Marking the first anniversary of its entry into the systems integration market at INFOCOMM 2012, NanoLumens today expanded its commitment to the channel with the announcement that it will unveil a new and significantly larger exhibit at INFOCOMM 2013 and introduce an expanded channel sales and marketing program led by technology industry veteran Rick Bortles, who has just joined the company in the newly created position of Vice President of Global Channel Sales.

“Over the last 12 months we have experienced extraordinary interest from all types of commercial AV integrators who want to integrate NanoLumens displays into their system solutions,� NanoLumens President & CEO Rick Cope said today. “In order to maximize our management of this rapidly growing market, we will be introducing at INFOCOMM 2013 an expanded systems integration sales, education, and support program that is dedicated to meeting the needs of a select group of distributors, representing different market segments and geographic regions. To lead this effort, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Bortles to the newly created position of Vice President of Global Channel Sales.�

Reporting directly to NanoLumens Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brad Childress, Rick Bortles assumes immediate responsibility for the development and implementation of all NanoLumens systems integration sales, training, and support programs around the world. “Our goal is to have a comprehensive channel program in place by the end of the third quarter,â€� Childress said today. “Rick is exactly the person we need to create an engaged network of select commercial AV integrators, value added digital signage software solutions partners, and key AV consultants. He will provide the sales, training, and support this network requires to perform at the highest possible level. Rick is a growth centric sales leader that helped to build a sales and service company with over 15,000 OEM’s across North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. He is going to make a major contribution to the future success of NanoLumens.â€�

Indeed, Rick Bortles brings nearly 30 years of senior sales and executive leadership in the technology industry to NanoLumens, including serving for 22 years as President and CEO of ELCOM Inc., a leading semiconductor sales firm, and Southeast Regional Sales Manager at Sprague Semiconductor. Bortles was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1981.

“I am tremendously excited to have the opportunity to put my experience and skills to work for NanoLumens,� Bortles said today. “I am looking forward to meeting our customers and partners at INFOCOMM 2013 and creating a world class channel program that generates significant revenue for NanoLumens and its partners.�

NanoLumens’ technology has been named ‘Best Large-format LED Display’ of the year by Signage Solutions magazine in its 2012 Product of the Year awards program, as well as being recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and cited by The Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards. NanoLumens’ technology also received the 2011 Breakthrough Technology of the Year Award at the American Technology Awards. Digital Signage Magazine awarded the NanoLumens NanoFlex a 2011 DIGI Award for “Best New Display Device – Non-LCD or Plasma.�

About NanoLumens:
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development, marketing and sales of unique flexible and fixed large-format LED display solutions in any size, shape, or curvature, that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry. Since its founding in 2006, 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 weight, heat, noise and cost issues traditionally associated with commercial LED products.

Out on the road serving as an opening act for the Luke Bryan Tour, Thompson Square is using PixelFLEX’s unique, flexible and lightweight LED Curtains to enhance and simplify their live musical performances. The husband and wife duo was searching for an efficient way to add video components to their show and PixelFLEX was able to bring the band’s vision to life with its industry-leading video curtain walls.

As the middle act on the Tour, Thompson Square has a relatively quick window to set up and take down their entire set – 13 minutes to be exact. Still, the tour and production manager, Christian Easterling, was determined to figure out how the band could deliver the type of show desired in the amount of time allotted. Easterling soon came across PixelFLEX LED Curtains, which allowed for high-quality visuals without the worry of time constraints.

“We tour with four crew people,” said Easterling. “Everything is done in such a quick manner; there is no way we could have performed the show with any other screen out there. It’s just amazing to see how the entire set moves away in a matter of minutes and is completely gone.”

For the Luke Bryan Tour, Thompson Square is using 16 20mm curtains flown off trusses for use as a backdrop to further enhance the audience’s live experience. The screens are used to deliver static images, color changes and video footage to add some depth and dimension to the live shows, according to Easterling.

