NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—HARMAN Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting and control systems, today announced new JBL Professional One Series 104-BT and 104-BTW desktop reference monitors with Bluetooth.

JBL One Series 104-BT reference monitors enable content creators and audio professionals to stream accurate, studio-quality audio via Bluetooth or play back audio using a standard wired connection. Drawing from more than seven decades of JBL Professional engineering, JBL One Series 104-BT monitors deliver clear, detailed sound while mixing and editing. With an array of easily accessible input options, smart features and a sleek, compact design, JBL 104-BT monitors provide great sound in every listening scenario, with the added flexibility of wireless streaming. Black (104-BT) and white (104-BTW) finish options are available.

“Music production has evolved beyond the recording studio, and today’s creative professionals and music lovers need reference monitors that deliver neutral, accurate sound to create mixes that translate well in a variety of listening environments,” said Chris Hansen, Director, Recording and Content Creation, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “With class-leading sound quality, impressive output and high-bandwidth Bluetooth 5.0 streaming capabilities, JBL 104-BT monitors provide an accurate, reliable sonic reference and a truly enjoyable listening experience. They’re perfect for musicians, producers, podcasters and professional audio engineers who want a compact reference monitor with the added benefit of Bluetooth at an accessible price.”

The JBL 104-BT reference monitor features a cutting-edge coaxial driver that pairs a contoured low-frequency woofer with a soft-dome tweeter, for accurate frequency response, superior imaging, crisp detail, and a wide sweet spot. The cabinet’s low-frequency port works with the driver to deliver impressive low frequency performance down to 60Hz. A powerful 60-watt Class D power amplifier distributes 30 watts per speaker for clear, undistorted, loudest-in-class output. And One Series’ innovative acoustic design, optimized for desktop use ensures accuracy without the need for additional EQ.

High-bandwidth Bluetooth 5.0 streaming, beyond offering the convenience of audio playback from mobile devices, provides audio professionals the ability to reference mixes over Bluetooth using a professional monitor, rather than a consumer portable device. This ensures that your audio will sound its best, no matter what the playback environment.

JBL 104-BT reference monitors integrate smoothly into any production workspace, thanks to smart features like a front-panel input control that selects Bluetooth, Aux, RCA, TRS or combines all inputs. Front-panel volume control allows convenient level adjustments without straying from the sweet spot, and a front-panel headphone jack conveniently mutes the speakers when you switch to headphones. Dual 1/4-inch balanced, dual RCA and single 1/8-inch inputs, along with Bluetooth accommodate a wide range of signal sources.

JBL One Series reference monitors were created with the modern production lifestyle in mind. With a sleek, elegant look and a compact form factor, creators can get legendary JBL sound while conserving valuable workspace. An optional protective carrying case will also be available for production on the go. Both the black 104-BT and white 104-BTW make stunning statements in any studio.

Availability

The JBL Professional One Series 104-BT and 104-BTW will be available first quarter 2020.

 

Poly Reinforces its Position as an End-to-End Solution Provider for Microsoft Teams with its Latest Video, Voice, Headset and Service Solutions Optimized for Teams

 

The Poly Studio X Series consists of two new video bars designed for small rooms, the Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50. The Poly Studio X Series are purpose-built appliances that will run the Teams application natively.

The Studio X Series supports 4K Ultra high definition (UHD), advanced noise suppression and unmatched video production rules to improve all aspects of the meeting experience. Set-up requires a single power-over-ethernet cable. Users can choose to control the Studio X Series with the new Poly TC8 touch screen.

The award-winning Poly Studio, a plug-and-play USB video bar for small huddle rooms, is now certified for Microsoft Teams. The Poly Studio USB video bar features room-filling audio, a 4K HD camera with built-in speaker tracking and framing, as well as support for remote cloud management for ongoing updates and configuration. The Poly Studio is currently available worldwide.

