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Volume 10, Issue 19 — October 2, 2012
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Building Information Technology in AV
By Jon Melchin
Director of Architectural Business Development, FSR Building Information Modeling is a 3D design, modeling and simulation technology for the architectural, engineering and construction industries. While not new — elements have been around for several years — it is an important initiative that is changing standard practice in architecture today. So what does it do? Primarily, BIM is a shared knowledge resource between everybody involved in the design process — architects, engineers, interiors people and other contractors and sub-vendors, including audiovisual professionals — for information about a facility and the building materials incorporated into it. The building industry has embraced the evolution of 2D drawings and analog text to digital electronic imagery and information. For the architect, BIM is a very useful tool as the technology allows them to be better designers — they can deliver projects faster, easier, greener, on-time and often, under budget. Other beneficiaries of BIM include facility owners, planners, appraisers, estimators, environmentalists, real estate agents, lawyers, code officials, and ultimately, building occupants. BIM has changed the way structures are designed because it provides a much better interpretation of what the building is going to look like and how the building will perform over its life cycle. While the definition of BIM begins with the 3D modeling of the entire building, each design phase includes the architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and every component of the project that requires physical coordination. But it’s the “I” in BIM that is most beneficial. The building elements are represented in both graphical and data-rich text so that the information or data embedded behind each BIM object is available to be shared. Features such as size, shape, color, fire-rating, warranty, raw materials, manufacturer’s specifications and other documentation can be included for each product in the model.
Informational Insight
BIM is widely known in the United States, and as more projects are being designed abroad by stateside architectural firms, BIM is gaining ground globally. For the audiovisual industry, the significance of BIM lies in the fact that in the eyes of a construction professional, AV manufacturers are building product manufacturers, not AV companies. AV technologies can greatly impact the performance of a building and can be beneficial to the health, safety, welfare and productivity of building occupants. Information in the BIM building model can be very helpful to AV providers. First, the ability to visualize within the 3D imagery the physical aspects of the AV products incorporated into the space — such as video display size and location, loudspeaker configurations, projector mounting locations, equipment rack layouts, and head-end equipment locales — is very valuable. To be able to share all of that information in collaboration and coordination with architects, interior designers and other construction professionals is beneficial in several ways. BIM facilitates clash detection and design flaws, so space and system-routing conflicts can be identified, as well as ascertaining clear cable pathways and projector and camera sightlines. Visual simulation can also detect potential problems, such as natural daylight designs that compromise video display clarity. Control system software can be coordinated within the model so that the control system can be effectively demonstrated for multi-media, volume, lighting, projection screen and HVAC applications.
Again, the data imbedded behind each audiovisual BIM object could also include environmental information about the product such as recycled content or low volatile compounds (VOC) that was used in the manufacturing process. This could help determine implications of “green” initiatives for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements. BIM tools offer analysis of the performance of energy efficiency elements and sustainable materials.
Benefits of BIM Beyond the Construction Phase
Once the building is completed, facility management professionals can rely on BIM’s potential lifecycle analysis, performance assessment and routine maintenance. BIM can be considered as a “digital owner’s manual” for the building. The BIM model stays with the structure for its entire life. AV products in the model can be accessed for product information, warranty, operational and trouble-shooting procedures as well as establishing additional components needed for future upgrades should application requirements change.
BIM is embraced by about 85 percent of design firms, and there are some organizations and governmental institutions that have mandated BIM. The GSA, NASA, and several states such as Texas, Wisconsin and Ohio have mandated BIM for construction projects. General Motors, Intel, Walt Disney and even the retailer Crate & Barrel require BIM for new builds.
Earlier Involvement
AV professionals will soon recognize that BIM will affect their world. At the least, BIM projects will require that AV is involved earlier in the design process. That can be a real advantage for AV product manufacturers, consultants, and system integrators alike. Traditionally, AV has been an afterthought, but now with BIM, it’s an integral aspect of the structure. That makes life easier for the architect as well.
