I’m always fascinated to hear about the unique development histories of various products, I learned the decade-long background today of JBL‘s new CBT Series Line Array Columns. Chatting with Rick Kamlet, Senior Director of Commercial Installed Sound for JBL, I found out the new series, personified by the CBT 50LA (50cm high compact column relying on a line of eight 2-in. drivers), CBT 100LA (100cm high with 16 2-in. drivers), and CBT 70J speakers (two-way coaxial line array with 16 soft dome tweeters and four 5-in. woofers that is 70cm high) on display at the JBL booth was 10 years in the making. The technology is based on the research of former JBL and longtime audio engineer Don Keele, an inventor of constant directivity loudspeaker horns, who started publishing papers on the concept back in 2000, when he was still with JBL. more…

Press release

Wireworks, a leading innovator of audio/video cabling systems and custom panels, is highlighting its renowned and completely adaptable AV2000 MultiMedia Cabling System at this year’s InfoComm show (Booth 5221). AV2000 now offers users additional cabling elements such as Cat-6, high-speed data, and HD/SDI, high definition video and serial digital interface. Read on at The Briefing Room

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Set to be a huge success and crowd puller at InfoComm 09, projectiondesign will lift the wraps off one of the most exciting products to be introduced by the company. The FL32 projector is projectiondesign’s first solid-state LED-based projection system that uses the company’s new RealLED technology resulting in greatly enhanced image performance and ultralow maintenance. ReaLED technology is projectiondesign’s unique implementation of high performance solid state LED illumination technology, paired with the patented optical system of the F32 platform projectors. The FL32 is set to greatly reduce operating costs, and features a 100,000-hour life illumination system. Read on at The Briefing Room

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InfoComm International released some of the data from its most recent poll of its members, including systems contractors, design specialists, and lighting/staging specialists. A key finding in the presentation, given by Duffy Wilbert, InfoComm International’s vice president of membership, was a $75 billion estimate for the value of products and services sold and provided by systems integrators globally. Of that total, about $29 billion came from sales in the U.S. and Canada, with products and services split almost evenly as revenue sources, 51 percent vs. 49 percent, respectively. more…

Lots going on, as usual, from Sennheiser at InfoComm this week. Although the company’s introduction of K-array lightweight speaker technology was a new venture in the speaker category, and upgrades of two wireless mic systems and the introduction of a third (making the company a major player in both the RF and infrared categories) were among its biggest newsmakers today, I was most taken with the company’s ongoing education and service focus. more…

My visit to Epson‘s booth (4127) this afternoon continued what appears increasingly to be a highlight trend for me at InfoComm 09: education. Epson is making a big push with brand new products largely focused on that market. I saw the new, very bright PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL—possibly the brightest projector ever from Epson, targeted at auditoriums and conference halls. Epson officials, however, told me that the demo of the projector overhead at their booth has also drawn interest from theater folk this week, including guys from the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, in Epson’s California back yard. more…

Press release

SurgeX, a world leader in power conditioning technology, proudly announces the unveiling of its SX1120iP, the first in a series of IP addressable power conditioners. Read on at The Briefing Room

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In an introduction that radically simplifies professional audio networking, delivers greater design and integration capabilities to audio professionals, and improves system performance and efficiency, Harman Professional debuted HiQnet System Architect version 2.0. A highly intuitive, highly functional audio configuration and control interface for designing specialized audio networks for a wide array of applications, HiQnet System Architect 2.0 takes a newer approach to system design than the previous generation by providing users with intelligent choices based on job function, system application and system sophistication. Read on at The Briefing Room

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Andy Stadheim demonstrated the master controller for the Barix IP intercom system on the show floor today, and it became immediately apparent that one of the strengths in this system is the fact that it can be installed using exising IP networks without adding a significant amount of traffic. The Barix system of intercom over IP is an example of a system that was designed by a genius to be run by … a nontechnical person. IP is everywhere now, and Barix has designed its hardware to put voice communication on the IP wave.

Press release

Symetrix, a leading provider of audio signal processing solutions for the commercial, broadcast, and studio markets, announces the release of the Room Combine 788, the latest addition to its Integrator Series line of products. The Integrator Series now consists of four purpose-built processors, and is based on Symetrix’ SymNet platform for network audio DSP. Read on at The Briefing Room

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