Volume 11, Issue 23 — December 11, 2013
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The Other Side of the Bridge — A Look at Some AV Streaming Solutions
By Leonard Suskin Pixel and Ink-Stained Wretch
One comment I frequently hear about HDBaseT is that it’s a “bridge technology” between the old days of simple point-to-point connectivity and a future in which AV joins the rest of our data on those great big IP networks which dominate the rest of our lives. Are we ready for this paradigm shift? Is the future here? Perhaps not, but it’s tantalizingly close. I’ve recently had a chance to look at two compressed video over IP products: Just Add Power’s 2G+ system and SVSI’s N2000 series. While neither seems quite ready to dethrone HDBaseT as the defacto video standard, we’ve reached a point at which these types of solutions deserve, at the very least, to be part of the discussion.
Form Factor and Convenience
Form factors for the base transmit/receive units are similar, dominated by the familiar six-inch square flattish metal box. Just Add Power adds a three-encoder rackmount unit while SVSI offers a card-cage for flexible configuration of permanent installations. SVSI’s standalone units are UL rated for use in plenum spaces, allowing the to be safely (and legally!) installed above ceilings in most localities. What’s more, PoE (power over ethernet) is standard with SVSI and an option from Just Add Power. This means that one really need run only a single cable.
Performance
The units all performed as advertised, albeit with their own quirks. The Just Add Power demo kit, consisting of transmitters, receivers, a network switch and a wireless access point, was delivered to me pre-configured with each switchport configured for a particular device. That’s right, their configuration apparently requires you to know which device is going to which port and to configure the switch accordingly. Once I got the wiring straight it worked as advertised; switching was quick, and the system boasted a handy “video wall” mode in which it would tile an image across four or more displays without any extra hardware. The switch configuration issue is a bit of a concern to me; this will need to change, but at present AV installation techs don’t tend to be the best at IT configuration. In fact, one often gets a blank glassy stare sometimes after “is it turned on” and “are all of the wires plugged in.” A look at the manual for their software seems to indicate that switching is handled by putting switchports on unique VLANs and moving these around to match the VLANs of the destination. This strikes me as an odd way of using a switch, but I’m not a network engineer by any means.
SVSI’s N2000 units each had the now-familiar web interface, showing stream ID numbers, scaling, audio embedding, HDCP status, etc. It also handles switching and routing a bit differently than Just Add Power; as is the case with the N1000, every encoder is assigned a “stream number.” A decoder can then choose which stream to receive. There is also a multicast option for greater network efficiency. Other controls include a slider for video quality, selection of scalers, image cropping and HDCP enable/disable. Image quality is quite good, but at the expense of noticeable lag. Such is the price of video compression. It isn’t enough to make it unusable by any means, but would be an impediment to realtime collaboration or annotative applications; if one sketches something in a drawing program one doesn’t want the line on the screen to trail the real-time activity.
SVSI’s units have onboard scalers, which are nice and tough, although somewhat limited in what resolutions they can handle. A test monitor with a really weird native resolution ended up with severe underscan, while more standard 1920×1080 displays worked perfectly well with a variety of inputs. On the positive side, the Web interface gives the full extended EDID for those who need to know exactly why their image doesn’t look the way it should.
Tiling and Windowing
Not only could images be strategically cropped to create a tile-effect (as above), but they also gave me an additional toy with which to play — a four-input windowing processor. The inputs in this case are streams from N2000 or 1000 series encoders, and the web interface allows one to create layouts of up to four windows. With one of these windowing processors per display and a bit of creative cropping, one can build a complete video-wall of pretty much any configuration so long as no more than four windows touch any single element. This isn’t quite as flexible as other forms of window processing, but is more than adequate for some applications. It’s another case in which the video over IP technology is catching up to everything else.
I’ll aside here that Christie has also made a move into the IP world with its Phoenix system; Phoenix endpoints are connected via IP and can send to and receive from each other through a standard gigabit Ethernet switch. It’s an interesting product in its own right, likely deserving of its own post. For now, we can take it as another sign of how things are moving; solutions which a few years ago would have required dedicated copper or even fiber ones can now be part of the same network as the rest of one’s data.
Building an AV Ecosystem
One of the more exciting things about having AV on a network is the possibility of creating a unified ecosystem, in which live content, signage and a larger unified communications platform all work together. Software players exist to bring H.264 and even JPG2000 content to PCs (although the latter might be somewhat restricted in frame rate if you don’t have a fast enough machine). A plethora of recording and processing options are available for digital content. IP based systems can, at their best, change the way we look at an AV installation from individual systems to an interconnected AV ecosystem in which various resources can be called upon not only in various conference rooms, but also on desktops, tablets and sent to remote locations.
We started by asking if HDBaseT is a bridge technology. I’ll close with a different, and more interesting question: How does replacing HDBaseT with network transport fundamentally change what an AV system is and how we interact with it? Leave a Comment
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Turning Digital Signage Into Ca$h
By Scott Tiner rAVe Columnist
Recently, a couple of events got me thinking about some interesting and creative ways to use digital signage in our educational facilities. The first conversation was with a colleague from George Mason University. We were talking about digital signage and he was telling me that at his location the AV department has nothing to do with the digital signs. He went on to tell me that their signs are part of a system designed by a third party company. Check out what they are doing at George Mason, by simply googling George Mason digital signage.
There are several things I really like about what I saw on the George Mason website. First, they allow anyone on campus to post announcements, ads and other items of interest to the signs. Right on their website there are instructions on how to post an ad, etc. For on campus organizations there are no charges. It is a very easy and open system for anyone who has access to a web browser.
A few days later I was reading the student newspaper on my campus and noticed a large half-page ad for Papa John’s pizza. It was your typical targeted ad, indicating a special if you used a certain code word. That is when some things started coming together for me.
