Volume 5, Issue 11 — November 28, 2016
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House of Worship Trends The Future of HOW
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The New Church Market: Not Your Grandma’s Church
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
Do you think of the typical church buying audio, video and lighting (AVL) technology as the old church down the street with a few cars parked in front of it on any given Sunday? Or has your firm yet experienced the technology shift that’s happening in the House of Worship market in churches that are renting space in movie theaters, school auditoriums or building new, flexible multi-use spaces to facilitate multi-campus with video?
There’s a gulf between the old, dying church market you may think you know and the growing, dynamic house of worship market that has doubled-down on technology. Statistics show that, overall, church attendance is declining and many older churches are being shuttered; but this belies that burgeoning churches that have been popping up in Everytown, USA. This growth market is the one that is perhaps spending more on technology in the 21st century than all of the churches combined in the 20th century, which is directly related to the current growth trends.
Interestingly, more than half of all weekly attendees in the United States go to churches that are larger than 500 weekly worshippers in size. The vast majority of these congregations are growing quite rapidly compared to smaller churches at a median five-year growth rate of 17 percent. According to church researcher Dr. Scott Thumma, there are roughly 30,000 Protestant churches with weekly worship attendances (adults plus kids) of 500-1,799, which account for over 40 percent of all worship attendees. That is in addition to another 3,000 churches (and growing at a double-digit rate) which average over 2,000 in weekly attendance.
The multi-site church, which leverages some level of video playback for scaling reach to multiple campuses and venues is also a force to be reckoned with inside the already growing group of churches. According to research studying the 8,000 multi-site churches in America, 57 percent of them will launch an additional campus in the next 12 months and spend $580,549,500 on technology for those new multi-site venues. (Research from Leadership Network, Generis, Outreach Magazine, Barna Research and Anthony Coppedge) From within this segment, 52 percent of multi-site campuses are renting space and are in a portable set up/tear down venues.
All of this points to the high growth market segment within the House of Worship market as ideal venues for your firms audio, video, and lighting technology. This is the growth era of the connected church, where shared media content and unified AVL systems are required for the demanding performance requirements of a highly coordinated effort amongst professional staff and an army of volunteers. With so many young pastors today, the church market is starkly different than it was even 10 years ago, much less 20 years ago, a time when many AVL manufacturers and systems integrators started to pursue the House of Worship market.
It is an ignorant view to think of the church market from only the lens of overall church decline in attendance here in the United States. From a vendor’s perspective, the opportunity — and sales conversion rate — is greater now than it has ever been. Focus on the church segment that’s growing and adopting technologies including 4K video, automated stage/architectural lighting, and touring quality sound; moreover, those that are pursuing multi-site need this same technology duplicated at each and every venue. As I’ve reported before, there are more than half a billion dollars annually spent towards AVL just the churches doing multi-site.
The ‘typical’ growing church today does not look like your grandma’s church. The variety of styles and venues are key indicators of a young and enthusiastic generation of leaders breaking the mold of how churches used to build and operate to a radically different paradigm that enmeshes technology as a core component in their methodology. We’re long past the days of determining if AVL was going to be in the budget; it’s now a recurring spend that is a known variable for churches wanting to engage a post-modern culture.
As a manufacturer or systems integrator, there are three main reasons for you to understand and capitalize upon when churches either upgrade or add new equipment: one, when entering a new building program; two, when renovating an existing building; three, when expanding into new technology areas such as multi-site or online services. With these three key motivations identified, how can your firm expand your reach and sales into this growing market segment?
The H.O.W. market has changed. Are you taking advantage of these trends? Leave a Comment
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Four Future Trends for the House of Worship Market
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
By aggregating trends from the past, we have a significant indicator of future trends and shifts in the House of Worship market. The word cloud graphic for this article lists the top 25 recurring words from all of the previous columns written here about the church market on rAVE, and they are an excellent look at what we’ve shared over the years that will likely be a focus of future articles.
For the manufacturers, systems integrators, and consultants reading these for insights on how to more effectively serve the 300,000+ churches in the U.S. alone, I’ve broken down these 25 words into four important categories to help identify the likely future trends for this oft-misunderstood market.
