UK - Visuals and moving light director Svend Pedersen made extensive use of a Catalyst digital media server to illuminate and animate the set for the latest series of The Krypton Factor, recorded at Granada Television Studios in Manchester for ITV.

Designed by Dominic Toft, the set was made entirely from Perspex and Barco MiStrip LEDs, featuring a wide, shallow set of steps at the front, leading onto the stage, with a MiStrip back wall that curved up and above the stage to form a ceiling over the area, producing a cylindrical style structure.

Pederson used the latest spec Cat

UK - The Krypton Factor has returned to British screens, with a selection of high tech improvements, including the use of a selection of touchscreens, sourced for the shows from PSCo.

The iconic TV programme has been off air for 14 years and 2009 signified its comeback, with contestants being tested on logic, memory and agility. The famous assault course returns in the new series and all challenges have been updated using state of the art technology.

For the modern version of the show, the set incorporates four 42" plasma screens which are used by contestants in the stud

UK - A new game show, with colour as its central theme, has had its set brought to life by a combination of LED media displays, provided by Creative Technology London.

Commissioned by format creators and producers 12 Yard, The Colour Of Money, presented by Chris Tarrant, is one of the most ambitious sets yet created by production designer Patrick Doherty.

A total of nine mission-specific media surfaces are used on the set, including Barco's iLite 6 6mm display, which forms the main high-resolution central screen. This is reinforced by G-LEC's 30mm Phantom 30 and Barco MiTRIX

UK - PSCo showcased the latest visual technologies at Imperial College, London this February, including a chance to see the Sharp 108" LCD and the 103" Panasonic plasma side by side.

The displays at the event included a 168" Infinite Plasma wall, 108" LCD from Sharp, 103" Panasonic Plasma with its ground breaking touchscreen overlay from U Touch Technology, all featuring Full HD content.

The 168" Infinite Plasma wall, made up of 4x4 bezel-less panels demonstrated the flexibility and impact of the product which can be built in any size or combination of

USA - At this year's Motor Show in Detroit, XL Video Deutschland assisted three major German manufacturers. VW, Audi and Mercedes Benz all put their faith in the media technology specialists. The XL Video team was engaged by the three German companies as media equipment general service providers for the international trade fair that ran from the 11 to 25 January 2009.

The commissions involved the provision of all media and LED equipment for the booths of VW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, the provision of HD control rooms for the VW and Audi press conferences, and the presentation of the new

UK - Arcstream AV is launching a Multi-Touch system for event hire or purchase, where users can create interactive presentations, "like using a giant IPhone". The multi-user system can be integrated into tables or designed into a large Multi-Touch wall, depending on the desired application.

The Multi-Touch system reacts to your touch by sensing the infrared signature where your fingers are touching the surface, the result is a system that allows more than one person to manipulate images, video, 3D models and more.

The movement is detected by infra-red cameras, with the scr

UK - Surrey-based AV distribution company Smart-e Limited is celebrating 10 years trading. The company, known for its purple coloured equipment, has designed and manufactured AV equipment for a wide range of industries and uses across the globe since 1999.

The company, which now has a workforce across the UK and an extensive network of distributors worldwide, moved to larger premises last year, despite the economic climate.

Smart-e's equipment transmits signals via inexpensive and easy-to-install Cat 5* cabling, providing robust networks for all types of AV systems with superior tra

UK - Highlite International BV, along with the UK partner Overt Light to Sound Ltd, is taking delivery of the first batch of the new Antari DNG-200 Low Fog Generator - originally launched at PLASA 2008 in London last September.

The DNG-200 Low Fog Generator is a ground fog effect solution from a fully self-compacted unit with wheels and handles to stand against tough transport. "With today's rising demand and awareness for environmental and health concern, the effects produced is virtually indistinguishable from that is created by dry ice," the company says.

Distinctively

UK - The £6.5 million British Music Experience (BME) at The O2 in London opens to the public today (9 March). UK-based audio-visual system integrator Sysco is the lead audio and video installation contractor for the new attraction. Sysco worked with Land Design, BME's exhibition designers, and three software designers (Studio Simple, ISO and Clay) to create the rich, interactive environment of BME in a very short timescale.

BME takes over the 22,000sq.ft on the top floor of The O2 bubble, The O2's exhibition space. A permanent, high-tech, interactive music exhibition, it's also

UK - XL Video is supplying 180 Spider 40 LED tiles, a Catalyst digital media server and crew for the Kaiser Chiefs current Off With Their Heads tour.

These are an integral digital component of Richard Larkum's lighting and visual design, and take the look and feel of the Kaiser's almost non-stop touring schedule over the last two years to a new and different dimension.

Larkum states: "The band and I were determined that any 'video' elements interfaced seamlessly with the lighting". He also wanted a digital lightsource with its own visual integrity, and definitely no

UK - Production:av, an audio visual services provider to the events industry based in Gloucestershire, reports an expanding client base achieved through continual investment in new technologies. "We are finding customers are not just looking for the cheapest price", says Peter McCrea, managing director and founder of the company, "but for the technology best suited to meeting their needs whilst providing good value."

Production:av's live event video division is partnering with video directors and production managers to provide video solutions and move the company f

UK - XL Video UK in conjunction with Blink TV is supplying LED screen, digital lighting, projection, cameras, control and crew for Snow Patrol's One Hundred Million Suns world tour, currently in the UK and Europe. The tour is the first in the world to feature Barco's DLM 1200 digital moving lights, of which XL has supplied four.

The show's intense and fluid visuality results from some serious creative chemistry between live video director Blue Leach who is cutting the IMAG mix, lighting designer Davy Sherwin and live visuals director Robin Haddow.

