Volume 2, Issue 6 — June 29, 2016
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Editorials Editorials Editorials
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Selecting a Microphone for the Right Application
By Erik Beyer Regional VP of Sales for CLAIR Solutions
The History and Uses of Microphones
The microphone was first invented in the 1870s and has advanced over the last 140 years as technology has allowed. The type of materials, circuitry and tools these days have made precision microphones of all types and for all uses imaginable. Microphone options for live environments are so numbered that it would be nearly impossible to try to cover even a small portion in comparison. So, I am going to talk about microphones on a general level with some references that may be familiar.
The use of microphones, types and brands are so incredibly subjective that even writing this may sound one-sided based on my opinion and experience. Just know that at the end of the day what makes the whole process of selecting microphones enjoyable is the ability to experiment and try different products and techniques to achieve the sound you want. Let’s dive in a little.
The Vocal Mic
We can start with the most subjective – the vocal mic. I recently had the opportunity to be a part of a microphone shootout, where a performer sang into a handful of different microphones. This selection of mics covered the wide range of styles, from the simplest to the most expensive. The environment was the most ideal for live use and in the end, the artist picked the most basic, the Shure SM-58. It surprised a few of us but really it made sense for this performer. Every voice is going to sound different through each microphone and it’s important to list and look for a few features and how they suit your needs. For example, frequency response, proximity effect, handling noise if you hold the mic, and SPL handling. Frequency response is important depending on the timbre of the voice. Proximity effect can really affect the performance of a microphone. If the vocalist is too far away from the microphone the sound may be too thin, causing the gain to be boosted and possibly resulting in feedback issues. Whereas if the vocalist sings closer to the mic, now the sound engineer can adjust the gain properly, EQ the channel properly, and get the tone desired for that environment. If the singer is holding the microphone, you want a mic that will not transfer the handling noise as much. Some are better than others. Lastly is the SPL handling. If the vocalist has a powerful voice, you don’t want to end up with a mic that is ultra-sensitive as you may risk distorting the sound at the mic. If a microphone is chosen that has a higher SPL handling then no distortion will occur and the sound engineer will have better control over the signal.
Dynamic vs. Condenser Microphones
Condenser mics have a much higher sensitivity level and often a broader frequency response as a result. Depending on the environment and the microphone chosen, a condenser microphone may be too sensitive and only cause feedback problems. This is where a dynamic microphone could be a better choice. The dynamic mic is typically less sensitive, better-rounded in tone and because it has a smaller proximity effect than a condenser, would result in having to sing right on top of the microphone to achieve the best signal quality and level.
You can take these basic principles and apply them to anything you are using a microphone with. As an example, let’s talk about mic’ing a guitar amplifier. There are techniques based around where to point the mic in relation to the speaker cone, and if it’s an open back guitar cabinet, you could put one mic on front and one in back then flipping the phase on one of those two to achieve a fatter sound. In the right environment, you could use a condenser microphone on a guitar amp. There is typically enough gain off of the front of the cabinet that you don’t have to boost the gain on the mic. Just make sure it can handle the SPL level coming out of the cabinet. You could double up the mics on a guitar cabinet by using one condenser and one dynamic to achieve two distinct tones to mix.
Drum Kick Microphone
Setting up mics on a drum kit can be tricky at first. But once you find out what works for your environment, it gets easier and you are able to start fine tuning and tweaking until you find the desired sound. A kick drum microphone is another one of those that can be quite subjective, and not just how you think it sounds, but how it interacts with that particular drum kit and sound system. Many factors come in to play when dealing with low end response. In some cases, in studio environments, engineers will place multiple microphones in and around a kick drum and capture those all in order to find the best sound later during mix down.
Principles for Selecting Microphones
So, when people ask me what microphone to recommend for them, you can see it’s not as simple as just naming my favorite model. It may have worked well for me, but may not be the best fit for someone else.
The general principles of selecting microphones can be applied to all instruments, voices, or audio sources. Sensitivity, polar pattern, dynamic or condenser, and frequency response all play key parts in deciding what will work in your particular application. If you have the ability to borrow, rent or just buy different microphones to try out, this will give you a chance to really A/B the different performance qualities of each one. When you do so, take notes. You may find that the quality of one mic that may not be suitable for one application, may turn out to be perfect for another.
Cheers to choosing,
Erik Beyer, Regional VP of Sales for CLAIR Solutions
Guest Blogger for Audio Visual Bend
Erik manages current and new client relationships, development partners, subcontractors, and vendors, handles AVL system design for houses of worship, sporting facilities, venues, healthcare and commercial AV.
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Sony’s Canvas Display — Best of Show at InfoComm 2016?
By Chris Chinnock Display Central
I can’t really crown Sony’s CLEDIS display my best of show winner, as I have only been here one day and have not seen all the cool stuff yet – but this one will be hard to top. It truly is a new display category, as it is the first commercial product using a new class of LEDs: microLEDs (although Sony doesn’t like that word – TA).
The display (Sony Returns to Crystal LED With CLEDIS) was officially unveiled in a press conference on the opening morning of InfoComm. Image quality is stunning. It is a tiled solution much like conventional LED modules, but there were only very slightly visible seams between modules. On display was a 32’x9’ (9.75m x 2.74m) system with a resolution of 8Kx2K.
