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Volume 11, Issue 1 — January 3, 2013
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We're Adding Healthcare and Government AV
By Gary Kayye
rAVe Founder We're adding both Healthcare AV and Government AV technology to our existing rAVe GreenAV newsletter, making an all new eNewsletter called rAVe GHGav.
Why?
All year, we debated launching a new eNewsletter totally focused on Healthcare AV. The healthcare market is booming — some say it's because of the new healthcare law and some say it's inspite of it. No matter what it is, there's a lot of money being spent to upgrade everything from the software used to track patient records to the technology used to monitor patients — heck, just today, I learned of a mobile vital signs monitor from a company called Sotera (and they say they've taken orders for nearly a million of them already). And, guess what? That data is streamed via the network to giant NEC monitors in hospitals.
Simultaneously, one of our largest sponsors of rAVe GreenAV asked us to consider adding a Government AV section to our GreenAV eNewsletter — since most "real" GreenAV systems are being driven by government specs.
Then late this summer came the announcement that the National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC), a public-private partnership that accelerates secure and meaningful use of health IT, and InfoComm International, the InfoComm show people, announced their partnership as co-hosts of the inaugural Technology Crossroads Conference in Washington, DC on November 27-28. And, it was held in conjunction with the GovComm 2012 Expo.
Thus, rAVe GreenAV's fate was sealed – it would become rAVe GHGav: still the industry's first and only AV publication focused on GreenAV technology, but now the industry's first and only publication focused on Government AV systems and Healthcare AV too!
The first rAVe GreenAV was already published, which you can read here. If you're already a subscriber to rAVe GreenAV, you don't need to do anything as your subscription will carry over into rAVe GHGav. If you're not a subscriber yet, you can subscribe for free here: https://www.ravepubs.com/subscribe
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Are you Listening to Your Clients?
By Melinda Foster Oftentimes, emphasis on what makes a good sales person is placed on the ability to close a sale or knowledge of our products or even a gift for gab. However, we overlook how well we listen to our clients. It is that vital first step we take for granted as we steam roll through to give our opinion, our recommendations, and our knowledge. The results of this misstep can be as obvious as a client who storms out of your showroom insulted, as subtle as the use of an analogy that your client could not relate to and as serious as selling your client a system that was not really designed with their needs or wants in mind.
Avoid the uglier side of the sales process and connect with your clients by actively listening. Active listening involves focusing your attention on the person you are speaking with and making a concerted effort to understand the complete message of what is being said. Be a better listener:
1. Give them your undivided attention signaling that you are interested in what they have to say.
a. Make eye contact b. Your whole body should be aimed towards them with an open stance c. Give verbal cues that they still have your attention as they speak (i.e. “uh-huh” or “I see”) 2. Encourage them to open up.
a. Learn their name and repeat it in conversation b. Ask open-ended questions encouraging them to tell you more about themselves, why they came to see you, what they want/need or don’t want/don’t need. 3. Process the information and show them you were indeed listening.
a. Restate the key points they made (e.g., “so John I heard you say that you want x, y, and z…is that correct?”). This will also help to clarify points. b. Jot down important information and key points where important. 4. Make sure to stay focused.
a. Eliminate distractions (i.e. phone ringing, answering emails, talking to other people, etc.) b. Your mind may wander; make an effort to refocus on the conversation at hand. 5. Follow up. a. Be sure to jot down their contact information. b. Send them a summary of what was discussed and next steps. When we really listen, our client feels it and they will appreciate it. Additionally, because we listened to them we are better prepared to tailor a system to their needs. Happy clients mean repeat and referral which is magic in our business. Seems like common sense but we can all use a little refresher now and again.
Melinda Foster is a member of rAVe's BlogSquad.
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Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control
By Mario J. Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQT
AQAV This is the fifth 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, the second article here, the third article here and the fourth article here.
Quality is compliance to customer requirements… no easy feat for those who design and install engineered audio visual technology. How does one attain quality?
If the customer buys the system directly from an integrator, then traditionally the system is presented to the customer at the completion of the project. Alternately, if there is a design consultant on board, the consultant may enact a "Consultant Walk-Through," which checks out the system inventory and operation for compliance with what was specified. In either case, if there are defects, a "punch list" is created. Our industry has called this "Quality Control" (QC).
