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Volume 10, Issue 20 — October 17, 2012
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AV People: Pierre Richer of NEC
By Molly Stillman
rAVe Director of Marketing and New Business Development Everyone knows Pierre Richer as the creative AV industry guy who is the president and CEO of NEC. (He also wears great shirts.)
Pierre is a naturally born French Canadian who started in the AV industry working for InFocus in 1996 selling LCD tablets even before projectors were part of this industry. Before this, Pierre was selling typewriters, copiers and other office products. "That was a total grind," Pierre said.
He moved to Portland, Ore. from Canada in 1997 while still working for InFocus and lived and worked there for six years before moving to Chicago in 2003 to start his career at NEC.
Now, his work consumes much of his time. He travels all around the world, going to Latin America and Japan almost four times a year, with a lot of flying in North America. He has THREE MILLION air miles. That’s a lot of flying.
Pierre is all over the place and is one of the hardest working men in the AV industry. But the truth is, as important as his work is to him, there’s something way more important to him outside of work — his family. But he’s no ordinary husband and dad.
Pierre and his wife, Linda, met while working at Canadian Pacific Railway 31 years ago. Pierre was an office person working on medical benefits for retirees and Linda was an assistant. They met, fell in love, got married, had children and moved to the U.S. (They both are still Canadian citizens and have green cards.)
Pierre and Linda have three children, Sarah (23), Jeremy (21) and Elliot (19). Sarah is currently studying to be a special education teacher at Benedictine University; Jeremy and Elliot are active boys who love sports, dancing, and yes, even cheerleading. They also both have Fragile X syndrome, one of the most common causes for mental and developmental disabilities seen in boys.
Having special needs brothers is what inspired Pierre's daughter Sarah to go into special needs education. And having special needs sons is what inspires Pierre on a daily basis.
“My boys have given me a great lesson in life,” said Pierre. “They are always happy. When you find out that a son has a developmental disability, let alone both sons, you think the sky is falling. But a couple years later, you see your boys always laughing and smiling. Then I guess it can’t be that bad. You learn that it’s just not the end of the world.
“Anything really. Anything that happens in business or money, is just not the end of the world. When you live and cope with a personal challenge like that, you realize that most of life’s challenges are pretty minor.”
Pierre spends as much time as he can with his sons. Both Jeremy and Elliot are active in the Chicago chapter of the Special Olympics and Pierre is at every meet and event he can attend.
The boy’s favorite sport is basketball. Track and field, volleyball and softball fall not too far behind. Jeremy’s motor skills are a little stronger than Elliot’s. While they both play sports, Elliot’s real passion is in dancing and cheerleading.
Pierre has also learned other ways to spend quality time with his sons. He takes them to the Chicago Bears games. The boys love watching the games and even getting to know Pierre’s coworkers.
And within the last year, Jeremy has begun playing golf with his dad. Pierre started playing golf at age 12. He was a stereotypically great hockey player growing up in Canada, but admittedly, had a bit of a bad temper. He may have thrown his golf clubs a few times thinking he was on the hockey rink. Pierre’s father reminded him that he needed to “behave on the golf course” — and so Pierre gave up golf for a while.
At the age of 20, Pierre picked it back up again and now takes it a lot more seriously. He has a membership at a local club and spends a good amount of time playing with customers.
But what he really loves is spending time almost every weekend out on the golf course with his son. “Jeremy just loves to be with me at anytime and he loves sports, so golf seemed like something he’d enjoy,” he said. “Jeremy plays pretty well! He has some fine motor skill challenges so putting can be tough, but he enjoys just getting out there. I like playing with him because, unlike playing with customers, it’s the only time I actually don’t think of business. I just get to hit balls, relax and spend time with my son.”
It’s clear that Pierre loves the AV industry and he loves his job at NEC. But what’s clearer is he loves being a husband to a wonderful wife and a dad to three very special children even more.
Molly Stillman is the director of marketing and new business development for rAVe [Publications]. Reach her at molly@ravepubs.com
Do you know someone in the industry with an interesting story that should be featured in our monthly column? Email Molly and let her know.
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The End of Bid Work?
By Anthony Coppedge
House of Worship Technology Consultant There are entire industries that revolve around bid work. RFPs (request for proposals), submittals, revised bids, bid scope documents and bid contracts are all a part of this ecosystem and the A/V/L manufacturers, integrators and contractors are all well-familiar with the hassle of the bid.
Bid work is not my favorite because it almost always lacks relational selling. It’s not that I haven’t won some significant bids during my A/V/L sales career, but I distinctly recall the anti-climatic feeling that came from a the signed purchase order on a bid project. It seemed to me that winning five-, six- and even seven-figure bids should have felt better to me. It didn’t because our team simply met an artificial budget cap generally set by someone that didn’t understand our scope of work intimately.
Bids, Contracts and Covenants
Look, I realize that bids are here to stay. It’s a reality in the house of worship market, too, but I’ve seen a trend slowly gain traction over the last decade where churches are going through the bid processes without ever really wanting to evaluate all submissions. The reason is simple: They very often want to be in a covenant relationship with a person (not just the vendor) who understands them, listens and has their best interests at heart.
In the church world, you’ll here this term ‘covenant’ from time to time. It’s based on God’s covenant (binding promise) with His people found both in the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible. The general idea here is that a covenant represents more than a contractual obligation, but a promise of your character to be faithful to your word and their character being faithful to their word, too.
In the context of our discussion today, this simply means they (church representatives) often desire for you as a person, not just a representative of your organization, to build a relationship that is mutually beneficial. The church wants and needs your expertise; you can benefit from not only the purchase order and project, but the favor of the church to come to you time and again for additional work while also sharing your name/brand with their other church friends.
It’s pretty rare that a church would use the word ‘covenant’ in a contract document, but if you want to ever get past pure bid work in the House of Worship market, you’ll need to recognize the underlying desire to be in a long-term relationship of many church leaders.
There Are Bids, And Then There Are Bids
The trend I’m sharing with you isn’t about the end of all bid work, nor the antiquating of bids. Instead, there’s a growing reality in which churches find a person (who works for a vendor) that they build a trusting relationship with so that the bids become less and less important — possibly to the point of obsolescence.
It may be that the first time that your salesperson works with a church, the bid process is fairly typical: The church has a need and wants at least three bids on the project. This is the stereotypical bid that is based as much on price as it is on crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’. However, once the church learns of the character of their salesperson/account manager and the integrity of the vendor in meeting (or even exceeding) expectations, the next bid project has a good chance of being less of an archetypal RFP and more of a formality to ensure the budgets aren’t out of whack.
So, there are bids, and then there are bids. The company that’s given their account manager the freedom to build the relationship over time will more likely find this trend working to their advantage as a preferred vendor.