I think this is a new class of LED video wall, because the packaging of the LEDs is completely different than conventional LED video wall modules. The Canvas display is composed of Sony’s CLEDIS (Crystal LED Integrated Structure) technology. The pixel pitch is stated as 1.2mm. On a conventional 1.2mm-pitch LED video wall module, the RGB LED device will take up a fair degree of this real estate, perhaps 50-70 percent of the pixel area. With Canvas, the emitting area is only 1 percent of the pixel area! That’s right, 99 percent of the module is black, making for really high contrast potential, especially in well-lit environments.
One might think that having a pixel with only 1 percent emitting area might create a display with points of light, or a highly pixelated image. It does not appear this way at all; the CLEDIS display is quite smooth and continuous. If you get to about 2 feet away you can now see some structure in the pixels, especially on white content, but you don’t see a point of light surrounded by black.
The photo on the left below is from the Sony web site, showing the LED surrounded by black. The photo on the right is a section of white content that was displayed on the Canvas screen at InfoComm. This looks like most of the pixel area is white with some sort of structure in the corners of the pixel. That leads me to suspect that Sony has an optical layer on top of each module that is expanding the light from this tiny LED to fill the full pixel area. It could be a microlens array or diffuser, for example. This is all pure speculation on my part, mind you, but the result is a smooth continuous image with great contrast.
And there is more. Each module is 403 x 453 mm with a resolution of 320 x 360 x RGB. Peak luminance is around 1000 cd/m² and the display will support HDR (presumably HDR10) in future releases. The viewing angle is about 180° and contrast is 1M:1, although it is unclear exactly how this was measured. The color gamut is 140% of the Rec. 709 gamut. And it can operate at 120 fps!
Sony is also offering a full control system. Each controller can manage up to 72 modules with a maximum input resolution of 3840×2160. But 20 controllers can be chained together to create massive video walls.
In back of the 8Kx2K Canvas display, Sony showed the controller architecture. This consisted of a media server and an image generator, each with two HDMI outputs. These are fed to two HDMI-to-IP conversion modules, which send the signals over fiber optics to an IP switch, which appeared to be an off-the shelf 10 Gbps device. At the display, the data is converted from an IP format to a DVI format and sent to two display controllers, which then drive signals to the Canvas display. We presume the signal is daisy chained between modules.
This is an indoor solution aimed at the same application where fine pitch LEDs compete now. Sony has not disclosed pricing but you can assume it will be expensive. There are many other details, like power consumption, that have not been revealed that we hope to learn more about over time.
What do all of you think about this display?
This column was reprinted with permission from Chris Chinnock and originally appeared here. Leave a Comment
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Predator-Prey and Why Immersive Works
By Mark Coxon rAVe Blogger
If you look at the world of AV today, one thing is clear. People are going big. Whether it’s direct view LED, a large video wall, new Sony LED modules, Prysm walls, Christie Microtiles, or good old fashioned large format projection, bigger is better if you want to get someone’s attention.
Look around the audio world and you’ll see a similar trend: immersion. Immersive audio has gone beyond surround sound as surround sound went beyond stereo two decades ago. Presence speakers and more rear channels have become the goal. Dolby Atmos is here to stay. Immersion however goes beyond “big.” “Big” in audio means loud, but immersion means employing a spatial relationship. Putting the person in the middle of the experience.
So how do we take our visual experiences to an immersive level? And why does that even work in the first place?
Let’s answer the why first.
Here’s an interesting fact from a guy who loved Zooloogy, animal behavior, and anatomy.
Engaging the peripheral vision increases retention of a message and makes the experience more memorable.
Why is this? To start, being in an emotional state helps people remember. The emotion can be positive or negative, the effect is the same: Enhanced recall. Good speakers engage the heart, the gut or the groin to stimulate emotion while engaging the head to cement their ideas. This is why certain people can create calls to action every time, despite the message, product or goal. They know how to engage emotion.
In the same way, engaging a person’s peripheral vision creates an involuntary state of Fight or Flight in the brain. In the food chain, humans are predators by nature, yes, but we were not without predators ourselves. Our peripheral vision safe guarded us from falling victim to everything from a surging tiger to an unexpected landslide.
When our peripheral vision is engaged we are in an excited emotional state and more of our brain is activated. This creates the perfect storm for cementing a message we want someone to remember or get them involved in a cause or movement we feel is important.
So given that we’re wired this way, how do we create technology experiences that take advantage of the phenomena?
Immersion. Engage the peripheral. This could be through a large curved projection system that wraps the user in 180 degree field of video, this could be a large display in the 5-8 degree active focal zone with lights and other events being triggered at the edges of the viewing cone, or it could be a combination of lights, video, and mechanical interactions of physical objects all playing together to tell a story.
I remember an RFP I saw for a Pearl Harbor experience about seven years ago. The design hoped to leverage a large screen showing video of the calm Hawaii day, interrupted by air raid sirens as shadows of Japanese Zeroes spilled across the docks. Water would explode from the surrounding harbor as the sounds of bullets and torpedoes overtook the sirens, and the video went from a peaceful island paradise to an active battle with civilians running for cover.
Now I don’t know about you, but I would bet a fortune the people who experienced that AV event would remember the story and scale of what happened at Pearl Harbor better than the ones who watched the same video on a 70″ flat panel.
Immersion works. Why do you think people are so excited about VR and AR? However that is an individual experience. Immersion can also be employed in community experiences like the ones above or like Barco is doing with their Escape project.