At Bates College, and many other smaller colleges, we don’t do a very good job of monetizing our signs. At my institution we don’t monetize them at all. In fact, I have written in this column before about how we need to look beyond money, and find other ways to identify total cost of ownership. It is possible, I was wrong and we need to re-assess how we manage these signs.
It seems to me that we need to follow the model that larger universities like George Mason have implemented, albeit on a smaller scale. Certainly we have students on campus who have disposable income and are interested in knowing about deals and opportunities. In previous columns I have written on targeted bulletins. This means that we identify our audience, and we identify the times that they may be near the sign.
There are some landmines particular to education that we need to be wary of before selling ads. Some pretty easy ones to think about are the content of the advertisements (e.g., schools do not want to promote alcohol use), and the timing of the advertisements (we probably don’t want to see an ad for pizza at 10 in the morning). Particularly, you need to be sensitive to why the signs were installed in the first place. They are in place to make announcements of the college, and to celebrate academic, artistic and athletic achievements. If faculty are seeing ads for restaurants, clothing stores and department stores when they expect to be seeing announcements of upcoming lectures, they may be appropriately upset.
So, one needs to be careful about how these ads are approached. A couple of suggestions: First, one of the prime target times for college age students is in the evening. They are awake and they are up and about. It is also a time that most classes are done, and the students are on their own time schedule. Second, be thoughtful about your advertisements, and make them tasteful. The faculty and staff may not be around at 10 or 11 at night, but good taste is still in order. Typical advertisements that sell with sex, tobacco or alcohol may not fly with academics.
Being creative — one can think about a lot of places to which you could sell advertisements. Our small town has a semi-professional hockey team, and our students are potentially a major customer. Using our boards to sell tickets and specials to games is a great use. We have one of the largest outdoor retailers headquartered in our state. Our student activities office regularly sends buses up to the flagship store, again, how about hitting that retailer up for some advertisements, that tie into when our buses are scheduled to go to the store?
If you are an integrator, your creative mind should be starting to hear some cash register ringing right now. Why? Two reasons: First, this is a fantastic way to sell digital signs to colleges and universities. I think there is even possibilities of using this method to sell digital signage to large high schools. People understand return on investment when you speak in real cash.
Second, what if you, as the integrator managed, and/or consulted your customer on how to sell ads and to whom to sell them? As an integrator you could offer you customer a steeply discounted digital signage install, provided that you had rights to sell and collect money for advertisements. Now obviously you would need contracts and understandings on what type of ads you could sell, when they could run and for how often. You also have people with sales experience on your payroll already. Sales is something that most schools don’t have in house expertise on. In addition, if you could develop a good relationship, with a school, or a number of schools, you have created yourself an income source for years. I think this is an example of new sources of income that integrators need to start looking into. After all, many companies already do a lot of the creative work for their digital sign customers, this is just one more step.
I also understand that this may be more to bite off than some of the smaller integrators are able to chew. So, you certainly could consult to some of your customers about this. Let them know that these possibilities exist. Show them other customers of yours who have been successful with this model. If you can not provide the direct service, being a resource to your customer will still allow you to show your value.
What are your experiences? Are you in a school that has done this successfully? Are you an integrator who works with schools on this type of solution? Let me know, I would love to follow up on your stories in future columns. I look forward to hearing from you. Leave a Comment
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InfoComm: Five Trends Changing Unified Communications
By Monica Heck
Special to InfoComm International
Whether you call it simply unified communications (UC) or you also throw collaboration into the mix (UCC), it’s clear that this years-old-yet-bleeding-edge technology has finally gained its footing. Even if you struggle to define the collection of videoconferencing, chat, email and other solutions that fall under the UC umbrella, you know by now that customers are clamoring for them — and they need help.
“Everyone loves to throw the term UC around, but it’s really a disparate group of capabilities that are tied together by necessity, and the definition really varies,” says Alan Greenberg, senior analyst and partner at Wainhouse Research. “It can be a challenge to transition from legacy systems to a model that unifies presence, telephony, video, web conferencing, IM and active directory, and all the other services out there.”
And yet, in many respects, 2013 was a pivotal year for UC. “We are starting to see customers breaking down the silos of UC,” says Scott Cruikshank, director of converged communications at Dimension Data though. Here are five reasons why:
Trend 1: Video Rules
Finally, ubiquitous video is here. Part of the reason is technology; part is user acceptance. We can thank Skype, YouTube, Netflix and all those other online video services one might cringe to find in a commercial AV deployment. For industry expert Stephen Mulligan, video communication is the overnight success that’s been the “next big thing” for years.
“Travel budgets got squeezed and technology and bandwidth caught up to each other,” Mulligan says. “Crisp 1080p LED screens, video codecs, smart network-sensing technologies are all available at last.”
And don’t think Microsoft hasn’t noticed. The company that snapped up Skype jumped from desktop video and to rooms with the announcement of Lync Room System (LRS). “Depending on who you talk to, Lync Room System is either a spectacular success, generating a lot of demand, or it’s struggling,” says Greenberg. “Certainly, it has raised awareness of video being introduced into business processes and into the overall UC environment.”
David Danto, director of emerging technology for the IMCCA, the videoconferencing and telepresence industry association, says videoconferencing has enjoyed a business-to-consumer explosion this year. What was once a tool that companies used for themselves has become something they use to communicate with people outside their walls.
“Organizations that don’t want to be left behind need to communicate with their customers using tools they’re comfortable with,” Danto says. “Huge customer-facing organizations like Amazon and Fidelity Investments are saying they need UC tools to converse with their customers over video. That changes the game.”
Analysts contend that the little-noticed acquisition of cloud-based videoconferencing provider Vidtel by Fidelity Investments was for Fidelity’s own internal use — though Vidtel will continue to support existing contracts, according to Danto.