Other industries are much more stringent. QC is actually a procedure or a set of procedures applied to a product or service that either passes or fails a product or service that does not adhere to a predefined criteria. Until the AV9000 standard came about in 2011, there was no criteria for a completed system.
Few technology mangers have the training for inspections, and a 'walk through' falls woefully shy of the inspection skills and calibrated instrumentation necessary to deem a system as compliant with the customer requirements. Worse yet, there are systems that may comply with a specification that actually fall far short of the customer's expectation of performance. Is there any wonder that more and more customers are frustrated with AV companies?
Quality Assurance (QA) is similar to QC, but with one major distinction. The inspection and measurement processes are applied to each stage of development, not just at the end of a project. In other words, inspection and measurements (or calculations) are applied after a system is designed, again when engineered, yet again when staged in addition to commissioning. The advantage is obvious. When a system is not going to conform, corrective actions are much less costly if made before the system ever gets to the field.
The AV9000 Standard includes checklists for QA at each stage of development. You can get a free copy of the Staging and Commissioning Checklists by requesting one on the aqav.org website. You can also get information on how to get hands-on training to acquire the skills to apply the tests in the checklists.
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USAV Names Almo Pro A/V a Preferred Partner USAV, an association of leading professional audiovisual integrators, announced today that it has named distributor Almo Professional A/V the newest USAV Preferred Manufacturer Partner, effective Jan. 1, 2013. USAV’s national alliance of members now have access to Almo Pro A/V’s professional product lines, sales team and business development managers, distribution centers and education programs.
Sam Taylor, EVP/COO for Almo Professional A/V, says “The USAV Preferred Manufacturer Partner program is made up of a selective group of suppliers that can best serve the growth needs and interests of USAV’s elite integrator community and it is a privilege to now be among this leadership. We are confident that our product offering and access, brand-specific business development managers, CTS certified sales team and multitude of marketing and education programs will provide valuable business opportunities for USAV members.”
USAV will have access to the entire Almo Pro A/V line card of 30 manufacturers including ComQi, Key Digital, NanoLumens, Panasonic Displays, Panasonic Projectors, Panasonic Broadcast, QSC, SunbriteTV, ZeeVee and the consumer product lines for Panasonic, Samsung and Sharp.
USAV supports ProAV dealers with two levels of membership. The USAV buying group provides preferred pricing and cash rebates for members buying product from USAV Preferred Manufacturer Partners. The integration services group provides the same purchasing power, and also gives members the opportunity to participate in meetings where executives from USAV integration companies collaborate.
Learn more about USAV here: http://www.usavgroup.net
Learn more about Almo Professional A/V here: http://www.almoproav.com
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Share Article Back to Top Harman to Buy Martin Professional Schouw & Co., parent company of Martin Professional, has agreed to sell Martin to Harman International. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q1 2013.
Harman is playing a new tune with this transaction that creates a one-stop-shop for the professional entertainment market.
Blake Augsburger, executive VP and president of the HARMAN Professional Division, says, “Martin product lines are an excellent complement to our professional audio business. After the transaction closes, we will be able to offer a full line-up of audio, lighting and video solutions for the live stage as well as permanent venues and installations.”
Adding Martin to Harman’s USD $4.4 billion organization and combining two of the largest R&D budgets in the audio and entertainment lighting industry should enable the companies to grow and improve the lighting and video product offering to the benefit of all customers.
Martin Professional will continue as an independent business unit within the Harman Professional Division, with the existing points of contact.
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VSaaS Market to Reach $2.4 Billion by 2017 One of the fastest growing emerging markets (or should we say re-emerging) for ProAV is Physical Security and Video Surveillance. What was once done via CCTV is way more sophisticated now with digital cameras and DVRs. According to MarketsandMarkets, the Video Surveillance as a service (VSaaS) market is expected to reach $2.4 billion by 2017 at a CAGR of 31.5 percent from 2012 to 2017.
By revenue in 2011,although North America held the highest share (37.5 percent), Europe came close with 34.82 percent.
This research company expects the market will adopt three business models:
- First, a model caters to the physical security customers who would prefer storage and retrieval of the video through cloud which would require no capital investment in the equipment.