The point is, as AV professionals we need to start leveraging our knowledge of people, emotion and memory in our designs if we want to create lasting impact for our clients. If not, our company will be the one that installed the 4 flat panels everyone saw but can’t remember a thing about.
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Datavideo Debuts PTC-150T HDBaseT PTZ Camera Datavideo just announced a new HD PTZ camera, PTC-150T, with HDBaseT technology. HDBaseT technology allows users to send power, control, uncompressed video, and tally all at once using only one Ethernet (Cat5e) cable.
The PTC-150T has a built-in HDBaseT transmitter, and it also comes with an HDBaseT receiver box to be placed at a remote location. The camera has 30x optical zoom, and supports up to 1080p resolution. It also has low latency, which makes it perfect for use with IMAG screens at worship houses, conference rooms, press rooms, and live concerts.
The PTC-150T is here. Leave a Comment
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wePresent Has New Bluetooth Accessory for Wireless PresentationwePresent’s new PresentSense is a proximity-based Bluetooth gateway that allows you to connect to nearby wePresent units quicker.
PresentSense uses a Bluetooth dongle in compatible wePresent units in conjunction with the native Bluetooth apparatus present in many computers and mobile devices. wePresent presentation gateways equipped with PresentSense will automatically detect nearby Bluetooth-enabled presentation devices, allowing the software to take a “fast track” toward connecting to the closest receiver.
Coupled with the SharePod, this simplified connection of guest presenters. A Bluetooth-enabled device can now be connected far quicker than navigating the network. Not only does the PresentSense make guest-presenting easy, it’s also designed for buildings with many conference rooms or classrooms, where the preferred wePresent receiver is listed in a drop-down menu of all connected wePresent systems.
PresentSense is projected to ship in Q3 of this year with a list price of $19.99 US and you can see it here. Leave a Comment
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Panasonic’s New Display Technology at InfoComm 2016Panasonic has launched some new displays at InfoComm. The EF1 Series 84” and 75” professional displays are designed for corporate meeting rooms or retail signage and their new flagship VF1H Series display (with a bezel-to-bezel distance of just 0.07’’ (1.8 mm) is to be sued for video walls.
The EF1 Series expands the lineup of entry-level displays to include 84- and 75-inch sizes offering a cost-effective solution for digital signage, or for general use in the office or classroom. The EF1 Series has a built-in USB Media Player and uses an IPS panel for a wide-viewing angle.
VF1H Series is a 700 cd/m2 flagship and features an Ultra-Narrow-Bezel of 0.07’’ (1.8 mm) bezel-to-bezel width and can be mounted in vertical or horizontal configurations. The VF1H Series consumes less energy because of an efficient backlighting and contrast control. It features a single-cable DIGITAL LINK daisy-chain connection that along with our optional modular frame mount and auto-calibration software reduce installation cost and time while adding flexibility. The IPS direct-lit LED panel is easily viewed off-axis and in bright conditions. Anti-Glare (AG) screen-surface treatment effectively reduces reflections from artificial lighting. Built tough for 24/7 operation, the 55-inch display also offers a wide range of optimized viewing modes as well as USB media updates over LAN for self-contained and even more convenient signage solutions. The VF1H Series is expected to be available in late 2016.
BF1 Series is the successor to the LFB70 multi-touch panel display and the BF1 Series (available in 50-, 65-, and 80-inch sizes) has fully featured whiteboard software built in, allowing users to start work instantly with no need for a connected PC. Pages can be created, saved, and shared from the screen, or any media displayed and annotated on via a new easy-access sub-menu bar. Precision 12-point touch control and a new minimized menu bar make it easy to switch inputs and access tools at any time. The BF1 Series offers a wealth of wired connections, including single-cable DIGITAL LINK, delivering media from almost any source device, while content can be displayed together with whiteboard pages in Picture-in-Picture Mode — ideal for web conferencing. The BF1 Series also has a USB Memory Viewer supporting a variety of formats and eliminates the need for a connected PC — just insert a USB memory stick and start presenting.
Here are more specifics on each display. Leave a Comment
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Sennheiser Intros TeamConnect Ceiling for Conference RoomsAt InfoComm 2016, Sennheiser launched the new TeamConnect Ceiling aimed at fixed-installation conferencing systems. With its SpeechLine Ceiling microphone that is virtually invisible, TeamConnect Ceiling offers a high performing, discrete alternative to classic table mounted systems for installation in medium to large conference rooms. Using beamforming technology, the ceiling mounted microphone focuses automatically on a speaker’s voice during a conference. TeamConnect Ceiling can therefore provide a compromise-free solution that delivers superior sound and great speech clarity.
TeamConnect Ceiling provides a solution for meeting spaces where for either aesthetic or practical purposes, cables, holes for installation, or table microphones are not desirable, offering very high quality audio with utterly unobtrusive design. Just one SpeechLine Ceiling microphone can cover up to 60 square meters, making it ideal for medium or large conference rooms. The system can be easily expanded with additional microphones. Installation, configuration and everyday use require minimum effort, while the cable-free, tethered design ensures that the system is protected from wear and tear.
The fixed SpeechLine microphone can be ceiling mounted either onto or – near invisibly – flush with the ceiling itself. TeamConnect Ceiling is designed to fit within the space of a standard 600mm2 (2 ft.) ceiling panel, making it easier to install discretely. Intuitive colored LED-lights to indicate when the system is muted or in operation complete the overall subtle impression.
