Microtiles™: The New Digital Canvas

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View finder DECEMBER 2009 VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 3 Vancouver 8573 Commerce Court Burnaby, BC V5A 4N5 604.439.7228 Fax 604.439.7210 Edmonton 11442 Winterburn Rd. N.W. Edmonton, AB T5S 2Y3 780.462.8275 Fax 780.462.8238 Calgary 3, 1815-27th Ave. N.E. Calgary, AB T2E 7E1 403.291.5143 Fax 403.291.5188 Toronto 5170B Timberlea Blvd. Mississauga, ON L4W 2S5 905.625.4321 Fax 905.625.4333 Montréal 7715, Boul. Henri-Bourassa Ouest St-Laurent, QC H4S 1P7 514.333.3324 Fax 514.333.1512 Alberta Children’s Hospital Palliative Care “The Rotary/Flames House” The Rotary/Flames House is a community-based palliative care hospice that serves families from Southern Alberta who are caring for a child with a progressive or life-threatening illness. The freestanding pediatric hospice is located near the new Alberta Children’s Hospital and has eleven children’s bedrooms, therapeutic activity areas and a classroom. The Rotary/Flames House offers respite care, transition care, symptom management, and end of life care. Applied Electronics supplied 15 LCD televisions throughout the hospice for their Flames Room, Recreation Room, Living Room, 2 Family Suites, and 11 Bedrooms. A complete projection system composed of a 50 x 80 inch Da-Lite projection screen, a Chief mount with a Panasonic PT-FW300U projector and DM-PBD60 Blu-Ray player was installed in their Sun Lounge theatre room. Applied Electronics donated all the labour involved in this installation. A special thanks goes out to Nick Erikson, one of our Calgary AV Installation Technicians, who donated a lot of personal time to this installation. For more information on this project, please contact KEVIN STEWART in our Calgary office. Although this year has been challenging for many of us, as the holiday season approaches, we have an opportunity to reflect on the positive things that we have experienced and look forward to the promises that next year brings. We want to thank our customers for giving all of us at AEL the privilege of being part of your business this year. We wish our employees, customers, suppliers, and friends the very best for the holiday season and the New Year. John, Susan and Paul Stechly MicroTiles™: The New Digital Canvas Stack and cluster them tile by tile, just like building blocks, to create your own digital canvas for architecture, retail, digital-out-of-home (DOOH), control room and event production spaces. Measuring12” high by 16” wide and 10” deep, Christie® MicroTiles™ are modular display tiles that can be assembled in sizes, shapes and spaces that flat panel LCD, plasma or LED walls simply cannot. Christie MicroTiles are fully functional and flexible; they can fill an entire wall, run up columns or frame a window or fixture, changing the way large format, full-motion visuals are presented in large spaces. Each tile is completely serviceable from the front with a full rebuild estimated at 15 minutes. Combining the strengths of DLP® projection and LED technology, the tiles offer high brightness (800 nits), deep contrast and an unparalleled colour range (115% NTSC). Built to last, the LEDs are rated at 65,000 hrs. to half-brightness or 7.5 yrs. of continuous operation. The brightness and rich contrast work well in high-ambient, indoor environments; each tile’s image looks sharp and clear at any viewing angle or distance. Self-aware, each tile constantly “reads” the other, calibrating itself for colour, uniformity and brightness, so that your message stands out loud and clear. Contact your local AEL A/V Sales Rep for more information on this brand new product. Woodbine Entertainment Upgrades HPItv to Digital HorsePlayer International Television (HPItv) is a subscriptionbased specialty channel owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group and operates up to 5 feeds that broadcast live thoroughbred and standardbred racing from tracks across North America and around the world. Completed in mid-October, Applied Electronics supplied and installed a new digital broadcast system into their Production Control Room and Central Equipment Room (CER) at Woodbine Racetrack, located in Toronto. They upgraded from analog to digital feeds with room for future advancement to HD. The new digital system includes Evertz multi-viewer, router and “glue”, AVP video jackfields, Soundcraft audio mixer, Tektronix waveform rasterizer, Telex intercom system, and four Sharp PN525 52” LCD monitors. The Master Control