Volume 8, Issue 4 — April 25, 2017
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Editorial Aeiforia Technos
- Death of the Unpolluted
Raymond Kent : Director of the Innovative Technology Design Group, DLR Group/Westlake Reed Leskosky
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This Lightform Image Mapping Projection Technology Will Help Kill the Under 100″ Screen Market
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
The responses to my recent blog explaining why I believe the projection SCREEN (not projector, but screens) market is heading for a downward spiral have been mixed — sort of. I heard from systems designers, integrators/dealers and manufacturers. On the manufacturer front, surprise-surprise, the screen manufacturers nearly (I say nearly as ONE agreed with me) all universally disagreed. I got texts, emails and Tweets from screen manufacturers saying that the screen market is doing just fine and that screen sale are, remarkably, up. I’ll address that lie a little later — so hold that thought.
From integrators, the response was overwhelmingly in agreement with me — in counting the actual responses, I received various responses in the form of emails, social media, phone calls and texts. In total, I count approximately 300 — a decent response rate. There were seven that disagreed.
As for systems designers, I heard from 11. Nine of the 11 said they agreed with me and two said they have already stopped specifying screens in all small rooms opting for collaboration boards.
Oh, and before I tell you about something called Lightform, let me go back and address the three screen companies who told me their sales were up (not down) in recent years. As I said, one company spoke quite honestly in how they’d seen a 40 percent decline in screen sizes less than 100″ over the past two years and that 2017 was trending lower as well. Of the three that said sales were up, two admitted that they were down on sizes 80″ and smaller. So, there you go.
Now on to Lightform. Check out this video.
And now, take a look at these:
Note: No screen!
So, this is all using a box from a start-up called Lightform. Lightform is aimed at the consumer and small businesses to make projection mapping cheap and easy (cheap as in only hundreds, not thousands, of dollars) using any projector you want. Basically, it’s a computer that you stick onto the side, top or bottom of a projector and it uses a series of cameras and 3D “image scanners” to figure out what’s in the room — in realtime. (Thus, if the room changes, the projected image adapts automatically.) They call this making a dumb projector smart — using their Lightform box. As you know, with what we use for projection mapping, things inevitably move in the real world, and even slight shifts in the set or projector alignment can noticeably ruin the effect. It currently requires tedious clicking around in clunky software to re-align the content. This is why you typically don’t see projection-mapped installations outside of temporary events.
Lightform aims to offer the first end-to-end workflow for projection mapping, making it possible for a single user to 3D scan, create content and deploy an installation in one sitting. By leveraging computer vision, the company says they automate tedious steps while assisting in the more fun process of content creation. They use 3D info to drive AI-generated effects and real-time filters, which users can quickly integrate into their projects. The experience is designed around one explicit goal: quickly turning 3D scans of the real world into compelling motion content (their words).
Oh, and they are aiming it with use on a low maintenance LED or laser projectors — sound familiar?
Look, the laser projector (and the coming on-slaught of brighter LED projectors) will change everything. Please don’t live in denial. The need for screens will plummet. The use of screens will plummet. You WILL BE ABLE TO PROJECT ON ALMOST ANYTHING. Don’t be caught locking yourself in to the proverbial projection rectangle. Please.
Want to order a Lightform when it ships to test it for yourself? Go here. Leave a Comment
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Death of the Unpolluted
By Raymond Kent Director of the Innovative Technology Design Group, DLR Group/Westlake Reed Leskosky
The current administration’s reversal of key environmental directives and what appears to be a blatant dismantling of the EPA and other regulatory departments has the potential to set the U.S. back decades in environmental policy and contribution to climate change and global warming. As I noted in last month’s article it will be up to end users, corporations and advancements in technology including in the ICT industry to keep us on tract.
If I died today, would you know?
Would your bubble burst to let your glowing hands show,
The stalling, falling, dying slow?
Would you listen above the noise?
Or lift your head up from your blinking toys,
To see my world, your world, come crumbling down?
Would you even make a sound?
Or, would you,
Bury your head in the politician’s word,
Never truthful but always heard.
“In Progress’ name we must pollute,
To make that dollar is resolute!”
“We must consume, and then consume some more!”
Then toss away like the whore.
If I died today, would you miss me?
Would you just file me as history?
To be looked up, cooked up, and reminisced?
Of your toes in my airy midst,
Feeling my touch, my warmth, my love,
While you smile from above?
Would you notice when you play,
Out in what was once above the fray,
That I am no longer here today?
Or, would you,
Carry on without a thought,
Just like the politician who’s been bought.
