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A Responsible Brand Starts from Within

MEG KRUGEL | June 22, 2021 | 14 views

There is a growing list of actions a brand must take to walk truthfully and authentically into the work of social responsibility. The externally facing actions are what the public sees, but working behind the scenes to realize these actions are multifaceted employees who give the majority of their waking lives to help the brand achieve its promise.

Spotlight

ReachMe TV

ReachMe TV is a 24/7, multi-channel, digital entertainment network and integrated global distribution platform that connects public screens in high-traffic, high-value areas such as airports, retail stores and hotels, delivering the newest entertainment to viewers on the go. The ReachMe TV channel can be seen in 100 airports in the United States and Canada, is featured in over 1,000,000 hotel rooms across the United States. ReachMe TV was built from the ground up with innovative technology that connects the screens viewers pass to the screens in the palms of their hands, allowing them to take the content with them. Programming includes hundreds of hours of prime time content, sports, specials, news and current events, along with a broad array of digital content from some of the top producers and networks in the world.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

Discord: A Novel Medium for B2B Marketing

Article | June 17, 2021

Discord is a real-time chat platform where anyone with a community can interact. Users can talk to others in the community on special channels and get invites to join different servers. Many people prefer to reach out to online customers through social media, but messaging apps like Discord have 20% more monthly active users than traditional social media platforms. (Business Insider) Discord generates revenue through premium subscriptions and game distribution. It does not use advertisements. However, it can help marketers through its community that grows with video, voice, text communication and more. Let us look at how: Helps Build a Moderated Community You can set up a Discord server as a moderated social discussion platform. Create different channels based on your audience’s preference and allow them to bond. And as your community grows, so will the popularity of your business. Word-of-mouth marketing is still very effective. Connects Your Brand with Like-minded Audience You can also meet others who share your interests on various Discord servers. When you know what you're looking for, finding relevant servers is simple. Check with your team members, and your community, and join those groups. There, you'll meet other business owners and pursue collaboration opportunities. Allows Sharing Relevant Industry Content Share your website articles and other industry updates on Discord. You can take the advantage of your employees’ social media presence because they are linked to a single server. They'll spread the word about the articles through other Discord servers and their personal social media accounts. It will assist you in gaining authority among your target audience. Another way to market your company is to post branded memes, GIFs, and funny screenshots. Helps Offer Great Customer Service People expect prompt service, and because Discord delivers messages in real-time, you can address issues as they arise. You can easily send direct messages to members and have private conversations with them. Parting Words Although Discord is primarily a messaging app for individuals, it also has many advantages for B2B marketing. Discord is ideal for community management and true engagement.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

B2B Movie Placements: What to Expect?

Article | June 4, 2021

As films evolved into the popular medium that they are today, brands followed suit. They took advantage of a large network of new ways to market, from print media to radio to television. Product placement, a part of branded entertainment marketing, became more common from the 1980s. Today, every moviegoer is familiar – sometimes painfully – with paid product placements. And every marketer has heard commentary on both good and bad B2C product placements. But what about B2B movie placements? Ever heard of those? If you are a B2B enterprise looking to try it out, here are some major differences between B2C and B2B movie placements: Impress the producers Create an enticing pitch for the producers, which can influence them enough to bring them to the creative department. Sell your brand or product to them (indirectly) to help them understand how it will improve the realism of their scene or set. Make them realize how your product or service can help them. Placement isn’t always ‘placement’ Prospective B2B buyers aren’t going to squint their eyes to find your product while watching a movie. However, they might actually remember your brand if you host pre-opening events around the world for them and their families to watch a popular movie. If they enjoy the movie and establish an emotional connection with it, they will definitely think of you while making any kind of purchase decision. Things might not work out No matter how hard you try to show your brand in a good light in a certain scene or situation, sometimes things happen that you can't control or ignore. In such cases, you might have to get all the branding out instead of settling for negative publicity, which could be a viable option for a B2C brand. B2B Movie Placement: A Success Story FLIR, a client of Hollywood Branded, is the leading provider of thermal military camera equipment. It co-starred in one of Warner Brothers' biggest hits of 2018, Rampage. FLIR connected with the right member of the production team and ensured that the brand was pictured in a positive light. FLIR shared its technology with the filmmakers and got advertised to its business customers, mostly film-loving decision-makers, through the movie and the way it was shot. The film earned $427M at the worldwide box office.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

Branded Entertainment in B2B: Why is it Important?

