news
Yours truly
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ust as AV News went to press the government announced its first round of public sector spending cuts. One of the more high pro- file casualties was Becta, which is scheduled to close in November this year after 12 years of operation. Becta’s closure is confir- mation that the Conservative majority within the new gov- ernment is true to its free market principles. When AV News spoke to Becta chief executive Stephen Crowne, in March, even he had issues defining Becta’s role in the market going forward: “My first priority is to ensure value,” he said. “We are interested in preserving a competitive market, but we cannot protect it. We have a strong market because of the competitive pressures.” Crowne talked about bal- ancing the interests of buyers with those of the industry. He took the position that Becta had delivered value to schools and the taxpayer. In April’s AV News he claimed improve- ments to the procurement process saved the education system saved £185 million between 2005 and 2009, and that there could be a fur- ther £400 million of saving available to 2015 But with Becta’s annual budget standing at £10 mil- lion it was far from an entirely net benefit. The government is clearly convinced that the ‘balance’ achieved by Becta can be delivered by the usual dynamics of the market at
no direct cost. Even teach- ers, in a poll conducted by the Education Guardian, were not entirely convinced about Becta’s value. Just 9.6% thought that Becta was the best body to advise them on technology for their schools. In contrast 40.5% would rather that their schools should choose their own. Now they have no choice but to go it alone – news that has not been universally welcomed. Chris Keates, gen- eral secretary of the teaching union, NASUWT, was report- ed as saying “Schools often go for the most expensive sys- tems, and they can fall prey to the slick salesmanship the big companies can afford. They often get stuck with systems that are not fit for purpose, that are difficult to integrate with other systems and are difficult and expensive to maintain.”
In response to Keates’ con- cerns, we would say that the market has moved on. The education buyers that we meet are not naive victims that Keates portrays. There is also a thriving community of educationalists exchang- ing ideas and experiences with little regard for Becta. And for every argument that frameworks and guidelines deliver value, there is a coun- ter argument that Becta-style centralisation stifles innova- tion and so real competition.
Bryan Denyer Editor
leven NEC projectors have received TCO certification from the independent Swedish testing organisation TCO Development. The certificate confirms that the projectors comply with binding ergonomic and ecological standards and provides buyers with objective information for making pur- chasing decisions.
In October 2009, two NEC pro- jectors were the first in the world to receive the TCO distinction.
NEC projectors go green
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Maverick promotes product up-selling
averick is making it easier for resellers to boost prof- its by making it easier to sell add-on products with main- stream solutions such as large format displays, projectors and interactive whiteboards. The disti has produced a distilled list of its best-selling accessory products which it is offering through the AV Essentials pro- gramme.
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This brings together 45 specialist projector screens, brackets, speakers and cables, selected to cover a wide cross- section of user needs. The programme provides a short- cut for resellers to identify and quote for add-on products quickly, instead of spending time searching through the vast array of options that are avail- able.
Information on the AV Essentials products will be pro- vided for resellers in quick and easy-to-digest formats on the web and in printed form, and on PDFs which can be customised with the reseller’s own logo and
InFocus unveils 3D projectors
nFocus has announced the availability of a range of 3D projectors designed for class- room use.
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Mark Tildesley, general manager of Maverick: “For too long the opportunity of simply selling profitable audiovisual accessory products has been denied to the wider reseller com- munity.”
details. Mark Tildesley, general manager of Maverick said: “The idea of AV Essentials is simple – it helps resellers to sell more AV add-ons and accessories and make more profit with every sale.”
Mark Tildesley of Maverick has also announced the Hotlamps Guarantee – a combined price, availability and delivery promise. The Hotlamps Guarantee provides resellers with an assurance that if they can find a lamp cheaper elsewhere, it will credit them with double the difference. If a lamp is not in stock or a delivery deadline is missed, Hotlamps will credit reseller accounts with £10. Tildesley explained that: “We have listened to our customers and they are telling us that what is really important to them is having the lamps they want in stock at the right price – at all times. They want a supplier who meets these very important, simple, basic requirements; not a supplier who can only supply some of the lamps, some of the time or who offers complicated ‘buy five lamps and get some of our overstocked electricals type promotions.”
