Volume 12, Issue 9 — May 8, 2014
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Editorial
- STEP-ing Out
Raymond Kent : Managing Principal, Sustainable Technologies Group Editorial Editorial
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Industry News Displays Control & Signal Processing Audio Cables, Cases, Furniture, Mounts, Racks, Screens & Accessories Unified Collaborative Conferencing
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STEP-ing Out
By Raymond Kent Managing Principal, Sustainable Technologies Group
Well, we have officially finished our first one. Complete. Done. It’s outta’ here! After many years of involvement we got through a STEP pilot project. For those of you who don’t know, have short term memory, or just plain haven’t been paying attention, STEP stands for the Sustainable Technology Environments Program. If you are familiar with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Green Globes, CalGreen or many other green building rating systems, this is similar but specifically for the Information Communications Technologies (ICT) industries. It is overseen and administered by the STEP Foundation which is comprised of technology trade associations such as InfoComm, TIA, CompTIA, and others.
In providing full disclosure here, I was part of the team of great folks under Scott Walker’s (Waveguide Consulting) leadership who through InfoComm International’s wing wrote this crazy thing called STEP. The group consisted of a variety of consultants, end users, manufacturers, and integrators and was based out of the desire to have a seat at the table and make a meaningful contribution to reducing the carbon footprint. I continue to serve as the co-chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for the STEP Foundation and have worked with the allied ICT groups in the creation of their industry specific credits and moderated their input over the general credits to continually improve the system. As part of the process it was decided to move forward with pilot projects of which my company gladly accepted the challenge and have now worked through the design phase of two projects and one of those is the one that just completed. We were up to a challenge so we decided to select a building type that we know to be a heavy user of power and were complex in nature — performing arts venues. The second of the two pilot projects is for a major university and is a mix of new construction and renovation of an existing performing arts center that houses a school of theater, dance, and film and media. It is due to start construction soon and is significantly larger than the one we just finished. More on his project at a later time…
The project we just finished is a multi-purpose black box theater that is contained in a new library for the Cuyahoga County Public Library system located adjacent to their main administrative branch. The key to the success of the project was providing a flexible space for the end user. Quite often in performing arts lingo that means more gear to accommodate anything they can throw at it. Designed by Holzheimer Bolek Meehan Architects of Cleveland, Ohio our task was to provide the engineering, theater technology, IT, audiovisual and acoustics that could accommodate a variety of experiences within the black box — art shows, banquets, dance, live theater, guest lectures, and such — as well as the rest of the actual library including meeting spaces, gaming areas, classrooms, and other public areas.
Sustainability was definitely a priority for the client and they were eager to include the technology as part of it so STEP was a perfect fit. The first challenge was to get everyone involved to understand the system and its similarities and differences to the LEED process. Having a great partner in HBM Architects who made sure our input was incorporated early in the design process I strongly feel help to make this a success in the design phase. I would highly encourage anyone undertaking this or any other green building project to push hard to have a seat at the table and as early in the process as possible. The earlier you are involved, the easier it is to design great solutions and save the project money down the road.
After understanding the basic parameters of the project and the intended use, the checklist (like LEED) was able to be reviewed and potential credits identified. It was critical to have the engineers, architects, and owner involved with the process so there were no surprises later. Having the General Contractor or a professional estimator involved also proves useful in evaluating the potential costs of solutions. The design reference guide really worked well as a companion document to be able to explain the process, the expectations, and the deliverables for each credit we were seeking to achieve to the other team members.
This project was all new construction so certain credits, such as the reuse or recycling of existing equipment, didn’t apply and fortunately there is a mechanism in the score sheet that allows you to turn off not applicable credits. The majority of the design team had worked on LEED projects before so we started off with a good foundation in which to start. Working with our engineers, we were able to identify the opportunities for interfacing with the building systems early on so they could plan appropriately. The key to the success was in making sure we documented everything we could. I have heard concerns in my many conversation with interested parties outside of these project that pursuing STEP could add significant amounts of time to the project and reduce profitability as a result of lower fees. What I discovered instead was that it actually saved us time in the long run because we had this information to reference back to in an orderly manner later in the process when questions or concerns did arise.
At the time of the design of this project we did run into one small snag with interfacing with the Building Automation System that would be designed as part of the HVAC, lighting, power, and other building systems which was a lack of a truly plug and play translator and graphical user interface. We found one manufacturer that had a great translator but was lacking on the GUI and another that did neither very well, and a third that did not even have a translator but had a great dashboard. That said, it was still early in the game for the development of these systems and the industry has really stepped up since and now provides solid solutions. In our case we had to cobble together several manufacturers and rely on savvy programming skills from the integrator for the GUI.
