Barco Newsroom

Smart, efficient imaging at Fletcher Allen Health Care

Barco — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:46:00 +0100

One of Barco’s long-time medical display customers shares our passion for optimizing workflow in the radiology reading room. Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont, USA boasts one of the lowest per capita imaging utilization rates in the country, according to Health Imaging magazine.

In addition to leveraging the multi-modality viewing capabilities of Barco’s Coronis Fusion 6MP DL medical display to enhance image accuracy and reading speed, Fletcher Allen is taking steps to curb utilization and equip its radiologists with tools to reduce over-utilization. FACH employs a sophisticated EHR system which provides a complete record of prior tests and imaging studies for reference, while encouraging its radiologists to cultivate strong relationships with referring physicians to facilitate collaboration.

To read the Fletcher Allen Health Care spotlight in Health Imaging's "The Future of Radiology" cover story, click here.

New projectors promise to light up theatrical experience

Barco — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:22:00 +0100

On Monday, while most of us are focused on announcements of the newest gadgets in the run-up to the Consumer Electronics Show, technologists gathered in Galveston, Texas, for the Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium will see a major public demonstration of a laser-driven movie projector.

"What people will see in Galveston is the brightest projector on the planet for digital cinema," said Todd Hoddick, VP of entertainment, North America, for Barco.

It's a Barco projector, so Hoddick can't be blamed for a little bragging. He said the laser projector will deliver 14 foot lamberts of brightness across a 70-foot screen.

"The objective for us in showing the laser projector," says Hoddick, "is to help people understand the technology and where laser projection is at right now and begin a dialogue about what people are interested in seeing from laser."

- David S. Cohen

Read the full article here

Com Va La Vida: A dazzling TV show with a dynamic video display

Barco — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:36:00 +0100

Can we still be happy in this 21st century? That was the key question of Com Va La Vida? (‘How is life?’), a two-part talk show on Spain’s TV3 - the main channel of Catalan public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya. To make the show a true success, the broadcaster wanted it to be an interactive and visually stunning happening. Barco rental partner Area Técnica suggested using three Barco FLM 20K HD projectors to turn the décor into a 100m2 dynamic video display. The projectors’ image quality (full HD), low noise levels and remote control possibilities impressed everyone.

Barco unveils large screen breakthroughs

Barco — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:59:00 +0100

The 2nd Annual Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium took place Monday-Tuesday at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. Barco, teaming with museum cinema integration company D3D Cinema, was the event’s host, and Barco–as much of the electronics industry played with gadgets at CES in Vegas– unveiled some impressive large-screen milestones in Galveston, during the two-day event. The event also included presentations by Doremi, Qube, and other providers.

In demos for an audience of select reporters, theater owners, integrators, consultants, and analysts, Barco demo’d its Enhanced 4K DLP Cinema 3D offering, Auro-3D multi-channel three dimensional audio system, and a new prototype Laser projector.

But certainly the most dramatic demo at the Digital Cinema Symposium was Barco’s showing of a prototype Laser projector. How many “prototype” demos have I seen, over the years, of new projection technology? Too many to count, and typically demos are done in smallish, darker-than-the-inside-of-a-cow rooms, and showing material that avoids things like skin tone. Not so this demo. I was very impressed.

Although Todd Hoddick, Vice President Entertainment, North America, at Barco, prefaced the demo by asking the audience to bear with any glitches in the prototype demo, I can report that the admonition was totally unnecessary. The audience saw a stunning display on a massive screen (about 80 ft. wide at least), with a light output they have never seen anywhere. 600 watts of laser light into the 4K DLP (with a 1.38 inch chip), super high contrast, with amazingly uniform light output to the last inch of every corner of the screen. And although Hoddick explained that the “de-speckling” necessary for the laser-produced image still had a bit more to go in development (speckle is the introduction of image artifacts resulting from the interference of narrow bandwidth light), Barco did an amazing job of eliminating the speckle. Clips from “Pulse” (upcoming movie release from the producers of the Broadway hit “Stomp”) and from original 4K material shot with a Red 4K camera, projected onto the massive Harkness screen, were stunning. It’s impossible to describe the combined, synergistic effect of simultaneous very high light output (55K ANSI Lumens), higher contrast, and 4K resolution.

- David Keene

Read the full article here

Painting a compelling PACS picture for NIMHANS

Barco — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:04:00 +0100

NIMHANS is a multidisciplinary institute for patient care and academic pursuit in the neuroscience field, located in Bangalore, India. The institute proudly aims to set new quality standards, for a better service to its patients.

When NIMHANS decided to upgrade its PACS system, replacing the less reliable CRT monitors, Barco came up with the perfect solution. The new Barco workstations comprise a Coronis 3MP system flanked by an MDRC-2124 clinical review display. The displays offer a consistent image quality, thus enabling neurologists to make a precise diagnosis.

Barco continues to support Berlinale with digital screenings

Barco — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:06:00 +0100

For the 7^th consecutive time, the Berlinale has partnered with Barco for its digital screenings. Starting today, the film festival attracts a staggering number of industry professionals and movie fans to the German capital. It presents about 400 films every year, mostly international or European premieres.

The film festival is a highlight on the European cultural calendar and is one of the most important dates for the international film industry. To support the Berlinale with its digital screenings, which become more important every year, Barco has supplied eleven digital cinema projectors from the DP2K and DP4K range, along with crew to support the hectic screening schedule.

The Berlin International Film Festival takes place from 9 - 19 February in cinemas throughout Berlin. Barco installed digital cinema projectors at the Berlinale-Palast, Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Cubix 1, CinemaxX 10, Delphi Filmpalast, Friedrichstadtpalast, Film-Office, CinemaxX 2 and Berlinale Screeningroom.

