John Lopinto and Derek Miranda at Communications Specialties gave me a great demo of their new 3150 series fiber transmission hardware. It can handle either single or multi-mode for HD and SD with no adjustments and the system has two significant firsts. The whole thing is built on strict adherence to SMPTE standards fo that it can connect anywhere to anyone’s standards-compliant equipment. Secondly, the transmitter performs EQ and reclocking so that as the signal goes onto the fiber, it is as stable as it can possibly be. They were taking a video signal and running it through 250 feet of coax and then into a one kilometer reel of fiber and it looked as clean as the original video on the source monitor. Next door in the Projection Design booth, all of the large venue displays were taking their video signals through CSI’s fiber. The crowd at the CSI booth pressed in to get a look and it appeared that word had gotten around. John Lopinto told me that the new 3150 series has “caught fire like no other new product we’ve introduced.”