Article | June 8, 2021

Global B2B companies churn out content pieces such as infographics, case studies, assessments, and other forms of thought leadership content to create brand awareness. But is this content enough to engage the customers and the market? Not really. Marketers like you need to look into branded entertainment to get more customer engagement and brand loyalty. What is Branded Entertainment? Adweek loosely describes “branded entertainment” as any content that starts a positive conversation around a product, service, or set of values. This content builds a story around your product or services, showing it in a positive light and getting the audience to engage in your content as much as a film or a TV show. As opposed to other marketing endeavors, branded entertainment doesn’t focus on your products and their features but on entertaining the audience. Incorporating Branded Entertainment into Your Marketing Strategy Here are some ways to get it done without much hassle: Web Series Original programming, such as web series published on the brand’s social media channels, can help you raise awareness through stories that share your brand’s values instead of directly marketing your product or services. PR Stunts Create social media brand content that is entertaining and exciting enough for the audience to make it viral. Such PR brings positive media attention to your brand and creates mass awareness for your brand or product. Videos Volvo's entertaining video of Van Damme's split stunt on YouTube has 114.5 million views. The video didn't need a call-to-action because it wasn’t to convert leads. Instead, it was meant to showcase a piece of business-use truck technology and get engagement. Podcasting GE used podcasting for advertising twice, once with its show ‘The Message’ and again with its new series ‘LifeAfter.’ Neither show discusses GE's products. Instead, they were "GE-presented" and were received well. Summing It Up People are less likely to comment on or share brand posts directly, but they are more likely to tweet or share them on their Instagram stories. This way you can measure the impact of branded entertainment. B2B marketers should consider branded entertainment as a way to build trust and start conversations between their brands and their audience to get a long-term ROI.

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SOLUTIONS,BUSINESS

Driving ROI of Your B2B Marketing with Entertainment

Article | July 7, 2022

B2B companies are harnessing entertainment to drive their marketing ROI. They are using strategies that meet the changing needs of B2B customers and take advantage of how technology is improving. Let us examine the top five entertainment marketing strategies that can get engagement for your B2B content: On-Demand Content Rules B2B corporate Salesforce recently announced a new streaming service—Salesforce+—that exclusively caters to businesses. If you want to try something like this, you don’t need to create a new streaming platform. Instead, you can use your social media accounts to share unique content that your target audience will find interesting. Presentation Shouldn’t Be a Priority Your B2B audience isn’t any different from the audience that consumes basic TikTok videos, reality TV shows, or YouTube clips that don’t have the best scripts. Any grippingly human content presented on popular channels of entertainment appeals to the viewer and can influence their buying decisions. Harness User-generated Content Harness user-generated content like videos, reviews, and testimonials. When your customer tells your brand’s story or how your brand helped them solve their problems, the content is engaging and authentic for your prospects and influences their purchase decisions. Additionally, such content receives high engagement and improves your brand’s reputation. Relevance Wins Hearts If the content you are producing is entertaining and engaging, addresses the pain points and demands of your target audience, and is timed perfectly to match the dynamic market needs, your prospects might relate to your brand better and avail your product or services. Create Immersive Experiences Through Events With the help of experience experts Boost Experiential, Google created an Event Series to target small businesses in the U.S. They led a nationwide initiative to offer educational seminars and coaching to small businesses. They held events in 50 states and introduced Google’s tools to thousands of business owners. As a result, they have got more than 50, 000 small businesses online. Entertainment Could Be a B2B Trend for 2022 Create valuable, memorable, entertaining, and engaging content addressing customer pain points. Make it available to your target audience through popular channels like streaming sites, social media, webinars, live events and more to get your marketing ROI.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

The crowd still matters for live sports broadcasting

Article | June 17, 2021

Discord is a real-time chat platform where anyone with a community can interact. Users can talk to others in the community on special channels and get invites to join different servers. Many people prefer to reach out to online customers through social media, but messaging apps like Discord have 20% more monthly active users than traditional social media platforms. (Business Insider) Discord generates revenue through premium subscriptions and game distribution. It does not use advertisements. However, it can help marketers through its community that grows with video, voice, text communication and more. Let us look at how: Helps Build a Moderated Community You can set up a Discord server as a moderated social discussion platform. Create different channels based on your audience’s preference and allow them to bond. And as your community grows, so will the popularity of your business. Word-of-mouth marketing is still very effective. Connects Your Brand with Like-minded Audience You can also meet others who share your interests on various Discord servers. When you know what you're looking for, finding relevant servers is simple. Check with your team members, and your community, and join those groups. There, you'll meet other business owners and pursue collaboration opportunities. Allows Sharing Relevant Industry Content Share your website articles and other industry updates on Discord. You can take the advantage of your employees’ social media presence because they are linked to a single server. They'll spread the word about the articles through other Discord servers and their personal social media accounts. It will assist you in gaining authority among your target audience. Another way to market your company is to post branded memes, GIFs, and funny screenshots. Helps Offer Great Customer Service People expect prompt service, and because Discord delivers messages in real-time, you can address issues as they arise. You can easily send direct messages to members and have private conversations with them. Parting Words Although Discord is primarily a messaging app for individuals, it also has many advantages for B2B marketing. Discord is ideal for community management and true engagement.

