Volume 12, Issue 11 — June 5, 2014
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Editorial Editorial Editorial Editorial
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Industry News rAVe RADIO rAVe BlogSquad Audio Cables, Cases, Furniture, Mounts, Racks, Screens & Accessories Digital Signage Control & Signal Processing Projection
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Cycling Our Way to InfoComm 2014
By Joel Rollins rAVe Columnist
Well, June approaches again, and with it, among other things, comes the InfoComm show.
And I don’t mean InfoComm Patagonia or InfoComm New Zealand or whatever they’re up to these days. I mean the original, accept-no-substitutes, convince-the-boss-I-NEED to-go, InfoComm show.
Actually, that’s not to disparage InfoComm’s ever-widening pantheon of AV shows around the world. I attend a number of them, and am particularly fond of ISE, its European cooperative venture with CEDIA.
But what the U.S. InfoComm show has going for it is history. People who call me to ask about my plans, even manufacturer and distributor personnel that I attend many tradeshows alongside, don’t call to ask if I am going to InfoComm. They call to ask what my plans are for “the show.” That I am going is a given, and that we are talking about InfoComm is understood.
Why? Simple. For many years, this show was “the show” for our industry, by which I mean the commercial audio visual industry. There is a thread going on in one of the LinkedIn groups for AV, which basically asks the question “What was your first InfoComm?”
For me, it was I believe in 1986. The association had renamed itself from the National Audio Visual Association to the International Communications Industries Association. And had named the show Commtex, a move that made a lot of us scratch our heads because of the existence of COMDEX, the electronics show to end all electronics shows. This was the conflict that eventually caused us to change the name of the show yet again, to “InfoComm.”
But I didn’t intend to send you all looking for those unfiled cab receipts to determine what year your first InfoComm show was. You filled out the cab receipts yourself, anyway, so they’re not admissible as evidence. And the year, or the name of the show at the time, isn’t important.
What’s important is to recall what cycle the show (and the AV industry) was in when you first attended. Or had you not noticed that, like automobiles, fashion or iPhones, our industry goes through phases? And that, each year, it is a different technology (or segment of the business) that is that year’s most important thing — and the “ultimate key to success” du jour.
Let me give you an example. I came into the business, and went to my first InfoComm show, during a cycle when video and computers were just beginning to be “the thing.” And because of it, because we were going through a radical technology change, the rental and staging segment of the industry was the “hot” part of the business to be in.
It was a rental year, and everybody knew it. The handwriting was on the wall. The video trend proved itself to be long-term (despite the predictions of the older set) with the entry of companies like Sony, Panasonic, Barco, etc., into what had traditionally been a film-based industry show. And the rental trend was proven simply by the demands for staging products and rental education that were being made by attendees, many of whom were just establishing rental departments.
Just a few years later, systems integration became the field to be in, as more and more client companies began to standardize on electronic standards of presentation, and to install permanent systems. The truth of the trend was borne out by the geometrically increasing presence of the integration technology companies, like Extron, AMX, Crestron and Chief, and the demand for install education that led to the establishment of the CTS-I program by ICIA.
Since then, our industry has gone through many such “hot” phases: videoconferencing, service plans, in-house (outsourcing) services, verticals like healthcare and houses of worship, back to videoconferencing (renamed telepresence), digital signage, and now on to the successor to telepresence, the again-renamed unified communications. The trend, as usual, is being borne out by manufacturer, distributor and dealer demands for information and education, and by the entry to the show (or increased presence by) companies like Cisco, Polycom, and now Microsoft.
So now, with going on 30 shows’ worth of experience, I tend to go to “the show” to look at overall trends in the industry, trying to see the forest rather than the trees.
So, by all indications this year’s cycle will be one of unified communications. How will this manifest itself? Well, first, more and more products will become UC products, at least in their marketing literature. Dry erase markers will become “handheld UC inscribers,” while chairs will become “posterior infrastructure.”
Then, existing “hot” areas, such as digital signage, will begin to emphasize their connections to information dissemination — to UC. We will see a whole raft of “middleware” products that connect the two areas.
The “hot” business segment? Well, obviously, systems integration will be hot this year. But I believe, with the coming wave of mid-level business entries into the world of UC users, we will see a great rise in rental, as these companies turn to their usual “go-to” rental companies to explore these new technologies. So I think there will be great representation of the rental industry segment at InfoComm this year, in the UC exhibits, like Microsoft, Cisco and Polycom, as we surprise them with questions about rack mount units and roadability that they never expected.
See you at “the show.” Leave a Comment
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Acquisition Summer: Some Thoughts on the Latest Goings-on in the World of Commercial AV
By Leonard Suskin Pixel and Ink-Stained Wretch
Greetings, friends and followers! My apologies for the various obligations (professional and personal), side-projects, and secret adventures which have kept me away from these pages for the past week. After a weekend off the grid at an undisclosed location I’m refreshed and ready to dive into all of the news in AV-land on this, the last fortnight before InfoComm 2014. You can expect more book reviews, at least one technology piece (sneak peek: the first half of my working title is “In praise of analog: a visit with…”) , some more words on behalf of my team at SMW at ExpresSHENs (those reading this for the AV posts should really stop by there; in addition to my occasional words there are posts from some of the brilliant people with whom I’m luck enough to work), and, perhaps, a surprise or two. Then, a fortnight from now, I’ll be off to InfoComm. First, the news.
