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Volume 11, Issue 11 — June 12, 2013
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LCD Beats CRT, or the Woes of the Display Industry
By David Barnes DisplayDaily
The words LCD beat CRT ran through my head as I walked through the exhibits at SID’s DisplayWeek in Vancouver. Though that observation may seem trite, I think it should be chanted by all of us until we declare victory and ask where we go from here. If we can learn anything from the last twenty years of the display industry it is that technology doesn’t change things for producers, only for consumers.
Some attendees seemed shocked when I described LCD panel makers as charities during my talks at the Business Conference and the Symposium (invited paper 5.1). That is what I intended. It is time to realize that each technical breakthrough from VGA notebook screens to UHD TV screens has done nothing to alter the course of value destruction for stakeholders. Some LCD panel makers have generated economic profits some of the time, but the overall result has been strongly negative. As presented, the aggregate result for all Taiwanese producers from 2001 through 2012 was more than $19 billion of cash flowing from investors and other stakeholders to employees and suppliers. That’s backwards: free cash flow is supposed to go into the hands of stakeholders. Otherwise, stakeholders are funding a not-for-profit enterprise.
Taiwanese LCD makers are not unique, they just report under consistent rules and run tightly focused display businesses. LCD market dynamics thus dominate their results, which illuminate the scene for us. In this light, we can see that $68 billion of capital expenditures by them helped build domestic infrastructure and support domestic employment. Such social benefits are reasonable goals of national policies and are charitable outcomes when produced by not-for-profit businesses. Thus, the people that worked hard to build Taiwan’s LCD industry should be proud of their social results while appreciating that their efforts transferred value to consumers.
Yes, consumers have been the primary beneficiaries of unprofitable technology advances. The aggregate net loss of $7 billion means panel buyers paid less than total cost for the displays. Consumers got better or bigger displays for their dollars year after year. If flat panel makers keep trying to solve their business problems with technology, they will keep selling more for less.
So if we return to the chant, LCD beat CRT. What difference will it make if OLED beats LCD? Listening to some of the earnest speeches and papers at DisplayWeek, one might think that this technology contest will change the world in some important (albeit undefined) way. But why would it? If panel makers continue playing the same game under the same rules the result might look like baseball with aluminum bats instead of wooden ones. So what?
If the past is any guide, it will take about $125 billion more capex to double display area capacity from current levels. If we assume that converting some existing LCD capacity will increase OLED capacity, we must also assume that even more capex might be required because OLED processes take more equipment. Let’s round down for the sake of argument anyway… Who will put $100 billion more into the ground and what pricing power will they have as a result?
If only one or two producers put a more modest amount of money into the OLED hole, while other makers put money into the LCD hole, an OLED price premium might be sustained, but then most consumers will buy value-priced LCD products. In that scenario, LCD producers continue losing while consumers continue winning and the financial benefits for OLED producers, who also make LCD, remain uncertain. If many producers heap lots of money into the OLED hole, then OLED beats LCD like LCD beat CRT and producers lose while consumers win.
Thus, as run over the past two decades, flat panel businesses are essentially domestic charities that benefit global consumers. LCD or OLED: who wins? Who cares? All the panels look great!
David Barnes is an analyst for Insight Media and writer for Display Central.
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Who Is Our Competition Anyway?
By Loren Esposito Senior Account Executive, Graybow Communications
In my 18th year as part of this industry called AV, I am truly amazed at what has become of this great field we are in. While I have not been around as long as many of you, I still remember the days of the shoot outs. Not with projectors mind you, but with the real deal high lumen Dukane or 3M overhead projectors and those light sapping LCD panels. Remember those appointments? Suit and tie, 25-pound overhead projector, 6- to 8-pound LCD panels, my (company shared) sweet 640×480 resolution laptop, power strip, retractable trolley and that forever set up time. Did I mention any sweat? Well, at least you could still make some margin on those products. My, how times have changed. At least back then I used to have an idea of who my competition was.
Who were we? We were, and still are, what you would consider a traditional AV systems integrator. Now, that by no means indicates we have been stagnant in our ways. The traditional integrators, if they are worth their salt, have taken cues from the customers and realize the adaptations to their demands are crucial to being a viable partner. What do those demands look like? Well, we have to give credit to Apple here because they have clutched the consumers’ minds and given them the “Easy” button. “Why can’t I make this boardroom work like I do things at my house? I don’t get what’s so hard about this stuff.”
This certainly doesn’t help those of us who have been out preaching to the construction industry for all these years pleading for them not to forget about the AV contractor. Yes, we are contractors and we do have to meet with HVAC contractors, millworkers, architects, designers and furniture vendors, etc. to ensure we are fully integrated into the process. I still believe many times we are known as the “Addendum Kings” because someone forgot about the importance of our place in the process. Excuse me, Mr. or Ms. Customer, this business is just not that simple.
Now, throw in the whole AV/IT convergence that’s happened over the last five-plus years, analog to digital learning curves, HDCP, SaaS offerings and on and on. If you think this is so simple, then why are we hearing of companies like ours closing their doors? Say what you will, this is one tough industry to succeed in.
We are now going to get to the meat of this diatribe. Admittedly, many traditional AV systems integrators have done a nice job with the transitions required to stay relevant in the industry. I’d like to believe our firm is one of those companies. When you visit the traditional AV websites, you understand right away what they are all about. The new challenge we face as the traditional integrator is the “not knowing” who our competition is these days. Ten years ago, you knew who you were battling against when in those wonderful bid situations. Or at least you knew what ball field to go to. Let’s take a quick look at what the landscape looks like now…
“Yeah, we do AV.”
Electrical Companies: How many of you have come up against the electrical contractors? Gary Kayye’s “We’re Under Attack By… The Electrical Unions” article on December 4, 2012 made me laugh out loud at the time. Now, having run into several instances of electrical companies winning some of the lower-end work, the article isn’t so much as funny as it has real potential to damage the market place. I have also heard of some electrical firms purchasing AV companies. Go ahead and look up some of your local big electrical firms and see how long it takes you to find where they talk about their AV capabilities. It might not even be mentioned on their website but in competitive situations you should be aware some will say, “Yeah, we do AV.” Some of the work you’ll run across clearly proves they haven’t read or are aware of InfoComm’s AV Best Practices: The Design & Integration Process for the AV and Construction Industries book. Even better, our firm recently lost a project that had roughly $23,000 our cost into the equipment part of the bid. The winning bidder was almost at the cost of the equipment for the bid. Yep, you guessed it: An electrical firm came in with the victory. Checked out their website and they don’t show the qualifications to handle this type of work.
Furniture Dealers: We all know furniture dealers have long been selling sound masking projects. We now need to be on the lookout for these competitors. People care about furniture in the early planning stages of a project. This provides a nice advantage for those incorporating AV integration within their offerings. There’s a reason the Office Environment of New England made the acquisitions it did in 2010/2011. You know them now as Red Thread.
Low Voltage, Network and Cabling Companies: This is an area where I expected much of the new competition to come from. The fast emergence of running all signal types over Cat cable and parking systems on the network made this arena one I think most people are aware of.