Like LEED and other rating systems there is a heavy reliance on other standards either from ASHRE, InfoComm, or others that took some time to make sure we were inclusive and not exclusive of relevant ones. That said, it proved to be of significant value as these standards are well known outside of the ICT industry by the general trades so the learning curve was more on our part than theirs.
Once we proceeded through the first three phases (programming, architectural and infrastructure, and system design) we moved the project out to bid. We took advantage of this to hold an educational session at the pre-bid meeting about STEP and what it would mean for contractors bidding on the project also that their bids reflected what they perceived to be any additional costs related to complying with the system integration phase. One a successful bidder was identified we were able to drill down deeper with them at their office using it as another opportunity to educate their staff about the STEP system. We did find some challenges with the contractor not fully understanding the required deliverables such as how to document the recycling of materials from construction waste and often were left with information that had to be recreated. I certainly will give some credence to the fact that I personally have been steeped in the STEP rating since its inception and that what may be clear to me was not to them. At the end however the credits were achieved and they would hopefully be prepared for the next STEP project that may cross their doors.
Overall I felt the process went well for something new to the game. Like when design and construction teams first heard of LEED and there was a scramble to understand, I expect this to play out as well until it becomes second nature. Being the smaller of the two projects we did I was glad it came first so when the large one goes into construction I will feel more prepared to navigate the contractors through the process for another successful run.
I would be interested in hearing from other people involved with pilot projects and their take on how it went. We certainly plan on doing as many as we can as a way to help our clients achieve their goals while reducing energy and materials. We definitely see it as a win-win for all involved and worth pursuing if you haven’t. Most importantly I found it gave us language and a roadmap when we had that seat at the table to make a meaningful contribution to the quality of the project. Leave a Comment
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If Only Your Gear Did This…
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
I imagine the engineers and R&D teams working diligently for months, years even, on new products to roll out at the next big trade show. They’ve innovated, broken through with new levels of sophistication and — best of all — it’s going to allow for increased margins! It’s a win — until…
The first day of the trade show opens and a prospect walks into your booth and listens as your team excitedly shares about your amazing new product. The prospect then says these dreaded words: “That’s great, but if it only did this, then it would be exactly what I need.” The excitement is replaced with disappointment, and the sales cycle takes an unexpected turn.
Building the Perfect Thing Nobody Wants
Fast Company recently editorialized that Microsoft built “the perfect OS that nobody wants.” The new interface (dubbed Metro) didn’t bring droves of new customers to a company that’s been losing market share to Apple for years, and its new Surface has been viewed as a nearly $1 billion dollar bust.
“…nowhere is consumer response more apparent than in how Microsoft has backpedaled, reinstating the Start button in Windows 8.1. This one button drove the Windows interface for almost 20 years. Removing it in Windows 8 marked a paradigm shift of the company’s UI. And bringing the Start button back signifies that consumers never wanted something new in the first place.” — FastCompany
It is a very rare product (much less company) that can live up to the famous/infamous quote by Steve Jobs of Apple, Inc.: “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Microsoft’s foible illustrates that Jobs’ quote isn’t going to be accurate some (most) of the time.
The deflating comment by the prospect at the trade show is illustrative of how users will often identify your product uniquely to their own context. It’s not that they aren’t a fan of your cool new device, but that they are not looking at specs, features and benefits, but of their own application.
Build What People Want
Of course, it sounds simple enough to try and design what users want; the problem is that the various vertical markets have enough unique needs that it is unlikely that your products will fit perfectly into a variety of applications. How can you build or install the system people want when you can’t possibly know every application?
You ask.
I’ve long been a proponent of manufacturers making software GUIs (Graphical User Interface) that can be customized and contextualized by the user. When you ask a cross-section of any vertical market what their unique needs are for a product like yours, it often becomes clear where your product has overlap in applications and where it needs some level of customization.
One manufacturer heard from a number of church market users that one of their new products (a file-based video recorder/player) was almost what they needed. It turns out that the solution involved a firmware upgrade and a new web interface to make their device fit the church market supremely. By making their device able to be slaved to multiple units and providing a simple web interface to connect to the device (which already had an Ethernet port). This particular device has been a hot seller in the house of worship space ever since they implemented those requested updates.
The feedback-loop must be available for manufacturers, rep firms, and systems integrators to hear from existing clients and prospects to influence future releases and new products. If you’re not listening, there’s no way to avoid the “if only your product did this…” conundrum.
Pseudo Customization
Fundamentally, building a new product is a significant undertaking of time and resources. The UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) need not only to focus on what it means to operate the device as the manufacturer intended, but on how the various vertical market users intend to operate it.