Room, which monitors 40 feeds, will be completed at the end of December 2009. For more information on this project, please contact EUGENE MCELENEY in our Mississauga office. Panasonic Introduces the NEW 85” HD Plasma Display Panasonic is pleased to announce the introduction of their new large-screen 85” Full HD Plasma Display – the TH-85PF12U. The TH-85PF12U is their first ever 85” 1080p professional plasma display. This model shares the Panasonic plasma essentials of the 11-Series 1080p line-up – superior image quality and flexible plug-in architecture – while adding some additional enhancements. For even deeper, richer blacks, the new 85” Full HD plasma achieves a contrast ratio of an incredible 40,000:1. Also new to the 1080p model line is improved video processing that provides crisp, clear motion images with the equivalent of 6,144 shades of gradation. The body is only 99 mm deep, and the display offers high brightness and excellent moving-picture resolution for crisp, clear motion images. New Partner: Share space better. RoomWizard™ is a web-based scheduling system that lets you reserve meeting rooms centrally and with maximum efficiency. Reservation information is displayed on state-of-the-art digital screens posted outside shared classrooms, meeting places and workspaces. Communicate meeting locations, monitor space utilization, change locations with ease and accommodate impromptu discussions— all without taking up administrative time. • Touch-screen displays mounted outside of meeting rooms provide scheduling and reservation information—including times, topics, meeting hosts and more. Colored lights on the sides of a screen signal a space’s availability—an at-a-glance indicator perfect for finding an impromptu meeting space or avoiding interrupting someone else’s meeting. • Reporting functionality captures room occupancy and reservation patterns, providing insight into how shared spaces are being utilized—and making it easier to predict meeting space needs if you remodel or move. • Schedule space from anywhere you have an internet connection with the web-based system. Common scheduling systems such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes can be easily integrated for use with RoomWizard. • Away from your computer? Make, change or cancel reservations from the touch-screen display right outside the room. Contact your local AEL A/V Sales Rep for more information on this new product. Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) – Court Rooms CITT is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance and hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs, and excises tax rulings. Applied Electronics completed an audio/visual system build in two court rooms for the Tribunal. Audio reinforcement and system automation were clear requirements for the court rooms which needed system upgrading. Configuring and fine tuning the audio reinforcement system in the court rooms was initially a challenge due to the long and narrow room structure and low ceilings which hindered the quality of the room’s acoustics. The sound reinforcement system was configured around a DIS digital conference system which also included a simultaneous interpretation system. With over 20 DIS stations in each court room, each station was complete with a microphone and Request-To-Speak capability. Located between chairs in the audience are custom-built listening stations which offer audio of the proceedings in 5 languages. The presentation system in each court room includes two Panasonic projectors, two Da-Lite front projection screens and two 40” Sharp LCD monitors for the live audience. For more information on this project, please contact BILL ARCHIBALD in our Mississauga office. AEL-Frontline Sprinter on DRDC Front Lines Contact your local AEL Sales Rep for more information on this new product Scientists at the Research and Development arm of National Defence in Ottawa, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), took delivery in December of this AELFrontline Sprinter Command Vehicle. The DRDC Sprinter van is outfitted as a mobile nuclear laboratory. It is equipped with an 8kw diesel generator, equipment rack systems, operator workstations and custom-designed storage to accommodate a suite of highly specialized equipment. Given that this vehicle may be called upon to respond to a situation anywhere in Canada, it was also retrofitted with four wheel drive to meet almost any challenge presented by terrain or snow. The van also has a curb-side awning with an add-a-room to provide extra laboratory space for DND personnel. For more information on this project, please contact DAVE MCGINN in our Mississauga office. 