Panasonic Unveils Plasma TVs with Record Contrast Ratios.

These two giants, 50" and 65" models, are made possible by a new plasma technology that makes darker blacks and higher contrast ratios possible.

Check out the article here:

HP and ASU Demo New Foldable Screen.

These new flexible displays are paper thin and made entirely out of plastic.

Read the article about the new flexible displays here.

Apple's New LED Display.

Check out this article for hi-quality photos of Apple's new LED-backlit disply.

Samsung Displays a New OLED Display That Can Fold In Half.

Samsung displays a new technology at a recent Japanese Trade show that offers a brief glimpse into what the future may hold for us. I would expect to first see these folding displays in use in cell phones but don't throw away that iPhone or G1 just yet - we still have a long way to go before we're gonna see something like this in the states.

The display is OLED (Organic light Emitting Diode)

Check out the Mark's Technology News blog article here.

Digital Formats Explained.

Just like everything else in the world of computers, Digital Video (DV) has so many different formats that it's enough to confuse even a seasoned professional. Here, I'll try to explain a little bit about Digital Video.

In order to fit large amounts of data onto tape media, codecs are used for video compression.

A codec is what makes the magic happen. Here are some:

• H.261
• MPEG-1 Part 2
• MPEG-2 Part 2
• H.263
• MPEG-4
• MPEG-4 Part 2
• MPEG-4 Part 10
• VC-1
• DivX (proprietary) (uses MPEG-4 ASP)
• XviD (open source) (uses MPEG-4 ASP)
• H.264
• WMV

To make things even more confusing, the list above just refers to the codecs involved in encoding the video and not the wrapper...

The "wrapper" or "container" of your video file refers to what the extension of the file name is.

Common Wrappers:

• AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is Windows' standard multimedia container
• MPEG-4 Part 14 (known to you as .mp4) is the standardized container for MPEG-4
• FLV (Flash Video) is the format used to deliver MPEG video through Flash Player
• MOV is Apple's QuickTime container format
• OGG, OGM and OGV are open-standard containers
• MKV (Mastroska) is another open-specification container that you've seen if you've ever downloaded anime
• VOB means DVD Video Object. Guess what? It's DVD's standard container, and what you get when you rip a DVD.
• ASF is a Microsoft format designed for WMV and WMA—files can end in .wmv or .asf

To play a video file, your setup has to be able to handle both the actual video codec and the container. It's why you can try to play an AVI file and Windows Media Player laughs — the container was no problem, but it didn't have the right codec. Or conversely, even though an iPod could play back an H.264 encoded video, if it was wrapped up in MKV, it won't be able to read it.

How to Stay Ahead in a Down Economy.

The key to staying ahead in a down economy is to emphasize the value of your event to both attendees and exhibitors. Focus on the importance of your product, service or event.

You must also be more aggressive, keep spending, marketing and adding visitor promotional material. Harness the intelligence of the community and the importance of staying in the loop, by understanding the short-term outlook of your industry by attending.

And most importantly, cut out un-needed costs. You don't have to rent from the official show rental company. It doesn't take a genius to understand that an event's official distributor pays to become the official distributor. Guess where they get that placement money from?

YOU!

You always pay more if you rent from an event's official distributor and the people who end up working for you usually have that attitude of laziness as if they are the only company you can use, so you are stuck with them. You have the right to rent your audio visual equipment from whomever you like! Give other AV rentals and staging companies a chance.

You WILL save money.

At APCO AV, we work hard to earn your business and we treat our clients like royalty. Give us a try and you will never waste your valuable money with the most expensive provider again.

http://www.apcoav.com/ - A Worldwide leader in AV Rentals and Staging.

Samsung Shows Off World's First Carbon-Nanotube Based Display

The color active matrix electrophoretic display (EPD) e-paper was released at a conference in Korea.

It's 14.3 inch display is the product of a partnership between Samsung and Unidym, the company that developed the carbon nanotubes used by the device.

The new display has a variety of advantages over traditional flat panels. Since the EPD doesn’t require backlighting, it uses minimal energy and is visible under direct sunlight. Additionally, the image on the display is retained without the need to constantly refresh.

The EPD isn’t just limited to e-paper devices— it’s also a low-energy display option for cell phones and other mobile devices.

Sony Unveils the world's thinnest TV - the OLED TV

Sony has announced the world's thinnest TV based on their OLED TV technology. The Sony Bravia ZX1 will be released in the UK the first month of 2009. Check out this article for more info.

OLED - Organic Light Emitting Diode is a variation of the more common LCD, and consumes less power than a lightbulb. The future of TVs? Who Knows. One thing I can tell you is, that in the AV Rentals & Event Services industry - the cost of delivery will be driven down when the weight of large TVs is light enough for just one person to handle.