- The second model would let the usage of cloud services in the form of a private network infrastructure which doesn't necessitate the need for transferring the whole video into the cloud.
- The third model postulates the usage of remote monitoring having servers and storage on the back-end, the entire video system infrastructure in between along with the appliances and cameras on the front end.
The key factors driving the Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) market include IT cost containment by major corporates, emergence of data centers, need for centralized data and application management, new features and technologies like IOT (Internet of Things) and field of view (FOV).
On the other side, bandwidth and corporate protocols, network security and high infrastructure cost restrain the market growth of video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) market.
Currently, VSaaS is used in commercial, institutional, infrastructural, industrial and residential applications. Storage on EDGE, intelligent business services and mobile device access are a few opportunities expected to open new horizons for the development of the VSaaS market.
The various end-user applications under VSaaS include commercial, infrastructural, industrial, institutional and residential applications. Among the commercial applications, the office segment holds the highest share: 41.10 percent, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 42 percent. In the infrastructure market (highways, streets and bridges, transportation, communications and stadiums), highways, streets and bridges is expected to increase with the highest CAGR of 12.9 percent followed by communications segment growing with a CAGR of 12.1 percent.
Here are the details: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/vsaas.asp
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Share Article Back to Top PMA Announces Top-Selling Projector Models During November 2012 Pacific Media Associates (PMA) has posted its recent results to the “Top Selling Projectors” area of the company's website.
For more than 15 years now, Pacific Media Associates (PMA) has collected monthly sell-through data from leading North American projector dealers, retailers, web resellers and distributors. Its Tracking Service family of monthly reports offers timely 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 Projector Lists for the following product categories:
New Era / Pico and Personal (sub-1000 lumens) Projectors – The November results showed that three of the Top 5 selling models, by unit volume, to be Optoma PK–Series pico projectors. Coming in number one, two and three, respectively, were the Optoma PK-320, the Optoma PK-120 and the Optoma PK-201. Rounding out the Top 5 were AAXA’s M2 Micro pico projector and Vivitek’s Qumi Q2 personal projector. In addition, DLP technology remains most popular for the New Era category, with four out of the Top 5 models being DLP based. 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.
Mainstream (1000 to 3999 lumens) Projectors – For the Mainstream category, NEC took top honors, by unit volume, with the best-selling NP-V260X. InFocus landed the number two and three spots respectively, with the IN112 and IN114. Hitachi took the fourth spot with the CP-X3015WN and NEC rounded out the Top 5 with the NP-V260. In addition, XGA resolution models were most popular for Mainstream purchasers, with three of the Top 5 having 1,024×768 resolution. 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.
High-End (4000+ lumens) Projectors – The November 2012 results showed Epson leading the pack with the top two selling models – the PowerLite 1945W and the PowerLite Pro G5750WU. NEC also made a strong showing in the High-End category with the NP-PA500U-13ZL in the number three spot, and the NP-PA550W-13ZL taking the fourth spot. Mitsubishi rounded out the Top 5 with their WL7200. In addition, WXGA units were most popular in the High-End category, with three of the Top 5 models having 1,366×768 resolutions. 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
Resellers, distributors, manufacturers, and the press are invited to visit PMA’s site each month at http://www.pacificmediaassociates.com to see the 5 Top Selling projectors for these categories, as well as new product blogs and information on Pacific Media’s projector market research offerings.
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Extron Opens New Office in South Africa Extron opened a new regional sales office in Johannesburg, South Africa to provide convenient access for customers in Africa. The facility includes a state-of-the-art training room fully equipped to showcase and demonstrate the latest in Extron technologies and solutions. The first Extron Institute will be the School of AV Technologies for System Designers and will take place on Jan. 23-24, 2013. The facility also offers meeting space, a demo area and workspace for an expanding support team.
"Our new office in Johannesburg is another example of our commitment to expand training and make it easier to reach our customers," says Jérôme Guéras, vice president of sales, EMEA. "We wanted to give African customers the opportunity to participate in training classes in a local facility where they can learn about the newest technologies and see demonstrations of products and applications. This gives them a level of support that can only come directly from a manufacturer."