Read More
MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

The productisation of music rights

Article | June 4, 2021

As films evolved into the popular medium that they are today, brands followed suit. They took advantage of a large network of new ways to market, from print media to radio to television. Product placement, a part of branded entertainment marketing, became more common from the 1980s. Today, every moviegoer is familiar – sometimes painfully – with paid product placements. And every marketer has heard commentary on both good and bad B2C product placements. But what about B2B movie placements? Ever heard of those? If you are a B2B enterprise looking to try it out, here are some major differences between B2C and B2B movie placements: Impress the producers Create an enticing pitch for the producers, which can influence them enough to bring them to the creative department. Sell your brand or product to them (indirectly) to help them understand how it will improve the realism of their scene or set. Make them realize how your product or service can help them. Placement isn’t always ‘placement’ Prospective B2B buyers aren’t going to squint their eyes to find your product while watching a movie. However, they might actually remember your brand if you host pre-opening events around the world for them and their families to watch a popular movie. If they enjoy the movie and establish an emotional connection with it, they will definitely think of you while making any kind of purchase decision. Things might not work out No matter how hard you try to show your brand in a good light in a certain scene or situation, sometimes things happen that you can't control or ignore. In such cases, you might have to get all the branding out instead of settling for negative publicity, which could be a viable option for a B2C brand. B2B Movie Placement: A Success Story FLIR, a client of Hollywood Branded, is the leading provider of thermal military camera equipment. It co-starred in one of Warner Brothers' biggest hits of 2018, Rampage. FLIR connected with the right member of the production team and ensured that the brand was pictured in a positive light. FLIR shared its technology with the filmmakers and got advertised to its business customers, mostly film-loving decision-makers, through the movie and the way it was shot. The film earned $427M at the worldwide box office.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

The Big Fashion Industry Trends for 2021

Article | June 8, 2021

Global B2B companies churn out content pieces such as infographics, case studies, assessments, and other forms of thought leadership content to create brand awareness. But is this content enough to engage the customers and the market? Not really. Marketers like you need to look into branded entertainment to get more customer engagement and brand loyalty. What is Branded Entertainment? Adweek loosely describes “branded entertainment” as any content that starts a positive conversation around a product, service, or set of values. This content builds a story around your product or services, showing it in a positive light and getting the audience to engage in your content as much as a film or a TV show. As opposed to other marketing endeavors, branded entertainment doesn’t focus on your products and their features but on entertaining the audience. Incorporating Branded Entertainment into Your Marketing Strategy Here are some ways to get it done without much hassle: Web Series Original programming, such as web series published on the brand’s social media channels, can help you raise awareness through stories that share your brand’s values instead of directly marketing your product or services. PR Stunts Create social media brand content that is entertaining and exciting enough for the audience to make it viral. Such PR brings positive media attention to your brand and creates mass awareness for your brand or product. Videos Volvo's entertaining video of Van Damme's split stunt on YouTube has 114.5 million views. The video didn't need a call-to-action because it wasn’t to convert leads. Instead, it was meant to showcase a piece of business-use truck technology and get engagement. Podcasting GE used podcasting for advertising twice, once with its show ‘The Message’ and again with its new series ‘LifeAfter.’ Neither show discusses GE's products. Instead, they were "GE-presented" and were received well. Summing It Up People are less likely to comment on or share brand posts directly, but they are more likely to tweet or share them on their Instagram stories. This way you can measure the impact of branded entertainment. B2B marketers should consider branded entertainment as a way to build trust and start conversations between their brands and their audience to get a long-term ROI.