Sennheiser’s new ceiling microphone frees users from the limitations of table-mounted mics, offering greater flexibility, while ensuring great sound quality through innovative beamforming technology that automatically focuses on whichever person within a range of 60 square meters is speaking. No matter how dynamic the speaker, TeamConnect Ceiling offers excellent speech clarity, so participants can feel free to sit, stand or move around.
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New Connected Desktop Application from Barco X2O X2O Media today announced the availability of its Connected Desktop application, which extends the power of the X2O real-time visual communications platform to employees’ desktops. The Connected Desktop allows users to view any channel on the enterprise-wide X2O network right on their desktops or laptops.
The Connected Desktop application allows users to browse and view any channel on the X2O network, where channels featuring data-driven graphics, video, social media content, and more can be displayed as floating windows on the desktop or used as screensavers. In addition, widgets containing bite-sized amounts of real-time information can be pinned to the desktop for continuous updates. Targeted pop-up notifications and critical alerts that display security or safety announcements can also be broadcast over the network. Specific use cases include company news channels, business intelligence dashboards, interactive polls and live alerts.
The Connected Desktop is compatible with features of the X2O platform, including drag-and-drop channel building, smart objects, data management tools, the content management portal, and network management tools. It offers enterprise-grade security with support for LDAP/Active Directory. Connected Desktop is also compatible with a wide range of standard data sources, with the ability to add an unlimited number of custom data sources. It is highly scalable for enterprise-wide deployments and includes a library of ready-to-use channels, widgets, and notifications.
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Crestron Enters AV over IP Network MarketAt InfoComm, Crestron demo’d it’s new video over 1Gb Ethernet infrastructure product line that allows for AV signal routing without a matrix switcher. The network allows for routing of HD signals and H. 264 sources, such as IP cameras, anywhere on the network, including Crestron touch screens, digital signage displays, remote buildings, and global offices. Network AV utilizes existing Ethernet infrastructure and standard devices, so no new wiring or technology is required.
DM transmits H.264 video at around 10Mb/s and bandwidth consumption is controllable — up to 25 Mb/s for the highest quality, down to less than 1 Mb/s for long distance and mobile applications, where bandwidth is limited and/or very expensive.
In addition to network AV input and output cards for DM modular matrix switchers, Crestron offers the HD Streaming Transmitter/Receiver (DM-TXRX-100-STR) and HD Streaming Receiver & Room Controller 100 (DM-RMC-100-STR). Together, they provide low-cost solutions for adding network AV to any space. Crestron says that no switcher or control system is required.
Configurable as a standalone transmitter or receiver, the DM-TXRX-100-STR is a H.264 network AV encoder/decoder designed to transmit HD content anywhere on the IP network and receive network AV content from anywhere on the network.
The DM-TXRX-100-STR can be integrated with a DMPS3-4K Series Presentation System, a 4K 8X1 switcher (HD-MD8X1-4K or DM-MD8X1-4K-C), or one of the DM transmitters.
With its ability to receive H.264 video over a single PoE LAN connection, the DM-RMC-100-STR provides a solution for displaying network AV content in lobbies, lounges, cafeterias, or anywhere you want to display HD content. Image overlay capability enables organizations to brand their network AV content by overlaying a logo. Dynamic text makes it simple to label video, or display instructions, schedules, alerts, and other messaging.
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Barco’s New Real-Time Analytics Platform for Retail Digital Signage Debuts Barco just launched InfiniSense, a real-time data analytics platform that collects, manages and applies real-time data for any place-based advertising endpoint. The intelligent sensors of the InfiniSense platform scan the environment and audience in a display’s direct environment. The anonymized audience data is analyzed in real time by the InfiniSense cloud-based analytics software to provide Key Performance Indicators, dashboards, and reports. This enables retail and advertising companies to instantly customize their messages for increased relevance – which ultimately leads to higher conversion or impressions. InfiniSense will be commercially available from July 2016.
Thanks to the real-time InfiniSense audience analytics, users can determine the ROI of every single display in their advertising or retail signage network as they know exactly which displays get the most attention and who is looking at them. This not only enables them to optimize their display network or in-store flow and product placement, it also allows them to target campaigns more precisely for a higher return on investment. Thanks to InfiniSense, advertising companies not only understand the value of a certain advertising location or display, they can make smart decisions on converting static inventory to digital as well. Moreover, InfiniSense can also be combined with static advertising to assess important KPIs of the advertisement and its location. As such, InfiniSense provides objective metrics to support a smart decision on converting to digital.
The dashboards and KPIs gathered in the InfiniSense software can easily be visualized in any content management software. KPIs that are available as a dashboard or in a table/report format include: total reach versus impressions, unique traffic, individual dwell time, audience demographics (including age and gender), and heat maps that show traffic density over a specific time period.
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BroadSign Partners With TINT to Add Social Media IntegrationBroadSign has partnered with TINT to make its social media marketing platform readily available to Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) media owners.
TINT’s platform allows marketers and advertisers to source real content from local communities, which increases engagement and drives conversions through dynamic social platforms and layouts. DOOH media owners using BroadSign’s automated CMS will be able to personalize and control the content taken from major social networks, messaging apps, review sites and blogs before displaying it on prominent screens with the confidence that only desired content will be played.
