Volume 11, Issue 22 — November 25, 2013
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HDBaseT: A Standard-Less Standard
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
I’ve been a fan since the first time I heard about and read the so-called HDBaseT standard. Here’s a system that’s spec’d to send video, audio, control, Ethernet and power (marketed by the HDBaseT Alliance as “5Play”) over a Cat5e or Cat6 cable.
Perfect, huh?
It is, when it’s done right — and that isn’t often.
And, you’re all about to see how and why as you start to integrate more and more HDBaseT products from everyone from Crestron to Gefen to AMX, to Atlona to Kramer to Extron. Oh, and did I mention Sony and Panasonic and LG and Samsung and Epson?
More than 100 manufacturers of AV gear — both consumer and professional — have signed up to build HDBaseT capable products to make integration life easier (yeah, right).
Here’s the problem:
HDBaseT is simply awesome. But, truth is, the HDBaseT Alliance itself isn’t monitoring compatibility or performance at all. Not one single bit. In fact, the so-called 5Play doesn’t even have to be 5Play at all. For example, the get a product HDBaseT “approved” you only really have to do 2Play (video and audio) — I don’t even see 2Play on the Alliance’s website. Why? There’s no such thing.
Assuming all you care to send down the wire is video and audio (and assuming the manufacturer built its product well — remember, there is no performance measurement verification by the HDBaseT Alliance such that in order to be compatible with the standard), then you’ll be fine in MOST applications. But, need to send RS232, IR, IP control, Ethernet or Power across HDBaseT — good luck with that!
Well, many, many manufacturers don’t do 5Play — in fact, from what I can tell in talking to and looking at over 100 product specifications over the past week, most of them only do video, audio and IR. Most don’t do IP control, RS232 and nearly none of them do power.
Speaking of power, that’s another crap-load of problems. You see, the HDBaseT “standard” allows for what it calls PoH (Power over HDBaseT) and it’s even based on the popular, but actually measurable standard known as PoE – Power-over-Ethernet. But, PoH includes two different classes of products — one that supplies power and one that sends it — think HDBaseT transmitter and receiver applications. Logical, right? Wrong! In fact, you can buy an HDBaseT transmitter and receiver from MOST of the companies that make them and they neither will supply power to the other — it’s illogical. You see, those transmitters and receivers are assuming you’ll use something like an HDBaseT matrix switcher in the middle that’s expected to supply power too. So, if you do use a transmitter/receiver, you’ll need to plug them both into power. That’s stupid.
The HDBaseT Alliance website specifically touts 5Play as capable of delivering video (and now even 4K video with so-called “standard 2.0”) up to 100 meters over a single Cat5e/6 cable. It goes on to say that 5Play supports audio (and HDMI-quality audio too, 100 Mbps Ethernet, control that includes IR, USB, RS232, CEC and IR as well as IP control and up to 100 watts of power). Bullshit.
This may very well be the “standard” and is promoted as such on the HDBaseT website, but, truth is, that’s not what MOST products that are branded or marketed as HDBaseT products do. MOST ONLY DO VIDEO AND AUDIO. And, some of them can’t even go 100 meters and who knows at what performance. Remember, there is no performance validation at all.
This is massively messed up!
So, I asked the HDBaseT Alliance to justify this messed-up-ness and here’s the response from Micha Risling, marketing chair (yes, the response came from a marketing person, NOT a technical person) of the HDBaseT Alliance:
“The term 5Play defines a rich feature set enabled by the HDBaseT technology, and that does not imply that all HDBaseT-enabled products must support the full HDBaseT 5Play capabilities, (Ethernet, controls and power in addition to video and audio). The HDBaseT Alliance does not force manufacturers to do so because that does not make sense for all projects. Not all installations require power or Ethernet, so all five capabilities may not be effective in terms of design or price.”
What, What? Seriously? So, they’re admitting that a manufacturer can pick and choose what parts of the “standard” they choose to use — but, not requiring them to put that in their own specs?
Risling continued with: “We are aware that this may create confusion. That is why the compliant products list on the HDBaseT Alliance website states the product capabilities clearly. The features column in the table indicates which of the 5Play features are supported by the product, and were implemented and tested according to HDBaseT specification. This guarantees inter-vendor interoperability of these features. We encourage all installers and system integrators planning an HDBaseT installation to refer to this product list on the HDBaseT Alliance website before going into the field. There are approximately 50 certified products to date, and this number is continuously growing. For the exact reasons specified in your article, the Alliance does not take the testing and certification procedure lightly. It is a time-consuming process that must be followed until most HDBaseT enabled products in the market are HDBaseT certified. We will continue to work alongside the installers to encourage vendors to have all their products certified and ensure that all relevant information is accessible to the installers.”
So, I commend the HDBaseT Alliance for strictly testing each product before listing them on the Alliance’s website, BUT… this TOTALLY proves my point that this is a standard in flux and needs to be FIXED before moving forward. In fact, if you read this last statement from Risling carefully, basically it suggests that the 50 products listed on the website are the only ones you, as an integrator, should be using as the others that claim to be HDBaseT not only haven’t been tested, but the Alliance itself doesn’t seem to care that they are branding the HDBaseT logo — tested or not.
This just isn’t a good solution. There are well over 400 industry products claiming to be HDBaseT capable from some 50 so so manufacturers. Yet, the Alliance has only “approved” 50 of them — all the while allowing the other 350 or so still carry the HDBaseT badge having not been tested?
And, you, as an integrator or systems designer, are about to figure this all out in the field with a pissed-off customer when you start to integrate it and it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. This needs to be FIXED now!
I respectfully request that the HDBaseT Alliance stop this charade IMMEDIATELY and fix this. And, it’s not a tough thing to fix. Just re-brand the whole 5Play concept into one that includes 4Play, 3Play, 2Play, etc. And, demand that the manufacturers specify which “Play” they are playing into – right, clearly, on the product specifications sheet.