HDX three-chip DLP event projectors win InAVation Award

Barco — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:46:00 +0100

Every year at ISE, the InAVation Awards recognize all that is excellent in EMEA's AV systems integration market in both technology and installation. InAVate has honored Barco with an award for the 'Most InAVative Commercial Projectors' for its HDX series of three-chip DLP projectors.

Barco's HDX family consists of three members: HDX-W12 (12,000 lumens), HDX-W14 (14,000 lumens) and HDX-W18 (17,500 lumens). The high brightness HDX projectors combine full source flexibility with ImagePRO scaling capabilities. Thanks to their Xenon illumination and their high contrast optical engine these three-chip DLP projectors reproduce rich colors, presenting audiences with crisp and vivid images on every occasion. What’s more, the simple user interface allows you to set up the projector in no time. Finally, the HDX offers easy control through smartphones and tablet computers.

Thanks to all for voting!

Video: The brightest projector on the planet

Barco — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0100

“What our customers want now more than anything is brightness. That’s what improves the user experience right now in 3D,” said Todd Hoddick, VP Entertainment for Barco North America. “The key is to drive the combination of brightness and light levels up, while driving total cost of ownership down. Laser is going to help us make our customers more profitable and give them choices in content. Most importantly, it addresses the most important and frequent request we get, ‘Can you give us more light output?’ What we’ve proven today is a resounding ‘yes, we can.’

Barco projector breathes new life into iconic Hollywood theater

Barco — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:12:00 +0100

When the beloved film program of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) was threatened with cancellation in 2009, a groundswell of support arose from the film community, including Hollywood luminaries like Clint Eastwood. The program was rejuvenated in 2011 through the collaboration with the non-profit Film Independent, led by Elvis Mitchell. In a display of generosity and Barco’s continued commitment to the motion picture industry, Barco stepped in with the gift of a state-of-the art digital cinema projector to bring the 46-year-old Bing Theater into the twenty-first century.

Barco’s donation is enabling LACMA to offer a more modernized movie series and evolve its cinema offerings to begin building a higher profile, appealing to a younger audience while still satisfying the entertainment tastes of its loyal patrons. “Film Independent at LACMA” kicked off recently with the premiere of Johnny Depp’s “The Rum Diary,” a showing of “Martha Marcy May Marlene” from 2011’s Sundance Film Festival, and several International film classics. Barco is proud to support LACMA’s film offerings with its DLP Cinema® projector. Featuring efficient optics and a smart, modular design, Barco’s family of projectors offer the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry. Photo copyright 2012 Museum Associates/LACMA.

Ever wonder how airplanes flying overhead really sound?

Barco — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:46:00 +0100

'Red Tails' - George Lucas' film on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American combat pilots during World War II – is the first movie ever mixed in Barco's revolutionary 3D sound format for cinema: Auro-3D 11.1. Thanks to Auro-3D, the air combat scenes and the sound of airplanes flying overhead in 'Red Tails' will be more realistic and this will surely boost the overall cinema experience of moviegoers.

Watch the exclusive interviews with Matthew Wood, supervising sound editor for 'Red Tails', and David Acord, sound re-recording mixer for 'Red Tails', and discover all the ins and outs of mixing 'Red Tails' in Auro-3D 11.1.

Premiere Cinemas applauds Barco's laser projector technology

Barco — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:34:00 +0100

At the second annual Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium, Premiere Cinemas VP of Cinema Operations Joel Davis attended the first demonstration of Barco’s revolutionary laser projector on a giant screen, remarking “the contrast ratio on the screen and full brightness are unbelievable.”

Premiere Cinemas is one of the largest independent theater circuits in the United States. Its mission statement is simple: do everything possible to make the movie-going experience fun and enjoyable by taking care of every guest personally. As a cinema developer and operator, Premiere maintains more than 20 locations throughout Texas.

Passionate Barco support for passionate healthcare in India

Barco — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:54:00 +0100

Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) is a 700-bed multidisciplinary, super-specialty hospital located in Coimbatore, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Over the past few years, the hospital has combined its steady growth with sizeable investments in state-of-the art technology. A variety of Barco display systems now form the visualization backbone of a brand-new PACS system. A system that brings better care and service to KMCH’s many patients!

The KMCH staff are very excited about working with the Coronis Fusion 6MP DL systems. They display every kind of image modality for prompt diagnosis by 20 radiologists and 8 cardiologists. Dr. Mathew Cherian comments: “The Coronis displays allow us to perfectly perform highly complex, post-process functions. We get wonderful 3D, grayscale and color images. Simply put: these screens can do anything.”

Read the full story on the reference page for more info.

Barco offers glimpse of world's brightest laser projector

Barco — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:32:00 +0100

There’s bright, then there’s record-breaking bright. Barco already owns the world record for brightest projector, setting that mark at 43,000 ANSI lumens in 2010. With its newest prototype, it could blow that mark away with 55,000 ANSI lumens.

Attendees at the second annual Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium in Galveston, Texas, Monday got a sneak preview of the projector, which won’t be commercially available for up to three years, and it’s easy to see why Barco staffers are so excited about the laser-generated images, especially after seeing how deep and rich it makes red and blue, to name a couple of colors.

Todd Hoddick, vice president of Barco’s North American entertainment division, and product manager Bram Diercyckx, talked about the benefits and challenges associated with laser projection Monday afternoon, sprinkling in video clips to display the brightness of the new 600-watt laser light prototype (8,000 total watts) with 100-foot throw and showing off the 1.38 4K DLP projector on a 25-foot high by 70-foot tall Harkness Unity screen.