Let toxic sludge at water’s edge,
To push your stock funds with a hedge,
That it does not affect you in the here and now,
As you stand within this rotting cow,
Who drank from the river you ignored,
All the while being bored,
By facts and figures from Science galore,
With whom the politicians abhor.
If I died today, would you care?
Would you notice I’m not there?
To let you breath clean air?
Would you come looking for where I went,
All the while being hell bent,
On resurrection, atonement of sins,
To understand why I’ve been,
Here for millions to enjoy,
Or will you work to continue to destroy?
You put me through these silly games
Of trying to live through the torturous pain,
Caused by you and your ill-gotten gains.
These games weren’t funny,
But smug are you with your money.
These games were wrong,
As it has been you killing me all along.
I died today because of you,
And now your life is just as through.
There is no clean air to breath,
Or un-scorched earth to heave.
No crisp water to quench your thirst,
As your leaden pipes continue to burst.
Flora and Fauna are no more,
As if in a way to settle the score.
So, there you sit, alone, glowing screen in hand
All across this barren land. Leave a Comment
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Google’s Jamboard Will Now List for $5,000 and Ship in MayWe have a new, lower, price ($5,000 and a $600 per board annual service contract) and a shipping date (May 20th) for the Google Jamboard.Want to save $300 on the service contract? Buy it now — as it will only be $300 if you buy one before the end of the summer.
As we reported last year, the Google Jamboard — to be sold, primarily, through BenQ in most of the world, is an interactive LCD is a portable (on four wheels), 55” 4K (3840×2160) resolution collaboration board that’s integrated with Google’s G Suite — email, videoconferencing, cloud collaboration of Google Docs, device management, file sharing, etc. Pull in work from Google Docs, Sheets and Slides or add photos stored in Drive. To capture ideas, Jamboard includes tools like sticky notes and stencils as well as intelligent features like handwriting and shape recognition. And, of course, videoconferencing.
This will likely force some other newbies in the collaboration board market to readjust their pricing — as Google previously announced it at $6,000. New collaboration board lines debuted at ISE from Newline, Avocor, Cisco, Sharp and NEC.
Jamboard is all Google, though. Unlike some of the others, it’s designed, made and integrated with Google G Suite and it’s basically just an electronic whiteboard without it. With it, however, you can do document collaboration — with all sites connected seeing the exact same thing on all their Jamboard (or anyone connected via G Suite via a laptop or tablet).
Here’s a YouTube video of the Jamboard in action.
Here are the detailed specs from the BenQ site. Leave a Comment
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Yamaha Debuts the CS-700 Video Sound Collaboration System for Huddle RoomsYamaha has announced the CS-700, an all-in-one collaboration solution with a big focus on audio. As you know, Yamaha entered the conferencing market in 2006 and they acquired Revolabs last year. Now, they’ve introduced the CS-700, an in wall-mounted system that includes Revolabs’ microphone technology, a beamforming microphone array, four speakers and through the integrated USB port, the CS-700 is ready to connect to nearly any software-based codec including Microsoft Skype for Business, Cisco Spark, GoToConference, Google Chromebox for Meetings, Vidyo, WebEx, Zoom, BlueJeans and many others. The unit’s wide-angle video camera captures all meeting participants in the room, even those close to the camera. And Yamaha says a special optical solution ensures the high “pixel-per-face” resolution (their term) necessary for participants to recognize nuanced facial expressions that are vital to effective meetings.
Over the same USB connection to their laptop or tablet, users can join a meeting. In addition, the CS-700’s integrated network management system allows IT staff to remotely manage each unit from one location.
The Yamaha CS-700 specs are here. Leave a Comment
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L-Acoustics Launches Its First Avnu-Certified SystemsToday, L-Acoustics announces that the LA12X amplified controller is the first L-Acoustics product to receive Avnu certification, the LA4X will also receive certification in the coming weeks.
The Avnu-certified LA12X and LA4X amplified controllers include built-in AVB bridge functionality. Apparently, they are the first Avnu-certified amplified controllers to be launched with both Bridge and Listener technology. To accompany LA12X and LA4X, LA Network Manager software is also updated with an AVB controller, which eases connection with other systems and integrates seamlessly via an easy and natural user interface.
The amplified controllers with new AVB-enabled firmware are currently in a pilot phase with select L-Acoustics partners and will be rolled out widely this spring. All LA4X amplified controllers manufactured since June 2015 and all LA12X ship AVB-ready, which means that L-Acoustics partners will benefit from AVB via a simple firmware update. LA4X manufactured before June 2015 will require an updated DSP card, available through L-Acoustics’ service team.