And, for those of you who think you shouldn’t care about this, think again. You WILL get burned. For example, Panasonic has an HDBaseT input on its projector. And, it accepts 5Play — in other words, that company’s doing it right. It’s called DIGITAL LINK (Panasonic is shying away from using HDBaseT because it doesn’t want people to think they can plug any HDBaseT transmitted signal into its projector). Why? This is smart for Panasonic because, as you can see from all I’ve written so far, there are a range of inconsistencies in the implementation of the so-called 5Play standard and, let’s face it, as a manufacturer, would you take the chance that one of the non-standard HDBaseT labeled products wouldn’t damage the projector if, for example, power was not implemented right in the design of the product?
Because of all this, they (Panasonic) actually has a “compatibility” list to its HDBaseT input.
It’s really good to look at as it calls out many of the above mentioned signal routing companies and what their “version” of their 5Play products supports. For example, did you know that Crestron’s DMPS doesn’t send RS232? Neither does AMX’s DVX series. Most of Gefen’s products don’t appear to do RS232, IP control or power across its HDBaseT line.
Here’s another example of how poorly the HDBaseT “standard” is being managed by the HDBaseT Alliance: Atlona — (I picked them only because they are at the top of the alphabet in the listing of HDBaseT adopters). Look at the HDBaseT website of “approved” Atlona HDBaseT products. (I’ve included a screen capture from earlier this afternoon — Nov. 20 — in case this page ends up being altered). Note that Atlona has two “CERTIFIED” HDBaseT products per the Alliance’s own website. Now, go to Atlona’s website and look. I count 22. Which is it, two or 22? (And this is not to pick on Atlona specifically — I assure you these inconsistencies are all over the place with dozens of manufacturers.)
Also, go check out the Atlona AT-HDCAT-8 (a product not listed as approved by the HDBaseT Alliance but listed by Atlona as an HDBaseT product in its own product description and specifications — here’s a screen shot of Atlona’s site). Want to see massive confusion? Remember, the HDBaseT standard for sending power over HDBaseT is PoH. Well, here in this product spec sheet, Atlona lists under the section “Power of One for All” that this product, “feature of Power over Category cable (PoCc) the HDCAT transmits power to all the connected receivers over category cable.” What the heck? What is Power over Category Cable? Google it — nothing. So, is this the HDBaseT “standard” way of sending power over CatX cable or a new and better way that Atlona’s come up with?
Doesn’t matter, really, as if they don’t work together, it’s pointless as you, the integrator and system designer wiil clearly have to deal with this one IN THE FIELD during install when one HDBaseT piece of gear holds up the entire system from working as it’s not one of the plethora of “standards” that exist around HDBaseT.
I could go on and on. This is a ProAV disaster waiting to happen. Can any of you afford to spend hours, days or weeks trying to figure out why one HDBaseT product isn’t working with another?
I don’t think so!
So, sign this petition to ask the HDBaseT Alliance to do the right thing by enforcing its own “standard” or splitting it into four different ones. Or, ask the Alliance to FIX THIS NOW, before the IT folks swoop in and take over since we’ve messed something else up by reinventing the wheel or adopting a flawless standard.
And, to you, the HDBaseT Alliance, shame on you — shame, shame, on you! Leave a Comment
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AV People: Alexis Bryant La Broi of AVI-SPL
By Molly Stillman rAVe Director of Marketing & New Business Development
Eventually, we all learn to glean from those who came before us or those who are ahead of us. No matter the industry. No matter the field. No matter the purpose. We can learn only so much on our own, but the help of others, the guidance of a boss or the mentorship of a trusted friend is invaluable.
Alexis Bryant La Broi, an account manager at AVI-SPL and an 18-year AV industry vet is one of those women who have not only been on the receiving end of mentoring, but is on the forefront of mentoring others. But Alexis’ drive and work ethic and love of mentoring didn’t all happen overnight.
Originally from Gary, Indiana, at the age of 14, Alexis headed off to Connecticut to attend a prestigious boarding school called the Hotchkiss School. Alexis was accepted into a program called ABC – or “A Better Chance” – a program that connects minority students with college preparatory boarding schools all over the country. After being accepted, her family encouraged and supported her leaving home to pursue an education at Hotchkiss.
“While I was [at Hotchkiss], I became interested in theater production,” La Broi recalled. “I never knew that theater production what something that I could do until my drama teacher, Joel Brehm, encouraged me. So I got really involved in that.”
A new world and a new interest in technology began to grow within Alexis. After graduating from Hotchkiss, Alexis went on to study at Northwestern University and her love of AV and technology only continued to grow.
“I remember seeing a flyer for Sound and Sight — it was the AV company on campus that provided all the AV services all over the campus… and it was a work study program,” Alexis said. “I didn’t know that it was even a possibility to get paid doing what I do. So, I began that work study job making $6 an hour. I’d set up projectors, film projectors, and I’d even have to converge the 1040Q projectors. That was back in the day.”
During that time, Alexis took the opportunity to soak up as much as she could.
When she graduated from Northwestern with her bachelor’s degree in 1995, she began working with PSAV as a technician at the Renaissance Chicago. She eventually was able to move up and became an assistant director.
In 1998, Alexis left Chicago and moved out to Virginia to become the director at the Hyatt Fair Lakes. In 1999, she moved to the Hyatt in Reston, Virginia. The entire time, Alexis was learning more and more about AV and becoming even more passionate about the potential for what technology can do.
Two weeks after September 11, 2001, Alexis lost her job. So, during Thanksgiving of that year, Alexis took the plunge and moved to Nashville, TN and began working for AVI- Audio Visual Innovations. She continued working in the industry for a few more years, until she decided to leave AV in 2003. She moved back home to Gary, Indiana and sold insurance.
“My grandfather has had an insurance business for 55 years and I so I figured I would try working [in the family business],” said Alexis. “However, I quickly realized that I wasn’t passionate about it at all. It just didn’t make me happy. I was waking up every day unhappy. I would watch my parents go to work each day loving what they did, and I realized I wanted that. I knew that AV was where my happiness was. I wanted to be happy doing what I was doing.
“I always go back to this one quote a former boss of mine always used to tell me and that was, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work another day.’ And for me, that’s so true. That’s what it’s about for me. You have to love what you do – that’s the moral of the story. You can’t do things because you want to make somebody else happy. You have to do things because you love doing them.