D. Craig MacCormack

Read the full article here

Barco ready to impress visitors at the Ghent Light Festival

Barco — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0100

Today is the beginning the second edition of the Ghent Light Festival, Belgium. From 26 to 29 January, 29 light art installations are taking over the city center. Last year, the free event attracted no less than 200,000 visitors. For this year’s edition, Barco sponsored the Perspective Lyrique installation, an interactive presentation on the facade of the Bishop House.

Visitors can see Barco projectors at work on the following installations: On dirait que… , Gossip, Mr Beam, Facebooksteeg, Perspective Lyrique, Human Tiles, Les Incongruités and Radio Soulwax.

More information: www.lichtfestivalgent.be

Cinergy Cinemas impressed by laser projection experience on a giant screen at Moody Gardens

Barco — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:20:00 +0100

Cinergy Cinemas CEO Jeff Benson recently attended the Moody Gardens Digital Cinemas Symposium, and after experiencing Barco’s laser projector technology showcase, he commented, “This was the brightest image I’ve ever seen on a screen that size – Really impressive!”

Cinergy Cinemas is owned by successful entrepreneurs, Jeff and Jamie Benson. The Bensons used their vast operational knowledge of both traditional cinemas as well as movie grills when creating the Cinegy Cinemas concept. Cinergy Cinemas theaters are the first-of-its-kind in this hybrid class of cinema eateries/family entertainment center.

Barco customers support our medical displays at RSNA 2011

Barco — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:10:00 +0100

"Color monitors are the way forward for viewing diagnostic images. The Coronis Fusion 6MP DL was the only option for us,” said Sharron Dyce, PACS Manager of The Royal Liverpool Hospital, while attending the 2011 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference. The show was a huge success for Barco, evidenced by the many positive comments received from our customers and partners.

(Photo L-R): Sharron Dyce, PACS Manager, The Royal Liverpool Hospital; Hilary Hewitt, Acting Divisional General Manager, Core Clinical and Support Services, The Royal Liverpool Hospital; and Scott Wilson, Sales Manager, UK & Ireland, Barco Healthcare Division).

In addition to the Coronis Fusion family featuring Barco's flagship Coronis Fusion 6MP DL, Barco also demonstrated our new Mammo Tomosynthesis 5MP for digital breast imaging, the most advanced medical display in the world. As Dr. Eric Hart of the Northwestern Medical Facility Foundation noted, “I prefer to read on Barco’s 5MP displays. Besides brightness and resolution, they pay attention to the details that make a difference.”

Michael Racenstein MD, FACR Department Chairman, Alexian Brothers Medical Center and Medical Director, Women's Imaging, Alexian Brothers Breast Care Center with Patricia Ang, National Women’s Health Specialist at Barco Healthcare.

Anders Granlund, Product Manager, Breast Imaging IT at Sectra, and Ulf Almersson, Business Development Manager, Medical Nordic of Barco, in front of the Barco Mammo Tomosynthesis 5MP in the Sectra booth at RSNA 2011.

Image processing just got simpler again

Barco — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:07:00 +0100

ImagePRO-II is an advanced high performance all-in-one video scaler, scan converter, switcher and transcoder converting any input signal format to any output format. With ImagePRO-II, signal converting, switching and scaling just got simpler again.

Drawing from its predecessor, ImagePRO, the ImagePRO-II maintains the legendary look, feel and operational ease of use professionals have grown to trust but it adds even more functionalities:

Higher resolution for better image quality
More interfacing options
Easy sizing and scaling
Always an optimal signal to work with
Protected content playout
Simple save and store via USB
Swift remote control via web page
Automatic output configuration
Online software management
Easy replacement of DVI connectors
Built-in video effects (invert, monochrome, flip)
Custom video formats

Ford Motor Company upgrades VIRTTEX simulator to test collision avoidance system

Barco — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:17:00 +0100

Developed nearly 10 years ago to assess in-car distractions from driver cell phone usage, Ford Motor Company recently upgraded its VIRTTEX Simulator with Barco SIM 7Q projectors, providing extremely realistic car-driver simulation to assist in Ford's development of a collision avoidance system.

The Virtual Test Track Experiment (VIRTTEX) simulator combines Barco's high-fidelity projectors with Blue Newt Software's image generation and software development tool kits to provide enhanced image rendering capabilities for use in testing “active safety” features for its automobiles. The active safety driver assistance system will be designed to alert vehicle operators of an imminent collision. The simulator will test a variety of visual, auditory, and haptic (tactile) signals proposed as part of an early warning system, capturing driver behavior data from experiments to determine which types of alerts elicit the quickest responses.

The VIRTTEX simulator features a spherical dome mounted on a hydraulic system to duplicate vehicle movement. Seven Barco SIM 7Q QXGA LCoS projectors comprise a display system that covers a 360-degree horizontal and 45-degree vertical field-of-view (FOV), mounted to a mechanical structure on the Ford motion base. The projectors surround the driver to display scenery, terrain, and varioutraffic situations synched to the test car's acceleration, braking and steering functions.

Industry-first, premium screen technologies showcased at Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium

Barco — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:56:00 +0100

On January 9 and 10, Barco and museum cinema integration pioneer D3D Cinema will showcase an unprecedented array of “industry-first” digital cinema technologies at the 2nd Annual Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium in Galveston, Texas. Demonstrations of Barco's large-format, premium screen solution – including Enhanced 4K DLP Cinema® 3D, a comparison of high frame rate movie presentations, Auro-3D multi-channel three dimensional audio system, and other innovations – will be presented to cinema industry experts.