Kramer Buys Half of Wow Vision
I’ll start with what would have been a minor bombshell any other month: Kramer Electronics’ acquisition of one half of Wow Vision. Kramer doesn’t have quite the profile or perceived place in the industry as the “big three,” but they’re a very capable manufacturer with a diverse catalog of products, mostly in video switching and distribution but also with more than a toe-hold in the worlds of control and audio. With the purchase of Wow Vision, they are teasing the premier of two new products, to be launched at InfoComm.
This allows Kramer to neatly and quickly fill the wireless collaboration/BYOD hole in their product lineup. I’ve gotten my hands on a Wow Vision Collab8 to play with and evaluate. Thus far it presents itself as a fairly powerful device with quite a few options and capabilities, but with a handful of limitations and some awkwardness in its interface that prevent it from being a great universal solution. This is fine; there are few universal solutions in the world. Wow Vision’s product does fill a role for a certain kind of project, and I’m quite curious to see how Kramer wraps it up to make the technology their own and how the Kramer solution ends up working.
The other interesting thing here is that with their new products, Kramer will join Crestron as the only switching/routing/control company to offer a wireless collaboration solution. I don’t know of anything in this arena forthcoming from Aurora Multimedia, Lightware, Purelink, Extron, AMX or any of the other players in this arena. Depending on the level of polish and capability, this could be a significant differentiator for Kramer in the ability to offer a single-product solution. The Kramer booth isn’t usually the hot-ticket at InfoComm, but perhaps this year it should be.
Harman Buys AMX
This was the big bombshell last week. By now nearly everyone has opined on it, from Josh Srago to Tim Albright through scores of professionals on LinkedIn who took the time to sing praises or cast stones at the recently acquired AMX. What are my thoughts? I have a few. On the acquisition itself, I feel cautiously optimistic. Harman’s brands operate largely independently and continue to not only produce solid hardware but also to develop new products (e.g., Crown’s Drivecore and various additions to the Soundweb London family). Given Harman’s track record, I expect them to do their best to run the AMX brand while leveraging their existing marketing and distribution arms in an attempt to increase their market share. The latter is one of Harman’s strengths; they’ve done an excellent job creating relationships within the industry and in marketting their other brands. I’m curious to see how their plans for AMX unfold.
What I’m not expecting is a leap into high-end audio; Harman’s audio brands will most likely remain their audio brands for those who need such things. Could I see blu-link as an option as an audio output for all-in-ones or matrix switchers? Possibly. That’s all details.
What did I find most interesting about this? Someone else pointed out the comparison to the Nest acquisition by Google, in which a company with fewer products (OK, a company with only one product) was purchased for 10 times the value of AMX. If Google wanted control, wouldn’t the latter have been a better buy? It obviously would, but that makes one thing very clear: Large-scale commercial AV control systems are not an important item for anyone outside out corner of the industry. The chance to get into houses with a thermostat is worth more than the chance to get into boardrooms or high-end home theaters with a touch panel. Why? Because everybody has a thermostat, while not everybody has a home theater. A connected thermostat learns about you; it learns about your overall activity cycle, it knows when you go on vacation, it knows when your house is empty. A dedicated AV control system knows when you’re watching television, and that’s about all. It means that, as big as the control companies may feel to us, they’re smaller players in a larger world that includes all levels of consumer tech.
These acquisitions, as big as they are (and the AMX one is huge) say as much about what the industry does and doesn’t value as it does about the individual companies.
That’s my two cents on last week’s events. Stay tuned for products, book reviews, and more as we lead into InfoComm! Leave a Comment
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What’s Your Swoosh?
By Gina Sansivero FSR
All these articles about AV news, new product announcements and acquisitions in the AV industry being released before InfoComm got me to thinking about company recognition. Then at a meeting the other day, one of our reps stood up and told us a story about his contact in a K-12 school who went up to the wall, pointed at it, and told my rep “That’s where I want the Crestron.” My rep looks at him and said, “What specifically are you asking for?” The client said “You know, the Crestron, the Crestron.” For him, Crestron was synonymous with a touch panel control system. Now, not all touch screens are Crestron touch screens, but Crestron has done a great job making themselves recognized as the “go to” manufacturer for this type of product in the education market. (This is not an advertisement for Crestron, please read on. )
It doesn’t matter what industry you are in; branding should be an important part of your business strategy. A lot of people think “I am a small company in a small industry; I will never need a brand like Coca-Cola or Nike.” That doesn’t mean that your brand isn’t just as important to your company as the swoosh is to Nike. Your company’s brand is its identity. If you are consistent with your brand and with your message, it will be recognizable to those who are important to your company’s overall success. It is important for Nike to be recognized by consumers worldwide, so their entire branding strategy including messaging, advertising, promotion, packaging, etc. reflects this reach. Make sure your branding and messaging reflect your company values. It isn’t just cliché that people interact with (buy from) those they like.