The House of Worship Market: Churches, People, Venues, Manufacturers
The old child’s rhyme played by interspersing the fingers on two hands inward towards the palms reveals a truth of the House of Worship market. “Here’s the church. Here’s the steeple. Open it up and here’re the people.”
The church is less an institution and more an organic collection of individuals focused and centered around a shared affinity and belief system.
Connecting with these people to solve a set of common problems is the priority for manufacturers, consultants, and systems integrators. All too often, we lead with the solution before understanding the problem. There’s a great quote I read from Harvard Business Review that succinctly sums up how to address a prospect:
“Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.”
To be highly aware of the problem signals a proper focus on understanding client needs because it remains focused on contextualizing the issue of where each church currently is at in their journey as opposed to where they want to be. The authors, John Boudreau and Steven Rice, describe it this way: “You spend some time letting the challenge soak in, studying it from various angles, and understanding it more deeply. Rather than hastening to narrow the scope of your decision and the options under consideration, you remain receptive to additional, possibly better ones. “ They go on to say that the key is to maintain a long-term love affair with the problems that need solving and the business you are here to serve. The business of the church just so happens to have a weekly cadence, and the AVL technology needs to solve the problem and just flat-out work week in and week out.
In the House of Worship market, the problems are similar, but the solution is always a variable because of the people involved in the decision-making process. This approach isn’t all that different from other vertical markets because people are the common denominator.
Technology: Audio, Lighting, Video
Of course, audio, video and lighting are the three prominent technology categories here at rAVe, so it’s no surprise we’ve talked about them at great length as they pertain to the church market. However, before you gloss over this section, it is important to remember that more often than not, your technology is not the problem.
Having been a founding member of one of the first church technology conferences and a speaker and attendee at dozens of others, I’m not easily impressed by new technologies. My take on the gear presented to churches usually has this in common: the vendor promoting the technology suffers from understanding a great deal about the technology and precious little about the application of that technology within a church.
Much like the advice above to fall in love with the problem, it is endlessly helpful for vendors to talk about the problem more than the solution. Identifying with the potential influencers and decisions-makers through a shared understanding of a pain point helps solidify your credibility as you address the problem and begin to solve new ones before they occur. In this way, the path from problem to solution is a seamless journey for the prospect, allowing you to sell the solution and not the technology. After all, very few technologies are without competition, but a solution positioned in the context of a local church problem has no peer.
Sales & Marketing: Brand, Content, Media, Products
The third critical category to understand when selling into the House of Worship market has everything to do with your WAY and not your WHAT. Admittedly, the word count bias towards sales, marketing, brand and content are in alignment with my experience; as such, I talk a lot about that which I understand and want to share with you. Still, given the limited state of content marketing from AVL manufacturers and vendors, there’s room for lots of improvement in the way churches are addressed as it relates to these technologies.
When the value proposition for a product is both clearly defined and fits snugly within the felt needs of churches, the best advertising isn’t hype — it’s truth. Most brands have at least one product or family of products that have had rock-solid stability and earned respect within some portion of this vertical market. These user experiences are the building blocks for leveraging positive brand sentiment in expanding awareness and, hopefully, the use of your technologies.
The best way to win a complex sale to a group is not to lead with your product or solution, but to your product or solution. By helping the church accurately define the problem they are trying to solve with a complex technology solution, you will often need to show them what they think is probably incorrect. Additionally, the onus is on you to demonstrate that the solution isn’t merely about solving the problems they think they know about but bring them to a place where they’re addressing root-cause issues.
I’ve long advocated for vendors to create content aimed specifically at church buyers. I believe that content is the currency companies use to communicate stories that motivate purchases. Content marketing (and the use of content marketing automation) are strategic initiatives that should be employed post-haste. The buyer’s journey starts long before they fill out a form, send an email, or pick up the phone and targeted content puts the power of research and helpful stories in the hands of those willing to purchase.