The Bid Threshold
Another term you’ll often hear in the house of worship market is stewardship. Essentially, church leaders are tasked with making sure that time, energy and money are used effectively and efficiently, plus they desire to be good stewards (those put in charge of something that belongs to someone else). Good stewardship has less to do with how much is saved and more to do with how much isn’t wasted. As such, vendors have the opportunity to not only speak this language, but offer churches unique buying arrangements that reassures the church the price point is fair (market value) and that your company will be responsive in taking care of any issues. As mentioned above, this is referred to as a preferred vendor relationship.
I surveyed churches informally and found that a common threshold for making purchases without a bid process is generally around $5,000 and less. Over time, however, as the relationship matures and credibility is established, this dollar amount can increase to make it easier for the church to make necessary updates without the arduous task of creating an RFP. As an example, one church technical director said it this way: "We always get a counter bid on higher ticket items, but ultimately price isn’t always the selling point. This is especially true if some type of install is required or potential upgrades are needed."
When projects are large enough to go to bid, these preferred vendors are less concerned about low bids and are more concerned about addressing the proposed scope of work within the context of the established relationship. Sure, a bid will most likely happen, but it’s more to ensure the ‘gut check’ that your proposed solution and prices are not out of whack with the rest of the competition.
Firms that do not take more than a financial interest in bottom-dollar sales to the House of Worship market will find themselves losing bids (which they’re probably doing anyway) and saying it’s unfair that your firm is consistently performing well in the church market. This isn’t the government, health care or military market. More and more, vendors that put consistent effort into the House of Worship vertical and focus on building advantageous agreements in place via relational selling will find the repeat business and positive word-of-mouth creating the kind of consistency — and margins — that regularly beat the bid market mentality.
The End of Bid Work?
In a recent column, I talked about the rapid growth of multi-site churches as being a trend that manufacturers and integrators alike needed to understand. Of all church clients, those have a multi-site DNA are probably the ultimate example of the ideal client for building a preferred vendor relationship with, as they’ll have more needs far more often than the typical church. Here, the chance to build the relationship is easier, faster and creates more revenue (with higher margins, too). They’ll probably still have bids for new campuses or campus-wide upgrades, but they’ll also look to their preferred vendor to set the standard.
The reality is that creating marketing campaigns, specialized buying programs and even extending beyond sales into the rental and service areas for the House of Worship market will help establish these preferred vendor relationships. Quality is key when quantity is the race to the bottom – and that’s a race you don’t want to win.
Will bid work ever come to end in the church vertical? Nah. But will A/V/L vendors find better margins, better opportunities and better word-of-mouth referrals by providing churches with better-than-bid successes? Absolutely.
A former staff member at three mega churches and church technology consultant, Anthony Coppedge has developed a respected reputation as a leader in technical and communications circles within the church marketplace. Reach him at anthony@anthonycoppedge.com or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/anthonycoppedge
This column originally appeared in this month's rAVe HOW [House of Worship]. To subscribe for free, click here: https://www.ravepubs.com/subscribe
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Getting The Most Out Of Your Classroom Training Time
By Lee Distad
rAVe Columnist If you’ve spent any time at all as an AV pro, then you’ve seen the inside of a classroom a few times, for seminars, certifications and ongoing product training. If you’re a veteran AV pro, then you’ve spent a lot of time in a classroom.
Regardless of whether you’re a veteran or a rookie, ongoing education is essential to staying on top of the skills and knowledge you need to remain useful.
Training courses, whether vendor or association delivered are structured to deliver an intensive learning experience for their students, not just from the material in the course guide, but tapping into the real-world experiences of not only the instructors but also the experiences of students.
With all the work that goes into developing and putting on training courses, not to mention what it costs your company to send you and your staff to them, it makes sense for students to maximize their course experience.
Whether you’re a veteran or a novice, here are six suggestions, beyond the obvious ones of pay attention and study that will help you be successful in both passing the exam and learning things that will advance your career.
- Get to know the other students. One of the major values of classroom training is the opportunity to meet and connect with peers in the industry. Wherever possible, sit with a group of people you don’t know, rather than your co-workers. It’s human nature to group with people you know, but you’ll learn more if you end up next to and having to work together with people you don’t know.
- There are two good reasons for that. The first is the cross pollination of information and ideas that occurs between industry peers who have just met. And the other is the networking: making contacts with new industry friends from all over. Whether you’re a salesperson, an installer or a general manager, it’s always good to meet new people.
- Next, take advantage of interaction in the classroom. There’s more to attending training than just reading the material that’s presented in the book. As mentioned earlier, one of the big benefits is the sharing of ideas and experiences amongst the participants. When instructors make use of real life examples, students who have extensive work experience can often offer comments and their own experiences relating to the subject matter.
- Related to the last point, it’s crucial for students to ask questions, whether it’s asking for clarification on the material that’s been presented, or if they have a specific experience of their own that they want help understanding. It’s widely understood by industry instructors that for every student who raises his hand, there are at least a half dozen others who have the same question, but are too bashful to ask. Speaking up and asking questions helps provide answers that benefit everybody.
- Don’t over-highlight your course materials. While highlighting relevant passages is important for test preparation, too many students take it too far, something I’ve been guilty of in the past. You want to be able to quickly find the material you’re looking for, and not drown it in a sea of yellow ink. Having every paragraph highlighted is just as unhelpful when looking for material as no highlighting at all.
- Lastly, tab your course books. This sounds fairly easy, but most people don’t know how. Bring color coded tabs from the office supply store to the class tabs, and tab your books. Index the tabs and place them so they can be read whichever way the book is open. It may seem trivial now, but when going back to your course materials as a resource it will be invaluable.
Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com
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Share Article Back to Top DisplaySearch Sees Recovery in the Display Industry
By Norbert Hildebrand
Insight Media DisplaySearch just released its new Quarterly Worldwide FPD Shipment and Forecast Report. They forecast a recovery of the display industry for 2012. According to the data, the total sales volume of the industry will grow to $120 billion in 2012 from $111 billion in 2011. The new number even exceeds the result form 2010 and shows a 8 percent growth YoY.
DisplaySearch also breaks the sales numbers down by display technology, which shows that TFT LCD is undisputed king of the display world at the moment. In the number two spot they see AMOLED with sales of $6.5 billion ahead of PDP with $3.4 billion. This is the first year where AMOLED is ahead of PDP by sales $. The impressive part is the 84 percent YoY growth of AMOLED versus a 23 percent decline for PDP. Of course the weak TV market and lower priced large size LCD TVs are marking a significant challenge for the PDP technology. Even with lower priced 720p panels, PDP has lost more market share against TFT LCD and it seems unlikely that they will be able to recover and re-take significant market share.
TFT LCD on the other hand showed some growth, mainly driven by higher priced high-resolution panels for mobile devices. Indeed, all display technologies tracked by DisplaySearch showed a decline besides TFT LCD, AMOLED and LCOS.
