PRG at LDI2008—New Product Launches Highlight PRG Booth at LDI

New Windsor, New York—October 21, 2008—Production Resource Group, LLC, (PRG) offers visitors to their LDI2008 Booth #821 some exciting new products, including the Bad Boyâ„¢ hybrid luminaire; the V676â„¢ lighting control console; and the Mbox EXtremeâ„¢ v3 media server. The products are networked on PRG's proprietary Series 400â„¢ Power and Data Distribution System. PRG looks forward to introducing these exciting new products to attendees who are looking for the latest in technology. Also being introduced will be The Nila Lighting System, an incredibly rugged and easily configurable solid state lighting solution for television and film applications, which is exclusively distributed by PRG. From the opening of the show at 10:00am on Friday, October 24th when they ‘light up' the Bad Boy, the PRG booth will be buzzing with excitement.

prg_ann.jpgPRG's Anne Johnston welcomes the Saturday morning crowd at LDI.

“PRG has a long history of developing innovative proprietary products for the entertainment production industry,” says Rusty Brutsché, Vice Chairman and Chief Technology Officer for PRG. “All of our products are specifically designed to serve the needs of the professional rental markets in the entertainment industry. PRG continues with this long tradition by employing engineering personnel in Dallas, TX and New Windsor, NY in the US and at Birmingham in the UK. Developing proprietary equipment for rental allows PRG engineers to design equipment that is targeted to the needs of top industry professionals with very sophisticated features, rugged and roadworthy packaging, modular construction for efficient shop and road maintenance and a long market life with product upgrades and enhancements.”

Bad Boy large venue luminaire will be unveiled by PRG at LDI2008

Bad Boy Luminaire

Among the new PRG proprietary products debuting at LDI this year is the Bad Boyâ„¢ Luminaire, an elegantly engineered, hybrid luminaire that combines the qualities of a traditional automated light with a large venue fixture. Producing a powerful 48,000 lumens, Bad Boy offers superior optical clarity and smooth fluid control of focus, zoom, dimming, and imaging by bringing together high quality lenses and high-speed servo motors. Bad Boy's speed and control is evident in its rapid shifts between colors and gobos, its quick zoom from spot to flood, and its full-field dimming from 0 to 100% with accurate slow-speed control as well as fast bumps.

prg_chris.jpg PRG's Chris Conti gives the crowd a demo on Saturday morning.

Bad Boy features the Quantum Color® system resulting in an unprecedented range of vibrant, saturated colors. The 8” diameter front lens produces a large, full beam that can easily be varied by the luminaire's 8:1 zoom lens (from a narrow spot of 7° to a wide flood of 56°) and beam size iris. The zoom consists of four groups of lenses—each independently controlled for accuracy while maintaining focus during zoom changes—plus edge control for gobo focus and gobo morphing. Bad Boy's two rotating gobo wheels are indexable, with each of the seven gobos per wheel individually calibrated so the unit will automatically index the orientation of each gobo regardless of placement. prg_gobo.jpg

V676 Console

The PRG V676â„¢ console offers extraordinary speed in programming and responsiveness, as well as innovative interface advances in hardware layout and software design. Ease of use and efficiency is engineered into the ergonomic layout of the V676 console. Eight robust touchscreen monitors, including five monitors built into the low-profile face panel, provide the programmer with unprecedented front panel control. In addition, three external monitors, on moveable arms attached to the console, can be positioned in any direction and can shift in orientation from landscape to portrait. The mobility of the monitors allows programmers an unobstructed view of the stage.

V676's innovative Super Palettes provide a graphical interface for color, template, preset, macro, snapshot, and timing selection—streamlining information display and manipulation into cohesive and related elements and giving programmers a graphical way to select, record, and edit parameter and system functions. V676's extraordinary top level access to programming and playback features, including palette and preset functions, as well as submaster behaviors, lets users work quickly and confidently. Six encoders plus full time pan, tilt, and intensity control, provide considerable top level control to manual parameters. V676 gives programmers immediate access to many functions, which in other consoles are frequently buried under layers. Engineered with attention to detail and the practical demands of programming, the V676 offers intuitive features that easily handle the increasing variety of equipment to be controlled.