Featuring keynote speaker Douglas Trumbull, legendary filmmaker, visual effects and high frame rate pioneer, to discuss “The Cinema of the Future,” the Symposium marks the first occasion in which all of these next-generation technologies will be on display, highlighted by an exclusive presentation of Barco's 4K laser projection technology showcase on a 70-foot movie screen. The full complement of immersive digital cinema innovations driving the future of cinema will include:

The first demonstration of Barco's revolutionary laser projector technology showcase on a giant screen
The first demonstration of true DLP Cinema® Enhanced 4K resolution 3D on a giant screen
The first 3D comparison of “ultra-reality” high frame rate content on a giant screen
The first 4K digital versus 15/70 film shoot out at full 4:3 giant screen aspect ratio
The first Barco giant screen experience in the U.S. integrating 3D sound into a large format film venue

Click here for more information on the 2nd Annual Moody Gardens Digital Cinema Symposium.

Season's greetings from everyone at Barco

Barco — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:21:00 +0100

We wish you and your families happy holidays and a wonderful 2012!

To see our animated e-card and to download your 2012 desktop wallpaper calendars, click here.

Barco and photonics sponsor Belgian charity event Music for Life

Barco — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:59:00 +0100

Every year, Belgian radio station Studio Brussel organizes Music for Life, a charity fund raising show to support the Red Cross. This year’s theme is diarrhea: the main cause of death for children. With the money raised with the show, the Red Cross wants to set up programs for a better access to safe drinking water and promote better hygiene.

During the show, taking place from 17 to 23 December, three radio DJs live in a glass house for 7 days, without food. For this year’s edition, the team will set up glass houses in Antwerp, Ghent and Leuven. A giant glass container will move them from one location to the other.

On Monday 19 December, the glass house crew moves from Leuven to Ghent and passes in Kortrijk for a special live show, supported by local bands and companies. The event takes place at 6pm at the Schouwburgplein in Kortrijk. Barco and Photonics supply a 17 sqm C8v LED display to support the event.

Video: Curtain Call – a new way to see art, powered by Barco’s RLM-W8 projectors

Barco — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:38:00 +0100

"Let's do something round and big," said the Israeli artist/architect Ron Arad when the director of London’s Roundhouse art venue asked to create an installation for the venue's birthday. "Maybe a curtain as tall and as wide as possible?"

It took the ingenuity of a smart design team, the technical expertise of Blitz Communications and 12 Barco RLM-W8 projectors to bring Arad’s design idea to life. The result is Curtain Call - a giant suspended, circular installation made up of 5,600 silicon rods, used as a canvas for films, live performance and audience interaction.

“Playful, original and brilliant,” titled the Observer. “A new way to see art,” said the BBC. And the audience? They loved it!

Smarter, safer air traffic starts on Barco’s LED-lit OL video wall

Barco — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0100

Did you know that one in every two airplanes, worldwide, is brought to the ground safely thanks to an air traffic management system of the Thales group? To support its efforts to make air travel safer, more efficient and greener, the group has recently moved its R&D team to a brand-new Centre for Advanced Studies in Air Traffic Management (CASIA) in Melbourne, Australia.

At the heart of the centre’s innovation lab are eight Barco 50’’ full HD LED-lit OL projection modules (OL-521). Grant Williams, Innovation Manager at CASIA praises the quality, ease-of-use and easy maintainability of the OL-521 modules: “The video wall blows away everyone entering our innovation lab.”

University of Toledo College of Medicine uses VR for next-generation medical training

Barco — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:23:00 +0100

Flying through larger-than-life anatomy isn't science fiction, it's simulation. The University of Toledo College of Medicine is at the forefront of medical simulation with its virtual immersive reality center, employing a Barco I-Space and CADWalls to provide brand new ways for medical students to explore the human body.

Portraying 3D computer images of skeletons, arteries and medical conditions is just one way VR visualization can provide a truly immersive learning experience. The University of Toledo is integrating Barco's solutions into its new "Tri-Center" Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center (IISC) which will include the VR center, a progressive anatomy and surgical skills center, and an advanced slinical simulation center. Real-life medical scenarious, conditions and procedures -- from disaster medical readiness to childbearing -- will be demonstrated in a hands-on, virtual interactive environment using the I-Space and CADWalls to provide the visually sophisticated graphics and models.

Patient care and technology go hand-in-hand at Fletcher Allen

Barco — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:41:00 +0100

Big surprises can come in small packages when it comes to innovations in medical imaging. Although one of the smallest states in the US, Vermont has a sizable reputation for its use of advanced electronic medical records management. Fletcher Allen Health Care relies on hundreds of Barco's medical displays to deliver high-quality healthcare, leveraging the multi-modality capabilities of the Coronis Fusion 6MP DL to enhance clinical performance and workflow efficiency in its radiology department.

George Ebert, MD, PhD, and Chief of Informatics and Imaging Technology at Fletcher Allen praises the Coronis Fusion 6MP DL's vast real estate, crystal clear images, and especially the flexibility it offers to present radiographs in a variety of configurations. "The beauty is that I can configure the screen to show as many images as I want at any time...it's great for dividing an MR study into six images, or launching eight prior studies to follow the progress of a PET scan." The Coronis 6MP's superior color, brightness, contrast and consistency all come into play to deliver high diagnostic accuracy.