Digital Signage Solutions Companies: I have to say Mr. Kayye was on this one early. Everybody and their former roommate’s third cousin are competing in the signage arena.
The competitive landscape is changing and there are so many types of companies now saying, “Yeah, we do AV.” Some are not so hot and some seem to be pretty successful. Just remember to ask a few more questions when you are out trying to separate your company from the pack. Dig deeper to really know who your competition is. Tout your certifications (CTS, CTS-D, CTS-I, AMX Ace, Crestron Certified Programmer and any other manufacturer certifications) and let the customer know it’s not always as easy as it appears. Understanding who you are competing against may just save you time and money on the projects that aren’t right for you. Would love to hear some of your thoughts on this trend and how the traditional AV companies should be looking at the future.
Loren Esposito is a senior account executive at Graybow Communications. Reach him at lsposito@Graybow.com
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Audinate Goes Mainstream in Partnership with BOSE – So Much for Better Sound Through Marketing
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
Everyone in ProAV generally makes fun of BOSE Corporation. For years, it’s sold products to consumers without any technical specs, performance details and without any information about how a product it makes is differentiated from another product of a different brand (e.g., Sony, Mitsubishi or Panasonic). But, there’s one thing we universally love with the BOSE brand name on it: its noise cancellation headphones. No one else makes better ones — not JBL, not Sony and certainly not Sennheiser.
And, for years, we’ve joked that BOSE is “better sound through marketing.”
But, now BOSE has joined forces with companies like JBL, Bosch, Shure, Yamaha and Peavey, albeit indirectly, with its new partnership with Audinate to license the company’s Dante patented media networking technology. In case you’ve paid ZERO attention to the dozens of times we’ve written about and explained Audinate, it has patented the way that AV systems are connected and transport media over standard IT networks, calling it Dante. Over 80 companies have licensed it and it’s a who’s who in ProAV – besides all the above companies mentioned, it includes audio and video powerhouses like Extron, MediaMatrix, PreSonus, Soundcraft, Stewart Audio, Harman, Inter-M, Lectrosonics, Ashley, Digico and 70 other companies that have all decided to incorporate it as a networking AV standard. Dante is a killer technology – I stake my reputation on that as I’ve personally evaluated it.
Dante is built on IT standards, and is a complete media networking solution. Truth is (and this isn’t marketing-speak), Dante delivers low-latency, tightly synchronized, sample-accurate playback, while simplifying installation and configuration of AV networks.
And, this BOSE deal means it will become a household name in a matter of time – much like THX did in the 1990s. Mark my words – May 22, 2013.
If you don’t understand AV over a network, let me attempt to explain (with thanks to Audinate, technically):
In the old analog universe of sources (e.g., RCA line audio, composite video, etc), a key element of the system is that the logical and physical connections were one and the same. This means that most connections were point-to-point and individual cables represent each channel – sort of a “connect everything to a home-run switcher to manage all sources and switch them to the display or speakers” situation. Implementing a complex audio system required careful design that had to be undertaken in advance and a lot of converter, interface and standards boxes had to be used whenever one signal wasn’t compatible with another. In other words, if you wanted to connect an s-video signal to a projector that only had component video inputs you’d have to convert that signal.
And, analog audio required a physical copper cable for routing signals, but these systems offer little flexibility to accommodate unplanned changes. Moving or adding equipment in a location will add significant costs as AV system integrators need to run separate conduits for signals of differing voltages and pull heavy copper wire through them. We all agree with that, right?
Well, digital media distribution significantly reduces implementation by separating the logical and physical connection attributes of the AV system. Thus, doing a digital network can offer significant costs saving in time and money, while providing better performance than analog wiring. Digital audio distribution eliminates masses of bulky, heavy, expensive and inflexible copper wires. Installation is made simple using digital networking; a single lightweight, inexpensive CAT5 cable can carry all the required inputs and outputs as digital audio data.
IP (Internet Protocol) over Ethernet is the most widely deployed approach to networking and represents the best available foundation technology for media networking. Cat5 cables, switches and other hardware components used to build such networks are mass-market items in the IT domain.
Audinate’s patent-pending Dante technology is a flexible Internet Protocol (IP) and Ethernet-based digital AV network technology that eliminates the many bulky cables needed to provide point-to-point wiring for analog AV installations.
With Dante, existing infrastructure can be used for high performance audio as well as for ordinary control, monitoring or business data traffic. Digital networks utilize standard Ethernet over IP offering high bandwidth capable of transporting hundreds of high quality channels over 100MBs or 1 Gigabit Ethernet.
Set-up and configuring the system is made easy as well, saving enormous installation costs and long term cost of ownership on a digital network. The physical connecting point is irrelevant: Audio signals can be made available anywhere and everywhere. Patching and routing now become logical functions configured in software, not via physical wired links.
Dante delivers a no hassle, self configuring, true plug-and-play digital audio network that uses standard Internet Protocols over 100Mb and/or Gigabit Ethernet. Dante technology distributes digital audio plus integrated control data with sub millisecond latency, sample-accurate playback synchronization, extreme reliability and high channel counts.
This may sound like a Dante commercial, but, no dice — they aren’t an advertiser or sponsor of rAVe! I am writing this because I believe in the technology AND KNOW it will become the default-audio standard for networking. Just you wait, the other manufacturers who haven’t adopted it — it will.
What about AVB? Audio Video Bridging (AVB) is a common name for the set of technical standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Audio Video Bridging Task Group of the IEEE 802.1 standards committee. The charter of this organization is to “provide the specifications that will allow time-synchronized low latency streaming services through IEEE 802 networks.”
Well, guess what? Dante will integrate AVB protocols, so they’ll be interchangeable. Audinate has announced that Dante will be AVB-compliant as these standards are ratified, and is a Promoter Member of AVnu, an industry group that seeks to promote these new standards.
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Focus on Acoustics: Creating Authentic Workplaces
By Steven J. Thorburn, PE, CTS-D, CTS-I Thorburn Associates
During a recent presentation on market trends, the presenters talked extensively about the changing needs within corporate environments and the trend towards creating “authentic” workplaces. The goal is to see the “bones” of the building: exposed brick or concrete walls, high ceilings with pipes and mechanical systems exposed to view, hardwood or concrete floors, low or non-existent partitions between offices… you get the idea.
The challenge we run into is creating workable environments within this type of space. Speech privacy and lack of productivity due to distractions from other workers is in direct opposition to collaborative interaction between team members. However, balance can be achieved! We experimented with our own offices in North Carolina. We started with an existing space filled with floor to ceiling partitions, drop acoustical tile ceiling and private perimeter offices. Then we removed many of the walls; removed the doors and added light portals in the existing perimeter offices; nixed the acoustical tile ceiling; and boxed in the HVAC equipment. Low office partitions with open light panels helped provide daylight and views while adding speech privacy and storage for each work space. The addition of a sound masking systems and sound absorptive panels hung in the ceiling grid added to the acoustical environment without detracting from the open feeling.
Our recent article starting on page 31 in the May 2013 issue of School Planning and Management talks about these issues in more depth. See the article here.