Hitachi To Display New Upconversion Technology

According to articles here and here, Hitachi has announced they will be displaying a new upconversion technology at the CEATEC show in Japan in early October 2008.

Hitachi claims its super resolution technology will upconvert DVD and SDTV images into near 1080p HD resolution, and also has the capability of improving the quality of HDTV broadcasts.

The new technology should be integrated into Hitachi's LCD and plasma lines by 2010.

First Look at the T-Mobile G1

[Updated 10-20-08] - I'm getting the phone tomorrow! I checked the UPS tracking so I'll be taking the day off so that i'll be there to sign for the phone. here's a new review.

[Updated 10-16-08] - Only a week to go! Here's an in-depth review of the HTC G1 from zdnet.

[Updated 9-30-08] - As an existing T-mobile customer, [APCO AV] was able to pre-order the G1. It is scheduled for delivery on October 22nd. [APCO AV] installed the Eclipse API and the Android SDK and we are ready to begin developing software for this device. Expect a more detailed review of the phone once we get our hands on it!


[Original Post]
Here's the first look at the new "Google" phone, the T-Mobile G1, which will run Google's open-source Android mobile OS.

Read the article here.

Why Rent From APCO Audio Visual

Did you know that you have the right to choose who you rent your Audio Visual gear from?

Companies that get their names on the Offical Vendor list have to pay for that ad placement. Those costs are then passed along to you. You have the right to rent your gear from any AV company you choose, and after a little investigation you will find the lowest prices don't come from the Official Vendors.

APCO Audio Visual can always beat the prices of Trade Show Offical Vendors anywhere across the country! We have offices and warehouses across North America, and in London and Japan. Above all else, we have the best staff available to work with you to make your next event go exactly how you imagine it without breaking your budget.

APCO AV rents LCD TVs, Plasma TVs, Video Walls, Computers (Desktops and Laptops), lighting equipment and audio equipment. We can also produce special creative services - the sky is the limit.

APCO AV is the #1 provider of the new Philips WOWvx 3D monitors. Just Google "wowvx rentals" and you will see for yourself. This shows that we always stay on the cutting edge of technology and have all the gear you need to make your next event a succes!

To learn more about what equipment and services we provide, and to request an online quote, just visit our website: http://www.apcoav.com/

LAME v3.98.1 - Released

The new MP3 encoder has been upgraded.

Download it here.

VirtualDub - New Version Released

VirtualDub v1.8.6.30009

VirtualDub is an extremely efficient video capture and processing program. Applications of it are almost unlimited. The new version has dropped support for ASF due to pressure from
Microsoft.

Download it here

The old version 1.3c has support for ASF.

Intel ships Atom 330 1.6GHz Dual-Core Processors

Intel will begin shipping the Atom 330 chipset very soon.

The Atom 330 has a 1.6GHz clock speed and is Dual-Core. The processor uses the current 45nm technology with a 533MHz Front-Side-Bus.

The 330 chip features a 1MB of level 2 cache, support for DDR2 667, and 8-watt TDP.

The new dual-core Atom will be targeted at small-sized portable and desktop systems we now call netbooks and nettops. This means that we will soon have a new bunch of netbooks ready to take on an already crowded market.

3M launches the first "pocket" Projector.

Looks like they beat Microvision and Texas instruments to the finish line. They say they will go on sale September 30th.

To read more about this new product click here.

RapidRun Cables.

In the Audio Visual event services rentals and staging business, we get our hands on all types of cables and connectors. Proper selection of cables during a setup can eliminate many time-consuming problems. When we see something we like, we tell people about it!

These cables are able to support multiple signals over one cable, including VGA, Component Video, S-Video, analog and digital audio and more!

RapidRun cables have saved us time and money and we love using them. Check out the RapidRun website here: http://www.rapidrun.com/.

5 Apps for Windows Reformat and Re-install

At APCOAV we are constantly re-formatting our computer hard drives and re-installing Windows on them. The proces can be time consuming, but with the right software tools, you can do it in a snap.

Check out this article for a list of the software tools that makes re-installing Windows a breeze:

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/01/5-apps-for-painless-windows-reformats-for-8-2-08-switched-thin/?rss

Oh yeah, and if you want to avoid the process of re-activating your copy of Windows, it's good to know that Windows XP creates a file called “WPA.DBL” and stores it in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 directory. Just back it up and follow the directions in the following article:

http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-reactivate-windows/

An Illustrated Guide of AV Cables.

Our friends at Gizmodo have put together a guide to every cable you might come across in the AV Events Services Industry.

Check it out here:

http://gizmodo.com/5030810/giz-explains-an-illustrated-guide-to-every-stupid-cable-you-need

Welcome to the APCOAV Blog.

Welcome to the APCO Audio Visual Blog!

At APCO AV, we take pride in the rentals and services we offer for the events services, trade show and convention industries.

This blog will contain useful articles relevant to Audio Visual rentals and services.