With significant time and cost reductions, elimination of construction conflicts and more accurate estimates, BIM will help architects and AV professionals work together more effectively, by being on the same page throughout the entire building process.
Jon Melchin is the director of architectural business development for FSR, Inc, a New Jersey based AV manufacturer. He has been in the AV industry for more than 12 years and conducts an American Institute of Architects accredited presentation. Reach him at jmelchin@fsrinc.com
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InfoComm: Wireless Mics and White Spaces: A Changed (and Changing) Landscape This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm International and originally appeared here.
It’s been more than three years since the United States threw the metaphorical switch that transitioned the country from analog to digital broadcasting. In the process, it created a controversy around what are called “white spaces” – the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum that acts as a buffer between TV channels, and forced AV pros out of a popular frequency range. Considering the scale of the switchover from analog to digital, three years probably isn’t enough time to completely resolve a technology challenge of this magnitude, especially as it relates to pro audio and wireless microphones.
“You could say that the green flag has been waved but none of the horses have left the gate yet,” is how Chris Lyons, manager of technical and educational communications at Shure, described a situation that remains fluid, though not nearly as chaotic and often acrimonious as it was just a few years ago.
How We Got Here
To review: When the transition to digital broadcasting took place, it freed up large amounts of spectrum, much of it in the 700 MHz to 800 MHz range, which held analog TV channels 52 to 69. The valuable RF real estate was coveted by many large interests, including cellular carriers and members of the White Spaces Coalition, including Microsoft, Google, Dell, HP and Samsung, who saw it as a spawning ground for a wireless consumer device market worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Broadcasters, audio professionals and live events stagers, on the other hand, who had long used the white spaces frequencies in a highly controlled manner, voiced concern that a massive influx of unlicensed consumer users would wreak havoc on their operations, particularly for events such as sports. Producers of other live events, including theater owners and houses of worship, whose productions increasingly depend on the use of wireless microphones, were in that same camp.
In a series of decisions, the FCC acted mainly in favor of cellular carriers, public safety and the White Spaces Coalition. RF microphone systems using the 700-MHz spectrum were essentially evicted and the spectrum auctioned. That left the pro audio industry with pieces of spectrum beginning at 470 MHz and running up to about 698 MHz, where members of the White Spaces Coalition were eyeing bandwidth for new devices.
However, the FCC also provided some amelioration for events professionals and pro audio: at least two 6-MHz channels reserved specifically for professional wireless mic use in each geographic area (some markets even have more). In other words, in every U.S. market, there is supposed to be at least 12 MHz of available bandwidth in a desirable frequency band reserved for wireless mic use.
Of course, large wireless configurations — generally greater than 16 microphones — will require additional spectrum. To address this, more TV channels can be reserved to protect RF audio against interference from various TV band devices (TVBD, formerly known as white space devices, or WSD) that will be introduced in the consumer marketplace in the next several years. Licensed microphone users, such as broadcasters and their content providers, can reserve more channels directly; unlicensed users, such as live-entertainment productions, can submit a request to the FCC 30 days prior to their performances and, pending approval, reserve additional channels.
Following so far? There’s more.
The FCC also mandated the establishment of a database listing available frequencies nationwide and conditionally approved several private companies to administer the databases, of which two have completed their work and been certified: Spectrum Bridge and Telcordia. Channels reserved through one database administrator should be shared automatically with the other database providers so that mic users only need to register once with the database of their choice.
Finally, in a concession to wireless mics users, the FCC also placed significant restrictions on the use of RF devices in the old TV spectrum. For instance, unlicensed consumer devices fall under strict emission rules that prevent the direct use of IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi) in a single channel, effectively making the new spectrum unusable for Wi-Fi technologies. In addition, smartphones and other wireless devices must also monitor the spectrum locally once every minute to confirm that no legacy wireless microphones, video-assist devices or other emitters are present.
And So?