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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LG Officially Adds Wallpaper Displays to Digital Signage Lineup — Stuns Everyone Looking At It LG Electronics USA Business Solutions has finally debuted the new lightweight LG OLED “Wallpaper” commercial display as well as new customizable open-frame LG OLED displays at the 2017 Digital Signage Expo (DSE). The Wallpaper isn’t totally new. In fact, we were the first publication to see the commercial version of it when it debuted in Australia last summer — here’s the video we shot there.
The LG OLED Wallpaper technology has literally created a new category of displays as it’s so thin. And, as you no doubt know, OLED technology has a unique ability to turn each pixel on or completely off, thus, black is black — and since white is the opposite of black in displays (and all color is made from everything between black and white), colorimetry is incredible.
So far, it’s the talk of the DSE — nearly everyone is talking about it.
This version of the LG OLED Wallpaper is specifically for commercial display applications and it’s in a 55-inch form-factor that weighs less than 13 pounds and has depth that is just 3.65 millimeters (0.14 inches). Yes, you read that right — barely more than 1/10th of an inch.
The Wallpaper display can be mounted either vertically or horizontally for a customizable display design. Ultra-slim mounting brackets with a magnetic mat create a truly seamless design that becomes one with the wall. Electronic components are housed in a separate control box connected to the display with a 2-meter (6-1/2-foot) cable.
The LG OLED Wallpaper commercial display is native HD (1920×1080) has 64 GB of internal memory, content mirroring capabilities, content scheduling and Wi-Fi connectivity. Future versions will include larger sizes (likely up to 80″) as well as 4K (3840×2160) resolution displays.
Also on display in the United States for the first time at DSE 2017 is the “In-Glass Wallpaper” LG OLED digital signage display. Designed with dual-sided ultra-slim OLED panels in a glass pane, the In-Glass Wallpaper LG OLED display is perfect for boutiques, art galleries and other businesses that want to add a sophisticated touch to their interior décor. The In-Glass Wallpaper LG OLED solution will be available in standing and hanging versions to provide businesses flexible options.
Here are the technical details. Leave a Comment
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Middle Atlantic Launches Modular Wall Mount Platform Middle Atlantic Products today introduced the VWM Series Vertical Wall Cabinet specifically aimed at mounting for security and AV applications. The VWM Series provides both vertical mounting of deep equipment as well as small devices. Available in pre-configured models or customizable to exact system specifications through the company’s online design department, the VWM Series utilizes a patent-pending modular systems approach to equipment mounting.
Within its low-profile design, the VWM offers multiple positions for vertical mounting and options include fixed and pivoting rackrail in a range of sizes that can be mounted where needed within the cabinet’s back pan design. The system also utilizes the company’s patented Lever Lock tool-free mounting system, providing the flexibility to integrate small devices such as extenders, power supplies, electronic door lock controllers, compact power solutions and more throughout the cabinet’s back pan or inside the front door.
The VWM Series is available in a variety of options and the system can offer access only to the integrator, or it can allow end-users to access controls, with some options that will even grant visibility via a plexiglass hinged top.
The VWM Series Wall Cabinets come pre-configured with all the options integrators need to quickly build out basic installations in a single box. Here are all the options.
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Vivitek Intros NovoTouch Collaboration BoardVivitek introduced at DSE 2017 this week a new 4K collaboration board designed for conference rooms, meeting areas and corporate lobbies. The NovoTouch is a native UHD 4K (3840×2160) LED display with up to 20 points of touch.
Utllizing the collaborative NovoConnect solution, the NovoTouch can connect up to 64 users at the same time as well as allow up to four people to present simultaneously on the same display. It offers wireless cross-platform mirroring from any device, moderation and on-screen annotation functions and polling and voting features for measuring audience participation. It’s also dual network with “ultra-secured” network support for separated or paralleled wired and wireless connections.
The NovoTouch is available in four sizes: 65″, 75″, 86″ and 98″. All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Barco Intros UDX Platform Projectors Aimed at Install and Rental Market, All Specified at Minimum 20K LumensBarco is launching a new projector range that they literally claimed “will change the game for rental companies and AV integrators.” Hmmm, that’s s a lot of hype to live up to.
The UDX series consists of five 3-chip DLP models — all laser-phosphor based projectors — that all are identically spec’d at a 2000:1 contrast ratio but having various aspect ratios and brightness specs — but the minimum brightness is 21,000 lumens:
- UDX-W22: 1920×1200 resolution and spec’d at 22,000 lumens,
- UDX-4K22: 3840×2400 resolution and spec’s at 21,000 lumens.
- UDX-U32: 1600×1200 resolution spec’d at 30,000 lumens.