BroadSign and TINT had already partnered on an Exterion Media UK’s March 2016 World Wildlife Fund campaign and Global Radio activation across the London Underground projects but this new partnership will enable everyone to take advantage social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram being integrated in to a display’s content.
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Allure and Christie Experiential Advertising Network Launch Data Analytics Solution Powered by ThinaireAllure and its Christie Experiential Network (CEN) team, creating engaging experiential Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) solutions, has announced their data driven analytics solution for advertisers powered by Thinaire’s proximity engagement marketing technology platform.
Adding the proprietary Thinaire mobile engagement platform will enable CEN’s animated digital posters and experiential displays to serve as launch pads for dynamic mobile advertising and experience-based marketing campaigns for ad agencies, DOOH buyers and theater owners. CEN has begun a phased rollout of Thinaire’s mobile consumer engagement capabilities across its fully integrated, DOOH advertising network in theater lobbies in North America.
The Thinaire-enabled CEN digital displays will seamlessly integrate and communicate through Internet of Things (IoT) technologies – such as Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, beacons, audio and video – to provide deeper brand engagement by wirelessly connecting to consumers’ mobile devices at a moment of interest. Advertisers and marketers can monitor and analyze consumers’ responses around their displays in a single or multiple locations, providing maximum impact for their campaigns.
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Prysm Adds Enterprise-Wide Collaboration with Microsoft ApplicationsTo enhance the Prysm Visual Workplace, Prysm today announced an integration with Microsoft OneDrive for Business and Office 365.
Using the OneDrive for Business API from Microsoft, Prysm has made it easy for customers to connect Prysm to their existing OneDrive for Business environments to make it a seamless experience for end users to access, search for, and sync with content from OneDrive for Business. Within a Prysm Visual Workplace project, users may now access, work within and download content from Office 365 using Prysm’s built-in web capabilities.
These new integrations are in addition to the previously announced Microsoft Skype for Business integration, built using the Microsoft Software Developer Kit (SDK). The Skype for Business integration from Prysm enables users to schedule or join an already scheduled Skype meeting from the Prysm Visual Workplace platform, allowing remote participants to fully engage in meetings with the ability to access and interact with all of the content loaded into the workplace.
With Prysm Visual Workplace, applications, content, video conferencing and the Web are all combined into a visual workplace where teams can create, edit and share. These interactive workplaces are stored in the cloud and accessible from any device so that everyone can contribute — whether they are in the meeting room, or on the road.
Prysm Cloud is built on top of Microsoft Azure, an open, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform and it uses industry-specific compliance standards, such as ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP, SOC 1 and SOC 2, as well as country-specific standards like Australia IRAP, UK G-Cloud and Singapore MTCS. The Azure platform is deployed by 85 percent of the Fortune 500.
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Epson Debuts a Wireless 4K HDR Projector for Under $3,000 Epson today announced two new home theater projectors, including the world’s first WirelessHD projector with 4K content support. The Home Cinema 5040UB and wireless Home Cinema 5040UBe feature 4K display capability (the projectors are native 1920×1080 but shifts each pixel diagonally by 0.5 pixels to double the resolution to 3840 x 2160) and high dynamic range (HDR) support. These newly designed Home Cinema projectors are spec’d to project 2,500 lumens of color brightness and 2,500 lumens of white brightness and a color gamut to display the entire sRGB and DCI color spaces and include a contrast ratio of up to 1,000,000:1.
The Home Cinema 5040UBe and 5040UB with 4K input support are compatible with HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2 standards for displaying 4K UHD content. The projectors automatically detect an encoded HDR signals.
The Home Cinema 5040UBe enables users to connect wirelessly as it includes both an HDMI transmitter built-in receiver. The transmitter connects up to four HDMI devices simultaneously and supports 4K HDCP2.2 standards. It also includes one HDMI out connection and one optical port, with one HDMI port supporting MHL.
Other features include lens preset memory recall of up to 10 positions for zoom, focus and lens shift (up to ± 96.3 percent on the vertical axis and ±47.1 percent on the horizontal axis), a non-inverting optical engine design utilizes an additional high-quality relay lens for Epson’s best color field uniformity to date, a center-mounted lens and an auto-iris lens.
But the big news here is the price. The Home Cinema 5040UBe (list at $3,299) and 5040UB (list at $2,999) will be available in August. All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Hitachi Debuts 8,000-Lumen Laser-Phosphor WUXGA Projector Hitachi Digital Media Group announces their first 8,000 lumen single-chip DLP laser projector in the form of the LP-WU9750B, a WUXGA 1920×1200 projector. Using a quad-drive laser engine (spec’d at 20K hours), the LP-WU9750B has a cooling system and heat-resistant phosphor wheel that allow the projector to be mounted in a 360-degree projection and portrait mounting as well as edge blending and warping, with fine adjustment of brightness. The LP-WU9750B offers five digital connection options including SDI, HDBaseT, DVI and two HDMI ports.
With seven interchangeable lenses, including the Ultra-Short Throw FL-920, providing options for screen sizes of between 100” to 600” and projection distance for the 100” screen ranging from 0.83 meters to 19 meters, the projector together with powered focus, shift and zoom can meet the specific demands of any environment.
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Eiki Debuts the EK-500U, EK-501W and EK-502X Projectors, Aimed at Meeting RoomsEiki has announced the EK-500 Series “Conference Room” projectors. The line includes the EK-500U, EK-501W and EK-502X, with all three models featuring inorganic LCD panels.