Experiential Needs
The five words found in this category are all about the Result: The four words here are “Better, Help, Value, Systems, and Time.” They provide clues about what local churches are needing from both the technology and systems integration. It’s helpful to understand and has seen in person the extreme diversity in presentation, musical styles, and venues of today’s growing churches. As I talked about in my Trends article, this isn’t your grandma’s church of yesteryear.
From the café style churches that feel like an oversized Starbucks (complete with gourmet coffee) to the black box theaters with concert-level audio, video, and lighting (AVL) to the portable churches setting up in school gymnasiums and cafeterias, the experience is an essential part of these services. Technology in growing churches isn’t unseen, but a regular part of the visible and auditory experience.
Even in the most rock-n-roll styled church services where technology is a significant proportion of the presentation, the ultimate experience happens not when the SMPTE-controlled video track syncs with the lights and sound, but when the technology is so well implemented that it’s, well, invisible to the audience. In this sense, all churches have this in common: to have the technology serve to help create an atmosphere that doesn’t draw attention to the technology, but that the technology is simply a tool to achieve an end result.
But even for the largest churches with full-time paid professional techs, the experience is not complete without training and support. They need you. This truth has been and will continue to be an opportunity for the trifecta of the manufacturer, integrator, and church to work together harmoniously.
These four trend categories come from the historical data of four and half years worth or articles and decades of living research. To embrace them is to identify trends that will continue into the future buying phases of the underserved house of worship market. Leave a Comment
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Auralex Ships Updated SonoFiber Materials Auralex Acoustics is now shipping newly updated versions of its popular SonoFiber material, a cost-effective treatment with great acoustical properties. SonoFiber is now available in both one-inch-thick panels and two-inch-thick rolls. Panels come in a package of fourteen 1″ x 24″ x 48″ units, and the rolls measure 2″ x 48” [4 feet] x 300″ [25 feet]. The rolls feature a black scrim membrane on one side. New colors for the panels are also available: charcoal, light gray, white and beige color options are all now offered.
SonoFiber is the perfect solution for contractors and system integrators with projects requiring a Class A fire rating without the aesthetic demands of designer treatments such as fabric-covered panels. Made from recycled cotton fibers, SonoFiber is ideal for nightclubs, restaurants, gymnasiums, houses of worship, multi-purpose rooms and other commercial or industrial environments. SonoFiber is also ideal for unfinished metal deck ceilings with common acoustical issues like echo and reverberation.
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Marantz Debuts Portable Headset AmplifierThe new Marantz PHA-3 Stereo Field Production Headphone Amplifier provides three independent headphone feeds from balanced or unbalanced sources and can drive headphones to high levels at audiophile quality with low distortion — ideal for field broadcast production companies, portable audio/video production crews and live sound productions where critical audio monitoring is required, even under high SPL conditions. The PHA3 features a rugged metal case and the ability to daisy-chain additional units utilizing the Loop outputs.
Features include:
- Three independent headphone outputs with individual level controls
- Balanced XLR inputs or 1/4″ and 3.5mm stereo inputs
- Switchable stereo or mono operation
- 1/4″ Loop output for daisy-chaining additional units in series for extra outputs
- Parallel 3.5mm and 1/4″ outputs with two additional 1/4″ outputs
- Internal power (2x AA) or external power (5-17VDC) with seamless switchover
- GREEN LED indicates power with good battery, RED indicates low battery power
- LED turns RED to warn when four hours of battery life remain
- Rugged aluminum chassis with strap loops for wearing or mounting
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Atoms Adds HDR to new OS ReleaseTimed with the recent announcement by YouTube for HDR delivery, Atomos announces a new OS update to further broaden HDR compatibility.
The AtomHDR technology upgrade is across the Inferno, Flame and Blade Series Pro Monitor/Recorders and gives users with a Log output from their camera 10.2 stops of dynamic range, along with their patented HDR waveform & HDR slider to make setting exposure for HDR simple. New OS 7.12, which is a free download, broadens Log support to include Sony S-Log, FujiFilm Log and Canon C-Log 3 in addition to previous support for Panasonic, JVC, Canon, Sony, Red and Arri log curves.
