LIPA Names New Chairman and Reviews Progress

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LIPA, the Laser Illuminated Projector Association, today announced its new Chairman, William (Bill) Beck, founder and executive vice president of Laser Light Engines (LLE).  LIPA directors also re-elected Michael J. Biber, vice president of Dolby Laboratories, to a second two-year term as vice-chairman.  Beck replaces Pete Ludé, the founding chairman, who remains chair of the Regulatory Business Committee representing Sony.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130610/DC28659LOGO )

Beck, one of the original founders of the organization, has served on the Governing Board of the organization and as Membership Committee chair since its inception, two years ago.  He has diverse start-up, general management and technology marketing experience.  As the founder of LLE, he has been the driving force behind both the success of the company and the acceptance of laser illumination by the Digital Cinema market.  Beck was previously founding CEO of Verrilon, and president of SpecTran Specialty Optics Company.  Bill has degrees from Dartmouth College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and is a member of SMPTE, OSA, SPIE, HPA, EDCF, and NEFC. 

"I love 3D movies, and am blown away by how much better they are when shown with a high-brightness laser-illuminated projector," quips Beck.  "As Chairman, I am equally excited to lead LIPA and its members in rationalizing regulatory barriers to market acceptance.  LIPA is leading the way in understanding the safety and best practices of laser illuminated projectors.  My emphasis as chair will be to continue the progress made so far and to accelerate the adoption of laser illuminated projectors."   

Michael Biber will continue to act as vice chairman, a role suited to his background as strategic advisor on legal, framework and regulatory matters to Dolby Laboratories.  "It has been a pleasure to provide my experience in organizational and regulatory practice to LIPA.  I look forward to working with Bill to continue to advocate a successful introduction of laser illuminated projectors to the market."      

LIPA recently observed its two-year anniversary and has realized significant accomplishments.  LIPA has carried out extensive testing of prototype and pre-production laser projectors to establish the quality and quantity of the laser light emitted from the projector.  Laser experts have worked with LIPA to measure and characterize the emissions to analyze their safety, with results submitted to peers around the world.  This information has been used to educate key stakeholders, including regulators, customers, manufacturers and component suppliers.  In one regulatory body, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), progress is being made to classify the light being emitted as lamp light, rather than laser light.  LIPA has formed strong relationships with key organizations in the supply chain, including the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO), the Laser Society of Japan, the Society of Engineers in Motion Picture and Television (SMPTE) and the European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) among others.

Pete Ludé, co-founder and former chair of LIPA, shares his thoughts on LIPA's work:  "It has been an honor to lead LIPA during its first two years of existence.  Laser-illuminated projectors hold the potential for amazing advancement over the current state of the art.  But without LIPA, regulatory obstacles would slow the adoption. Now, we are close to having commercial products and customers ready to purchase.  Working with the IEC committees to rationalize the projector categorization has been especially rewarding.  I look forward to continuing my participation in LIPA and championing adoption of laser projector technology by pointing out their many benefits, including reduced lifecycle cost, greater brightness, improved color gamut and contrast, and reduced environmental impact."       

LIPA was founded in May, 2011 to speed the adoption of laser illuminated projectors into theaters, and other public spaces worldwide by providing the information needed to enact regulatory change and educate stakeholders.   More information about LIPA is available at www.LIPAInfo.org.     

SOURCE Laser Illuminated Projector Association