“The feeling I get walking into a hotel ballroom at the beginning of the day and there’s nothing… and then at the end of the day there’s a show – that’s always done something for me. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I love being able to take the ideas of a customer and turn it into a show.
“It’s corporate theater. That’s what I’ve always loved. I’ve always looked at it as just corporate theater. We’re putting on shows for corporations, associations, events, etc.
“And at the end of the day, if you’re in AV, you’re in the communications business. Our goal is to communicate the ideas of the customer. The management. The stakeholders. The potential buyers. It’s all communications any way you look at it.”
So, after her short stint as an insurance saleswoman, Alexis packed her bags, left Indiana and got back into the industry. In 2008, she moved back to DC to help open the Gaylord National in 2008 with PSAV. Then 2012, Alexis went back to work with AVI-SPL after having worked with them in Nashville in 2001-2002.
“What I love about my job that I do now is that I’m able to attend a lot of industry networking events,” explained Alexis. “I LOVE meeting people [at the events]. It’s always fun for me to hear how someone else got involved in meetings and events and I love talking with them about why I love technology and AV production.
“There’s not enough women doing what we do, so when people ask me they’re always like, ‘You do what? And you’ve been doing this for 18 years? That’s crazy!’ People are always surprised that I’m in this industry and for so long. I love talking about it,” said Alexis. “I just love meeting people. AVI-SPL affords me so many opportunities to go to conferences, meet other people, and business opportunities – not just in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland area – but all over the country.
“I’m able to showcase what I can do and try to reach as many customers and get out as many messages as possible. There’s still not enough women in our industry and we have to have more women who are interested in technology who maybe don’t know about this field.
“I know there are a lot of women out there like me who in high school and college don’t realize that this is something you can do for a career.”
Alexis has taken her passion for AV, and especially her passion for women in the industry, and mentored others. Alexis was given the first Women in AV mentor of the year award at InfoComm in 2012. She’s always looking to help others grow.
“I try to be as open as possible when somebody new comes into this industry. I try to see if there’s anything that I can do to help them,” explained Alexis. “Man, woman, whoever. It doesn’t matter. I’ve always tried to be that way. In the jobs that I’ve had people know that they can call me and get help. They know I can find the answer to whatever it is they need. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it for them.”
As hard as Alexis works at AVI-SPL and in the industry, Alexis loves spending time with her family and at home.
“I am kind of old fashioned,” she chuckled. “I read A LOT. And, something people would NEVER know about me is… I crochet. My grandmothers taught me how to crochet when I was really young. I love when it gets cold enough out and I can pull out the scarves I’ve made.”
Alexis also loves the outdoors — including gardening and exploring Rock Creek Park in DC near where she and her husband Jonathan live.
Alexis also LOVES spending time with her nieces and nephew. Her nieces Sydney (11) and Sophia (6) and nephew Alex (11) come to stay with Alexis and Jonathan every summer for a few weeks.
“I love getting to play mommy for a while and spend time with them. They go to summer camp and they have a great time. Last summer we rode the train from Chicago to DC overnight. It was a great adventure,” she said.
Alexis and her husband Jonathan have been married for six years, but have known each other since the fifth grade. In 2005, they began seeing each other again and the rest is history.
Outside of work and family, Alexis is on a committee for PMPI (Potomac Chapter of Meeting Professionals International) and spends a lot of time doing things for that. She also spends a lot of time doing fundraising for Hotchkiss School. Last year, they organized an event with the Capital Area foodbank, the Hotchkiss Day of Service. Alexis’ goald is to do that a few times a year.
“It’s really important for me to bring other minority students to Hotchkiss – and the way to do that is to raise funds for the endowment,” she explained. “I would totally attribute what I’m doing now to my experience at Hotchkiss. I also have to thank my parents and my family for even letting me go – a lot of people, their parents said no. But my parents had a vision for what they wanted me to do and they supported me the whole way. They still do.”
From the beginning, Alexis has learned from others and made education a priority.
“There’s a couple people who very early on – my managers Craig Powers and Ken Peve – who taught me everything I know. I was 22, 23 years old and I was the only woman on the team. Craig and Ken mentored me and they taught me what I needed to know to be successful and how to be a professional in a working world,” she said. “Those are things I never would have known had they not believed in me. Also, my current mentor, Diana Hagemann, works with me at AVI-SPL.”
Education and mentoring are paramount for Alexis.
“Education comes in a lot of forms,” she explained. “Yes, I have a bachelors and a masters degree. I have a CMP certification. But education comes in a lot of different ways. It comes in the form of a CTS. Or attending an industry event where they’re teaching you something.
“You can’t stay in your bubble and not learn anything. You have to find opportunities to learn. Hear from other people how they solve this problem and that problem and how they achieve the success they did.
“I really would say education is the key to anybody who wants to move up in their field. Anybody who wants to have a new opportunity.” Leave a Comment
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Toshiba Enters the Digital Signage Fray, Will Basically Do Everything (Including Content)
By Sara Abrons rAVe Editor
Last week I attended a press event in Florida held by Toshiba in conjunction with the company’s LEAD 2013 End User conference. This conference is really geared to Toshiba MPS (Managed Printing Services) dealers. In case you are not sure what that is (I wasn’t), MPS dealers are basically the people that sell, service and value-add (by um, changing out toner cartridges, I guess) your office printers that are typically made by Toshiba, of course, as well as Canon, HP, Lexmark, etc. These dealers also sometimes sell security products and network services, but printers — aka “document output devices” — seem to be their main thing. And obviously, they are concerned about the future of their existence, since their main source of revenue comes from… selling printers. The reason I ended up at the event is because Toshiba has set its sights on a new revenue source for these dealers: digital signage.
(Side note: When I told some of the other press guys, who mostly only covered the MPS industry, that I was just there for digital signage and that I covered AV, they said, “Oh, so you are only here for the sexy stuff.” I thought they were kidding – and told them they needed to get out more — but they weren’t really. So yes, if you’re in the business of managed print services, AV is sexy. I digress.)