2009 AEL Toronto Golf Tournament AEL’s Calgary Stampede Breakfast – July 10th On Monday, August 10th, Applied Electronics held its 23rd annual Toronto golf tournament at Nobleton Lakes Golf Club. Despite a thunderstorm forecasted for the day, the tournament was a huge success with record high attendance and only 5 minutes of light rain during the second last hole of the tournament. It was a great day of golf! Thank You to all of our sponsors who helped to make this year’s tournament possible. And Big Thanks goes to our major sponsors Panasonic, Grass Valley, Isilon Systems, Sharp, Christie and Canon for their generosity and continuous support. Our tournament keeps getting better and better each year and we look forward to the next one. What an amazing turnout it was! Each year, AEL hosts its popular Stampede Breakfast on the first Friday of the 10-day long Calgary Stampede event. Having acquired more space and undergone renovations, our Calgary office was able to accommodate a bigger crowd this year and indeed a bigger crowd showed up. With record attendance and more new faces than ever, our Calgary staff organized and hosted a wonderful breakfast for our Audio/Visual and Broadcast clients and partners. The weather was beautiful, the caricaturist was, as usual, very popular and the food was remarkable and – as some commented, referring to the pancakes – the “best in the city”. Thank You goes to our Calgary staff and their family members who helped to make this event so successful and enjoyable. A Special Thank You goes to Jane Baker for planning this event and especially to Sam Baker (Jane’s 11 year old son) who cooked up a great breakfast for everyone. This event has become a highly anticipated occasion for many. Next year marks the 20th Anniversary of our Stampede Breakfast. Stay tuned for details. 2009 AEL Calgary Golf Tournament With great support from our Title Sponsors Christie and Crestron, Applied Electronics hosted another fun-filled day of golf with our clients from across Alberta on Wednesday, August 19th at Inglewood Golf & Curling Club in Calgary. We enjoyed the best weather on record for this annual tournament and excellent attendance. We look forward to next year’s event. First Place Team: Scott Mooreside (ExpressVu) and Rick Hummel (Telesat) with Paul Stechly (AEL President). Missing: Rob Engman (Bullet Digital Post) and John Reuter (Front Porch Digital) Second Place Team: Paul Stechly with winners Neil Bilow (Corus), Samantha Gardner (Dome Productions), Brian Camponotti (Front Porch Digital), and Paul Thomas (Global) Most Honest Foursome: Chris Chaley (MultiDyne), Brian Learoyd (CTV) and Jim Page (CFPL) Biggest Splash Contest: Harry Karelas (Senaca College) First Place Team: Rob Mueller (Town of Okotoks), David Zerr (NewAlta), Bob Cummins (Alberta Securities Commission), and Peter Crawley (PCC Group) Most Honest Foursome: Dr. William Ghali, Dr. Peter Serious, Susan Made Kiss, and Shandra Kimpton (all from Alberta Health Services) Closest to the Pin: Paul Stechly awarding Paul Ang (Robocam) Closest to the Pin: Paul Stechly awarding Marc Nyberg (Fujifilm) Men’s Longest Drive: Ian Day (Joe Media Group Inc.) Ladies’ Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin: Shandra Kimpton (Alberta Health Services) Men’s Longest Drive: Rick Hummel (Telesat) with Carlo Beltrano (Canon) who awarded the prize Ladies’ Longest Drive: Samantha Gardner (Dome Productions) with Carlo Beltrano (Canon) Long Putt Contest: Jeff Bradshaw (Zoom Communications) Ball in Water Contest: Bruce Day (City of Calgary) CCBE 2009 & AEL’s Hospitality Suite Held on Sept 17-20th at the Horseshoe Valley Resort in Barrie, Ontario, the 2009 Central Canada Broadcast Engineers (CCBE) Conference was well attended. At the conference, Joe Turbolski of Grass Valley’s transmission group presented a paper on PHOTOS COURTESY OF BROADCAST DIALOGUE Digital Mobile Television, while Rudy Niznansky, also from Grass Valley’s transmission group, presented a paper on Compression Techniques. Applied Electronics’ Trevor Joice, a former President of the CCBE, presented the 2009 Bob Norton Ambassador Award to Bob Burger of BSE. Richard Saundermeyer from GSBTS received the 2009 CCBE Engineering Excellence Award and Jim Kippen of CFPL (now retired) was honoured with 2009 CCBE Lifetime Achievement Award. Sponsored by Applied Electronics and Grass Valley, this year’s CCBE BBQ on