Steve enjoys helping others understand the principals of acoustics and audiovisual technology almost as much as he enjoys sipping a good single malt scotch. He’s been InfoComm’s Educator of the Year, is a two-time InfoComm Facility Design Award Winner, author, teacher and has AV design experience on more than 2000 projects including Universal Studios Toon Lagoon, Hershey Park and Six Flags Great America. Find his company Thorburn Associates online at http://www.TA-Inc.com
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The 2013 rAVe Readers Choice Award Winners
For the second year in a row, we’ve asked our readers — the integrators, the designers and the installers of AV gear, who their favorites were. Back in April, we asked our readers to nominate ANY company they wanted for any one or more of 15 categories. And, we had well over 200 companies win various nominations from all our readers – and a few companies were even nominated in five categories.
Then, we took the top three or four companies nominated in each category and, again, asked our readers to vote for their ONE, FAVORITE for each of the 15 categories. Last week, we counted the votes. And, vote, you did. I doubt any other publication in AV history ever got this many votes for any award – and, yes, we blocked ANYONE from voting more than once. How many? We had over 62,000 votes! Yes, 62,000.
So, this is a TRUE representation of who people in AV really think are the best of the best companies.
Here are the 2013 Winners:
Best Manufacturer-Based Training Program
Crestron Electronics, Inc
Best Sales Support Team
Extron Electronics
Best Technical Support Team
AMX
AV’s Best Website
Da-Lite Screen Company
Favorite Control System Manufacturer
Crestron Electronics, Inc
Favorite Projector Manufacturer
Panasonic Corporation
Favorite Flat-Screen Manufacturer
Samsung
Favorite Projection Screen Manufacturer
Draper Inc.
Greenest AV Manufacturer
Lutron Electronics, Inc.
Favorite Mount Manufacturer
Chief
Favorite Conferencing Product or System
Polycom, Inc.
Favorite Systems Product
AMX Enova DVX
Favorite Rental Product or Company
NEC’s LED-lit LCD Displays
Favorite Audio Company
Shure
Favorite Distributor
Ingram Micro/AVAD
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Former MCSi CEO Mike Peppel Will Spend Two Years in Prison
The long saga of MCSi may have finally come to an end — at least for those ProAV’ers that wanted vindication in some form. On Tuesday of this week Mike Peppel, the former CEO of MCSi, was sentenced by a federal judge to serve two years in prison.
You may recall from earlier columns we’ve written on Mike Peppel that he pled guilty back in August 2010 but, as is common with federal charges, the case took a long time to make its way through the courts and to reach an end verdict. He was originally sentenced to only seven days in prison, but the prosecutor appealed the case.
Here’s the full story from the local Dayton Daily News column, where MCSi was headquartered.
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SCN Editor Kirsten Nelson Honored With 2013 WAVE Mentor Award
Kirsten Nelson, editor of Systems Contractor News and Healthcare AV, will be honored this year by the Women in AV (WAVE) at the NSCA/Women in AV Reception, on Wed., June 12.
“Nelson has combined her passion for writing with her affinity for technology by working as the editor of Systems Contractor News (SCN) and Healthcare AV magazine,” said nominator Erin Bolton, AV industry senior marketing executive. “In this role she has provided dynamic, inspired and informative content to the women of the AV industry for over 14 years. Through her stories, Kirsten features information, news analysis and market-focused reporting on technology trends that impact women in the AV industry — always knowing that in her role she can leverage the media to help advise and guide the women of the AV industry.”
Cory Schaeffer, vice president of sales worldwide for Listen Technologies, adds that Kirsten goes out of her way to cover the women who lead this industry. “She’ll discover a new talent and feature them in SCN, and the coverage will not only nurture that new company, but it will also provide a new source of knowledge for her readers.”
Here are more details.
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PMA Releases April’s Projector Sales Reports
PMA Research, the worldwide market information experts on front projectors, has posted its most recent Projector Tracking Service results to the “Top-Selling Projectors” area of its website.
For more than 15 years now, PMA Research 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, PMA Research posts the Top 5 Projector Lists for the following product categories:
- Mainstream (1000 to 3999 lumens) Projectors – For the Mainstream category, the April results showed InFocus taking top honors with the number one selling IN114 and the number two best-selling IN112. Epson also had multiple models make the list, with the PowerLite 93+ and PowerLite X12 in the third and fifth spots, respectively. Hitachi’s CP-X2521WN rounded out the “Top 5” in the fourth spot. 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 April 2013 results showed Mitsubishi with three models making the list. The Mitsubishi XD700, Mitsubishi WL7200 and Mitsubishi WD720 came in number one, two and five, respectively. Rounding out the list were Panasonic with the PT-FX400 in third place and Epson with the PowerLite 1945W in the fourth spot. This “Top 5″ list is compiled from data collected from PMA’s monthly Pro AV Projector Tracking Service sample, which is made up of North American dealers and integrators.
- Pico and Personal (sub-1000 lumens) Projectors – For Pico and Personal projectors, the April results showed Optoma with two of the “Top 5” selling projectors, with the PK-320 in the second spot and the ML500 in the third spot. 3M took top honors with the best-selling MP410. Rounding out the “Top 5” were the Vivitek Qumi Q2 and the AAXA P3 Pico in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. 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.
Resellers, distributors, manufacturers, and the press are invited to visit PMA’s site each month.
Click here to see our infographic made with this information.
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Salamander Enters ProAV Market
Salamander Designs, a manufacturer of HomeAV furniture for over 20 years, will be exhibiting at InfoComm and will launch a line of “design-your-own” concept furniture aimed at the video conferencing, hospitality and corporate AV market. Salamander says it’s doing this to give commercial integrators the flexibility to choose from a vast array of sizes, styles, cabinet configurations and outfit them specifically for its customers. It will offer products such as rack rails, integrated monitors, camera and speaker mounts, cooling fans and charging trays for portable devices.
The truth is, the HomeAV market sucks right now, and Salamander is trying to diversify. And, the company has been very succesful in the HomeAV (CEDIA) channel, so why not try to offer solutions to the ProAV market?
We’re impressed with this first offering – it’s certainly a marriage of HomeAV and ProAV, aesthetically. What do you think?
You can find Salamander at http://www.salamanderdesigns.com
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NPD DisplaySearch: Flat Panel Public Display Market Expected to Grow 23 Percent Annually Through 2017
The global large screen public display market is forecast to grow at 23 percent compounded annually from 2013 through 2017, according to the latest NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly FPD Public Display Shipment and Forecast Report. The growth comes after the first double-digit decline (18 percent) for the market in 2012, when LCD shipments were flat and PDP (plasma display panel) shipments collapsed. The positive outlook is attributable to an improving economy, demand from emerging countries, price erosion on larger size displays, and a potential uptick in demand tied to the 2014 World Cup.
The majority of this growth will occur from an increase in the production and sales of large-screen LCD displays. According to NPD DisplaySearch, shipments of 60”+ displays grew by 89 percent Y/Y in 2012 and are expected to grow by another 35 percent in 2013. Strong growth is expected to continue during the forecast period, and 60”+ public displays are expected to pass 1 million units by 2017.