Easy to operate and set up – videos and images can be sent to the screen using any computer with a DVI-D connection – PixelFLEX LED Curtains are available from low resolution to high resolution, allowing users to demonstrate simple effects or elaborate videos. Flexible in all directions, PixelFLEX LED Curtains are able to bend and shape around structures for a more creative display.

“The benefits (of the PixelFLEX LED Curtains) are that you can manipulate it and move it around to different areas if you need to,” said Easterling. “Sometimes, we have been in venues where our trim height is not that great, so we can take the screen and move it to a different location, put in front of risers and it’s very flexible. It has a tremendous impact on the show and that is just such a cool thing.”

Easterling has been on tour with Thompson Square for almost two years and this is the first tour in which they have used the PixelFLEX solution. The additional support, thus far, has been well received.

“I hear on a regular basis that the walls truly enhance the performance; the feeling is that it looks like a headliner’s set,” Easterling remarked. “It’s been easy in, easy up, which is extremely important out on tour. Just as important, the product delivers exceptional results at an affordable cost.”

For more information on PixelFLEX and its growing line of lightweight LED video screens, visit www.LEDCurtain.com. Follow PixelFLEX at www.Facebook.com/PixelFLEXUSA and @LEDCurtain.
###

An Italian touring production of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical has arrived at the Politeama Rossetti theatre in Trieste, where audiences are enjoying great sound thanks to the extensive use of DPA Microphone’s 4066 Omnidirectional Headset Microphones and 4060 Omnidirectional Miniature Microphones.

DPA’s Italian distributor M. Casale Bauer has supplied the production with a total of 34 DPA Headset Microphones, which are being used for every member of the cast (plus a few spares). The show’s sound engineer Cristiano Grassini says the microphones are performing flawlessly every night and are proving very popular with cast members because they are so light and comfortable.

“The original Australian production of the musical specified DPA Headset Microphones and, having previously experienced the quality of these microphones on other productions, I was more than happy to use them for the Italian tour,� Grassini says. “Their quality is absolutely phenomenal. They sound great, they are very resistant to high sound pressure levels and obviously, because they are so small and discrete on the actor’s faces, they are good for the audience because they don’t detract from the performance.�

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical tells the story of two drag queens and a transsexual woman who travel through Australia on a tour bus called Priscilla. Along the way they encounter many different people and have a variety of hilarious adventures. The musical first opened in 2006 in Sydney, Australia, before travelling to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada and New York’s Broadway. Since beginning its run in Italy last December it has been to Milan and Rome and has notched up more than 250 performances.

“It is an amazing musical – full of colour and drama, and very funny,� Grassini adds. “However, it does involve a lot of costume changes and this is another reason why the DPA Headset Microphones are so useful. More than 500 costumes are used in this production and having a microphone that is comfortable for the actors to wear and very quick to remove does make it much easier to deal with the quick costume changes.�

Grassini has been a fan of DPA Headset Microphones for many years and has used them in numerous theatre productions in the past. “They always sound good and are just so easy to use,� he says. “In many situations they are simply ideal and, for me, the only microphone choice.�

-ends-

Editors’ information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com

Multi-touch Interactivity for Any Large Format Display, Indoor and Outdoor LCD Panels, and Imaginative Projection Mapping Deliver Picture-Perfect Displays

Christie® presents a diverse collection of visual display solutions at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) MuseumExpo, taking place May 20-22 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Christie booth is showing projection display products that can be works of art in themselves, and serve as versatile tools for museums to enhance the visitor experience – including interactive displays where patrons can curate their own tours.

Among the display solutions is 11 feet wide by 6 feet tall Christie® MicroTiles® video wall featuring Christie Interactivity Kit in an educational space that will captivate visitors.