Friday evening introduced a new menu and saw superb attendance as usual with people from different parts of the broadcast industry. The popular Applied Electronics Hospitality Suite was co-hosted by Grass Valley and offered CCBE delegates the chance to come together, socialize and enjoy the infamous martini delights that our Dodie McDonald creates. As well, each visiting lady received a lovely yellow rose. AEL Hospitality Suite Draw Prize Winners: Ara Tchobanian of Industry Canada (Ottawa) Vladimir Storchak of Bell Expressvu (Toronto) Henry Przybyszewski of CHEX TV (Peterborough) Bruce McLeod of Ryerson University (Toronto) David Cremasco of CHCH-TV (Hamilton) Caroline’s Trip to Africa What a Treat! Derrick Hammett of Crestron Canada kindly arranged for an Ice Cream truck to visit Applied Electronics’ Mississauga office on one of the few hot days this summer. Judging by the lineup, it was an indulgence our staff couldn’t resist – all treats were compliments of Crestron. Thank you! Applied Electronics helped sponsor Caroline’s educational trip to Africa and is pleased to enable such a unique experience to take place. Caroline Bloss travelled to Benin, Africa this summer for an experience not many of her peers would even consider. She lived with a local Beninese family for three weeks, living an African lifestyle, exploring the culture and gaining hands-on experience at three very different work placements. During stay in Benin, Caroline worked at Soy factory where she assisted in the processing and extraction of soy bean oil, a Pineapple factory where she worked on packaging for bottled pineapple juice, and an orphanage where she provided care and attention to 63 children. Caroline is the stepdaughter of Chris Randles, one of Applied Electronics’ dedicated A/V Sales Representatives in the Mississauga office. Hôpital Général Juif / Jewish General Hospital – Nurse’s Lecture Hall The Jewish General Hospital, located in Montréal, contracted Applied Electronics in 2008 to design, supply and install an audio/visual system in their Nurse’s Lecture Hall which is used mainly in a teaching context for resident nurses and facilitates distance education. The 65-seat lecture hall was completely renovated with new chairs, blackout blinds, electrical circuits and wall/ceiling surfaces to accommodate the new audio/visual system. Applied Electronics equipped the room with a Polycom HDX9002 video conferencing system with an Extron MPX423A media presentation matrix switcher which merges four independent matrix switchers into a single compact enclosure, and a Panasonic PTDW5100U ceiling-mounted HD LCD projector with a 65 x 108 inch DRAPER Targa motorized screen to display presentations and video conference feeds. Sound reinforcement was done with a LECTROSONIC DM1612 Automatic Mic/Matrix Mixer with Echo and Noise Cancellation, a Biamp Audia® digital audio platform, Tannoy V12 & CMS801 speakers, and ClockAudio C33-SR & C3SCP microphones. The custom-built lectern houses a SMART Sympodium interactive pen display and Crestron TPS-3100LB touchpanel and Crestron AV2 control system. This lecture hall is one of only two venues in the hospital that can accommodate groups larger than 50 students. Extremely pleased with the user-friendly system, the clients are now considering adding video conferencing capabilities in other training rooms within the hospital. For more information on this project, please contact MARCEL JOANIS in our Montréal office. City of Guelph Civic Centre Applied Electronics recently completed the integration of audio/visual systems in the council chamber, councillor’s lounge, committee room, and four corporate meeting rooms in the City of Guelph’s Civic Centre. The new council chamber houses council members, the Mayor, 2 CAO, 2 Clerk positions, a presenter’s lectern and table, 8 staff seats, 4 press desk seats, and a 154-seat public gallery. The A/V system incorporates a Christie Digital DS+655 DLP projector, a Da-Lite 9 ft. x 12 ft. motorized screen, ceilingmounted and table top document cameras, and a 180-degree swivel lectern that can address the council or gallery. Twenty-five DIS microphone/voting stations are fully integrated with the AV system, allowing display of the voting tabulations, request to speak and agenda items to be displayed, as well as access to a complete hearing assistance system. The clerk’s position also has a 10” Crestron touchpanel on a swing arm that controls the lighting, microphone system, voting system, a separate DVD/VCR player, laptop computer input, and