private party room� Jones continued. “He set up a 106-inch screen with an HD projector and a 3,000 Watt 5.1 surround stereo system, so I can host all kind of events and parties and even movie screenings in the room. I have people fighting over the room for the big game in February! Joel’s knowledge, expertise, dedication, and faith in the ELAN g! system really gave me everything I wanted in an entertainment and security system for the restaurant.�

The restaurant has 32 Samsung LED TVs, ranging from 40 to 55 inches, and the audio system uses two Niles SI-1230 amplifiers and an ELAN D12 amplifier to power 60 speakers, bringing hi-def audio and video to every guest in every seat in the house. Berrettini didn’t stop at an audio/video system, either. The restaurant’s surveillance and security systems are fully integrated, and they plan to incorporate the thermostats soon.

“The truth is there are three types of people in the world,� said Berrettini. “Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen, and those that say ‘umm, what happened?’ I make things happen. I wanted to become a custom integrator because it’s fun! How many other careers let you literally change the way people live, and see it happen right before your eyes? The final reveal was my favorite part, when I walked Jim through the restaurant and showed him how everything worked together, and how the TVs and speakers would automatically turn on and all be set to the right stations.�

Berrettini has gone the extra mile at every turn, even helping program the restaurant’s electronic outdoor sign and spending nights and weekends on site to make sure that any issues could be addressed quickly and the employees could learn to use the system in a real-world environment. It’s amazing what a little motivation can do, and Berrettini is living, breathing proof that anyone who seriously wants to become a custom integrator can do so with the support of the ELAN management and the ELAN g! system.

Available starting at $2,000 for a single-room, four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Control System can be expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole-home control of every system. ELAN g! provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. And the system’s IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room—or across the globe.

The ELAN g! System has been awarded a 2011 Residential Systems Magazine RESI Award, a 2011 Custom Retailer Magazine EXCITE! Award, a 2011 CE Pro Magazine BEST Award, a Platinum Level 2011 CEA Mark of Excellence Award by the Consumer Electronics Association and a 2011 Gold Level Electronic House Magazine Product of the Year Award.

About ELAN Home Systems:
Since 1990 ELAN® Home Systems has been an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video systems. ELAN systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use “whole-house” solution. ELAN systems and products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. ELAN Home Systems is part of The AVC Group. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video, and control system solutions. The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: Niles®, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON® and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.

NanoFlexâ„¢ display brings nighttime rock concert feel and intimacy to daytime Artists for Peace and Justice event.

NanoFlex display is set up in under an hour and hung right on the home’s balcony! more

Xantech WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller and CWTC10 Wireless Touch Controllers create a reliable, scalable and intuitive control system for audio and video

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, January 5, 2012 — Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution, provided the core technology systems that enabled the “strength and conditioning� training room at United States Naval Academy’s Ricketts Hall to become an advanced state-of-the-art facility. As part of a technology upgrade, AV systems integrator DSL Sound of Hagerstown, Maryland, installed a Xantech control system consisting of the WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller, two CWTC10 Wireless Touch Controllers, CSPLCD64G in-wall touch panels and a host of IPRS232 XtraLink IP modules.

The network-based Xantech components provide full control over the weight rooms’ new AV systems, which include an HD Video Matrix system by FSR®, 16 55-inch LG® plasma monitors that make up five zones of video, and an extensive audio system throughout the facility, featuring the BiAmp® Nexia networked digital audio processor. Xantech’s IPRS232 units enable network control of the RS232-based LG monitors; user control is totally accessible via the Xantech CWTC10 10.4-inch WiFi tablets located in the weight room itself and in a control rack. Additionally, users can access the system remotely via iPad or remotely via a dedicated VPN network installed as part of the AV upgrade. This is all made possible through the rich feature set of the WIC1200.

Ricketts Hall is home to U.S.N.A.’s basketball, football and lacrosse team training offices, the locker room for the varsity football team, and the “strength and conditioning facility,â€� one of three on campus. The new Xantech-controlled audio and video system plays back content including customized weight training video programs, room and conditioning schedules, football and other sports videos, and other related content, stored on a custom computer system with RAID drives and six HDMI video outputs. Multiple screens over five video zones allow for multiple streams of content simultaneously, all controlled and distributed by the Xantech equipment.