So if you hear Toshiba is going to start offering digital signage products, you probably think hardware – displays, or maybe players. This is not the case. Toshiba has apparently gotten the memo that manufacturers need to (literally) think outside the box, because it’s going well beyond that – yes, Toshiba’s selling the hardware (although the displays will be spec’d from third-party companies such as NEC Display), but it’s also creating the software and the content, which can be customized, in-house, by Toshiba’s creative team. One astute Toshiba executive said, “If you define yourself as in the print industry, you’re in a declining market. We’re in the business of helping people manage content.”
Toshiba’s digital signage software comes in the form of the Virtuoso, which is a touch display (available in various sizes), stand, integrated PC and customized Windows-based software geared to specific verticals such as hospitality, retail, medical and education. I demo’d this software at the conference, where it was set up for a Tesla car dealership retail setting, in which you could build your own Tesla, as well as in a hospitality application with wayfinding. I only had a few minutes to play with it, but the software was nice – intuitive GUI, attractive layout and design, no technical hiccups that I found.
The Virtuoso comes in several display sizes, starting with a 22” tabletop version and going up to a 70” display with a floor stand. To give you an idea of pricing, the 70” model with 15 hours of customization on the content is priced at about $32,000, with an extremely healthy dealer margin of 30 – 38 percent on that. The pricing is scaled if the end user wants to order multiple displays with the same software on it. There are additional revenue opportunities through maintenance contracts (for both hardware and software), plus additional content developments — billed per hour — and updates. Toshiba did say that the dealer is responsible for “installation,” but there will be third parties available to help if any resellers are “uncomfortable with that.” See a typical sale below:
This package is basically a single-screen system and clearly couldn’t meet the need for complex digital signage deployments on its own, but Toshiba says it has a solution for that called Experience Manager (powered by ComQi). Since I was unfortunately unable to stick around for the entire conference, I didn’t get to hear more about this would exactly work, but will report back when I know more.
So what does this mean for you, the AV integrator? There are multiple industries eyeing the digital signage market, which they all see as a big, juicy fruit ripe with possibilities – new customers, higher margins, recurring revenue, and just well, untapped money. That includes not just AV dealers and IT firms, but also MPS dealers, everyone in the print sign industry (all print-related trade shows have digital signage now) and in some cases, even the manufacturers themselves. You have a leg up over the print industries because you understand technical challenges and that solving them is the real value-add of a dealer, which manufacturers can’t really replace. You know you can learn the IT and networking side of the technology (though that won’t happen on its own — go get Cisco certified!). So what you really need to learn is how to sell services and not hardware.
The MPS guys DO know how to sell services and contracts. Toshiba said as much, and it felt confident its existing dealers, who really don’t know much about the technology behind digital signage, can SELL this system if Toshiba does the technical heavy lifting. (And I know firsthand what good salesmen they are — our company somehow ended up with a lengthy and apparently ironclad contract for a mediocre Canon printer and the only “services” the dealer offers is mailing us toner cartridges and surly technical support.)
In any case, if you’re an AV dealer, you may want to sign up with Toshiba, which wants to expand its network of dealers for digital signage, and will be happy to have you (I asked). And as for getting into the digital signage market, it looks like it’s only going to get more crowded. Better jump on it now. Leave a Comment
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How is Apple Impacting Your Next Product?
By Bill MacKenzie DisplayDaily
Forward-looking supply chain managers track Apple with an eye toward seeing what tech features are being introduced by the company and how they can be used by other brands for their businesses. By way of example, Apple first introduced fingerprint recognition for the iPhone last year and recently is trumpeting its latest improved “retina” display (iPhone 6 / 1080p full HD resolution reportedly) as the new state-of-the-art industry standard. Maybe so, you are thinking — we’ll wait and see. I say, maybe you should be more interested in what Apple is doing — not for the products they introduce, but the components they use in them.
You may recall that crack-resistant, tempered glass was championed by Apple. This raised the ruggedness and thinness standards for mobile devices and liberated the form factor limitations of existing physical keyboard centric / framed display industrial designs for mobiles.
Apple’s purchasing clout in the mobile telephony market is well known by supply chain professionals and is actively mapped by forward-looking managers. They want to see what new features needing hardware support will (eventually) be available to other hardware products and brands. This is particularly relevant for companies in vertical markets where comparative volume is insignificant. While these companies can be at the bottom of the sourcing food chain, being able to swiftly adopt new hardware features that can enhance their product offerings once Apple has commoditized them can be a potent competitive advantage and brand-enhancing strategy.
For instance, vertical market companies in retail businesses closely track Apple’s reported embracing of NFC in future iPhones because it will drive migration of this technology into other mobile devices. This also offers much more secure transactions, much to the delight of the credit card industry. It is interesting to note that the U.S. has been the largest market NOT to adopt NFC. Plus, the device companies will find it much easier to add it to their slim form factors vs. the bulky Mag Stripe readers.
Remember way back when Apple’s entry into the smartphone market was given a slim chance by industry pundits? How could they compete in a market place then dominated by other more prominent companies such as Blackberry, Nokia and Handspring? Apple’s target when the iPhone was introduced was to sell 1 million phones into a smartphone market that was then at a 10 million unit installed base, dominated by the brands previously mentioned and attracting potent new Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese competitors. An aggressive 10 percent market share in one year? …Bah, said the industry experts — Apple doesn’t understand the market and doesn’t have a business relationship with any carrier companies — never happen.
Apple hit that mark in under nine months and never looked back in the years since, changing the industry landscape and the sourcing picture for mobile electronics along the way.
In the case of finger print recognition, an area I’ve been directly involved with in years past, it is a great choice for personal computing devices where the owner is the primary access party — a one to one match-up of finger print on a scanner to a data base of one finger print as a access key. As a secure access device for personal and general workplace devices where huge markets exist for foolproof systems, the technology currently has low utilization. This situation is led to higher than acceptable error rates driven by the recognition limitations of the technology such as read distortion. This is often caused by a simple a build-up of body oil contaminants on the reader image surface and the mobile device’s ability to do a real time comparison to a clear finger pattern with the available finger print data bases (law enforcement, company personnel files, etc.).
That said, Apple is famous for working through problems like these when an untapped market opportunity exists. So keep an eye on future offerings like finger print recognition and think how your product might take advantage of their progress.