“But think about how that changes the market,” he says. “There’s one less player because a large wealthy financial services company felt it needed to take it off the market and use it for themselves.” A sure sign that video collaboration has made the big time.
Trend 2: Mobility
OJ Winge, CEO of Acano, a UC provider of virtual meeting rooms, cites mobility as one of the biggest trends this year. Increasingly, UC technology has migrated from fixed workstations toward mobile platforms outside the traditional office space. “It’s fueled by the consumerization of IT and by people bringing tools into the workplace that come from the private arena, like tablets and smart phones,” Winge says.
Danto says mobility and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) computing as part of an inevitable sea change. “The people who do not believe in more freedom are aging out of the market and using mobile technology as a scapegoat for bad management structure,” he says. “The companies that are succeeding are the ones that are creating reasonable mobile security policies.”
This, of course, puts pressure on IT administrators and requires coordination between IT and the AV professionals who best understand audio/video communication. “Technology managers can either support mobility for their users, or wake to find they’re use something they got free on the Internet,” Winge says. “Their challenge is to keep control over the employees, what tools are using, and where the information is going.”
Mobility and BYOD aren’t only about how people work when they’re away from the office. They are redefining how workers collaborate internally. Winge thinks, for instance, that the clock may be ticking on dedicated hardware in meeting rooms. “Why can’t I control a projector or a room from an iPad or a smart phone?” he says. “Why do I need cables and a special remote? Mobile UC is about recreating what’s in your pocket so users feel more comfortable using those tools.”
Trend 3: The Google Effect
You know the search giant couldn’t leave well enough alone. In 2011, Google released the source code for WebRTC, an application programming interface (API) for browser-to-browser UC, to the development community. In 2013, with mobility on the rise, WebRTC started to come into its own.
“It hasn’t been a year of massive deployment of WebRTC, but rather a year of adoption, experimentation and delivery,” says Greenberg. “Everyone knows it’s coming and that it will have an impact on the marketplace.”
Because WebRTC allows users to participate in a video call from a web browser, it requires neither a dedicated hardware device nor is a client application, such as Skype or Apple FaceTime. “It’s an alternative that allows people to make video calls — browser-to-browser or end point-to-end point — and still bridge those calls,” Greenberg says, “supported by service providers who support the connection of WebRTC calls to standards-based videoconferencing systems.”
Because WebRTC delivers non-proprietary video and voice straight to the browser, Mulligan sees it having an impact in both the consumer and the business markets. “Of course, room systems still have their place,” he says. “And you’re not going to use WebRTC in a 24-person conference room because it’s not going to scale. But it will have an impact over time.”
WebRTC could have a significant impact on UC and at call centers, according to Blair Pleasant, president and principal analyst at COMMfusion. “WebRTC will make it easier to do some of the things we’re doing now and open it up to more developers, meaning we’ll see more UC capabilities embedded into other applications.”
How big is WebRTC? Recently, Cisco announced a plan to open-source its H.264 codec, effectively making it free for use in WebRTC. “Part of supporting collaboration is lowering the cost of it, putting it in the hands of people, making it backwards compatible with investments people already have and making sure it’s done in a standards-based way,” says Chris Wiborg, director of marketing for Cisco Collaboration.
Trend 4: Increasing Clouds
The cloud has become the great equalizer in unified communications. Running UC software out on the Internet means that all a customer needs is a good network connection to enjoy all its benefits. “The cloud makes UC available to different types and sizes of organizations, rather than just the large organizations that can afford it,” says Pleasant.
But the cloud doesn’t mean clear skies (pardon the pun). Service providers need to come up with UC solutions that support various cloud deployments — private, public or hybrid clouds. “Initially, we’re seeing a higher interest in managed solutions in the cloud,” Cruikshank says. In other words, customers are asking service providers to manage their UC clouds, rather than building their own. “It shows that IT organizations realize that UC tools can place a burden on their teams,” Cruikshank says.
“A lot of folks we speak to want the best of both words,” says Cisco’s Wiborg. “A mix of services that leverages existing UC equipment on their premises and lowers the cost of participating in a cloud service.
Still, cloud-based UC is still in its infancy. Winge says the cloud is currently more of a testing environment than a large-scale deployment platform, based mainly on security and bandwidth concerns. The cloud certainly makes UC deployment easier, he says. “As companies get better at managing their cloud concerns, I’m a big believer in the move to cloud.”
Trend 5: The Adaptation of Pro AV
The evolution of UC poses both opportunities and threats to the pro AV world. On the one hand, advances in UC mean an increased demand for high-definition video delivered around the world. On the other hand, new UC solutions mean that many custom rooms are being replaced with rooms-in-a-box, and what might have been an obvious AV project before is falling under the purview of IT.
Companies such as Cisco are working with AV partners to understand how to use their video expertise. “From a channel perspective, we have to involve and cross-train them,” says Wiborg. “From a partner-margin perspective, we must make it attractive enough for them that they transition [to UC] make up some volume. Cisco has a huge installed base that hasn’t yet turned on video, and when they do, there’s an opportunity for partners in certain industries.”
Pleasant believes the uptake of video in UC is good news for pro AV. “The role of the integrator is increasing in value in terms of deploying UC systems and integrating them with the business processes,” he says. “As UC grows, the need for value-added resellers that deploy and customize these solutions is growing too.”
This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm and originally appeared here.
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The Cornerstones of Running a Successful Business: Part Two
By Loyd Ivey CEO, MiTek Corporation
There are many things you have to worry about when running a business. Taxes, insurance, costs of goods, overheads, all of these things affect your profitability. While you can streamline and closely manage all of these expenses to minimize their impact, you still have to sell something to make money. Selling is the most important part of being in business and having people that understand the fundamentals of selling is paramount to any business’ success.