When promoting your brand, ask yourself what your target markets are, what are the demographics of these markets, where / in what type of arena they are active, and what you want your perceived value to look like. It can never be said enough that consistency in branding is imperative. Changing logos, colors, and messaging too often will result in brand confusion and decreased interaction. There are specific times, however, when you may want to modify your brand or re-brand. For example, a re-brand can be successful when your company is no longer growing (stagnant) or is unstable, when there is a large shift in or addition to the product offering, or when there is a move into a new market or venue.
Regardless of company size, a strong and stable branding strategy will result in increased company recognition and interaction. A constantly changing brand will not only result in a less recognizable company and offering but will also confuse the people you want to engage, rendering the brand less valuable. So whatever your swoosh is, stick with it. You may become the Nike of your industry. Leave a Comment
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Definition of UHD TV Becomes More Muddied
By Chris Chinnock Display Central
Most manufacturers and consumers think a UHD TV should have 3860×2160 color pixels, which typically is understood to mean red, green and blue (RGB) subpixels make up one color pixel. That understanding is now being challenged as subpixel structures using red, green, blue and white (RGBW) and red, green, blue and yellow (RGBY) are increasingly being marketed as UHD or UHD-like panels and TVs. This is going to create more confusion and finger pointing that I think will ultimately hurt the emerging UHD TV market.
Compounding the issue will be UHD TVs coming soon that will offer other enhancements like 10-bit processing and display, wide color gamut, high dynamic range, 4:4:4 or other color subsampling support and more. Clearly the technology is getting out ahead of the standards which will create problems in the market.
The RGBW subpixel arrangement is reportedly being used by Samsung Display (its Green UHD panels) and by LG Display (its G+ UHD panels) and perhaps by others as well. The reason this structure is being adopted is to lower the cost of the TV by reducing the number of drivers needed to move images onto the panel. Samsung and LG are doing this so they can have lower cost panels to compete with Chinese and Taiwanese producers who are selling gobs of low cost UHD TVs in the China market.
The RGBW solution can save 33 to 50 percent on component costs while simulating 4K resolution, said an Innolux spokesperson in April after reports surfaced that they were supplying “fake” 4K panels to Chinese TV brands. Innolux denied the report but said RGBW has lower picture quality.
Some efforts to define a UHD TV have been done. For example, VESA considers a display that delivers 2160 lines of information to meet its definition of a UHD TV. In October 2013, the Digital Europe group started a label/logo program for UHD TVs that defined them as:
- Native Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Pixels
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Colorimetry: ITU-R BT.709
- Color Bit depth: 8 Bit
- Frame Rate: 24p/25p/30p/50p/60p
- Audio: PCM 2.0 Stereo
Note that the subpixels structure is not defined so an RGBW panel may well meet this definition.
Sharp has also been promoting a “Near UHD” TV to consumers as well based on its RBGY subpixel structure. These Quattron TVs use a standard red, green, blue stripe pattern, but add a yellow band as well.
As shown in the diagram, an RGB full HD TV will have 1920×1080 color pixels composed of RGB subpixels, or 1920x1080x3. With the Quattron TV, you get 1920x1080x4 (RGBY). At CES 2014, Sharp introduced its Quattron Pro pixel that horizontally divided the subpixels to double the number of addressable subpixels to 1920x2160x4. That works out to 16.58M addressable subpixels, or 1920×2160 color pixels.
An RGB UHD panel has 3840x2160x3 addressable subpixels or 24.88M addressable subpixels. When Sharp combines a Full HD resolution Quattron Pro panel with subpixel rendering, it brands this as Quattron + Revelation. The company claim this produces a 4K equivalent image, which it demonstrated against a native UHD TV in its booth at CES. We saw this demo and could indeed see little difference in picture quality.
To learn more about what Samsung Display Company (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) are doing, we reached out to David Barnes, the principle at BizWitz. He said that the so-called green panels use RGBW dots but Samsung and LGD differ in the way they render images by grouping dots into pixels. In both cases, they have a similar subpixel arrangement, as shown in the diagram below.
Barnes says, “SDC renders this as two sub-pixels per pixel: RG or BW to produce 16.6 million colors with a format of 1920 x (4) x 2160, which is FHD x 2.7 essentially. This provides less than a typical RGB stripe structure but it reduces the number of TCON and DIC channels needed to render UHD video. Color gamut mapping algorithms (GMA) and sub-pixel rendering (SPR) software compensates for the reduced “RGB” resolution. This seems to be an extension of Candice Brown’s concepts that SDC applies to AMOLED for Galaxy displays. The effective pixel aperture is greater with this method, so BLU cost is reduced while power efficacy is increased.”
The result is very similar to the Sharp Quattron + Revelation approach but use a white segment instead of a yellow one.
“LGD pares the pixel countdown less than SDC does buy assigning 5 dots to 2 pixels… you might think of it as 2.5:1 instead of SDC’s 2:1,” continued Barnes. “This provides 24.9 million colors with format of 2880 x (4) x 2160.”
