In a ceremony at InfoComm 2018 in Las Vegas Tuesday June 5th, the winners of the InfoComm Rental & Staging New Product Awards were announced. The program, administered by S&VC’s Rental & Staging Systems, recognizes the manufacturers of new products for the live event and staging market that were introduced since InfoComm 2017. Products that made a lasting impression in the market– leading up to InfoComm.
“This past year more than any in recent memory,” said David Keene, Executive Editor in charge of the Rental & Staging Awards program, “we’ve seen a surge of new products–direct-view LED, high-lumen projection and more laser phosphor projection in general, to new-gen video processing, to the increasing use of digital signage in all areas of the market. The InfoComm show floor in Las Vegas bore that out, in the breadth of products on offer–and with some of the prominent ones accompanied by Rental & Staging New Product Award trophies displayed in the booths of the winning exhibitors.”
The complete list of winners of the 2018 Rental & Staging Systems New Product Awards:
Best Video Projector/High Lumen: Epson Pro L1755UNL Large Venue Laser Projector
The Pro L1755UNL features a laser-light source for virtually maintenance-free operation up to 20,000 hours, native WUXGA performance with 4K Enhancement Technology, and 15,000 lumens of color/white brightness. With a .35 throw ratio, the ELPLX02 lens transforms the high-lumen laser projector into an ultra short-throw solution that can be installed 100-inches from a screen or wall and deliver stunning images up to 1000-inches. The Pro L1755UNL operates at 120 volts – a breakthrough at this high range of lumens – and combined with the ELPLX02 lens it defies projector limitations in space-constrained environments and rear-projection applications with incredible installation and positioning flexibility.
Best Fine Pitch LED: Absen, X3v Mobile Indoor/Outdoor LED Solution.
Absen’s 3.91mm pixel pitch mobile LED solution is designed for reliable performance in a variety of settings with various ambient lighting. These tough, lightweight and module panels are interchangeable and work well with existing frames, processors, data and power units, with consistent colors and curved display options adding to their value and appeal. The X3v provides 4,500nits brightness and a refresh rate up to 3840Hz. It’s front panels rate IP65 while its back panels rate IP54, providing the best weather protection from rain and other environmental elements indoors or out.
Best Video/Streaming Product
- Peerless-AV, PeerAir Wireless HD Multimedia System
Best Rental Management Software
- Point of Rental Software, Rental Essentials
Best Fine Pitch LED
- Absen, X3v Mobile Indoor/Outdoor LED Solution
Best Video Projector/High Lumen
- Epson Pro L1755UNL Large Venue Laser Projector
- Barco, E2 Presentation System
Best 55 inch Display
Best LCD-based Video Wall
- LG, 0.6mm Ultra-Narrow Bezel Video Wall (SVH7E)
Best Video Projector/10K Lumen or Less
- Panasonic, PT-MZ670U Projector
Best Audio Mixing Product
- Dan Dugan Sound Design, Dugan Model E-2A Automixer
Best Loudspeaker for the Staging Market
- Meyer Sound, UP-4slim Ultra Compact Loudspeaker
Best General AV Product
- NEC Display Solutions, EX341R-BK Display
Best Digital Signage Product
Best LCD-based Video Wall: LG, 0.6mm Ultra-Narrow Bezel Video Wall (SVH7E)
The ultra-narrow 0.6 mm bezels of the 55-inch LG SVH7E combine to create one powerful, impactful video wall with an incredible 1.2 mm bezel-to-bezel width. The display’s eye-catching design and unique bezel width offers end users an immersive picture that resembles one continuous image rather than a collection of segmented panels. The groundbreaking video wall is equipped with LG’s webOS 3.0+ Smart Signage platform, providing end users across a host of industries, convenience and ease of use. Combined with LG’s proprietary In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology, the LG SVH7E video wall produces unparalleled viewing experiences sure to capture any viewer’s attention.
Best Video Projector/10K Lumen or Less: Panasonic, PT-MZ670U Projector
The PT-MZ670U (WUXGA), 6,500lm (center)1 LCD Solid Shine laser projector features stunning image quality and a compact and lightweight body, designed with ultra-low noise operation (28dB) in Quiet Mode.2 Continuous operational period for Laser Light Source (without exchange) extended to 20,000 hours.3 4 Built-in LinkRay, a proprietary light ID transmission technology that delivers mobile media content to people by allowing their smartphones to read IDs sent via LED transmitters. Detail Clarity Processor 4 enhances image clarity and sharpness, while Daylight View Basic ensures clear and vivid images in bright environments. Four-corner correction for stacking or projection on uneven surfaces; curved correction for curved surfaces. Exchangeable lenses (compatible with PT-EZ770 series lenses) offers flexible installation options. The Plug and Share app allows you to connect a PC to the MZ670U over a network to display video simply by preparing a USB key and plugging it into the projector. This projector is designed for education, house of worship and other installation environments projection your media in harmony.
Best Loudspeaker for the Staging Market: Meyer Sound, UP-4slim Ultra Compact Loudspeaker
The new UP-4slim from Meyer Sound is a compact, self-powered loudspeaker designed for demanding applications that require exemplary performance in a slender, lightweight and elegant package. The all-aluminum enclosure houses two 4-inch cone drivers, a 1-inch metal dome tweeter, a three-channel amplifier and dedicated signal processing. Operating frequency range is 85 Hz to 18 kHz, and a conical waveguide produces a smooth and consistently wide 100-degree dispersion pattern. The UP4slim incorporates Meyer Sound’s exclusive IntelligentDC technology, receiving balanced audio and 48 V DC from a remote MPS-488HP power supply unit via a single 5-conductor cable with termination on a 5-pin Phoenix connector.
Best Video Signal Processing: Barco, E2 Presentation System
The E2 presentation system for live screen management provides superior image quality, exceptional input and output density, great expandability and durability. Supporting native 4K input and output, it was the first screen management system to manage 4K projector blends with refresh rates up to 60Hz with full 4:4:4 color sampling and 12bit processing A truly versatile system, it offers eight mixable PGM outputs and four scaled Aux Outputs for full show control with a single box. The E2 can be linked with multiple other E2 chassis to create extremely large pixel processing canvasses, to support the largest displays available. Features are 1) Supports native 4K input and output; 2) Simple servicing and control with cross-platform user interface; 3) Steel chassis that’s able to withstand challenging conditions; 4) An extremely flexible 32-layer management system.
Best 55 inch Display: NEC, P554 55” Professional-Grade Display
Seamless simplicity with the new professional NEC P series products. New contemporary and slim mechanical design with focused aesthetics allows for the smooth and stylistic integration into any type of environment. Their full metal chassis coupled with realtime temperature sensors and integrated cooling fans maintain the professional quality necessary for commercial environments. With a wide range of the latest connectivity interfaces including resolution support up to Ultra High Definition at 60Hz, these displays offer the future-proofing necessary for the investment. These displays also include expandability options such as the Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) and Raspberry Pi Compute Module slots for source integration directly into the display. The NEC P series boasts 700 cd/m2 brightness along with a new anti-glare surface that allows for efficient readability in higher ambient light situations and is ideal for 24/7 signage in airports, quick-serve restaurants, financial institutions and command and control.