With a powerful software platform that is reliable and user friendly, V676 expands on performance-tested development of the Virtuoso® programming and playback platforms to provide state-of-the-art control and functionality. With its high level of flexibility, ease of accessing control elements, and graphically controlled media window, V676 also is ideal for programming the large number of control channels found in media servers.

Mbox Extreme v3 Media Server

Mbox Extremeâ„¢ v3 Media Server features increased speed, streamlined user control, new hardware, and enhanced input and output options. Its compact hardware configuration has been engineered to address the ever-expanding demands of digital imagery and the faster processing required to stay ahead of the curve. The custom dual I/O module, which provides two discrete outputs for each server, is packaged in a rugged road case complete with a UPS, Auxiliary Input panel, keyboard, and trackball. To prevent the display of unintended signal, the I/O module's Program Monitor function stops any video output when the Mbox Extreme application is not running in full screen mode.

Mbox Extreme v3 works seamlessly with up to six layers of content, which can be displayed simultaneously. Users can transition content on the same layer—simplifying cueing and playback and making six layers on the Mbox Extreme v3 the effective equivalent of 12 layers on another server. With 1080p playback, Mbox Extreme v3 meets HD content resolution needs, and can play back embedded audio tracks from selected movies as well as AIFF files of 16bit, two-channel stereo complete with volume control.

Mbox Extreme v3's software can handle up to four local video inputs, including one input standard via a DeckLink HD Extreme capture card with inputs (SD, component, or composite) up to 1080p and a second input standard using FireWire/USB DV. All video inputs can be de-interlaced on the fly. Mbox Extreme v3 also includes SMPTE and MIDI timecode inputs for synching movie playback.

Mbox Extreme v3 can output content in a variety of ways. In addition to the DVI, RGBHV, and SD/HD-SDI stage outputs, both of the Dual Output I/O module's outputs have a DVI preview output. No additional hardware is required for the SDI output.

Series 400â„¢ Power and Data Distribution System

Networking the Bad Boy luminaires, V676 consoles and Mbox Extreme v3 media servers in the booth is the Series 400â„¢ Power and Data Distribution System, an integrated system that combines 120V or 208V power with an Ethernet network in the same cable thereby offering you distribution in the safest and most efficient manner ever. The S400 system distributes power and control signals for the purpose of operating automated luminaires or other remote non-dim devices up to 500' away. Unlike other power distribution racks, the S400 system features built-in control signal distribution. The rack accepts 10/100Mb/sec Ethernet, DMX, DMX over Ethernet, and RDM, and has the ability to handle all protocols simultaneously. While at the PRG booth be sure to take a good look at this cutting edge distribution system with its modular system to mix and match the right components for your needs.

Series 400â„¢ Ethernet Switches

PRG has created reliable Ethernet switches as a part of its powerful Series 400 system. Available in 7-Port and 10-Port versions, these switches are designed for entertainment applications where a lot is riding on the lighting network. These switches not only exceed the limitations of traditional Ethernet hubs, they also offer superior switch technology by virtue of their simple, easy-to-use operation. Unlike most commercial Ethernet switches, the PRG Series 400 Ethernet Switch does not use complex configuration software, which can often misinterpret data signals as network attacks, therefore shutting down your system at a critical instance.

The Nila Lighting System

PRG is also proud to introduce The Nila Lighting System, manufactured by Nila and distributed for sales and rentals exclusively by PRG. Nila is a modular solid-state light designed for film and television lighting applications, particularly when the light is going to get put through its paces. It is designed to be rugged and durable enough to stand up to the rigors of locations shooting and is weather resistant. With its compact size and low power draw it is the perfect choice for shooting car scenes, but is just as adept mixing with tungsten and HMI sources in a studio. Easily reconfigurable and environmentally minded, the Nila Lighting System is an innovative and forward thinking tool for designers and is already being quickly adopted by the industry. The Nila Lighting System was used on the current James Bond film, Quantum of Solace to help Director of Photography Roberto Schaeffer to capture the looks that he wanted for a number of scenes, including all of the car work.

For more information on PRG, please visit www.prg.com.

About Production Resource Group—Production Resource Group, LLC (PRG) is the world's leading supplier of entertainment technology solutions, including lighting, audio, video, scenery, and automation systems. PRG serves a wide range of markets, including theatre, concert tours, tradeshows, corporate and special events, television and film, and themed environments. PRG provides its services worldwide through more than 17 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.

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