Harold Blumberg, a frequency coordination specialist and consultant whose corporate event work recently included a convention for a large international real estate company in Orlando, Fla., that required 147 channels of wireless audio, says that despite everything, uncertainty clouds the future a RF operations. For example, he says, the need to apply for additional RF channels for large projects more than 30 days in advance may prove unrealistic.
“If you pick your frequencies 30 days out, you often find that things have changed when you actually get to the site,” he explains. As a result, on-site scans using commercial scanning software will be more necessary than ever as the most effective way to identify portable local radios, for instance, or challenges caused by local topography or the shielding afforded by various building construction.
“Compared to three years ago, it’s been steadily getting worse,” he says, noting the loss of bandwidth and the potential to lose even more in future government auctions. “A lot depends on how well manufacturers are able to fit more signal into less bandwidth with new technologies.”
Manufacturers are, indeed, adapting their technology to the new spectrum landscape, using digital RF filters to fit more channels of wireless into single bands, such as Shure’s new ULXD series, which can squeeze up to 47 channels into a TV channel. Lyons notes the irony of increased demand for RF audio systems at a time when the sector has become more complicated, comparing the allure that producers find in wireless audio to air conditioning: “Once you have it, it’s hard to live without it."
Geoff Shearing, president of Masque Sound, which in addition to working on numerous corporate and other live events is also one of three major AV systems providers to New York City’s theater district, agrees that the RF landscape is anything but settled in the wake of the white spaces controversy.
“We’re still waiting to see what will happen when [TVBDs] come on the market,” he says. “All we can do in the meantime is play by the rules and register our microphones with the database.”
Shearing says the shift has been complex, coming at a time when the average large theater production uses as many as 60 channels of wireless audio — three times what it required 20 years ago. He says he’s keenly watching the market develop new systems that can compress more channels into less spectrum, but that few of those systems have reached the market yet and none have been tested in high-density RF environments such as Broadway. And not all of the announced systems have products that fit theatrical requirements, such as very small beltpacks.
Masque and other major event systems providers also rely on software programs to help them manage their frequency allocations. One of those is IAS, a software program developed by Professional Wireless, a company Masque acquired several years ago. It lets users virtually drag and drop microphones of various manufacturers into a database that automatically calculates the best frequencies to use. Even with that kind of technology assist, Shearing says Masque and other major Broadway RF vendors, such as Sound Associates and PRG, bump into each other on occasion. “Normally, we’re competitors, but when it comes to Broadway, we have to work closely together and share information to make it work for everyone,” he says.
Few places even come close to what Broadway RF users have to contend with, but manufacturers are looking to make the process easier with seminars, free software, training and, in some cases, new services. For instance, Sennheiser will announce the availability this September of a new service through which the microphone maker will offer to register events that require spectrum beyond what’s normally available in a given market.
“We offer a lot of DIY guidance for this, but we also know how to push the buttons faster, which can make it easier for users,” says Joe Ciaudelli, director of advanced projects and educational services at Sennheiser. Pricing hasn’t been announced for the service, but Ciaudelli says it will be scaled to the event’s needs and “be in the hundreds of dollars, not the thousands.”
RF was always a complex proposition, and the white spaces turbulence made it more so. But technology has a remarkable propensity for being able to fix what politics scrambles. New RF audio systems will address newly constrained spectrum and a new informational infrastructure is already coming together around it. Like everything that digital technology has disrupted, it’s mostly a matter of getting used to it.
[Note: Since this story was first published, it was edited to clarify the two separate white spaces issues that affected pro audio: the FCC’s auctioning of spectrum in the 700 MHz range and its allowance of new wireless devices in the 470 to 698 MHz range.]
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The Cost of Quality: Hidden and Apparent
By Mario J. Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQT
Executive Director, The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc. This is the second in a multi-part series from the Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology (AQAV) and its push for everyone in AV to adopt the AV9000 standard for quality management. Read the first article here.
Perhaps there is no term as misunderstood as the word "quality." Many think it has something to do with "luxury,” but nothing can be farther from the truth. Quality simply means consistency and compliance with what the customer expects when he or she places an order. When a company maintains quality, they keep the entire company focused on giving the customer what he wants — nothing more, and certainly nothing less.