It seems that the display industry is more and more focusing on a few display technologies to cover all applications. Only the top three display technologies (TFT LCD, AMOLED and PDP) hold more than a 1 percent market share. According to the numbers from DisplaySearch the display industry is currently following more of 90/10 market rule (90 percent of the technologies account for only 10 percent of the market) rather than a the typical 80/20. With continued growth of the AMOLED technology this may change back to the 80/20 rule rather quickly.
The key driver for more AMOLED usage is of course the mobile sector where AMOLED should have some intrinsic advantages. With the weak TV market worldwide the importance of mobile display devices will continue to grow and with it the AMOLED technology. If AMOLED can achieve satisfactory yields for large panels in the very near future, the next big TV boom might indeed be driven by AMOLED displays.
According to their numbers, electrophoretic displays (AMEPD) shrunk by as much as 58 percent YoY after they managed a 43 percent growth the year before. DisplaySearch blames the success of Tablets as the main reason for the decline in electronic book reader sales (EBR) as the main driver for AMEPD sales. As E-Ink is the main supplier in the market today, it seems that we will have to wait and see how the main selling season (last quarter in a CY) affects their overall sales. We know that the gross margin at E-Ink has shrunk substantially from 2011 to 2012. This could be a result from lower sales as well as declining display prices. Since the new Kindle has a higher resolution, the backplane cost has definitely not decreased, and the effect of the new Kindle as well as the Nook will only be seen in the coming quarter. I would not be surprised if the decline of the AMEPD will be actually lower than expected.
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Recently from rAVe's BlogSquad Back to Top InfoComm International Appoints David Labuskes as New Executive Director and CEO InfoComm International announced a new executive director today, David Labuskes, CTS. He is currently vice president of RTKL, a division of ARCADIS, one of the world's leading architectural and engineering firms and founder of the company's Technology Design Practice. Labuskes' responsibilities at the company are full operational, financial and marketing strategy for the delivery of design services around the world. He's responsible for key account business development, client relationship management, P&L and product development. He also has over 20 years of IT and software development experience.
Current Executive Director and CEO Randal A. Lemke said, "I've had the pleasure of knowing and working with Dave for more than 10 years. I was delighted when I heard the search committee chose him."
rAVe founder Gary Kayye said, "David is an AV insider, exactly what we needed at InfoComm. His technological expertise and leadership at RTKL is legendary and he'll be a great leader of InfoComm and visionary for our industry."
The InfoComm search committee for the new executive director and CEO was made up of Johanne Belanger, Lee Dodson, Matt Emerson, CTS, Jim Ford, PE, Greg Jeffreys, Mark Valenti, CTS and Tony Warner, CTS-D, who chaired the committee. In March, InfoComm retained Korn/Ferry International to assist in conducting the search.
Current InfoComm Executive Director and CEO Randy Lemke, Ph.D. announced this past January that he planned to retire at the end of the year. Lemke joined InfoComm in 1996 as vice president of education. In 1997, he pioneered InfoComm Academy Online, an Internet-based training system for the AV industry, which currently has 3,000 students enrolled daily. He became executive director and CEO of InfoComm in 2000.
Lemke holds board positions, and has been the chairman of Integrated Systems Events, LLC, a joint venture European trade show company, and InfoComm Asia PTE, Ltd., a joint venture company in Singapore operating InfoComm's Asian tradeshows. He is the founding and current chairman of the STEP Foundation, a jointly supported foundation composed with other industry associations to bring sustainability to the process of planning, designing, integrating and operating technology systems and reduce long-term environmental impact from technology deployment. He has also served as chief executive of ICIF, InfoComm's charitable foundation.
In January, Lemke said, "It has been an honor to serve the needs of such an exciting and innovative industry these past years, and it's with mixed feelings that I leave the wonderful team of professionals and close friends I have made here at InfoComm."
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Share Article Back to Top Pacific Media Associates Monthly Sell-Through Research Shows NEC Dominating For nearly 15 years, Pacific Media Associates (PMA) has collected monthly sell-through data from leading North American projector dealers, retailers, web resellers and distributors. The company's Tracking Service family of monthly reports offers sell-through data and analysis on unit sales, true volume-weighted street prices, and inventories of front projectors for these channels.
Each month, Pacific Media Associates posts the Top 5 Lists for the following categories:
High-End (4000+ lumens) Projectors — This “Top 5″ list is compiled from data collected from PMA’s monthly Pro A/V Projector Tracking Service sample, which is made up of North American dealers and integrators. The August 2012 results show that three of the top five selling models, by unit volume, were WXGA resolution projectors. The “Top 5” selling high-end projectors in August were the WXGA NEC NP-PA550W-13ZL, the Mitsubishi XD600, the WXGA Mitsubishi WD620, the Epson PowerLite Pro G5450WU and the WXGA Epson PowerLite 1945W.
Mainstream (1000 to 3999 lumens) Projectors — This “Top 5″ list is compiled from data collected from PMA’s monthly Distributor Projector Tracking Service sample, which is made up of North American distributors. The August results, by unit volume, show that the three best selling projectors in this category were XGA resolution models. The “Top 5” August projectors were the XGA resolution NEC NP-V260X, the Epson PowerLite 93+ and the InFocus IN114. The InFocus IN112 and the NEC NP-V260, both SVGA resolution models, rounded out the “Top 5”.
New Era / Pico and Personal (sub-1000 lumens) Projectors — This "Top 5" list is compiled from data collected from PMA’s monthly Retail Projector Tracking Service sample, which is made up of North American retailers and web resellers. The August results showed Optoma taking three of the top five selling projectors spots, by unit volume, with the Optoma PK-320, Optoma ML500 and PK-201coming in first, third and fifth. The Acer K11 took the number two spot, and the AAXA M2 Micro rounded out the “Top 5” in the fourth position.
For more information, go to http://www.pacificmediaassociates.com
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ISE 2013 to Host MegaPixel Summit Integrated Systems Europe is today announcing the launch of the MegaPixel Summit, which will be co-located with the ISE show. To be held at the Amsterdam RAI over Jan. 28 and 29, 2013, the Summit will be produced by the market research, publishing and consulting firm Insight Media.
“Over the past couple of years, we have seen a substantial increase in the number of ISE exhibitors offering display solutions that are above full HD resolution,” said Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events. “The potential of these technologies is enormous, but these are complex systems and many industry professionals are enduring a steep learning-curve while implementing them.
“By hosting the MegaPixel Summit at ISE 2013, we hope to create a forum in which the challenges arising from creating large-scale, multiple-component displays are addressed by a mix of different stakeholders: manufacturers, distributors, integrators, rental companies and end customers.”
Chris Chinnock, founder and president, Insight Media, says the Summit will focus on the three elements of what he calls the ‘Pixel Pipeline’ ecosystem that defines a typical MegaPixel solution: Pixel Generation, Pixel Processing and Pixel Display.
“From the CPUs and GPUs that generate the images, to the software and hardware that processes, warps, blends and distributes them, and then on to the various proejction and display technologies that can be used to show them – the MegaPixel Summit will cover every link in the chain,” adds Chinnock.
