Tecom is introducing at InfoComm the TecPodium AV Lectern, which will integrate multi-touch screen capabilities supporting Microsoft Windows 8 and HD resolution. The TecPodium TPI-12W is an all-in-one lectern with a single control panel controlling all AV gear. It has a built-in optical, multi-user touch screen system. The new touch screen also offers extended educational tools for the modern classroom and training environments where the presenter can use all common touch gestures such as swipe, tap, slide, scroll, zoom and more directly on the podium screen. TecPodium multi-touch screen fully supports Microsoft Windows 8 and Microsoft Office 2013 inking features, allowing direct, on the fly annotation capabilities.

When it's announced, it will be posted here: http://www.tecpodium.com

In today's InfoComm Spotlight Podcast Series, rAVe RADIO's Joel Rollins sits down and talks to PLANAR's Senior Director, Global Product Marketing, Steve Seminario. Planar's latest includes an 84" 4K display and  their Mosaic series of variable-sized flat-panel displays. The Mosaic is billed as a set of Architectural Video Walls and are available in various sizes from 22" square as well as 46" and 55" 16:9 displays that give a museum-like feeling to an installation. Their 84" 4K display is the largest 4K flat-screen on the market and they've got more to come. Listen to this interview for clues to their InfoComm offerings.

Here's Joel's podcast with him: http://bit.ly/16MhzZy

AV Networking World 2013, which will be held in Orlando on June 11th, announced its panel speakers for the informative networking conference. This free all-day event at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando is sponsored by Allen & Heath USA, Attero Tech, Audinate, Bosch Communication Systems, Focusrite, Innovative Electronic Devices, Peavey Commercial Audio, Stewart Audio, Symetrix and Yamaha Commercial Audio. Panel discussions from 16 industry design consultants, installation contractors, networking experts, plus major professional audio equipment manufacturers will cover various case studies covering deployment of small and large-scale networked AV systems. In addition to the broad spectrum of informative panel discussions and presentations, a major interoperability networking demonstration will be conducted.

Here is a glance of the day's presentations:

Evolution of Media Networking
Mike Sims, Director of Marketing & Sales, Attero Tech
Lee Ellison, CEO - Audinate

Conference Rooms and Commercial Installations
Chad Wiggins, Wired Microphone Category Director - Shure Inc.
Mark Ullrich- International Sales Manager, Symetrix, Inc

Network Audio for Small & Medium Venues
Brain McCormick, Chief Marketing Officer - Stewart Audio
Jody Green, VP Product and Marketing Development - Innovative Electronic Designs, LLC-MiTek Communications Group

House of Worship
Michael Palmer-VP of Sales - Allen & Heath USA

Large Scale Digital Audio Networks
Ethan Wetzell - Platform Strategist, Bosch Communications System

Networked Audio for Stadiums Requirements for Stadiums and Arenas
Mark Graham - Associate, Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams, Inc.

Networked Recording Systems and Use Cases
Paul Yurt, RedNet Product Specialist - Focusrite

Live Concert Events: 125 Anniversary Yamaha Celebration
Steve Seable, System Design Engineer - Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems

Switch considerations - An IT managers perspective
Kieran Walsh, Senior Technical Solutions Manager - Audinate

The UK Olympics
Roland Hemming, Principal - RH Consulting

Evolution of New Standards
AVB -Bob Abraham, Sr. Manager, Digital Audio Processing - Shure Incorporated
OCA Alliance- Common Control Protocols- Jeff Berryman, Senior Scientist - Bosch Communications
Future AV Networks- Aidan Williams, CTO - Audinate

Here's where you can register: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHN2ZDFTUXlMeUFVbHNHYTdnbE9ndGc6MA

BenQ is adding three new series of large-format LCDs and two projectors to its lines at next month's InfoComm show in Orlando.   BenQ claims all three of the LCD series use commercial-grade displays. The SL Series is a dust-proof line; the interactive IL Series features up to six-point multitouch points; and the P Series has a bezel design of only 5.6 millimeters between two adjacent screens and offers up to 10x10 display capabilities.   All three of the Series of BenQ flat-panel displays feature something it is calling a Multiple Display Administrator (MDA) application, which enables control of up to 98 displays simultaneously through the LAN and the ability to monitor the health of each display and coordinates sequential startups to prevent power surges. To improve energy performance and reduce maintenance costs, all of them also feature sensors to automatically adjust brightness, anti-image retention to prevent the "burned-in" effect after extended periods of usage and scheduling management to allow users to program up to seven sets of on/off times down to individual video input sources. All models feature landscape and portrait modes.   BenQ will also introduce two new projectors in the form of the 6,000-lumen (their spec) 1080p SH963 and a 6,000-lumen, 1024x768 resolution (XGA) SX914 projector. Both have a contrast ratio spec of 50,000:1.   After InfoComm, they'll be here: http://www.benq.us

