DWR brings Panasonic and Hive training to SA

A new joint training initiative from Panasonic Connect and Hive Media Control brought hands-on experience of integrated projection and media server workflows to South African AV professionals recently. Hosted by DWR Distribution, the sessions took place in early October in Johannesburg and Cape Town, marking the first time the two manufacturers have delivered training together in the country. The events brought together consultants, corporate clients, professional AV specialists and rental companies to explore how Panasonic projection technology and Hive media servers can be combined for reliable, low-latency visual workflows.

Panasonic's Francois Yadi and Anthony Molloy were both in attendance, while Hive's Nigel Sadler delivered his training remotely. The Panasonic sessions covered projector hardware, menu functions, advanced edge blending, colour matching, black-level adjustments and Geometry Manager Pro, while Hive's programme explored media server configuration, software tools, playback workflows and practical applications.

“It was a pleasure to attend both events in Johannesburg and Cape Town,” said Molloy, division head of projector products and display division at Panasonic Middle East. “I was extremely happy to see the enthusiasm from all attendees to learn about the different projection technologies available from Panasonic.”

Molloy also highlighted Panasonic's breadth of projection technologies, describing it as “one of the only manufacturers offering 3LCD, DLP and, shortly, RGB projection”.

DWR's Tim Wilson welcomed the response from attendees, noting that some had already expressed interest in more advanced courses. “The content covered everything from menu features to advanced edge blending, colour matching and black-level adjustments, using Panasonic software and camera tools,” he explained. “Francois handled all the practical work, while Tony and I covered the theory.”

Wilson also praised Sadler's contribution to the Hive sessions. “He went into great depth on how to use and configure the media servers, supported by real-world use-case demonstrations. It was just brilliant.”

The training provided an opportunity for participants to explore the practical considerations involved in designing, configuring and maintaining integrated projection and media server systems.