“Whenever and wherever people connect with Microsoft Teams, we will be there to provide the best-in-class audio, video and voice endpoints to make the experience that much better,” said Joe Burton, president and CEO at Poly. “We deliver everything you need on the journey to transition to Teams.”

Ilya Bukshteyn, partner director, Teams devices, Microsoft Corp. said, “We’re pleased to partner with Poly on a range of Microsoft Teams solutions – from video conferencing, to headsets, to desk and conference phones, to services. Poly is a one-stop-shop for Teams users that need to communicate and collaborate from anywhere and with anyone.”

“The Poly Studio X Series devices take simplicity to the next level,” said Ira M. Weinstein, managing partner at analyst firm Recon Research. “These sleek, all-in-one devices include mics, speakers, and camera, and come pre-loaded with the Microsoft Teams application. No software to load. From the box to a high-quality meeting room video conferencing experience in just a few minutes. This is a job well done.”

Showcasing End-to-End Solutions for Teams

Poly will also showcase its industry-leading voice, headset and service offerings to support Teams at Microsoft Ignite in the Poly booth (#2349):

The Poly CCX Series – Poly’s native Teams phones, are sleek business desk phones that combine a native Teams solution with premium voice quality. Three models, the CCX 400, CCX 500 and CCX 600, integrate Teams contact lists, calendar, and meetings. The CCX 400 delivers a cost-effective native Teams experience for the cost-conscious end-user, while the more premium CCX 500 and CCX 600 models power productivity with Poly HD Voice, Bluetooth, and intuitive color touch displays. The CCX 600 features a larger seven-inch display and integrated 802.11 Wi-Fi support. The CCX 500 is available in December 2019 and the CCX 400 and CCX 600 will be available in January 2020.

The Calisto 3200 optimized for Teams – Announced today, Poly’s first native Teams personal speakerphone allows you to take conference calls anywhere. This plug-and-play portable speakerphone features 360-degree audio for outstanding sound no matter where you are working. The single touch of a button invokes the Teams app on a PC and makes for easy communication and collaboration. Available December 2019.

Voyager Office Series optimized for Teams – Poly will preview a new version of its highly popular Voyager 4200 and Voyager 5200 products for in-office mobile professionals seeking versatile connectivity options to desk phone, smartphone or computer. Available December 2019.

Poly Managed Service for Teams – Poly has introduced Poly Managed Service for Teams. The hosted service aims to accelerate Teams adoption in enterprises worldwide with a range of managed services to support enterprises on their entire Teams journey. These services include identifying the most effective way for customers to migrate from legacy platforms, to Teams, the provisioning of endpoints and licenses, the end-to-end deployment of Teams, adoption, training and change management, as part of the ongoing managed service. This Managed Service can work in conjunction with Microsoft’s calling plan or any Direct Route service offer. Available now.

Poly will preview the Studio X Series for Teams at Microsoft Ignite. Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50 will be priced at $2,199 and $3,499 respectively, including the Poly TC8. The Poly Studio X Series will be available for pre-order in November with general availability in North America, Europe and select countries by December 2019. Native support on Teams will be available in 2020.

Panasonic has launched a new series of LCD laser projectors, with the PT-MZ16K range specifically designed to reduce the AV managers workload in businesses and universitie with simplified set-up, maintenance free operation, and countermeasures which mitigate the impact of technical faults.

NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS INTRODUCES NEW PE SERIES OF LASER LCD ENTRY-INSTALLATION PROJECTORS

The What: NEC Display Solutions of America has announced its new PE Series of entry-installation laser projectors, bringing 4,500 lumens, and advanced features like filter-free, maintenance-free design and ultra-quiet operation.

The What Else: The PE455WL and PE455UL both feature NEC’s patented sealed optical system that allows for a filter free design and results in what NEC calls “the only truly no-maintenance LCD laser projector in its class.”  While typical projectors in this range generate an average of more than 30 decibels, the PE455WL and PE455UL will generate just 24 decibels of noise in normal mode. This makes it ideal for higher education classrooms, conference rooms and other locations where a large, high-quality image is needed with as few noise distractions as possible, according to the company.