This is now similar in terms of addressable subpixels and colors as a native UHD RGB resolution display.
In projection, JVC markets the eShift 4K/UHD projector. This uses a full HD resolution panel that can be optically shifted a half-pixel left/right and up/down to time sequentially project 4K pixels within a standard video frame time period.
So with new pixel arrangements, subpixel rendering, time/space shifting and other methods, the value of native resolution seems to be becoming less important — at least to consumers who may not be able to tell the difference visually. But it also creates and labeling and standardization nightmare that is not likely to be resolved soon. Leave a Comment
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Kramer Purchases 50 Percent Stake in WOW Vision Kramer announced today that it has acquired 50 percent of WOW Vision, a Singapore-based manufacturer of wireless and collaboration products for the corporate, hospitality meeting spaces and education markets. Its products enable wireless connection to, and the sharing of, large screen displays from laptops and mobile devices, offering efficient two-way collaboration.
rAVe founder Gary Kayye says, “This investment into WOW Vision instantly puts Kramer into the wireless collaboration business head-on with Barco’s ClickShare and Christie’ Brio as well as with systems OEM systems from AMX and Crestron that are wireless room systems. This is a good investment for Kramer. The WOW Vision Collab8 is probably the most powerful systems-oriented wireless room system on the market. I suspect you’ll soon see smaller, easier-to-use versions come from this Kramer/WowVision marriage.”
Kramer will now be responsible for worldwide branding and distribution of Wow Vision’s products, though Wow Vision will continue to conceive and develop industry products.
Bill Mullin, president of Starin, WOW Vision’s current distributor says, “As the current WOW Vision distributor, Starin views this as a very positive move. This will validate WOW Vision’s advanced collaboration solution, Collab8, by having a world-wide significant name in AV behind it. This will facilitate growth for development, as well as reaching market potential. What our current channel partners know as a true ahead-of the-curve platform will be assured of greater capabilities. Starin has an excellent relationship already with Kramer and there are talks with management for a highly coordinated and effective go-to-market that will help new and existing resellers reach greater income and profits with the tools to satisfy customers.”
Kramer will be launching its first two products as part of the new venture at InfoComm next month in Las Vegas — the Kramer VIA Collage and the Kramer VIA Connect.
The BYOD oriented Kramer VIA Collage can do all of the following:
- wirelessly allow up to six participants to show their screens on one display, with the possibility of using two displays and allowing up to twelve participants to be simultaneously displayed;
- allows collaboration from any mix of devices — PCs, Macs, tablets, smart phones and so forth;
- enables meeting participants to simultaneously create and edit a common document through their individual device;
- provides the ability for documents to be shared and saved instantaneously by all team participants utilizing the VIA Collage;
- through its interactive whiteboard function, offers multiple users the ability to annotate, edit or highlight any image on the screen via their touch enabled device;
The compact VIA Connect is a wireless presentation hub that provides quick and easy wireless connection to, and sharing of, a large screen device by several users. Multiple meeting participants can display their images, or at any time one individual presenter can easily choose to have their device be the only image displayed. As with the VIA Collage, the VIA Connect can accommodate any PC, Mac, iOS or Android device.
Kramer is here and WOWVision is here. More information on the VIA Connect and VIA Collage should be here on Kramer’s new products page soon.
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Learn More About Laser Projection at Display Summit This MonthLamp-based projectors are being challenged by all-laser and laser-phosphor projectors. This transition to solid state sources will have a big impact on manufacturers and the uses of projection in a host of professional applications. At the upcoming Display Summit, June 16-17 just prior to InfoComm in Las Vegas, an entire day will be devoted to understanding the technology, markets, threats and opportunities for this technology.
In the first session, titled Laser Projection, a presentation describing the landscape for laser projection will kick off the session. This will be followed by a discussion on the status of regulatory issues needed to market a laser-based projector. Then, we will hear about a new laser projection system from China and a novel laser projection/screen system suitable for head-up displays.
Digital cinema is a market where laser-based projectors are now entering the market. But the lead providers, Christie, Barco and NEC, have radically different technical and market entry approaches. This session provides an opportunity to hear from all three companies on their approach to the market.
Laser devices are key elements to the success of this technology, so the third session will provide updates on laser devices being offered by Modulight, Necsel and Osram. The first two offer RGB laser solutions while Osram offers a laser-phosphor device. This session will offer insight into trends and roadmaps for lasers in projection.
The final session will focus on laser-phosphor projectors. These are systems that incorporate a phosphor wheel with green or yellow phosphors in combination with laser sources (typically a blue laser). But there are multiple approaches here that produce differing results in terms of performance and price.
One of the key issues within the industry is the maturity of these products and their ability to meet the needs and requirements of real world applications. To get straight to the heart of this issue, we have organized a presentation and discussion session as well as a special demo. This demo will feature companies showing their lamp-based projector right next to their laser-phosphor projector — all running the same content for easy comparison.
This session will also include a presentation by Lang AG describing its evaluation of the lamp vs. laser-phosphor projectors, followed by presentation from Sony, Panasonic and NEC.
An evening reception and networking period will also afford plenty of time to look at the demos and develop business relationships.