The $5,595 Eiki EK-500U projector — the flagship of the EK-500 Series — features a spec of 5,100 ANSI lumens brightness with 90 percent uniformity and a 2500:1 contrast ratio. The projector provides native WUXGA resolution and is compatible with inputs up-to UXGA and WUXGA. The system supports both analog and digital video input in all color standards up to 1080p and provides Vertical and Horizontal power lens shift and digital keystone correction. Of particular note, this projector features WUXGA (1900×1200) resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio.
The $4,295 Eiki EK-501W projector is spec’d at 6,000 ANSI lumens brightness with 80 percent uniformity and a 2500:1 contrast ratio. The projector features native WXGA resolution and is compatible with inputs up-to UXGA and WUXGA. The system supports both analog and digital video input in all color standards up to 1080p and provides Vertical and Horizontal power lens shift and digital corner keystone correction.
Eiki’s $4,195 EK-502X, spec’d at 6,500 ANSI lumens and an 80 percent uniformity spec claims and a 2500:1 contrast ratio. This projector delivers native XGA resolution (1024×768) and is compatible with inputs up to UXGA and WUXGA. Like its siblings, this projector supports both analog and digital video input in all color standards up to 1080p and provides Vertical and Horizontal power lens shift and digital corner keystone correction.
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BenQ’s InstaShow is Wireless Presentation System — But Requires BOTH HDMI and USB ConnectionsBenQ America today announced its InstaShow WDC10, a presentation system that wirelessly connects a user’s computer to a central display or projector. With the touch of a button, the meeting collaboration system allows up to eight participants to share their laptop on a connected projector.
The InstaShow WDC10 is compatible with all operating systems and any display with an HDMI port including projectors, flat panels and monitors. Sharing via WLAN standard 802.11ac networks, the WDC10 requires both an HDMI and USB 3.0 connection to the user’s device and the screen.
The InstaShow WDC10 kit consists of two transmitters, which connect via HDMI and USB 3.0 to the participants’ laptop or tablet device, and a receiver that connects via HDMI to the room’s display or projection device. Up to eight transmitters can simultaneously connect wirelessly to the receiver. Featuring latency of less than 0.1 seconds, the InstaShow WDC10 transmits content and audio from a participant’s device to the display.
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NEC Adds Touch Table Display to 55″ and 65″ 4K InGlass Touch Displays NEC Display Solutions Europe has announced a series of 55- and 65-inch Ultra High Definition (UHD) displays that feature advanced filtering techniques, ensuring a consistent and responsive multi-touch experience. The new MultiSync X551UHD and X651UHD-2 InGlass touch displays are designed to be used as touch tables, making them ideal for industries where applications are used for creating, sharing and collaborating, such as entertainment, creative media, interactive gaming, education and corporate.
Integrated with InGlass touch technology, the displays set new standards for touch performance, creating a completely bezel-free, error-free, flat and durable touch surface. The touch table concept forms a responsive and effective interface with the XUHD display offering true multi-touch performance for simultaneous users. The InGlass touch supports up to 10 finger, pen or glove touch points.
The ‘pixel-free’ 55- and 65-inch 4K UHD displays include impressive colourfast details thanks to NEC’s integrated SpectraView colour engine, providing full colour management and adjustment of all visual parameters to further improve any colour-critical application.
The XUHD touch displays are easy to use as it is ‘plug and play’, with no need for driver installations for all major operating systems, and can be easily enhanced with the optional “Windows based” slot-in-PC using the integrated OPS option slot, further simplifying installations and reducing the points of failure.
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Catchbox Is Proof that Simplicity (and Creativity) MattersThere’s no mic that’s simpler than the Catchbox – literally a crowd-microphone that is housed in a custom box that you throw around a room to allow attendees to actively participate in a meeting by asking questions (and mic’ing them so the rest of the room can hear them. The mic quality is decent, but the concept is PERFECT! Make a mic that’s a novelty in a meeting – you can throw it, it automatically turns itself on and off at the right moments and make it customizable for the client. Check it out here.
Catchbox was a hit with InfoComm attendees in every meeting I attended, participated in and with attendees walking around the show floor — but mic powerhouses Sennheiser and Shure weren’t impressed. But rental companies will eat this up!
Really? Was it really popular? Well, Catchbox created the world’s first throwable wireless microphone and provided 12 of its throwable devices at InfoComm 2016. And InfoComm themselves loved it:
Chuck Espinoza, InfoComm Staff Instructor and Certified Technology Specialist in Design and Installation, CTS-D & CTS-I, commented: “I would say we had 10 to 15 times more student engagement than last year when we weren’t using Catchbox for our educational sessions. The fact that I could look to a student who was hesitant to participate, and throw the mic to them made a huge difference. They could answer, and throw it to the next person in line. It was no longer an interaction between just me and one attendee – it wasn’t ping pong any more, it was volleyball.”
The unique Catchbox device, created in Finland by entrepreneurs, Timo Kauppila, Pyry Taanila and Mikelis Studers in 2012, already has thousands of people talking with its ability to give a voice to audiences of all sizes. The company has recently expanded its EU and North America operation to Australia and New Zealand in response to demand from event organizers in the region.