- UDX-W32: 1920×1200 resolution spec’d at 32,000 lumens.
- UDX-4K32: 3840×2400 resolution spec’d at 31,000 lumens.
All five models also share Barco’s Constant Light Output (CLO) functionality, which they say provides constant brightness and color over time and they are all spec’d to outperform the Rec. 709 color space. In addition, all of them have warping, blending and image mapping built-in and even though they aren’t all native 4K resolution, all of them can handle inputs up to 4K DCI signals (4,096×2,560). In addition all of them can use Barco’s TLD+ series of lenses with throws from 1.2:1 to 11.5:1. And like all laser-based projectors, all of them can be mounted in table, ceiling, side (portrait) and vertical (landscape) orientations while spec’d at a 20,000 hour lifetime. Inputs include HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2); DP 1.2 (HDCP 1.3) and Quad SDI/HDSDI/dual HDSDI/6G/BarcoLink.
Here are all the detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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FSR Ships PWB-FR-450 Wall Box FSR is already shipping its PWB-FR-450 Wall Box. This larger-capacity expansion to the company’s PWB Wall Box family of products is the fire-rated and UL approved version of the company’s popular PWB-450.
Protected in 14-gauge steel, the PWB-FR-450 is the only fire-rated wall box in the infrastructure industry. It can accommodate Crestron DM-RMC-4K-SCALER-C receiver / room controller or four AC outlets and four single gang compartments. Additionally, it is designed for walls that require more opening than is allowed by code, and this unique wall box eliminates the need for constructing double walls. Complying with code, the PWB-FR-450 allows users to hang flat screens with plenty of room for all in-wall connections.
The PWB-FR-450 allows larger interfaces or equipment to be mounted behind a display or in any other custom installation. Integrated within the cover and its mounting frame is the proper Fire Resistive Intumescent Material, providing up to 60 minutes of protection. When closed, the PWB’s cover is flush to the wall allowing a display to be mounted as close as the surface will allow. The cover is ventilated top and bottom to provide convection cooling and there is a cable exit slot to pass cables from the interior of the box to a display. The covers are available in white and black.
Inside the PWB-FR-450 are three pre-wired AC outlets and four single gang-mounting brackets. These brackets can be removed to provide space to mount larger devices. Behind each bracket is a 3/4″ and a 1″ – 1 1⁄2″ concentric knockout which provides wiring flexibility. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Oblong Just Launched a Collaboration Board System Too, in New Mezzanine Teamwork Oblong Industries today announced the launch of Mezzanine Teamwork, a collaboration solution for huddle spaces and small meeting rooms. It’s a HUB that can be connected to any display – sort of like a cross between a Barco ClickShare and a Cisco Spark Board.
Using a 3D tracking system, the Mezzanine Teamwork uses the Oblong Mezzanine Appliance with screen-mounted IR tags, a bluetooth access point, and a wireless wand control device to control the room, the content on the display as well as track meeting participants (to auto-switch for far-site participants) to simplify all-room control. Teamwork includes built-in videoconferencing, wireless collaboration, far-site collaboration, whiteboarding and annotation as well as an endless digital canvas for content to be shared. This is all connected to the network as well as to a display (55” or larger).
Users can join via video, iOS device, Android device, Windows or MAC OS laptops and the Mezzanine Appliance (that’s the hub of the room) takes up to 10 total connections at the same time (four can be HDMI sources (1080p or 720p), one is an IP camera connection and the other five are simultaneous video-streams (via the network) for remote or local participants. The Appliance OS is Ubuntu 16.04 and has an integrated 512 GB solid-state drive for content storage and management. It is then connected to up to two things simultaneously — one output is HDMI and the other is USB-C and cab be anything from a whiteboard to an other display (up to 1080p).
Here’s more information. Leave a Comment
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Extron Introduces High Performance HDMI Videowall Processor for Up to Six Displays Extron just introduced the newest addition to their Quantum Connect Series of HDCP-compliant videowall processors, the Quantum Connect 126. The Quantum Connect Series delivers the same high quality scaling and real-time performance as Extron’s Quantum Elite processors, producing superior quality images. The Quantum Connect 126 features 12 HDMI inputs, six HDMI outputs, a 6U chassis with solid-state storage drives, and dual-redundant power supplies. Two-output and four-output Quantum Connect models are also available.