For devices with a UI, this can be as simple as various levels of easy customization (labeling, admin level vs. user level vs. volunteer operator level controls, etc.). And for devices without a built-in UI, a web interface is frankly a “must” in today’s world. Telling a user they are limited to using your new device in only the manner in which an engineer conceived it is an outdated way of thinking. Think end-user first, and the little controls and personalization elements that are easy to add during design are a huge step towards higher adoption rates across vertical markets when the product is released.
When possible, manufacturers need to think about how to make everything they make (well, most anything they make) IP addressable. Beyond browser-based interfaces and web connectivity, the need will only increase for full-fledged apps to control/address/configure devices from a multi-touch screen tablet. The App ecosystem is powerful (and can even be a premium feature that generates revenue) and makes buying decisions even easier for users that are doing more with less support staff.
Open Source Beats Proprietary
Perhaps the biggest trend that fits within this user-centric viewpoint is the release of the death-grip the A/V/L industry seems to have on using proprietary controls/tools/connectivity. Can I be blunt? 1990 has called and it wants all RS232 serial ports back. Ethernet, baby, Ethernet.
And while we’re at it, build your web-enabled software as open source. Let the user community build it out as they see fit. They’re the users, after all. There really is no excuse for not relinquishing control of your proprietary code and embracing the reality of the 21st century’s model of sharing and collaboration.
Chances are, if you just take the simple steps in this one article to heart, you’ll hear a whole lot less variations of “If only your device did this…” and hear many more “That’s exactly what we need,” regardless of their application.
So…how are you designing new products with end-users in mind? How are you getting their input BEFORE you go to market? Comment below! Leave a Comment
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Q1 2014 Global Projector Market Grows 7 Percent ‘YoY’ in Both Volume and Value
By Claire Kerrison Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting
The Q1 2014 worldwide projector market grew 7 percent in volume compared to the same period a year ago, to 1.87 million units, according to the latest round of research from Futuresource Consulting. In value terms, the market also grew by 7 percent to reach $2.3 billon. An increase in sales to installation and large venue applications, which are demanding increasingly brighter solutions, helped to boost the market in value terms.
Significant price drops in 1080p and WXGA drove worldwide B2C sales beyond the Q4 gifting period. This trend was most prevalent in the US, Japan, France and Germany. Global sales of 1080p home display solutions increased 46 percent ‘YoY’, to 126k units.
This quarter showed an emerging niche: ultra/short throw 1080p, with sales growing 546 percent worldwide ‘YoY’, to 4,400 units. The segment is being driven by an increase in dedicated home display solutions. Due to the benefits offered by short-throw in the home, it is expected this segment will continue to see strong growth throughout 2014.
The default ‘mainstream brightness’ shifted to the 3000-3499 ANSI lumen section in Q1 as the trend towards higher brightness solutions continues. The 3,000 – 3,499 ANSI lumen category now has 42 percent worldwide market share, an increase of 22 percent points YoY.
Q1 2014 EMEA Projector Market Grows 11 Percent ‘YoY’ in Volume, 14 Percent in $ Value
The Q1 2014 the EMEA projector market grew 11 percent in volume compared to the same period a year ago, to 587k units. In value terms, the market grew by 14 percent to reach $262m.
Price declines of 1080p, coupled with a fluid channel and the start of sell-in promotions for the World Cup combined to propel B2C volumes post the gifting period. Sales of 1080p hit 71k units, compared with 42k units in Q1 2013, a ‘YoY’ increase of 66 percent (B2B and B2C).
The trend towards higher brightness solutions continues, the 3000-3499 ANSI lumen section is now the default ‘mainstream brightness’ in EMEA with a 40 percent market share, (an increase of 27 percent points ‘YoY’).
The high-end segment continues to enjoy growth, fuelled by an increase in solutions for this segment amassing demand across multiple verticals. This rise helped the overall market value in EMEA to rise ‘YoY’, to $262m.
Eastern Europe
Shipments in Eastern Europe amounted to 95k units, representing 16 percent growth ‘YoY’. Volumes were bolstered by significant education tenders in Slovakia and Baltic states. Price declines of 1080p led to a rise in sales of Home Display products, with the segment now boasting 10 percent share of the overall market, an increase of 4 percent points ‘YoY’. The Russian market remained flat ‘YoY’ as political difficulties in the region impede B2B sales, as well as restrict government budgets to education.
Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa showed growth of 25 percent ‘YoY’, with Q1 shipments at 133k units. The rise in volume can be attributed to significant tenders in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as a strong run-rate. In an attempt to win brand share, certain vendors have been very aggressive on pricing. Whilst price declines have boosted run-rates, it has also resulted in a ‘YoY’ drop in ASP of -4 percent, and only 7 percent ‘YoY’ growth in market value, at $95.5m.