So what about displays?
Well, Steve Jobs always had a talent for determining what it is a consumer really wants in a device (aided by an extraordinary talent for self promotion and marketing I might add). His pronouncement regarding what drives display technology is interesting, compelling and definitely not based on dry industry statistics that require an engineering degree to understand what they mean in human terms. According to Wikipedia, when introducing the iPhone 4, Steve Jobs said, “The magic number for a Retina display is about 300 PPI for a device held 10 to 12 inches from the eye. One way of expressing this as a unit is Pixels Per Degree (PPD) which takes into account both the screen resolution and the distance from which the device is viewed. Based on Jobs’ magic number of 300, the threshold for a Retina Display starts at a PPD value of 53. 53 PPD. That means that a tall skinny triangle with a height equal to the viewing distance and a top angle of one degree will have a base on the device’s screen that covers 53 pixels. Any display’s viewing quality (from phone displays to huge projectors) can be described with this size-independent universal parameter.”
So while we will have to wait until the new iPhone 6 is available to see if we can discern a new display standard, what I can say is that Apple is a sure bet to drive better and more user-oriented technologies into the mainstream. Best of all, it’s based on human perception and need — not on what is easy for component technology companies who often “one-up” each other in the usual spec wars, with “improvements” that often have no meaning to the average user.
Again, Apple’s history in pushing this humanistic perspective into technical spec-driven industries is legendary. It also often leads to new markets and big businesses (think desktop publishing as an example).
[I was a product manager in Apple’s peripheral products division when Steve Jobs was pushing laser printers because of their superior image quality. PPD managers at the time favored dot matrix printers because the industry accepted metric of the day was cost per page –an impact printer’s was $.03 and the laser writer’s was $0.25 per page. Steve got his way, the desk top printer industry was born and laser printer quality became the accepted industry standard.]
So, while I admire Apple for their product offerings, I admire them more for the technologies they commoditize and make available for those of us helping other companies to improve their product offerings where cost of goods is pivotal to revenue generation, profit margins and overall company performance. Leave a Comment
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Conspicuously Absent? The Tradeshow Conundrum
By Brooke Macomber Marketing Director, Symetrix
Often, we tend to question the importance of attending yearly trade shows. With rising costs on all levels of attending a trade show, we end up second-guessing the commitments we have set in year’s past. When preparing for a trade show, in many cases, a majority of your marketing budget may be spent without being able to measure the return on your investment. Furthermore, your previous trade show appearances only set a level for a bigger-and-better showing this coming year. All of this equates to more money being spent and an even larger uncertainty of how well this money spent converts into sales.
Uncertainty always leads to further doubts. Will your efforts this year be rewarded with sales growth that can be directly correlated with your trade show appearance? What will you have to show for the amount of manpower, money, and time you’ve invested into this grand appearance? This is where most trade show quandary’s hit a roadblock.
While facing this quandary year-after-year myself, I have compiled numerous resources over the years that I have attempted use to assist in my decision making to attend a trade show. With some of the tools I use you will be able to provide ‘expected’ return on investment numbers along with alternatives to the traditional booth setup. Combine all of this information together and you will be able to better ‘rationalize’ your decision to attend or not to attend a trade show.
Trade Show Articles
Do Trade Shows Still Have Value?
I have found this article published by MPI to be extremely helpful in providing information on the value of attending a trade show. Studies by The Center of Exhibition Industry Research can also be found in this article to further support the importance of attending trade shows.
“It’s Time to Think Beyond the Trade Show Booth”
This article explains how to look beyond the traditional exhibit-hall formats. By thinking outside of the box, this article will provide ideas on how to create unique experiences for trade show attendees.
“How to Choose Which Trade Shows to Exhibit At”
To further support the above, this article provides insight on deciding if the next trade show is right for you, along with alternative options to the common trade show booth setup.
Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator
ROI Tool Kit – By CEIR
This is a completely free ROI calculator. Along with the ROI calculator, you will also be able to access other calculators that can help decide how many staff members you will need, the amount of space needed and also post-event measurement tools.
Part of a successful trade show is the planning and data acquisition to strengthen your reasons to attend or not to attend the next trade show. Yes — trade shows are a great opportunity to meet with a large number of people from diverse locations. Yes — InfoComm (and other industry associations) continues to publish ‘record attendance’ year over year.
However, important questions still remain: Is there a better use for marketing dollars that would have a greater ROI, allow you to focus on your core customers and have more productive, more meaningful meetings than at a trade show? Would alternatives like regional sales shows, product trainings or seminars actually have a greater NPV? Being conspicuously absent might actually have more value than we think. Leave a Comment
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Wi-Fi? Make Way for Li-FiWhat if any illuminating source — your TV, your tabletop lamp, an advertising sign, a street lamp — could double as a wireless hotspot?
UK researchers at the Ultra-Parallel Visible Light Communications (UP-VLC) project can now make visible light communications (VLC) reach data transfer speeds of 10 Gbps with a system using tiny micro-LEDs.
Light fidelity is a potential low-cost alternative to radio-based wireless internet. Now known as Li-Fi (a term coined by Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, a member of UP-VLC), visible light communication technology is getting closer to a commercial availability to deliver a networked, mobile, high-speed communication solution in a similar manner as Wi-Fi.
Unlike incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, LEDs as solid-state electronics can be controlled in much the same way as any other electronic component. You can switch them on and off at a high speed. Li-fi is essentially WiFi — but using terahertz radiation (light) instead of microwaves (Wi-Fi).
Think of a shower head separating water out into parallel streams. That’s what researchers can now do with micro-LEDs that handle millions of light intensity changes per second with Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexing (OFDM), a digital modulation technique that emulates an extremely fast on/off switch.
Li-Fi could become a new paradigm for wireless technology as increasing demand for higher bandwidths, faster and more secure data transmission as well as environmental and user-friendly technology could shift wireless technology from RF to optical technologies.
A Li-Fi-equipped TV could communicate with your iPad, smartphone and other peripherals. Highway lighting could up-date traffic reports, and provides internet access to the kids sitting in the back of your car. Or think about digital signage where the display can offer messaging via internet chat.