As a sales person, you do not have to be the smoothest talking person in the world to be successful; to be successful, you need to know when and with whom to do business. In my 40-plus years in business I have learned many things in this regard and share a process with our salespeople all of the time. It’s not my ORDERS like I’m a drill sergeant, but an acronym for an easy process that can help any salesperson be successful.
The ORDERS process is tied to a secondary process, which doesn’t have a name but that are like driving rules, which everyone understands, although they may not always obey them. When you come to a stoplight and it’s red, you stop; when it’s yellow, you proceed with caution; and when it’s green, you go. The same principle applies to each stage of the ORDERS process.
O is for opportunity identification and quantification. R is for exact resources required. D is for the ultimate decision maker. E is for the exact solution to the exact need. R is for relationship building and reoccurring sales. S is for support systems.
O – Does opportunity exist? There is no point in meeting with a buyer or customer about a product if they are not bringing on new vendors, if they do not have any jobs coming up in the near future, or if for any other reason they are not looking for your product or service. Using the company expense account is nice to get a free lunch but it just wastes your time and the customer’s if there is no opportunity.
R – Do you and your company have the resources available to devote to the opportunity? If you have limited inventory or long turnaround times on shipments, but the customer expects shipments every two weeks, in the end something is going to suffer. You have to be able to meet the customer’s expectations with the resources you have available.
D – Are you talking with the ultimate decision maker? While there are many people that might influence the decision maker and it is good to have relationships with them so they are familiar with your products, the decision maker is going to be the one that eventually pulls the trigger. If you aren’t talking to or can’t get to the ultimate decision maker, the opportunity is going to take up more of your time and your boss’s money than you or they want to devote to it.
E – Do you have the exact solution to your customers’ exact needs? If the customer is specifically looking for a product that has X but your product has Y, you’re selling boomerangs that no matter how hard you pitch them they will keep coming back. In the end the customer is going to be disappointed and your relationship will end.
R – Is the opportunity going to include reoccurring sales and relationship building? Is this the opportunity going to be a one-time, suspiciously large order that is a transshipper or credit risk that will destroy your name and company or is there potential for recurring sales? Can you build a relationship with this customer that will continue over time? A loaded customer is not a loyal customer; a loaded customer is a transshipper or credit risk. Be wary of how much time you devote to a one-time sale versus the profit earned and the lost time talking to other customers. Where is your time best spent?
S – Do you and your company have the right support systems in place to meet the customer’s needs? Do you have a second shift of employees that can work to meet a timeline? Can you meet requirements for multiple shipments or do you have the necessary certifications to do the job? Ensuring your systems are in tune with the customer will ensure a successful relationship. Also does the customer have the systems in place to make the opportunity a success?
I always tell our salespeople to follow these steps in this order, and at each step evaluate whether the “light” is red, yellow or green. If it is green, move on to the next step; if it is yellow, use caution and get approval to move forward and critically evaluate the next step; and if it is red, stop and move on to the next opportunity without wasting any more of your time or your boss’s money.
It is so simple and easy to follow, and can help any person become a great salesperson. At the same time this process helps make their company or business more efficient while saving time and making more money. Money can’t buy you happiness but money can get you comfort. Follow these steps in sequential order and you will be guaranteed to be happier. Leave a Comment
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Beginning With the End in Mind
By Paul Flanigan Executive Director, Digital Screenmedia Association
While we love to talk about technology, we must never forget the real reason we create these solutions.
I love to surf the web. I just love it. I cannot believe how much stuff there is out there. Tons of it. What I find particularly enjoyable is the randomness of discovery. There are even links that encourage you to do it. If you enjoy Reddit try this link.
It takes you to any number of subreddits on just about any topic you can possibly imagine. And what do you know? There are subreddits for digital signage and digital out-of-home. Although I would gather that Reddit is not the greatest forum for discussion on these.
Here is a link to find any random Wikipedia page. The other day I stumbled on to this one: List of Emerging Technologies.
The page contains emerging technologies in a number of fields, including agriculture, biomedical, IT/communications, transport and bunch of other ones. It also contains a section on displays. If you’re keeping track at home, there are 16 different display technologies under the subject of displays.
Of course, I had to ask myself, “What am I having for dinner tonight?” After that, I asked myself, “Are any of these what we think of as digital signage?” More questions: Where would these work? In kiosks? On walls? On billboards? Would these work in hospitals? Universities? Hotels? Libraries?
At that moment, I had to remind myself of something that I learned 15 years ago. Regardless of the technology, you need to begin with the end in mind. The end is the user, the audience. It’s the person who is trying to find the next point on the journey through the hotel using a touch screen kiosk. It’s the person trying to pay for his groceries at a self check-out. It’s the person who wants to download something onto her cell phone from the interactive screen in front of her.
I worked in professional sports for seven years — major league baseball, minor league baseball, the NFL and even minor league hockey. Every place I worked, I reminded myself to never forget that I’m a fan, a customer. I would often go into the seats and enjoy the game. I would look at the video screens in the suites, and at the giant jumbotrons and I would watch these screens as a fan. Would I enjoy what I was seeing and hearing? At Best Buy, we did a lot of work on understanding the customer. We were encouraged to go into stores and be the customer, to try the solutions we were creating and see if they worked or not.
Now I’m in a position to help steer this organization, and this industry, in new directions. But these directions are not provided by the technology. We get direction from the user. We learn how people use technology. Then we work to build solutions that will create the ideal relationship between the user and the technology.
It’s impossible to prescribe a certain technology to a certain vertical. We can assume some fundamental best practices based on years of research, but the truth is that the user is evolving as quickly as the technology.
If we forget about the user, we’ll forget why we’re here. And that would be tragic, because I really want to see if any of these emerging technologies would help hospitals, and retail, and universities.
I think most of us do, too.