Christie Interactivity Kit – A Touch of Brilliance

The Christie Interactivity Kit is a modular solution that transforms nearly any large-format display into a multi-touch surface. The field-installable kit simply attaches around the display wall perimeter and plugs into a computer USB port without the need for drivers. Windows® 7 automatically recognizes the Christie Interactivity Kit as a multi-touch device and no manual calibration of sensors or cameras is required. Using breakthrough Baanto™ ShadowSense™ technology, Christie Interactivity Kit offers excellent performance with high touch accuracy and fast response times that support up to 18 touches on a large-format display.

Configurable into 84 different sizes, the kit accommodates practically any video wall up to 21.4 feet wide and 6 feet high, or a 16-units wide by 6-units high Christie MicroTiles array. The kit is part of a special display at the celebrated Cleveland Museum of Art, which features a 40-foot wide multi-touch screen comprising two 15-units wide by 5-units tall Christie MicroTiles video walls using Christie Interactivity Kit and a smaller interactive ‘Line and Shape’ Christie MicroTiles display for children to engage with that also uses Christie Interactivity Kit.

Christie Fills Customer Needs With Both Indoor and Outdoor Flat Panels

Also on display is the Christie FHD551-X. This full HD 55-inch indoor LCD flat-panel features a super narrow bezel width of 5.5 mm, LED backlighting, high pixel density and a wide viewing angle. With the Christie FHD551-X, images on the nearly seamless tiled video wall look sharp at any distance allowing you to convey your information with controlled brightness that’s suited for a variety of indoor environments.

Christie recently introduced the Christie WeatherAll FHD551-W. The outdoor LCD flat panel is a sleek, weatherproof digital signage solution (IP56/NEMA 4 rated) featuring optically bonded glass for increased protection against harsh impacts and scratches in public display environments while enhancing viewability in outdoor venues by reducing reflection. It is designed to provide high contrast ratio, rich vibrant colors, and superior brightness to overcome high ambient light — making it perfect for outdoor use.

Christie Projection Mapping – Radiant and Vibrant Images on any Surface, any Shape

Christie is demonstrating projection mapping featuring colorful and exciting images thrown on a mini-pyramid; illustrating the wide range of complex artistic displays made possible using blending and warping technology. The mapping demonstration will utilize a Christie HD14K-M.

Projection mapping is an exciting technique using specialized software and other technologies to warp and blend projected images so they fit perfectly on irregularly-shaped buildings, interior spaces and natural landscapes. It delivers the ‘wow factor’ and is a cost-effective way to transform virtually any surface or structure into a breathtaking canvas where size, scope and content are limited only by the artist’s imagination.

Christie’s projection mapping technology helped transform Ottawa’s famed Parliament Hill with a rich and engaging display that attracts more than 250,000 visitors annually with the gripping narrative of Canadian history via the National Capital Commission’s sound and light show, “Mosaika – Canada Through the Eyes of Its People.�

Light Iron, a leading postproduction house based in Los Angeles, has expanded its use of Christie Solaria® Series digital cinema projectors offering rich, saturated color, high brightness and sharp, 4K resolution to its ever growing clientele.

“We’ve used other manufacturer’s 4K projectors when 4K projectors first hit the streets, but the fact of the matter is it’s more important to be the best at something than the first. And the best 4K solution is exactly what Christie brings to the market. With its reliable and proven name, it was an easy decision to make Christie the standard for our screening rooms in both Los Angeles and New York City, with Christie Solaria 2K and 4K projectors in operation at both locations, including a Christie Solaria CP4230, which will be highlighted at the official unveiling of our new facility in New York City tonight,� said Michael Cioni, CEO, Light Iron.

“Christie’s all-in-one design allows us to view 4K content without an external cinema server. This allows us to stream uncompressed 4K content from our DI color systems directly to Christie projectors in our LA and New York facilities. This makes the integration of 4K into our technical pipeline nearly identical to our 2K pipeline, and that’s one of the reasons it’s the best projection solution on the market,� added Cioni.