“This is the first time we’ve deployed the Xantech systems, and they are working wonderfully, especially considering that no one’s ever put this advanced level of AV systems control into a weight room before,� comments Robert Musser, Sales & Engineering Specialist for DSL Sound. “We were looking for a control solution that was reliable, scalable and affordable, and the WIC1200 succeeded on all counts. It can be controlled via RS-232 wired connections using the IPRS232 XtraLink IP and via iPads remotely on the VPN and it can expand as the system needs to grow. The graphical user interface is especially good, and we were able to create a practical and intuitive control surface that’s easy to use. We definitely plan to use the Xantech equipment again in the future. It’s that good.�

For more information, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com

About Xantech Commercial
Xantech designs and manufactures an extensive range of audio, video and control products and systems, many of which have become de facto industry standards. Xantech IR products are specified into more audio/video installations than any other brand. Xantech also supplies hi-definition HDMI video solutions, touch-panels and IP control systems for residential and commercial applications, multi-room audio/video systems, audio source components and processors, and software programming tools.

Xantech Commercial expands upon this foundation to bring new opportunities to the commercial field, providing scalable, user-friendly, and cost-effective audio/video control and distribution solutions. Products are sold to professional installers and distributors directly from Xantech. Xantech’s products are marketed in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. Xantech is a part of The AVC Group in Carlsbad, California. For additional information about Xantech Commercial and its innovative products, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video and control system solutions. The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: NILES® Audio, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON®, and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.

To make sure every attendee at the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party’s November 2011 Greater Toronto Area Dinner could clearly view party leader Tim Hudak’s speech, the event’s production company Metalworks Production Group knew they needed a super bright, vivid display that could be set up and broken down quickly and easily, viewed from any angle and was bright enough to be seen clearly from hundreds of feet away.

To find the right solution for this event, Metalworks turned to the audiovisual experts at APG Displays, who recommended they deploy two NanoLumens NanoFlex 112� flexible digital displays on either side of the speaker’s podium to allow for optimal viewing for all attendees. And it’s a good thing they did, because the event turned out to be the largest and most successful dinner in the party’s history, drawing more than 800 supporters and candidates and raising nearly (Canadian) $1.5 million for the party.

Because the dinner was just a few hours long, it was vital that Metalworks Production Group be able to set up and break down the digital displays quickly and easily without needing a whole crew of workers. The NanoLumens NanoFlex displays were the perfect solution for this because they weigh just 85 pounds, need minimal labor to install and don’t require any heavy or cumbersome rigging. In fact, NanoLumens is the only manufacturer that sells a flexible, durable, lightweight digital display solution that is bright enough to be seen from hundreds of feet away and provides a vibrant, consistent edge-to-edge image quality no matter the viewing angle or how close the viewer is to the screens.

“Metalworks Production Group had never used the NanoLumens displays,� said David Weatherhead, Vice President of APG Displays, “so they really were shocked when we told them about the NanoFlex 112� display that could be set up and broken down in less than two hours. Using a projection screen or a traditional digital display would have required more people and much more time to install, so the NanoLumens displays turned out to be the perfect solution for the event. The picture quality is amazing, and they looked beautiful from every spot in the room.�

According to NanoLumens President and CEO Rick Cope, “The Greater Toronto Area Dinner is exactly the kind of environment that NanoLumens Flex displays were made for. Special events are a rapidly growing market for digital displays, provided that the displays can be moved in and out quickly and can be deployed in every type of room environment with minimal structural requirements. NanoLumens Flex displays make it possible for events to be held in any environment, indoors or outdoors without regard to weather, and provide the opportunity to create a mobile messaging platform by moving the lightweight display to different locations throughout the event.�

The NanoLumens NanoFlex 112� flexible digital display is truly the only display of its kind. Currently there is no other digital display this large that can claim it is waterproof, has a two-inch thickness, a mere 85 pound weight, brightness capability up to 5,000 nits, uses far less energy than traditional displays and is literally flexible enough to fit any application. Whether the situation calls for the perfect quick display solution for a two-hour event, a display that can be moved around from room to room or a unique and creative permanent installation, the NanoFlex display is the ideal solution, making it the simplest, most durable display ever.