“The supply side has been preparing for this growth for several years, investing in new fabrication plants to manufacture larger size LCD panels,” said Todd Fender, senior analyst with NPD DisplaySearch. “Additionally, other panel manufacturers are focusing more attention on economical cuts from their current glass substrates, resulting in newer (slightly-larger) sizes. Still others are experimenting with a newer technique called MMG (Multi-Model Glass), where two different sized panel products are cut from the same generation glass substrate. This new production leads to increased competition, which leads to price erosion and eventually results in increased demand.”
Figure 1: Global FPD Public Display Total Market Summary (2010-2017)
Source: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly FPD Public Display Shipment and Forecast Report
A focus on larger size screens also allows manufacturers to increase their profit per module and fills the gap left by Panasonic and others that have exited the PDP business. After 2015, NPD DisplaySearch forecasts the 50” PDP size may be the only plasma display panel available in the marketplace. Demand for larger size displays is expected to continue, providing an increased opportunity for LCD manufacturers.
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Polycom and Frost & Sullivan Release Video Collaboration White Paper
A recent Frost & Sullivan analysis projects a rise in the virtual workplace with the mobile and remote workforce increasing by at least 23 percent. This means more and more opportunities for VTC integrators as everyone will want to integrate video communications – and now it all can work together with UC standards. As an AV integrator, you should know and understand these trends and applications of video as creating a communications-enabled business process (CEBP) and incorporating video collaboration will not only give you a competitive advantage, but will also be a great marketing tool for you to win a system (and your client obviously benefits as well).
The white paper is free and includes:
- How to create communications-enabled business processes (CEBP).
- Where injecting CEBP makes sense (e.g., process-driven industries and key business functions).
- How to streamline your entire workforce by enabling them to make faster, better-informed decisions with tools they already use — but securely on your network.
- What to look for in a video collaboration solution to maximize your return on investment.
You can download Video Collaboration in a Virtual Workplace, by Frost and Sullivan, here: http://images.info.polycom.com/Web/PolycomInc/%7B56087db2-c709-4970-b6e2-366cb9c0821b%7D_FS_WP_Polycom-Benefits-Video_030713_CM-V2.pdf
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Mitsubishi and Shuttle Debut Digital Signage In-a-Box Solution
Mitsubishi and Shuttle Computer have created a new turn-key hardware, software and content system bundle that features everything you need to create digital signage. The bundles feature one or two 42-inch or 46-inch commercial-grade Mitsubishi Electric LCD flat panel display(s), a Shuttle digital media player(s) and all necessary cables. It also includes 90 days of free content management software and service, which gives users access to templates for creating and displaying content.
The turn-key bundles (Mitsubishi Electric part numbers L422-STXS35, L422-2-STDS61, L462-STXS35, L462-2-STDS61) come with either one or two 42-inch (LDT422V) or 46-inch Mitsubishi Electric monitors (LDT462V) that can be set up in portrait or landscape formats. A networkable Shuttle media player (XS35V2-MITS or DS61V1.1-MITS) and associated cables are also included. The monitors offer a wide range of connectivity options, such as HDMI and DVI-D for video and audio transmission over a single cable.
The 90-day free service begins with activation of the digital signage player(s). At the end of the free service period, users have three options:
- Continue subscribing to an annual service contract that start at $49.95 a month;
- Discontinue the service and keep running the latest existing signage content; or
- Remove the software, erasing all existing content and restoring the player to a standard PC, and then use other PC-based digital signage software, if desired.
The bundles are targeted for availability in June and will be officially launched at InfoComm: http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/digital-signage-monitor/
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New OmniWall Display Processor from RGB Spectrum Will Debut at InfoComm
RGB Spectrum’s new OmniWall display processor is a video wall processor that’s designed to accommodate wall arrays of virtually any configuration (and it’s spec’d to handle video sources up to 4K (UltraHD) resolution). In addition, multiple walls can be managed from the same processor and an image can be scaled across any number of displays – the user simply defines the wall configuration, window layouts and source routing. The OmniWall processor automatically sends the proper scaling information to each output – including bezel compensation. Multiple layouts and routings can be saved and recalled using presets.
The processor is available in two chassis sizes. OmniWall 16 has up to 16 inputs and 16 outputs – ideal for 2×2, 3×3 or 3×4 screen arrays, or linear configurations from 1×16 to 16×1. For larger video walls, the OmniWall 32 offers up to 32 inputs and 32 outputs. For even larger walls, multiple chassis can be connected in parallel. A wide selection of modular fiber and copper inputs include digital and analog sources – DVI, HDMI, 3G/HD-SDI, RGB and component signals. The system supports DVI resolutions up to 1920×1200 and 4K (UltraHD) up to 4096×2160. HDCP compliance allows the processor to accommodate content-protected HDMI signals and provide embedded audio passthrough. An HDCP encoded signal can be routed to all outputs.
Multiple control options are available allowing a wide range of functionality. Remote control (RS232, TCP/IP), allows quick and easy setup, configuration and preset recall. An embedded Web Control Panel can be accessed by virtually any computer with a web browser. Setup and configuration is a snap. Presets can be saved and recalled with the click of a button. RGB Spectrum’s BP-16 button panel or a phone/tablet device can also be used to recall presets. An optional OmniWall Control Station provides a rich Graphical User Interface (GUI) to provide the user an easy way to interact with the wall with drag and drop capability for source selection. The Control Station option also offers video capture, providing thumbnails of each source connected to the processor.
Here are the specs: http://www.rgb.com/products/Omniwall/?c=n
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Christie’s Brio Takes On Barco’s ClickShare
Christie’s press release says: The days of passing cables and adapters across meeting room tables, installing additional software, rebooting laptops and apologizing for delayed or bungled presentations have ended with the launch of Christie Brio, a new meeting presentation and collaboration system that takes the hassles out of single and multi-site workplace meetings.
And, they’re right. There are a handful of manufacturers here at InfoComm with wireless room systems that leverage the Network. Barco was first to market with a totally wireless presentation system called ClickShare.
Developed by Christie, Brio enables multiple attendees at meetings to run audio and video presentations from their own devices (that includes devices like tablets running Windows 8, Apple iOS and Android). Both the node control and presentation connection work the same for tablets and smartphones as they do for PCs and Macs.
Straightforward to install and use, Brio uses wired or wireless connections to automatically share multiple presentations showing simultaneously on either one or two meeting room screens. Whether participants use Macs or PCs, iPads/Android tablets or smartphones, presentations can be added to a meeting in seconds.
Brio is being unveiled this week at InfoComm 2013 and starts shipping this summer.
Using a single, low-cost hardware Brio node, any meeting room can automatically show up to five computer screens on that room’s display. Once the content is processed by the node it can also be made available to other Brio nodes via Ethernet. In this way, a variety of information, including PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, audio, digital whiteboards, and videoconferencing sessions – can be shown on any display attached to the Brio node, and shared with all the displays in the same meeting.
Brio nodes can be connected via network to multiple worksites on a corporate campus or across the country. All Brio nodes added to a meeting will see the same presentations and any Brio node user can share a presentation in the meeting. Brio makes interactive collaboration across multiple rooms and offices straightforward, seamless and immediate, plus the cost of Brio nodes is low enough to equip even remote users in home offices.