Image via Christie
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Audinate Announces Plans for AV Networking World at InfoCommTwenty of the leading manufacturers in the AV industry announced the speaker lineup for the AV Networking World (AVNW) educational seminar and training workshop to be held on June 17, 2014 in Las Vegas.
AVNW will include more hands-on interactive workshops than in previous years, with more presentations on actual use cases by the AV system owners, corporate industry design consultants, and AV installation contractors. Participants to AVNW may also earn four CTS InfoComm RU credits.
Live Demonstrations and Workshops:
- SMAART Acoustical Measurement Analysis simplified with Dante:Jamie Anderson, Rational Acoustics
- Live Interactive Dante Installation Workshop with audience participation
- Manufacturers Interoperability Demonstration
Panels and Presentations:
- Microsoft Production Studios AV Network Enhancement: John Ball, Microsoft
- Audio system upgrade to the San Jose Convention Center: Mark Berlo, ICS Corporate Installations Systems
- Fred W Smith National Library: Jim Hogan, ES Commercial
- Corporate Conference Center: Klas Dalbjorn, TC Group
- House of Worship Installations: Kevin Potts, Coherant Designs, Tim Bailey, Mark Cooke, Sun Grove Church, Gordon Moore, Rio Rancho United Methodist
- Performing Arts Centers and Theaters Upgrade to the Axis Theatre at Planet Hollywood Casino: Michael Cusick, SAVI
- New Audio System at The Cube at Virginia Tech University: Dennis Blount, ARUP Consulting
- Installation Systems: High Performance audio networks: Focusrite, Ted White
- A glimpse of the future Dante Networked World with Audinate’s new Dante Via: Aidan Williams, Audinate
Space is limited, so Audinate says pre-registration is highly advised. Lunch will be provided during the day with cocktails served following the seminars. It will be at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel.
Register here. Leave a Comment
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Sound Devices Launches Video DevicesSound Devices has created a new brand and identity for its line of video products dubbed Video Devices.
Since the company introduced its first video product in 2011, the PIX 240, Sound Devices has expanded on its success with additional camera-mounted and rack-mounted video recorders. These product additions, including the new PIX 270i and PIX 250i, have opened new markets and product categories. The network-connected PIX 270i and PIX 250i video decks offer significant advantages and time-savings to production workflows, providing tapeless, file-based recording and playback with the ability to remotely control, setup and transfer high-quality files over Ethernet. The units record edit-ready Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD files and allow simultaneous multiple-drive recording, giving production staff peace of mind with their rock-solid redundancy and backup capabilities (four drives for PIX 270i and two drives for 250i). Their extensive audio capabilities, including 64 channels of both MADI audio and Dante audio-over-Ethernet for PIX 270i (a world’s first for a video deck) and PIX 250i’s 16 tracks of audio, make each unit a comprehensive, cost-effective tool for high-performance video capture and presentation.
Over the next several months, the company will brand all video-related products as Video Devices, including the PIX 220i, PIX 240i, PIX 250i and PIX 270i recorders. All future products, specific to video markets, will also be branded Video Devices. This is an important step in a focused strategy to make Video Devices a force in the video production and video integration markets.
Visit Video Devices here. Leave a Comment
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Steve Thorburn to Teach His Last InfoCommInfoComm is losing one if its best educators ever as Steve Thorburn, PE, LEED-AP, CTS-D, CTS-I has announced that 2014 will be his last year teaching at InfoComm, successfully completing 20 years of educational sessions. “As Fred Dixon said when I started teaching, it’s time to let the next generation take the lead in providing education to the attendees,” said Thorburn.
Steve’s last day of teaching will be Thurs., June 19, 2014 when he leads two sessions. The first is “AV Integration for Owners and Facility Managers” (8 to 10 a.m.); the second is “Advanced Acoustics” (2:30 to 4:30 p.m.). With over 40,000 student hours, Thorburn said, “I enjoy teaching because I like helping others understand the principles of acoustics and audiovisual technology. Teaching is not about filling people’s heads with facts; it’s about learning new ways to think about fundamental principles. In that sense, I get as much out of teaching as the students.”
His dual degrees in electrical engineering and technical theater give Steve a balanced left brain/right brain approach to project solutions. As a founding principal of Thorburn Associates, he is a licensed engineer with over 30 years experience in the architectural application of acoustics and technology solutions. A noted author and teacher, Steve has worked on more than 2,900 different projects.
In 2011, Steve was named InfoComm Educator of the Year because of “his ability to grasp complex technical concepts and explain them to audiovisual and building professionals,” said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., past Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. “He has improved the industry’s base of knowledge, and has improved the communications experience and satisfaction for countless customers.”
Thorburn is a member of InfoComm Academy senior faculty and served on the InfoComm Professional Education and Training Committee (PETC). He was a founder and former chair of the InfoComm Independent Consultants in Audiovisual Technology (ICAT) Council.
“Even though I’m retiring from teaching, I will still be engaged with InfoComm” stated Thorburn. “I’m happy to assist in whatever capacity I’m needed.”