Read More
SOLUTIONS,BUSINESS

Driving ROI of Your B2B Marketing with Entertainment

Article | July 7, 2022

B2B companies are harnessing entertainment to drive their marketing ROI. They are using strategies that meet the changing needs of B2B customers and take advantage of how technology is improving. Let us examine the top five entertainment marketing strategies that can get engagement for your B2B content: On-Demand Content Rules B2B corporate Salesforce recently announced a new streaming service—Salesforce+—that exclusively caters to businesses. If you want to try something like this, you don’t need to create a new streaming platform. Instead, you can use your social media accounts to share unique content that your target audience will find interesting. Presentation Shouldn’t Be a Priority Your B2B audience isn’t any different from the audience that consumes basic TikTok videos, reality TV shows, or YouTube clips that don’t have the best scripts. Any grippingly human content presented on popular channels of entertainment appeals to the viewer and can influence their buying decisions. Harness User-generated Content Harness user-generated content like videos, reviews, and testimonials. When your customer tells your brand’s story or how your brand helped them solve their problems, the content is engaging and authentic for your prospects and influences their purchase decisions. Additionally, such content receives high engagement and improves your brand’s reputation. Relevance Wins Hearts If the content you are producing is entertaining and engaging, addresses the pain points and demands of your target audience, and is timed perfectly to match the dynamic market needs, your prospects might relate to your brand better and avail your product or services. Create Immersive Experiences Through Events With the help of experience experts Boost Experiential, Google created an Event Series to target small businesses in the U.S. They led a nationwide initiative to offer educational seminars and coaching to small businesses. They held events in 50 states and introduced Google’s tools to thousands of business owners. As a result, they have got more than 50, 000 small businesses online. Entertainment Could Be a B2B Trend for 2022 Create valuable, memorable, entertaining, and engaging content addressing customer pain points. Make it available to your target audience through popular channels like streaming sites, social media, webinars, live events and more to get your marketing ROI.

Read More
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Spotlight

ReachMe TV

ReachMe TV is a 24/7, multi-channel, digital entertainment network and integrated global distribution platform that connects public screens in high-traffic, high-value areas such as airports, retail stores and hotels, delivering the newest entertainment to viewers on the go. The ReachMe TV channel can be seen in 100 airports in the United States and Canada, is featured in over 1,000,000 hotel rooms across the United States. ReachMe TV was built from the ground up with innovative technology that connects the screens viewers pass to the screens in the palms of their hands, allowing them to take the content with them. Programming includes hundreds of hours of prime time content, sports, specials, news and current events, along with a broad array of digital content from some of the top producers and networks in the world.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

IMAX Acquires Streaming Technology Company SSIMWAVE Inc.

IMAX Corporation | September 23, 2022

IMAX Corporation ( NYSE: IMAX) announced it has acquired SSIMWAVE Inc., a leader in AI-driven video quality solutions for media and entertainment companies. The move marks a significant expansion of IMAX's strategy to deliver the highest quality video images on any screen — to drive new, recurring revenue and grow its global leadership in entertainment technology.Through its patented, two-time Emmy(R) Award winning technology, Ontario-based SSIMWAVE enables streaming and broadcast providers to deliver the best possible image on any device for on-demand and live video. Four of the world's top-ten streaming media companies currently partner with SSIMWAVE to optimize video, including Disney, Paramount Global, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Its 30-person engineering team has mapped the human visual system to produce one of the most accurate measures of perceptual quality, which its AI-driven software applies to enhance video streams and files in real time. The acquisition is expected to be accretive in 2023 and have minimal financial impact in 2022. SSIMWAVE is doing revolutionary work at the intersection of human visual perception and image enhancement technology. By putting the power of our global brand behind their award-winning engineering team and product suite, IMAX takes a big step toward a new horizon in our ability to deliver the best images for any creator, across every screen, said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. In the near-term, SSIMWAVE brings to IMAX new, SaaS-based revenue and a world-class client roster that tightly aligns with some of our strongest, most successful content partnerships. With the explosion in video consumption across platforms, the need for video optimization continues to grow as consumers demand higher resolution including 4K, 8k and new, interactive experiences across gaming, VR, AR, and the metaverse. Additionally, leading filmmakers and creators increasingly demand solutions to ensure the fidelity and quality of their work on any screen. IMAX will work with SSIMWAVE in the near term to further grow its business and product suite, including international expansion. Longer-term, IMAX's technology and post-production teams will work with SSIMWAVE's engineering team to develop new solutions for delivering IMAX-quality video experiences across platforms, around the world. "Viewers and content creators expect more from video experiences. By joining IMAX, SSIMWAVE will be even better positioned to preserve creators' intent and enable engaging, differentiated viewing experiences to millions of users across platforms, We're excited to join IMAX and tap into its global scale and expertise as more streamers turn to SSIMWAVE to ensure the best viewing experiences while reducing bandwidth costs." -Dr. Abdul Rehman, CEO and Co-Founder of SSIMWAVE Founded at Ontario's University of Waterloo, SSIMWAVE's technology has improved the viewer experience of more than 150 million subscribers over billions of viewing hours to date. Its technology is protected with 50 patents and patents pending globally. SSIMWAVE has won a Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award (2020) and a Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering (2015). SSIMWAVE was also honored as a Best New Streaming Technology winner in the NAB Show Product of the Year Awards in both 2022 and 2021. "SSIMWAVE boasts a brilliant team of engineers, technologists, and academics obsessed with image quality and on the leading edge of Ontario's thriving tech community; the similarities between this company and IMAX when we acquired it nearly 30 years ago are uncanny," continued Gelfond. "We look forward to scaling SSIMWAVE's business and taking it in never-before-imagined directions around the world just as we did with IMAX's game-changing projection technology." The acquisition builds on IMAX's cross-platform expansion with IMAX Enhanced, which brings The IMAX Experience(R) to streaming entertainment with IMAX-exclusive expanded aspect ratio, digitally remastered content, and signature sound. More than 200 IMAX Enhanced titles are available across streaming platforms worldwide, including Disney+, and more than 10 million IMAX Enhanced certified devices are in the market today. Under the terms of agreement, IMAX acquired SSIMWAVE for $18.5 million in cash and $2.5 million in stock with additional earnout consideration of $4 million, subject to achieving certain operating performance and financial objectives. About SSIMWAVE SSIMWAVE's Video Experience Automation Platform brings the power of the human eye to entire video delivery chains to help streaming services assess video quality at scale, minimize quality drop-offs, and reduce distribution expenses and video assurance costs. Its SSIMPLUS® suite of products – Live Monitor, VOD Monitor and Video Quality (VQ) Dial – have also helped the streaming industry address hard-to-solve problems such as banding, A/V sync issues, HDR content distribution, and low-quality sources. SSIMWAVE technology has earned multiple Emmy® Awards as well as an NAB Product of the Year Award. About IMAX Corporation IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theaters to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of June 30, 2022, there were 1,694 IMAX theater systems (1,610 commercial multiplexes, 12 commercial destinations, 72 institutional) operating in 87 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970."IMAX®, IMAX® Dome, IMAX® 3D, IMAX® 3D Dome, Experience It In IMAX®, The IMAX Experience®, An IMAX Experience®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, IMAX DMR®, DMR®, Filmed For IMAX™, IMAX LIVE™, IMAX Enhanced™, IMAX nXos® and Films to the Fullest®, are trademarks and trade names of the Company or its subsidiaries that are registered or otherwise protected under laws of various jurisdictions. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/imax), Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