The MegaPixel Summit will be divided into three sessions. The first two, on the morning and afternoon of Jan. 28 respectively, will focus on Technology, Products and Trends. The third, taking place on the morning of Jan. 29 (the first day of ISE 2013) will offer case-study examples of successful MegaPixel system integration.
Each session will comprise five 30-minute segments, and delegates may choose to attend one, two or three sessions. Individual session costs will decrease according to the number of sessions booked. One session will cost 200 euro, two will cost 350 euro, while all three can be had for 450 euro.
Delegate pre-registration for the MegaPixel Summit will go live on the ISE website Nov. 1, 2012. Additional information about the Summit, including detailed session descriptions and sponsorship opportunites, can be viewed at: http://www.insightmedia.info/conferences/megapixel-summit.php
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ALMO ProAV Adds Atlas Almo Professional A/V and Atlas Sound this month announced a new distribution agreement by which all Atlas speakers, mixers, amplifiers, racks and sound masking products and audio packages are now available through Almo. Atlas Sound was at the E4 AV Tour stop in New Jersey earlier this month at the Meadowlands Expo Center. The company brought its Technology Tour mobile showroom to the E4 exhibit floor, which was filled with a wide range of products, including a first look at the new A-Line speaker series shipping in November. Atlas also presented a session on the growing trend of sound masking in commercial installations. “We could not have picked a better time to begin our distribution partnership with Almo Pro A/V,” said Dan Murphy, senior vice president of Digital Systems for Atlas Sound. “Having the opportunity to launch our new A-Line speaker series at a quality distributor event like E4 is the best possible way we could imagine to get the word out to the dealer community.” According to Sam Taylor, executive vice president and COO for Almo Professional A/V, “With the addition of Atlas Sound products, we can now offer our partners a full U.S.-made, mid-priced audio line that can be customized for a particular market or environment and prefabricated to help them save installation time and improve their accessory margins.” He added, “Our audio business development manager, Apryl Griswold will also work with partners to help design an audio system while supporting the sale and installation, another added benefit of purchasing Atlas products through Almo.”'
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Extron Ships High-Res VGA Line Driver with EDID Minder Extron is now shipping its new Extender Plus VGA and Audio Line Driver with EDID Minder. This one-input, one-buffered-output line driver extends VGA-QXGA and HDTV component video along with audio signals up to 250 feet (75 meters). Unbalanced computer stereo audio is converted to balanced, line level stereo audio to eliminate noise usually associated with unbalanced audio when distributed over long cable runs. It features EDID Minder, which automatically manages EDID communication between connected devices to ensure that the source powers up properly and reliably outputs content for display. The Extender Plus is available in Decora-style and AAP form factors, providing convenient AV access and signal extension for a wide variety of environments.
To maintain signal integrity over long distances, the Extender Plus provides video amplification and peaking control to compensate for attenuation that can occur in long cable runs. Proper signal compensation supports a more detailed image with greater contrast. It also offers EDID capture mode, selectable resolutions and refresh rates and real-time status LED indicators for system monitoring. Both versions also include an energy-efficient, external universal power supply for worldwide compatibility.
To see all the specs, click here: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=extenderplus&s=5
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Share Article Back to Top New FUSION Series Carts Combine Sleek Aesthetics and User-Friendly Features Chief is now shipping its new FUSION Series carts in North America. The design updates include flexible cable covers to allow access at any point along the column while concealing cables for a clean installation. A turn knob lets a single user smoothly raise and lower the screen to any height between 50 and 70 inches (127-177 centimeters).
The new carts and stands also feature:
- +5/-5 degrees of tilt and effortless display adjustment
- User-friendly interface, optimal for screen sizes up to 60 inches and 200 lbs (90.7 kg)
- Black or silver finish
- Smooth rolling and lockable castors for effortless positioning
Chief engineers created wider columns with rounded edges to make the carts easy to hold during the moving process, and the angled base makes corner positioning a snap.
Here are all the details: http://www.chiefmfg.com/Series/lpau
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Share Article Back to Top FSR Debuts Wall Plate Interface for Digital and Analog Signals FSR is introducing the Digital / Analog Wall Plate Interface – part of the company's new Digital Video (DV) family. The Digital / Analog Interface fits in a standard two-gang electrical box and has a dual Decora faceplate available in white, black and ivory to match the décor of the installation. It accepts an HDMI or DVI input, VGA and stereo audio and it's designed to auto switch between the analog and digital inputs. There's also an input switch. The output is HDMI via a Cat5e/6 cable, which FSR says can transmit 1080p resolutions up to 165 feet.
It's not on FSR's website, yet, but when it is, it will be here: http://www.fsrinc.com/cablesPlatesConn.htm#IPS
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Share Article Back to Top Extron Introduces Cable Cubby Enclosures for TouchLink Installations Extron has two new Cable Cubby models designed for the TouchLink TLP 350CV and TLP 710CV touchpanels. The Extron TLE 350 and TLE 710 are furniture-mountable metal housings for AV, data and power connections. The enclosures' dimensions are identical to those of the TLP 350CV and TLP 710CV Cable Cubby TouchLink Touchpanels, creating an elegant, uniform installation when paired with these touchpanels in the same table. When not being used, cables can be stored out of sight while remaining connected to the system, offering a discreet way to access cables and connection points as they are needed. The TLE 350 offers nine AAP openings and the TLE 710 offers eleven. These openings can be populated with a combination of Extron AAP modules and Extron Retractors. Both can be mounted securely into a tabletop, lectern or other flat surface and are available in black anodized or brushed aluminum finishes. AC power modules are available for the U.S., Europe and other major world markets.
You can see them both at: http://www.extron.com/search.aspx?search=Extron%20TLE%20350%20and%20TLE%20710
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Premier Adds Single Latch Design to Video Wall Mount Premier Mounts has added its single latch design to the company's line of video wall LMV mounts. The new single latch release adds ease to the LMV installation process by simplifying the release technique and ensuring a reliable opening and closing of the mount. Applying direct pressure to the mount, then slowly releasing will allow the single latch to open or close the mount in one smooth motion.
The LMV supports displays up to 160 lbs. and screen sizes from 37" to 63". It includes laser cut design spacers customized for specific displays to ensure an aligned video wall. The open design provides ample accessibility for display adjustment and maintenance. Premier also offers custom versions of the mount.
Here are all the specs: http://www.mounts.com/product?product=LMV
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Share Article Back to Top Extron Dual Link DVI Fiber Optic Extender Now Shipping Extron is shipping its DDX 102 Dual Link DVI Fiber Optic Extender, a transmitter and receiver set for long haul delivery of DVI signals over fiber optic cabling. It uses all digital technology to deliver perfect pixel-for-pixel transmission of video images up to 2560×1600, including HDTV 1080p/60. The extender delivers dual link DVI-D signals up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) over two multimode cables or single link DVI signals over one fiber optic cable.
