USA - Alcorn McBride has introduced the Digital Binloop HD, a product that provides playback of up to eight HD video channels in only three rack units. Designed for themed entertainment, museums, and other applications requiring high-resolution video playback, the Digital Binloop HD stores video on CompactFlash so it has no moving parts to wear out and handles video resolutions of 1080i, 720p, 480P/576P, or 480I/576I.

The Digital Binloop HD outputs video via HDMI or HD-SDI (SMPTE-292M) with embedded audio. Analogue video formats include component (YPbPr) or RGB, with composite Standard Definition monitor output; the unit can offer simultaneous SD and HD monitor outputs.

In addition to the unit's HD video capabilities, the Digital Binloop HD also supports stereo audio or Dolby or

UK - The Electric Proms have been running since 2006 and the third edition closed on Sunday 26 October. This festival is dedicated to creating new moments in music and more than 60 artists performed in London and Liverpool

Litestructures was approached by head of stage Ben Ranner at The Roundhouse in London to supply the main stage set for the venue. The stage, using LiteDeck, the modular staging system from Litestructures Hire department consisted of a tiered Orchestra riser supported by additional rolling risers. The set measured 8' high, 40' wide and 16' deep.

Litestructures hire manager Ben Brooks comments: "It was a real pleasure working on the 2008 BBC Electric Proms in such a prestigious venue as The Roundhouse. We supplied a spectacular looking stage set made entirely from standard hire products; this allowed us to provide the benefits of a bespoke stage de

USA - Elation Professional has introduced the high-performance ELED Strip RGBW. A high-output RGBW bar, the ELED Strip RGBW shoots an intense wash of vivid colour across walls and other large surfaces with a powerful array of 60 1W LEDs (15 LEDs each red, green, blue and white), says the company.

Designed for wall washing and other long throw applications, the ELED Strip RGBW measures 40" long and has a beam angle of 40° x 80°. One of its special features is a new asymmetrical optic system that produces a flat linear beam of light, as opposed to the less-focused circular-like patterns created by many LED strips. Because of the greater focus and concentration of its beam, the ELED Strip RGBW will produce a noticeably more even-toned and robust colour wash when projected on a wall or running length of a surface.

"To be an effective wall wash, an LED strip shoul

USA - The first annual Rock Our World Awards were presented at ESTA's Annual Dinner on 23 October, the evening before the LDI show. These awards, which recognise groundbreaking achievement by ESTA Members in new products, product applications, or projects were created to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designer or integrator who applies the technology in a real world environment.

Over 30 nominations were received from across the industry and these were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine finalists for the panel of judges to ponder upon. The judges for this year's awards were Rick Baxter, Ken Billington, Cory Fitzgerald, Elaine J. McCarthy, Rocky Paulson, and Bruce Rodgers.

The judges panel was chaired by Mike Wood, who said prior to announcing the winners: "We wanted to create an award series that had no rules except for excitement

UK - 59 sold out dates and a total audience figure estimated at 400,000 makes the Lee Evans Big Tour the UK's largest stand-up comedy tour of 2008. Taking in arenas the length and breadth of the UK, visual appeal was an important factor right from the very start. A Lighthouse R7-ER LED screen, supplied by audiovisual services company Creative Technology (CT), is at the heart of the set.

A total of 150sq.m of R7-ER configured as a large 16:9 aspect screen formed the centre piece for the stage set, plus two IMAG side screens in portrait format ensured that Evans' visual comedic style reaches each and every audience member.

The average size for the central touring screen is 10.16m x 6.1m (10 panels wide by 8 panels high), which closely approximates the 16:9 format initially specified. The look of the show was transformed at London's O2 Arena - the largest venue on the tour

USA - Entertainment supplier White Light from the UK and lighting manufacturer City Theatrical from the US won the Best Product award in the Special Effects category at this year's LDI Show in Las Vegas, for the White Light Snow Machine.

The Snow Machine represents a new level of collaboration between the two companies, who have been close friends for many years. Originally created in prototype form by White Light for the London production of the musical Billy Elliot, the final version of the Snow Machine is now manufactured for White Light by City Theatrical. It offers variable speed delivery of paper or plastic snow effects under DMX control and is designed to fit into tight spaces and operate with the very minimum of noise.

"White Light has often created special products requested by lighting designers to solve problems on particular shows," commented the c

Germany - Commissioned by Airbus, the Hamburg events agency Kontrapunkt staged the hand-over of the first A380 wide-bodied jet to the Emirates airline with a multimedia show that included elaborate panorama projections for the 500-plus guests gathered on the premises of Airbus in Hamburg. Images of the official hand-over to the Arab airline went all round the world. To provide media support for the delivery of the aircraft, Kontrapunkt engaged the tst Gesellschaft für audiovisuelle Systeme, a company based in Berlin.