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TECHNOLOGIES,MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

Optoma Debuts Short Throw, Low Latency, 4K UHD Home Entertainment and Gaming Projector

Optoma Technology, Inc. | September 26, 2022

Optoma, the No. 1 4K UHD and DLP® projection brand worldwide and in the Americas,* introduced the Optoma UHD35STx, a short throw, low latency, true 4K UHD home entertainment and gaming projector following Optoma's award-winning UHD35** and a step up to the popular GT1080HDRx.The Optoma UHD35STx delivers a 0.5:1 short throw alternative while integrating all the features of the UHD35 – including high brightness, razor sharp image quality, and ultra-low input lag. With the short throw lens, consumers can enjoy up to 100-inch images from less than four feet away from the screen, allowing for optimal big-screen viewing and easy set-up in a variety of home settings from smaller gaming rooms to apartments. The input responses of the UHD35STx and UHD35 are unparalleled in consumer projection today, with Enhanced Gaming Mode delivering an ultra-low input lag of 4ms, resulting in unmatched visual fluidity. UHD35STx Key Features: Resolution: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) Lumens: 3,600 lumens Contrast: 1,000,000:1 Color: REC.709, DCI-P3 wide color gamut Built-in Enhanced Gaming Mode with 16ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz The Optoma UHD35STx is available for purchase through Optoma authorized dealers for an estimated street price of $1,749. DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments. No.1 4K UHD Brand Worldwide Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021 / Q1-Q2, 2022. No.1 DLP Brand Worldwide Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021 / Q1-Q2, 2022 for projectors +1000 lumens No.1 4K UHD Brand in Americas Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021 / Q1-Q2, 2022 No.1 DLP Brand in Americas Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021/ Q1-Q2, 2022 for projectors + 500 lumens The Optoma UHD35 was honored as a winner of ProjectorCentral's 2021 Best of the Year Awards, ProjectorCentral's 2021 Projection Expo Best of Show Awards, and Esquire's 2021 Gaming Awards. About Optoma Technology, Inc. Optoma combines cutting-edge technology and innovation to deliver remarkable visual display products designed to connect audiences with engaging video experiences. From the company's ProScene projectors and Creative Touch interactive flat panel displays, to LED displays, Optoma's suite of products can meet the demands of nearly any professional environment, including conference rooms and classrooms, digital signage, corporate, houses of worship, retail, simulation environments and control rooms. Optoma Technology is the U.S. headquarters for The Optoma Group, with continental headquarters also in Europe and Asia.