Christie DLP Cinema® Projectors a Hit with Postproduction Houses
“Our product flexibility is gaining us a lot of converts in the postproduction space. One of our key differentiators here is that the user doesn’t have to swap input cards when switching between uncompressed and packaged cinema content, as two slots are standard on the Solaria 4K projectors,� said Don Shaw, senior director, Product Management with Christie’s Entertainment Solutions group. “And as one of these connections is a professional-grade quad 3G-SDI connect, Christie can ensure that post facilities have a robust and convenient digital interface for flawless viewing of 4K digital cinema or alternative content.�

After four years in Los Angeles, Light Iron has expanded into New York to help serve the postproduction community there. A pioneer in 4K postproduction projection, Light Iron hopes to demonstrate to the NYC cinema and postproduction community the solid workflows that 4K enables and how easy, cost-effective and quick it is to implement a 4K workflow as an alternative to 2K workflows, which don’t facilitate 4K digital content as well. Light Iron’s New York screening room has a 35-foot throw and a Microperf screen 16 feet wide by 9 feet. The 4K content is played out of a Quantel Pablo Rio with AJA Corvid Ultra video card, while 4K content is fed via 4 by 3G-SDI. The facility at 580 Broadway will be unveiled to a broad cross-section of the industry at its grand opening tonight.

“Ours is the only post facility designed for 4K from the ground up. While working with 4K files is becoming common, viewing pixel-for-pixel results is not. The Christie CP4230 expands Light Iron’s creative freedom by enabling real-time 4K monitoring in a calibrated DCI space. Since that’s where the cinema is headed, that’s where Light Iron needs to be. There’s really no one else on either coast that feels as strongly about this as we do,� said Cioni.

About Light Iron
Light Iron is a postproduction company specializing in on-site dailies, digital intermediate, archival, and data services for projects originated on file-based motion cameras. With facilities in Hollywood and New York City, Light Iron serves feature film, episodic television, commercial, and web-bound projects at both the independent and studio level. The company distinguishes itself by providing clients state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions configured to enhance the creative process. More specifically, Light Iron delivers post production workflows that minimize time, maximize image fidelity, and increase filmmakers’ creative control over their projects.

Almo Professional A/V Hires Jamie Finnegan
As Business Development Manager – Control Solutions

Expertise in Control, Automation and Integration; Focus on Supporting Integrators with Pre-Sales Training, Engineering and Design

Philadelphia, PA — May 16, 2013 — Almo Professional A/V, the nation’s fastest growing audiovisual distributor, today announced the hiring of Jamie Finnegan as Business Development Manager – Control Solutions, effective immediately. In his new role, Finnegan serves as the technical liaison between Almo’s vendor manufacturers and integrators by providing pre-sales training, engineering and design for commercial installations that require high-level systems, lighting, automation and control.

The addition of Finnegan brings Almo Pro A/V’s Business Development Manager staff to a total of six technical professionals.

“Jamie brings a wealth of knowledge to Almo from his experience in the Pro AV space and, more specifically, his specialization in control systems,� said Sam Taylor, executive vice president and COO for Almo Professional A/V. “He spent six years of his career working for two control manufacturers and 10 years running his own integration firm — the experience on both sides of the equation makes Jamie a valuable addition to Almo.�

Prior to Almo Pro A/V, Finnegan was a consultant for CFC Industrial Training. Before then he held sales and management positions for URC, Inc., AMX Corporation, Audio Video Design Group and Hi-Tech Integrated Systems, Inc. He studied business at the University of Akron and is a certified LEED green building technology instructor. Finnegan’s industry affiliations include USGBC, AIA, CABA, InfoComm-ICIA, CEDIA, CEA, SIA, FPS and FPDA.

About Almo Professional A/V’s Business Development Managers
Almo holds the unique position as the only distributor to offer its partners a highly specialized fleet of Business Development Managers. Each one brings a multitude of expertise, such as technical knowledge, system design assistance, in-depth brand/product knowledge, bid and project registration capability and a direct line to all of the top manufacturers.