This column was reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association and originally appeared here. Leave a Comment
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InfoComm Announces 2014 Board Members
InfoComm International announced this month the election results for the 2014 InfoComm International board of directors. Craig Janssen, LEED AP, of Acoustic Dimensions, has been elected secretary-treasurer. Deb Britton, of K2 Audio LLC and Michael Carter, of AMX, have been elected as directors. In addition, Zane Au, of Shen Milsom & Wilke and Sarah Joyce, of Electrosonic, have been appointed to serve two-year terms on the board.
The outgoing chairman of the Leadership Selection Committee is Greg Jeffreys, Paradigm Audio Visual Ltd., and outgoing board members are Andrew Milne, Ph.D. of Tidebreak, Inc., Thierry Ollivier of projectiondesign AS and Jan Sandri of FSR, Inc.
A complete listing of the 2014 InfoComm board of Directors appears below.
Board of Directors:
- LSC Chair: Tony Warner, CTS-D, CDT, LEED AP, RTKL
- President: Johanne Belanger, AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions
- President-Elect: Matt Emerson, CTS, CEAVCO Audio Visual Co., Inc.
- Secretary-Treasurer: Craig Janssen, LEED AP, Acoustic Dimensions
Directors:
- Zane Au, CTS-D, LEED AP, Shen Milsom & Wilke
- Deb Britton, K2 Audio LLC
- Michael Carter, AMX
- Jeff Faber, Sharp’s Audio-Visual Ltd
- Gary Hall, CVE, CTS-D, CTS-I, Cisco
- Sarah Joyce, Electrosonic
- Julian Phillips, Whitlock; Jeff Stoebner, AVI Systems, Inc.
InfoComm is here. Leave a Comment
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Pakedge Intros Wireless-N Dual-Band Concurrent Wireless Access Point Pakedge Device & Software has just launched the W7 Dual-Band Concurrent Wireless Access Point that offers simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz operation with more range, speed, reliability and configuration options than conventional designs — some specifically for AV applications.
The W7 utilizes exclusive Pakedge Smartwav technology to sense the wireless environment around WAPs and weave a signal around potential sources of interference, such as microwaves or thick walls. Smartwav technology gives Pakedge devices a more powerful signal, greater coverage and a lower operating cost. Four Smartwav antennas broadcast constructive signals by synchronizing waveforms to further increase range, throughput and quality of service via a stable radio signal, eliminating the peaks and valleys characteristic of traditional wireless devices.
The W7 features band-steering functionality that can automatically switch compatible clients from the 2.4GHz band to the less-congested 5.0GHz for superior performance. The W7′s built-in SectorMaxx software optimizes the device’s signal-to-noise ratio, yielding up to three times the broadcast range of traditional wireless access points. This optimizes the W7 for smartphones, tablets, laptops and home control devices.
The W7 can be easily deployed in stand-alone mode with little configuration necessary. Dealers setting up large wireless networks with multiple WAPs can facilitate this process in two ways: one way is to download a free program, Where’s My WAP, from the Dealers Only section of the Pakedge website, while the other is to use the Pakedge C36 WAP controller. The C36 hardware WAP controller can automatically detect and connect up to 30 access points.
Dealers can monitor or alter the status of the W7 from anywhere in the world by using an internet browser, tablet or mobile device when used with BakPak, a free iOS/Android app from Pakedge. The W7 supports 18 SSIDs — eight per band plus two guest networks.
Here are the specs. Leave a Comment
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Energy Squad Offers LED Diet Training, New Revenue OpportunitiesFor HomeAV or ProAV dealers looking for some new recurring revenue opportunities or who want to do marketing or branding around GreenAV, Energy Squad offers some interesting programs geared specifically to AV dealers on not only GreenAV products such as automation or energy management, but also on green products that AV dealers don’t typically offer, such as LED lighting or the Nest thermostat. The company, which calls itself a full-service green tech distributor for the AV industry, recently hosted some dealers from around the country for the first-ever dealer training for its LED Diet program.
Introduced at CEDIA EXPO 2013, the LED Diet program provides dealers with a proven sales program that enables them to establish their businesses as the “local authority” on LED lighting and green technology. Certified LED Diet dealers (or as Energy Squad calls them, “LED Dieticians”) can use the program to reach out to new and existing customers by offering a cost-effective and scalable approach for converting a home or building from an outdated, poorly lit and power-guzzling space into a beautiful, energy-efficient environment, one bulb at a time. Dealers also have access to special product pricing and technical support from Energy Squad.
The two-and-a-half day training included in-depth product demonstrations from vendors including SWITCH lighting, sales training and the formal introduction of Energy Squad’s LED Diet program. It also featured in-depth familiarization with products, including new eco-friendly system solutions from Nest, and an overview of Energy Squad’s ecoInsight app for specifying LED products and creating custom proposals.
Energy Squad announced the dates for its second LED Diet training, which will be held Jan. 21-23 in Bethesda, Md. Space for the second training session is limited and dealers interested can register online here, via phone 301-656-2238 or email at sales@energysquad.com.
For more information on Energy Squad, click here. Leave a Comment
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Atomos Ships Spyder Color Calibration Atomos is now shipping the Spyder calibration tool. Developed in partnership with New Jersey-based Datacolor, the Atomos Spyder gives Samurai Blade one button color calibration normally only found on high end monitors. With Spyder, the Samurai Blade gains the ability to accurately calibrate to the SMPTE Rec 709 color space with a D65 white point with 100 percent gamut and is fully customizable after calibration.
Atomos Spyder features:
- Extreme precision 7 sensor calibration
- USB to LANC serial control unit included for automatic calibration.
