A Fantastic Milestone Year at InfoComm

Posted on 6/30/2015 by Chief Team

The temperature may have been hot in Orlando, but inside, the Da-Lite crew kept it cool at InfoComm with their Parallax sunglasses. Chief supplied caffeine to help things buzz along for three days of tradeshow exploration.

We loved seeing AV Professionals all over the floor checking out the latest from Chief and Da-Lite, attending training sessions, and even rocking out at the Drunk Unkles concert. In case you are suffering the post-show blues or can’t remember the awesome products you saw for the first time, keep reading for a refresher.

New Site. New Milestone.

You’re on it. The new Milestone website that brings Da-Lite and Chief together to be easier to work with. This new site provides one place to specify, price, order and track. When you log in, you will be notified immediately of any issues with an order, what the issue is and how it is being resolved. You can find product status, pricing, availability and more.

New AV Solutions from Chief

The surprise solution Chief brought to InfoComm was the new Fusion accessory that adds Da-Lite Viewshare technology to a flat panel mount. Great for huddle rooms, the solution is compatible with any free peer-to-peer video conferencing software via a USB connection. The accessory comes with an HD camera, Microsoft certified speaker and everything else you need for a complete VC solution.

Chief has designed a new suspended ceiling projector system that cuts install time by one third. The SYSAU comes with an adjustable ceiling plate to accommodate above or below tile placement and inconsistent T-grids. Tool-free Microzone™ adjustment with positive drive keeps projectors in place once set. The new SYSAU Suspended Ceiling Mounting System from Chief won the Commercial Integrator Best Awards for Projector Mount.

Chief launched the new modular, knock-down rack, to give installers a versatile, easy to assemble solution. The S2 series comes in 15U or 20U and can be used for freestanding, wall mounted, swing arm mounted, stacked or added to furniture. It ships by UPS and assembles in less than 5 minutes.

Chief added Fusion menu board wall mounts that leverage the ceiling menu board solution as a foundation. The wall mounts use a single horizontal extrusion with depth adjustment to align screens quickly. These will be available later in 2015. The Fusion Menu Board Wall Mounts were named a winner of the InfoComm Digital Signage Best of Show Awards.

We’ve got the power! A new partnership with Ametek and Milestone means a new line of power protected infrastructure solutions exclusive to the Chief brand. Simplified, one-SKU ordering brings power integration to the AV side of the install business. The initial offering combines Ametek's non-sacrificial surge protection technology power and filtering with six Chief products.

Debuting in 2014, but eligible for this year’s awards, Chief’s ConnexSys Video Wall Mounting System earned the Most Innovative Mounting Solution from the SCN/InfoComm Installation Product Awards.

Da-Lite’s Latest Solutions

Da-Lite had two new ambient light rejecting surfaces with Parallax 0.8 and Parallax UST 0.45, which won an AV Technology Best of Show Award. Parallax is made up of multiple micro-layers to achieve its light blocking properties and superior viewing angles. Parallax 0.8 is for standard throw projectors and Parallax UST 0.45 is for ultra short-throw projectors. Both products are flexible, shipping in a roll, and feature speckle and glare-free surfaces as well as extremely wide viewing angles of 85 degrees and 80 degrees respectively.

The Da-Lite booth signage featured a 28 ft. Series 300 conical cylinder featuring HD Progressive and a six projector blend. The solution was created at the Da-Lite Design Center, a service that can take an idea and make it a reality.

When installing in large venues, ballrooms or architecturally appealing rooms, consider the new Wireline Advantage from Da-Lite as an aesthetic solution to this design challenge. It uses thin steel cables instead of black drop to lower the viewing area to an appropriate height for the audience. The solution features cable lengths up to 29 feet and will be available to order in November, 2015.

Also in the booth was the new Da-Plex Semi-Rigid, a rear projection screen that ships in a roll for ease of handling, transportation and installation. The product is highly customizable in size, coating and curve radius options. This solution will be available to order in November 2015.

It’s been a busy year for Chief and Da-Lite in creating the latest solutions for installation challenges. Both brands were recognized with Rave Readers Choice Awards, Da-Lite for Favorite Projection Screen Manufacturer and Chief for Favorite Mount Manufacturer.

Be sure to contact your sales rep for more info on any of our new solutions!