It is Leach's second Snow Pa

France - For its third edition, the Dimension 3 forum will take place in Seine-saint-Denis, a region that strongly supports 3D research and production. From 2-4 June 2009, Dimension 3 is inviting professionals from the cinema, TV, video games, entertainment, communication and training industries to "one of the most important events of the 3D industry in the world".

Staged in the Centre National de la Danse in Pantin near Paris, this event will evaluate the maturity of the creation and visualization solutions dedicated to the 3D images and their application programmes. This y

UK - Audio video services company PSP, has appointed Chris Stigger as project manager for its London operation to further strengthen the technical and production management services it offers its clients.

Stigger has extensive experience of the industry on a worldwide basis, having been with SPS for almost two decades prior to his move to PSP, where he worked on some of the company's most high profile events and client accounts.

"Business continues to be good for us and our London office is expanding," comments PSP director Ian Willcox. "And with the recent addition o

UK - A.C. Video, a division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies, held its first Green Hippo HippoSchool training day in Scotland on 3 March 3 to great success. The one-day course was organised in conjunction with Green Hippo's in-house specialists, Simon Harris and Samantha Bailey. The diverse audience included recent purchasers of Hippotizer media server products, freelancers wanting to learn more about the system and those considering an investment in their first Hippotizer system.

Lee House, business development manager for the A.C. Video division, commented, "A.C. Entertainmen

Germany tarm Showlaser GmbH recently staged a highlight at the German music award ceremony Echo 2009 at the O2-World in Berlin.

Lighting designer Al Gurdon, who is well known for large scale productions such as the MTV Awards and the Brit Awards, designed in the performance of popular German act Silbermond in collaboration with tarm Showlaser to mark the presentation of the band's new song Irgendwas bleibt.

A total of four high-power green and four full-colour lasers were used for the production at the O2-World.

(Claire Beeson)

UK - DB Systems is gearing up for a busy few months providing bespoke AV and IT solutions at shows in the UK, Europe and even as far as Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. DB Systems will be attending more than a dozen events and exhibitions between April and June, including nine as the official AV & IT supplier.

DB's expertise will be showcased at events such as Latin America Aero and Defence (LAAD) 2009 in Rio de Janeiro in April, ITEC in Brussels in May, which is Europe's leading event showcasing products and services for purposes of defence, training, education and simulation, as well as the

UK - A Panasonic 103" plasma screen was chosen by the United Colours of Benetton's flagship store on Oxford Street, to deliver an eye catching display for its London shoppers.

This eye-catching addition to the store's vibrant and distinctive design was selected for its ability to work in portrait, reproduce accurate colours naturally and for its new anti glare surface, which allows the screen to perform in high ambient light environments essential for this store.

The 103" plasma's high contrast, brightness and true colour reproduction means it replicates the "perfect

Germany - HoloTerminal from Pronova is a new display product which the company says presents a bright, crystal-clear message. Available to rent or buy, the HoloTerminal can display information and presentations in a wide range of environments. The sleek design hides the projection technology safely away in the base of the unit, while a shaped glass screen with a 30" HoloPro 4 film laminated into it presents your message as a floating image.

The base includes a Casio XJ-S52 DLP projector, and a MacMini where content is stored. The image is projected onto the screen via a mirror. T

Germany - At ProLight&Sound this year, Visual Productions will be focusing on the launch of its entry-level software lighting control programme, Cuelux.

Visitors will be able to tryout this platform-independent piece of software lighting control on either a Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows. Cuelux is a DMX512 lighting controller for intelligent lights, LED, dimmers, lasers and various other effects; it is shipped with a USB-to-DMX adapter cable.

Key to the design of Cuelux is its graphical user-interface. It is specially designed to reduce the amount of time required to learn how to op

UK - One of the 'next generation' of luxury airport hotels, boasting significant meetings and events facilities, opened last summer at Heathrow Terminal 5.

As a vibrant centre for the international business community, offering fast access to T5, the hotel's 14 conference and meeting rooms warranted having superior media and communication facilities; all rooms have been specified and equipped with the latest technology, including Christie HD-compatible digital projection proAV, which has also equipped a 117-seat tiered theatre.

Three executive boardrooms - the 16-seat Imperial Boardr

UK - Stage Electrics is holding its Great Easter Switch On event on 7 April at the pavilion at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. The launch event, tailored to be of special interest for those responsible for live events, will be a free to attend informal day of product demonstrations and presentations from industry specialists.

At the heart of the programme is the product launch of Stage Electrics' new modular LED screens, designed using the latest advances in electronic engineering and featuring a 145° viewing angle. An AV specialist will be on hand to explain the featur

Ireland - When opera singer Andrea Bocelli appeared at the new 14,500-capacity O2 Dublin (formerly The Point) recently, locally-based vision specialists CAVS were on hand to meet the production spec with a powerful Christie projection rig.

Brought in by Ian Smith of Just Lite, who were responsible for the lighting and trussing, the CAVS team, led by Rowan McDonagh, were tasked with meeting an exacting brief by the opera singer's production.

"They were very specific in what they wanted - from the PA down to the camera lenses for the live show relay," stated McDonagh. "

UK - Stardraw.com has awarded its Master European distributor with two separate awards. German communications technology distributor, COMM-TEC, has earned the double recognition of both Distributor of the Year 2008 and Most Improved Distributor of the Year 2008. Both awards were presented at the recent ISE show in Amsterdam.

Based near Stuttgart, Germany, with offices in throughout Europe, COMM-TEC boasts an impressive portfolio of brands. They cover all AV market sectors from audio, lighting, video, presentation technology, signal management and show and event control right down to r

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