For the event, tst provided among other things a 20 x 4m soft-edged panorama projection using purpose four Barco FLM R20+ projectors of 20,000 Ansi lumens each in connection with ten Wings Platinum 3 from AV Stumpfl for the master, slave and redundant computers as well as further equipment. A particular challenge for the tst team was the very short projection dista

UK - Lighting Technology Projects, part of the PAI Group, recently hosted an event at the group's Llanelli HQ to highlight the Philips' Solid State Lighting (SSL) and Vidiwall Systems products, for which Lighting Technology Projects (LTP) is a Value Added Reseller, offering turnkey project solutions and full service support.

Over 60 invitees attended from all sectors of the professional entertainment and leisure industry. They included architects, lighting and visual designers, project managers, specifiers and end clients of all types.

Products included the latest Philips' Vidiwall indoor and outdoor LED display solutions for the sports, leisure and retail industries - specifically the Candeo and Delta LED walls.

A comprehensive selection from Philips' range of RGB and intelligent white LED lighting productswere also available for close up examination along with the Color Ki

Singapore - Swissotel The Stamford has announced the re-launch of New Asia, a club located in the south-east of the city. Juan Luis Garcia, general manager of D.A.S. Audio Asia and assistant manager, Eduardo López, visited the recently inaugurated premises equipped with D.A.S. sound systems. The audio installation was completed by Lingtec under the supervision of D.A.S. sound engineer, Joan La Roda, who travelled specifically out to Singapore to help with the installation.

Designed in amber, brown and gold, the club is lavishly decorated with an incandescent chandelier and features some stunning audiovisual effects. Aiden Macaulay, general manager of Swissotel The Stamford reports, "We have every confidence in the sound quality D.A.S. delivers."

The dance floor was equipped with model RF-12.64 Reference systems and model CA-215 Aero units were chosen as subwoofers.

USA - Summerfest '08 was staged at the Marcus Amphitheater in 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park, along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Summerfest, which ran from late this past June through early July, attracts almost one million people per year and plays to an audience of 25,000 per afternoon/evening. For the 2008 event, the local theatrical people servicing the Amphitheater had wanted small, compact, bright followspotsand opted to use Robert Juliat Victors.

"Followspots can sometimes seem like they require three hands," says Marty Lazarus, president of theatrical dealer Chicago Spotlight. "You need to operate the iris," he says, "move it around, and change the colour."

Lazarus claims that with the Victors, you "don't need three hands. What's more, they've got that famous 'Juliat' perfectly even field."

(Jim Evans)

Norway - The Gand Church in Sandnes, near Stavanger is used both as house of worship and for cultural events. Sound Projects' agent for Norway PA Produksjoner (PAP) is responsible for the newly installed sound reinforcement system based on the Sound Projects Dreamline system.

PAP managing director Jan Olav Sandsmark reports, "Amongst other larger PA companies in the Stavanger region, the church contacted us for an alternative to the existing system. As in everyday life, there were many contradictory demands to be met: the system had to enhance intelligibility when used with a lapel microphone in conventional worship services. On the other hand immaculate reproduction of gospel rock bands was desired.

"Additionally, the new system had to be able to handle all the different events to be held in the church. And last but not least the system should fit in the church from

UK - Point Source Productions supplied the lighting and rigging equipment for The Heroes Ball which took place at London's Hurlingham Club in September.

The evening took the form of dinner for 800 VIP guests followed by a band and a Charity Auction which aimed to raise £250,000 for Help for Heroes - the charity formed in 2007 to raise money for the rehabilitation of wounded ex-servicemen across the Armed Forces.

Lighting designer Jono Kenyon was brought in to design the lighting for the band, the charity auction and the general dinner states, and had the added responsibility of acting as production manager for the evening.

The brief was to keep the costs as low as possible since all funding would come directly from the charity, yet to produce a stylish event suitable for the large number of dignitaries attending. The lighting was designed to play a signif

UK - Innovason has appointed Red Square Audio as its exclusive distribution partner for the UK and Republic of Ireland. Red Square is headed up by industry veteran and live mix engineer Paul Nicholson.

According to Innovason sales and marketing director, Xavier Pion, the timing for such a venture couldn't have been better. "All the pieces just seemed to fit together," said. "After ten excellent years handling L-Acoustics in the UK, Paul was looking for new challenges; on our side, we had just launched Eclipse, and were looking for a proactive partner in the UK to handle sales and technical support. As a sound engineer himself and having managed high end pro audio sales in the UK for a well known and respected brand for the last decade, Paul's knowledge of the UK market and the people in it is comprehensive to say the least. He is an ideal partner for Innovason in

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