Extron says the Quantum Connect Series maintains full frame rate performance with a high-speed, 10 Gbps RAPT – Real-Time Asymmetric Packetized Transfer video/graphic bus that allows all inputs to be processed simultaneously, while preserving real-time control response and optimal image performance. When used in conjunction with HDCP-compatible displays, the HDMI inputs and outputs allow the display of HDCP-encrypted content on the videowall. A green window with an alert message will be displayed if HDCP-encrypted content is sent to a non-HDCP compliant display. The Quantum Connect Series meets the input and output requirements of many popular configurations for small videowalls. For larger videowalls, as well as applications requiring greater scalability and the flexibility to expand over time, AV integrators, system designers, and consultants should consider the Quantum Elite and Quantum Ultra processors.
Here are all the detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Ships New Line of UL 1449 Certified Power ConditionersCrestron announced today it is now shipping a complete family of professional-grade UL 1449 certified power conditioners. Rack-mountable, the Type 3 Listed PC-100, PC-200 and PC-300 are for 120-volt AC power distribution, switching, surge protection and EMI/RFI noise filtering for AV systems.
UL 1449 is the UL safety and performance standard for Surge Protective Devices (SPD), formerly known as Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS).
RMS voltage and current monitoring enables technology managers to log and report line voltage, current, power and energy usage at the input. The external temperature sensor keeps tabs on heat conditions within the equipment rack or room. Network connectivity allows for setup and operation using a web browser, and extensive custom control and monitoring capabilities are enabled through integration with a Crestron control system.
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GPO Display Debuts Panoramic Display Line From 16″ to 48″
Creative display sizes and form-factors are hard to come by. Nearly every display manufacturer exclusively sells 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio monitors — with few other options.
But, GPO Display has a line of 16”, 19”, 24”, 28” and 48” monitors that are like the width of a panoramic photo taken with your smartphone. With the exception of the 1,366 horizontal pixel resolution 16” version, the horizontal pixel resolutions of the line are all 1920, with vertical resolutions varying between 260 pixels to 540 pixels. Plus, every single display can be customized with a choice of bezels, front and back cover as well as branding — yes, they will even brand them with your company’s or school’s logo.
In case you’re worried about creating content for the displays, all you have to do is create content that’s designed for a 1920×1080 monitor (or for 1366×768 for the 16” version) and have the area you want to be displayed on any of the panoramic displays in the top ½ or 1/3 of the screen.
In addition to standing out — since they aren’t the same-old 16:9 aspect ratio — they can be used in more places since they are smaller in height — for example, for display in transit applications, digital signage and gaming. But we can see these being used in a conference room or meeting room as a stock-ticker display or a world clock — perhaps even outside a room as a room scheduling display. In a call-center, this could be used as a call-queue display and in a restaurant, a menu board.
The idea is to get the integrator and the client to think outside the traditional rectangle and offer-up a creative display option. The brightness of each display ranges from 320 nits to 700 nits. The lifetime for the displays is spec’d to be 30,000 hours. Inputs include two HDMI, one VGA and one USB, plus there’s a built-in digital signage media player.
Here are all the specs.
Here’s a blog that GPO Display wrote that has a few examples for using the panoramic monitor.
GPO Displays will feature the Panoramic Display series at InfoComm in booth 2385. Leave a Comment
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Atlona Starts to Ship OmniStream AV-over-IP Products The Atlona OmniStream product line is their first foray into the its first line of AV-over-IP products. The OmniStream family consists of five products to integrate and distribute 4K/UHD video (@60Hz 4:2:0 Chroma Sub-sampling), audio, and RS-232 control over Gigabit Ethernet networks — albeit compressed. The OmniStream line has dual-channel encoding and decoding, redundant AV networks and streams, encrypted content distribution, broadcast-quality 4K video compression (if you consider compression broadcast-quality) with low latency and the ability to convey 4K video and Dante audio simultaneously over the same network.
The OmniStream line comprises the following products:
- OmniStream 111 (AT-OMNI-111) Single-Channel Networked AV Encoder
- OmniStream 112 (AT-OMNI-112) Two-Channel Networked AV Encoder
- OmniStream 121 (AT-OMNI-121) Single-Channel Networked AV Decoder
- OmniStream 122 (AT-OMNI-122) Two-Channel Networked AV Decoder
- OmniStream 232 (AT-OMNI-232) Two-Channel Dante Networked Audio Interface
From hat we can tell, this is the first AV-over-IP product that has dual-channel encoding and decoding — this allows each OmniStream 112 and OmniStream 122 to process two independent 4K/UHD video streams in a single, half-width rack enclosure.
The dual-channel components can also be configured for system redundancy, with each encoder and decoder handling two simultaneous streams of the same HDMI source. The two independent streams are encoded and decoded simultaneously, and when a physical or logical connection fault is detected in a primary stream, the decoder automatically switches over to the backup.