Western Europe
Shipment volumes in Western Europe hit 359k units in Q1. The market benefitted from a fluid channel, which, coupled with significant price declines of 1080p and the beginning of sell-in promotions for the World Cup, led to the market increasing 11 percent ‘YoY’. Market share of 1080p rose 4 percent points ‘YoY’, to 16 percent. France and Germany benefited most from such strong retail sales, with ‘YoY’ growth of 19 percent and 17, respectively.
Q1 2014 APAC Projector Market Grows 5 Percent ‘YoY’ in Volume, 4 Percent $ in Value
Projector shipments to APAC grew 5 percent in volume ‘YoY’, to 731k units. The market grew 4 percent in value, to reach $905m.
The Q1 market was propped-up by strong growth in Japan and China. Japan boasted growth of 14 percent ‘YoY’ with 82k units, fuelled largely by price declines in 1080p and WXGA. In the installation market, rental and staging companies are starting to replace inventory, driving volumes in the higher brightness segments.
The China market grew by 10 percent ‘YoY’, reaching 364k units. As in Japan, the market benefited from price declines of 1080p – which now attributes to 4 percent of the market (15.5k units – growth of 38 percent YoY). A strong run-rate of entry-level B2B products for the corporate sector also contributed to the growth.
The Indian market declined -19 percent YoY in Q1. National Elections have resulted in significant government tenders being suspended from January to June – not only is this impacting sales to education, but is also affecting B2B sales as the consequent economic uncertainty impacts budget cycles. Sales to India are not expected to pick-up until late Q3.
As in EMEA, the trend towards higher brightness solutions continues with the 3000-3499 ANSI lumen section now the ‘mainstream brightness’ in APAC with a 42 percent market share, (an increase of 17 percent points ‘YoY’).
Q1 2014 Americas Projector Market Grows 7 Percent ‘YoY’ in Volume, 6 Percent in $ Value
Shipments to the Americas rose 7 percent ‘YoY’ in Q1 2014, to 548k units. In value terms, the market grew at a similar rate, at 6 percent ‘YoY’, to $736 million.
The market was boosted by significant growth in Mexico, Brazil and the US. Mexico recorded growth of 34 percent ‘YoY’, to 50k units. As seen throughout the world, the Mexico market was also boosted by significant price drops in 1080p.
Brazil witnessed growth of 33 percent, to 59k units in Q1 with Education sales propelling volumes. The forthcoming World Cup is also boosting sales to installation/large venue — the 3k — 5k ANSI lumen sections now attribute 45 percent of the market, compared to 15 percent over the same period a year ago.
Market volumes in the US increased a modest 2 percent ‘YoY’ this quarter, to 316k units. In terms of value, the market is flat ‘YoY’ at $523 million. The mainstream market is being impacted by high penetration, an increase in usage of tablet computers in education (reducing the need for replacement central display) and delayed replacement cycles in the corporate sector due to continuing economic difficulties. 1080p was the key growth area — with B2B and B2C sales growing 41 percent ‘YoY’, to 42k units. Leave a Comment
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rAVe’s InfoComm Top 10 Tour Guide: Now Accepting Submissions!For the third year in a row, we will produce tour guides for InfoComm — where attendees can walk booth-by-booth to see our Top 10 (or so) new products that we think you gotta see at the show. We’re going to post our guide on our dedicated show MicroSite and, like last year, we will also be printing a few thousand Top-10 Tour Guides (booklets).
That means we need your help! If you think you’re launching a product that is worthy of a Top 10 (Gotta See) Tour at InfoComm, we want to hear from you.
Yes, we know you want to keep your InfoComm product launches a secret — but unless you tell us what you’re launching, how are we supposed to know if your new gadget is Top 10-worthy? We will sign an NDA and keep any embargo dates you need us to.
You can’t submit a product that’s already been announced. Thus, all the products MUST be launching after June 1st, 2014. The deadline for submission of products to be considered is Sunday, May 25th at midnight ET. There is NO cost for consideration — we just want the best products.
For consideration, please submit:
- A photo or image
- All the information you’ve got so far – a press release, specs, etc.
- A short blurb on why your product absolutely MUST be a Top 10 can’t-miss product. Tell us what makes it a stand-out!
Email us and let us know what you’ve got at sara@ravepubs.com. Leave a Comment
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IMAX to Unveil Own Laser ProjectionThe quarterly financial report is out and IMAX has signed contracts for 36 theaters, including 23 across Europe, in the first quarter.
It’s good financial news but not the 2014 news the industry is waiting for. Since IMAX bought the Kodak 3D patents, it has been busy with its own digital 3D two-projector/polarizing filter regime that no one has yet seen. Whatever IMAX does should be a huge boost to high-lumen laser projection.