Brio also takes full advantage of interactive whiteboard technology. Users in multiple locations can work together on notes and sketches. Any Brio node connected to a meeting allows users, anywhere, to contribute to that whiteboard session.
Christie Brio nodes fit in standard 19-inch IT racks or can sit on their own, packaged to look good on meeting rooms credenzas. The system supports dual-link and single-link DVI, DisplayPort and HDMI. Brio can handle a maximum of five sources.
Christie says Brio’s playback quality is exceptional, with the option of running uncompressed 1080p video sources.
Here is the Brio Brochure.
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Barco Builds Video Converter Line
Barco has added an audio model to the ImagePRO-II — its flagship video converter — to provide users with a wide variety of options for embedded audio. Next to this ImagePRO-II audio model, Barco is also adding three new multi-format switchers with 3G/BarcoLink SDI outputs to its PDS series. A third new product Barco is introducing is a 16×16 DVI router with HDCP support. The new MatrixPRO-II 16×16 DVI supports resolution up to 2048×1080 and can be managed by the Encore controllers. Following the FSN3G-1004, Barco is also releasing two new pre-configured multi-format presentation switchers: the FSN3G-1802 and the FSN3G-1804.
ImagePRO-II with audio
With the brand-new audio mezzanine for the ImagePRO-II, users have a wide range of options for embedding and de-embedding audio between the HDMI, DisplayPort and SDI signals and the analog and digital AES signals available on the DB-25 connector located on the audio board. This DB-25 connector provides I/O interface to four analog and eight AES digital channels. Users can link the input video source with its own embedded audio signal or with the analog or digital AES signal from the DB-25 connector. The de-embedded HDMI, DisplayPort and SDI input audio signals can also be selected to appear on the discrete analog or digital AES outputs. A custom audio breakout cable provides access to the analog and digital AES signals through four XLR and eight BNC connectors. This audio option will be available both as an upgrade kit and as a separate model.
ImagePRO-II dual output updated for stereoscopic 3D
Next to adding an audio model to its ImagePRO-II series, the ImagePRO-II dual output model’s software has been updated to support the conversion of stereoscopic 3D (S3D) sources to alternate S3D signal formats. This model supports single or dual stream stereoscopic S3D inputs and outputs.
PDS series: now with 3G/BarcoLink output and PIP
The second image processing innovation to be launched at InfoComm is the PDS-3G series. The popular PDS presentation switchers are now available with SDI 3G/BarcoLink output, picture-in-picture (PIP) and Matrix mode. The picture-in-picture and Matrix mode will be available to all PDS switchers via a simple software upgrade.
16×16 DVI router with HDCP support
The third new product is the MatrixPRO-II 16×16 DVI router. This affordable HDCP-compliant video signal matrix router can switch any of the 16 DVI inputs to any or all of the 16 outputs. Any input source — whether it’s an HD-DVD player, a Blue-ray player or a computer with high-resolution graphics — can be routed to a DVI or HDMI output digital display. The MatrixPRO-II 16×16 DVI router accepts inputs with resolutions up to 2048×1080 (including 1920×1200). In addition to the 16 outputs, the router includes an additional monitoring output to which any input can be routed.
Here are all the specs.
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Gefen DisplayPort Booster Extends Signals to 50 Feet
The new Gefen DisplayPort claims to send DisplayPort signals from computers (e.g., MacBooks, Dell, etc.) up to 45 meters (150 feet) away. The Booster, which measures approximately 2″x2″, sits between the long copper cable and the display, essentially boosting the signal to its final destination at resolutions up to WUXGA (1920×1200) resolutions. Gefen claims for higher resolutions up to 2560×1600, the DisplayPort Booster can double the specified distance of DisplayPort up to 100 feet (30 meters). HDCP compliance and EDID information are also transmitted for an impeccable performance at the extended location.
In most cases, the Booster will not require power to operate, drawing its power from the source. In the instance that the source is unable to power it, the Booster comes with a 5-volt power supply.
Here are all the specs: http://www.gefen.com/kvm/ext-dp-141b.jsp?prod_id=10779
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TV One to Launch Video Wall Processor at InfoComm
TV One’s new CORIOmaster mini fits up to 12 DVI or HDBaseT ports within a only 1 RU frame, therefore allowing for a 3×3 video wall while eliminating a rack’s worth of discrete video components. And, according to TVOne, video transfers between the CORIO video layer(s) and video I/O processors occur at an industry-leading 4 Gigabits per second per I/O channel.
This design allows a single all-in-one system to perform the range of video tasks simultaneously, including: real-time video rotations, multi projector edge blending, image warping, transitions, still image store and logo keying. Universal DVI I/O modules support the full range of analog and digital formats as well as universal conversion to virtually any HD or PC resolution. The CORIOmaster mini design further supports HDBaseT, 3G/HD/SD-SDI and future Cross-Fade and 4K output modules.
More details are here.
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Extron Ships “Economical” HDMI Over TP Extender
Extron has started shipping its DTP HDMI 230 D, a Decora-style transmitter and receiver set for transmission of HDMI, audio and bi-directional RS232 and IR control signals up to 230 feet (70 meters) over a single CATx cable. The HDCP-compliant extender provides an economical and effective means for extending HDMI with embedded multi-channel audio from HDMI-equipped devices. In addition, the DTP HDMI 230 D accepts analog stereo audio signals and digitizes them for simultaneous transmission over the same twisted pair cable. The wall-mountable design and remote power capability make the DTP HDMI 230 D ideal for extending HDMI, audio, and bidirectional control while offering aesthetically pleasing integration in space-challenged environments.
This extender streamlines integration with analog and digital audio signals. It allows a direct analog audio connection from devices with stereo output, such as desktop computers or laptops, and provides balanced and unbalanced audio output from the receiver. Additionally, the DTP HDMI 230 D continuously maintains DDC communication of EDID and HDCP between a source and display for reliable operation, ensuring direct compatibility and optimal signal transmission between devices.
The DTP HDMI 230 D 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 1920×1200, including HDTV 1080p/60 and 2K 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. Both devices are available separately, and may be mixed and matched with the desktop DTP HDMI 230 transmitter or receiver to suit the installation requirements of a specific application.
Here are the details: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=dtpdvi230ad
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WyreStorm to Launch an HDBaseT Matrix at InfoComm
Wyrestorm’s new MX-PP-POH Pro Plus Matrix is a built-to-order HDBaseT switcher that offers a choice of eight or 16 fully customizable expansion bays, RS232 control signal routing and power over HDBaseT. HDBaseT allows for HD video, high-resolution audio, RS232 and IR, as well as low voltage power via a single Cat5e/6 cable (removing the need for power supplies for each display receiving device). This design allows for 3×8, 4×8, 6×8, 8×12, 6×14, 12×16, 10×32 or any permutation in between.For more information about Wyrestorm go here: http://www.wyrestorm.com |
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Magenta Introduces Long Range HDMI Extension Solution at InfoComm 2013
Magenta Research will launch two new HDMI extenders at InfoComm that it claims can send HDMI 500 feet (152 meters) over a single Cat6 cable. The HD-One DX 500 supports the extension of 1920×1200 and 1080p HDMI video plus embedded audio, while the HD-One LX 500 adds support for two-way RS232 and IR signals (36.7, 38.0 or 58.8 kHz, user selectable). Both units are sold in a kit form that includes a transmitter, receiver and power supplies. The HD-One LX 500 kit also includes a pair of IR dongles.