OmniStream uses SMPTE VC-2 video compression (SMPTE 2042), a visually lossless codec that Atlona says was originally developed by the BBC for high quality imagery in master control video distribution as well as post-production and archiving — the delay is a half a video frame or 9 millisecond delay for 60 Hz video signals.
OmniStream features SMPTE 2022 forward error correction for protection against packet loss and the resulting signal dropouts, which can occur in large-scale applications spanning several networks. It also features selectable AES-128 encryption for securing sensitive or protected content in government, military, healthcare and corporate environments.
All OmniStream AV encoders stream HDMI embedded audio, including Dolby and DTS multi-channel bitstream formats. In addition, the OmniStream 232 Dante network interface can be used for transmitting and receiving two-channel audio over the network. The OmniStream 232 also integrates sources such as microphones and PCs into a third-party audio DSP as well as a larger Dante system.
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Ships DigitalMedia NVX 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 HDR Over 1Gb Network AV Solution Crestron is now shipping the DigitalMedia NVX Series, the AV-over-IP 1GB network product launched at ISE in February. The DigitalMedia NVX Series makes it possible to transmit stunning 4K60 4:4:4 HDR video over standard 1 Gigabit Ethernet, with what Crestron is marketing as “no latency” (their words).
DM NVX Series leverages 802.1X so that every DM NVX device is authorized, Active Directory credential management ensures that only authorized administrators gain access and Secure CIP protocol ensures secure connections between DM NVX and Crestron control systems.
DM NVX Series is an infinitely scalable software-defined matrix that provides the ability to share 4K60 4:4:4 HDR content securely anywhere over a dedicated 1Gb copper or fiber network, with no latency or limits — again, this is from their press release. Other network AV products that rely on 10 Gigabit Ethernet don’t scale beyond a single switch. By contrast, Crestron DM NVX Series leverages standard enterprise-grade 1Gb network infrastructure, which is 10 times more scalable at a fraction of the cost.
Typical network AV systems encode/decode and then scale sequentially, which results in additional latency. Crestron’s patent pending technology simultaneously encodes/decodes and scales, eliminating any latency incurred in transmitting video over the network. Software residing in the DM NVX Series Encoder/Decoder boxes and cards makes it capable to configure, deploy, and manage systems from the web.
DM NVX Series is comprised of DM NVX Encoder/Decoder Boxes (DM-NVX-350, DM-NVX-351), DM NVX Encoder/Decoder Cards (DM-NVX-350C, DM-NVX-351C), and the DM NVX Card Chassis (DMF-CI8). DM NVX Encoders/Decoders feature built-in USB 2.0 routing, DSP and breakaway audio, HDCP 2.2 support, auto-switching, all-in-one encoding/decoding, and support Ethernet natively, as well as fiber with optional SPF modules, all at price similar to competitor’s products that have less capability and are not secure.
We shot a video of this at ISE here.
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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ClearOne Launches Mobile Dialer Apps for CONVERGE Pro 2 DSP Platform ClearOne is releasing mobile applications to dial and control its CONVERGE Pro 2 line of DSP mixers. Compatible with both Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets, the Apps come on the heels of the already-released software Dialer-Controller applications for Windows and MAC OS platforms.
These new mobile applications extend choices of devices and interfaces for users, while also providing the ability to:
- Connect with available CONVERGE Pro 2 system
- Support telephone and VoIP dialers
- Make & receive calls
- Make multi-party conference calls
- Put calls on-hold
- Transfer calls
- Set call forwarding
- Add contacts to phone book
- Set favorite contacts for quick access
- View call logs
- Set Do-not-disturb state
- Mute microphones
- Set volume up & down
- Set custom buttons with user-defined actions
Choices will soon become even broader with ClearOne’s soon-to-be-released touch-panel controller and control modules for third-party control systems. With this new solution, ClearOne will offer the full gamut of controller options — Android, iOS, MAC, Windows, touch panel and third-party control systems.