the Rogers cable TV feed. A Crestron TPS15B 15” swivel touchpanel, base-mounted on the press desk for a remote system operator to assist clerks, allows full video preview capability and control. The adjacent Councillor’s Lounge is equipped with a complete A/V system and displays proceedings from the council chamber. Rogers Cable also has 6 cameras feeding through the AV system to broadcast the proceedings to the public while allowing the images to be viewed on the AV system. A brand new multi-purpose A/V system was built into their new committee room which incorporates an existing voting/microphone system from the adjacent council chamber. A Panasonic PTD5700UL DLP projector, Da-lite 100” (diagonal) motorized screen, seven delegate stations complete with request to speak and voting capabilities, and a fully detachable lectern which houses a high resolution document camera, laptop input and goose neck microphone. The system is fully controlled by a Crestron TPS6LB touch panel and control software. The corporate meeting rooms are equipped with a 100” or 145” (diagonal) Da-Lite front projection screen, Mitsubishi XD2000U projectors and Extron CIA111 wall-plated interface control systems. For more information on this project, please contact BILL ARCHIBALD in our Mississauga office. Waveform Monitor/Rasterizer Trade-in...Save 25% For a limited time, you can trade in your used Waveform Monitor or Rasterizer from any manufacturer for a new Tektronix model and save 25%. This program allows you to refresh your test equipment with the latest Tektronix products to make your work easier, faster and more effective. Terms and Conditions: • The purchase order must be placed and accepted between October 13th, 2009 and December 31, 2009. • This program is only valid in the US and Canada • The discount associated with this program cannot be combined with any other customer discounts that may apply for other purchases. • The WFM8200 and WFM8300 are excluded from this promotion • Instruments purchased from TekSelect inventory are excluded. • Accessories are not included in this program. • Tektronix reserves the right to change or cancel this program at any time. For more information on this Trade-in Program, please contact your local Applied Electronics Broadcast Sales Representative. Canal VOX Completes Their New HD Studio VOX is based in Montreal and features locally produced programming. Applied Electronics provided consultation on the design of the system and supplied the broadcast equipment for VOX’s new HD studio. Their new HD system includes a Grass Valley Kayak HD 2.5 M/E with a Grass Valley K2 HD server (for slowmotion playout) and a Grass Valley Turbo iDDR intelligent digital disk recorder for multifile support. Four Grass Valley LDK 4000 Elite multi-format HD cameras are used to capture true progressive HD images, natively, and switch instantly between multiple formats and frame rates, including 1080p, when required. The multi-display is processed through a Miranda Kaleido-X (48 channels in and 8 channels out) and all distribution and up-conversion is done through Miranda gear as well. Telex’s Cronus, a 32-port digital matrix intercom in a 2-rack unit, is used to link up to four units into a single 128-port matrix. A Soundcraft Vi4 audio mixer, Canon camera lenses and Sachtler pedestals are also part of their new system. For more information on this project, please contact YVON CARDINAL in our Montreal office. Another First in the AEL Books AEL’S ANNUAL NATIONAL SALES CONFERENCE 2009 Each year, AEL’s management, sales and support teams from across Canada gather for a 4-day sales conference to review results of past year sales, examine struggles and successes, discuss new technologies, and forecast the upcoming year. For the 4th year in a row, we have conducted a fun team building exercise which has now become quite an event among our staff. We are astounded, more and more each year, by the talent and creativity of our employees and the level of effort that’s put into this activity. Please feel free to ask us about it. Standing on the pier where the Gananoque Boat Lines dock in Gananoque, Ontario (left to right): Roy Danics, Alan English, Dave McGinn, John Leermakers, Richard Drygas, Bill Archibald, Kevin Noble, Donnie Gallant, Julian Fraser, Kevin Reiser, Patrick Wells, Kevin Stewart, Mike Dalton, Benson Kung, Trevor Joice, Paul Roeser, Pierre Juneau, Stephen Monteith, Serge Desrosiers, Susan Stechly, Michel Gauthier, Jamie Easson, Michel Bédard, Robert Thériault, Paul Stechly, John