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TECHNOLOGIES,MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

Epson Adds New Home Cinema 2350 Smart Gaming Projector to Top-Selling Lineup

Epson | September 26, 2022

Built for the community of gamers craving a bigger, more immersive gameplay experience, Epson today unveiled the new Home Cinema 2350 4K PRO-UHD®1 3-Chip 3LCD Smart Gaming Projector. Equipped with proprietary 4K PRO-UHD1 technology, HDR10,2 1080p resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, and input lag times under 20 milliseconds, the Home Cinema 2350 creates an immersive gaming experience in almost any setting – whether friendly or competitive. With 2,800 lumens of color and white brightness,3 the Home Cinema 2350 offers stunning images and color accuracy in a variety of lighting conditions for late-night or all-day gaming sessions. "Leveling up the gaming scene, the new Home Cinema 2350 offers a powerful set of features in a compact form factor, including industry-leading input lag time performance, incredibly bright image and support for immersive 4K content, along with an epic projected image size up to 500-inches for engaging experiences that will make players feel as though they are in world Building off of Epson's top-selling Home Cinema 2000-series projector line, the Home Cinema 2350 is a versatile and powerful solution for enjoying your favorite streaming and gaming content on a big screen." -Fernando Tamashiro, product manager, Epson America, Inc With a compact design that offers flexible lens shift capabilities for setup and portability, the Home Cinema 2350 makes it possible to take big-screen gaming and entertainment virtually anywhere. Adding on a convenient all-in-one sound solution, the Home Cinema 2350 features an integrated 10 W bass-reflex speaker and allows for multiple audio options. The projector also includes built-in Android-TV®4 to easily stream your favorite Twitch and YouTube™ gaming channels, or switch to a movie night with access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max™, Hulu and more.5 Additional features include: 4K PRO-UHD1 — An amazing 4K experience utilizing advanced processing for resolution enhancement, color and image processing; HDR102 and HLG support produce an extraordinary range of color and detail in both bright and dark scenes Capable of Supporting 120 FPS Games – Competitive gaming performance at 1080p resolution with 120 Hz refresh rate or smooth 4K PRO-UHD1 HDR2 gaming performance up to 60 Hz Best-in-Class Color Brightness6 — Advanced 3-chip 3LCD technology displays 100 percent of the RGB color signal for every frame, allowing for outstanding color accuracy while maintaining excellent color brightness without any distracting "rainbowing" or "color brightness" issues seen with other projection technologies Smart Streaming Capability — Latest Android TV4 interface with a simple-to-use remote – including voice search with built-in Google Assistant™; watch all your favorite streaming channels including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, YouTube and more; even stream live TV with apps like YouTube TV™5 Integrated Audio Technologies — Built-in 10 W bass-reflex speaker, plus Bluetooth wireless audio device support,7 provide a number of audio options Lens Shift Capability for Flexible Installation — +/- 60 percent vertical lens shift allows for incredible flexibility when installing the projector on tables, bookshelves, ceilings and more Availability The Home Cinema 2350 4K PRO-UHD1 3-Chip 3LCD Smart Gaming Projector (MSRP $1,299) is now available through the Epson online store and select retailers. The Home Cinema 2350 comes equipped with a two-year limited projector warranty and 90-day lamp, and two-business-day replacement with free shipping. About Epson Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson's goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

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MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

IMAX Acquires Streaming Technology Company SSIMWAVE Inc.