We’ll see if these actually work as we’ll go to their booth and shoot a video of the company’s demo. In the meantime, go here for information.
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Extron VNS 104 Multi-Stream Decoding Software Ships
Extron is shipping its new VNS 104 Multi-Stream Decoding Software that decodes and presents one or four video sources and one associated stereo audio source streamed from VN-Matrix 225 or 200 Series Encoders, or a VN-Matrix Recorder. VNS 104 multi-stream decoding software includes text overlay and status messaging features, which are valuable for distinguishing between AV sources during operation and system commissioning.
VNS 104 multi-stream decoding software operates on Windows PCs and is managed as a part of a system by a VN-Matrix Enterprise Controller. It offers aspect ratio management for VN-Matrix streams, including FILL, FOLLOW and a 1:1 mode, which can be applied independently to each decoded source. VNS 104 provides an effective method for monitoring multiple streaming sources in a variety of environments including command and control, after action review, training and simulation and medical or geological visualization.
Go here for all the specs.
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Westinghouse to Enter the Interactive Whiteboard Market at InfoComm
Westinghouse Digital will announce a lineup of digital LED-based whiteboards at InfoComm in a plan that the company hopes will displace SMART Technologies. The Westinghouse WhiteBoard line consists of four models, ranging in size from 55-inch high-definition units through a massive 84-inch 4K (UltraHD) model and are aimed at classrooms to broad-scale auditoriums. They are compatible with Windows 8 and 7 operating systems with available optional PC module in the provided slot or user-supplied PC.
The Westinghouse Digital Whiteboards claim to feature the proprietary CVT Touch 6 point Infrared Touch system. The CVT Touch 6 point Infrared Touch system provides a new dimension in interactive control and detects touch points quickly, at less than 5 milliseconds, and with high accuracy. The display surface has a Mohs level 7 rating and has available optional anti-glare coating.
Each of the four models include a standard, on-site, three-year warranty. The flagship product is the 84-inch WB84KH1 with a resolution of 3840×2160 (4K). Connectivity includes two HDMI ports, two VGA and component video and it’s integrated with RS232 control.
The rest of the lineup includes the WB55FH1, a 55-inch widescreen (1920×1080) resolution, the WB65FH1 and WB70FH1 at 65 and 70 inches, respectively. The 55, 60 and 70-inch models all are specified at nominal brightness of 500 cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 5,000:1, a 120 Hz refresh rate and full 10-bit color space.
Here are all the specs.
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Delta Displays Ships MiNiCON Video Wall Controller
Delta’s MiNiCON builds upon the DVCS (Distributive Vision Control System) platform and offers what the company is calling a cost-effective solution for driving videowalls. Features that ensure uninterrupted operation include a fully embedded design, redundant power supplies and a diagnostic front panel display. Designed with a non-blocking switch fabric, the MiNiCON is the ideal solution for applications that require real-time display of various inputs without dropped frames.
All these inputs are controlled by the MiNiCON Manager, a Web-based user interface, and sources can be displayed in multiple scalable windows with custom borders and titles. Layouts can be saved for instant recall or auto playback and the MiNiCON processor offers up to 150 Gbps of bandwidth to for real-time video processing and quality. It supports up to 12 output screens and a variety of high-resolution input signals including RGB/DVI, HD/3G-SDI, analog videos and IP streams at a solid 60 frames per second. With frame synchronization, motion-adaptive de-interlacing and high accuracy image scaling technology, MiniCON is specifically designed for high resolution applications.
Here are all the specs: http://www.delta-americas.com/displaysolutions/Products/Control-Systems/MiNiCON/index.html
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Panasonic to Debut New LED-Lit LCD Digital Signage Series of Displays at InfoComm
Panasonic will launch a a new line of high definition LED LCDs for hospitality and digital signage, the LRU60 Series. Available in 32”, 39”, 42”, 50” and 65”, Panasonic’s new LED line will be aimed at the hospitality, digital signage and meeting room markets. Panasonic designed the Energy Star-rated LRU60 Series with functions that reduce power consumption, including a built-in ambient light sensor feature, C.A.T.S. (Contrast Automatic Tracking System), which automatically adjusts the television’s screen brightness and contrast to suit the lighting of the room. Panasonic says that feature not only optimizes picture performance, but it also helps to keep power consumption low – which should, theoretically, lengthen brightness display life.
The LRU60 Series incorporates a new thin glossy-finish bezel that gives the guest the appearance of more screen without taking up more counter space. The 65” model is designed with an ultrathin bezel and is ideal for lobbies, lounges and luxury suites – as they are integrated with built-in invisible speakers.
Each LRU60 TV features a built-in Pro:Idiom digital tuner for Pay-Per-View and Free-to-Guest programming support, and an integrated LodgeNet b-LAN terminal adaptor, eliminating the need for additional external boxes and decreasing the number of cable connections. With its USB slot cloning feature, television settings can be copied onto a USB and easily installed into other TV units, shortening the installation time. This is ideal for setting up channel line-ups, customized ‘welcome’ screen images, hotel guides and more. Additionally, with Centralized FTG channel management, hotel management staff can distribute channel information remotely from the head-end to the guest room televisions.
The 32” TH-32LRU60, 39” TH-39LRU60, 42” TH-42LRU60 and 50” TH-42LRU60 are available now and list for $535, $730, $855 and $1,080, respectively. The 65” TH-65LRU60 will be available in July at a suggested list price of $3,850.
Here are all the specs.
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TouchSystems Upgrades V Series with LED-Backlit Touch Screens
TouchSystems has upgraded its V Series line of large-format touch displays with two eco-friendly and energy efficient touch screens. The two screens, 42 inches and 46 inches, boast a number of new features, including LED-backlighting, which not only affects energy consumption but also results in a slimmer bezel depth. Their internal temperature sensors and fans help with energy consumption and ensure the longevity of the display in demanding, high-use environments such as retail stores and quick service restaurants (QSR).
The V 42 and V 46 are based on the 1920x1080p resolution NEC V423 and the NEC V463, respectively. The displays feature built-in speakers and HD LCD displays. They’re integrated with Dispersive Signal Technology (DST), a technology ideally suited for rigorous environments.
Here are all the specs: http://www.touchsystems.com/products.aspx?product=V4650D-U3 and here: http://www.touchsystems.com/products.aspx?product=X5580I-U2
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Visix RoomBoard Announced
Visix’s newest room sign, called RoomBoard, is a touchscreen wayfinding solution that shows room availability, allows scheduling at the screen and integrates with MeetingMinder conference room signs – and it’s on rAVe’s InfoComm Top 10 Tour!
The RoomBoard is custom-built with the client’s logo, colors and map. Maps are interactive and room availability is instantly recognizable with available rooms in green and busy rooms in red. Point-to-point directions and event schedules can be included, or content blocks can play back standard playlists.
Room availability is fed by a scheduling application, and a hot spot can be incorporated to launch either Microsoft Exchange or EMS, allowing viewers to schedule rooms right at the RoomBoard.