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Epson Launches New Pro Cinema Projectors With 4K HDR SupportEpson today announced their new flagship home projector in the form of the Pro Cinema 6040UB and Pro Cinema 4040 featuring the company’s 4K Enhancement Technology (these projectors are native 1920×1080 but they shift each pixel diagonally by 0.5 pixels to double the resolution to 3840×2160) thus they accept a 4K input signal and display content with high dynamic range (HDR) support. These newly designed Pro Cinema projectors project up to 2,500 lumens of color brightness and 2,500 lumens of white brightness and have a color gamut to display the entire sRGB and DCI color spaces. Both projectors include an enhanced optical engine and a new, all-glass cinema lens engineered to deliver better sharpness and color uniformity.
Installers will like the projectors’ powered lens position memory, which enables users to preset up to 10 positions for motorized zoom, focus and lens shift for both standard projection and wide cinema ratios. In addition, a wide lens shift range offers installation flexibility, with both projectors delivering a super-wide range of up to ± 96.3 percent on the vertical axis and ± 47 percent on the horizontal axis. The projectors also include a new, non-inverting optical engine design, which utilizes an additional high-quality relay lens for Epson’s best color field uniformity to date.
The Pro Cinema 6040UB meets the ISF Certification standard and features built-in ISF calibration tools and specific ISF picture memory modes, such as ISF Day and ISF Night, as well as additional modes including a Red-only Mode. Installers will benefit from other features, including the ability to electronically lock calibration settings. Additionally, Red and Green pixels can be turned off for making adjustments without using a special filter.
The Pro Cinema 6040UB lists for $3,999 and 4040 is only $2,699 and both will be available in August 2016. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Audio-Technica Offers New ES931 Six-Inch Condenser Gooseneck MicrophoneAudio-Technica has introduced its new ES931 Six-Inch Condenser Gooseneck Microphone, available in multiple configurations to meet the varied needs of system integrators and their end users.
Broadly, there are three classifications under the ES931 umbrella: the ES931PM gooseneck microphone with standard AT8534 wall/ceiling plate power module; ATND931 Dante model with ATND8734 Dante wall/ceiling plate power module; and ES931/MIC basic model (microphone only). Each of these iterations is available in one of three distinct polar patterns (cardioid, hypercardioid and MicroLine), with two color options (black and white), for a total of 18 different product models. The AT8534 wall/ceiling plate power module allows the ES931PM to be installed in a standard, single-gang electrical box. The ATND8734 wall/ceiling plate power module with Dante network output permits installation of the ATND931 in a standard, two-gang electrical box with direct connection to the Ethernet network via a CAT5e or better PoE cable. Intended for boardrooms, educational and government settings, teleconferencing, houses of worship and other installed applications, each ES931 iteration provides consistent sound quality in multi-microphone installations with other Audio-Technica ES microphones.
The ES931 offers superior off-axis rejection for maximum gain before feedback. Audio-Technica’s UniGuard RFI-shielding technology enables outstanding rejection of radio frequency interference (RFI) while the UniSteep 80 Hz low-cut filter provides a steep low-frequency attenuation to minimize pickup of undesired ambient noise. The six-inch gooseneck presents a low profile design with a low-reflectance black or white finish for minimum visibility. The rugged small gooseneck retains virtually no “memory,” permitting quick and easy adjustment into the desired shape and position.
All configurations of the Audio-Technica ES931 six-inch gooseneck microphones are currently available. For more information, go here. Leave a Comment
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Planar and Leyard Expand Clarity Matrix Video Wall Line-up with Extreme Narrow Bezel and Stereo 3DToday at InfoComm 2016, Planar, a Leyard company, unveiled two new models to its Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall System line-up.
The first of the new models is the Clarity Matrix MX55HDX LCD video wall display with the industry’s smallest tiled bezel, which takes the customer viewing experience to a new level by offering virtually seamless LCD video wall installations. Also new to the Clarity Matrix video wall line-up is the Clarity Matrix LX46HDU-3D, an LCD video wall solution for customers seeking a large format stereoscopic display for professional 3D visualization applications.
When tiled together to create a video wall, the 55-inch Clarity Matrix MX55HDX with extreme narrow bezel provides a tiled bezel width of just 1.6 millimeters or less than one-sixteenth of an inch, transforming what was once a collection of LCD video wall displays into a near seamless, high resolution array that offers a cohesive, high-impact viewing experience. The Clarity Matrix MX55HDX video wall display combines the industry’s thinnest profile extreme narrow bezel LCD display with superior design, installation and service benefits that deliver on its reputation as the industry’s premier LCD video wall.
As Planar developed the Clarity Matrix MX55HDX, it built several features into the extreme narrow bezel model to ensure the highest performance, reliability and value. These include:
- Improvements to the unique Planar EasyAxis Mounting System, making it easier to achieve the smallest gap between individual LCD video wall displays.
- Unparalleled picture sharpness and clarity achieved through 800 nits of brightness and an off-board architecture prevents hot spots on the display.
- A 10 percent power consumption reduction over previous 55-inch Clarity Matrix models.
- An installed depth of 92 millimeters (3.6 inches), achieving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities
- Act (ADA) requirement for protruding objects.
- Built-in video extension of up to 150 meters (500 feet), offering unprecedented installation flexibility while eliminating the cost and reliability concerns of third-party cable extenders.
- Convenient front serviceability enabled by a unique design that transfers the electronics and power supply modules normally located on the back of the display to easily accessible off-board components.