If you don't know ATOMOS new, you will after InfoComm next month in Orlando. ATOMOS, an Australian manufacturer specializing in "glue" products for the production market, is bringing their converters, recorders and production tools to the ProAV market and have asked AV-veteran Matt Ivey (of Grass Valley and Tektronix fame) to help them by appointing him as the president!

Their latest is the Samurai Blade -- a camera-mounted recorder, waveform monitor and deck for HD-SDI cameras. It's a 5” IPS 1280x720 touchscreen monitor that has an integrated full waveform vectorscope with zoom and RGB/luma parade with adjustable gamma, contrast and brightness and real-time monitoring, playback, playout and edit logging in the field. It's a must-have for any rental and staging company and you can see all the specs here: http://www.atomos.com/field-recorders/

We caught up with ATOMOS President Matt Ivey earlier this week and asked him to join us on a podcast about what they're up to and what they have planned for InfoComm. Listen to it here.

The NSCA Education Foundation and The Drunk Unkles will hold their 10th Annual Charity Concert on June 13, from 9 - 11 p.m., at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Orlando, FL. You can get a free pass at any of the sponsors’ booths to receive in order to attend the event, or visit http://www.nsca.org to download your printable ticket.

In its 8th year of support for the Foundation, the Drunk Unkles event has raised more than half of million dollars. The contributions and sponsorships toward this event allow the NSCA Education Foundation to provide scholarships and training opportunities for both new professionals to the industry as well as veterans looking to expand their business within the industry.

The Drunk Unkles started more than 10 years ago as a casual hobby. They performed their first charity fundraising event to help support the family of an industry peer who unexpectedly lost his life. The NSCA Education Foundation has continued this tradition of supporting industry members during InfoComm, the NSCA Systems Integration Expo, individual member causes and other fundraising events throughout the year. The event has grown to become a popular evening event held during the week of InfoComm.  

Sponsors with InfoComm booths where you can pick up passes for the 2013 concert include:

• AMX (#2216)
• SurgeX (#1033)
• Chief (#3331)
• Cisco (#2743)
• FSR (#2259)
• Liberty AV Solutions (#3753)
• Mitsubishi (#3701)
• NEC (#1801)
• Symetrix (#922)
• Synnex (#3959)
• West Penn Wire (#2353)

Other sponsors include AVI-SPL, BMG Hudson, Cardone Soloman & Associates, Cerami & Associates and Shen Milsom & Wilke.

PESA just intro'd something it is calling Xstream - a 1U rack-mountable box that simultaneously encodes up to five independent video sources and eight audio sources concurrently from live or recorded video for multi-path H.264 IP distribution over six independent video streams. And, PESA claims that there are no sync or latency issues (hmm, put an asterisk here because this seems unbelievable - prove this one to us PESA).

PESA Xstream captures H.264 IP camera streams, NTSC/PAL or SDI video up to 1080p resolution, video playback and even computer-based content such as PowerPoint slides, then prepares high-bandwidth MPEG-4/H.264 broadcast streams for enterprise distribution and archive. When multiple sources are captured simultaneously, the streams remain associated and synchronized during the event. Storage options include a PESA internal 2.5-inch SATA drive.

With five individually addressable video outputs as well as an integrated quad-view output, PESA Xstream allows operators to stream live content over IP while simultaneously transmitting live digital content to a quad-view display and/or full screen display. PESA Xstream can also synchronize discrete audio inputs to discrete video and IP video inputs, and offers adjustable audio delay.

This is aimed at court recording, rental and staging events, telemedicine, virtual classrooms, security and surveillance, and webcasting and remote production applications. PESA also provides access to its Application Programming Interface (API), allowing integrators to tailor applications to specific market segments.