The South Africa office is staffed by Extron S3 Institute experts and features a familiar variety of Extron training choices, including hands-on training using real-world scenarios and courses to pursue various Extron Certifications.
Here's Extron's story on the office: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=johannesburgpr
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Share Article Back to Top Latest Projector Industry Forecast from Pacific Media Associates (PMA) Shows Bright Spots for 2013 and Beyond Pacific Media Associates (PMA) has released its latest industry forecasts for the worldwide projector market. An 18 percent growth rate — to 11.3 million units worldwide — is expected for the projector industry in 2013. And, there are some especially bright spots in several industry segments which are expected to contribute significantly to this growth.
Solid state illumination (SSI) projectors are expected to outperform the overall market, though growth continues to be hindered somewhat by ongoing budget constraints in the U.S. and Western European education markets. Despite that, PMA anticipates strong future growth for this segment based on the expectation that several additional manufacturers will begin selling SSI projectors beginning in 2013.
While the D-Cinema conversions for major cinema chains worldwide is slowing, a crop of new lower-cost models geared at smaller, independent theaters and other public venues will continue to move this segment forward at a better pace than previous forecasts showed. This is especially true in China, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
The PMA forecast for the worldwide home theater market is also positive, with the expectation for solid growth in future years, as home theater projector trends will be positively impacted by major sporting events such as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, 2016 Euro Football in France, and the 2016 Winter Olympics in Brazil.
Another area of strong anticipated growth is in the New Era Integrated projector segment, for models built-in to other host devices, such as cell phones, cameras and camcorders. PMA has forecast a very strong 68% growth rate for this segment, to over 1.4 million units worldwide in 2013, and expects unit volume to again more than double in 2014.
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Share Article Back to Top Almo Pro A/V Adds TouchSystems Almo Pro A/V today announced a new distribution relationship with TouchSystems, designer of customized touch-enabled products. As a result, Almo Pro A/V reseller partners now have access to touch integrated displays and monitors from Sharp Professional and NEC Display Solutions. TouchSystems has also joined Almo’s popular traveling E4 AV Tour, which will commence in the spring of 2013, coming to Chicago in March and San Francisco in April.
“With TouchSystems on board, our partners now have more options to customize their displays so they can bring a new dimension of creativity to projects that require touch technology,” said Sam Taylor, executive vice president and COO for Almo Professional A/V. “NEC and Sharp Professional are some of our best-selling lines so it’s important for us to be able to provide more ways to modify the flat screens to enhance an install or become the centerpiece for an entirely new one.”
Carol Nordin, president of TouchSystems, said, “Our relationship with Almo has been strengthened through our collaboration on a custom design project for a national footwear retailer. An official partnership will help us to strengthen existing ties and to be able to offer more interactive large-format solutions to people in the A/V industry. We have great expectations for our partnership and look forward to what the future holds for the both of us.”
Here is TouchSystems: http://www.touchsystems.com/
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Share Article Back to Top Chief Adds Arrays to Kontour Mount Line Chief is expanding its Kontour series of monitor mounts to include array configurations, which are now shipping.
The K3 group of mount arrays, ideal for offices, call centers, security desks, control rooms, health care or IT settings, includes 3×1/2×1, 2×2 and 1×2 configuration options. Each comes in either free standing or grommet mounting styles. A clamp accessory provides a third choice for installers.
The 3×1/2×1 configuration is the first of the arrays on the market and features:
- Telescoping lateral shift
- Room for three 27" monitors or two 30" monitors
- Independent height adjustable arms and center head
- Adaptable heads can be detached from telescoping arms and moved all the way toward the column
- 12 degree Centris tilt in each direction for each arm head
- 10 degrees up and down tilt for the column mounting head
- Flexible array arm angle: from flat up to 15 degrees toward the user
- 15 lbs (6.8 kg) weight capacity per monitor
- Landscape and portrait orientation
- Integrated cable management
All mounts are first available in black with silver coming soon. The 3×1/2×1 configuration includes the K3F310B desk stand, available now, and the K3G310B grommet/bolt down stand, which will be available later this month. The 2×2 configurations include the K3F220B desk stand and the K3G220B grommet/bolt down stand. The 1×2 configurations include the K3F120B desk stand and the K3G120B grommet/bolt down stand. All models will be available in black finish by the end of January.
