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JUNE 2011

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bits & pieces HCS to use solar energy on stages Optibase intros portable encoders OLLYWOOD — Hollywood Center Studios (www.hollywoodcenter.com) has built two large solar power systems that will generate electricity for its 11 stages.The stages are used to pro- duce film, television and commercial productions, and include Stage Five and Six, which were originally built in 1919 and featured Clerestory windows so that film productions could be lit with natural light. Roseville, CA’s Solar Power Inc. designed and built the two solar-powered systems, which will come on- line this month and are expected to generate more than 350,000 kilowatt hours per year.The system will help reduce the studios’ electricity bill and further its goal to be a greener operation. “We hope to slow electrical consumption, especially during peak hours, and that could have a significant ef- fect on our energy costs,” explains Hollywood Center Studios (HCS) executive VP/COO Tim Mahoney.“Solar energy also appeals to the environmental concerns that we have — as well as many of the production companies that use our stages.” More than 700 solar panels have been installed on the roofs covering Stages 10 and 11, the facility’s newest stages, and some 384 modules have been installed on the roofs of Stages Five and Six. Design and construction of the system took more than a year.The company plans to add similar systems to other stages and buildings. Hollywood Center Studios has been actively pursu- ing a number of initiatives to operate in a more envi- ronmentally-friendly manner.The studio has an ongoing program to replace the thousands of incandescent light bulbs on the lot with low-power LED units. It also op- erates a recycling program that salvages material that would be otherwise thrown away. UNNYVALE, CA — Optibase (www.optibase.com) is offering a new advanced multichannel portable H.264 encoder, the MGW Micro Premium, which can deliver multiple HD and SD sources in a small form factor.The MPEG-4 H.264 encoding and streaming appliance is designed for low latency distribution of video sources for enterprises. The solution uses minimal band- width yet preserves broadcast-quality video up to full HD 1080p/60 resolu- tion. The ruggedized encoder sup- ports up to two separate HD sources or five separate SD sources in a small form factor.The solid state MGW offers an assortment of video inputs, including 3G, HD-SDI, SD-SDI, DVI, HDMI and Composite. Its built- in matrix enables a single video source to be encoded at five different resolutions and data rates with built- in AES-256/128-bit encryption. The SD version is priced at $6,995 and encodes up to five distinct SD sources. It can be upgraded to HD with via a software license.The HD version is priced at $8,395 and en- codes up to five distinct SD sources, two HD sources, or one HD and four SD sources. What Post readers are experiencing Right Now MUSIC:“The Black Angels, because they create beautiful psych music that is perfect for an out-of- body experience with the spirit of the ‘60s. “Jeff the Brotherhood, because they produce massive infectious noise from two brothers that sounds like the Ramones meets Sabbath.They do this with shrediquette. “Com Truise makes stoney electronica perfect for a soundtrack for a coming-of-age movie in the 80’s and I’ve been enjoying it. “Wavves make catchy beach punk anthems that encourage some fun freakouts. “Cloud Nothings make youthful spastic punk pop that I’ve been liking. “Maserati will also take any listener on a cinematic,mysterious and powerful instrumental rock journey, and your ears will thank you for it.” — John Katovsich, senior director,music Fuel TV 4 Post • June 2011 www.postmagazine.com S H

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