The famous IMAX ‘GT’ 1570 film projector, the one reserved for only the biggest IMAX screens, projects large format film known as 1570, or 15 ‘perf’ / 70 mm (which refers to the size of the film frame). This film frame is 10x larger than that of traditional cinema film (the 35 mm). The IMAX GT projector demands two 15,000-watt, water-cooled Xenon lamps to project the large film frame onto the giant screen.
When the cinema industry transitioned from using film to using digital (impacting the availability of movie content in the large IMAX 1570 film format), IMAX went in for an interim solution: an IMAX Digital projector system [a twin system is shown in the photo here].
Many IMAX theater owners now await the 2014 release of IMAX’s new digital laser system. Retiring those Xenon lamps, it will use a laser light engine to project an image on-screen.
Some owners are already committed to install a new IMAX Laser system late in 2014, which is why everybody is on the look-out for the first peek.
For more information on IMAX’s Q1 results, click here.
This article originally appeared in rAVe Europe. Leave a Comment
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HDMI Forum Releases Compliance Test Spec for 2.0 HDMI Forum has released the Compliance Test Specification (CTS) for Version 2.0 of the HDMI specification, the document by which adopters can ensure that their 2.0-enabled HDMI products are compliant with Version 2.0 of the HDMI Specification.
Launched late in 2013, Version 2.0 of the HDMI Specification offers a significant increase in bandwidth (up to 18 Gbps) to support new features such:
- 4K@50/60 (2160p), which is four times the clarity of 1080p/60 video resolution
- 32 audio channels
- dynamic auto lip-sync and extensions to CEC.
Version 2.0 is backward compatible with earlier versions of the HDMI Specification.
The 2.0 CTS and the HDMI 2.0 Specification are available for download by licensed HDMI Adopters who have signed the 2.0 Addendum to the HDMI Adopter Agreement. Both documents can be found on the HDMI Adopter Extranet.
There are 12 Authorized Test Centers (ATCs) worldwide where licensed manufacturers can submit their products for compliance testing. In North America, it’s Silicon Image in California and in Europe it’s in France at Presto Engineering.
More information on the HDMI Forum is here. More information on HDMI 2.0 is here.
This article originally appeared in rAVe Europe. Leave a Comment
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DSrupted, a New Digital Signage Conference in Toronto in SeptemberDave Haynes, digital signage expert, blogger at Sixteen:Nine and founding member at The Preset Group, is organizing a new digital signage conference that will be held in Toronto this September. The conference, called DSrupted, will focus on disruptive technologies such as evolving Web services, micro-computing, HTML5, display canvases and data-driven content and how they are “reshaping the emerging digital signage market in North America and globally.”
The event will offer subject matter expert speakers (none of whom will be from sponsors or otherwise paid to speak) talking about these technologies and what they mean for end users and vendors, as well as a senior product manager from Google to discuss the current state and future of cloud services. All classes will be limited to an hour and offer time for questions. Networking time is built into the day-long event.
The event will to be held Sept. 27, 2014 in the downtown Toronto head office of event host TELUS. Space is limited to 200 attendees, and costs $335 CAD to attend.
“The people who attend should walk away at day’s-end with a really solid grasp of what’s here, what’s coming and what actually matters,” says organizer Dave Haynes, a digital signage industry management consultant and writer. “This stuff is really important, and a half-hour talk here and there at trade shows doesn’t cut it. That’s the big reason why I put this together… because it was needed.”
Registration is open for the conference now. The link to register and more information is on the DSrupted website here. Haynes writes more about the conference on his blog here. Leave a Comment
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Futuresource Consulting: Global Large Format Display Market Posts 8.5% CY Q1 GrowthThe global B2B Large Format Display (LFD) market reached 576,000 units in CY Q1 2014 representing ‘YoY’ growth of 8.5 percent, ‘QoQ’ growth stands at less than 1 percent with the majority of markets posting similar volumes to CY2013 Q4, according to the latest research from Futuresource Consulting. This is a good result for the market where CYQ1 is traditionally the year’s weakest quarter.
Entry level and mid-range products continue to gain traction in the market. Demand for 24/7 operating product remains stagnant with 24/7 capable displays accounting for less than 50 percent of total market volumes during the quarter.
The trend is evident across all regions but most pronounced in developed markets like those of North America and Western Europe. As these markets mature and the applications for LFD diversify into non 24/7 operating scenarios the data increasingly highlights the trend towards customers trading down to lower grade screen solutions that do not require 24/7 operation.
Super Narrow Bezel (SNB) products retain their strong position in the market as a driver for volume growth with quarterly volumes reaching 126,000 units, a 36 percent growth on the year previous. Quarterly growth for the segment stands at 13 percent with strong demand from both retail and corporate lobby applications driving growth in the sector.