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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TechLogix Launches SMP Table-Top Collaboration SystemThe TechLogix SMP is a table-top wired collaboration system that’s basically a switcher with HDBaseT, a mini-control system and connectivity. It’s part of their Show-Me Series. Available in digital and analog and digital models, the SMP provides a single all-in-one interface for meeting rooms, huddle rooms and other collaborative environments. The table top hub includes:
- HDMI and/or VGA port
- Control for source selection, display on/off and display volume
- Recessed twisted pair connection with strain relief
- Integrated IR learning window
- Integrated power-over-twisted pair power circuit
The table top collaboration hub connects to a remote receiver using a single twisted pair cable, and the entire system only requires power at the display end and all display control commands are programmed, transmitted and output via CEC (for consumer displays) or IR. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Extron Introduces Industry’s First Control Processor With AV LAN Ports and PoE+ Extron just launched the IPCP Pro 360 — a control processor with three dedicated AV LAN ports and one standard Ethernet port. The control processor provides PoE+ to external devices, eliminating the need for additional power supplies. It features advanced security standards and Gigabit Ethernet ports, which make it compatible with multiple TouchLink Pro touchpanels using a standard network infrastructure. The AV LAN ports are designed to control local AV devices, and safeguard them from outside intrusion or interference. The IPCP Pro 360 can be used with Extron LinkLicense, which further enhances the capabilities of Extron Pro Series control systems. The IPCP Pro 360 is designed for controlling multiple devices and control signal types within AV systems requiring an isolated AV network.
The Extron IPCP Pro 360 can be configured using Global Configurator Plus or Global Configurator Professional software or programmed using Extron Global Scripter. For enterprise-wide applications, GlobalViewer Enterprise can provide centralized AV resource monitoring, management, and control over a computer network.
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BenQ Ships Industry’s First Color-Critical Monitor With Single-Cable USB-C Connectivity BenQ America has launched a new 100 percent sRGB and Rec. 709 monitor offering a range of features aimed at creative professionals. The new 27” PD2710QC includes a USB-C Docking Station for MacBook and PC users, allowing designers to charge devices, transfer data, transmit audio and video, and connect to the internet, all through a single cable.
Simultaneously delivering up to 61 watts of power to a laptop or mobile device, the 27″ (2560×1440) IPS LED display’s single 5-Gbps Super Speed USB-C connection powers its integrated hub and features multiple audio, video, network and USB ports. Using the screen’s DisplayPort output and built-in multi-stream transport technology (MST), users can expand their workspace across multiple monitors. In addition, the included Display Pilot Software allows users to further customize their viewing experience by splitting their screen into multiple windows.
The PD2710QC features 100 percent sRGB and Rec.709 color accuracy and a wide viewing angle and it’s part of BenQ’s PD series design monitors that features a Darkroom mode, which creates the optimal setting for work in darker post-processing environments by adjusting the brightness and contrast of images, a CAD/CAM mode, which offers superior contrast on lines and shapes of technical illustrations; and Animation mode to better visualize the details hiding in dark shadows.
BenQ incorporated anti-glare screen and Eye-Care technology, including Zeroflicker and Low Blue Light, which eliminate flicker and filter out harmful blue light that can cause eye fatigue and irritation.
The PD2710QC is priced at $599 and it’s here. Leave a Comment
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Altinex Expands Cable Nook Product Line With New CNK220 and CNK222 Altinex has added two new interconnect boxes to its Cable Nook product line: the CNK220 and CNK222. Both the CNK220 and CNK222 provide a way of enabling the user to access connections to AC power, USB charging, HDMI, network and other media sources from a table-mounted box.
The Altinex CNK220 includes the CNK200 Cable-Nook Modular Tabletop Interconnect Box and the SP3504SC faceplate. The faceplate is pre‑configured with one CNK-IP-200 module that provides dual AC power and dual USB charging ports. The center module (CNK-IP-212) includes an HDMI video input connector, two 3.5 millimeters audio connectors and one 15-pin VGA port. The third module is the six snap-in port CNK-IP-211, which is outfitted with two RJ45 network connectors, leaving four open ports for customization by Altinex or the integrator.
The Altinex CNK220 includes the CNK200 Cable-Nook Modular Tabletop Interconnect Box and the CNK‑IP‑210 faceplate. The faceplate is pre‑configured with two CNK-IP-200 modules (each with dual AC power and dual USB charging ports) and one CNK‑IP‑217 HDMI module. The CNK‑IP‑217 module has one HDMI pass‑through connector and four blank snap‑in ports that can be customized by Altinex or the integrator.
The CNK-IP-200 module (UL/cUL Listed) in both the CNK220 and CNK222 is designed for 12 Amp AC power capacity while the dual USB charging ports are 3 amps total, 5VDC, Type A, 2.0. These units come with 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) power cables terminated with a single male plug. They will be available in May and pricing is $585 for the CNK220 and $625 for the CNK222. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Atlona Ships AT-HDR-M2C Audio Converter
Atlona is now shipping its AT-HDR-M2C audio converter to extract, down-mix and convert multi-channel HDMI source audio to two-channel HDMI, TOSLINK and analog audio.