- Shogun Flame lists for $1695
- Ninja Flame lists for $1295
- Ninja Blade lists for $495
The new pricing & functionality targets a move across to HDR, but the AtomHDR platform does not exclude SDR/Rec709 workflows. It in fact improves it! Exposing Log for HDR = cleaner SDR images ensuring you expose in the cleanest part of the sensor. The 1500 nit high-bright panel also improves SDR workflows making outdoor monitoring a breeze.
Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame free OS update can be downloaded here. Leave a Comment
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Optoma Launches Redesigned Line of Projectors Built for Small Business, Education and Corporate MarketsOptoma today announced 10 new and redesigned projectors aimed at education, small business and corporate markets. The new projectors are:
- Optoma S321 is an entry-level SVGA projector designed for small classrooms and meeting rooms. It has 3,200 lumens of brightness and a 22,000:1 contrast ratio, weighs four pounds, has a VGA input, and costs $289.
- Optoma X345 and Optoma X355 are XGA projectors for classrooms, small businesses and training labs. Both models feature a 22,000:1 contrast ratio, a 10,000-hour lamp, 3,200 lumens and 3,500 lumens, respectively, and $449 and $499.
- Optoma W345 and Optoma W355 are both 22,000:1 contrast ratio and 10,000 lamp life and are native 1280×800 projectors aimed at classroom, small business or training labs, too. The W345 and W355 are spec’d at 3,300 and 3,600 lumens respectively, and list for $549 and $699.
- Optoma EH331 is a 1080p projector with 3,300 lumens, a 22,000:1 contrast ratio for $599.
- Optoma EH345 is aimed at corporate professionals and educators looking for a 1080p projector that is 3,200 lumens, 22,000:1 contrast ratio and 1.3x zoom for flexible installations. With a 10,000-hour lamp life, 10-watt speaker and MHL 1.2 support, the EH345 is $649.
- Optoma X416 is an XGA projector aimed at mid-size venues including corporate, house of worship and higher education environments with a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 4,300 lumens and a 1.36x zoom. It also offers Wall Color Adjustment, allowing it to adjusted to project on non-white surfaces and it lists for $749.
- Optoma W416 is an WXGA projector for corporate, house of worship and higher education but this one is 4,500 lumens with a 1.6x zoom and 20,000:1 contrast ratio. The W416 lists for $799.
- Optoma DU380 is a WUXGA projector at 3,800 lumens, a 15,000:1 contrast ratio and a 1.6x zoom. DU380 is $799.
All the models mentioned above, except for the S321 and EH331, offer installation flexibility and variable throw distances. Here are all the details. Leave a Comment
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Atlona Intros Flagship 4K Matrix Designed for Videoconferencing, Presentation, and EducationAdding a new member at the top of its line of commercial market AV matrix switchers, Atlona introduced the AT-UHD-CLSO-840 (4K @60Hz 4:2:0), an eight-input, four-output 4K HDMI and HDBaseT switcher designed for applications including videoconferencing, multi-screen presentations and divisible room installations often specified for classroom, corporate or hospitality environments.
The new matrix is equipped with five HDMI and three HDBaseT inputs, two HDMI outputs and two HDBaseT outputs. It is designed for use in a a videoconferencing suite requiring at least three independent outputs for connections to displays and a conferencing codec. Its audio capabilities include an independent 8×4 audio matrix using audio de-embedded from the video sources with matrix switching to four balanced, analog audio outputs. There are also four analog audio inputs, each dedicated to embedding content onto a corresponding video output.
Other features on the CLSO-840 include PoE on the HDBaseT inputs and outputs, allowing use of Atlona UHD-EX Series or HDVS-200 Series HDBaseT transmitters and receivers, and eliminating the need for separate power supplies for remote components. All HDBaseT inputs and outputs allow transmission distances up to 100 meters (330 feet).
The new matrix includes a LAN connection for IP-based control, including configuration and monitoring via Atlona Management System (AMS) software, available to customers via free download. It can extend Ethernet from a control processor, and features IP to RS232 translation for converting TCP/IP commands to RS232. This provides the flexibility of extending TCP/IP or RS232 control to remote devices over HDBaseT.