Stechly, Yvon Cardinal, Francine Lewis, Kim Edmonds, Eugene McEleney, Jennifer Gould, Neil Lajoie, Marcel Joanis, Al Light, Lily Costa, Jim Goessinger. Dan Ryan Benson Kung Originally from Miramichi City, New Brunswick, Dan graduated from the Holland College Institute of Technology in Charlottetown, PEI, and was a Store Manager for Radio Shack and owned an automotive customizing business in Calgary. He also worked as a service technician for a number of electronics companies before joining AEL in 1999 as an AV Technician. Today, Dan is a Senior Technician responsible for installations and technical service. He is also competent in Crestron programming. Dan plays bass, guitar, harmonica, and has recently taken up the banjo. He plays in a local band for private events and the bar/ club circuit. Congratulations and thank you for the dedication all these years, Dan! Benson graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and comes to AEL with over 8 years of experience in the retail industry and a strong background in finance. He joins the accounting team as Senior Accountant and will be assisting John Leermakers, V.P. of Finance, and is responsible for handling all the accounting duties including assisting with accounts payable and receivables, monitoring expenses for all regions, and maintaining and preparing financial statements. Benson recently received his Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation. Welcome and congratulations on the big achievement, Benson! Ash O’Connell Lindsay Anderson 10 Years with AEL A/V Technician, Calgary Ash is from Palmerston North, New Zealand and has joined AEL’s Calgary technical team as an A/V Technician. He has a background in Telecommunications and technical experience in setting up fibre optics, IT, phone and conferencing systems for the New Zealand Army. At AEL, he is responsible for systems installation and technical service calls. Welcome to the team, Ash! AEL Viewfinder Staff Editor: Lily Costa • Co-Editor: Gord Ballantyne Design: Infinite Graphics Inc. THANKS TO ALL AEL STAFF WHO HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS EDITION. Senior Accountant Receptionist/Office Administrator, Vancouver Lindsay is a welcomed addition to our Vancouver team. She was born in Toronto and moved to BC in 1987 where she later received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Capilano University. She worked in the tourism, music retail and education industries before joining AEL as our new Receptionist/Office Administrator in our Vancouver office. Lindsay is not only the pleasant voice of our Vancouver office, but is also responsible for shipping, receiving, project management, scheduling, and more. Lindsay and her husband, Carl, recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Welcome to the AEL family! It’s not often that we have employees who get married in the same year, but within a couple of weeks of each other – this one’s a first. We’re pleased to announce that our very own Francine Caparelli and Lily Yang have recently taken the leap into married life! Congratulations and we wish both of you great happiness. Francine Caparelli and J.R. Lewis exchanged vows on September 12th in a lovely garden ceremony in one of Toronto’s most beautiful and renowned banquet venues. Francine Lewis is AEL’s Broadcast Customer Service Representative and processes customer PO’s, broadcast orders, invoices and receiving. Lily Yang and Michael Costa were married on October 3rd in an intimate indoor ceremony followed by a large ‘fusion’ style reception party in Toronto. Lily Costa is our Marketing Coordinator and is responsible for all of AEL’s marketing initiatives, including the Viewfinder newsletter. The AEL Family Continues to Grow... Chuck Laws New Grandson Ryan Chuck and wife, Janet, received another grandchild – Ryan Andrew James. Chuck’s youngest daughter, Jocelyn Lefteruk, and her husband Jim, welcomed their new baby boy on July 29th, who weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz. and 52 cm long. Congratulations on another future railroad engineer! Chuck Laws is a Broadcast Field Service Technician in our Vancouver office. Eunice Ratcliffe New Grandson Jackson Eunice and husband, Leslie, also welcomed a new and healthy grandson into their family recently. Born on October 23rd at 2:09 am, Jackson Martin arrived weighing 7lb 12ozs. Eunice’s daughter, Lynn, and her husband, Eric, couldn’t be more thrilled with their new baby boy. Eunice Ratcliffe is one of AEL’s A/V Customer Service Representatives.