The DDX 102 transmitter and receiver feature industry standard LC-type connectors and can be used for point-to-point fiber optic applications with dual link DVI requirements. The units connect directly to the DVI source and display devices, eliminating the need for additional mounting hardware. EDID Minder automatically manages EDID by maintaining continuous communication with the source, ensuring that it powers up properly and reliably outputs content for display. The transmitter also provides an EDID capture mode to store display EDID.
Check out all the specs here: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=ddx102&search=DDX%20102
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Share Article Back to Top dnp Introduces Supernova Blade The dnp Supernova Blade is a completely frameless front projection screen designed for meeting rooms, retail stores and residential applications. Only 3 millimeters thick and available in sizes 100”, 110” and 120” in 16: 9, the Supernova Blade, we have to say, has a cool, slim format with a contemporary architecture and interiors design. Designed using ISF-certified material, it can be hung from the ceiling or on the wall.
The Blade is shipping now. Here are the specs: http://www.dnp-screens.com/DNP08/Products/Front-projection/Fixed-screens/dnp-Supernova-Blade.aspx
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Share Article Back to Top BrightSign Introduces XD Digital Signage Player Line BrightSign made a major announcement today with its XD product line, the company's first line of solid-state digital signage media players with PC-based player capabilities.
BrightSign’s new XD products offer video and other multimedia capabilities that, until now, were only possible with a PC-based solution. This includes the ability to display live HDTV broadcast content using an ATSC/Clear QAM tuner or HDMI input. The ATSC tuner is used to play cable TV or closed circuit TV broadcasts, and the HDMI input to play any broadcast content, including HDCP-protected content. This is an upgrade from BrightSign's current players, which can broadcast live TV, but only SD content and nothing protected by HDCP. All models include an advanced video decoding engine with scaling technology to deliver 1080p60 video, as well as 3D content. The video engine is capable of decoding two 1080p60 videos or several lower-resolution videos simultaneously. All models support HTML5 so content creators can use familiar development tools to create engaging content. In addition, BrightSign’s usual touch-screen interactivity is enhanced with swipe/gesture control.
The XD line offers three new media players:
- XD230 Networked Player: Capable of playing two 1080p60 videos or several lower-resolution videos simultaneously from local, networked and streaming sources – with support for Full HD, HTML5 and 3D content.
- XD1030 Networked Interactive Player: Engages the audience with a diverse range of interactive controls such as touch/swipe, GPIO, serial, USB, UDP and mobile devices.
- XD1230 Networked Interactive and Live HDTV Player: Includes all the features the XD1030 offers plus Live HDTV playback via HDMI and ATSC inputs to capture an audience and keep them wanting more.
BrightSign’s new XD product line will be available in December 2012. The MSRP of the XD230, XD1030 and XD1230 digital signage media players will be $450, $600 and $700, respectively. The players are backed by a one-year warranty and include BrightSign’s free BrightAuthor software.
To see a spec sheet, click here [PDF]: https://www.ravepubs.com/utility/documents/brightsign_datasheet_v05.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top Visix Adds Super-Slim Media Player Visix has added a new thin-profile small form factor media player to its line of digital signage hardware. Dubbed the Mini Form Factor media player, this new unit is ideal for mounting to the back of displays. It supports multiple content blocks, tickers, layouts and just about 90 percent of what DS players are used for in public spaces.
Measuring just 9” (wide) x 1.3” (high) x 8” (deep) and weighing only 4 lbs., the Mini Form Factor Player uses a 60 GB solid state drive (SSD) and uses the 3.3 GHz Intel Core i3 processor. Outputs include DVI, HDMI and 3.5mm for audio and, of course, content can be sent to it via Wi-Fi or via Ethernet.
Full specifications for the new Mini Form Factor can be found at http://www.visix.com/digital-signage-media-players-specifications.html
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Share Article Back to Top Grund Audio Design Debuts VIP Loudspeakers Grund Audio Design's new VIP Series loudspeaker series includes four models, three of which are three-way loudspeaker designs. The VIP-06, VIP-08, VIP-10 and VIP-12 models loudspeakers are passive designs (requiring external amplification) with high power capabilities and that utilize injection molded enclosures. As the smallest enclosure of the family, the VIP-06 is a two-way design that has a 1-inch HF dome tweeter coupled with 6.5-inch cone LF transducer. The VIP-06 provides a 68 Hz – 20 kHz frequency range for natural sounding program reproduction.
The VIP-08, VIP-10 and VIP-12 loudspeakers are all three-way designs that Grund says results in a far more natural sounding midrange, therefore offering improved speech intelligibility as well as vocal performance reproduction. The midrange transducer in each of the three models features a 5-inch cone with a 1-inch coil in a quasi-horn loaded design. Similarly, these three models feature 1-inch HF dome tweeters. For low frequency reproduction, the VIP-08 uses an 8-inch cone transducer, the VIP-10 employs a 10-inch cone transducer and the VIP-12 incorporates a 12-inch cone transducer. The frequency range for the VIP-08, VIP-10 and VIP-12 is, respectively, 45 Hz – 18 kHz, 40 Hz – 18 kHz and 38 Hz – 18 kHz.
AV integrators will appreciate the four M6 integrated flypoints offered by the new VIP series loudspeakers as they simplify installs in restaurants, presentation facilities, classrooms and secondary areas in houses of worship.
The new Grund Audio Design VIP Series are shipping now. Here are the list prices:
- VIP-06: $179.00
- VIP-08: $299.00
- VIP-10: $379.00
- VIP-12: $439.00
For more info, go to: http://www.grundorf.com/index.php?Type=SOUN&Application=VIP
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Share Article Back to Top New AVB-Based Yamaha-Branded Dante Card Ships The Audinate Dante-MY16-AUD Mini-YGDAI interface card marketed by Yamaha Corporation has been updated to allow remote head amp control. The updated version allows the head amps in the Rio3224-D and Rio1608-D I/O rack units to be remotely controlled from an M7CL or LS9 digital mixing console.
The Dante network audio protocol, developed by the Australia based Audinate, is a network-based audio platform that Audinate says guarantees low jitter and latency of audio over a network. Yamaha’s collaboration with Audinate began in 2009 with the development of the Dante-MY16-AUD interface card, and this year’s release of the Yamaha CL series digital mixing consoles saw the world’s first implementation of Dante as the standard built-in protocol. With this update the Rio3224-D and Rio1608-D I/O rack units that could previously only be used with the CL series can now be used with digital mixing consoles such as the M7CL and LS9 that do not feature built-in Dante communication capability.
Get more specs here: http://www.yamahaproaudio.com
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Share Article Back to Top Community Expands Distributed Design Family with DA6 Community Professional has added to its Distributed Design Series with the new DA6. This architectural surface-mount loudspeaker offers an elegant, sconce-like form factor, designed to complement upscale environments.
