Zinman Co Announces IYBP Viewer – Loops for Media Servers iOS App

So there I was sitting next to my good friend Michael Zinman, the developer of so many popular lighting apps, at the Phone it in Session at LDI.  I am waiting for me turn to say a little bit about the iSquint iPhone App when Michael just causally announces to everyone, “Hey, I have a new app coming out!”

My jaw dropped.  After eight iPhone apps, Zinman Co is releasing another app! It isn’t a “Lighting App”, but yet an app for the entertainment production, media server and video worlds.

“In Your Back Pocket”, is a collection of 400 HD loops for LED screens, digital lighting and HD projection; pre-rendered for MAC and PC based media servers. “It’s not a replacement to your existing library, but a resource in your back pocket when you can’t find “that” clip in your existing library,” explains developer Michael S. Zinman.

“We designed every clip to be easily keyed, tiled and colorized painlessly, we’ve also rendered many of these clips to play at a slower speed, as most media servers do a better job speeding clips up,” says Michael Zinman. “Everything about In Your back Pocket will make sense to programmers. To our knowledge, this is the only collection of royalty-free loops that have been designed specifically for media servers, and the programmers who operate them.” All loops are categorized into 14 file folders, sorted by color; making it efficient to scroll through content by following along with the lighting designers color schemes.

In Your back Pocket has pre-rendered the clips in either MAC or PC format so they just have to be ingested into a media server, saving hours of work. The original source files created in Adobe® AfterEffects® are provided for users that want to customize their loops, easily adding their own design styles. Users can modify or re-render any of these projects.

A companion iPhone/iPod touch viewer application is available free on the iTunes App Store. “As a designer in the truck or a programmer looking for a great clip, In Your Back Pocket Viewer is a very efficient way to browse this library, or collaborate with the rest of the design team.” says Michael Zinman.

Media programmers and vendors interested in In Your Back Pocket can download fully rendered sample files from www.loopsformediaservers.com to test with their systems before ordering. Users can download the free iPhone app, IYBP Viewer, from Zinman Software online at www.zinmansoftware.com or directly from the iTunes  App Store. For more information, please visit Loops For Media Servers online at www.loopsformediaservers.com.

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#LDI2010 Preview: PIXLED Perfect Curves with F-6 LED Display

The image above says it all doesn’t it?  Remember hearing about the PIXLED new F-6 a couple of weeks ago?  It is a new flexible LED display the is ultra lightweight, and flexible in EVERY direction all at just 6mm. Make sure to stop by the PIXLED stand, 2540 and check out the F-6 LED display.  You can check it out before LDI by visiting their website at www.pixled.com.

Pixled Launches F-37L Flexiable Mesh LED Video Display

At InfoComm, in Las Vegas June 9-11, be sure to stop by the Pixled booth, #N2675 in the Digital Signage Pavilion in the North Hall. In addition to Pixled’s established range of low weight LED video technology, the company will be launching it’s innovative F-37L, a 37mm flexible mesh LED video display designed for both backdrop applications and creative LED applications.

The F-37Ls ultra-slim, flexible mesh construction offers the perfect combination of design flexibility and speed of deployment. The F-37L can be formed into any shape or molded over any object, but can equally be deployed as a flat LED video screen. With its ultra-lightweight construction, IP63 rating and quick roll-out design, the F-37L can be used in almost any venue—indoors or out—and installed with phenomenal speed.

The Pixled F-37L uses Nichia SMD LEDs—at a pixel pitch of 37.5mm, both vertically and horizontally—to provide a light output of 2,300 NIT and has an IP63 rating. The viewing angles are greater than 120° both vertically and horizontally. The combination of pixel pitch, light output and 57% transparency, the Pixled F-37L is ideal for massive wide-canvas backdrops which deliver sharp, crisp, high impact video images.

The F-37L panel measures 11.8” wide x 47.2” high x 0.95” deep (30cm x 120cm x 2.4cm) and each panel weighs 5.11 lbs (2.32kg). It is available in either a white or black finish and is CE and ETL listed. The maximum power draw per panel is less than 100 watts; an input frequency of 60 Hz; a refresh rate of greater than 240 Hz; and has an operating temperature range of -4 to 122°F / -20 to 50°C.

For more information on the Pixled F-37L, visit their web site at www.pixled.com.

Behind the Design of ETC’s Town Square

We have all heard the legend of Town Square in ETC’s Middleton Wisconsin Headquarters. Only a chosen few very get to see it.  Well, actually, anyone can come to visit and see town square, you just have to make it to Middleton. After checking out the video of ETC’s latest YouTube star, Anne Valentino talking about Eos software 1.9, I saw a related video about ETC’s Town Square.

I have always wanted to visit ETC and see Town Square as it just looks so amazing from photos and now the video!  Take a look at the video and learn about the design concept behind ETC’s Town Square and the layout of the factory from the Architect, Peter B.H. Tan and from Fred Foster, CEO of ETC.