Clients can integrate the RoomBoard with MeetingMinder room signs – all being fed by a central scheduling application and all allowing scheduling at the display – for an enterprise-wide scheduling solution.
You’ll find all the specs here.
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RP Visual to Debut Mobile Matrix Portable Display
RP Visual Solutions (RPV) just launched a new solution in its panel matrix line of products — the Mobile Matrix. The RPMM Mobile Matrix (Deployable Matrix VideoWall) for flat panels is the industry’s first portable, deployable mounting solution, making it perfect for rentals, trade shows and portable videowall applications.
The RPMM Mobile Matrix comes pre-assembled, ready for four flat panel Displays and ships in its own durable road case. The Mobile Matrix’s design is ideal for quick set-up and tear-down, usually taking less than 5 minutes. Panels can be left installed for shipping as well — making set up even easier. It comes in two variations — one configured for 46” panels, and another designed for 55” displays. Once set up, the bottom of the panel has a minimum height of 29’ from the floor, with a maximum height of 42” when fully deployed. Once in the fully raised position, the dual panel doors can be swung open to either a flat 180 degree orientation, or positioned anywhere in between, enabling the system to be powered up for use.
See it here.
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Atomos Will Debut Killer Production Tools at InfoComm
Atomos, known for the camera-mounted recorders Ninja-2 and Samurai, and the pocket-sized Connect converters, will be at InfoComm to debut its new Samurai Blade HD-SDI recorder with 1280×720 IPS ‘SuperAtom’ touchscreen. It is the first truly professional monitor that records, offering full waveform functionality, including vectorscope and RGB/luma parade displays. Last month rAVe RADIO featured Atomos on a podcast that you should listen to here when the company’s president joined Joel Rollins.
Atomos told rAVe that it’s shipped 10,000 field recorders worldwide and the Ninja-2 and Samurai recorders have broken new ground in production by combining recording, monitoring and playback all in one easy to operate, portable device. Both record uncompressed images straight from the sensor of DSLRs or video cameras, or even switcher or ISO feeds from live events, directly to inexpensive, removable 2.5″ HDDs or SSDs, in a ready-to-edit format: Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD. Atomos recorders speed up any production workflow, improve recorded image quality and replace multiple devices for a fraction of its combined cost.
Another new addition to the Atomos recorder range, directly targeted at broadcast and ProAV markets, is the Ronin portable recorder, monitor and deck. The Ronin is a rack-mountable solution for both fixed-facility and on-location production, based on the Samurai design. Like the Samurai, it can operate on location with battery or DC power, but it has AC power built-in, standard HD/SD-SDI BNC connectors and balanced XLR inputs and outputs.
And tech geeks will love the new Atomos Connect, a portable and versatile battery-powered HDMI/HD-SDI converter, with built-in test pattern generator and audio tone, which will be joined by its fixed-facility counterpart, Connect-AC. Launched at NAB and shipping at InfoComm 2013, the stand-alone or rack-mountable Connect-AC converters are powered by a standard figure-of-8 IEC cable, and offer all the great functionality of Connect while rendering ‘wall-warts’ a thing of the past. We bought one!
Pricing is as follows:
- Ninja-2: US $695
- Samurai: US $995
- Samurai Blade: US $1,295
- Ronin: US $1,995
- Connect H2S/S2H: US $295 each
- Connect-AC H2S/S2H: US $295 each
Go here for all their products.
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Vaddio Adds IP Video Streaming Support for ClearVIEW HD-USB Cameras
In addition to the current USB streaming, Vaddio’s version 2.0 camera software update allows for IP HD video streaming and remote PTZ camera control through the Ethernet network interface.
Streaming Protocols supported are Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). Encoding for video will be H.264 (Main Profile) and the audio encoding will be AAC. Streaming adaptive network bandwidth allocation is supported with Adaptive Bitrate technology by detecting a user’s bandwidth and CPU capacity in real time and adjusting the quality of a video stream accordingly. This results in a smoother more life-like motion streaming experience. Supported resolutions include both SD and HD high definition resolutions up to 1080p.
For more information on the new 2.0.0 software update for the HD-USB PTZ Camera please visit the Vaddio website at http://www.vaddio.com
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Pakedge Debuts a Compact Two-Port Power DA with Network Control
Pakedge Device & Software announced this week the P2 – a Two-Port Power Distribution product that can be wall-mounted or will fit into a 1U rack space. The P2 offers all the functionality of Pakedge’s larger power management products, including power protection, on/off power startup and shutdown, remote operation and monitoring capabilities.
The P2 provides two AC outlets and is a cost-effective way to add power management to one or two components in a custom installation A/V system or smart home network. Its small size makes it easy to install in an A/V rack, in a structured wiring panel or close to the components that are plugged into it.
Each of the P2 AC outlets can be individually and remotely turned on and off via LAN Access (Local Area Network), by email or by using Pakedge’s BakPak Apple IOS app for iPad or iPhone. Each outlet can be turned automatically on or off according to a programmed startup/shutdown boot sequence, to ensure that connected devices will be safely powered up or shut down.
The P2 has auto-ping and equipment reboot functionality. Simply connect a device to a specific outlet on the P2 and provide the P2 with the IP address of the device, and the P2 will ping the device every 15 seconds. If it does not receive a response, the P2 will automatically reboot the device. This provides “self-healing” network characteristics without the interaction of the dealer.
For example, if a control processor, receiver or even connection to the Internet goes down, the P2 will sense this and reboot the device automatically. There is no need for dealer and/or client interaction or support. This feature saves the dealer from having to make a service call to the client location just because the Internet goes down. The P2 will also send an email to notify the dealer so they can inform the client about the correction of the network. The P2 can be programmed to schedule power reboot events monthly, weekly or daily. It can also monitor AC power consumption and send a warning message when the aggregated AC draw from a system exceeds a pre-defined threshold.
Here are all the specs: http://www.pakedge.com/
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Sony Laser Projector Introduced
The Sony laser projector is a major announcement from the company at InfoComm 2013. The Sony VPL-FHZ55 is its first lampless projector using 3LCD imaging technology to achieve a spec of 4,000 lumens of color light output at WUXGA resolution (1920×1200).
The new projector uses blue laser as its light source, which in turn generates RGB color through a 3LCD optical system. The VPL-FHZ55 projector achieves a lower total cost of ownership and energy efficiency since it’s spec’d to be maintenance-free for up to 20,000 hours and is an HG (mercury) free projector.
The use of a laser light source also gives the projector instant “on/off” capability and “tilt-free” capability. Combined with 1.6x standard zoom lens, V:+60% H:+/-32% lens shift, built-in edge-blending and geometric correction, the projector is fully capable of advanced commercial integration.
Here’s a PDF that explains the technology.
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Epson Introduces New 4K and 5K Lumen Projectors
Epson’s new PowerLite 4000-Series includes three new projectors specified for large venue applications. The PowerLite 4650, 4750W and 4855WU projectors claim 5,200, 4,200 and 4,000 lumens and offer XGA (1024×768), WXGA (1366×768) and WUXGA (1920×1200) resolutions, respectively. Integrated with Faroudja DCDi video processing, a centered lens design and up to two times optical zoom with lens shift, all three projectors have analog (VGA) and digital (HDMI) video ports, as well as a Display Port input.