For all the specs on the new K3 series, click here: http://www.chiefmfg.com/Series/Kontour%20Arrays%20K3
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Key Digital Introduces Champion Series HDMI Cables Key Digital introduced today a new line of HDMI cables, called the Champion Series Hi-Fi Commercial PRO HDMI Cables, designed specifically for commercial applications. The cables range from 1.5 feet up to 75 feet.
The Champion Series cables are equipped with the latest HDMI features, including 4K resolution support, 3D, HDMI Ethernet and Audio Return Channel. They also support next generation of digital audio bit-streams including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Master Audio. They also offer what Key Digital is calling IQ Control technology, a configurable Control line over HDMI that supports any two of the following: CEC, ARC, IR or RS232.
To see all the specs, click here [PDF]: http://keydigital.com/Downloads/Champion/2012_Champion_HDMI_Cables.pdf |
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Share Article Back to Top Sanus Ships PowerBridge In-Wall Power and Cable Management System Sanus is now shipping its ELM806 PowerBridge, an in-wall power and cable management system that allows users the ability to hide power, video and other cables discreetly behind the wall and out of plain sight.
The ELM806 PowerBridge features:
- In-wall power connectors ensure simple snap connection without the need for an electrician
- Perfect for wall mounts, creating more usable space behind a mounted TV
- Recessed, in-wall installation provides cable management to conceal component cables for a flawless finished look
- Hardware and template included for easy installation
To see all the specs, click here: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/elements/accessories-miscellaneous/ELM806
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Extron Introduces Long Distance HDMI Twisted Pair Extender Extron's new DTP HDMI 330 is a long-distance transmitter and receiver set for long distance transmission of HDMI, audio and bi-directional RS232 and IR control signals up to 330 feet (100 meters) over a single CATx cable. The HDCP-compliant extender provides an effective means for extending HDMI with embedded multi-channel audio from HDMI-equipped devices. In addition, the DTP HDMI 330 accepts analog stereo audio signals and digitizes them for simultaneous transmission over the same twisted pair cable.
The DTP HDMI 330 is compatible with CAT5e, CAT6 and CAT7 twisted pair cable and can be used as a point-to-point solution or integrated with an HDMI matrix switcher to extend inputs or outputs to remote locations. It supports signal resolutions up to 1080p/60 and 1920×1200 and supports HDMI specification features including data rates up to 6.75 Gbps, Deep Color up to 12-bit, 3D, HD lossless audio formats and CEC. For added flexibility, either the transmitter or receiver can be powered over the original twisted pair cable, allowing both devices to share one external power supply.
Here are all the specs: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=dtphdmi330
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Share Article Back to Top VFI Beefs Up Huge Mobile Flat Panel Cart Video Furniture International's LFT-7000 is designed to handle LCDs that weigh up to 300 pounds and are as large as 90" diagonal. Fitted with 5" metal casters with ballbearings and non-marking wheels, the LFT-7000 includes a wiring channel inside the main pillar and has a scratch resistant powder-coated finish with a frame that's shark gray. It includes an integrated 3U rack and the display can move up and down the pillar. The LFT-7000 is 51 3/8" wide, has a 33" depth and is 71 3/4" high. It also includes a remote (for operating the TV lift so it can raise and lower on the center pillar) and is ADA compliant.
Here are all the specs: http://www.video-furn.com/m_LFT7000.html?v
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Share Article Back to Top Bretford Launches High Back Collaboration Sofa Designed for casual learning environments, Bretford's new MOTIV High Back Sofa includes a comfortable sitting space with integrated power accessibility to charge laptops, tablets and other mobile devices.
The Bretford MOTIV High Back Sofa is engineered for comfort, privacy and power support in any lounge environment. Bretford says it's the only high back sofa available with a power module that includes an AC outlet as well as USB charging. The newest addition to the popular line of Bretford MOTIV soft seating, it was designed for use in casual learning environments, such as higher education libraries, lounges and cafés, but is also perfect for common areas of K-12 schools corporate offices and public buildings.