The AT-UHD-CLSO-840 is rack mountable in a 2U rack space and lists for $4,999.99. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Roland Announces VR-4HD High-Definition AV MixerRoland today announced the introduction of its VR-4HD High-Definition AV Mixer — a portable AV Mixer that integrates a digital audio mixer, video switcher, multi-viewer touch screen and USB video/audio streaming interface into a stand-alone device.
The VR-4HD has three dedicated HDMI inputs (1080p/1080i/720p resolutions). A fourth input includes a scaler to support both video and computer resolutions and also supports analog RGB and component input, as well as HDMI, so older devices can be used as sources without the need for external conversion equipment. HDCP is supported for input of copy-protected content from devices such as Blu-ray disc players.
The VR-4HD’s 18-channel audio mixer features Roland’s digital signal processing offering three-band parametric EQ, reverb, a compressor/gate on the mic inputs and level/multiband EQ on the master mix. The VR-4HD supports advanced features including auto-mixing, echo cancel, audio follow and up to 500ms of delay for perfect lip-sync between audio and video. The VR-4HD’s audio mixer can mix the four XLR microphone inputs, unbalanced stereo inputs on RCA and 1/8 mini connectors, along with the audio embedded in the four HDMI inputs. The final mix can be outputted via XLR or RCA and also embedded into the HDMI output, while a headphone output facilitates audio monitoring.
A loop-back audio capability via the USB 3.0 port can bring in audio from a connected PC using a conferencing software such as Skype and return audio to the PC without any audio feedback thanks to the included Echo Cancellation feature.
The Auto-Mixing function makes for simple and easy mixing of multiple presenters or panelists at conferences and events by automatically managing the levels of individual microphones, and can even give priority for volume to an event moderator who will always be heard above the other participants. The Auto-Mixing function can take care of managing audio levels across audio sources even when an operator is not present.
The VR-4HD includes DSK (Downstream Keying), Picture-in-Picture (PinP), Split and Quad composting effects ideal for creating news-style broadcasts and corporate presentation content. The DSK supports both Luminance Keying (Black / White) and Chroma Keying (Blue / Green). Compositing two videos in one screen using Picture-in-Picture or the split function is ideal for seminars and presentations.
Recording or webcasting from the VR-4HD is easily achieved by connecting to a PC or Mac using the built-in USB 3.0 connection. Up to Full 1080/30p uncompressed resolution video can be outputted from the VR-4HD. The VR-4HD embeds the audio mix with the video program and delivers it at the selected resolution. Included VR Video Capture application for Mac and PC provides an easy and effective way to capture uncompressed video with high-resolution audio. The VR Video Capture application can also capture compressed video for easy and immediate delivery of content to online video sites or internal corporate servers.
Additionally, main audio is included on both HDMI program and preview outputs, as well as via XLR and RCA connectors, and AUX audio output from RCA connectors is also provided. The HDMI preview output can be set to a multi-view mode, where all inputs are displayed with colored borders indicating the program selections. The balanced XLR main audio output is suitable for connection to professional PA equipment, and the AUX audio output can be used for sending monitor signals to presenters on stage.
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New Martin RUSH Scanner 1 LED Fixture Now AvailableThe new Martin by HARMAN RUSH Scanner 1 LED fixture is now shipping. This high-output LED fixture with a dynamic feature set offers multiple colors, gobos and prism effects.
This new addition to the RUSH lighting series delivers high output and super-sharp optics via two separate color wheels, one rotating gobo wheel, one static gobo wheel and a three-facet prism. High-speed pan and tilt capabilities make the RUSH Scanner 1 LED a fixture for creating lighting effects in dance clubs, cruise ships, rental companies, and other similar nightlife venue requirements.