Video: DuraLight Nova backlights unveil smallest details in breast tissue

Barco — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:27:00 +0100

Breast screening is challenging partly because of limitations in our ability to see small and subtle objects. Barco’s Mammo Tomosynthesis 5MP comes with brand-new DuraLight Nova backlights, which offer twice the brightness and twice the lifetime of conventional mammography displays, unveiling the most subtle details for enhanced diagnostic confidence.

Double brightness and lifetime
Traditional displays offer a calibrated luminance of 500 cd/m². The DuraLight Nova backlights offer a diagnostic luminance of 1,000 cd/m² for the lifetime of the display. DuraLight Nova has twice the lifetime of traditional backlights – lasting no less than 5 to 7 years. The higher luminance boosts the apparent contrast of clinical images, improving the visibility of small details in breast tissues. In addition, small details that were difficult to see before, are now detectable.

Smooth workflow
The higher luminance also allows you to read your studies in more comfortable room lighting. So no more dark reading rooms and no more eye fatigue. And because small details are more easily detected, you don’t need image manipulation tools as often to see them, which will speed up your workflow.

Watch the video

Smartest projectors on the road finalist for Technology InAVation Awards

Barco — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:10:00 +0100

Barco’s HDX series is currently in the running to get a coveted InAVation Award, a highly prestigious industry accolade that is awarded each year at ISE. And ISE is, as you know, the biggest AV tradeshow of Europe. The HDX series is a finalist in the category ‘Most InAVative Commercial Projector’.

You can help Barco win this award – not only by voting yourself, but also by encouraging your customers, partners and other contacts to vote for Barco’s HDX series. If you know of any success stories that feature the HDX-W12 or HDX-W14 in your area, please let us know so we can build an even stronger bid.

In addition, you can put the attached image in your signature, to keep your contacts aware of the Awards.

Voting closes on Sunday 15th of January, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday 1st February at ISE 2012.

The voting page can be found here.

Calibrate your iPad with MediCal QAWeb Mobile

Barco — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:10:00 +0100

With nearly a quarter of radiologists and 80 percent of physicians using smartphones and mobile devices in their medical practice, the interest in mobile viewing applications is increasing rapidly. That’s why Barco developed MediCal QAWeb Mobile.

Accurate images everywhere
QAWeb Mobile ensures fast visual calibration in just eight steps and offers a Visual Confidence Test, featuring up to 20 dynamic test patterns. The settings can easily be modified, based on the ambient light conditions, bringing a higher level of accuracy when reading studies remotely. The result? DICOM-quality images on your iPad.

Fast product development
With Barco’s ready-to-use calibration and QA software tool, business partners can save time and resources for product development. The patented QAWeb Mobile methodology is covered by an FDA Master File, which reduces the regulatory effort for FDA clearance of mobile viewing applications significantly.

Try it!
You can download a free trial version of QAWeb Mobile from the App Store and use it with a licensed mobile viewing application on iPad 1 and iPad 2, trademarks of Apple Inc.

Read breast tomosynthesis images faster with RapidFrame technology

Barco — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:22:00 +0100

Today, mammography is the standard method for breast screening. But the contribution from multi-frame studies, like ultrasound, MR, and breast tomosynthesis, is increasing. Barco’s Mammo Tomosynthesis 5MP for breast tomosynthesis comes with RapidFrame technology to ensure instant delivery of sharp images.

Counteracting blur
When viewing breast tomosynthesis images, radiologists browse through a stack of thin image slices in video or cine loop. This technique reduces shadow from overlying tissue structures, making it easier to see small details. But moving images are often blurred and difficult to read. That’s why Barco developed RapidFrame technology. RapidFrame counteracts blur or ghosting by speeding pixel refresh when scrolling through a stack of image slices. Images are displayed sharper and faster so the radiologist can make the most effective diagnosis.

Find out how RapidFrame works:

Gwacheon City admires the sky with Barco

Barco — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:24:00 +0100

The National Gwacheon Scientorium in Gwacheon City is one of South Korea’s most renowned museums. Inaugurated in 2008, it is a new-concept science museum: a place where visitors can touch and feel the objects and be submerged in interactive experiences. Besides a science theme park and an ecosystem hall, the museum houses South Korea’s biggest planetarium.

At the planetarium, six Barco SIM 7Q LCoS projectors visualize the starry night sky and 3D video images onto the 25m diameter screen that covers the dome. Boasting a QXGA (2048x1536) resolution, Barco’s SIM 7Qs deliver razor-sharp images. Besides this image quality, Barco’s strong LCoS references for planetariums and its partnership with integrator Konica Minolta were decisive factors in favor of Barco.

Bon Secours optimizes medical display performance with MediCal QAWeb

Barco — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:01:00 +0100

Managing a medical display network that covers more than 20 sites across seven states is no small task...or is it? With MediCal QAWeb, Bon Secours Health System effortlessly ensures continuous calibration, uptime and optimum performance of its displays around the clock. Bon Secours' radiologists, physicians and IT personnel have come to rely on this automated, online QA assurance service to not only ensure the superior image accuracy of Barco's diagnostic, clinical review and mammography displays, but also to better manage display procurement planning and budgeting processes.

With the ability to capture data from a centralized location without interrupting physicians' workday, Bon Secours' Senior PACS Administrator Scott Alloway can easily assess display performance, availability, age, and other factors. “MediCal QAWeb provides us with a window into how every display is performing across the enterprise. We can verify that our displays are continuously calibrated within spec, viewing things like backlight luminance, image stability and other parameters, without having to visit each workstation. And, with data such as age, backlit hours and usage, we can better forecast end of life to accurately schedule replacement.”