All MOTIV soft seating products, which include modular and freestanding sofas, chairs and benches, can be upholstered in a wide variety of fabrics and leathers and are available with optional power. When combined with Bretford’s occasional tables, the MOTIV line transforms casual spaces into informal learning environments.
Here are all the details: http://bretford.com/products/motiv-high-back-sofas/
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Share Article Back to Top Vaddio Adds HD Document Camera With Vaddio’s new CeilingVIEW HD-18 DocCam document camera systems, you can add HD magnification and dimension to original objects, documents or drawings. Replacing Vaddio's CeilingVIEW HD document camera, the new CeilingVIEW HD-18 DocCAM features an 18x optical zoom lens for enhanced detail and greater zoom capabilities, and a 1.3 megapixel CCD image sensor with a 1.8-LUX for better-quality low-light performance. Users can select from either HD resolutions through Vaddio's Quick-Connect system or the analog RGBHV output on the camera backbox.
The CeilingVIEW HD-18 DocCAM is a high definition ceiling-mounted document camera system capable of 16:9 resolutions at 1080p, 1080i and 720p, and 4:3 resolutions at 480i and 576i.
Complete specs on both are here: http://www.vaddio.com/category/high-definition-document-cameras
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Share Article Back to Top Sony Intros Two New Install Projectors Sony two newest projectors are the VPL-FH36 and VPL-FH31, which are both 3LCD projectors designed for installs and rentals. They are spec'd with 5,200 lumens and 4,300 lumens (non-ANSI) brightness, respectively, and a 2000:1 contrast ratio. Offering native WXGA resolution (1920×1200), these projectors have HDMI, VGA, DVI and RGBHV input ports, have Ethernet content delivery and control and include up to vertical optical lens shift of +60% -0% and horizontal optical lens shift of +/-32%.
Both models are available in white or black enclosures and have PIP and Picture by Picture Image Projection.
Here are the specs of the VPL-FH31: http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-VPLFH31/W/
Here are the specs for the VPL-FH36: http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-VPLFH36/W/
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Apple Patents Digital Signage Solution Apple has filed a patent application, 20120296777, which describes a dynamic signage system for a sales environment such as an Apple Store. The dynamic signage device (which turns out to be an iPad) is associated with promoting a product to a customer in an interactive manner.
The device could automatically check for updated product information and modify its display based on the updated product information.
Management of multiple dynamic signage devices could be coordinated within and across stores, and an interactive floor-map creation system incorporating dynamic signage devices could facilitate changing the associations between products and dynamic signage devices.
Apple may or may not be planning to sell digital signage. as these are designed for the company's own use (just like Apple's point of sale system, which the company designed in-house but does not sell). But the significance is that Apple is America’s leading retailer and therefore an example to all.
Apple's retail stores make $6,050 in sales per square foot, the most of any American retailer, according to RetailSail. In fact, Apple's sales per square foot are twice that of Tiffany and Co., the famous luxury retailer (of Breakfast at Tiffany’s fame) which earns only $3,017 in sales per square foot.
With the exception of Apple and Tiffany and Co., no other U.S. retailer exceeded $2,000 in sales per square foot.
With $51.5 million per store, Apple also ranked among the top 10 retailers for highest sales per store. No wonder the company wants to protect that revenue with further investment in digital signage technology.
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Share Article Back to Top Sony Launches S-series LCDs Sony introduced this week the new S-series LCD line, which completes the company's transition from CFL-based backlighting to LED-based backlighting for its LCD displays. The S-series is available in both 42" (FWD-S42H2) and 46" models (FWD-S46H2) and utilizes an edge-lit LED. They are specified at 700 cd/m2 brightness and are integrated with DICOM simulated gamma settings for medical reference use. They have both VGA and HDMI inputs as well as HD-SDI/SDI. Control is RS232 or Ethernet and the displays can be mounted in portrait or landscape orientation.
Here are the specs for the FWD-S42H2: http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-FWDS42H2/
Here are the specs for the FWD-S46H2 http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-FWDS46H2/
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Share Article Back to Top 3M to Show Large-Format Multi-Touch Display 3M will debut its new multi-touch HD display product line at ISE 2013. The ISE stand highlights include the first prototype 46” multi-touch chassis display, alongside the recently launched 32” model, plus a range of dual-touch chassis displays and high performance desktop monitors.