Features include:
- Latest 90W LED light engine technology offering high output and crisp projection
- Full feature set including rotating/indexing gobo wheel, static gobo wheel, two color wheels, three-facet prism and motorized focusing
- Compact and lightweight design with a retro industrial design paying homage to Martin’s scanner heritage
- 2000+ Lumen output (awaiting actual photometrics)
- 14 Degree beam angle
- 175° Pan & 75° Tilt high speed mirror
- Two color wheels
- Rotating/indexing gobo wheel (six plus open)
- Static gobo wheel (seven plus open)
- 3-Facet prism (indexing and rotating)
- Electronic dimming and strobing
- Motorized focus
- 3 & 5 Pin DMX option
- Powercon in and through
- Weight: 9.6kg/ 21.1lbs
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New Crown CDi DriveCore Series Amplifiers Are Now AvailableA new line of Crown by HARMAN amplifiers, the CDi DriveCore Series, is shipping. Crown says this series offers high-performance and a rich feature set at a competitive cost. Using technology derived from the Crown DriveCore Install Series, the CDi DriveCore Series offers streamlined functionality to work in almost any small/medium installation — houses of worship, restaurants, cruise ships, hotels, museums, theater, cinema, retail stores and similar installed sound applications.
Crown’s proprietary DriveCore technology eliminates hundreds of components within each amplifier, reducing the variability of component values, increasing reliability, resulting in incredible audio fidelity from an efficient design.
Through HARMAN’s HiQnet Audio Architect software, the CDi DriveCore can be controlled, configured and monitored on a standard TCP/IP network. The on-board digital signal processing in each amplifier allows for custom configuration:
- Input Router
- Input Delay – up to 1000ms
- 8-Band Input Parametric EQ
- Crossover
- 8-band Output Parametric EQ
- Output Delay – up to 100ms
- LevelMAX Limiter
Both receive and send channels over BLU link – HARMAN’s 256-channel, fault-tolerant digital audio bus. Direct Drive 70/100Vrms Output – Each output channel is capable of providing either 70V or 100V for high impedance applications.
Through a combined GPIO/AUX Port, recall presets, mute channels, monitor faults, power the amplifier on and off, and more.
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Samsung Acquires HARMAN, Including AMX, JBL, Crown and AKG Click here to see Gary Kayye’s thoughts about this acquisition.
Samsung Electronics and Harman International today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Samsung will acquire HARMAN for $112.00 per share in cash, or total equity value of approximately $8.0 billion. Upon closing, the transaction will immediately give Samsung a significant presence in the large and rapidly growing market for connected technologies, particularly automotive electronics, which has been a strategic priority for Samsung, and is expected to grow to more than $100 billion by 2025. HARMAN is the market leader in connected car solutions, with more than 30 million vehicles currently equipped with its connected car and audio systems, including embedded infotainment, telematics, connected safety and security. Approximately 65 percent of HARMAN’s $7.0 billion of reported sales during the 12 months ended September 30, 2016 are automotive-related, and its order backlog for this market at June 30, 2016 was approximately $24 billion.
HARMAN’s experience designing and integrating sophisticated in-vehicle technologies, as well as its long-term relationships with most of the world’s largest automakers, will create significant growth opportunities for the combined business by enabling it to leverage Samsung’s expertise in connected mobility, semiconductors, user experience, displays and its global distribution channels. In addition, the combination of HARMAN’s brands and audio capabilities and Samsung’s expertise in consumer electronics will deliver enhanced customer benefits and elevate user experiences across Samsung’s complete portfolio of consumer and professional products and systems.
“HARMAN perfectly complements Samsung in terms of technologies, products and solutions, and joining forces is a natural extension of the automotive strategy we have been pursuing for some time,” said Oh-Hyun Kwon, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics. “As a Tier 1 automotive supplier with deep customer relationships, strong brands, leading technology and a recognized portfolio of best-in-class products, HARMAN immediately establishes a strong foundation for Samsung to grow our automotive platform. Dinesh Paliwal is a proven global leader and, in our extensive discussions, we have developed deep respect for him, his strong senior leadership team and HARMAN’s talented employees. HARMAN’s sustained track record of rapid growth fueled by technology leadership and an unmatched automotive order pipeline reflects its commitment to innovation and customers.”