Meet the first networked digital operating room

Barco — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:38:00 +0100

To run your surgical suite better and face future challenges, you'll need a solution that integrates all devices in the operating room. That's why Barco developed Nexxis for OR, a digital operating room system that builds on the IP network to boost operational efficiency and enhance patient care.

Nexxis for OR is the world’s first IP-centric solution that distributes uncompressed video, graphics, audio and computer data throughout the operating room with near-zero latency. It ensures centralized control and a flexible surgical environment, enabling better communication and collaboration in and beyond the operating room.

Watch the video

New large-screen color display for the surgical suite

Barco — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:28:00 +0100

The MDSC-8156 is a large-screen surgical display featuring a 56-inch LCD panel (16:9) with Quad Full HD resolution. Designed for use in interventional radiology and in the surgical suite, the MDSC-8156 delivers superb brightness, a wide viewing angle and a fast response time for excellent hand-eye coordination.

The MDSC-8156 features DVI input connectivity for 4x Single Link and 2x Dual Link operating mode and is available in three models. Unlike the ‘basic’ model, the ‘light’ version comes with a protective front glass. The ‘full’ version also features a redundant power supply system. Barco’s MDSC-8156 is ideal for surgical imaging, endoscopic video, orthopedic imaging, and for teaching and training purposes.

Enter Sagalassos, City of Dreams

Barco — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:01:00 +0100

29 October marked the long-awaited opening of the ‘Sagalassos, City of Dreams’ exhibition at the Gallo-Roman Museum in the Limburg region, Belgium. It showcases the life work of archeologist Marc Waelkens, who has been doing excavations in this ancient city in the south of Turkey for over 20 years. To bring justice to the grandeur of Sagalassos, opera designer Guy Joosten created a dramatic setting inspired by the city’s fatal earthquake.

To bring back the atmosphere of the archeological site, Belgian designer Johan Schelfhout, who is also known for his work at the MAS museum in Antwerp, created a 270° projection installation using five Barco SIM 5W projectors. The mesmerizing projection installation is hanging in the middle of one of the exhibition rooms and is truly one of the eye catchers of the exhibition.

The exhibition runs from 29 October 2011 to 17 June 2012.

New-style race circuits choose Barco for race control and media room

Barco — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:05:00 +0100

On 30 October, Sebastian Vettel won the very first Indian Grand Prix, the 17^th race of this year’s Formula One™ season. When taking a closer look at the race circuits, it is clear that they are bafflingly hi-tech these days.

When Alonso, Massa, Webber, Button and Hamilton are racing in Abu Dhabi, Korea, Delhi or Bahrain, officials are following their moves on super-sized video walls in the race control centers, while journalists enjoy the images on large screens in the media center. One of the starring brands behind these four new-style circuits is Barco. Read the full story and discover why.

Cinema chain operator CJ CGV selects Barco

Barco — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:50:00 +0100

Headquartered in Seoul, CJ CGV operates South Korea's largest multiplex cinema chain. Since the opening of its first cinema in April 1998, CGV has expanded rapidly, currently operating over 750 screens nationwide, plus a chain of multiplex cinemas in China and Vietnam. Through its project partner Digital Cinema of Korea, Barco delivered around 150 DP2K-20C compact digital cinema projectors to CJ CGV.

The DP2K-20C ensures a first-class movie experience with consistent picture brightness, rich contrast and vibrant colors. Moreover, keeping operating costs low was a top priority when developing the projector. All core components have been designed for easy serviceability and a long product life span. Plus, the projector's modularity further reduces cost of ownership.

Picture quality and a low TCO were precisely the benefits that made CJ CGV choose Barco, after a fiercely competitive bidding process. To top that off, the modular design of the Barco solution, as well as Barco's 'communicator software' ensure easy maintenance.

Auro-3D: sound from all around

Barco — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:30:00 +0100

Sound is 50% of the movie experience, George Lucas once proclaimed. Surprisingly, though, since the introduction of 'surround sound' in the early 90s, audio technology in movie theaters has almost ceased to evolve - while cinema projection has gone through a spectacular 3D revolution. But it looks like things are about to change.

So, why has cinema sound evolution been stagnant over the last two decades? A possible explanation lies in the widespread belief that, while our brains observe images very consciously, audio acts on a much more subconscious level - and so it's considered to be less important. Nevertheless, most movie directors share the conviction that the aural component of a movie has a very strong emotional impact on the audience, and, therefore, adds significantly to the overall cinema experience.

Adding the extra dimension

Traditionally, cinema audio has been a 2-dimensional 'surround' world - but in the wake of the overwhelming 3D wave, sound is now exploring 3D as well. The reason is simple. By adding an extra dimension, the emotional impact of sound becomes even stronger than before, which makes it the perfect companion for visual 3D.

Voices from above

To produce a true 3-dimensional sound, you need a speaker layout with three spatial axes (width, depth and height) instead of two. So, converting an auditorium to 3D sound comes down to installing an additional set of height speakers, plus a center speaker and an LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel. This basic 3D sound speaker layout is called a 9.1 configuration: 8 speakers, positioned at the 8 corners of the auditorium, the center speaker, and the LFE channel. In practice, the 3D speaker layout is defined for up to 13.1 channels, with 11.1 being the ideal solution for commercial movie theaters.

Fully compatible

To create a high-grade 3D sound system for digital cinema theaters, Barco has teamed up with Galaxy Studios, one of the leading sound studios in Europe. This collaboration has produced Auro-3D: a fully immersive 3D sound solution for cinema theaters that is 100% compatible with existing 2-dimensional audio standards. In other words, Auro-3D allows you to reuse the current formats and channels for content generation and distribution.