The addition of the 46” chassis display brings 3M’s Projected Capacitive Technology further into the mainstream of large format displays (LFDs) and offers opportunities for designers and systems integrators. Combining 60-finger multi-touch with an ultra-wide viewing angle, HD 1080p LCD display extends the possibilities for up-close, multiple user interactions.
As with the existing 32” Multi-Touch Display C3266PW chassis, the 46” prototype provides an ultra-slim and lightweight display for collaborative and interactive applications. Both offer a ruggedised, open frame design allowing integration in to kiosks, enclosures or table top applications.
The 46” 3M Multi-Touch Display C4667PW chassis from 3M is capable of tracking 60 simultaneous touch events at less than 12 millisecond (ms) response speed with palm rejection, while the 32” tracks 40 simultaneous touches with a 10ms response time.
These full multi-touch LFD’s anti-stiction surface further enhances user experience by enabling users' fingers to glide effortlessly across the glass surface while maintaining contact with the screen.
Both the Multi-Touch Display C4667PW and Multi-Touch Display C3266PW chassis from 3M offer an ultra-wide 178-degree viewing angle (horizontal/vertical) making them ideal for off-axis viewing and multi-user table configurations. The 32” display’s thin profile metal chassis housing is 2.6” (66.8 mm) deep with a 200 mm VESA mounting pattern and offers a metal bezel for a finished appearance that can be removed for integration into flat front surface tables and walls.
Here are all the 3M Display details: http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal/3M/en_GB/TouchSystems/TouchScreen/?WT.mc_id=www.3M.co.uk/touch
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Share Article Back to Top MXL Adds Wireless Microphone Technology To Its Field Recording Line MXL Microphones' new FR-500WK is basically a kit comprised of the FR-500WT Transmitter and the FR-500WR Receiver, plus accessories geared toward DSLR users. The MXL FR-500WK lets videographers add audio to video without the need for cables.
The FR-500WK Wireless Audio System is designed for interviews and field reporting, with a range of up to 280 meters in a straight line of view. Distinguishing features include easy access group and channel controls, a wide frequency response from 40Hz to 18kHz, and an Ultra High Frequency from 566.25 to 589.75. Other features include:
- 64 channel selections. (4 groups x 16 channels)
- LED lights indicate different channel groups.
- Long transmission range: up to 280m in line of sight
- Long battery life (2x AA): up to 10 hrs
The FR-500WT Transmitter has a built-in microphone, 1/8" (3.5 mm) mic jack and line in. A discreet omni lavalier microphone is included. The FR-500WR Receiver has a built-in speaker, 1/8" (3.5 mm) headphone jack and line out. A hot shoe adapter and a 1/8” to 1/8” cable are included to mount the receiver on top of a DSLR camera. A 1/8” to XLR male cable and ¼” adapter are included to connect the receiver to mixers and other pro audio gear. Additionally, the receiver can be used with headphones and a recording device.
Here are all the details: http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/Kits/
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Share Article Back to Top NAD Intros New Seven-Channel Amp Next week, NAD Electronics will debut its new T 977, a seven–channel amplifier (replacing the NAD T 975) at a list of $2,799. The T 977 is specified to deliver 140 watts of continuous power out of each of its seven channels. NAD rates its receivers with a 4-ohm load, with all channels driven simultaneously, over the full frequency bandwidth (20 Hz – 20 kHz), and at rated distortion.
The T 977 employs NAD's PowerDrive which claims to nearly double the effective power on transients by adding a second high-voltage rail to a well regulated, high-current power supply. The result is an "overdrive" that can nearly double the continuous power on a short-term, dynamic power basis. A soft clipping feature limits high frequency energy during clipping to protect the loudspeaker from damage. Any amplifier that is overdriven (asked to generate levels beyond its undistorted capabilities) will produce distortion (clipping). The result is not only very harsh sound but can often damage speakers, especially tweeters. The selectable "soft clipping" feature on NAD amplifiers, including the T 977, transforms the music waveform as the point of clipping approaches, resulting in much clearer reproduction and simultaneous protection of speakers, according to NAD.