“The vehicle of tomorrow will be transformed by smart technology and connectivity in the same way that simple feature phones have become sophisticated smart devices over the past decade,” added Young Sohn, president and chief strategy officer of Samsung Electronics. “We see substantial long-term growth opportunities in the auto technology market as demand for Samsung’s specialized electronic components and solutions continues to grow. Working together, we are confident that HARMAN can become a new kind of Tier 1 provider to the OEMs by delivering end-to-end solutions across the connected ecosystem.”
Dinesh Paliwal, HARMAN chairman, president and CEO, stated, “This compelling all-cash transaction will deliver significant and immediate value to our shareholders and provide new opportunities for our employees as part of a larger, more diversified company. Today’s announcement is a testament to what we have achieved and the value that we have created for shareholders. Samsung is an ideal partner for HARMAN and this transaction will provide tremendous benefits to our automotive customers and consumers around the world. Combining Samsung’s strengths in leading-edge displays, connectivity and processing solutions with HARMAN’s technology leadership and long-standing customer relationships will enable OEMs to provide new offerings for their customers. Partnerships and scale are essential to winning over the long term in automotive as demand for robust connected car and autonomous driving solutions increases at a rapid pace. This transaction will bring HARMAN and Samsung’s complementary strengths together to accelerate innovation in this space. More broadly, this investment underscores the strength of HARMAN’s employees, as well as our success and leadership across our markets. We look forward to working together with Samsung to elevate experiences for consumers worldwide.”
Here was Samsung’s summary of the acquisition:
- Automotive: Combining HARMAN’s leadership in new connected car technologies, including its top positions in infotainment, cyber security, over-the-air updates and telematics, with Samsung’s significant expertise and experience in connectivity technologies, including 5G, UX/UI, display technology and security solutions, will enhance HARMAN’s automotive and connected services businesses to drive greater sales and provide significant benefits as automakers speed the adoption of next-generation connected cars.
- Audio: HARMAN’s leading brands and cutting-edge audio systems include JBL, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, AKG, Lexicon, Infinity, and Revel. The company also licenses Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen brands for automotive. All of these brands will greatly enhance the competitiveness of Samsung’s mobile, display, virtual reality and wearable products to deliver a fully differentiated audio and visual experience for customers.
- Professional: The combination will also expand the combined company’s business-to-business platform through its ability to deliver integrated, large-scale audio and visual professional solutions at stadiums, concert facilities and other performance centers such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and STAPLES Center – home of the GRAMMY Awards.
- Connected Services: Samsung will gain access to HARMAN’s 8,000 software designers and engineers who are unlocking the potential of the IoT market. This collaboration will deliver the next generation of cloud-based consumer and enterprise experiences, as well as end-to-end services for the automotive market through the convergence of design, data and devices.
Operating Structure and Leadership
Upon closing, HARMAN will operate as a standalone Samsung subsidiary, and continue to be led by Dinesh Paliwal and HARMAN’s current management team. Samsung is pursuing a long-term growth strategy in automotive electronics, and plans to retain HARMAN’s work force, headquarters and facilities, as well as all of its consumer and professional audio brands. Samsung believes the combination will increase career development and advancement opportunities for the employees of both companies.
Samsung’s Automotive Electronics Business Team, which was established in December of 2015 to identify opportunities for Samsung in the automotive sector, will work closely with the HARMAN management team to realize the full growth potential of the combination.
The purchase price represents a premium of 28 percent based on HARMAN’s closing stock price on November 11, 2016 and a 37 percent premium to HARMAN’s 30-calendar day volume weighted average price ending November 11, 2016. Samsung expects to use cash on hand to fund the transaction. The agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.
The transaction, which is subject to approval by HARMAN shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close in mid-2017.
Harman is here and Samsung is here. Leave a Comment
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Sennheiser Announces the Digital 6000 Series Sennheiser has announced a new addition to its Professional Wireless Range: The upcoming Digital 6000 Series of radio microphones for RF-based live productions. The series uses the same long-range mode and proprietary Sennheiser Digital Audio Codec as the Digital 9000, Sennheiser’s top-of-the-range wireless series. Comprising a two-channel receiver in two different versions, a bodypack and a handheld transmitter as well as a rack-mount 19” charging unit, the Digital 6000 Series will be available from March 2017.
