I kidded George Tsintzouras, Senior Product Manager for Business Products at Christie, today that he should make infommercials for a living. That joke was based on George’s incredible enthusiasm for Christie’s new M Series line of dual-lamp, 3-chip DLP projectors, directed at the AV market. Manufacturer representatives, after all, are supposed to be enthusiastic and I’ve heard some great sells over the years. But George was positively mesmerizing while discussing what Christie views as major breakthroughs with the M Series. George’s point is that the innovation inside the M Series units revolves around impressive advances in optics, allowing two lamps to produce 10,000 lumens out of a single projector.

But he also loves the weight (just 55-lbs.), swappable lamps, intelligent lens system with encoder-based motors, and much more. He was particularly jazzed, for instance, about the filter-free, dust-sealed engine design on the system. more…

Auralex Acoustics, an industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, introduces new Ceiling Tiles at this year’s InfoComm show (Booth C4984). Auralex’s premium acoustic Ceiling Tiles can easily be installed into new and existing drop and suspending ceiling grids, and are ideal for upgrading in-room sound quality by controlling ambient noise and reducing noise transmission. Read on at The Briefing Room

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I don’t think I’ve visited a small booth with as wide a range of products as Samson’s. The company makes field digital audio recorders that double as USB audio interfaces for laptop project studios. It makes an all-in-one, optionally battery powered portable 250W amp with an iPod dock. For, you know, street performers, outdoor festivals, radio station promotions, etc. There are affordable zoned audio systems for retail stores and dentists’ offices. S-Zone has a four-in, four-out analog matrix. This year that system gets a companion power amp ($350), a 120W/70V model called the S2480.

Also new in zoned audio for Samson is the ZM125 ($499). That’s a six-channel input, five-zone system that uses one monoblock amp (125W/70V). There’s a telephone output for music on hold. A very simple solution for many businesses that want a zoned system.

Finally, there’s a new tiny transmitter with a mic integrated into the unit. The idea is that for many applications, a lavalier with a cord is just too cumbersome. The Samson guys mentioned aerobics instructors who need voice amplification and ultimate mobility. The AirLine Synth is a frequency-agile model ($449) that operates at 800MHz. Check the picture for the size. The Samson reps also noted that AirLine is the microphone of choice for the carnival barkers on the Jersey Shore.

Extreme CCTV announces that its EX82 cameras have been providing reliable, maintenance-free surveillance at Eurotunnel five years running. EX82’s NEMA4 sealed housing enables continuous video vigilance amidst Eurotunnel’s dusty and saline environment, which defeats conventional CCTV cameras. Recently upgraded for enhanced imaging performance, today’s EX82 Infrared Imager incorporates Black Diamond technology, which produces up to 250ft High Fidelity night vision for 24/7 monitoring. The unit’s patented dual sensor design now delivers 550 TVL day/night imaging for powerful video interrogation. Read on at The Briefing Room

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Just had a nice tutorial from Soundcraft/Studer exec Keith Watson about the art and science of user ergonomics when it comes to audio console development. Keith was explaining why Soundcraft’s new, free Virtual Vi offline editor software for the company’s Vi Series of consoles is an important tool for audio engineers. The notion is that they can program consoles using software on their laptops even when they are physically apart from the console, and then simply download those settings to the console later on. The software essentially replicates exactly the user interface on the console itself. more…

TVOne-task is unveiling eight new Cat.5 models at InfoComm in Booth C2430. The 1T-CT-400 Series is a comprehensive system for the transmission of RGBHV or YPbPr video at resolutions up to 1920×1200 and 1080p, plus digital or analog audio signals over Cat.5/5E or Cat.5 cable at great distances. The mix and match approach to the product line enables the user to choose the most cost efficient units to perform a specific task. Three transmitter models are available, two models handle RGBHV and one handles YPbPr format. Five Receiver models continue the theme of flexibility and enable the user to choose the distance, output type and audio capabilities if needed. All Items are available for immediate shipment. Read on at The Briefing Room

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The Epson booth is swarming with new products and interested parties today as the company shows its new portables for presenters on the go. These little pearly white machines with soft corners have several new features that I can certainly appreciate for high use environments. While they still can accomodate the usual analog formats, digital has moved in and the great thing is that you can have direct USB conveyance from the computer to the projector with no configuration or source hunting at all. Turn on the projector and the computer. Connect the two with a USB cable and your image is up on the screen. No more fumbling with the function key combos. The new models have A type USB, HDMI and SD card slots as well, so you can have your presentation on just about anything.

These new projectors were made to meet the format and learning curve challenges that have been colliding on so much equipment and it appears that a lot of careful though and customer feedback went into them. It was a great demo.

Barco, a world leader in advanced digital projection, is pleased to announce the latest addition to its portfolio of projectors: the NW-12. It features a native WUXGA resolution (1920×1200), offers users a greater pixel canvas, allows them to display more sources than ever in full resolution and is fully compatible with modern high-end laptops. Read on at The Briefing Room

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ClearOne, a leading global provider of high performance audio conferencing solutions, announced the new Converge PA 2250 and Converge PA 4160 professional audio amplifiers. The PA 2250 is a two channel amplifier that provides 250 watts per channel while the PA 4160 is a four channel amplifier, providing 160 watts per channel. The PA 2250 and PA 4160, with their ample power and exceptional audio performance, satisfy the demand for high definition, multi-channel audio for conferencing, rich media presentations, and sound reinforcement applications. Read on at The Briefing Room

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Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems announces the availability of the PM5D-EX digital console power package. The live sound and recording system combines a Yamaha PM5D Digital Mixing Console with a DSP5D Expander doubling the I/O and processing capacity of two PM5D consoles but controlled from a single surface. The system features 96 mono and 16 stereo input channels in a very flexible configuration. Read on at The Briefing Room

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