MCM Productions is a fully equipped agency that offers ‘creative business communications’ in events, video, broadcast and graphics and produce high quality communication tools.

The company recently announced the acquisition of leading Southampton-based, AV and technical production company Lite Relief, as a new division within its business.

MCM’s client base boasts John Lewis, Royal Bank of Scotland, Warburtons and Mothercare. The acquisition of Lite Relief comes with a large store of AV equipment, warehouse space and an existing client portfolio including Southampton FC, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Hampshire Cricket Club.

Lite Relief has so far operated two distinct services:  Audio Visual and Technical Solutions to the corporate sector across the South Coast, as well as renting specialist and general AV equipment to local businesses and theatre companies.

MCM’s southern office will manage the entire AV, technical, design and production stock and be operationally managed by two newly created positions which will support all areas of the business – from corporate clients through to smaller, local businesses.

Neil Crespin, Managing Director of mcm Productions, said of the purchase:

 “Meeting the demands of delivering tangible and successful results for clients in an increasingly competitive market has never been more challenging.  Lite Relief has been a long term supplier to mcm, and this strategic acquisition strengthens our position in the market place at both a local, national and European level.”

This from Afterdawn

On Thursday the European Parliament passed the Audiovisual Directive, which addresses issues of regulating video transmissions in a way that’s consistent throughout the European Union.

Besides standardizing laws across national borders, the “Audiovisual Media Services Without Frontiers Directive” is intended to establish a unified set of rules that will apply whether video is being transmitted as a traditional over the air (OTA) signal, an IPTV stream across the internet, or anything in between the two extremes.

Full article here:

And one from The Register for good measure!

Polycom Inc. today announced that the new award winning SoundStructure(TM) series are now available to customers in North America, Europe and parts of Asia. Boasting to be the first installed audio solutions for voice and video conferencing applications delivering truly immersive sound quality, the series also provides “breakthrough” sound quality for conference rooms, classrooms, customized meeting rooms and telepresence environments.

“The SoundStructure will provide us with the missing link we need in broadcasting our music performances and Master Classes in a video conference setting,” said James Sizemore, Audio Engineer/Sound Designer at the Manhattan School of Music. “With its individual input channel acoustic echo cancellation, microphone preamps, dynamic processors, and robust routing and wiring features, the SoundStructure provides us with all the audio tools necessary for a professional mixing and broadcasting system.”

SoundStructure has been recognized by three audio/visual (AV) industry publications as one of the best products of InfoComm:

–rAVe – a prominent AV consultant’s biweekly online
newsletter, named SoundStructure the “Best New Conferencing System
Product” at InfoComm. In announcing the award, Kayye stated “It’s an HD
audio system (22 kHz) that truly sounds like you’re all in the same
room when you’re talking on it — you can’t even tell you’re in an
audio conference.”

– Pro AV magazine included SoundStructure in its “InfoComm Hot Products”
list, stating “Full-frequency sound and full-stereo echo cancellation
contribute to what Polycom calls an ‘immersive audio experience,’ which
will provide superior audio to any voice-only teleconference and is the
perfect audio complement to a high-definition videoconference.”

– Sound & Video Contractor magazine named SoundStructure a “Pick Hit” of
InfoComm. To be named a Pick Hit, the magazine said, a product “must be
technologically innovative, designed to help systems contractors offer
more to their clients, while making their own jobs easier.”
More details here if you can ignore the punctuation

Munich now boasts a brand new pile of glass held up by some steel. It looks pretty cool.

But whats inside is much better. No, not the restaurants or the Junior Campus for children. It’s a multipurpose events forum – a “media dome of light and sound”.

BMW-Welt

Stagetec have whacked in a 48 fader Aurus desk and gone with Meyer to move some air, dude.

Iron Mountain Incorporated has announced its acquisition of Xepa Digital, LLP (A specialist in high quality audio conversion, archiving and distribution).

Jeff Anthony, VP of Iron Mountain:

“In particular, both companies understand the need for the secure preservation of irreplaceable media assets specific to the entertainment industry. Entertainment customers will have peace of mind knowing that their valuable assets will never have to leave the Iron Mountain facility for digital transfer and, therefore, won’t be subject to potential loss or damage.”

Audiotechnews also wants to hear from anyone who could have come up with a better headline for that story.

chrisilett@gmail.com