The digital two-channel receiver works across a switching bandwidth of 244 MHz (470 to 714 MHz), which is covered by three transmitter versions (470 – 558 MHz, 550 – 638 MHz, and 630 – 718 MHz). For larger systems, up to eight receiver units can simply be daisy-chained without the need for an additional antenna splitter; the multi-channel system will work with a single pair of antennas. The system latency is 3 milliseconds.
The Digital 6000 receivers are fitted with a Link Quality Indicator that ensures that issues get seen before any drop-outs occur. If, as in difficult RF environments, the signal should get temporarily corrupted to such an extent that the transmission error correction can no longer repair it, the intelligent error concealment of Digital 6000 sets in. It employs intelligent learning algorithms to replace the corrupted signal, enabling Digital 6000 to still transmit flawlessly where other digital systems fail.
The Digital 6000 receiver is fitted with a white OLED display, which gives a quick overview of the RF signal, link quality, audio signal, battery status, frequency and encryption. Several home screens provide easy access to further information, without the user having to navigate through submenues. Critical operating conditions and error messages are directly indicated on the display.
Digital 6000 works with standard active and passive UHF antennas, as the frequency-selective antenna filters are contained in the EM 6000 receiver. Therefore, existing antenna infrastructures can continue to be used.
The Digital 6000 transmitters use the same high-performance rechargeable accupacks as the Digital 9000 units. The SKM 6000 handheld transmitter is fitted with Sennheiser’s standard capsule interface and can therefore be combined with all the classic microphone heads from the evolution wireless Series, the 2000 Series, and also the special 9000 Series heads.
The SK 6000 bodypack excels as a high-end solution for wireless instruments such as guitar and bass — or is ready for use with the Sennheiser clip-on microphones MKE 1 (omni-directional) as well as the digital-transmission versions of the MKE 2 (omni) and MKE 40 (cardioid).
The L 6000 charger is a 19”/1U device that can be fitted with up to four charging modules, each of which recharges two bodypack or two handheld batteries, respectively. Three-coloured LEDs on the front panel give a quick overview of the charging process. More detailed information as well as additional parameters such as battery runtime, charging cycles and remaining capacity can be accessed via the Wireless Systems Manager.
As the 6000 Series transmitters are compatible with the Digital 9000 transmitters, the L 6000 charging unit can also be used for Digital 9000.
Digital 6000 integrates seamlessly into digital or analogue system infrastructures. The EM 6000 receiver is fitted with a digital AES-3 output, high-quality transformer-balanced analogue XLR-3 outputs and ¼” (6.3 mm) jack outputs. The Dante version of the receiver offers an additional Amphenol RJ-45 connector for integration into a Dante network.
The Digital 6000 Series is compatible with Digital 9000 in long-range mode; also, the 6000 Series transmitters can be used with the EK 6042 camera receiver. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Sescom Intros Small, Light Pro Audio VU MeterNeed to check your levels but there’s no more room in your Equipment Rack? Can’t imagine squeezing one more unit into the monitor wall? Then you need to check out the Sescom SES-VUA-1RU Pro Audio VU Meter. This controlled ballistic 40-LED per channel display is super small and light, great for tight spaces.
Ruggedly constructed in a powder coated steel enclosure with Phoenix connectors to provide secure and fast hard wiring of balanced stereo audio signals the SES-VUA-1RU takes up only 1 RU, is less than 1″ deep and weighs only 2 pounds. You get control over features like LED brightness, left and right channel sensitivities and a selectable Display Mode. This pro broadcast audio reference VU Meter has a scale of -25db to +14db and displays loudness, loudness and peak, loudness and peak hold or sum and difference.
Features:
- Balanced Stereo Analog Signals
- Phoenix-Style Connectors
- User Controls: LED Brightness, Channel R and L Sensitivities, Mode
- Display Mode: Loudness, Loudness + Peak, Loudness +Peak Hold, Sum/Diff
- Compact Design: 1RU, < 1-inch deep
- Rugged, powder-coated steel metal enclosure
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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