A company's Quality Management System ("QMS") is a system of processes in place to assure quality is maintained. There are monitoring and measuring processes in place to keep the company's resources on a direct path. An interesting thing occurs when this takes place — waste is reduced, or in some cases completely eliminated. The company is focused on doing things "right." "Waste" in this business is not measured in pounds. It's measured in hours.
An AV company's profits are all about the hours. Technical staff costs money, and payroll comes every week at the same time. If a company can successfully complete two more projects in a given time period without paying for additional staff, profits increase significantly.
A company with a tight QMS monitors where the hours go, and continually improves its processes to keep things on track. Do any of these hidden costs ring a bell?
- Expediting a substitute product or products because the wrong item(s) was ordered.
- Rushing in additional product because it is required when using another part.
- Technicians spending three to four times the hours needed to integrate, because they are unfamiliar with a new product and are learning by trial-and-error.
- Technicians taking three to four times the original estimate to integrate because they attempt to make final adjustments by eye (or ear) instead of using the required instrumentation.
- Going to meetings to hear a customer's complaints.
- Going back to a jobsite to take care of service issues right after a system was supposedly completed.
- Going back to a jobsite to retrieve missing tools, installation equipment, unused cable, etc.
- Going back to a jobsite to confirm as-built drawings.
- Leaving a jobsite prematurely because the technicians lacked information, parts, tools, or drawings.
- Reworking an installation because an integration detail was never approved by the customer, and found to be unsatisfactory.
- Loss of revenue because a dissatisfied customer decided to go elsewhere on his next project. (Note — 80 percent of dissatisfied customers never complain — they simply "vote with their feet.")
The list is endless. How do you put a number on these costs?
There are three steps: - Track the hours lost
- Multiply by the true labor costs to the company. This is determined by taking an individual's annual gross salary and adding the benefits (could be 30-40 percent higher than the salary).
- Divide by 2,000 (the average hours actually worked in a year, accounting for paid holidays, vacations and weekends).
One finds that when companies first start to track these issues, after first becoming aware of the problem, managers find they are wasting TWENTY PERCENT OF THEIR GROSS REVENUE on these hidden, yet very significant, costs.
"Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality." – Peter F. Drucker
"The cost of quality isn't the price of creating a quality product or service, it's the cost of NOT creating a quality product or service." – ASQ website
"Quality is not an act. It is a habit." – Aristotle
"My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time." – Steve Jobs
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rAVe Founder Keynote's ALMO E4 Expo on Oct. 3rd in New Jersey Almo Professional A/V today announced final registration for the last stop on the Fall 2012 E4 AV training and networking tour, taking place at the Meadowlands Expo Center in the New York area on Oct. 3. The event will feature hundreds of new and Almo-exclusive products from over 30 manufacturers, including Almo’s newest commercial audio partner, Atlas Sound. Atlas will exhibit and present a session during E4 New York. At the same time, a fourth classroom has been added to the event to conduct 17 educational sessions, including two new presentations delivered by industry expert, Peter Putman on behalf of Kramer Electronic USA.
Vice President of Marketing for Almo Professional A/V Melody Craigmyle said, “We are ending our tour in the same region where we had our very first E4 event in 2009, although we’ve outgrown our original space and now need an exhibit hall to fit all the products, manufacturers and attendees.” She continued, “There is a lot of extra excitement around this event — our newest partner, Atlas Sound will bring its traveling Sound Trailer onto the show floor, which will feature a first look at the new A-Series line of array speakers. And it’s a privilege to have Pete Putman join our expert presenter team with two new sessions worth InfoComm CTS Renewal Units.” Craigmyle noted that one of Putman’s sessions would focus on how to handle digital signal routing while the other is on wireless AV signals, two topics that E4 attendees have expressed interest in learning about.