The T 977 is a GreenAV receiver in that it saves energy via an automatic standby mode, during which it only draws 0.5 watts of power. It was developed with system integration in mind as it includes a programmable 12V trigger input and individual gain adjustments for each channel.
Here are all the specs: http://www.nadelectronics.com
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Share Article Back to Top Dukane Launches Affordable Microphone Today Dukane announced a new addition to its voice augmentation line of microphones in the form of the new I-Hear 1. The I-Hear 1 is a pole-mounted speaker unit that contains the amplifier and speaker. Designed for classrooms to add amplification for a teacher, it includes a lightweight transmitter on a lanyard with volume adjustment knob and has a range of 55 feet using RF at 2.4GHz (same as 802.11b WiFi). It automatically selects any of 20 separate channels and comes complete with lapel mic, transmitter and speaker unit. Dukane says the system uses a rechargeable Lithium battery for eight-plus hours of operation. It lists for $299.
Here are all the specs: http://www.dukane.com/av/default.asp
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Share Article Back to Top Women in CE to Honor Five Women Leaders With 2013 Legacy Awards Women in Consumer Electronics (CE), an industry organization that promotes the advancement of women in the CE industry, today announced the recipients of its 2013 Legacy Awards. The 2013 honorees are top-level executives from the nonprofit, publishing, retail, training and marketing sectors. In addition, the organization will be recognizing Best Buy's Women Leadership Forum (WOLF) with the Carol Campbell Inspiration Award. The winners are: Tara Dunion, senior director at the CEA; Marcia Grand, vice president and publisher of TWICE; Mindy Grossman, CEO and director of HSN, Inc.; Helen Heneveld, founder and president of Bedrock Learning, Inc.; and Marla Suttenberg, owner of Sapphire Marketing, LLC.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top RTI Appoints Clint Forberg as Eastern U.S. Sales Manager Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) announced this month that it has named Clint Forberg as the company's eastern United States sales manager. Forberg had served as RTI's director of training for the last six years before being promoted to his new role with the company, where he is responsible for the sales and marketing activity of RTI's control solutions in the eastern U.S.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top D-Tools' SIX SP1 Upgrade Now Available D-Tools, Inc. announced this month the release of SI SIX Service Pack 1. The update will add software enhancements, such as the ability to work offline and new custom layouts, as well as an all new Knowledge Base and Documentation Wiki.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Graham Hallett Joins Global Caché Board of Directors Global Caché, a manufacturer of of IP and Wi-Fi connectivity products for the control and automation market, announced today that Graham Hallett has joined the company's board of directors and will assist in sales and product strategy as the company continues its rapid growth. Hallett was most recently president of Xantech Corporation and will work closely with the executive team in developing channel and product strategy. With 30 years' experience leading world class organizations, including Harman International, McIntosh Labs, and Onkyo, he has specialized in forming, expanding, and supporting international sales and support channels, as well as growing revenue and organizations.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Control4 Intros OS 2.3 Software Control4 is now delivering the Control4 Operating System v2.3 (OS 2.3), which provides a new lighting user interface, new features enabling customers to personalize their own experiences, new applications for commercial installations, plus feature enhancements and updated certified drivers to boost performance and interoperability.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top MUSIC Group Appoints Galactic Music to Distribute BEHRINGER, BUGERA and EUROCOM in Australia Luxembourg – MUSIC Group announced last month the appointment of Galactic Music as its distributor for BEHRINGER, BUGERA and EUROCOM products in Australia. Effective immediately Galactic will assume all responsibility for sales, distribution and service to a network of dealers across the country. In order to better serve their dealers, as of January 14th, 2013 Galactic will relocate to larger premises in Melbourne.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top AVI-SPL Announces Growth of Hotel and Event Production Services AVI-SPL announced last month the rebranding of its hotel and event production services division and the expansion of its leadership team to drive further growth. In the past three years, the revenue of this division has nearly doubled as it widened its services portfolio and extended its geographic footprint outside the U.S.
Previously named AVI-SPL’s rental division, this experienced team of hospitality and event management professionals delivers a broad range of service offerings including event staging and production, creative services from script-to-screen, and in-house hotel AV services. In recent years, the team’s portfolio has expanded to include digital media content creation and IT management.
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 GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] 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 2013 – 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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