- Calibrate to 6500K ITU-Rec709 white point with delta-E better than 2 down to 20 percent grey
- User adjustments of lift, gain and gamma per channel after initial calibration
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Biamp Debuts New Vocia Paging Station Kit Biamp Systems today added to its public address and voice evacuation system, Vocia, with the PSKIT-1 interface kit and 1.5.2 software. The PSKIT-1 is a standalone paging station kit that allows for direct connection to third-party equipment, such as legacy paging stations and fireman’s microphone panels. The PSKIT-1 features embedded DSP and on-board memory to support standard and advanced public address and mass notification functionalities. The PSKIT-1 can store 999 user-defined page codes, and device-specific configuration information is stored locally within the unit.
The Vocia 1.5.2 software update enables one-button paging functionality across all of the Biamp paging station devices (DS-10, WS-10, EWS-10, PSKIT-1). This streamlined functionality facilitates quicker page message delivery while allowing end users to define single-digit custom paging codes.
The Vocia 1.5.2 software update is available for download here.
The PSKIT-1 will be available in February 2014. Here are the specs. Leave a Comment
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Haivision Updates InStream Mobile for iOS and Android Live Video StreamingHavision has released the latest version of InStream Mobile, which brings iPad, iPhone and Android users live, high definition video streaming on their mobile devices. Supporting end-to-end latency of less than 500 milliseconds for 1080p60 video (when coupled with Haivision’s Makito X HD H.264 encoder), InStream Mobile is designed for live collaboration in mission critical applications.
Based on industry standards, supporting both Transport Stream multicast and HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), InStream Mobile gives users access to local performance streams as well as those available on the Internet. Local multicast transport streams do not need to be transcoded, resized or converted to HLS, allowing InStream Mobile to be instantly deployed within current enterprise workflows. InStream Mobile also supports a central channel guide file so the channel list for all users can quickly be established and changed, further easing deployment and media control.
Additional InStream Mobile features include:
- Forward Error Correction (with Makito): Accommodates wireless network packet loss to minimize stream interruption.
- TalkBack (with Makito): Allows single viewers to engage in direct conversations with personnel at remote endpoints.
- HLS and TS stream support: Users can select from local performance streams and those from the Internet.
- Central Channel Guide: Without the need for a streaming server or IPTV system, administrators can easily a establish channel selection file for broad user bases so viewers do not need to enter complex web or IP addresses.
- Fast Channel Changes: Simply swipe to instantly tune to adjacent video channels with no buffering delay.
- Multitrack Audio: Delivers multilingual content with video streams.
- Stream Statistics: The ability to view the characteristics of video streams so that an administrator can tune the system for optimal performance.
InStream Mobile for iOS devices is available free of charge in the Apple iTunes stores globally and in Haivision’s download Center for Android devices here:
Haivision is here.
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Pakedge New K61-A and K61U-A Gateways Have Six Pre-Configured VLANsPakedge Device & Software has just launched the K61-A and K61U-A gateway appliances. Both have six pre-configured VLANs, Pakedge BakPak monitoring and something the company calls TruStream.
The K61U-A includes all the features of the K61-A, with the addition of Pakedge’s Unified Threat Management (UTM) network security. UTM provides parental controls and high security by blocking viruses, questionable websites and other unwanted content before it can get past the firewall.
Designed to take the difficulty out of setting up a network, both models feature six pre-configured VLANs. VLANs (short for virtual local area networks) are communication lines that facilitate network segmenting, prioritize bandwidth and achieve optimum performance from even high-data throughput devices including high-definition IP cameras, streaming audio/video components, game systems and other clients.
The K61-A and K61U-A incorporate Pakedge TruStream technology to recognize and categorize network traffic, ensuring that high-priority data like streaming video, music and VoIP are given precedence. TruStream eliminates the interference and high latency that result in buffering, lag or even complete interruption of streaming playback.
They are also both designed to operate in conjunction with BakPak cloud management, letting dealers monitor and power cycle select devices on the network. Dealers will also be able to control the system-wide network and receive automatic notifications via text messages, phone calls or apps.
These devices are also certified to meet Pakedge CASC standards, allowing them to receive commands from networked remotes and touch panels. This allows a seamless integration of both control and power-cycling to give users exactly what they want.
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Visix Ships RoomBoardVisix is now shipping its RoomBoard, which the company describes as a one-stop touchscreen wayfinding solution that shows space availability, maps event listings to rooms and integrates with MeetingMinder interactive room signs.
Features include:
- Combines digital signage, interactive wayfinding and schedules
- Shows number of available rooms at top
- Available rooms show in green and busy room are red
- Supports two-way booking from Visix’s own RoomBoard or MeetingMinders
- Integrate with your EMS or Exchange directory
- Custom map with directional paths for up to 25 rooms
- ADA-compliant controls included
- Customized the design with your logo, colors and map
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Extron Adds Contact Closure Control Module for SwitchersExtron’s new CTR 8 is a control module that adds contact closure control to most RS232 controllable Extron simple or scaling switchers. The CTR 8 accepts up to eight contact closure inputs and converts them to SIS Simple Instruction Set serial commands that select the corresponding input on an Extron switcher. Video can be muted and un-muted by pressing a single switch in sequence, allowing the user to control the viewing of the presentation. Each contact closure input features a +5 VDC output that can be used to light an LED to indicate the active switch. The CTR 8 is ideal for applications in which contact closure control must be added to an Extron switcher.
The CTR 8 offers integrator-friendly features including an RS232 serial port, a +12 VDC power loop-out port, selectable video mute LED options, and a compact form factor. The RS-232 serial port allows monitoring and troubleshooting from a remote location. To streamline installation, a +12 VDC power loop-out port allows sharing of external power with another Extron product. The CTR 8 is housed in a compact 1U, quarter rack width metal enclosure. It ships with the Extron MBU 123 low-profile mount kit for installation under tables and lecterns, or for mounting behind displays.
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SAVANT Ships SmartLink and SmartAudioSavant Systems is now shipping the SmartLink matrix switch and the SmartAudio SSA-3220, both of which were shown at CEDIA Expo 2013.