E4 NY comes on the heels of the E4 Dallas event that took place earlier this month with over 250 attendees. Gary Kayye delivered a new keynote address based on his popular “Kayye’s Krystal Ball” annual column that outlines industry trends in the next two to three years that will affect resellers, manufacturers and integrators. According to E4 Dallas attendee Buddy Hughes of Open Air Media, “Almo came though on its promise at this year’s E4 event. The knowledge received from the manufacturers has already brought us new design concepts that we plan to implement as soon as possible.”
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New Antenna’s Circular Polarization May FINALLY Solve ALL Wireless Mic Issues Guaranteed to improve reception for wireless microphones and IEM systems, Kaltman Creations has just introduced the IWxCPA antenna, under the Invisible Waves product banner.
The antenna is not like traditional paddle or rod antennas commonly used with wireless microphone receivers and pro-audio antenna distribution systems. The IWxCPA incorporates innovative directional “circular polarization” (CP) technology for both receiving and transmitting pro-audio wireless applications. Kaltman Creations guarantees that this antenna will reduce interference, reduce drop outs, help eliminate "swishing" noise artifacts, improve RF signal-to-noise, and enhance reception of signals propagated through and around objects.
Traditional paddle and rod antennas used for wireless microphones are either horizontally or vertically polarized (usually vertically, as a mic is usually vertically oriented). When a microphone transmitting antenna changes its orientation in reference to the receiving antenna (as wireless mics and belt pack transmitters always do) the phase relationship changes. Also, as a transmitter moves behind objects or the RF reflects off of surfaces, the phase orientation can change. This out-of-phase or non-polarized condition results in reduced signal level at the receiver and leaves the transmission susceptible to interference.
The new IWxCPA antenna uses advanced circular polarization technology which produces a "drop-out free" transmitter and receiver combination that is never out of phase. This technology, along with the antenna’s directional attributes, helps to guarantee as reliable of an RF signal link as possible. The new IWxCPA antennas are sold in a two-antenna package for $499 and IEM is actually issuing a "guarantee" that it'll work. The antennas are passive with a 60 degree beam-width and the pattern is circular polarized in the 470MHz to 960MHz range. For use with in-ear-monitor transmitters, IWxCPA has plenty of room to spare with a maximum input power rating of 3 watts. The 10 inch x 10 inch x 1.3 inch, 2.5lbs antennas include a swivel mic stand mounting capability (optional truss mount available) and are painted theatre black with a 50 shm low-loss BNC connection.
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Share Article Back to Top Dante Adopted by Over 60 Audio Manufacturers, So Far Audinate, the inventor of Dante media networking (an AVB-based audio networking protocol), is gaining rapid adoption as the solution of choice among broadcast manufacturers. After this year’s IBC trade show, it was evident that Dante is being deployed by a large number of OEM equipment vendors in the broadcast industry. Audinate announced that 20 of its current 60 OEM manufacturer partners are involved in the broadcast market sector.
Audinate's Dante products deliver a self-configuring, digital audio network that uses standard Internet Protocols. Yamaha, Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup, NTP Technology, Sierra Automated System, DELEC, Bosch, Sound Devices, Digital Audio Denmark, Soundcraft, DHD-Audio, Jato and RTS/Telex all have announced the adoption of Dante media networking from Audinate.
“With approximately 60 OEM manufacturers aboard, Dante provides the highest degree of interoperable,” said Ervin Grinberg, Audinate’s director of marketing. “Much of the rapid adoption can also be attributed to Dante delivering a working solution today, and as well as migration path to standards such as AVB. The fact that Dante is designed to meet the requirements across multiple industry segments is a big benefit to all consumers.”