The HDR-M2C has an HDMI input with pass-through capability and also strips multi-channel PCM, Dolby and DTS audio and outputs 2.0 stereo signals over HDMI, two-channel analog unbalanced audio and TOSLINK digital audio outputs. The HDR-M2C audio converter includes EDID management features as well as audio volume and bass / treble controls, all available via Ethernet through the Atlona Management System (AMS), the web GUI or a control system.
the HDR-M2C lists for $449.99. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Extron Adds USB Matrix Switching Controller to USB Extender Plus Series Extron Electronics has introduced the USB Plus Matrix Controller, which provides a simple management interface to create USB switching systems using up to 64 USB Extender Plus Series transmitters and receivers. Any AV control processor can easily control USB switching using SIS commands sent via Ethernet or RS232. The USB Plus Matrix Controller can be combined with USB Extender Plus Series transmitters and receivers to create a simple, distributed USB matrix switching system for any size room. The system can be configured quickly and easily using Extron’s Product Configuration Software (PCS).
The USB Extender Plus Series extends and switches USB signals from peripheral devices to a host computer up to 1,980 feet (600 meters) through a Gigabit Ethernet network or up to 330 feet (100 meters) point-to-point over one CATx cable. It supports USB 2.0/1.0 devices with data rates up to 480 Mbps and it is compatible with USB 3.0 devices that can operate at USB 2.0 data rates. The transmitter includes USB peripheral emulation to enable trouble-free booting of a host computer that is not connected to a keyboard or mouse. The receiver features a built-in, active four-port hub. The controller provides simple setup and control for creating a distributed USB matrix switching system over an Ethernet network. The USB Extender Plus Series supports USB peripherals such as keyboards, mice, mass storage devices and webcams in ProAV environments.
All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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NEC Unveils New Set of E Series of Professional Signage Solutions NEC Display Solutions Europe today unveiled a new generation of its E Series entry-level professional displays. Now in its sixth generation, the Energy Star-rated E Series digital information displays come in 32-, 43- and 55-inch screen sizes using newly added S-IPS panels and 50- to 65-inch sizes using S-PVA panels. The updated E Series displays feature a slim-bezel design, cleaner OSD and an integrated USB media player for instant use and plug-and-play stand-alone operations.
Content can be played directly from a USB drive and the displays can be programmed with an embedded autostart time schedule function, to turn on the screen and play content automatically at a certain time.
The E Series supports infrared lock to ensure content security and continuity of the display. The feature allows users to disable the infrared remote control sensor, blocking unauthorized persons from accessing the display and interrupting the display output. Screens can instead be controlled centrally via RS232 commands over a cable connection. Furthermore, Energy Star 7.0 certification reduces running costs and the device carbon footprint, delivering low overall cost of ownership.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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wePresent Debuts New Collaborative Management Suite for Enterprise Deployments wePresent has announced its new Collaborative Management Suite (CMGS), giving IT department employees a tool to remotely manage the wePresent systems on their network. The CMGS platform is best used for enterprise-wide and other large deployments to allow for mass monitoring.
The Collaborative Management Suite was previewed at the Integrated Systems Europe tradeshow in Amsterdam and you can see the video we shot of it here. CMGS is a server-based utility that allows network-integrated management of wePresent hardware. Once installed, it will allow administrators to schedule firmware updates, change the configuration of individual units or remotely troubleshoot problems with the hardware. Designed for large networks, such as schools or office buildings, CMGS is intended to address the growing need for remote hardware management, easing the workload of IT administrators who oversee an abundance of devices.
More details on the Collaborative Management Suite are here. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Ships Mercury Collaboration Solution Crestron said they have started shipping their Mercury tabletop meeting and collaboration system. Mercury is basically a conferencing phone with a built-in Crestron AirMedia wireless presentation gateway. So, you can use it to collaborate with users in far-sites or locally by using it as a presentation gateway for wireless content. Mercury can make calls from either a mobile device (cloud-codec) or via any standard SIP phone system and it includes both built-in mice and speakers — so it acts just like a speaker-phone.
The collaboration parts of Crestron Mercury from a laptop or dedicated in-room PC can be done using any soft phone, or web conferencing or UC application, such as Skype for Business, Cisco WebEx, GotoMeeting or Slack.
The built-in occupancy sensor on Crestron Mercury enables facility managers to collect usage data to drive efficient room utilization and Crestron Mercury includes enterprise security standards.
Available collaboration spaces in multiple locations equipped with Mercury can be located via the built-in Crestron PinPoint proximity beacon on each console. And, Mercury includes integration with Microsoft Exchange enabling users to reserve a room using Mercury’s on-screen calendar.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
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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.
Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication 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. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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