Savant’s SmartLink technology is available in three versions, each with eight HDMI video/audio inputs and eight S/PDIF audio-only outputs. Integrators can select between four, six or eight HDBaseT 5Play or HDMI video and audio outputs. All three versions of the SmartLink leverage HDBaseT 5Play technology, which enables integrators to reduce installation time and costs by using a single CAT5e/6 cable to deliver uncompressed high definition video, audio, control and power 100 meters. (Sometimes.) The three new video switch products are designed to be controlled using an Apple iOS device equipped with Savant’s TrueControl apps.
Savant’s SmartAudio SSA-3220 32×20 is a distributed audio solution housed in a 2U rack-mountable design. The SSA-3220 includes 16 analog and 16 digital selectable inputs, 20 outputs (16 analog plus four S/PDIF) for passing analog line-level audio to an external amplifier. Both analog and digital audio conversion capabilities are standard and both analog and digital audio is available simultaneously on each output.
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Jupiter Ships StreamCenter and TouchCommandJupiter’s StreamCenter is designed to support businesses and government agencies with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of video streams to monitor. StreamCenter is ideal for applications including public safety, security monitoring, traffic management, military command and control and any other enterprise that relies on video streams for situational awareness.
Jupiter’s StreamCenter delivers high performance decoding of multiple IP streams. Each StreamCenter can decode up to 32 channels of HD or SD video. For projects with lots of sources, multiple StreamCenters can be deployed to decode hundreds or even thousands of streams simultaneously. Ten StreamCenter chassis can be loaded into a 72” rack to provide 320 channels of simultaneous IP video decoded and displayed at full frame rates. StreamCenter decodes most major streaming formats, including H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and MJPEG at resolutions up to 1920×1080.
Each StreamCenter decoder can drive one viewing window in a PixelNet domain. That viewing window can be displayed at any size anywhere in the domain, from thumbnail size to the size of a whole wall.
Jupiter says that its TouchCommand solution is designed to make it easy for anyone to control display walls and room automation using familiar multi-touch gestures. Jupiter’s TouchCommand is built on distributed network architecture, enabling rapid access to critical information throughout the facility. TouchCommand runs on touch-enabled PCs and tablets and makes it possible to manage audio, projectors and displays, control lighting and other resources.
StreamCenter is here [PDF] and TouchCommand is here [PDF]. Leave a Comment
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AudioControl Launches New 4K ReceiversAudioControl’s new Concert AVR-6 and Concert AVR-8 are home theater receivers capable of both “Ultra HD” and 4K (3840×2160 pixel resolution). The Concert AVR-8 offers an amp with seven 200 watts per channel, while the Concert AVR-6 offers seven 100 watts per channel theater. Both output 8 ohms.
Features include:
- 7.1 Home Theater 4K Ultra HD and 3D advanced surround sound receiver
- Seven HDMI inputs; 4x COAX SPDIF; 2x Toslink; 6x RCA Phono; USB Input and Ethernet
- Ability to be configured as a full 7.1 system, or as a 5.1 system with the 2 remaining channels serving a second zone
- Dual HDMI outputs (ARC compatible), 3x component outputs, 2x composite
- ARC (Audio Return Channel) compatible
- Zone 2 audio output
- Proprietary auto room set-up and room correction with equalization
- HDMI Ultra HD 4K and 3D video pass-through and up-scaling capability
- Surround modes include Dolby True HD; Dolby Digital Plus; Dolby Digital EX; Dolby Digital 5.1 Dolby Pro
- Logic IIx; DTS-HD Master Audio; DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete; DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix; DTS 5.1
- Ability to scale to any resolution to 4K or 1080p
- Control can be Ethernet, RS232, 12 volt trigger and IR
- AudioControl iOS Control App available free on the iTunes Store (and streaming control Apps)
- Internet radio and music streaming services including fully integrated FM/DAB/DAB+ in appropriate markets
- USB supports memory devices and digital audio from iPod, iPad and iPhone
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Kramer Intros VP-460 Presentation Scaler/SwitcherKramer’s new VP-460 is a three-input and two-output switcher/scaler that outputs up to 2K resolution. The VP-460 supports HDMI and HDCP, as well as HDMI Deep Color. It also includes EDID management and an option for selectable power saving modes. Other features include picture-in-picture functions, luma-keying, picture zooming, RS232 and IR control.
The VP-460 lists for $2,190 and all the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Denon Ships DN-700R Network SD/USB Audio RecorderDenon is now shipping its new DN-700R network SD/USB audio recorder that records WAV and MP3 audio files to solid state media storage drives including SD/SDHC and USB. A network-based device, the DN-700R allows users to easily program the unit for scheduled events, record and play back material automatically, and designate locations for audio transfer over or outside networks — eliminating the need for on-location media retrieval and manual transfers to standalone computers.
With its USB port and two SD/SDHC slots, the 1-RU DN-700R enables audio recording in MP3 using full bit rate, stereo, or mono formats and WAV recordings in uncompressed PCM files up to 24-bit 96kHz — and users can schedule up to 30 record and 30 playback events via the network.
Aimed at installation-based settings such as courtrooms, higher education institutions, houses of worship, conferencing facilities, boardrooms and broadcast monitoring environments, the DN-700R’s balanced microphone/line inputs allow the unit to satisfy the requirements of portable and rental recorder scenarios.
The DN-700R’s new dual record feature enables recording to two separate media devices simultaneously for backup and redundancy. For true nonstop recording, the DN-700R uses its relay record mode so when storage expires on a primary media unit, the device automatically switches to the secondary media source, enabling unsupervised, around-the-clock recording when used in conjunction with the device’s auto-archive and auto-delete functions. The new unit also provides unbalanced and balanced inputs/outputs for both analog and digital formats, enabling new microphone level balanced inputs with +48V of phantom power.