Learn more here: http://www.audinate.com/
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Share Article Back to Top DPI Unveils 3-Chip DLP 3D Projector Under $30K Including Lens This year at CEDIA Expo, DPI introduced the new HIGHlite 330-3D, a new addition to the company's HIGHlite Cine 3-chip DLP series. Two new models have been launched — a high contrast version delivering 2,500 lumens and greater than 10,000:1 contrast, and a high brightness version delivering 4,500 lumens. Both of these 3D projectors are priced under $30K MSRP including lens, making these about 60 percent of the cost of the entry level TITAN 3D models. The two models also offer installation flexibility due to the HIGHlite 330-3D’s compact chassis design and lens shift range of 120 percent vertical and 30 percent horizontal. Multiple lens options provide further flexibility, with .77 and 1.16:1 fixed lenses plus zoom lenses with throw ratios ranging from 1.45 – 6.76:1. Connectivity options include two HDMI inputs, as well as RGB via D-15, component, composite and S-Video inputs.
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Secured Projector Installation with the New KEYLOCK Feature Premier Mounts just launched something they are calling KEYLOCK-M5 and
KEYLOCK-M6, an added security feature for Premier Mounts' FTP and PDS-PLUS projector mounts. The KEYLOCK screw comes in two versions, KEYLOCK-M6, including an M6 security screw and key for the PDS-PLUS, and theKEYLOCK-M5 for the FTP with an M5 security screw and key. The new KEYLOCK will be included as part of the hardware with these mounts at no additional cost.
The KEYLOCK is also available for dealers and integrators with stock of Premier Mounts' FTP and PDS-PLUS projector mounts prior to this release, and can easily order it by calling customer service. Projectors that have already been installed can be retrofitted by purchasing the KEYLOCK security screw and key for $9.95.
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Share Article Back to Top Acer Debuts World's First LED/Laser 1080p Projector Acer is introducing the K750 is the world's first 1080p projector using hybrid laser-LED light technology. Similiar to the technology Casio uses in its GreenSlim line of projectors, the K750 projector uses both LED and laser light sources that are free of hazardous substances like mercury or halogen gases, yet, according to the company, also improve color brightness when compared to high-pressure mercury lamps (white is whiter). This technology also increases the light-source lifetime to 20,000 hours in Extreme ECO mode and enables, says Acer, as much as 90 percent power savings (helping to reduce total cost of ownership and probably making the K750 one of the most environmental friendly projectors).
With a brightness of up to 1,500 lumens and a contrast ratio up to 100,000:1, this hybrid light-source technology enables flexible color settings and a wider color gamut to deliver color saturation up to 85 percent NTSC and offers color fidelity through a system of three independent color lighting sources.
This projector is so new it's not on Acer's website yet. But, when it is, it will be here: http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/group/projectors
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AMK Debuts Self-Amplified Speakers The new AMK PCS615 is a self-amplified cabinet speaker system that features a 15-watt Class D digital design amplifier with what AMK is specifying as > 75 percent efficiency using coaxial drivers. The CX602 speaker includes a frequency response of 65 Hz – 20 kHz, uses a 13mm Polyamide soft dome tweeter and a Polypropylene woofer. It's spec'd with a crossover frequency of 6.3 kHz and a signal-to-noise ratio > 95dB.
You can see all the specs here: https://www.ravepubs.com/images/AMK.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top Planar Helium Debuts Today, Planar Systems will launch something called Helium – family of multi-touch desktop monitors designed specifically to work with Microsoft Windows 8-connected Ultrabook, tablet or desktop PC. The Planar Helium family debuts with a 27-inch model (model PCT2785) that customers can simply plug the monitor directly into their Ultrabook, tablet or desktop PC, and everything works right out of the box – no Windows configuration required. Including a built-in 1080p webcam and microphone for VTC apps and a built-in USB hub that allows users to connect other peripherals directly to the monitor, the Helium display can also be paired with other non-touch monitors and has 20 simultaneous touch points that recognize touch input from a finger, thin gloved hand or conductive stylus.
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Share Article Back to Top New MultiTaction Cell Creates Near Seamless Multi-Display Interactive Installations MultiTouch announced the launch of its ultra-thin bezel (UTB) 55" MultiTaction cell, which the company claims as the world’s first and only interactive display with an ultra-thin bezel LCD. These high definition, modular displays can be set up as a wall or a table and embedded in custom furniture. Featuring the MultiTaction technology platform, they track unlimited touch points, including hands, fingers, 2D markers and objects and also work on Mac, Linux or Windows operating systems.