# # #
About Almo Professional A/V
Almo Professional A/V is the nation’s fastest growing distributor serving the needs of professional audiovisual integrators, dealers and consultants. With a highly skilled sales team, reseller education programs, seven distribution centers across the U.S. and product lines for the Pro A/V channel, Almo Professional A/V provides customers with the full distribution experience on a local and a personal level. Almo Professional A/V is a division of Almo Corp., the nation’s leading independent distributor of consumer electronics and major appliances. For more information about Almo Professional A/V, please call 410-560-2890 or go to www.almoproav.com. Almo Professional A/V can also be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/almoproav and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/almoproav.

*All product and company names

May 16, 2013. Getting ready for InfoComm? Don’t forget to check our new, best-in class HDMIâ„¢ Matrix Switcher for all your AV integration needs.

The KanexPro HDMI 32×32 (also available in 4×4, 8×8 & 16×16) matrix is an ultra-high performance, digital matrix switcher engineered to route HDMI signals from 32 inputs to 32 outputs. The unit provides full HDCP internal management for today’s integration in commercial A/V market, ensuring HDCP key authentication, and administering the handshake internally. It maintains resolutions up to 1920 x 1200, 1080p or 2K, supporting full cross point switching. The matrix supports smart EDID management for rapid integration of sources and displays.

Fully controllable through RS-232 commands, IR remote and front-panel buttons, this switcher includes 10-global presets for I/O configurations which allows saving and recalling via the front-panel, IR or through serial control at any time.

Today’s Applications

The KanexPro HDMI 32×32 matrix switcher is ideal for countless commercial applications such as military, medical and government environments where swift, reliable switching and distribution of high-resolution DVI/HDMI signals is critical to meet pixel-by-pixel needs.
To get a quote or for more information please call us at 888-644-4149 or visit KanexPro.com

About KanexProâ„¢

Leveraging our core strength in professional A/V products, KanexPro carries a complete selection of A/V connectivity needs. When planning digital installations you will find that we carry a broad line of A/V connectivity products enabling you to broadcast, extend, split, or multiply HD signal transmissions; simply and cost-effectively. KanexPro is a registered trademark. All other trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Company Expands Leadership With New Digital Signage and Interactive Touch Displays, High Brightness Projectors, Classroom IQ Solutions, and Enhancements to World-Leading SmartEco(TM) Technology

IRVINE, Calif. — May 16, 2013 — BenQ America Corp., the world’s No. 1 DLP(R) projector brand and globally renowned provider of digital lifestyle innovations, today announced its product lineup for InfoComm 2013. With an award-winning family of projectors, monitors, and flat-panel displays, BenQ will demonstrate the industry’s new standard for brightness, image quality, and energy savings within the business, education, and digital signage spaces. more

Woodland Park, NJ – FSR, along with co-sponsors NSCA and Women in AV (WAVE), will host an informal reception on Wednesday, June 12, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The event coincides with opening day of the InfoComm, the premiere trade show for the commercial audiovisual industry. Women are encouraged to attend the unique reception where they can network with colleagues, share success stories, industry tips and ideas.

“It’s an honor to sponsor this reception,� said Jan Sandri, FSR president. “It’s important to provide opportunities that allow women from all industry segments to mingle with their peers, share knowledge, and benefit from one another’s successes. We’re pleased to join NSCA and WAVE in this initiative. “

Register today for the reception at www.womeninav.com

About FSR – www.fsrinc.com
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions. The Flex LT control systems and IT-AS411 Series Audio Switcher/Amplifiers are 100% made in the USA.

All FSR products are designed and manufactured in its Woodland Park, NJ facility. The company is an Energy Star Partner and complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to demonstrate its deep commitment to preserving the planet. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives.