E:Cue Introduces Video Micro Converter, (VMC)

E:cue Lighting recently announced the release of a new product, the VMC or Video Micro Converter. The Video Micro Converter (VMC) is a compact device used to convert a DVI signal to DMX or e:pix*, for LED control of large media screens.  Specially designed to easily output video content on LED media installations, one VMC grabs video signals of up to 4096 pixels.  For video lighting installations requiring more than 4096 pixels, multiple VMCs can be daisy chained to convert the entire DVI signal to DMX or e:pix.

The VMC features very flexible pixel mapping capabilities for demanding LED installations ranging from a few hundred, to one million pixels. There are two available versions  of this device;  VMC outputs DMX and e:pix, while the VMC DMX outputs only DMX.

Some of the Key Features of the VMC

• Highly Versatile Pixel Mapping Capabilities
• Grabs and Converts up to 4096 DVI pixels per VMC
• Internal Active DVI Signal Booster
• Stored Default Image
• Arrange Lighting Fixture and setup VMC’s using the e:cue Software Suite

To learn more about the VMC from e:cue, visit their web site at www.ecue.com.

Video From #ProLight + Sound 2010 #PLS2010

My good friend Peter Kirkup is on the ground in Frankfurt Germany working the show for his company, Zero 88.  Peter put together another one of his trade show videos.  It seems like PLS is all about the LASERs just like LDI 2009 was!  Thanks Peter for sharing the video!

Rumor Mill: Something up Barco’s Sleeves for ProLight + Sound

Like I said earlier, ProLight + Sound is just around the bend and all the exhibitors are leaking like a sieve.  Over the weekend I heard from a very reliable source deep with in the Barco family that Barco too has a number of new products to announce and show off at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt Germany later this week.

We will be showing many enhancements, upgrades and new products geared towards strengthening the digital lighting and moving luminaire product lines.

That is literally all I got.  What does it mean?  Has that engineering genius, Richard Belliveau from High End come up with something revolutionary… AGAIN? Is Barco planning to announce a new product from their recently purchased LED and video division of Element Labs? I am hounding my source for more details and will hopefully hear something before the show begins on Wednesday.

XL Video and the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show

XL Video just put out a Press Release with more detailed information about how the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show came together. While I normally do not post about installations and events, this one is hard to pass up.  If you watched the Halftime show this year and are into lighting and are like me, you were in aw of the performance.  The press release gives some good insight into what was used and how it all came together. More from the press release:

How do you design a 12-minute Halftime show for The Who, one of the most iconic rock bands in the world? You push the envelope on what’s possible and exceed expectations by putting together a visual spectacle integrating LED video technology, lighting, pyro and lasers. To pull off The Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, described as the most intense 12-minutes in live entertainment, it takes a team effort and XL Video was proud to support the creative team by supplying gear and crew. Production Designer Bruce Rodgers, Screens/Graphics Producer Lee Lodge and Lighting Designer Al Gurdon closely collaborated on the NFL Network Production with Executive Producer Ricky Kirshner and Director Hamish Hamilton to present an unforgettable performance. “We wanted a design that felt epic; we wanted a design that felt like the band was performing for the stadium and not just the TV audience,” explained Rodgers.

Of course achieving an epic spectacle means taking a tremendous risk, especially when it is a live performance in front of thousands in attendance and millions of TV viewers. Rodgers designed a field-wide circular stage with over 3,000 Barco MiSTRIPs. “I came up with this idea to put the band on what I refer to as Captain America’s shield made out of video,” described Rodgers. “The floor is made up of 26 radial sections that surround a main stage that is made of 14-pieces.” Essentially creating a 40-piece jigsaw puzzle that 600 volunteers and crew had less than eight-minutes to move onto the field, setup, power up and go live. “It was a real example of our industry at its best; needing everybody to work together to make something big happen. All the planning, designing and meticulous attention to detail really paid off.”

For the actual video ‘shield’ Rodgers turned to XL Video to help engineer and supply 3,055 five-foot long LED MiSTRIPs, processing as well as for technical support during not only the installation but show itself. “I wanted a technology that would be nice, bright and controllable as well as weatherproof. I designed the MiSTRIP radiating from the outside going towards the middle on nine-inch centers. I worked closely with the XL team from the very beginning,” noted Rodgers. “I needed an immense amount of equipment but I also needed a completely reliable company. With XL, I could say to Ricky, ‘I have the same video company that we worked with for the Democratic National Convention. They have the technology and we know that they can make it happen.’ And they certainly did.”

XL and Rodgers did testing to confirm the choice of the MiSTRIPs and to ensure the best approach for mounting them to the stage carts as well as how to deal with the processing requirements on a sectional mobile stage. XL and Rodgers knew the most enormous challenge was the fact that the stage broke apart into 40-pieces. In order to handle the need to keep many of the most critical components powered up, XL used uninterruptible power supplies. In the staging locations, they had 110V power drops, where they would connect the UPS units to keep the batteries charged. Once the stage was brought together they had 109 connections to make for the video components alone. A daunting task in less than eight-minutes. “The goal was eight minutes; we did it in seven and a half minutes,” said Bob Magee, XL Video Account Executive and Project Manager for the Super Bowl.