Thorburn Associates is a top-tier design consulting firm and you can find them here. Leave a Comment
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ESP/SurgeX Partners With Verdiem for Building Energy Management ESP/SurgeX today announced a partnership with Verdiem to address the plug load energy waste problem plaguing commercial buildings. This partnership combines Verdiem’s Surveyor software, that can reduce an organization’s energy and print-related operational costs by up to 30 percent, with ESP/SurgeX’s power protection and diagnostic technology, which has been proven to lower service costs.
The partnership gives dealers an intelligent energy management tool to drive tangible savings for their customers, differentiate themselves from competitors, and bridge the gap to more comprehensive IT management services. The software will be bundled with the ESP Next Gen Power Conditioning System (PCS), Digital QC power filter and future power protection products. It complements ESP/SurgeX’s other energy management offerings to provide customers with the most comprehensive solution in the industry.
Surveyor supposedly drives cost out of desktop computing environments by giving organizations the ability to centrally enforce energy efficiency polices and manage the power states of distributed PC fleets. The software identifies and tracks the usage and energy consumption of every desktop PC and allows IT to control PC power consumption by department, location, device type, employee and more. Surveyor also extends enterprise quality wake functionality to allow IT to gracefully wake up powered off devices to better manage system wide software updates, patches, and routine maintenance. In addition, Surveyor uniquely monitors end user print activity across an entire printer fleet, compiling actionable data that highlights inefficiencies directly related to how end users interact with their print environment. It provides visibility into print volumes and costs, across all equipment-networked and non-networked.
More details are here. Leave a Comment
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Large Area TFT LCD Panel Shipments Up 11 Percent Y/Y, Hits Record Level Large area TFT LCD panel shipment area showed significant increases in March and April. In March, the total large area panel shipment area reached a record high level of 12.5M square meters, and the in April reached 12.3M, with a strong 11 percent Y/Y increase.
In PC and IT markets, there were mixed results. As we have reported, the desktop PC market continues to shrink, and LCD monitor panel shipment area decreased 4% Y/Y in April. Tablet PCs are another market that has seen a slowdown, both in panels and shipments to end-markets, and 9”+ tablet PC panel shipment area fell 11 percent Y/Y. With reasonable inventory levels at brands and some recovery in demand, notebook PC panel shipment area increased 11 percent Y/Y.
The biggest increase came from the TV panel market. Even though shipment volume only increased 4 percent Y/Y (on track with the expected set shipment growth rate), the shipment area of LCD TV panels increased 14 percent, reaching 9.2M square meters, and with only a 0.6 percent M/M decrease, nearly reached the record high 9.3M square meters shipment level of March, and become the major driving force of shipment area increase in large area panel market.
With market competition focus shifting from 32” to 39”, 40” and 42” range, as well as the 4K and curved LCD TV designs driving interest in 50” and above sizes LCD TV panels, shipment area looks set to increase in 2014, and could possibly mitigate over-supply concerns brought by the new G8 capacity increase in China.
Large Area (9” and Larger) Panel Shipment Area (thousands of square meters)
Source: NPD DisplaySearch, Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database Leave a Comment
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Adamson To Debut E219 Subwoofer At Infocomm Adamson will debut the new E219 subwoofer at InfoComm as part of the Energia family, which includes the E15, E12 and E218.
The E219 is loaded with two lightweight, long excursion 19” SD19 Kevlar Neodymium drivers utilizing Adamson’s so-called Advanced Cone Architecture. The drivers use dual 5″ voice coils for power handling, and are mounted in a front-loaded enclosure, designed to reproduce clean, musical low frequency information.
The lightweight E219 — weighing in at 249 pounds — lends itself to rigging situations that benefit from flying subwoofers. The sub is designed to be used as a standalone low frequency component in the Energia system, but can also be combined with the E218 cabinet for larger events.
The E219 subwoofer is specified for use and packaged with the Lab.gruppen PLM 20000Q amplifier. Four E219 cabinets can be run from a single amp. The end result is clean LF reproduction at high SPL levels with low power compression.
Integrated rigging permits a 0° or a 3° angle which allows for compatibility with the full-range line array modules in the Energia system. The E219 can be transported using a 3-up dolly, or a single dolly system. When truck-loaded, multiple sets of E219s fit comfortably in European trailers of 93″ width as well as American trucks of 96″ or 102″.
The cabinet – measuring 23.5 in x 56 in x 35 in – is constructed of marine grade birch plywood as well as aircraft grade steel and aluminum. It is equipped with three Speakon NL8 connectors, two parallel in/out plugs and one dedicated output connection point for efficient use of speaker cabling.
Details are not on the company’s website yet, but when they are, they will be here. Leave a Comment
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Extron Adds Compact Two Channel Amplifiers for High Impedance SystemsExtron has introduced the Extron XTRA Series XPA 1002-70V and XPA 1002-100V, half rack 1U, convection cooled power amplifiers delivering two channels of 100 watts rms for 70-volt and 100-volt distributed speakers. These professional grade amplifiers feature a 100 dB signal-to-noise ratio with 0.1 percent THD+N specifications.