Here are complete specs: http://pesaxstream.com/

There are over 35 content creation and management software suites on the market claiming to specialize in digital signage. But less than a handful are targeted at helping AV companies get into the digital signage market. No one who's ever used Hypersign would disagree that it's not one of the simplest creation software on the market designed for digital signage applications. Founded by Neil Willis (of CQ Networks fame), Hypersign has the ability to utilize Powerpoint, a simple and commonly used software, to create custom-made digital signage with animations and transitions. Hypersign not only allows you the ability to create dynamic rotating signage with Powerpoint in one area of your digital display, but also allows you the ability to stream live television, upload photos, add an RSS feed, or showcase a simple content area by adding text with the WYSIWYG editor. And, it's compatible with MAC, Windows and Linux-based computers - you can use them as media players instead of having to buy a dedicated media player. Hypersign is here: http://www.hypersign.net

Last week we also caught up with Neil and asked him to talk about Hypersign and their plans at InfoComm as they're seeking to sign up ProAV dealers on the show floor as dealers for Hypersign.

Please take the time to listen to this podcast as if you aren't in digital signage yet, you should be -- and Hypersign can help hand-hold you through the process:
http://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10704:the-week-episode-28-rave-radio-welcomes-hypersign-as-sponsor&catid=231:episodes&Itemid=488

If you're an InfoComm CTS holder and need RUs, InfoComm 2013 in Orlando next month is the place to max out! And, your credentials earn you an invitation to the exclusive CTS-D and CTS-I Symposium, June 11 at InfoComm 2013 in Orlando, FL.

You're just as much of an expert as the presenters, so be ready for a lively day of discussion. You'll explore real-world challenges and successes of integrating standards into a redesigned space. The complete agenda is here.

Plus, get a close-up look at the AV Systems Verification Checklist. Find out how this quality assurance tool goes a long way toward raising the industry's profile and positioning it as a trusted partner to clients and other trades.

 

• Three Days, 24 RUs. Come early for certification prep courses, the new networking course, telepresence and more.
• Earn Your Certification Steps Away From the Show Floor. Take your CTS exams right in the convention center. Hurry, the limited exam seats are going fast!
• What Everybody Ought to Know About Women in Technology. "Lean in" (think Sheryl Sandberg's popular book about women in leadership positions) for a technical practical and inspirational program. Men are encouraged to attend!
• Meet the audio legend, James "JJ" Johnston. Attend the Standards Plenary on Monday, June 10, to hear Johnston talk about bringing people and technology together. Plus, get the latest updates on how InfoComm's standards impact your work.
• Your "Aha" Moment. From networked systems to digital signage to business — and all AV topics between — you can find practical solutions to take back and start using on the job.

And don't forget: CTS holders get a special gift at InfoComm 2013. Make a note to stop by the certification table while you're there. Go to http://www.infocommshow.org to register today! (Use code MCTRA to register for free.)

In less than a month, the entire ProAV market will converge in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center for InfoComm 2013, sure to be one of the biggest (if not the biggest) AV show, ever.

We'll be there shooting thousands new product videos, tweeting everything we see that's new and blogging about it, too. You can follow along with it all here: http://www.ravenowinfocomm.com (bookmark it!).

And, if you're heading to Orlando, we'd like to invite you to hear our founder, Gary Kayye, speak about the future of AV - there are two chances:

If you're involved with AV in Education, you'll want to see Gary Speak at the UBTech Conference on Wednesday at the Dolphin Hotel from 9:50 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Asia 4. He'll  discuss how new AV technologies like IP-enabled AV will actually work by 2015, how Apple's AirPlay will integrate into the classroom, how Simultaneous Teaching (LIVE and Virtual) will work and how to design better classroom AV systems that are truly future-proof. That's part of the UBTech Conference and you can register for it here: http://ubtechconference.com/2013

If you want a general future of AV session, attend his session on show site on Thurs., June 13 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. For over 10 years, one of the most anticipated and shared annual columns in Sound & Communications magazine was Gary Kayye's Krystal Ball piece where he predicted the products, companies and technologies that would debut over the coming 12 months that every ProAV'er needed to know about and for which to watch out. Well, he'll deliver this LIVE at InfoComm! He'll go over SPECIFICS about what's going to happen in AV over the next 12 months in projection, flat-panels, networked AV, control systems and every system component you can imagine. And, he'll make detailed predictions - not general ones. You can register for that session here.

Consider attending!