In China, researchers have hooked up as many as four computers to Internet through a single one-watt LED bulb.
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Kramer Electronics and Calibre UK PartnerKramer Electronics and Calibre UK have announced a global joint sales, supply, development and business co-operation agreement. Basically, Calibre’s proAV and broadcast products will be marketed and sold by Kramer sometime by the end of this year. That includes Calibre’s scalers, video processing products, warping, geometry correction and edge-blending with models for fixed installation and rental and staging, as well as products targeted at processing signals for LED video walls and television broadcast studios.
The agreement also appears to include a joint R&D plan where the two engineering departments will collaborate on new product development and, although specifics were not given, it does include new routing and control products.
This agreement covers world-wide sales for Kramer — and will, no doubt, help Calibre who is virtually unknown outside of Europe.
Kramer Electronics is here and Calibre is here. Leave a Comment
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Mersive Solstice 1.2 ShipsMersive’s Solstice 1.2 will ship next week. It includes enterprise-wide display management and increased video performance, as well as these three features:
- Centralized Display Management: Solstice Dashboard enables IT administrators to configure, manage and monitor the status of Solstice displays throughout the enterprise from a central location. The dashboard provides control over license management, security settings, use mode (Roundtable or Podium) and display appearance.
- Enhanced Video Streaming: Supports all common video file formats and any resolution, allowing any participant to control (pause, play, etc.) videos posted by anyone else in the session. In addition, video streaming now includes synchronized audio playback on the shared display with distributed volume control and auto-mute capabilities when multiple audio sources are published to the same display.
- Network Visibility of Displays: The optional Solstice Directory Service (SDS) allows administrators to control how displays will be published and accessed on the network.
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Pakedge Debuts Its S28fe and S20fe Gigabit Ethernet Switches Pakedge Device & Software’s new S28fe and S20fe are 28-port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switches, respectively, with four fiber ports with simultaneous gigabit Ethernet and fiber optic port connectivity.
Aimed at AV integration applications, both models feature a commercial design that accommodates Pakedge’s new 1U brush plate and 2U/3U cover plate. In addition, these switches incorporate Pakedge’s new black “stealth” data ports over standard silver ones everyone else offers for a more professional finish.
The S28fe and S20fe are unmanaged plug-and-play switches, providing easy and quick installations to dealers. Each data port offers speeds of 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps, depending on the quality of connected devices. In additon, the S28fe and S20fe’s store-and-forward architecture filters errors and forwards data packets without any blockage. This flow control ensures that correct data is transmitted and backpressure flow control mechanisms work for both full and half-duplex modes. The S28fe and S20fe support the NWay auto-negotiation protocol that automatically detects network speed (10/100/1000 Mbps) and full/half duplex modes. In addition, Auto-MDI/MDI-X functionality eliminates the need for crossover cables (in larger installations, each port can connect to a larger switch or hub with no crossover cable). Blue LED lights on the front panel provide real-time diagnostics.
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Barco Adds to ClickShare Product Line With New Smaller VersionSince its introduction, ClickShare (the industry’s first totally wireless room collaboration system that allows all participants to share their content on the central meeting room screen at the click of a button) over a year ago, we’ve said over and over that this was a system that would change the signal routing market forever. Certainly, not all by itself, but by the fact that it will be (and has been) emulated by everyone who makes room systems basically rubber-stamps our position.
Well, today, Barco launched a smaller, entry-level version in the form of the new CSM (ClickShare for Meeting rooms) Base Unit at a list price of $1,750. The new CSM Base Unit displays images up to 1080p resolution — via its HDMI or VGA output — and is fully compatible with both the ClickShare Button and the free apps for iOS and Android. Only one user can share on-screen at a time, but eight buttons can be connected wirelessly to the base unit, ready to share. A set consists of the CSM Base Unit and two ClickShare buttons.
Barco has also lowered the price of the original ClickShare to $3,950 — called the CSC (ClickShare for conference rooms) Base Unit. So, if you need higher resolution or a double screen setup, or want multiple users on the central screen at the same time, Barco’s CSC can drive two separate screens simultaneously, as well as support special output resolution, including panoramic composition (2560×1080). Up to four people can share content on-screen at the same time, while 64 buttons can be ready to share.
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Extron Introduces New TeamWork Collaboration System for Digital and Analog SourcesExtron’s new TeamWork 601 supports up to four digital laptops or tablets, and two legacy analog computer-video and audio sources. Analog signals are digitized so that they can be switched to the display, along with native HDMI signals, on a single HDMI cable. TeamWork 601 works with most flat panel displays, laptops and tablets. It also works with virtually any new or existing furniture system. Optional mounting hardware facilitates different collaboration table or work surface designs. Extron TeamWork is a fully customizable collaboration system that is ideal for corporate and education applications. Pre-configured packages, including the TeamWork 601, TeamWork 600 and TeamWork 400 are available for fast implementation with minimal setup.
The TeamWork system is designed for simple operation with minimal training as users simply connect their laptop or tablet to a TeamWork “Show Me” cable to start the system, then press the “Share” button to show their content on the presentation display. When done, users disconnect and walk away, and the TeamWork system automatically turns itself off and is ready for the next collaboration session. The TeamWork collaboration system is HDCP compliant and supports full resolution, full frame rate digital video up to 1080p/60 and analog computer-video up to 1920×1200. The TeamWork 601 system is complete and ready for installation, and includes four HDMI and two VGA “Show Me” cables, a switcher, a system controller, a Cable Cubby enclosure and other necessary system cables.
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Philips Partners with Desso for Digital Signage Carpet — Yes, You Read That Right!
Philips and Desso — leaders in lighting and carpets respectively — today announced a partnership agreement to develop solutions that combine LED lighting with light transmissive carpet. Effectively, the two companies will market carpet with built-in digital signage!
This innovation will further unlock the potential of LED integration into surfaces and definitely adds an exciting dimension to interior design and space planning. Very, very cool!
It will start in the EMEA market and make its way across the world to all markets by the end of 2014. In addition to this, a joint development agreement has been signed focusing on a seamless integration of this solution into new and existing buildings. The product name will be revealed in 2014 as part of the full go-to-market launch, but Philips and Desso are already working on pilot projects in key markets. Expect to see this at the upcoming ISE show in Amsterdam.