The two-way, 6.5-inch surface mount DA6 offers a unique, 115-degree cone-shaped coverage pattern that emanates from the face of the loudspeaker downwards at a 26-degree angle from the wall. A built in autoformer offers selectable 70V or 100V operation in a distributed system, as well as standard 8 ohm use. The DA6 is available in standard black or white finishes, and can be painted as well.
Here are the details: http://www.communitypro.com/productlist/460-distributed-design-da6
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Share Article Back to Top Barco Bundles Video Walls The video wall market is definitely back. Now Barco's trying to make it easier for integrators to spec Barco, instead of someone else, by bundling video wall systems. The company has three different packages:
The size and resolution of the video wall can be defined by the configuration (2×2, 3×2 or 4×2) and the screen diagonal (46” or 55”) of the full HD LCD screens. In this way, video wall sizes range from approximately 81”x46” (2048×1158 millimeters), up to 192”x54” (4862×1372 millimeters), which is designed for small control rooms.
For more information, click here: http://www.barco.com/en/products-solutions/video-walls
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Share Article Back to Top Vewell LCD Tiling Video Wall At InfoComm MEA, a little-knows Chinese manufacturer, Vewell, will show its LCD video wall with narrow bezel display. The company says the gap between the two displays can be as narrow as 1 millimeter.
With high brightness spec of 700 cd/m² and offering 1920×1080 resolution display, the video wall supports inputs such as VGA, HDMI and DVI as well as SDI. It can be controlled via IP or RS485. Vewell also claims the display has a 50,000 hour life.
Here are the stats: http://www.vewell.com/tiling.shtml
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Share Article Back to Top BenQ Releases All-White, Mac-Compatible Monitors BenQ's new VW30 Series of vertical alignment (VA) LED monitors are designed to match Apple computers. BenQ's white, asymmetrical VW2230H and VW2430H monitors do have a pretty sleek, simple look and are 21.5-inch and 24-inch displays, respectively. One interesting feature is a so-called Reading Mod where BenQ says the monitors will adjust their settings automatically to simulate the warmth of reading paper.
The LED-backlit displays both offer an HDMI 1.4 input, a VGA port and DVI-D connections. BenQ says the displays need 50 percent less power than the company's previous generation of CFL monitors. The Eco Mode regulates backlight brightness, based on ambient light, using 37 percent less power in normal low lighting and then goes down 44 percent at night or in darker environments. The displays are mercury-free, plus use BFR/PVC-free casing plastics and eco-friendly ink on its packaging.
The VW2230H and VW2430H are will ship in November and are $179 and $249, respectively. Here are all the specs: http://info.benq.us/new-mac-compatible-all-white-monitors-from-benq
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Share Article Back to Top BenQ Ships Next-Generation SmartEco Projectors BenQ is shipping what it's calling "next generation" projectors with the MS517, MX518, and MW519 "SmartEco" projectors, which are aimed at small- to medium-sized spaces. All three are specified at 2,800 ANSI lumens and a contrast ratio of 13000:1, claiming a lamp life up to 6,500 hours. The difference is in resolution: SVGA (MS517), XGA (MX518) and WXGA (MW519). All include HDMI 1.4 inputs, VGA ports as well as network and RS232 control.
So, what is defined as "EcoSmart"? When you put the projectors in "SmartEco" mode, they automatically adjust the lamp power to maximize power savings by delivering the best contrast and brightness performance using only as much light as needed, based on ambient light. And, if you disconnect a source (or switch to a blank input) the projector automatically lowers brightness another 30 percent after three minutes. There's also an "Eco Blank" mode where users can blank screens when not in use to lower light source power consumption to only 30 percent, useful for when the audience's attention needs to focus on material other than the projected image.
The BenQ MS517, MX518, and MW519 retail at $449, $549 and $649, respectively. All the specs are here: http://info.benq.us/benqs-newest-small-to-medium-room-size-projectors
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Share Article Back to Top Christie Introduces 1-Chip DLP G Series for Fixed Installations Christie introduced this week the G Series, a new high-value, high-brightness projector line. In the new G Series, the Christie DHD550-G and Christie DWU550-G offer 5,500 and 5,600 lumens, respectively, 1-chip DLP technology and a single mercury-lamp design for fixed applications. The 1920×1080 DHD550-G and 1920×1200 DWU550-G are meant for board and conference rooms, government, houses of worship, higher ed and a variety of small venue applications.
Both offer optional wireless connectivity, a selection of optional lenses and input options that include HDMI, DVI and display port. When it comes to image quality, the Dynamic Contrast feature boosts contrast ratios up to 5000:1, and Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture functionality provide flexible display options. And for multi-projector installations, the Christie G Series comes with color matching as well as an optional dual processing warp card that enables blending and warping.
Christie says the G Series will ship in November.
For more information on the G Series, click here: http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/products/projectors/1-chip-dlp/g-series/pages/default.aspx
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Optoma Ships Its First Large-Venue Projector The new Optoma TH7500-NL is Optoma's first high-brightness projector aimed at large-venue applications. Spec'd at 6,000 ANSI lumens and using single-chip DLP technology, the TH7500-NL is a native 1920×1200 (16:10 aspect ratio) projector that uses two lamps (each 330 watts). It includes motorized lens shift, analog (VGA and BNC) and digital (HDMI) inputs and has five optional lenses (with a throw ratio of 0.79 – 7.04).
To see the specs, click here [PDF]: https://www.ravepubs.com/utility/documents/Optoma_TH7500-NL_Datasheet.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top Christie Add Four New 1-Chip DLP E Series Projector Models Christie also added four new 1-chip DLP E Series projectors to its product lineup this week with the Christie DHD675-E, Christie DWU675-E, Christie DHD775-E and the Christie DWU775-E. The new Christie E Series models offer a dual lamp design that provides increased brightness ranging from 6,450 to 7,200 lumens, a choice between HD (1920×1080) and WUXGA (1920×1200) resolutions and delivers up to 5,000:1 contrast ratio thanks to the Dynamic Contrast feature.
These models are aimed at board rooms, conference rooms, auditoriums, government, higher ed and houses of worship. They also include an optional dual processor warp module for blending and warping images, color matching and an optional stacking system, making it ideal for rental and staging applications.
The new Christie E Series models feature a dust-sealed light engine and dual mercury lamps that have the unique ability to optimize lamp configuration to maximize lamp operation in 24/7 applications. Also included is a high brightness six-segment color wheel (RGBCYW) with an optional rich color wheel (RGBCYM) available when color precision is needed. Christie says the color wheel ensures radiant colors while eliminating artifacts from rapidly moving content.
The new E series projectors will ship in November.
To see all the specs, click here: http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/products/projectors/1-chip-dlp/e-series/pages/default.aspx
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Share Article Back to Top Optoma Adds Second 6,000-Lumen Projector Optoma also announced another 6,000-lumen single lamp projector, the TW865-NL. This 1280×800 projector offers VGA and HDMI inputs and carries three optional lenses — allowing for a throw ratio from 1.0 – 3.07.