The 55” UTB display has a 1.9-millimeter bezel on the bottom and left sides of the cell, and a 3.8-millimeter bezel on the top and right sides.
Here are all the stats: http://www.multitaction.com/products/multitaction-cell/
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Share Article Back to Top NEC Upgrades LED-Based E Series NEC Display debuted a third generation of its commercial-grade E Series monitors this month in the form of new 32-inch (E323), 42-inch (E423), 46-inch (E463) and 55-inch (E553) models. The entire E Series displays is targeted at affordable display options for educational, commercial AV, retail stores, quick-service restaurants, healthcare waiting rooms and fitness centers.
Using edge-lit LED backlighting, the E Series is thin (less than 1 inch) and consumes up to 56 percent less power (than CFL-lit), resulting in a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). The displays also offer a three-year warranty.
Inputs include three HDMI inputs and VGA, in addition to having an integrated ATSC (HDTV) off-air tuner. Control is via RS-232 and, for digital signage applications, the displays include a USB media player capable of automatically playing .jpg images. Contrast ratio is spec'd at 4,000:1 contrast ratio and all five models will ship next month.
The E323, E423, E463 and E553 are priced at $419, $649, $829 and $1279, respectively. Here are all the specs: http://www.necdisplay.com/category/large-screen-displays
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Share Article Back to Top Draper Intros New Screen Selection Software Tool When selecting a projection screen surface, everyone knows there are many variables to consider, including screen gain, surface color and screen material. Matching up screen surface capabilities with room conditions can get complicated very quickly, but Draper says it's simplified the process with a free Web-based software tool.
Draper’s new screen surface selector takes into account variables such as projector brightness, light on the screen, projector location and specs and more to narrow screen surface choices to “good,” “better” and “best.”
The new screen surface selector was developed using InfoComm standards as a basis for screen selection, and designed to be easy to use by people with basic or advanced AV knowledge.
You can check out Draper’s new screen surface selector at http://www.draperinc.com/
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Share Article Back to Top Middle Atlantic Combines Power and Cooling in a Single Rackspace The PowerCool Series from Middle Atlantic claims to be the industry’s first and only integrated power distribution and thermal management product. A family of single-space (1RU) power and cooling solutions, PowerCool uses Middle Atlantic’s purpose-designed quiet blowers. Each blower unit removes 50 CFM of heated air while providing high static pressure to maintain airflow even in crowded racks. Middle Atlantic also says the unit is energy efficient, running only when temperatures breach a safe operating threshold and at proportional speeds to ensure they only function as fast as necessary.
Incorporating multi-stage surge protection with surge status notification, the PowerCool Series additionally offers protection against surges and spikes. Models are available with 15 or 20 Amps and 10 or 11 outlets. The PowerCool Series also includes a model with a black brushed and anodized finish to match the company’s other higher aesthetic line of accessories. We are impressed with the look…
To learn more, click here [PDF]: https://www.ravepubs.com/utility/documents/middleatlantic-powercool.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top Scallop Imaging Integrates D7-180 Camera with NiceVision IP Video Solution Scallop Imaging will integrate its D7-180 wide angle security camera with NICE Systems' NiceVision IP video solution for advanced video surveillance capabilities for government and commercial enterprises.
The D7-180 generates 7-megapixel resolution across a panoramic, 180-degree field of view, and features H.264 compression and Power over Ethernet (PoE). The NiceVision open-platform IP video surveillance system combines real-time analysis, IP networking, recording and management to enable automatic threat detection, instant verification, event resolution and effective investigation.
Scallop Imaging's D7-180 seven megapixel digital camera distributes the imaging task across multiple, small image sensors, processing over 100 megapixels per second to calibrate, synchronize and merge video in real time. The result is two simultaneous video streams: a 720p HD stream composed of a true 180 degree, non-fisheye, situational awareness view at 15 frames per second, and up to four instantly repositionable zoom windows at full pixel resolution at 15 fps — and a full resolution (5120×1280 pixels) video stream at one fps.