The applications for this are endless. Think: Emergency lighting in a fire or building evacuation scenario; digital signage advertising in a convention center, mall or airport; wayfinding in a building, airport or college campus building. Think advertising!
Philips is here and Desso can be found here. Leave a Comment
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Next Generation of UV Signage ArrivesYes, it’s from Hollywood — from the people who created the entertainment industry’s first UltraViolet-based effects and UV lighting in the late 1980s — and Ultra Vista Systems hopes its next generation of UV signage will provide interior signage.
The first product in a series of planned products is ISIS 3D (as in Illuminated Suspended Image System 3D), a transparent, 3D look coupled with a light-emanating design. This sign allows for glowing brand names, logos and art to shine in a slim, low voltage, lightweight profile.
The ISIS Sign System comes in 15 standard fluorescent Colors (Optical White, Canary Yellow, Orange, Rocket Red, Purple Haze, Deep Blue, Invisible Blue, Turquoise and Candy to name a few). The company has a full color compounding laboratory at our disposal for custom color formulations. It offers six different sizes in rectangle and 4-inch square. And the signs weigh in the range from 6 to 12 pounds.
The ISIS signs are not designed to be placed in direct sunlight. The maker says in an indoor application the Fluorescent colors of ISIS should “easily” last 20 years.
The ISIS Sign System brightness is in most environments very similar (only in strong or direct sunlight is Neon is brighter). Neon is a bent glass tube, so almost all Neon looks similar. Isis Sign can be molded in any shape desired with energy consumption 80-85 percent less than Neon. The Isis Sign System operates on 12 volts and only draws 10-20 watts, much less than Neon.
While most manufacturers of LED lights claim their product last 100,000 hours (more than 11 years running 24 hours a day) We feel our LED lights will last a minimum of 5 to 7 years (24 hours a day) before needing to be easily and inexpensively replaced. The amount of UV light (375 nanometers UV-A) emanating within the sign is between 12-20 watts depending on the required sign size. That is equivalent to a 15 watt BLB fluorescent tube. Please keep in mind that this small amount of UV light stays within the confines of the sign structure.
The company has been designing UV Lighting for more than 25 years and manufactures in California, in an ISO 9001-2008 certified UL registered facility.
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TouchSystems X 46 Is 46″ MultiTouch DisplayTouchSystems’ newest product is a 46” touch screen, based on NEC’s X462S, that’s integrated with an infrared touch technology. The display can be ordered as a dual-touch or multi-touch (six points) solution.
The (1920×1080 resolution) 1080p native X 46 features LED-backlighting (spec’d at 500cd/m2 brightness), which decreases energy consumption and total cost of ownership, and comes with built-in speakers, a carbon footprint meter, a scheduler and internal temperature sensors with self-diagnosis tools and fans. Another notable feature is the Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) slot; it simplifies the installation process and makes the maintenance of digital signage content much easier.
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JVC Intros New Entry-Level PTZ Security Camera VN-H557U JVC just announced the VN-H557U network HD-resolution indoor PTZ dome camera — an entry-level ONVIF Profile S-compliant unit equipped with a wide angle zoom lens (6.3-63.3mm).
Using a 2 megapixel CMOS imager, the VN-H557U is 1920×1080 resolution and is integrated with JVC’s so-called Super LoLux HD technology for very low-light color reproduction. The built-in lens includes 10x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom with automatic or manual iris control. The security camera also offers 350-degree, non-endless pan/tilt, along with 100 preset positions, auto return, auto flip, and auto pan.
A built-in SDHC card slot allows local recording options and other features include privacy mask for up to eight areas, motion detection, 3D digital noise reduction, alarm in/out, and two-way audio communication. Multi-codec support includes M-JPEG, H.264 Baseline Profile and H.264 High Profile, and the camera is compatible with third-party VMS products such as Exacq Technologies and Video Insight. Power options include power over Ethernet (PoE), plus 24V AC or 12V DC.
The VN-H557U lists for $1,475 and full specs are here: http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/category.jsp?productId=PRO5.2 Leave a Comment
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Extron Now Shipping Three Input Switcher with Integrated DTP TransmitterExtron’s new DTP T USW 233 is a three input switcher for sending HDMI or analog video, audio and control up to 230 feet (70 meters) over a single CATx cable to an Extron DTP 230 receiver. It is HDCP compliant and provides two HDMI inputs, one RGBHV or component video input and one DTP 230 twisted pair output. Analog video input signals are digitized to ensure a high quality digital video signal is transmitted to the DTP 230 receiver. The switcher also offers features including EDID Minder, Key Minder, auto-switching between inputs, audio input assignment and remote powering. The low profile enclosure makes the DTP T USW 233 ideal for discreet placement in lecterns, beneath tables or in other environments requiring input switching and signal transmission.
The DTP T USW 233 provides reliable switching and transmission of HDMI signals, supporting Deep Color up to 12-bit and embedded HD lossless audio formats. For simplified operation, the DTP T USW 233 can automatically switch between the digital and analog sources. In addition, the analog audio input can be assigned to any of the three video inputs, or it can be set to follow the input switch.
The switcher includes an RS232 and IR insertion port, enabling simultaneous transmission of bidirectional RS232 and IR signals from a control system using the same twisted pair cable that transmits video and audio. For added installation flexibility, a single external power supply can be used to remotely power the DTP T USW 233 transmitter or a DTP 230 receiver over the twisted pair cable. The DTP T USW 233 offers convenient control options, including front panel control, RS-232, and contact closure with tally output for easy integration into a variety of environments.
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Analog Way Announces QuickVu, a Tri-Scaler Mixer / Switcher Analog Way’s new QuickVu is a Mixer / Seamless Switcher with three built-in scalers. QuickVu is based on Analog Way’s new Midra platform and includes eight seamless-switching inputs and 14 source ports: 4x universal analog, 4x DVI-D, 4x HDMI and 2x 3G-SDI. According to Analog Way, a feature called CleanCut allows it to switch between each of the 14 inputs without fade through black or loss of sync. And, EDID signal management is enabled for inputs 1-6.