A single-chip DLP projector, the 3D-capable TW865-NL is spec'd at a 4000:1 contrast ratio with a 2,000-hour lamp, and can be controlled via RS232 or IP. Because the projector can be mounted in any configuration (360-degree mounting capability), it's good for creative applications like houses of worship projection or digital signage apps.
Here are all the specs [PDF]: https://www.ravepubs.com/utility/documents/Optoma_TW865-NL_datasheet.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top Polycom Dropping HDX? Heck No! On Monday, Polycom spent the better part of the day launching an entirely new product line, both in hardware and services, as well as setting forth the company's vision for the future of videoconferencing.
Included in those announcements were a totally new (and, so far, the industry's only) open-standards scalable video codes in the form of the new SVC (we wrote all about it here), a set of VTC products designed for small and medium sized businesses in the form of their new RealPresence 300 system (we wrote about it here) and even launched the industry's first cloud-based system called CloudAXIS that allows for Polycom video calls, Skype video calls, Google Talk calls, and even Facebook calls to be connected together (we wrote about it here).
And, you SHOULD care. What Polycom is doing is offering amazing opportunity, both in new product offerings (some even reach 1080p/60 fps) and services that include recurring revenue streams for ProAV integrators. This represents an awesome opportunity for you, as integrators, to recapture a giant chunk of one of the fastest growing segments of AV right now: videoconferencing.
Following their announcements Monday, the talk among existing Polycom customers (and some competitors) was that Polycom was killing off the HDX systems. And this would matter as the HDX is one of the only systems, market wide, that still supports POTS and ISDN connectivity.
So are they?
Nope! In fact, not only does HDX lives, but Polycom also announced that it's actually issued a new HDX Series 3.1 update. The upgrades include the Polycom RealPresence Whiteboard, which is embedded virtual whiteboard software in a video-conferencing unit with no external PC required. Users can annotate on the same digital screen, and support for standard touchscreens allows for dual-screen set-up and annotation with fingertips (similar to iPad).
SO, HDX lives!
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Share Article Back to Top Polycom Heads to the Cloud, Adds Skype, Facebook and Google Talk Integration with RealPresence CloudAXIS Polycom made several major announcements this week, one of which is new Polycom RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite, a cloud-based software suite that allows Polycom customers to add anyone on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk and other business video applications to their video conferences from a browser. RealPresence CloudAXIS is software suite that runs on the Polycom RealPresence Platform in either private enterprise clouds or public clouds, and securely extends enterprise-grade video and content collaboration outside the firewall to other businesses (B2B) and consumers (B2C) via a browser.
The RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite is ideal for Polycom dealers to expand from offering Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) to Video Collaboration-as-a-Service (VCaaS) — adding applications such as recording and streaming, web conferencing, and collaboration tools (e.g., digital whiteboards). RealPresence CloudAXIS also offers additional value for large enterprises with the RealPresence Platform, enabling customers to create private enterprise clouds to extend video collaboration to other businesses and consumers for B2B and B2C connectivity.
Polycom says that RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite eliminates the security risks and administrative headaches posed by third-party video clients and solutions introduced onto corporate networks by employees who communicate over unsecure connections. RealPresence CloudAXIS also enables enterprises to leverage their investment in existing standards-based Polycom video collaboration systems — including room/group, desktop or mobile video solutions — and the RealPresence Platform.
RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite fast-tracks dealers that want to get to market quickly with new subscription-based revenue streams via both B2C and B2B VCaaS offerings. VCaaS enables dealers to offer value-added applications on top of cloud-delivered video conferencing, including recording and streaming and web conferencing, plus collaboration tools such as digital whiteboards and collaboration apps for vertical markets like healthcare or education. This offers opportunities to dealers to drive more monthly/annual service subscription sales, which are a key profit center for AV dealers.
Dealers can even co-brand the experience, including the user interface, and by leveraging Polycom’s recently announced suite of open APIs for the RealPresence Platform, they can integrate the RealPresence CloudAXIS suite with operations and billing support systems (OSS/BSS), as well as create unique value-added enterprise or consumer applications.
The RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite consists of a global directory presence engine, web client (supports HTML5-compatible browsers) and what Polycom is calling a "flexible resource broker" that dynamically allocates and brokers crucial variables such as bandwidth, databases, sessions and media to ensure an optimal user experience.
Polycom plans to make trials of the RealPresence CloudAXIS Suite available to service providers in Q1 of 2013. For more information, go to http://www.polycom.com
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Share Article Back to Top Polycom Adds Affordable VTC Solutions for Medium and Small Businesses Polycom announced today a new portfolio of solutions designed for medium-sized businesses that the company says makes it easier to purchase, install, deliver and manage enterprise-grade video collaboration.
Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition, is a multi-protocol, integrated software MCU that runs on industry-standard servers, connecting video systems using the open standards-based SVC protocol with video systems using other protocols, such as AVC, to the same meeting without expensive gateways or extra licenses. The RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s supports open standards-based SVC, delivering 3X HD multipoint video capacity and is ideal for mid-sized enterprises such as professional service firms, as well as for larger organizations with branch offices. The RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition, is part of the Polycom RealPresence Platform.
RealPresence Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition represents a significant step forward in delivering virtualized video collaboration from the datacenter. Polycom plans to deliver additional software MCUs for industry-standard servers in the future.
Polycom’s mid-market video collaboration endpoint solutions include: - RealPresence Group 300 with SmartPairing Technology and EagleEye Acoustic Camera is the next generation of HD video collaboration systems for smaller spaces that need high-quality video calls at an affordable price. RealPresence Group 300 features HD video quality and Polycom’s HD audio technology, including Polycom "ConstantClarity" technology for high-quality audio and video, even in challenging environments. In addition, patent-pending Polycom SmartPairing, built into RealPresence Mobile 2.0, wirelessly connects Apple iPads to RealPresence Group 300 systems, letting users control video meetings with their tablets and transfer a live video call from their tablet to a big screen. Polycom is also offering the new EagleEye Acoustic camera, an easy-to-install and cost-effective accessory for smaller spaces that includes built-in microphones and electronic pan, tilt and zoom at 1080p30.
- Polycom RealPresence Desktop 2.0 is a new, affordable, enterprise-quality video collaboration software application for Windows and Mac OS X-based PCs and laptops. The solution extends the benefits of Polycom RealPresence video collaboration from the office desk to the home or wherever a user travels when on the go. The system includes features such as a corporate directory search, the ability to select a specific application for content sharing, and far-end (remote) camera control. RealPresence Desktop is the next generation of desktop software applications from Polycom.
- Polycom RealPresence Mobile 2.0 is a software application that lets customers securely extend video collaboration beyond the conference room to easily connect tablets and smartphones (iOS and Android) with other standards-based video systems. The updated app includes the new patent-pending SmartPairing technology, initially for the iPad. For iPad users, additional features include content sharing and far-end camera control (see video, related press release). RealPresence Mobile is available for more than a dozen popular Apple and Android devices.