“In response to customer demand, we’ve expanded our entry installation laser projector lineup with the new PE Series to provide a low-maintenance and flexible solution for projector replacements or new installations in a wider variety of markets,” said Ryan Pitterle, product manager, NEC Display Solutions. “With advanced features like a sealed optical engine, extremely quiet operation, lens shift and 4K-ready processing, the PE Series is ideal for K-12 and higher education classrooms, as well as conference rooms or anywhere a large image is needed. The new PE Series models will be NEC’s most affordable laser projectors to date.”

The PE455WL features WXGA 1280×800 resolution, while the PE455UL projects a native WUXGA 1920×1200 image. The 4,500-lumen brightness enables both PE Series projectors to deliver large, clear, and dynamic images in medium to high ambient light situations, making this ideal for presentation applications in classrooms and conference rooms. In addition, the laser light source offers a minimum of 20,000 hours of reliable life, which combined with its filter-free and low maintenance design, lowers its total cost of ownership.

NEC says additional advanced features include:

– LCD technology for brilliant colors

– Manual horizontal and vertical lens shift for easier installations

– 1.6x zoom lens for flexible placement

– Quick start-up and shut-down

– LAN port for network control and asset management

– Optional Wireless Module (NP05LM1) with MultiPresenter capability for up to 16 simultaneous connections.

– Constant Brightness Mode for consistent light output for the life of the projector

 

“The Eagle has landed. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Those were the first words spoken by Neil Armstrong following the moon landing on 21^st July 1969. The sentences – which have gone down in history – were heard around the globe thanks to a headset from communications company Poly (formerly Plantronics and Polycom), a momentous achievement the company celebrated at an event to mark the 50^thanniversary of the moon landing.

Held at The Science Museum in London, the event provided the perfect showcase for a replica of the Plantronics MS50 headset used in the Snoopy cap which is now on display at a special exhibition in the Exploring Space Gallery.

Poly’s role in space successes

Paul Clark, senior VP at Poly, gave an insight into the company’s innovation story and their involvement in the first moon landing as they look at the future of comms.

“The Apollo 11 landing was not only a momentous event in space history, but a pivotal moment for Poly,” he said. “Through our focus on research and development we are developing world-leading communication technologies that power human connection and collaboration — ideal for those who also carry out their own mission-critical tasks in their daily lives.”

Many technological challenges had to be addressed leading up to the mission to the moon. Never before had humans communicated or collaborated from so far a distance.

“Technology enabled that human connection during the first moon landing when those first words were transmitted back to Earth,” Clark added. “This was sorely tested a few years later during the Apollo 13 space mission with the words ‘Houston, we have a problem.’ A life or death situation that became testament to the power of crisp, clear communications, enabling dispersed groups to come together to solve complex problems.”

Poly has made a significant contribution to the technology that has enabled that crisp, clear and natural communication. The company’s headsets are used in many applications outside of aviation – mission critical, military, emergency services, police, customer services, marketing – with the products moving from mission critical to business critical applications.

“Poly was also the first headset manufacturer to join the Bluetooth consortium when it was launched. Yann Cheri, the inventor or Bluetooth was actually a Poly employee,” he said.

Mission-critical communications and extensive R&D

“Our unique heritage in mission-critical communication has laid the foundation for the technology we bring to market today. Poly’s focus on innovation is empowering people across the world by creating amazing ways for them to hear, see, work and collaborate in today’s increasingly digital world,” Amy Barzdukas, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Poly said, taking to the stage.

The Plantronics MS50 headset was initially supplied to commercial airline pilots in 1962 before being implanted into an astronaut’s helmet by Pacific Plantronics (now Plantronics Inc.). It took only 11 days for the team and NASA to create a working microphone design, including noise-cancelling features, and it was used throughout the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions.