First introduced in 2010, NanoFlex™ digital displays remain the only solution of their kind. They conform to fit any surface, are thin, lightweight and energy efficient, and can be mounted as easily as a work of art. NanoLumens is the only company in the world able to reliably manufacture ultra-thin and lightweight, easy-to-install and maintain, seamless 6mm pixel pitch flexible LED displays in virtually any shape or size to meet each customer’s unique requirements.

Designed and assembled entirely in the United States, NanoLumens displays are now available in both flexible and non-flexible frames in four product lines: NanoFlexâ„¢ and NanoWrapâ„¢ flexible displays; NanoSlimâ„¢ non-flexible rectangular displays; and NanoShapeâ„¢ non-flexible round, square, and triangular displays.

APG Displays’ rental division searches the world for the most innovative, high impact audiovisual products and brings them to special events, meetings and trade shows in Canada and the U.S. We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive portfolios of cutting-edge large video display solutions, each with customized accessories, specialist technical support, and full system design and installation services. We have worked with some of the largest exhibit, conference and production houses in the business, providing tailored support for each client. We also partner with some of the biggest A/V names in the country with our exclusive Trade Partner Program. APG Displays is a member of MPI, ITRA, TSE, ISES, and Tourism Toronto special event and rental organizations.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development and component design for unique flexible displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry. NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the size, noise and cost issues associated with commercial LED products.

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, December 21, 2011 — Seattle-based JW Tel-Tronics, which offers complete A/V installation and integration services for local municipalities, educational institutions and hospitals, recently upgraded the operations center of a Seattle-area law enforcement agency using IP Web-based control equipment from Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution for 40 years. The control system upgrade included a WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller, IPRS232 XtraLink IP™ units, an RT8 Addressable IR Router and a 79144 Amplified Connecting Block.

According to JW Tel-Tronics systems integration engineer Judith Pile, the Xantech components have enhanced control and operation of the newly upgraded A/V equipment installed at the operations center, which is a command post within the agency that is used during major public events and emergencies. “They wanted something more sophisticated and easier to operate,� she says of the installed systems.

Pile and JW Tel-Tronic replaced the previous A/V system, comprising three projectors and a composite video system, with four flat screen televisions flanked by two projected images. “They’ve got ten computer stations in the room,� details Pile. “And they’ve got four DVRs that are all being fed from satellite TV, plus a VGA matrix switcher. Not only did they want all the signals to go everywhere but they also wanted it to be easy to operate. They were insistent that they did not need a touch screen; they just wanted to control it from a computer.�

Six IPRS232 XtraLink IP units enable the transmission of RS232 serial commands (the IPRS232 also handles RS422 or RS485) over the IP network to the flat screen displays and the projectors. “Those work like a charm,� she reports. The volume levels of an existing amplifier were also brought under IR control, she reports.

The operations center is typically activated for large public gatherings, such as parades, as well as emergency situations. “It’s not a dispatch room, but they have a computer system that tells them what units are where, so they can keep track of what’s going on,� explains Pile. “And they’ve got four DVRs with cable TV, so they can also monitor the local stations.� One of the computer stations is dedicated to the fire department, for when they are involved,� she adds.

Although this was not Pile’s first experience with Xantech components, it was her first time installing an entire setup from the company. “I’d used their IR emitters and things, but this was the first time with a control system,� she elaborates. Unfamiliar with programming the WIC1200, she did have to contact the manufacturer for assistance, and was pleased with the response. “There was great support,� she reports.

Graham Hallett, Xantech President, stated, “Because of the WIC1200’s intuitive operation and ease of programming via our Web Designer 3.0 software, we are finding it to be the system of choice for commercial integrators and system installers. Working closely with Xantech’s service and support team, Judith was able to get the right product for the right application, and considering the system is being used in critical life-and-death situations, it has to work the first time and every time, which made Xantech the logical choice.�

For more information, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

Photo File: Xantech WIC1200

About Xantech Commercial
Xantech designs and manufactures an extensive range of audio, video and control products and systems, many of which have become de facto industry standards. Xantech IR products are specified into more audio/video installations than any other brand. Xantech also supplies hi-definition HDMI video solutions, touch-panels and IP control systems for residential and commercial applications, multi-room audio/video systems, audio source components and processors, and software programming tools.