Polycom RealPresence Group 300 is available to order now. The Polycom EagleEye Acoustic camera will be available in November 2012. Polycom RealPresence Desktop 2.0 for Windows will be available in November 2012 and for Apple Mac OS X, in the first-half of 2013. Polycom RealPresence Mobile 2.0 will be available as a free download from the Apple AppStore and Google Play in November 2012. Initially, SmartPairing will run on the iPad 2 and the new iPad, with capabilities to connect to the Polycom RealPresence Group 300.
For more information, go to http://www.polycom.com
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Share Article Back to Top Polycom Introduces Open-Standards Based Scalable Video Coding (SVC) Protocol Today, Polycom introduced the industry’s first open standards-based Scalable Video Coding (SVC) protocol, which Polycom says delivers 3x the previous capacity for HD multipoint video calls for greater scalability, dramatically lower TCO, superior performance and backwards- and forwards-compatibility to protect customer investments.
Last week Polycom announced support for open standards-based SVC, an extension to AVC (Advanced Video Coding H.264), the standard coding protocol used by most of today’s video conferencing devices.
The open standards-based SVC algorithm provides a multi-layered data structure that allows systems to adapt to networks to enhance the resolution, frame rate and quality of video streams, and increase error resiliency, all without requiring excessive bandwidth or administrative intervention. This includes SVC enabling a video stream to be reduced in size automatically if there is a reduction in throughput (e.g., a connectivity bottleneck), allowing the viewer of a video meeting to keep the connection at a slightly lower resolution instead of getting a pause or a video freeze.
By providing native interoperability between the new SVC protocol and standards-based protocols such as AVC, the RealPresence Platform bridges “video islands” caused by earlier, closed implementations of SVC. This interoperability protects customer investments through backwards-compatibility with AVC and other protocols and forwards-compatibility with SVC and future open standards-based protocols that may emerge.
Polycom’s standards-based SVC implementation is built on a framework developed by the Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCI Forum), a non-profit network of technology vendors with a shared vision of UC interoperability, and Polycom is licensing its SVC implementation free of charge to the UCI Forum and others to ensure adoption and industry-wide interoperability.
SVC support is available through software updates to components of the RealPresence Platform, including RealPresence Collaboration Server 7.8 and 8.1 (RMX), RealPresence Resource Manager 7.1, and RealPresence® Virtualization Manager 5.1 (DMA). These software updates also include support for Polycom’s next-generation video endpoints also announced today.
For more information, go to http://www.polycom.com
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Share Article Back to Top Revolabs Introduces Hybrid HD Microphones and XLR Adapter Revolabs's new Hybrid HD microphones are designed for conferencing installations requiring a powered audio solution, wirelessly. Constantly powered and located around the conference table, the wired Hybrid microphones and XLR adapters take the guesswork out of microphone placement. For meetings where wireless operation is required, the microphones can easily be removed from the power source and placed where required around the table.
Offering what the company claims is simple plug-and-play functionality, the Revolabs Hybrid HD microphones and XLR adapter means that power is available at conference room tables and the wireless audio connection ensures that installers do not have to run new microphone cable. Powered yet functioning wirelessly, the Hybrid HD alleviates the need for any setup prior to the beginning of a meeting or the need to return microphones to a charger tray after the meeting has concluded.
Designed specifically for Revolabs HD wireless audio systems, the Hybrid HD microphones and XLR adapter utilize "Designed for Speech" HD audio technology, providing crystal-clear audio so users can hear every word. Integrated RF Armor technology makes audio impervious to GSM noise from cell phones, avoiding unwanted audio interference. To keep meetings private, the microphones feature secure 128-bit encryption technology.
The Revolabs Hybrid HD microphones are available in omnidirectional and directional tabletop versions, and come complete with a power supply. The Hybrid HD XLR adapter provides audio coverage for any dynamic gooseneck microphone (sold separately) with an XLR connection. This allows for the easy installation of gooseneck microphones in any room without having to run audio wires.
Get all the specs here: http://www.revolabs.com/Solutions/Applications/Installed-Audio.aspx
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Share Article Back to Top NSCA Offers Discount for AV Integrators to Mass Notification & Emergency Communications Industry Symposium NSCA is offering $100 off the registration fee for any systems integration professional interested in attending the inaugural Mass Notification & Emergency Communications (MNEC) Industry Symposium, which will be held Nov. 13-14, 2012, at the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus near Washington, D.C. In line with fulfilling its mission of supporting systems integrator professionals to enhance their industry education, the NSCA Education Foundation is pleased to announce Industry Education awards to be granted to systems professionals attending the MNEC Industry Symposium.
The Mass Notification and Emergency Communication Industry Symposium, organized by NSCA, is meant to bring together AV, fire, and security/life safety professionals to educate them on the emerging market of mass notification. The symposium will include educational sessions, networking opportunities and table-top displays for manufacturers to highlight their mass notification solutions to attendees.
The regular admission fee for one-and-half-day event is $249. Individuals who apply and qualify for the Industry Education Award will receive $100 off the cost of registration.
All systems integrator professionals not utilizing NSCA education credits towards registration of the event are eligible for this award. Applications and more information on the MNEC Industry Symposium can be found at http://www.mnec.org
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Share Article Back to Top Roscor Founder Phillip Roston Passes Away Phillip Roston, the founder of Illinois-based AV dealer Roscor, has passed away. The company closed its doors for good earlier this year. Roston, 91, is survived by his wife, Floralee, of 69 years, and three children, Mitchell, Paul and Ellyn, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services were held this past Monday at Shalom Memorial Funeral Home in Arlington Heights.
To see Roston's obituary and guest book, click here: http://legacy.suntimes.com/obituaries/chicagosuntimes/obituary.aspx?n=phillip-roston&pid=160397987 Back to Top Premier Mounts Hires John Mulazzi Premier Mounts announced this month the appointment of John Mulazzi as southeast regional sales manager. As the RSM for Premier in the southeast United States, Mulazzi will be responsible for covering territory from Tennessee to Florida.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top | AVI-SPL Gives Back This AVWeek AVI-SPL is celebrating InfoComm International’s AV Week, going on this week, by giving back to the community. The company is hosting a technology contest for nonprofit organizations, charity donation drives, plus spirit days and industry trivia for employees.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Middle Atlantic Hires Adam Gold Middle Atlantic Products has named Adam Gold as midwest regional sales manager. Gold’s territory includes Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri for all market segments.
Adam has over 20 years of experience in AV for both the ProAV and HomeAV markets. Prior to joining Middle Atlantic, he worked with security start-up ACI Protection and served as regional sales manager for Crestron, Bose and Mitsubishi after starting in AV retail sales.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top David Bromberg Appointed Western Regional Sales Manager for Middle Atlantic Middle Atlantic Products has appointed David Bromberg as regional sales manager for the west. Bromberg’s territory includes southern California and southern Nevada for all market segments and Arizona for residential, security and datacomm channels.
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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