Volume growth is observed across each of the major SNB screen size categories with 55 inch solutions expected to take an increasing share in the segment. 55 inch solutions accounted for 24 percent of video wall volumes in CYQ1 2014. In the longer term, 44 and 47 inch solutions are expected to come under increasing pressure from large 4K displays with declining prices on 80+ inch solutions, offering a viable alternative to 2X2 matrices.
From a holistic market perspective, demand for 720p solutions continues to decline accounting for 10 percent of total market volumes, down from 18 percent a year previous. 1080p strengthening its position as the market standard at 88 percent of total volumes.
Futuresource is here. Leave a Comment
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BenQ Debuts World’s First 32-Inch WQHD Monitor Designed for 3D Printing BenQ America today introduced the BL3200PT – a 32-inch wide quad high-definition (WQHD) monitor designed specifically for 3D printing, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). The BL3200PT features a 2560×1440 resolution and a VA panel with a 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angle.
Part of BenQ’s RevolutionEyes monitor series, which claims to increase user comfort during long periods of computer use, the BL3200PT incorporates BenQ’s so-called ZeroFlicker technology. Using a new direct lighting system engineered to eliminate flicker issues caused by backlight LED controllers, the eye-comfort technology enhances productivity and reduces visual fatigue by eliminating monitor flickering at all brightness levels. In addition, the BL3200PT is equipped with Low Blue Light technology that successfully manages the exposure of blue spectrum light emitted by computer screens, further contributing to more comfortable viewing sessions.
Additional features include:
- Automatic Eye-Protect Sensor: Detects ambient light levels and automatically adjusts monitor brightness throughout the day for optimized clarity and comfort. Perfect for designers who have large windows in their offices.
- Anti-Glare Reduction: Advanced anti-glare reduces screen reflection and eliminates visual interference, preventing both eye fatigue and stress.
- Reading Mode: Recreates the comfortable experience of reading books by adjusting the monitor’s color temperature and brightness levels as well as balancing contrast ratio and sharpness to simulate the look of real paper.
- Height Adjustment Stand (HAS): Allows users to find the best viewing angle for personal use or screen sharing from an extensive range of monitor adjustments such as height, tilt, pivot, and swivel.
- Smart Reminder (Optional): Reminds users to take a break at predefined time intervals
See all the specs here. Leave a Comment
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Delta Displays Intros New Cost-Effective LED Displays Delta Products Corp. has announced a new line of budget-friendly LED products. The new X Series consists of 13 indoor models and nine outdoor models including 4mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm indoor SMD LED displays and 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 16mm outdoor SMD LED displays.
Delta says the indoor X Series LED displays deliver excellent image quality at an affordable price. Designed for a variety of indoor environments such as retail, houses of worship, museums, corporate lobbies, arenas and casinos, the IBX-4 and IBX-6 are equipped with black-face SMD LEDs to offer enhanced contrast for crisper images in areas with high ambient light.
The company also says the X Series outdoor tiles are rugged, IP65-rated and designed for 24/7 operation. The SX-6 6mm and SX-8 8mm SMD displays match finer pixel pitches with higher brightness for challenging outdoor display requirements.
More information is here. Leave a Comment
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Extron Ships Pro Series Control System Line Extron is now shipping most of the Pro Series control systems products, including TouchLink Pro touchpanels, IP Link Pro control processors, Global Configurator Professional, LinkLicense and several Pro Series accessories. Extron says its Pro Series takes configurable control to a whole new level with a broad range of tools and technologies geared to handle the evolving complexities of today’s AV system designs. In addition to more processing power, greater security and enhanced overall performance, all Pro Series control systems are designed to make complex systems simpler and simple systems more powerful.
Customers now have immediate access to: six TouchLink Pro touchpanels including a five-inch model with capacitive touchscreen; five IP Link Pro control processors including two with Extron LinkLicense capabilities (a new way for people to use their mobile devices as primary control interfaces); Global Configurator Professional, a new GUI Designer interface design software; and four Pro Series control accessories.
For more information, click here. Leave a Comment
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FSR Debuts Two HDMI AccessoriesFSR just introduced two new HDMI adapters — the DV-HAS (HDMI audio separator) and the DV-PC2HD (analog PC to HDMI converter).
The DV-HAS is designed to de-embed the stereo audio from an HDMI signal and provide a separate unbalanced line level stereo audio output so that it can be fed to an external sound processor, audio amp, mixers or house sound systems. The DV-HAS is HDCP-compliant and includes a button that when pressed, activates an EDID learning function to easily handle non-standard displays. The video is passed through and can handle resolutions up to 1920×1200 at 60hz.