With the recent certifications, NEC offers the world’s broadest range of TCO-certified projec- tors covering value, standard and short-throw models. TCO Development has defined TCO Image Size as the key com- parison value for projectors. It indicates the maximum screen size for guaranteed quality. Buyers therefore have to only know the size of the intended projection surface to choose a suitable device.
V News’ correspondent Otto Tromm has developed a comprehensive web resource for consumers and business users of projection screens, with advice on screen selec- tion, installation, operation and maintenance.
Projectionscreen.net provides a showcase of screen design and installation ideas, with stunning photographs of home cinema deployments – ideas that visitors to the site can use in their own
Projectionscreen.net launches
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homes. Tromm believes that pro-
jectioscreen.net will balance the availability of information about the screen as a vital component of a projection solution: “There are many excellent resources for researching and comparing projectors before buyers make a choice, but there is very little that takes a brand neutral look at projection screens.” Available resources include a glossary, a history of screen technology and hints-and-tips.
The IN100 series and the IN2116 and IN3116 3D projec- tors feature native resolutions from SVGA to WXGA, a full range of input and output connection options including wireless and networking, high brightness from 2500 to 3500 lumens. Costing no more than a standard 2D projector, these projectors can switch easily between nor- mal 2D projection and 3D. “3D projection brings con- cepts to life, and the greater interactivity improves learning and retention,” said Loren Shaw, director of product management at InFocus.
“A recent government-funded study on the effect of 3D in the classroom showed that students’ pre-test versus post-test scores improved up to 35% after see- ing a lesson in 3D compared to 9.7% increase experienced by
NEC Display Solutions
has announced a range of affordable 3D projectors with DLP Link technology. The NP115, NP210 and NP216 also feature low power consumption which can be reduced even fur- ther using the Eco mode. A carbon savings meter cal- culates the amount of CO2 saved as a result, encour- aging users to switch to energy-saving operation. The Eco mode operation also increases lamp life to up to 5,000 hours. The XGA models, NP210 and NP216, are TCO-certified. From this month, NEC will offer a special 3D starter kit. It includes active 3D glasses and award winning 3D content and software for easy access to a first 3D experience.
The InFocus 3D projection range is targeted at education.
the group who did not view the lesson in 3D.
Over the past six years, InFocus and Lightspeed Design have delivered 3D solutions via InFocus DepthQ HD 3D projec- tors to institutions whose work showcases a range of innovative uses for 3D: “With 3D interactivity, students are engaged in simu-
lated, immersive experiences that deliver multi-dimensional understanding that standard two-dimensional imaging can’t touch,” said Chris Ward presi- dent of Lightspeed Design, Inc. “For example, medical stu- dents can see virtual surgeries being performed, or explore the make-up of molecules and DNA strands in intricate detail.”
■ Wall-
mounted module package which forms the basis of any installation
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Choose a 5m, 10m, or 15 cable package to match
Add any other modules or cables you need
■ NEW plug-in cables
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■ Table-
mounted motorised faceplate
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Avoids having cables strewn across a boardroom
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Comes with selection of VGA, USB, and RJ45 modules
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IR learning module
Child’s play to program.
Duplicate codes from one to another
Controls up to three devices simultaneously
■ Mains power option
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2 x 20w (RMS) @ 8 ohms D-Class
■ 2 x Inputs
(Input 1 duplicated front and rear)
IR Remote control (receivers front and rear)
No heat output and extremely low power usage
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Extends USB cables by converting signal to run over CAT5
Works with all interactive whiteboards, including Starboards.
■ Transmitter and Receiver included. ■ Powered by the USB
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