Xantech Commercial expands upon this foundation to bring new opportunities to the commercial field, providing scalable, user-friendly, and cost-effective audio/video control and distribution solutions. Products are sold to professional installers and distributors directly from Xantech. Xantech’s products are marketed in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. Xantech is a part of The AVC Group in Carlsbad, California. For additional information about Xantech Commercial and its innovative products, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video and control system solutions. The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: NILES® Audio, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON®, and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.

Xantech’s WIC1200 and CWTC10 controllers help FCCI run meetings in their executive boardroom

CARLSBAD, CA, December 8, 2011 — Largo, Florida-based Technical Resource Group (TRG) recently completed a major upgrade of the AV systems in the executive boardroom at the corporate headquarters and Florida regional office of FCCI Insurance Group in Sarasota, Florida, which includes control solutions from Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution for 40 years. The project also involved the reconfiguration of one of FCCI’s three training/conference rooms, which TRG upgraded two years ago with Xantech touch screen displays and control equipment.

Keith Gilliam, TRG System Design/Engineer, was pleased to make a return visit to FCCI in order to install more Xantech equipment. “This is their first upgrade in the executive boardroom; FCCI had grown out of the existing technology and replaced it with state-of-the-art digital audio, video and control technology,� he reveals. “It worked out very well to have Xantech’s WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller control everything. The Web Intelligent Controller was chosen to manage all of the digital A/V and the system controls, which included the contact closures for the screen and projector lift.�

There are 22 stations located around the conference table in FCCI’s executive boardroom, at which each participant can connect his or her laptop computer, according to Keith Gilliam. The existing VGA inputs at each station were retained and HDMI inputs were added. “This will maintain compatibility with current generation laptops and provide connectivity well into the future,� he explains. “Each of the 22 stations is configured with hi-def video inputs, and we’re controlling the video switcher’s HDMI, VGA and DVI inputs through the Xantech WIC1200.�

Each station is additionally equipped with a Shure MX Series podium microphone, and the room is fully outfitted with ceiling speakers. The microphones and speakers are processed through a Biamp Systems Audia FLEX DSP unit. “The Xantech WIC1200 is controlling the volumes of all of the inputs, where we govern the audio switching along with controlling volumes to the Biamp system,� says Keith Gilliam.

Keith Gilliam reports FCCI requested an easy-to-use system that required no more than one or two button pushes to operate or reconfigure the installed equipment. “We’re also using two Xantech 10.4-inch WiFi CWTC10 Commercial Wireless Touch Controllers as wireless interfaces, so they can have simple control to turn the room on and off. When they turn the system on it lowers the screen, turns on the projector, lowers the projector, and reconfigures the video inputs.�

The executives operating the board meetings can use the Xantech CWTC10 to configure the boardroom to any station or video input they need, he says. “They can call up a station and reconfigure it with a couple of button pushes.� This is made possible by employing Xantech’s recently introduced Web Designer 3.0 software, which provides a simple drag-and-drop programming solution for the easy creation of a customized graphic user interface on any web-based system’s remote control device.

For more information, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

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About Xantech Commercial
Xantech designs and manufactures an extensive range of audio, video and control products and systems, many of which have become de facto industry standards. Xantech IR products are specified into more audio/video installations than any other brand. Xantech also supplies hi-definition HDMI video solutions, touch-panels and IP control systems for residential and commercial applications, multi-room audio/video systems, audio source components and processors, and software programming tools.

Xantech Commercial expands upon this foundation to bring new opportunities to the commercial field, providing scalable, user-friendly, and cost-effective audio/video control and distribution solutions. Products are sold to professional installers and distributors directly from Xantech. Xantech’s products are marketed in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. Xantech is a part of The AVC Group in Carlsbad, California. For additional information about Xantech Commercial and its innovative products, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video and control system solutions. The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: NILES® Audio, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON®, and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.