To fit any display resolution, QuickVu offers custom output format management, with a main layer fully resizable and that can be positioned anywhere (this would, for example, allow you to use the output in a Christie MicroTiles system where it’s not a contiguous configuration).
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LynTec Launches Intelligent Mobile Power Distribution PanelLynTec this week introduced its new Remote Power Control Mobile (RPCM), an intelligent power distribution panel offering three distinct new features to the mobile power distribution market. With motorized circuit breakers, current monitoring at the branch circuit level and remote monitoring capabilities, LynTec says the RPCM brings smarter mobile power distribution to houses of worship, theaters, arenas/stadiums and other temporary entertainment venues.
The RPCM uses switch-grade motorized circuit breakers to provide electrical protection and on/off control within a single enclosure, enabling simple power distribution and control for production companies within large, live venues. To enable real-time load balance and notification alarms, the unit provides the ability to perform current monitoring at the branch circuit level. Circuits can also be turned on or off sequentially, providing significant benefits when being powered by a generator. A built-in Web server allows users to monitor and control distribution directly on the network or from any browser-enabled smart device.
To protect large events during demanding load mixing situations, the RPCM lets users monitor loads on specific circuits. As a result, they can immediately see the impact of added demand on the unit’s interface — providing a straightforward and complete data overview. The RPCM is programmable to send circuit alerts by text or email, allowing users to take action remotely for greater flexibility and more efficient energy control, including the ability to perform remote hard reboots of connected devices. The circuit breaker panel can also be used for remote on/off control.
As lighting professionals increasingly turn to LED solutions, the RPCM can be used to control non-dimmed circuits as a more efficient alternative to dimmers. Since dimming is performed directly within LED fixtures, traditional on/off control at the dimmer rack-level is eliminated, resulting in the need for circuit-based on/off control. Available as a custom-built box, the RPCM can also be used with third-party control systems using DMX, sACN or TCP/IP protocols to provide flexible interfacing with all popular platforms.
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Middle Atlantic Brings Under Table Rack Mount to Meeting SpacesMiddle Atlantic Products’ newest offering is in the form of an under-table rack mount called TechPed. Designed to provide discrete equipment mounting in huddle rooms, conference rooms and other collaboration spaces, the TechPed incorporates the company’s Frame to Furniture design. The inner steel rack frame ships directly from stock, allowing integrators to begin the integration of the system immediately, even before all the other gear arrives. The outer surfaces are shipped separately to the installation site or shop and can be quickly and easily attached to the core structure to cover the metal and complete the installation.
Middle Atlantic says that maintenance is simpler as TechPed’s side panels are removable and include the patent-pending Lever Lock tool-free internal management system, which maximizes rack space and cable management options within the side channel of the pedestal.
TechPed is available in three sizes and a wide range of standard color choices. Also available is a custom millwork kit option that provides detailed shop drawings for a woodworker to create a customized look for the TechPed.
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Crimson Debuts Surface-Mount MountThe new Crimson VW4600G2 is designed to be a totally seamless, flush surface mount that can handle LCDs from 37”-60″. It offers a unique pop-out design for maintenance and install, and can also be used for video wall installations. Not only does the VW4600G2 allow a single display within a video wall to be accessed without any disruption to the rest of the matrix, it solves the problem for recessed applications by virtually eliminating the need for a gap around the display without hindering ease of installation and allowing full accessibility for future maintenance.
Features include 10.75″ pull out extension from wall for easy wiring, quick release latch and click-to-closed position feature and lateral shift.
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Community Adds DP8 Pendant Loudspeaker to Distributed Design Series Community Professional Loudspeakers has expanded its Distributed Design Series of ceiling, surface mount and pendant loudspeakers with the new DP8 Pendant. Available in paintable white or black, the DP8 is an 8-inch coaxial loudspeaker with a tapered style designed to be used in modern open-architecture environments like restaurants, lounges, hotels, ballrooms, convention centers, etc. integrating a weather-resistant enclosure, grille and components, Community says the DP8 may also be used outdoors in covered locations.
According to Community, the DP8 achieves a uniform sound and acoustical design and by sharing its transducers and crossover network with the Distributed Design D8 ceiling loudspeaker and DS8 surface-mount loudspeaker. The DP8’s shared coaxial transducer features a separate compression driver coupled to Community’s proprietary Tru-Phase waveguide and mounted to an 8-inch woofer with Community’s patented Carbon-Ring Cone technology. This combination claims to produce a high-performance loudspeaker with high power capacity, a wide, smooth dispersion pattern, high sensitivity and extremely low distortion.
For system designers and installers, the DP8 is ETL listed to comply with UL1480. It includes a 120-watt autoformer with easy-access tap switch for 70-volt/100-volt distributed systems and a simple suspension and wiring system inside its integrated rear cover. Two Distributed Design Series subwoofers, the DS8SUB (surface-mount) and DS10SUB (ceiling-mount) are available to bring enhanced warmth to a DP8 musical sound system.
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Extron Introduces New SoundField Wide Coverage Two-Way Ceiling SpeakersExtron’s new SoundField SF 26X is a two-way ceiling speaker featuring an open back and coaxial dual driver design for use in non-plenum airspace environments. The driver includes a 6.5″ (16.5 cm) woofer coupled to a 3/4″ (1.9 cm) ferrofluid-cooled dome tweeter. The SF 26X provides a frequency range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, and Extron says is engineered with a wide, uniform 110° conical coverage and uncolored off-axis response. The SF 26X features a thin-edged bezel for a refined appearance on the ceiling, and a magnetically attached grille.
The polypropylene woofer is specifically designed for infinite baffle environments, and extends the frequency range down to 50 Hz. The pivoting dome tweeter allows aiming of the mid and high frequencies for best area coverage and proper imaging. The SF 26X is designed for 8 ohm direct connection to power amplifiers, and provides a simple means to wire speakers in parallel for 4 ohm amplifier operation. It features a power rating of 25 watts continuous pink noise and 50 watts continuous program capacity.
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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).
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Everything we publish is opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship publication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition is co-published with CEDIA, covering 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
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