SR Entertainment expands innovative digital cinema footprint

Barco — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:25:00 +0100

Having staked its claim in innovative digital cinema with one of the world’s first non-mezzanine auditoriums, SR Entertainment Group continued its deployment with 65 more Barco DLP cinema projectors installed in only five days in sites from northern to Southern California.

SR Entertainment selected Barco as its digital cinema projector provider in July 2010 as part of its long-term VPF agreement with Cinedigm, beginning with the installation at Blue Oaks Cinema in Rocklin, CA. Moving forward with the conversion of additional theater sites, Barco provided the full complement of digital cinema solutions, including LMS, servers, automation and 3D. The deployment includes a wide range of Barco's fully DCI-compliant 2K and 4K projectors, with Barco also providing turnkey installation services, ongoing maintenance and proactive NOC monitoring.

Innovative design: Coronis Fusion displays

Barco — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:04:00 +0100

In healthcare, new technologies are constantly raising the bar on medical imaging solutions, including the requirement for a more intelligent approach toward display design.

With the Coronis Fusion displays, Barco delivered a new generation of medical display systems that have grown to become one of the industry's most sought-after products for diagnostic imaging. The Fusion's innovative design allows clinicians to use the display as one large workspace, or as two smaller displays, to view different imaging modalities side by side, but without the disruption of a central bezel. For Lode De Paepe, who led the design project, Fusion was more than an answer to changing technologies. It was also a chance to break with tradition.

Barco expands range of multi-modality display systems for advanced healthcare imaging

Barco — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:35:00 +0100

Barco’s Coronis Fusion 4MP DL is a 30-inch diagnostic multi-modality display system that can be used as one wide-screen desktop display or two seamless 2 MegaPixel heads, setting a new bar for workflow efficiency in the reading room.

It features a diagnostic luminance of 1000 cd/m² and a superb contrast ratio of 1100:1, which is perfect for multi-user viewing and simultaneous reading of color, grayscale and fused modalities on one workstation.

The new display system is the latest member of Barco’s Coronis Fusion family, which also features a 6 MegaPixel color and 10 MegaPixel grayscale display system.

The new Nio Color 2MP HB expands Barco’s Nio product line and brings high-bright color technology to the 2 MegaPixel market. This display system offers a 1600x1200 resolution and features a 1050:1 contrast ratio.

Boasting a DICOM calibrated luminance of 400 cd/m² throughout its entire lifetime, the Nio Color 2MP HB is fit for multi-modality diagnostic imaging.

Sydney's abc

Barco — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0100

Sydney is one of the finest cities in the southern hemisphere and Australia's largest city. It is renowned for its great architectural design icons such as the Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. In this article, we take you on a journey along 26 interesting facts and stories (one for every letter in the alphabet). Here are the first three letters of the alphabet:

a. The Ashes are a series of a cricket matches played between the English and Australian national teams every two years, and one of the sport’s more pointed rivalries. The Ashes got their name after the first English cricket had died and had been cremated. Hence, the English team’s following visit to Sydney was a fight to get back “the ashes”. So far, Australia has won The Ashes 123 times, England has won them 100 times, and 87 matches have been draws.

b. Botany Bay was the first Australian landing site of Captain James Cook and his company in 1770. It lies a short distance from Sydney’s modern-day business center, and, among other things, houses Barco’s Australian office.

c. The Cadigal are a group of Aboriginal Australians who originally inhabited the lands in and around the future city of Sydney. As has happened all too often during the process of European exploration and colonization, about 50% of the Cadigal had died of smallpox by the late 18^th century.

Barco introduces 3D in video walls

Barco — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:05:00 +0100

Barco has drawn upon its leadership in control room visualization solutions and 3D stereo to develop a new range of LED video wall modules. This OLS series combines the benefits of the award-winning OL series rear-projection video wall cubes with vivid 3D stereo. As such, this new range offers a flexible, cost-effective and scalable solution for video walls that need to show stereoscopic images.

The OLS series expands the OL series’ applicability with a wide range of extra possibilities and target markets. For the oil & gas sector, for example, 3D functionality is very useful for displaying explorations of underground fields; and in simulation, OLS is a compact, cost-effective alternative for existing high-end multi-projector systems.

The 3D-capable OLS series has a standard 16:9 aspect ratio and full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and is available in 50" and 70" versions. Active shutter glasses, synchronized by an IR emitter, filter the left and right eye images to create smooth, artifact-free stereoscopic effects. Further advantages are that the 3D impression works at any head position, the full color spectrum is available, imaging is color-neutral, and there is no ghosting.

The benefits of Barco's LED video walls include 5 years of worry-free operation in 24/7 mode, optimized image quality, Sense⁶ auto-calibration, and minimal installation and maintenance efforts. A narrow footprint - less than 450 mm for the 50" version - makes the OLS suitable for use in smaller rooms. An optional front-access version (the OLSF), allows all service to be performed from the front, eliminating the need for a rear maintenance area and thus reducing the space required even further.

Design minds

Barco — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0100

At a certain moment, every Barco product takes its embryonic shape from a couple of strokes on a pristine drawing board - the start of an intense process to find the right balance between form and function. We brought together four of Barco's design experts to hear their views on the very essence of good product design. Several famous quotations by renowned design gurus served as starting points.

The design experts that gave their view on good product design are: Annemie Van Elsen (Senior Mechanical Design Engineer), Bert Moors (Mechanical Designer), Leen Desmet (Mechanics Development Engineer) and Tom Dewaele (Design Expert).

The following famous quotations served as starting points:

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. - Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance polymath
The details are not the details. They make the design. - Charles Eames, designer of architecture, furniture etc.