IMAX Corporation | September 23, 2022

IMAX Corporation ( NYSE: IMAX) announced it has acquired SSIMWAVE Inc., a leader in AI-driven video quality solutions for media and entertainment companies. The move marks a significant expansion of IMAX's strategy to deliver the highest quality video images on any screen — to drive new, recurring revenue and grow its global leadership in entertainment technology.Through its patented, two-time Emmy(R) Award winning technology, Ontario-based SSIMWAVE enables streaming and broadcast providers to deliver the best possible image on any device for on-demand and live video. Four of the world's top-ten streaming media companies currently partner with SSIMWAVE to optimize video, including Disney, Paramount Global, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Its 30-person engineering team has mapped the human visual system to produce one of the most accurate measures of perceptual quality, which its AI-driven software applies to enhance video streams and files in real time. The acquisition is expected to be accretive in 2023 and have minimal financial impact in 2022. SSIMWAVE is doing revolutionary work at the intersection of human visual perception and image enhancement technology. By putting the power of our global brand behind their award-winning engineering team and product suite, IMAX takes a big step toward a new horizon in our ability to deliver the best images for any creator, across every screen, said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. In the near-term, SSIMWAVE brings to IMAX new, SaaS-based revenue and a world-class client roster that tightly aligns with some of our strongest, most successful content partnerships. With the explosion in video consumption across platforms, the need for video optimization continues to grow as consumers demand higher resolution including 4K, 8k and new, interactive experiences across gaming, VR, AR, and the metaverse. Additionally, leading filmmakers and creators increasingly demand solutions to ensure the fidelity and quality of their work on any screen. IMAX will work with SSIMWAVE in the near term to further grow its business and product suite, including international expansion. Longer-term, IMAX's technology and post-production teams will work with SSIMWAVE's engineering team to develop new solutions for delivering IMAX-quality video experiences across platforms, around the world. "Viewers and content creators expect more from video experiences. By joining IMAX, SSIMWAVE will be even better positioned to preserve creators' intent and enable engaging, differentiated viewing experiences to millions of users across platforms, We're excited to join IMAX and tap into its global scale and expertise as more streamers turn to SSIMWAVE to ensure the best viewing experiences while reducing bandwidth costs." -Dr. Abdul Rehman, CEO and Co-Founder of SSIMWAVE Founded at Ontario's University of Waterloo, SSIMWAVE's technology has improved the viewer experience of more than 150 million subscribers over billions of viewing hours to date. Its technology is protected with 50 patents and patents pending globally. SSIMWAVE has won a Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award (2020) and a Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering (2015). SSIMWAVE was also honored as a Best New Streaming Technology winner in the NAB Show Product of the Year Awards in both 2022 and 2021. "SSIMWAVE boasts a brilliant team of engineers, technologists, and academics obsessed with image quality and on the leading edge of Ontario's thriving tech community; the similarities between this company and IMAX when we acquired it nearly 30 years ago are uncanny," continued Gelfond. "We look forward to scaling SSIMWAVE's business and taking it in never-before-imagined directions around the world just as we did with IMAX's game-changing projection technology." The acquisition builds on IMAX's cross-platform expansion with IMAX Enhanced, which brings The IMAX Experience(R) to streaming entertainment with IMAX-exclusive expanded aspect ratio, digitally remastered content, and signature sound. More than 200 IMAX Enhanced titles are available across streaming platforms worldwide, including Disney+, and more than 10 million IMAX Enhanced certified devices are in the market today. Under the terms of agreement, IMAX acquired SSIMWAVE for $18.5 million in cash and $2.5 million in stock with additional earnout consideration of $4 million, subject to achieving certain operating performance and financial objectives. About SSIMWAVE SSIMWAVE's Video Experience Automation Platform brings the power of the human eye to entire video delivery chains to help streaming services assess video quality at scale, minimize quality drop-offs, and reduce distribution expenses and video assurance costs. Its SSIMPLUS® suite of products – Live Monitor, VOD Monitor and Video Quality (VQ) Dial – have also helped the streaming industry address hard-to-solve problems such as banding, A/V sync issues, HDR content distribution, and low-quality sources. SSIMWAVE technology has earned multiple Emmy® Awards as well as an NAB Product of the Year Award. About IMAX Corporation IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theaters to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of June 30, 2022, there were 1,694 IMAX theater systems (1,610 commercial multiplexes, 12 commercial destinations, 72 institutional) operating in 87 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970."IMAX®, IMAX® Dome, IMAX® 3D, IMAX® 3D Dome, Experience It In IMAX®, The IMAX Experience®, An IMAX Experience®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, IMAX DMR®, DMR®, Filmed For IMAX™, IMAX LIVE™, IMAX Enhanced™, IMAX nXos® and Films to the Fullest®, are trademarks and trade names of the Company or its subsidiaries that are registered or otherwise protected under laws of various jurisdictions. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/imax), Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

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TECHNOLOGIES,MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

Optoma Debuts Short Throw, Low Latency, 4K UHD Home Entertainment and Gaming Projector