There were 11 XL Video technicians underneath the stage to make connections as it was locked together. Each technician had responsibility for four carts each and XL Technical Director Mike Spencer oversaw everything in its entirety. Everybody knew each other’s role and responsibility so anybody could jump in. XL always builds in redundancy into its systems especially for live television so for a pressure-filled high-profile event like the Halftime show they had redundancy built in all the way down to the technician layer. Rodgers appreciated the coordinating planning XL put in. “All the technical guys from XL Video were like Navy Seals or ninjas. It was awesome.”

In addition to Magee and Spencer, the XL Video team included Ken Gay, XL Nashville and Lead Technician Luke Pilato. Technicians from both the LA and Atlanta XL offices included Trace Deroy; Doug Eldredge; David Imlau; Fernando Llamas; Curtis Luxton; Will Nazarowski; Steve Otten; Eric Petty; and Rod Silhanek.

Another tool XL Video supplied to both Rodgers and Lodge was the UVA d3 Show Production Suite. The d3 was used to assist in the media development and the visualization process. It helped Rodgers and Lodge present their design vision to the NFL, Kirshner and Hamilton. “We used the d3 system as a visualization tool. I often like using d3 as a communication tool,” pointed out Lodge. “It is good for the director, in this case Hamish, to see his camera angles in terms how various shots were going to work. Also it is a very good way rather than just showing a top shot; it is a really good tool to communicate a project to a client. Because we had very limited time on site we obviously did a lot of pre-visualization. I think that whole pre-viz time and understanding the template was crucial to this project.”

From demanding design to exacting execution, Rodgers and Lodge presented XL Video with one of their most challenging projects. “XL Video was exemplary really,” commented Lodge. “On this sort of project, with the amount of work that XL was doing; the amount of discussion and detail it needed communication and trust. For me, if XL is on the job, then I am feeling very confident.”

Thanks XL Video for the press release!

ETC Introduces SmartBar 2

Back during LDI 2009, ETC, (Electronic Theatre Controls) demonstrated their update to the SmartBar series of portable dimmers, the SmartBar 2.  I don’t know how I missed it at the show, but I did. No worries though, more from ETC on the SmartBar 2.

The SmartBar 2 provides an integrated dimming and fixture-mounting solution for compact, low-power applications, such as rentals, industrials or even small touring productions.

Set up your system in minutes and light like a pro – just plug in and play anytime, anywhere. Schools, churches, community theaters and outdoor events will benefit from SmartBar 2’s easy setup.

SmartBar 2 is fully digital, with operational and programming features similar to SmartPack – presets, sequences (chases), choice of dimmer curves – as well as many new features. And the console is optional thanks to SmartBar 2’s chases and local control, but pair it with a SmartFade® lighting control console and you have the perfect production combination!

Now available with more power! A SmartBar 2 high-power option is available to handle twice the fixtures on a four-circuit bar!

David from ControlBooth.com did a quick video of the SmartBar 2 at LDI 2009.

ConsoleCocktails Releases Cocktail #3 – Squintin’ at the grandMA2

During LDI 2009, I got a chance to visit one of the busiest rooms during the week long conference and show at the Orlando Convention Center, The grandMA2 Demo and Training room. I sat down and did an interview with Joe Joe Cabrera ][ and Brian Dowd from ACT Lighting for a future episode of the iSquint Podcast. While I was recording just the audio, Cat recorded the interview with her video camera and produced the next episode of the ConsoleCocktails.com, Squintin’ at the grandMA2.

This is just a preview of our complete interview that will be available on the next episode of the iSquint Podcast coming out later this month. I want to thank Joe, Brian and Cat for taking time out of the crazy busy schedule at LDI to talk with me and go over the grandMA2.

A Look Around LDI 2009

I took just a little bit of video this year at the LDI show in Orlando Florida. Some of it was taken just for this, a quick look at some of the different things on the show floor. Of course there is a couple of things I missed, but then there are some things that were not on the show floor.  Can you find them? There is also a quick glimpse of a certain Bald Blogger too!

Video: StageJunk’s Ratchet Ultimate Focus Tool

While down in Orlando, StageJunk announced the release of their latest Ultimate Tool, the Ratchet Ultimate Focus Tool.The new tool looks and feels just like the previous tool, the Ultimate Focus Tool, with one exception, the Ratchet.

StageJunk has taken the all aluminum tool and re-engineered the wrench portion of the tool to incorporate a fully ratcheting wrench. The tool still has the great features that we know and have come to love, such as the pin splitter, the continuity checker and of course, the ability to open a bottle of beverage.

Rob Junk, the owner and name sake of StageJunk took time out of quite busy booth at LDI to give me a quick run through of his latest tool, the Ratchet Ultimate Focus Tool.