The DV-PC2HD is an HDMI converter for analog PC signals and stereo audio to HDMI. The signal resolution at the HDMI output is dependent on the analog PC inputs resolution (it’s not a scaler) so it maintains resolution from the analog to digital conversion — it is not HDCP compliant.
You can find the V-HAS here and the DV-PC2HD here. Leave a Comment
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AJA Video Systems Intros Io 4K for Thunderbolt 2Io 4K from AJA Video Systems is capture and output hardware that offers professional video and audio connectivity with support for the latest 4K and UltraHD devices and High Frame Rate workflows.
The power of Thunderbolt 2 enables Io 4K to handle a wide range of formats from SD to HD, UHD and full 4K over both SDI and HDMI and support 4K frame rates up to 50p/60p.
With more affordable high-resolution cameras available, many productions are opting to shoot at a higher resolution even if final delivery is still in SD or HD. This offers the flexibility to re-master at higher resolutions in the future.
When working at 4K resolutions, Io 4K outputs a high-quality HD-SDI down-converted signal on a dedicated BNC connector. This HD signal can be used to output 4K projects directly to HD recorders for broadcast and for easy viewing of 4K images on HD monitors during post-production.
Thunderbolt 2 technology provides an incredible amount of bandwidth on a single Thunderbolt cable. Io 4K capitalizes on this increased capacity to allow up to 4K signals to be captured and output.
With dual Thunderbolt 2 ports, Io 4K can daisy chain additional devices together such as high-resolution displays and high-capacity storage for a complete, portable solution that’s powerful enough to meet the demands of professional production.
Embedded 16-channel SDI and 8-channel HDMI audio are supported as well as analog audio outputs via a standard DB-25 connection. Stereo monitoring is also possible with 2x RCA outputs and a front panel mini-TRS headphone jack.
Io 4K features full 10-bit, broadcast-quality, motion adaptive SD to HD up-conversion, HD to HD cross-conversion, HD to SD down-conversion, and automatic HD/SD 12-bit component analog output. Since all conversion functionality is hardware-based, it’s available on ingest or playback.
More information is available here.
This article originally appeared in rAVe Europe. Leave a Comment
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Analog Way Debuts LiveCore Output Expander Analog Way’s new LiveCore Output Expander adds four outputs (plus one monitoring output) to the SmartMatriX Ultra, Ascender 32 and Ascender 48. Although not officially unveiled until InfoComm next month, here is what we know:
Based on the LiveCore platform, the SmartMatriX Ultra, Ascender 32 and Ascender 48 are 12×4 + 1 systems designed for advanced presentations in the staging or integration environment. For applications requiring a larger number of outputs, the LiveCore Output Expander will provide up to four additional outputs, plus one monitoring output.
The LiveCore comes in in three different references: LOE016 with 16 scalers embedded for the SmartMatriX Ultra; LOE032 with 32 scalers for the Ascender 32; and LOE048 with 48 scalers for the Ascender 48. Ethernet and link cables will be provided with the LiveCore Output Expander. Once linked to its LiveCore Switcher, outputs are shared and added resulting in a 12×8 + 2 scaled Matrix system.
One unique feature is that the LiveCore Output Expander models offer a downgrade mode providing higher flexibility in the management of rental stock. For example, a LOE048 is capable of being linked with a SmartMatriX Ultra or an Ascender 32.
Analog Way will start shipping the LiveCore Output Expander in July 2014. When it’s on the company’s website, it will be here. Leave a Comment
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Extron Global Configurator Professional Software for Control Systems is ReadyExtron has launched its Global Configurator Professional software for control systems and applications that range in scope from single projector classrooms to large and elaborate control system designs. It features conditional logic, variables and macros. The Controller Groups feature expands AV system design potential for much larger systems requiring multipleIP Link Pro control processors.
Global Configurator has two modes. Global Configurator Plus is designed for smaller scale applications requiring one control processor and one control interface, and is already available for download by customers with Extron Insider access. Global Configurator Professional duplicates all of the powerful features within Global Configurator Plus but is suited for applications requiring multiple control processors, enhanced functionality and advanced configuration. Access to Global Configurator Professional requires Extron Control Professional – ECP certification.
Here are all the details on the new software. Leave a Comment
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Stealth Acoustics New SA2400 Includes 450-Watt Dual-Channel Amplifier with Built-in DSP Stealth Acoustics is shipping its SA2400 dual-channel amplifier with built-in DSP. Rated at 450 watts RMS per channel, the SA2400 utilizes Stealth’s Class A/B output stages coupled to a traditional high-current power supply.