Future-proof control rooms

Barco — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:30:00 +0100

Today's control rooms are inundated with increasing amounts and types of data, challenging operators to quickly make smart decisions about everything from traffic routing, to electricity distribution, to emergency service response. Most centers have operated successfully using custom-made systems, relying on highly trained operators to capture and manipulate an alphabet soup of analog video, RGB graphics and DVI computer inputs to display a clear, meaningful picture.

But, what happens when changes to the system are needed? Control rooms built on a closed design have difficulty adapting to the growing volume and complexity of data sources. Chassis size restricts operators to a finite number of inputs/outputs, limiting growth of the system, and upgrade paths are not always available, nor clearly defined. As a result, managers are faced with integrating expensive linking equipment, incorporating old technology, or starting all over with a new system. None of these are viable options for the long-term.

The question arises: how does one create a future-proof control room? The answer to this dilemma is networked visualization. By its very nature, the distributed architecture of networked visualization enables users to capture video content and push it to an unlimited number of display stations via a standard Ethernet network. As network needs grow, proven IP technologies facilitate network expansion by enabling users to add an unlimited number of I/O by linking additional external components. The result: increased system flexibility and a clear growth path.

Enhancing breast imaging at nationally recognized Woman's Hospital

Barco — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:01:00 +0100

As a national Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, Baton Rouge Woman’s Hospital wanted only the best when it came to breast cancer detection, leading them to Barco’s Mammo Tomosynthesis 5MP display. “We’ve partnered with Barco because they lead the industry in medical displays. Their Mammo Tomosynthesis display is the best tool we have for high-quality image display for such a busy radiology department,” according to James Ruiz, MD, radiologist and breast imaging specialist at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

Features like “RapidFrame™, DuraLight Nova and I-Luminate technologies enable physicians to experience smooth, precise image rendering with nearly double the illumination available in other display systems on the market. The Mammo Tomo display’s high-contrast and high-luminance are key factors in radiologists’ ability to process a larger number of studies with a greater degree of accuracy. “With Barco’s displays, we feel can conclude an examination more quickly and with a higher degree of certainty,” stated Dr. Ruiz.

Law school goes live with Barco FSN

Barco — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:55:00 +0100

Thanks to Barco’s FSN Presentation System, the University of California, Davis Law School is now beaming broadcast-quality programming of its high-profile events, guest lecture series and mock trials throughout the campus and “live” over the Internet to hundreds of students, faculty and the greater law community. The law school recently presented a 2010 debate between candidates for California Attorney General, a hearing of the 9^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and its own Law Review panel, employing numerous effects in real-time to boost the production value of the shows.

According to Jamie Butler, Director of Information Technology at the UC Davis School of Law, “With the FSN system, we are able to establish a fully networked AV footprint that we can grow into as our needs expand.” Currently, the FSN is enabling the law school to alternate between cameras and perform blends, dissolves, picture-in-picture, luminance and chroma keying, and more, to create a clean, highly professional program. All of this can be done in real time, with limited post–production processing. Easy recording and playback enable anytime, anywhere access to programs for future viewing.

Skåne University Hospital: leading the way in the Swedish healthcare landscape

Barco — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:12:00 +0100

In autumn 2009, the university hospitals of Malmö and Lund, in the southernmost region of Sweden, merged to become Skåne University Hospital. Both hospitals, which boast an excellent reputation, had been working closely together for many years. They unilaterally selected Barco’s 30” widescreen Coronis Fusion 6MP DL diagnostic display system for use across all radiology departments.

The Coronis Fusion 6MP DL offers the multi-modality viewing platform for diagnostic imaging that the radiology departments were looking for. “We were the very first hospital to install the Coronis Fusion 6MP DL here in Sweden. Our implementation is so impressive, both from a workflow and ergonomic point of view, that visiting radiologists are jealous when they enter our rooms,” said Peter Leander, Regional Chief Radiology Officer, Skåne Region.

Barco screens major film debuts at Telluride Film Festival

Barco — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:24:00 +0100

When the stars come out at Telluride, Barco will be there to screen the festival’s prime movie entries, supplying its Guinness World Record-holding digital cinema projector as the event’s Big 3 Projection Sponsor. Fresh talent, innovative cinema and the brightest projectors combine to showcase the creative vision of today’s filmmakers to thousands of movie aficionados eager to get the first glimpse of a potential Oscar-winner.

While the intense schedule is kept secret until Opening Day, past debuts have included critically acclaimed movies like Slumdog Millionaire, Capote and The King’s Speech, as well as film classics and international treasures. Barco is providing DLP Cinema® projectors – several DP2K-32Bs and a DP2K 20C – for the three largest venues at the festival (The Palm, The Galaxy, and the Chuck Jones Theater). The festival runs Labor Day Weekend, September 2-5, and is held in Telluride, located in the scenic San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Spectaculaires chooses Barco’s silent projector for façade projection

Barco — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:43:00 +0100

Quand Les Calvaires S´Illuminent! – The latest façade projection show by famous French company Spectaculaires has been a huge success. During the summer, the company has toured Brittany, in the north-west of France, lighting up three of the seven famous calvaries in the region. Calvaries (calvaires in French) are crucifix sculptures that were built in the sixteenth and seventeenth century in Brittany.

The sound and light shows were projected onto the calvaries in Guimiliau, Plougonven and Pleyben. The team used Barco’s RLM W8 events projector to give the sculptures back their original colors, as they were painted in the sixteenth century.

www.7calvaires.fr

Alenia Aermacchi selects Barco for advanced trainer jet simulator

Barco — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:53:00 +0100