Archive for the ‘Technology Notes’ Category

LightingPad Demo Video

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

One of the hits of InfoComm was our LightingPad application for the iPad and iPhone. LightingPad is the perfect tool for controlling small shows, or for installing and testing lighting systems. It’s also great for programming our LightCue Pro lighting controller. Simply connect any Art-Net compatible DMX device to your wireless network, and you have a complete lighting console in the palm of your hand. Because it’s an iPad / iPhone application, it’s incredibly simple to use.

This youtube video shows you how it works.

LightingPad will be available in the iTunes App Store. For more information, visit http://www.alcorn.com/products/lightingpad/index.html

Posted in Alcorn McBride Products, Lighting, Live Shows, Museums, Technology Notes, Theme Parks | Comments Off

3D Display Technologies

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

With the success of Avatar and other recent releases, 3D is attracting a lot of attention lately.

Outstanding 3D

Outstanding 3D

Because they incorporate video sync inputs, Alcorn McBride players such as the DVM/HD and Video Binloop HD are two of the best ways to reliably play back images in perfect sync, a requirement for 3D. There are many way to display 3D images, most of which involve tricking the viewer’s eyes into perceiving two different, slightly offset images. This article at Gizmodo does a great job of summarizing the available technologies: http://gizmodo.com/5084121/giz-explains-3d-technologies

Posted in Alcorn McBride Products, Applications, Audio and Video, Technology Notes, Theme Parks | Comments Off

Digital Media Manager

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Everywhere we look, audio and video content is popping up. From theme parks to shopping malls to restaurants, digital media is being used to entertain people, to tell stories and also to sell product. When networked together, products like the Digital Audio Machine and the Digital Video Machine provide an affordable solution for creative content in a variety of applications.

The glue that holds a media network together is Digital Media Manager.

Digital Media Manager is a software package for pushing audio/video content across a network to your Digital Audio Machines or Digital Video Machines. This revolutionary application allows you to create real-time Schedules and Playlists and send them – along with any new media – to a player (or players) in the room next door – or on the other side of the world!  Read more...

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Design Your Own 4-D Theater

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

4-D theaters offer many benefits to museums and other small and medium-sized venues: they’re affordable, they’re flexible, and they generate high guest satisfaction ratings. In short, a 4-D theater maximizes your return on investment. It’s also possible to start small, and – as budget permits – gradually add features, such as better seating, in-theater special effects and so on.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to designing your own 4-D theater.

Step 1. Select Your Media
What is your show about? Will it change during the season? Will there be different presentations throughout the day? Showscan, and Iwerks are just a few of the many providers of 3-D and 4-D films available to you.  There are also independent producers. Or, in this day of powerful PCs and home-based graphics designers, you can even have your own custom film made, probably cheaper than you’d guess.  A good place to start researching is the TEA’s website at www.themeit.com.
 Read more...

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Posted in Audio and Video, Museums, Technology Notes, Theme Parks, Tips from our Engineers | No Comments »