The Plantronics MS50 commercial aviation headset has been used by pilots for over 40 years and, with approval by the Federal Aviation Administration, a modified version was developed for air-traffic controllers. Since then, Poly has developed a full range of consumer and business communication products and its headsets, desk phones, and audio and video conferencing solutions are used worldwide.

Poly believes introducing high-end video and audio into small huddle spaces is important. Poly’s Brian Phillips tells Zoe Mutter how its latest release – Poly Studio – optimises collaboration in the working environments of enterprises of any size and with varying budgets.

The open office arrived with so much promise, with goals of improving spontaneous collaboration and enabling deeper connections with colleagues. However, the reality is that it’s also loud and full of distractions, which is impacting business efficiency, according to Brian Phillips, senior manager, product marketing. group solutions, Poly. “As a result, today’s open office spaces have started to see an explosion of smaller meeting spaces and huddle rooms as enterprises realise the value of spontaneous, creative environments that enhance close collaboration in small teams.

“Huddle rooms are gaining in popularity, but out of an estimated 32 million huddle rooms globally, only 2% include solutions for video conferencing. There is a huge opportunity for organisations to bring high-end audio and video into the small meeting space, increasing productivity and enabling a better use of limited and expensive office space.”

Poly Studio plug-and-play video bar has been introduced to meet this demand for HD audio and video capabilities in smaller spaces, creating a productive environment that does not require a sizeable installation of technology. Designed with the modern office in mind, it aims to transform small meeting spaces into collaborative huddle rooms that offer the power of a large conference room. Workers can hear, see, work and collaborate at the touch of a button and connect from multiple video platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, GoToMeeting and Cisco Webex.

Video features include a 4K resolution and 5x electronic zoom camera and automatic group framing that focuses on speaking participants, adjusting the view if people enter and leave the room so everyone talking can be seen clearly. Intelligent features such as Poly NoiseBlock and Acoustic fence technologies can automatically mute and remove distracting background noises and other unwanted sounds to improve call quality.

“No matter where people are or what device they are using, workers can connect to any voice call or video meeting with ease, regardless of the different video and collaboration tools customers, partners and other organisations use, for ultimate productivity,” says Phillips. “Our customers are seeing the value in bringing a richer, more immersive experience to their huddle rooms and centralised manageability is enabling them to expand video to new spaces they hadn’t thought possible.”

Poly plans to add new capabilities to Studio through software updates as well as release complementary future solutions to enhance the room experience and enable IT to capture analytics that measure the use and effectiveness of their rooms to further optimise their investment in collaboration technology. The company is already developing the technologies with new integrations such as Google Voice and Alexa for Business that open up possibilities such as voice activation of tasks and AI setting up the call for a meeting.

LONG BEACH, Calif., May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Epson, the number one projector manufacturer in the world¹ today, announced its most advanced 4K home theater projector to date – the Pro Cinema 6050UB 4K PRO-UHD^®2 – designed to deliver an immersive 4K experience. Engineered for the discerning home theater enthusiast, the Pro Cinema 6050UB offers 2,600 lumens of equal color and white brightness³, HDR10⁴, and Epson UltraBlack™ technology to display incredible brightness, color accuracy, and image detail in both bright and dark scenes. Leveraging a full 10-bit color output, along with cutting-edge digital technology, advanced lens capabilities and HDR support, the new Pro Cinema 6050UB delivers detailed, crystal-clear images with an incredible range of color to faithfully display content the way it was meant to be seen.

“Setting the bar with color precision and delivery of immersive 4K content, the Epson Pro Cinema 6050UB offers a level of performance that challenges comparable projectors currently available on the market,” said Rodrigo Catalan, senior product manager, Projectors, Epson America. “Equipped with proprietary processors for resolution enhancement, HDR, and image processing, the Pro Cinema 6050UB delivers life-like detail in every scene for an unforgettable home theater viewing experience.”

