The show may have been called “Clash of the Choirs” but it was all sweet music with the grandMA controlling the lighting for the new NBC series. A.C.T Lighting is the exclusive distributor of the grandMA in North America.

“Clash of the Choirs” featured five music celebrities — Nick Lachey, Patti LaBelle, Blake Shelton, Michael Bolton and Kelly Rowland — who assembled amateur choirs in their hometowns. The choirs performed on four consecutive nights in the week leading up to Christmas with viewers eliminating groups as the nights wore on. Lachey‘s Cincinnati-based choir emerged the winner taking home $250,000 for the Cincinnati Children‘s Hospital. more

Luna Technologies, a division of Luna Innovations Incorporated, announces the expansion of its fiber optic test platform with the release of the Optical Vector Analyzer (OVA) ELp. This new instrument is designed to characterize the polarization properties of fiber optic components for high-speed optical networks. Using the industry standard for measuring polarization mode dispersion (PMD), the OVA ELp is a fast, economical tool that provides industry-leading accuracy and resolution in a single sweep of a tunable laser and offers a dynamic range in excess of 50 dB.

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Middleton, WI- Intelix, U.S. manufacturer of audio/video equipment and software, recently announced the release of the DIGI-DVIT2R-F system, which transmits DVI video from a single source to two remote destinations over twisted pair cabling.

“DVI signals are typically very difficult to distribute–DVI cables are limited in length and DVI distribution amplifiers often choke on EDID and DDC signals,” explains Steve Cohan, Intelix C.E.O. “The Intelix DIGI-DVIT2R-F solves both problems with a convenient, integrated solution.” more

WILSONVILLE, Ore., (January 22, 2008) – InFocus Corporation (NASDAQ:INFS), the industry pioneer in digital projection technology, continues to advance its innovative product line with today‘s release of the IN2100 Series of DLP® Projectors featuring BrilliantColor™ technology. more

With both leisure drinkers and employees of London‘s financial heartland the core clientele of the Mint Group owned Mary Janes, the new bar in London‘s Minories exudes sophistication, tinged with an unmistakable sense of fun.

To achieve the required ambience, installation company Rag Support chose Turbosound NuQ loudspeakers to meet the venue‘s core requirement of delivering excellent sound quality, but from visually unobtrusive enclosures. more

Look Solutions‘ CRYO-FOG low-fog system is contributing to the theatrical magic of Disney‘s “Beauty and the Beast” now enjoying an open-ended run in Mexico City. Four CRYO-FOG machines are used throughout the show as low smoke in forest scenes and around the castle exterior.

“Ten years ago ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ opened in Mexico City with four liquid nitro machines,” recalls Nic Phillips, the show‘s technical advisor and programmer. “It was the first big musical for the producers and Disney‘s first in Latin America. When they moved it to Spain all the equipment went with it. Since then this production and it‘s equipment has been touring the world. Now back in Mexico for the tenth anniversary, the producers asked me to replace some equipment, including liquid nitrogen low smoke machines which were actually dangerous.” more

Brit Nominees Kings of Leon rock! Full on rock needs a full on sound system and Britannia Row‘s Turbosound Aspect® system is giving the band just what it needs. Their first experience of Aspect was for the initial part of the European tour earlier in the year, when the band and Front of House engineer Brent Rawlings decided they loved the system. more

Carlisle, PA, January 21, 2008 – RF Central, a leading digital microwave technology provider, is pleased to offer the new RFX-PMR-II portable digital receiver. The receiver is available in both SD and full HD configuration. The rugged unit offers exceptional performance for portable links and is designed for easy and quick set-up for ENG and field applications. In addition, it is weather resistant for broadcasts during adverse climate conditions. more

Minneapolis, MN – (January 21, 2008) – www.milestone.com – CSAV Holding Corp. is announcing that it is has transitioned to a new name, Milestone AV Technologies, Inc. The CSAV name represented Chief | Sanus Audio Visual and was a result of the 2004 merger between Chief® Manufacturing and Sanus Systems®. more

Orlando, Florida, January 17, 2008–Tributaries® Cable is pleased to announce its unprecedented eleventh win in the past twelve years for Best Overall Wire & Cable company in the 2008 Inside Track‘s Supplier Loyalty Test survey.

Since 1985, Inside Track, a consumer electronics industry newsletter, has been helping the owner-operated independent specialist retailer and custom integrators survive and thrive in the face of mass-market competition. Each year, the Inside Track Supplier Loyalty Test survey provides a chance for retailers to grade their manufactures on 16 parameters including: Product Performance, Reliability, Innovation; Distribution Policies that Support Specialists; Obtainable Profit Margins; Technical Support; Resolution of Service, Return, and Repair Issues; Product Changes/Price Protection; Specialist-Friendly Programs; Quality of Sales Reps; Brand Name Recognition; Appropriate Product Assortment; Ease of Doing Business; Inventory Turns or Ease of Installation/ Use; JIT Delivery; and Dealer Training. more