Here are the specs: http://www.scallopimaging.com/digital-window-d7-180-camera.php
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Share Article Back to Top FSR Launches HDMI Wall Plates FSR has added an HDMI wall plate extender to its new DV line, aimed at the ProAV channel. The FSR extender consists of a single gang Decora style wall plate transmitter and a matching receiver that FSR says is capable of extending HDMI signals at 1080p up to 165 feet.
The HDMI Wall Plate Extender has an HDMI input on the front and two punch down blocks for CATx cables on the back. It uses HDBaseT to send the HDMI signal via CATx wire. It's available in white, black and ivory.
Here are all the details: http://www.fsrinc.com/cablesPlatesConn.htm#IPS
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Share Article Back to Top Middle Atlantic Unveils Patent-Pending Series Surge Protection Middle Atlantic is launching a technology called Series Protection — a new, patent-pending technology that the company says offers instantaneous (zero-delay) protection of AV systems. Series Protection was designed with non-sacrificial circuitry and Middle Atlantic says it ensures noise-free AV systems by protecting connected equipment without contaminating the system ground. Every model in the Series Protection suite automatically disconnects devices from sustained over- and under-voltage events. All units also perform automatic recovery after these events, minimizing system downtime.
The new line of Series Protection power products includes other industry firsts: a hardwired model as well as half-width models (the mount system co-developed with Extron) that require minimum space. Full-width rackmount models for 19” enclosures are also available.
For more information, click here: http://www.middleatlantic.com/power/Power%20Distribution%20New.htm
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Share Article Back to Top Epson Debuts New Document Camera Epson's new DC-20 document camera features a 12x optical zoom (and 10x digital zoom), an HDMI output, native 1080p projection and a built-in microphone. Designed specifcially for K-12 applications, this document camera allows teachers to write or draw over live images with an animation feature. It can also record and play back time-lapse photography and offers the connection of a microscope via the eye-piece for sharing share magnified images. It has 1GB of flash storage embedded, as well as a USB port for additional memory storage.
See all the specs here: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?sku=V12H500020
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Share Article Back to Top Tecom Electronics Ships Universal Projector Remote Control The TecPodium TCD-100 from Tecom Electronics allows a teacher to control a projector or flat-panel through a colorful remote with giant buttons, rather than the remote that ships with all projectors (usually with more than 20 small buttons). The TCD-100 has a built-in IR learner so it can be customized to control any display. It only has five buttons, includes MACRO functionality, is about the size of a business card and has a battery that lasts for years.
This is an interesting concept and a creative, simple product from TECOM. There are many hang-and-bang'ish installs where there is no control system and to control a room, the end user does end up using the projector's remote for not only switching inputs, but also for volume control. This simplifies it even more by offering those functionalities.
Here are the details: http://www.tecpodium.com/en-US/Content.aspx?did=136&miid=45&sel=148
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Share Article Back to Top Premier Mounts Opens Corporate Headquarters Premier Mounts, a manufacturer of mounts, carts, stands and accessories, officially opened its new corporate headquarters in Fullerton, Calif. this month with a customary ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the landmark event in the company’s history.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Draper Hires Steve Cook Draper, Inc., has hired industry veteran Steve Cook to be its new national AV consultant manager. Cook will work with Draper to support AV Design consultants and projection manufacturers. Cook previously worked at AMPro and NEC.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Alpha Video & Audio Wins Two Awards Alpha Video & Audio announced last month that the company was recently honored with two awards for best audiovisual projects of the year. The Ainsley Mahikoa Memorial Awards were presented by Professional Systems Network International (PSNI), a nationwide network of independent audiovisual and unified communication integrators and service providers. Alpha Audio & Video is a long-time PSNI affiliate.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue! For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that's why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad). Don't like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I've been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don't think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition. Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GreenAV in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top Copyright 2012 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: Sara@rAVePubs.com
rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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