Features include:
- ENERGY STAR qualification
- Advanced Class D amplifier design
- Patented CDRS – Class D Ripple Suppression
- 1U, half-rack width metal enclosures
- 2.5-pound weight
- Energy-efficient design generates little heat
- UL 2043 plenum rated when used with the optional Flexible Conduit Adapter Kit
They include an auto power-down feature that automatically places the amplifier into standby after a period of inactivity, and consumes just 10 watts when idle and less than 1 watt in standby mode. Extron says each amplifier also has an ultra low inrush current draw to prevent power circuit overload that occurs when multiple amplifiers are switched on simultaneously. This feature eliminates the need for power sequencing in systems with multiple amplifiers in large centralized equipment racks, and prevents other equipment from experiencing power interruption from associated power surges.
For more information on the these amplifiers, click here. Leave a Comment
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Audinate Announces Dante HC Audinate has introduced the Dante HC, a high-capacity networked audio solution for commercial AV systems. Dante HC supports up to 512×512 redundant bi-directional uncompressed audio channels on a single Xilinx FPGA.
Dante is an audio-over-IP networking solution offering what the company calls “virtually perfect synchronization, ultra-low deterministic latency and plug-and-play configuration management.” Dante’s real-time streaming is designed for live broadcast, commercial installation, live sound, public address, intercoms and transportation communications deployments.
Dante HC expands Audinate’s broad portfolio of audio networking choices, which OEMs may build upon, to create cost effective AV products. The Dante HC reference design is ideal for AV equipment products requiring high channel capacity, such as audio matrix routers, large format consoles, public address and evacuation systems and large scale DSPs.
“Audinate is the only company that offers OEMs simple-to-deploy audio networking solutions to cover their complete product range, beginning from 2 x 2 channel Dante Ultimo chips, through mid-range Dante Brooklyn modules, which operate up to 64 x 64 channels, to 128 x 128 channel Dante PCIe Cards,” said Gary Southwell, Audinate’s vice president of product management. “The launch of Dante HC, which quadruples the maximum channel count for a single device to 512 x 512 channels, enables our OEMs to design a new generation of highly scalable networked products.”
Dante HC offers a wide selection of interface options including SPI, I2C, RS232 and configurable GPIO. A powerful onboard microprocessor allows local control and management without the need for any additional CPU. Dante HC benefits from the same advanced robust feature support that is included across Audinate’s portfolio of Dante-enabled solutions, as well as future support for the AES67 standard.
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ClearOne to Debut New CONNECT Dante Network Bridge at InfoCommThe pro audio market will be part of ClearOne’s focus at InfoComm with the debut of the company’s CONNECT Dante network bridge for simple and scalable audio networking. The modular audio networking approach uses CONNECT network audio bridges with ClearOne’s flagship CONVERGE Pro & SR products; it says allowing users to easily build a scalable system over time.
ClearOne’s CONNECT Dante bridge uses a simple firmware upgrade will allow CONVERGE products to fully integrate with Dante-enabled network bridges, microphones and amplifiers. The Dante solution provides a self-configuring digital audio network using standard Internet Protocols on existing infrastructure — without requiring a dedicated network.
It’s new and not on ClearOne’s website yet, but when it is, it will be here. Leave a Comment
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JBL’s CBT 70J-1 Column Loudspeaker, CBT 70JE-1 Extension Box Earn THX ApprovalHARMAN’s JBL Professional announced this week that its CBT 70J-1 column loudspeaker and CBT 70JE-1 extension box are now THX approved, allowing the inclusion of the CBT 70J-1 loudspeakers in THX-certified theaters.
The CBT 70J-1 is a high-power, two-way line array system consisting of 16 high-frequency drivers and four high-power low-frequency drivers, all in a fully co-axial column loudspeaker, featuring JBL’s patented CBT Constant Beamwidth beam control circuitry. The vertical coverage of the loudspeaker is asymmetrical, sending more sound toward the far seats of the auditorium than the near seats. JBL says that when used as surround speakers, this provides a much wider “sweet spot” where the audience hears a similar amount of both left and right surround speakers. The CBT 70J-1 covers a wide horizontal angle of 150 degrees. The bracket allows for both vertical tile and horizontal swivel aiming.
The CBT 70JE-1 extension box can be added to the CBT 70J-1, doubling the low-frequency output capability and extending the pattern control of the system down to a lower frequency.
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Chief Adds Height Extenders for Select Fusion Video Wall MountsChief has designed new height extender accessories to allow higher sight-lines on all Fusion bolt-down video wall mounts.
“Almost immediately after we released the bolt-down video wall mounts, we were getting requests from customers for the option to raise the height of the walls,” said Kathryn Gaskell, product manager. “These accessories will meet that demand without compromising the safety of the installation.”
The extenders come in two lengths and are designed to safely raise the height of the lowest display row of bolt down mounts by 18 or 36″ (457 or 914 millimeters). Larger configurations like the 3×3 landscape and 3×2 portrait are limited to 18″ (457 millimeters) of height extension.
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Shuttle Computer Adds 4K to Digital Signage PlayersShuttle Computer has announced a new digital signage player, the DS81, which is able to play 4K content or support two 1080p displays simultaneously.
