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AVPhenom’s Blessings and Turkeys of 2013

TurkeyI sat down last night with the intent of writing my 2nd Annual Thanksgiving post on the AV Industry’s “Blessings” and “Turkeys” for 2013.  Upon sitting down to write, I found out that one of the hardest things to feign is “righteous indignation”.  I just wasn’t feeling it.

This morning, while helping some integrators get shipments out before the holiday break, I had Good Will Hunting playing in the background, and the bar scene aptly caught my attention.  It’s the Scene where Damon watches a “Michael Bolton Clone” from Harvard start to give his buddy Affleck (Ben that is, as Casey is also in the film), an intellectual beat down.  Watching from the wings, Will decides to expose the Charlatan for regurgitating passages of obscure books, finally ending with, not matter how much more successful you are than I am in life, at least “I’ll be original”.  It is this type of righteous indignation that inspires action, and funnily enough, that gave me the boost I needed to put keyboard to screen.

 

So without further ado . . . I present AV Phenom’s “Blessings and Turkeys of 2013”.

 

Blessing- Multi-Platform Screen Sharing

Sure we’ve had Airplay on iOS for quite some time, which was great if you lived in the world of iPhone 4S, iPad, and Apple TV.  But what about the rest of the free world?  WiDi and MiraCast still haven’t quite hit the mainstream, and Google ChromeCast is a great idea but hasn’t soared yet either.

Enter Mersive Solstice, Crestron AirMedia (Qomo?), ClickShare, Brio and the like.  This year we have seen more integration of wireless screen sharing built into hardware and into dedicated appliances allowing us to show the screens of multiple BYOD devices, regardless of the platform they operate on.  In a world where technology is supposed to BREAK DOWN barriers, this is a step in the right direction to say the least.

BYOD, you have moved up from the kids table by proving you can play nice with everyone.  Welcome to the feast!

 

Turkey- InfoComm for Charging Instructors to List Courses

OK, so it’s one thing to charge integrators for education where they are receiving value in return for their dollars.  It is completely different to charge instructors of CTS courses a fee to list courses in which they are providing value to integrators on behalf of InfoComm.  InfoComm used the rationale that their Top Instructors hadn’t complained, that “everyone’s doing it mom”, and that the fee would help “cull” courses that weren’t offered often or at all.  Of course the ones most invested in being InfoComm instructors won’t complain, that’d be biting the hand that feeds them.  Here’s an idea, if a course hasn’t been given in a year, cut it from the program.  That will cull the idle instructors without imposing a fee on the ones that are working.

Don’t hog all that gravy for yourself InfoComm, there are others at the table who haven’t got theirs yet.

 

Blessing- The Integration of the Soft Codec

The soft codec is nothing new, but what is new is the widespread acceptance that if VTC is going to be a staple, we need to be able to integrate it into systems.  In the past, companies were using them anyway to save on costs of implementing hard codecs like those from Polycom and Cisco, and were relegated to low quality webcams and microphones to accomplish their long distance communications via Skype, Lync and the like.  Many times their whole team may even huddle around a single laptop, using the integrated camera and mic on board.  Last year, Vaddio started the high quality hardware/soft codec revolution with their Easy USB products, and this year, made them more intuitive and affordable by introducing GroupSTATION and HuddleSTATION.  Crestron jumped in the fray this year as well with their Crestron RL which integrates Microsoft Lync and garnered a lot of attention at InfoComm13 as well.

See related  Ajax Security Products Now Integrate With Crestron

Finally VTC for the masses of companies that can’t afford $10k hard codecs.

To all mentioned, congrats for figuring out that the dark meat can be just as tasty as the premium white meat. 

 

Turkey- HDMI . . . still!!!

I am unable to discuss this in detail due to my pending lawsuit against HDMI filed at InfoComm13.  See the brief here.

Just like my uncle Larry, I wont be speaking to you at dinner this year HDMI.

 

Blessing- HDBaseT- The Technology

I’ve written a lot on HDMI and what a disaster I feel the technology is, from the cable and connector standpoint anyway, so I won’t bore you by recapping it, (although you can see my take here if you wish).  I also wrote an explanation of how HDBaseT technology may help alleviate some of those HDMI woes, at least on the hardware side.  For that reason, I see HDBaseT as a blessing for now, and the few that took my Video Extender Shootout at InfoComm13 showed that the technology can push at least 2560×1080 at 300 feet on standard Cat5e UTP.

Kudos for passing the flavorful dishes ALL THE WAY around the table this year!

 

Turkey- HDBaseT- The Alliance

Well, after all the praise I gave HDBaseT from the technology standpoint and the promise I still think it holds, it seems that the HDBaseT Alliance may be taking plays form the HDMI handbook on enforcing standards, and for that they are also a Turkey this year.  In all my praising of HDBaseT I did insert the caveat that “it is yet to be seen if HDBaseT can exercise better control over its licensing and standards than HDMI has to date in their cables and connectors.”  It seems that statement may be more true and relevant than ever.

“Gobble Gobble” HDBaseT!

I’m sure there are many more, but you wouldn’t read a blog much longer than this anyway J  Plus I wanted to give you the opportunity to count your Thanksgiving Blessings or air your Festivus greivances as well.

What are your Blessings and Turkeys?  If you don’t have any to add, in the spirit of Good Will Hunting, comment on what you think of mine, by telling me “How you like ‘dem apples” in the comments below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

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