- The ability to drive as many as five Clarity Matrix displays with a single power supply module.
- Specialized transportation packaging that surpasses International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) specifications, ensuring that every display arrives intact.
- Optional Planar ERO (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) protective glass option to further safeguard the display against breakage both in transit and while in use in public spaces.
The new Clarity Matrix LX46HDU-3D LCD video wall display is a professional solution for universities, design firms, manufacturers and government customers seeking a large-format stereo 3D visualization display. Customers can utilize passive glasses to analyze 3D models and data in stunning realism to bring virtual worlds to life in a physical environment with resolutions never before possible in tiled environments. Customers can also use the video wall as a collaborative work space for standard 2D content. Clarity Matrix LX46HDU-3D LCD video walls can cost a fraction of commonly-used large venue solutions, offering Full HD native resolution, an ultra-thin installed depth of just 3.7 inches and an off-board electronics design for easy maintenance.
The Clarity Matrix MX55HDX and Clarity LX46HDU-3D models will begin shipping in Summer 2016 through Planar and Leyard and the details are here. Leave a Comment
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Sennheiser Shows MobileConnect for Live Audio Streams to SmartphonesMobileConnect from audio specialist Sennheiser is a product that provides live audio streaming to mobile devices. The universal system uses a Wi-Fi connection to stream lip-sync audio content to the user’s smartphone, which has an app that instantly converts it into a mobile receiver. Applications are unlimited: whether it is in a theatre, a museum, a university auditorium or a company – MobileConnect can be quickly and easily installed and is also cost-efficient in use. Thanks to its almost latency-free transmission of audio-content, MobileConnect is primarily aimed at assistive listening and audio description applications, but the solution can also be used for simultaneous interpretation.
MobileConnect consists of a streaming server providing the audio stream over WiFi, which users can connect to via the MobileConnect app on their own smartphone. The selected audio data are transferred to the device via the new free of charge MobileConnect multi-channel app, thus enabling users to play the content conveniently through headphones. Applications are unlimited: whether it is in a university, theatre, a museum, or a conference centre – MobileConnect can be quickly and easily installed and can offer a cost effective way to complement digital signage or offer assistive listening. This user-friendliness of the system is not just for end users: MobileConnect can be installed in a few easy steps for incredible rapid deployment.
Launched in February 2016, Sennheiser’s new MobileConnect app version takes the immediacy and functionality of the service to new levels. Users can now access the Personal Hearing Assistant straight from the channel screen, and the user interface of the Personal Hearing Assistant has been optimized for even greater user-friendliness. The MobileConnect app interface is now available in German, English, French and Spanish.
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Revolabs Conference Phone Fully Interoperable With Chrome Revolabs announced today that its FLX UC 500 USB conference phone is fully integrated and interoperable with Google Chrome devices for meetings, a video conferencing system that lets colleagues connect and collaborate, no matter where they are located. The integrated solution ensures that calling functions such as answer, hang up, volume control, and mute are all synchronized between Chrome OS, Chrome devices for meetings and the FLX UC 500 conference phone.
The FLX UC 500 has four built-in microphones provide 360-degree coverage for full audio capture — no need to huddle next to the microphone pickup or shout to be heard. The FLX UC 500’s full duplex audio support, echo cancellation, and background noise filtering enable the same natural, clear flow of conversation users experience when face-to-face.
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Audio-Technica Expands Dante Product Offerings with Ceiling-Mount Microphone SolutionsAudio-Technica has introducing two new Dante-enabled ceiling-mount microphone solutions: the ATND931 Dante six-inch gooseneck microphone and ATND933 Dante hanging microphone – both available in a number of configurations, including black and white color options and a selection of three polar patterns (cardioid, hypercardioid and MicroLine). All configurations come standard with the new ATND8734 Microphone Ceiling Mount Power Module with Dante Network Output, offering a simple and cost-effective solution for integrating these new microphones with a Dante network without the need for a separate, standalone audio interface.
The ATND931 and ATND933 join the ATND8677 Microphone Desk Stand and ATND971 Network Boundary Microphone, the world’s first wired microphone products to transmit both audio and control data using the Dante network protocol. A simple Ethernet connection allows these microphones (powered by network PoE) to communicate across an existing network of Dante-enabled devices.
The ATND8734 Ceiling-Mount Power Module with Dante Network Output is designed to be permanently installed in a U.S. standard metal 2-gang electrical box, and comes equipped with an 80 Hz low-cut UniSteep filter, selectable for a flat response or low-frequency roll-off, as well as a three-position input gain level selector (+30 dB, +40 dB, and +50 dB) and green/red LEDs. All features may be configured and controlled remotely via third-party software. Audio-Technica has been working closely with industry-leading DSP manufacturers including Biamp, Symetrix and Bose to ensure Dante-compatible logic and remote control software integration for simple, flexible operation without the need for additional cabling.
An RJ45 connector provides plug-and-play access to the Dante audio network over CAT5e (or better) cable. The power module’s circular cover plate, which may be painted with commercially available spray paint.
All of them are here. Leave a Comment
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe AVBuyers.Club 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 and HomeAV industries, 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 or say anything good (or bad).
To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com.
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship newsletter with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in 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. rAVe Radio, our podcast network, was launched in 2012. AVBuyers.Club, our first publications targeted at end users, launched in May 2015. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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Copyright 2016 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: Sara@rAVePubs.com
rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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