Features include:
- Compact size with a body thickness of 43 millimeters
- Support for international VESA mount standards
- Intel Haswell 4th generation chip
- Heat pipe cooling module with a smart fan design
- Supports content for two 1080p displays simultaneously
- USB 2.0, USB 3.0, RS232 and an additionalRS232/RS422/RS485 port
- Dual gigabit LAN support for network connectivity
- Watchdog Timer for security and maintaining normal operation and system stability
Select commercial customers are able to choose imaging services and customized BIOS. Shuttle assists these customers to define parameters and functions, and automatically uploads specified BIOS in each unit. This imaging offers integrators a way to quicken deployments and reduce costs while maintaining consistency.
The DS81 is currently shipping. More information is here. Leave a Comment
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Contemporary Research to Debut New Modulator/IPTV Encoders at InfoComm Contemporary Research’s new QMOD-SDI 2, QMOD-HDMI 2 and QMOD-YPB2 HD Modulator/IPTV Encoders will officially debut at InfoComm. Integrated scaling can accept 1080p and 3G SDI, 59.94/60 Hz video as well as international 50 and 25 Hz formats. An optional upgrade key adds the ability to cross-convert resolutions, such as scaling all input formats to 720p or 1080i.
The QMOD-SDI 2 HD Modulator-IPTV Encoder converts inputs from two SDI sources for distribution as HD in-house cable channels. Supports up to 3G 1080p, embedded AC-3 audio, 708/608 captions, and dual language audio tracks. Audio can be inserted from analog and SPDIF inputs, as well as Line 21 captioning data.
The QMOD-HDMI 2 HD Modulator-IPTV Encoder converts two HDMI (non-HDCP) sources into HD in-house cable channels. Perfect for DirecTV receivers, the unit outputs two sub-channels with AC-3 audio and Line 21 captioning, audio from HDMI, SPDIF and analog stereo inputs.
The QMOD-YPB2 HD Modulator-IPTV Encoder converts inputs from two Component sources into HD in-house cable channels. Perfect for integration with satellite/cable boxes, the unit outputs two sub-channels with AC-3 audio and Line 21 captioning, audio from SPDIF and analog stereo inputs.
For all three encoders, setup and monitoring are done via Ethernet, and the encoders can also output an IP video stream.
The specs on all three are here. Leave a Comment
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Kramer Adds Four-Input Multi-Format HDBaseT Transmitter Kramer Electronics is introducing the SID-X2N, an HDBaseT four-in-one twisted pair transmitter from the Digital Step-in Family, a multi-format input group of products. The unit includes four input types: computer graphics video, HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort. In addition, the SID-X2N includes an unbalanced stereo audio input and output.
The SID-X2N works as a stand-alone unit together with an HDBaseT receiver (such as the TP-580RXR/WP-580RXR) using RS232 commands over a twisted pair cable. A single twisted pair cable carries both data and control and a local ‘Step-in’ switching button allows the user to take control of the main display. Switching between inputs is available when working with a HDBaseT receiver using RS232 commands.
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Extron Introduces New Compact Four Input Scaler Extron’s new IN1604 HD is an HDCP-compliant four-input scaler that features three HDMI inputs, a universal analog video input, and an HDMI output. It is designed for installation under conference tables and in lecterns to provide localized switching support for sources.
The IN1604 HD features a scaling engine that can scale HDMI and analog video signals to a common high resolution output. It provides high performance 1080i deinterlacing and Deep Color processing to deliver optimal image quality. With Extron EDID Minder, Key Minder, and SpeedSwitch, integrators can easily connect sources and a display with plug-and-play simplicity, automatic device negotiation, and nearly instantaneous switching.
The IN1604 HD delivers audio integration capabilities that include HDMI audio embedding and de-embedding, flexible audio switching with two individually assignable analog audio inputs, switching transitions, gain and attenuation adjustments for each analog input, output volume control, and selectable audio muting. The IN1604 HD also features options for remote control and operation, including front panel controls and on-screen menus, USB, RS232 and even a contact closure with tally output.
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Casio Intros Lamp-Free Projectors Aimed at Hospitality Market Casio America has a new lineup of Signature projectors aimed at the hospitality industry. All of them include Casio’s LASER & LED HYBRID Light Source, which combines a laser, fluorescent element and LEDs to generate light (it’s 5th generation), lasting an estimated 20,000 hours.
Weighing in at 8.6 pounds, the new Signature projectors offer a variety of features including remote operation capable through Crestron Roomview, Intelligent Brightness Control, wired LAN projection and MobiShow. The projectors are 3D capable have three types of video and audio inputs, as well as HDMI, RGB and RS232C terminals.
Equipped with 2 GB of built-in memory, the new LampFree Signature projectors allow many file formats, such as PDF and QuickTime, to be stored in the projector for laptop-less playback. They can also display content from a PC by connecting the projector and PC through a USB cable, as well as a variety of languages — 10 new in main (total 23) and eight new in USB (total 18) including Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Finnish, Turkish and Portuguese.
These projectors will list for $919.99 and ship in July. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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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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