The SA2400 also debuts the newly designed Stealth Signal Management System (SSMS) that allows for complete per-channel programming of advanced DSP features including 11 bands of fully parametric EQ; High and Low Pass Filters with variable slopes; fully programmable Limiters; Delay; Phase control and Pink Noise Generators. All SSMS functions may be programmed from the front panel, or by using Stealth’s free SSMS software via USB connection to the amplifier. The SSMS includes loadable pre-set optimization tunings for many of Stealth invisible and environmental speakers. Or, dealers may create and store their own favorite tunings for easy recall.
Inputs include balanced XLR, un-balanced RCA and Speaker Level connections, all which have associated pass-through connectors and an optical input for digital audio sources. The SA2400 lists for $1499.
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HARMAN’s JBL Professional Enters Paging Horn Market with CSS-H15 and CSS-H30 Models HARMAN’s JBL Professional has launched its new CSS-H15 (15-watt) and CSS-H30 (30-watt) paging horns — the first products from JBL specifically designed for the commercial sound paging horn market.
Constructed of ABS with corrosion‐resistant all-stainless-steel mounting bracket and hardware, both models include a built‐in UL registered multi‐tap transformer (15‐watt for the H15, 30‐watt for the H30) for use with 70V and 100V distributed speaker lines, with a screwdriver adjustable tap switch, and a bypass position for direct 8-ohm operation.
The CSS-H paging horns further expand JBL Professional’s CSS Commercial Solutions Speakers, adding to the collection that already includes CSS-8000 Series ceiling speakers, CSS-1S/T surface-mount speaker, and the JBL Commercial-branded CSM mixers, CSR remotes, CSPM paging microphones, CSA amplifier, the new CSMA mixer-amplifiers and other products that are all designed for the needs of a wide range of commercial applications.
The JBL CSS-H paging horns are also highly weather-resistant (IP-65 rated) for outdoor applications and are rated for 100-hour continuous full-power test.
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ElektraLite Intros Three New Professional LED ProductsElektraLite has launched three new LED light products for live events: the 1018-AI, the eyeBall Outdoor and LightStream.
The new 1018-AI is an improved version of ElektraLite’s 1018 QUAD LED stage light that adds two colors — amber and indigo. Featuring 18 12-watt, six-in-one LEDs (RGBAWI), the new color additions and optics allow the 1018-AI to provide extensive toning, so-called true-to-life blending and pastel range output.
The eyeBall family of fixtures now has a waterproof option in the eyeBall Outdoor that has blending capabilities of the RGBW eyeBall into a IP65 waterproof form factor. This eyeBall has the same optics and color blending and includes a wide variety of IP68 power and data cables for any outdoor lighting system.
LightStream is a special event fixture with a multi-plane moving head spot system featuring six 12-watt, quad (RGBW) LEDs. With each LED having a tight three-degree beam spread, the fixture features split-yoke rotators offering high-speed independent pan (540 degrees) and tilt (270 degrees) control for beam effects and movement profiles. LightStream also features individual control of each beam’s profile including color, intensity, strobe and effects.
List prices for each are: 1018-AI, $899; eyeBall Outdoor, $499; LightStream, $1499. More information is here. Leave a Comment
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Elite Screens Intros Tab-Tensioned Version of Starling SeriesElite Screens last month released the Starling Series, an entry-level line of motorized projection screens. Now it has released the Starling Tension, a line of tab-tensioned front projection motorized screens.
The Starling tension uses Elite’s Spectra White FG matte white surface screen material. Other specs include:
- 1.1 Gain with 160° viewing angle
- 4K Ultra HD Ready
- Standard black masking borders and black backing
- Diagonal sizes include 100″, 120″, 135″, and 150″ in 16:9 HDTV format
- Extra top black masking border for high ceiling installation
The Starling electric projection screen ships fully assembled with integrated control buttons on the end-cap. It also offers a set of IR and RF remotes, a 12-volt trigger and RS232.
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wePRESENT Debuts Wireless PresenterThe newest from wePRESENT is a wireless presentation system that’s capable of sending wireless video and audio from Android or iOS mobile devices, as well as PC or Mac computers in resolutions up to 1920x1080p.
Basically, the wePresent technology acts as its own wireless access point, so participants can log in to the system wirelessly, then broadcast from their mobile devices or PCs. This system is nowhere near as sophisticated or systems oriented as the Barco ClickShare or the Christie Brio, but for one-off presentations, it works. However, it does require apps or software drivers.
The wePresent system does allow for a live video feed from a connected camera to be displayed alongside the presentation, so the viewers can see the presenter side-by-side with the presentation. Up to four participants can share the screen, so four different people can display their documents on screen simultaneously.
In addition to the Windows and Mac client software, the wePresent system works with the MirrorOp Presenter app on iOS devices and the Sender for Galaxy app on Android.
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: We run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
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Everything we publish is opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship publication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition is co-published with CEDIA, covering the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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