Other brand and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Xantech LLC · 1969 Kellogg Avenue · Carlsbad, CA 92008 · Phone: (818) 362 0353 · Toll Free: (888) 512 5972 · Fax: (800) 492 6832 · Email- General Info: info@xantech.com · Sales Orders & RA Status: sales@xantech.com

KENILWORTH, NEW JERSEY, December 6, 2011—The premier wine store and tasting room in Hope Mills, North Carolina isn’t just any old wine store. Featuring Sentina™ LED signage solutions for countertop and window advertising, several flat screen TVs, an automated wine dispensing system that can pour up to 12 different bottles of wine and free WiFi for customers, The Wine Café updates the classic fine wine experience into the 21st century and offers guests an experience unlike any other.

“I love modern technology, and I know it is a large part of everyday life for people today, so I want my stores to use the latest technologies to offer a different, more modern, and better experience than other wine stores,� said Angie Malave, Owner and CEO of The Wine Café. “From the wine pouring system to the touch screen register, every part of my store is up-to-date and meant to impress my guests. That extends to my advertising as well, which is why I use Sestina’s LED uSigns on my countertops and in the windows. I host events for the store and for local clubs throughout the year, and I need the uSign’s flexibility to be able to plug the sign in or use a battery pack to bring it outside when I host outdoor events. And I even hang one in the window to attract passersby.�

Malave started out using one Sentina LB-8 uSign digital signage display at The Wine Café to advertise specials, showcase new products and provide information during events or promote upcoming events, and quickly realized that she wanted to do more. She purchase two additional uSigns and has since had several customers remark about how “cool� the signs are, and how they like them better than plain poster advertisements.

“I recently held the grand opening of my second Wine Café location, and I will be using the Sentina uSigns there as well,� Malave continued. “I’m the first wine store in the area to bring these modern technologies to the wine tasting and buying experience, and my customers and guests have taken notice. Sales are up, people are happy, and my tasting events have all been very successful! Whether it’s promoting information about new varietals or an upcoming event, the digital signs and the TVs inside really set my store apart from my competition. What I really like is that it’s so easy to update and change the advertisements—all I have to do is print out a new flyer on a transparency and slip it into the Sentina uSign.�

Designed to replace wasteful fluorescent-based signage, Sentina™ uSign™ displays advance the state-of-the-art in energy-efficient LED lighting technology in a number of significant ways. First, the displays feature customized Super LED lights that are 20 percent brighter than conventional LED lights. Second, these Super LED lights are embedded behind a proprietary Shoji screen-based Optical Reflection Panel, OptiLight, that produces an ultra-bright, evenly dispersed edge-to-edge light that virtually eliminates heat emission. Third, the ultra-lightweight display frames are constructed entirely of recycled plastic. Fourth, each Sentina uSign frame consumes just six watts, translating to an operating cost of less than a penny per day in normal usage. Fifth, and perhaps most importantly of all, each 8.5� x 11� display costs just $80.00.

According to Datexx President Mei Noguchi, “The LB-8 uSign is the perfect solution for any business that wants to display information, advertising, promotions or large photos on a counter, or hang it on a wall or window. Because it is low-cost, consumes so little energy, uses LED lights that will work forever and is so simple to update with new transparencies that can be made on any printer, every customer-facing business can utilize the Sentina uSign to attract new customers and impress old customers alike. With options ranging from a single uSign to a tower consisting of 16 uSigns in a 360 degree display, there is a solution for every situation and any sized store.�

The Wine Café (www.thewinecafeus.com) is the first store in Cumberland County, North Carolina to offer an interactive wine tasting experience featuring automated wine dispensing units and family owned wines from around the world. It is a unique wine café that truly goes “beyond the bottle�, letting guests experience wine in an entirely new way. After visiting The Wine Café, wine will never be the same!

Headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey, Datexx is a leading manufacturer and marketer of innovatively designed, affordably priced products that help consumers manage their time and money. For more than 15 years, the company has proudly met the needs of smart consumers seeking smarter living solutions. To date, more than 20-million consumers have joined the Datexx family of satisfied customers.