eSP - IT Solution Providers in Europe

Magenta Research calls it "a breakthrough" and claims their FiberMax Engine will change the price/performance metric for AV extension, distribution and switching over fibre.

"Given the very high cost of custom optics and the lack of innovation in AV transmission over standard networking optics, both ProAV and Digital Signage industries have been slow to adopt hi-definition digital video and fibre cabling for AV signal distribution," says Bob Michaels, President, Magenta Research, "Magenta's FiberMax Engine changes this …"

The FiberMax Engine is an ultra high-speed data sequencing and streaming engine capable of driving standard SFP optics at maximum efficiency. The resulting benefit is the capability of simultaneously transmitting uncompressed 1920x1200 video with HDCP at 60Hz, USB 2.0 at 480Mbps, 8-Channel 24-bit DTS-HD Master Audio, bidirectional RS-232, IR and CEC, all on industry standard SFP optics and cabling.

The distance range supported while transmitting all these signal types at their maximum performance is over 6600ft/2KM with multimode optics and 18.75MI/30KM with singlemode optics.

Danny Barnycz, Chief Creatologist of the innovative Barnycz Group says, "I believe that this technology will significantly alter the manner in which the industry approaches digital AV signal distribution. While the performance capability of FiberMax in itself catalyzes more widespread use of fibre, Magenta's unique product architecture around this technology innovatively addresses both the designer's and the installer's ever growing nightmare with mixed signal compatibility, HDCP, field configurability and time to market pressures."

A line of products leveraging the FiberMax Engine will be launched at InfoComm 2010 with specs available earlier only under NDA.

Go Barnycz Group

Go Magenta FiberMax

The European Commission approved the $3.4 billion acquisition, and the U.S. Department of Justice won't challenge it: Cisco's acquisition of Tandberg will go through and change the video conferencing landscape forever.

But as with any political victory, there's wheeling-&-dealing that pays the price for the deal.

In this case, to win EC blessing, Cisco agrees to enhance interoperability between its multi-screen video conferencing offerings and those of competitors.

To blunt the concern of European and American regulators about the potential loss of competition in telepresence technology, Cisco had to agree to give its TelePresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP) to an independent body (as well as the open source software used by those who implement TIP.)

Cisco has to provide royalty-free info on how it implements the protocol. Europe also is requiring Cisco to appoint an independent monitor to watch over the company's regulatory commitments.

The US Justice Department says the "evolving nature of the videoconferencing market" makes the deal between two of the largest player not anti-competitive. That's American-speak describing a market that's going to break wide open as eager companies jump in trying to be the first to mass market video conferencing, creating a commodity market in what has been a walled garden of pricey, closed, high end systems.

Cisco says Bank of America will install the largest Cisco TelePresence system to-date: 200 conferencing units worldwide this year. Good to know those tax dollars for bank bail-outs were put to good use...

Go Cisco Gets Approval

"Dune," of course is the title of the famous series of sci-fi novels by Frank Herbert. And those sci-fi fans will "grok" the Dune HD Network system.

Dune HD Network is designed for easy, less complex digital signage. Automating the HD demonstration of media on monitors and TVs sets, it can cycle video in a show with the possibility to add scrolling text lines and logos (and schedule those to appear in specified intervals).

It also allows you to operate all of processes in system devices remotely.

With up to 1080P of video playback and HDMI v1.3, it does all the things you want from a basic digital signage system with an easy-to-use GUI.

With a special "HDNetwork"-enabled license installed, you can download firmware and use any Dune player models as a presenter in the Dune HD Network system: Dune HD Mini, Dune HD Base, Dune HD Base 2.0

Go Dune HDNetwork

Don't even mention the iPad.

With millions of iPhone devices capable of receiving live streams, iStreamPlanet offers iPhone streaming delivered over the Akamai HD Network for part of your live event strategy.

iStreamPlanet partners with Akamai Technologies and the Akamai HD Network to offer an end-to-end solution that will allow you to add iPhone streaming to any live event between February 15, 2010 and May 31, 2010 at special pricing.

This promotion is valid for live events up to 3 hours in duration. 3rd party satellite acquisition can be added to either offer for an additional charge. The promotion includes all of the elements needed for a successful live event on the iPhone. Delivery charges will vary.

Go iPhone Streaming