Powered by Epson’s 4K PRO-UHD² resolution enhancement technology, an advanced, high performance optical engine that generates high color and white brightness, color accuracy, and dramatic contrast with HDR10⁴, the Pro Cinema 6050UB fully supports 4K HDR content at a full 60Hz for outstanding display of the latest 4K HDR content and next-generation gaming hardware. In addition, by offering a dynamic contrast ratio up to 1,200,000:1, a wide color gamut displaying the entire DCI-P3 color space⁵, and Epson’s proprietary 15-element glass VRX projection lens designed for zero light leakage, the Pro Cinema 6050UB delivers truly professional-level projection performance.

More About the Pro Cinema 6050UB
Without sacrificing brightness or color, the Pro Cinema 6050UB offers exceptional installation flexibility with a wide lens shift of up to ±96 percent on the vertical axis and up to ±47 percent on the horizontal axis. For extremely accurate color reproduction, the new projector features low Delta E and includes ISF-certified calibration tools. Plus, with Epson’s advanced 3-chip, 3LCD technology, the projectors display images free from any distracting rainbow effect or white segments. The Pro Cinema 6050UB includes a robust set of features designed to deliver a powerful 4K experience:

• 4K PRO-UHD² Projection Technology – A new type of 4K home theater experience utilizing advanced processing technologies for resolution enhancement, color, and image processing – resulting in an exceptional 4K home theater experience
• True 3-Chip Projector Design – Advanced 3LCD technology displays 100 percent of the RGB color signal for every frame. This ensures outstanding color gamut while maintaining excellent brightness, without any “rainbowing” or “color brightness” issues typical of other projector technologies
• Unique S2 Pixel-Shift Processor² – Advanced pixel-shifting processor precisely controls three individual high-definition LCD chips. This new type of resolution enhancement technology results in an exceptionally sharp 4K visual experience
• Precise H2 HDR Processor – Full 10-bit HDR⁴ color processing accepting 100 percent of the HDR source information to faithfully reproduce HDR content for an exceptional visual performance
• Powerful ZX Digital Imaging Processor – Realtime 12-bit analog-to-digital video processing for smooth tonal transitions, while helping to eliminate banding, blocking, and other compression artifacts from the final visual performance. This powerful processor faithfully reproduces the source material the way it was intended to be shown
• Outstanding Brightness – Capable of displaying 4K content at an incredible 2,600 lumens for both color and white brightness³. This not only provides for a wider performance envelope but allows for an exceptional HDR performance
• Epson UltraBlack™ Technology – Epson created a Proprietary Compensation Filter that is designed to control the polarization of light itself. This allows Epson to suppress any light leakage within the signal, producing an outstanding Dynamic Contrast ratio of 1,200,000:1
• Precision HDR Adjustment – Realtime HDR curve adjustment allowing for 16-steps of control to fine-tune the HDR performance – regardless of the content
• Extreme Color Gamut – One of the first commercially available home theater projectors capable of displaying the full three-dimensional DCI-P3⁵ color space. This extreme color performance is 50 percent wider than typical Rec. 709 projectors and allows for a truly professional-level of color accuracy
• Epson VRX Lens Technology – Designed for zero light leakage, all Epson VRX Lenses utilize a proprietary 15-element precision glass structure for outstanding image clarity and edge-to-edge focus uniformity
• 3-Axis Motorized Lens – After installation, you can shift the lens up to 96 percent up or down on the vertical axis and up to 47 percent left or right on the horizontal axis. You can also set the zoom and focus, then store all the settings in one of ten lens memory presets
• HDMI 2.0 Support – Fully compatible with virtually all color formats, depths, and spaces while simultaneously supporting 4K HDR content at a full 60 Hz. This allows for outstanding compatibility with the latest 4K HDR content and next-generation gaming hardware