Now featuring three-level security, the DN-700R allows users to set up and control the unit easily from any browser-enabled handheld device including smartphones and tablets. For further control, the device provides TelNet over IP, RS232C, GPIO and USB keyboard compatibility.
The DN-700R lists for $1,099 and full specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Extron Introduces Compact, Economical Audio Amplifier with MPA 152 PlusExtron’s new MPA 152 Plus is a new quarter-rack-width, stereo-integrated mini power amplifier that delivers 15 watts rms per channel and provides several performance enhancements over the previous MPA 152. The MPA 152 Plus features a 90 dB signal-to-noise ratio with 0.1 percent THD+N. The MPA 152 Plus is an ENERGY STAR qualified amplifier with an efficient Class D amplifier design. It also features CDRS – Class D Ripple Suppression technology that provides a smooth, clean audio waveform and an improvement in signal fidelity over conventional Class D amplifiers. Extron says this exclusive high efficiency design generates very little heat and allows the amplifier to be fanless and operate in environments with little or no ventilation.
The MPA 152 Plus ENERGY STAR qualified amplifier is an energy efficient product that conserves energy and reduces costs. It includes a defeatable auto power-down feature that automatically places the amplifier into standby after a period of inactivity, and consumes 4 watts when idle and less than 1 watt in standby mode. The MPA 152 Plus is housed in a compact 1U, quarter rack width enclosure and is UL 2043 plenum rated, which allows for a concealed installation above a drop ceiling to prevent theft while providing convenient placement of AV equipment. It delivers 15 watts rms per channel into 4 ohms and 8 watts rms into 8 ohms. The MPA 152 Plus is optimized for driving four 8 ohm speakers, two in parallel per channel.
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JVC Debuts Projector Aimed at SimulationJVC’s ILA division has debuted its new DLA-2400ZG projector with e-shift technology today at the I/ITSEC 2013 Show in Orlando, Fla. The DLA-VS2400ZG delivers a 5.1 megapixel equivalent image (2592×1944 pixels) via JVC’s proprietary e-shift technology, along with a spec of 18,000:1 contrast ratio and a minimum of 900 ANSI lumens. It offers two HDMI inputs, as well as RS232C and LAN connectivity for remote access and control and a 120 Hz input interface that means reduced image generator (IG) hardware requirements.
We don’t have all the specs yet, as it’s brand new, but JVC is supposed to ship the DLA-2400ZG this month along with a 2x zoom lens with manual focus and lens shift. The new projector is also available without a lens — model number DLA-VS2400G. Here is where the projector will be posted on the company’s website. Leave a Comment
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Extron Updates Cable Cubby EnclosuresExtron’s new Cable Cubby Series/2 offers furniture-mountable enclosures that are available in two sizes. The patent-pending, modular enclosures accommodate Extron Retractors, AV cables or Extron’s AAP-Architectural Adapter Plates. Cables and AAPs can be installed or serviced from the top of the enclosure after installation. The enclosures are available in a black anodized or brushed aluminum finish.
The updated line includes the Cable Cubby 1200 for single-user applications and the Cable Cubby 1400 for applications that require a compact, centrally located enclosure for two or more users. Slim, low profile lids provide a full width pass-through for cable management, whether open or closed. AC power modules are available for the U.S., Europe and other major world markets. Most AC modules include two unswitched outlets. To support the rapid transition to smartphones and tablets in AV presentation environments, there are also optional AC+USB power modules with one or two AC power outlets and two USB power outlets that are ideal for charging mobile devices.
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Crestron Ships FlipTops for Hidden, Integrated Cable and Component ManagementCrestron is now shipping its new family of configurable FlipTops, small compartments for cables and control products that recess into conference tables or lecterns. Cables, connectors, power and control solutions are hidden neatly out of sight when not in use, but you can just flip open the top to access the components. The tapered, notched lid allows cables to remain connected and free of crimping when the top is closed.
Crestron also will soon offer an online configuration system so integrators can customize a FlipTop with desired components, including HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, RJ45 and RCA, as well as one or two AC power outlets. A Crestron TSW-class 5″ touch screen and on-board Rava SIP Intercom technology can also be integrated.
FlipTops are available in either black anodized or brushed aluminum finishes, and can be installed in conference tables or lecterns up to 1-3/4″ thick. For more information, click here. Leave a Comment
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JVC Debuts New Physical Security and CCTV DVRsJVC just launched a new series of its Super LoLux digital video recorders for the professional CCTV market. Available in four-channel (VR-D1004-500), eight-channel (VR-D1008-1TB) and 16-channel (VR-D1016-1TB) models, each DVR uses H.264 video compression and each channel supports dual stream and can be independently configured for resolution, frame rate, bit rate, image quality and normal and event recording parameters. The main stream supports encoding at up to WD1 resolution in real time, with sub stream at CIF/QCIF resolution.
The VR-D1008-1TB and VR-D1016-1TB include an internal 1 TB hard drive, while the VR-D1004-500 includes a 500 GB hard drive. External storage, including SATA hard drives and network drives, can be connected for additional storage. Video data can be exported using a SATA storage device or via the USB port in the front of each unit.
For local monitoring, the Super LoLux Series offers simultaneous HDMI, VGA and CVBS outputs, with HDMI and VGA output at up to 1920×1080 resolution. Playback can also be monitored remotely via the Web interface.
Built-in multi-view supports up to 16 live cameras in a variety of configurations and sequences. Digital zoom of video is available in live view or playback mode, and smart searching allows efficient searching by event or tags. Other features include privacy mask and support for several PTZ protocols, plus motion detection, tamper-proof, video exception and video loss alarm functions.
The new Super LoLux Series DVRs will ship by January and list for $290 (VR-D1004-500), $555 (VR-D1008-1TB), and $640 (VR-D1016-1TB).
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
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