Optoma Technology, Inc. | September 26, 2022

Optoma, the No. 1 4K UHD and DLP® projection brand worldwide and in the Americas,* introduced the Optoma UHD35STx, a short throw, low latency, true 4K UHD home entertainment and gaming projector following Optoma's award-winning UHD35** and a step up to the popular GT1080HDRx.The Optoma UHD35STx delivers a 0.5:1 short throw alternative while integrating all the features of the UHD35 – including high brightness, razor sharp image quality, and ultra-low input lag. With the short throw lens, consumers can enjoy up to 100-inch images from less than four feet away from the screen, allowing for optimal big-screen viewing and easy set-up in a variety of home settings from smaller gaming rooms to apartments. The input responses of the UHD35STx and UHD35 are unparalleled in consumer projection today, with Enhanced Gaming Mode delivering an ultra-low input lag of 4ms, resulting in unmatched visual fluidity. UHD35STx Key Features: Resolution: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) Lumens: 3,600 lumens Contrast: 1,000,000:1 Color: REC.709, DCI-P3 wide color gamut Built-in Enhanced Gaming Mode with 16ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz The Optoma UHD35STx is available for purchase through Optoma authorized dealers for an estimated street price of $1,749. DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments. No.1 4K UHD Brand Worldwide Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021 / Q1-Q2, 2022. No.1 DLP Brand Worldwide Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021 / Q1-Q2, 2022 for projectors +1000 lumens No.1 4K UHD Brand in Americas Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021 / Q1-Q2, 2022 No.1 DLP Brand in Americas Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2021/ Q1-Q2, 2022 for projectors + 500 lumens The Optoma UHD35 was honored as a winner of ProjectorCentral's 2021 Best of the Year Awards, ProjectorCentral's 2021 Projection Expo Best of Show Awards, and Esquire's 2021 Gaming Awards. About Optoma Technology, Inc. Optoma combines cutting-edge technology and innovation to deliver remarkable visual display products designed to connect audiences with engaging video experiences. From the company's ProScene projectors and Creative Touch interactive flat panel displays, to LED displays, Optoma's suite of products can meet the demands of nearly any professional environment, including conference rooms and classrooms, digital signage, corporate, houses of worship, retail, simulation environments and control rooms. Optoma Technology is the U.S. headquarters for The Optoma Group, with continental headquarters also in Europe and Asia.

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TECHNOLOGIES,MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

Epson Adds New Home Cinema 2350 Smart Gaming Projector to Top-Selling Lineup

Epson | September 26, 2022

Built for the community of gamers craving a bigger, more immersive gameplay experience, Epson today unveiled the new Home Cinema 2350 4K PRO-UHD®1 3-Chip 3LCD Smart Gaming Projector. Equipped with proprietary 4K PRO-UHD1 technology, HDR10,2 1080p resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, and input lag times under 20 milliseconds, the Home Cinema 2350 creates an immersive gaming experience in almost any setting – whether friendly or competitive. With 2,800 lumens of color and white brightness,3 the Home Cinema 2350 offers stunning images and color accuracy in a variety of lighting conditions for late-night or all-day gaming sessions. "Leveling up the gaming scene, the new Home Cinema 2350 offers a powerful set of features in a compact form factor, including industry-leading input lag time performance, incredibly bright image and support for immersive 4K content, along with an epic projected image size up to 500-inches for engaging experiences that will make players feel as though they are in world Building off of Epson's top-selling Home Cinema 2000-series projector line, the Home Cinema 2350 is a versatile and powerful solution for enjoying your favorite streaming and gaming content on a big screen." -Fernando Tamashiro, product manager, Epson America, Inc With a compact design that offers flexible lens shift capabilities for setup and portability, the Home Cinema 2350 makes it possible to take big-screen gaming and entertainment virtually anywhere. Adding on a convenient all-in-one sound solution, the Home Cinema 2350 features an integrated 10 W bass-reflex speaker and allows for multiple audio options. The projector also includes built-in Android-TV®4 to easily stream your favorite Twitch and YouTube™ gaming channels, or switch to a movie night with access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max™, Hulu and more.5 Additional features include: 4K PRO-UHD1 — An amazing 4K experience utilizing advanced processing for resolution enhancement, color and image processing; HDR102 and HLG support produce an extraordinary range of color and detail in both bright and dark scenes Capable of Supporting 120 FPS Games – Competitive gaming performance at 1080p resolution with 120 Hz refresh rate or smooth 4K PRO-UHD1 HDR2 gaming performance up to 60 Hz Best-in-Class Color Brightness6 — Advanced 3-chip 3LCD technology displays 100 percent of the RGB color signal for every frame, allowing for outstanding color accuracy while maintaining excellent color brightness without any distracting "rainbowing" or "color brightness" issues seen with other projection technologies Smart Streaming Capability — Latest Android TV4 interface with a simple-to-use remote – including voice search with built-in Google Assistant™; watch all your favorite streaming channels including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, YouTube and more; even stream live TV with apps like YouTube TV™5 Integrated Audio Technologies — Built-in 10 W bass-reflex speaker, plus Bluetooth wireless audio device support,7 provide a number of audio options Lens Shift Capability for Flexible Installation — +/- 60 percent vertical lens shift allows for incredible flexibility when installing the projector on tables, bookshelves, ceilings and more Availability The Home Cinema 2350 4K PRO-UHD1 3-Chip 3LCD Smart Gaming Projector (MSRP $1,299) is now available through the Epson online store and select retailers. The Home Cinema 2350 comes equipped with a two-year limited projector warranty and 90-day lamp, and two-business-day replacement with free shipping. About Epson Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson's goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

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