About NSCA
The National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) is the leading not-for-profit association representing the commercial low-voltage electronic systems industry. NSCA is a powerful advocate for all who work within the low-voltage industry, including systems contractors/ integrators, product manufacturers, consultants, sales representatives, architects, specifying engineers and other allied professionals. NSCA is dedicated to serving its contractor members and all channel stakeholders through advocacy, education, member services and networking designed to improve business performance. For more information, visit: www.nsca.org

About WAVE
WAVE’s mission is to support women within the AV industry through collaborating, mentoring and networking opportunities. The popular Twitter group, !Womenin AV was formed to encourage women to become involved in both technical and management roles within the electronic systems industry.

# # #
FSR Contact: Jan Sandri, President
973-785-4347 • sales@fsrinc.com

FSR Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • harriet@desertmooncomm.com

NSCA Contact: Cathy Mrosko
Senior Director of Government Affairs and Industry Outreach
571-263-9800 • cmrosko@nsca.org

Huntsville, Alabama – PESA, a leading U.S.-based custom design and manufacturing company for professional audio and video signal distribution, recently introduced PESA Xstream, a cost effective, comprehensive package for digital media capture, processing, distribution, and storage. Housed in a compact, 1 RU form factor, PESA Xstream simultaneously encodes up to five independent video sources and eight audio sources concurrently from live or recorded video for multi-path H.264 IP distribution over six independent video streams – with no sync or latency issues. PESA will demonstrate the new streaming media appliance at InfoComm 2013 (Booth 2958), June 12-14 in Orlando, Fla.

PESA Xstream captures H.264 IP camera streams, NTSC/PAL or SDI video up to 1080p resolution, video playback, and even computer-based content such as PowerPoint slides, then prepares high-bandwidth MPEG-4/H.264 broadcast streams for enterprise distribution and archive. When multiple sources are captured simultaneously, the streams remain associated and synchronized during the event. Storage options include a PESA internal 2.5-inch SATA drive.

With five individually addressable video outputs as well as an integrated quad-view output, PESA Xstream allows operators to stream live content over IP while simultaneously transmitting live digital content to a quad-view display and/or full screen display. PESA Xstream can also synchronize discrete audio inputs to discrete video and IP video inputs, and offers adjustable audio delay.

PESA Xstream is an ideal solution for varied market applications, including court recording, rental and staging events, telemedicine, virtual classrooms, security and surveillance, and webcasting and remote production. An intuitive Web browser management and control interface provides complete remote capabilities, which can eliminate the need for on-site personnel to stream content to a production facility.

“Producing mixed format, multi-source presentations for IP distribution used to be a logistical nightmare,� said Howard Sutton, PESA executive chairman. “You had multiple vendors, multiple components, sync issues, too much cabling, and multiple management and control systems. PESA Xstream is so much more than a codec. In one box with integrated Web browser management and control, it handles everything – capture, scaling, sync, and more – which improves the viewing experience for your audiences and simplifies installation and operation. The purpose-built PESA Xstream sets a new standard in price and performance.�

PESA also provides access to its Application Programming Interface (API), allowing integrators to tailor applications to specific market segments. For example, PANAX develops video communication solutions for education, government, and healthcare. The company is a PESA Xstream Partner, and has developed its VTW 5080 Digital Media System solution for the education market based around the new appliance.

“I have never encountered a single device such as the PESA Xstream that can adapt to so many multiple video and audio standards, inputs and outputs, in one box,� said Paul Culbertson, vice president of PANAX. “It’s great to not have to use adapters to convert everything before it hits the unit. PESA Xstream provides configuration simplicity and the best streaming video I have seen. We are thrilled to introduce it to the education marketplace.�

“PESA Xstream is a game-changer,� added Malcolm Macallum, CTO of VIQ Solutions, Inc., another PESA Xstream Partner, which is incorporating the system into an end-to-end content management and distribution solution. “The unit simplifies the technology, yet provides a sophisticated combination of features and functions. No other device offers multiple HD video and audio capture from local and remote sources while eliminating associated latency at this price point.�

Pricing for PESA Xstream starts at $9,995 (United States and Canada). For more information, visit PESAXSTREAM.com or contact John T. Wright, senior vice president of sales and business development, at PESAXSTREAM@pesa.com.