All three of these projectors have DICOM Simulation Mode for specialized imaging uses standardized grayscale to reproduce medical images, such as x-rays, for medical training and education.
If you want more details, go here: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Projectors/Home.do?BV_UseBVCookie=yes
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ASK Proxima is Back
The ASK Proxima brand will return to the ProAV market next month at InfoComm. You may recall, back at the pinnacle of its existence (when it was literally the top install projector company in the U.S.), Proxima was purchased by InFocus and then promptly dismantled – a move that would easily make a great business school case study of how NOT to buy a company.
Some history: Back in March of 2000, InFocus purchased Proxima for a little under $500 Million. Headquartered in San Diego, the company was arguably the leading projector manufacturer in what was commonly referred to as the “install market” back then – basically, that means projectors that were used in systems (non-portable). They were the top brand in the education market and a top-three brand in corporate AV and government installs too. Most of its install projectors were actually manufactured by Sanyo. Our founder Gary Kayye happened to be at the Proxima headquarters the day that the Proxima folks were told of the InFocus purchase.
Within a few years, InFocus stopped using the Proxima brand and instead of capitalizing on the brand’s market positioning and distribution channel relationships, it faltered, stopped the Sanyo relationship and pretty much dropped the AV channel from its focus – it tried to exclusively sell through the IT channel.
After nearly 8 years of doing almost nothing with the Proxima brand, InFocus sold it to a Chinese projector OEM manufacturer called ACTO Digital Video Technology Co., Ltd. Acto has been marketing projectors under the ASK Proxima brand in Asia and some in Europe, but will make its debut in the U.S. at the June InfoComm show in Orlando. The U.S. headquarters will be in Torrance, CA.
According to the Acto announcement, it’s hired “top industry and well-respected professionals to lead ASK Proxima, Inc.’s research, engineering and development team” but didn’t disclose who they were in the announcement.
If you want to see the entire ASK Proxima lineup, go here: http://www.askproxima.com/en/index.aspx
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Grund Audio To Launch New Loudspeaker Line at InfoComm
Grund Audio Design will introduce the new ACX Series loudspeaker product line that’s being pitched as a low-cost sound reinforcement line for the 200 – 400 seat house of worship, smaller meeting rooms and similar spaces. The new Grund Audio Design ACX Series encompasses five models. All utilize MDF enclosures and operate at 150 watts RMS @ 8 ohms, which enables the use of lower cost transducers. The five models include:
- ACX-2: 2-way; 1-inch HF driver, 12-inch LF transducer w/ a 90°x40° rotatable horn
- ACX-5: 2-way; 1-inch HF driver, 15-inch LF transducer w/ a 90°x40° rotatable horn
- ACX-8S: subwoofer; 18-inch transducer capable of 400 watts RMS
- ACX-2M: floor monitor; 1-inch HF driver, 12-inch LF transducer, 90°x40° rotatable horn
- ACX-5M: floor monitor; 1-inch HF driver, 15-inch LF transducer, 90°x40° rotatable horn
The ACX-2 and ACX-5 are available with handles and a pole mount as well as three 2×2 flypoints. The ACX-2M and ACX-5M are available with handles. The ACX-8S subwoofer is available with handles and a pole mount. Color options include black and white for all models.
All the details will be up on the company’s website after InfoComm.
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Audinate Now Shipping Dante Ultimo
Audinate has announced that its new Dante Ultimo networking platform is now shipping. Ultimo is an integrated, cost-effective 13×13-millimeter chip, targeted for low-channel networked audio equipment. Ultimo extends Dante networking to a wide range of audio devices.
Dante integrates media and control for your entire AV system over a single IP network. Set-up is easy, with devices that automatically discover one another and one-click signal routing with user-editable names. Dante has now been adopted by more than 85 OEMs, and is recognized as the most interoperable, smartest media networking solution.
While Ultimo was only announced a few months ago, IED, Attero Tech and Stewart Audio, have already developed new products using the new chip.
Audinate is here.
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Vaddio Offers Ability to Convert Any Mic Into a USB Mic
Vaddio this week launched what it’s calling the EasyUSB PRO MIC I/O Interface, designed to integrate any professional microphone with Vaddio’s EasyUSB audio solutions. The PRO MIC I/O Interface incorporates Vaddio’s unique SmartMIC technology into the device, providing distributed multi-channel acoustical echo cancelation and automatic microphone mixing.
The PRO MIC I/O comes equipped with four independent echo cancelation microphone inputs and one discreet output for interfacing to the Vaddio EasyUSB Mixer/Amp. The system can be expanded to support eight microphones by adding an additional PRO MIC I/O.
Here are all the details: http://www.vaddio.com/press/easyusb-pro-mic-io
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Extron VNR 100 VN-Matrix Single Channel Recorder Ships
Extron’s new VNR 100 is a single channel recorder that digitally records and plays back high-definition computer graphics, video, audio and data streamed in VN-Matrix systems. It can simultaneously record and play back streaming content. This provides flexibility for recording and playback workflows, and can help increase the duty cycle of expensive source and presentation equipment. The VNR 100 presents a scalable solution that can be deployed in single source or multi-source applications.
Pre-recorded content can be streamed while an independent source is recorded in time-slip applications, and chase-play capabilities allow time-shifted delays to be introduced into a live stream. Additionally, multiple VNR 100 units can be configured to accommodate recording and playback of AV content presented on multi-screen display systems. As a part of Extron’s line of VN-Matrix streaming solutions, the VNR 100 is ideally suited for AV streaming and recording applications with the most demanding quality and performance requirements. Common applications for the VNR 100 include command and control, training and simulation, multi-site houses of worship, and staged entertainment events.
Here are the details: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=vnmr100&s=5
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Renewed Vision to Debut ProVideoServer at InfoComm
Renewed Vision will debut something called the ProVideoServer (PVS) — a four-channel HD video server with synchronization — at InfoComm.
Eight years ago, Renewed Vision introduced ProVideoSync, a dual-channel media server for synchronized playback of two channels of what they call “broadcast-quality” video with select video codecs. Since that time, codecs like H.264 that were originally suitable for web video became of a better quality, distribution of content over the web became more desirable, remote control capabilities in video switchers became more widespread, and the appetite for even more video channels has grown.
The new PVS accommodates up to four channels of HD video from a single computer with support for commonly used codecs, such as ProRes, H.264 and others. Delivering broadcast-quality HD-SDI output, synchronization is possible for two to four channels — or two sets of two channels — and all video can be re-sized and re-timed on the fly. A graphic layer allows for image overlay on any channel.
Mac-based with support for Thunderbolt and PCI video peripherals, ProVideoServer offers VITC (VANC) compatibility for count-up and countdown clocks through supported cards. Serial communication over Ethernet allows per channel control from a video switcher, and playlist workflow and hot folder support make it easy to build cues for an entire event or show. PVS additionally features real-time frame latency adjustment controls between linked video channels as well as multi-channel audio support with on-screen meters.
It’s already on the company’s website and here are all the specs.
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