News

Furniture company MFI is using a 3D animated bear 'mascot' in its internal communications. The bear, animated by Crimson Post for The Creation Company, will be used to narrate and present two customer service programmes.

Texas Instruments (TI) has started shipping new component sets to makers of rear projection TVs. The Table-Top DLP sets, which are being shipped earlier than anticipated, are designed to allow the manufacture of rear projection TVs selling for $3,000 or less and use new techniques, including a 12 degree mirror…

InFocus is to supply projection engines to China. The projector manufacturer is to sell its DLP component sets to Shanghai SVA Group, which will build them into SVA-branded rear projection televisions. The units will be modified LP350 light engines. www.infocus.com

American rental companies are facing a 30 per cent decline in revenues, and one of the biggest faces a debt crisis.Major industry player Audio Visual Services Corp (AVSC), which owns Presentations Services (which provides equipment and facilities management to venues) and AV Headquarters (which serves production companies and business clients),…

Plasma screen market are not growing as fast as researchers predicted.European plasma markets fell back against expectations in Q3, according to research company Interconnection (IC). Having started the year well total Q2 sales fell back to 15,000 units and Q3 sales fell further against expectations, to 14,864 units.IC reports that…

Students in remote areas of Scotland are to be taught using videoconferencing. The UHI Millennium Institute, the successor to the former University of the Highlands & Islands Project, is extending its use of videoconferencing from 15 to 32 sites.UHI first installed an ISDN-based network in 1997. It will now use…

BSkyB has installed a 24 videowall cube 'newswall' at its studio in Isleworth, West London. Installed by Creative Technology, the wall uses Toshiba videowall cibes driven by an Electrosonic processor. It can display up to four live YUV sources at the same time and it is controlled from the studio's…

Production and services house Matinee is now producing online resources for its clients

Technologies such as webcasting, presentations shared over IP and videoconferencing could boom if travel and international meetings remain off clients' agendas

Character generator manufacturer Aston has been bought by Softel, which specialises in sub-titling and interactive TV. 'Softel has enjoyed a long association with Aston and there is a clear synergy between our products and theirs', says Aston sales director Peter Munday. www.softel.co.uk