At NAB, MultiDyne announced something called the SilverBACK-4K, a new camera-mounted fiber transport solution that supports 4K (Ultra HD) digital television. Utilizing SilverBACK-4K, users can seamlessly transmit any camera signal -- including Ultra HD video, HD-SDI video, audio, intercom, control data, GPIOs, tally and power -- over a single hybrid copper and fiber cable.

The SilverBACK-4K is available in two versions: a model with a video option for viewfinder or monitor viewing in the field and a low-cost model without the viewfinder/monitor viewing option. Ultra HD support can be added to any existing SilverBACK system through a simple upgrade, enabling MultiDyne customers to deliver a state-of-the-art 4K television experience cost-effectively.

MultiDyne's SilverBACK transport system features a compact case -- measuring just over 1 inch thick -- with an intuitive user interface. Ideal for digital cinema, sports, ENG, D-SNG and multi-camera studio applications, SilverBACK can transport SDI video up to 4K uncompressed with embedded or separate program audio. Users can achieve camera control/RCP paint functions through one of the three available data channels, and an additional back channel is available for camera sync or genlock. Several options are available for optical connectivity including STs, Neutrik opticalCon, Fibreco Mini 2 expanded beam, and Lemo 304M. A JUICE power supply can be added to support camera distances of up to 300 meters.

The SilverBACK-4K supports up to four channels of AES or analog program audio as well as a full-featured, single-channel intercom with talk and listen gain adjustments. Additionally, an adjustable PGM inject allows the camera operator to hear program audio mixed with intercom. To enable audio, a mic input with pre-amp is included for talent or camera-mounted audio needs, along with a talent IFB. The receiver features a standard four-wire intercom output configuration with an optional two-wire conversion. PGM audio is available for the talent or stage manager via a convenient headphone jack.

More information is at: http://www.multidyne.com Add a comment

ClearOne told rAVe today about an important victory in the Utah Supreme Court in a dispute relating to the company's indemnification of a former officer for costs associated with her criminal defense. As a result of this ruling, which cannot be appealed, ClearOne expects to recoup approximately $500,000 in attorneys' fees previously paid to indemnify the company's former CFO.

"We are pleased that this ruling will result in a significant net financial benefit for ClearOne," said Chairman and CEO Zee Hakimoglu. "I want to thank our current management team and Board of Directors for remaining focused on successfully growing the company while we resolved these legacy matters that transpired nearly ten years ago."

ClearOne is here: http://www.clearone.com/ Add a comment

BTX Technologies (BTX) has debuted a dedicated Fiber Solutions Catalog aimed at helping ProAV integrators and systems contractors use fiber in commercial AV, digital signage, broadcast and security applications.

BTX says it has invested heavily in a new, dedicated fiber lab based in the company's metro-NY corporate headquarters. The lab features highly trained technicians and the industry's most advanced termination and test equipment, offering customers custom Neutrik opticalCON assemblies, tactical fiber cables, distribution cables, and much more. BTX has combined its staff's fiber knowledge with in-house metalworking capabilities to create a wide variety of fiber breakout boxes and panels.

"In addition to custom products, the new BTX 2013 Fiber Solutions Catalog also offers thousands of fiber connectors, cables, signal processing devices, tools, and consumables," said Greg Schwartz, president of BTX. "For both our current customers and users planning to install fiber in their projects, BTX's experienced support staff is available to answer questions and provide sensible solutions to keep installers ahead of the competition. We look forward to working alongside our partners to provide the best in sales and service for this technology and releasing many new products in the near future."

You can order the new catalog by calling them at (914) 592-1800 or download it here:  http://www.btx.com/customer/bttein/customerpages/BTX13_Fiber_Catalog.pdf Add a comment

Powersoft and Audinate announced today that they have entered into a licensing agreement to incorporate Audinate’s Dante media networking into Powersoft’s amplifier products.
 
Powersoft specializes in what the company says are light-weight, high power, single rack space, energy efficient amplifiers for the professional audio market. Its amplifiers can be found in an array of markets, ranging from stadiums, sporting arenas, theme parks, performance venues and airports to convention centers, churches and clubs, and are used by the world's leading tour sound companies.
 
Dante is built on IT standards, and is a complete media networking solution. Dante delivers a low-latency, tightly-synchronized, sample-accurate playback, while simplifying installation and configuration of A/V networks.
 
“Our plan is to build new products for the newest generation of our Install and Touring rack amplifiers,” says Luca Giorgi, Pro Audio BU manager for Powersoft. “Powersoft’s first compatible products integrating Dante will be the new Ottocanali series. Recently launched in its basic version, it will be available in a networkable version this fall. We rely on the new developments planned by Audinate for integrating an AVB stack to have a Dante/AVB solution in the medium term... We are also looking at Audinate’s Ultimo Dante chip as an answer for our OEM Power modules’ which are sold through partners.”
 
"Powersoft is one of the fastest growing amplifier manufacturers in the professional audio market", said Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate. “Powersoft’s advanced DSP technology and management software, combined with Dante high performance digital media networking solution, will create a series of innovative networked products... Audinate’s Dante networking is the most interoperable, easy-to-use digital network solution available.”

To learn more about PowerSoft, go here: http://www.powersoft-audio.com/en/

To learn about Dante, go here: http://www.audinate.com/ Add a comment

A new Sony 4K Media Player (FMP-X1) selling for $699, and two new price-breaking UHD sets were announced by Sony. The 4K media player will bundle UHD technology and content from Sony’s television, film and production / distribution unit, Sony Pictures Entertainment, in a “studio play.” The company is charting a path in the consumer TV space using new ultra high definition displays and content to differentiate its offerings.

UHD is a “green field” in the CE space for Sony looking for a way to re-start its CE TV business amid Japanese and Korean rivals and the onslaught of China brands from both mainland and Taiwan. Sony said it will sell its new LED-based LCD sets in 55- and 65-inch with UHD 3840x2160 pixel resolution at new “affordable” prices of sub-$5K for the 55-inch diagonal UHD set (XBR-65X900A) and sub $7K for the 65-inch (XBR-65X900A). Details were made public in an April 7th press release and on the official Sony blog site.

Sony said its UHD TVs and 4K Media Player content is available for viewing now at select Sony Stores with delivery of the 55- and 65-inch UHD sets expected just prior to summer.  Pre-orders are available from April 21st on the SonyStore.com web site or at the specific retail locations in California (LA, Costa Mesa, Palo Alto), New York (NYC), Texas (Houston) and Nevada (Las Vegas).



Content is King

Meanwhile, for UHD TV adoption, analysts predicted the biggest hurdle would be UHD content and that’s where Sony Pictures unit comes into play. The 4K Media Player will come pre-loaded with bundled content from Sony Pictures that is mastered for the higher resolution sets. Sony said the FMP-X1 will include remastered 4K native resolution versions of:

• Bad Teacher
• Battle: Los Angeles
• The Bridge over the River Kwai
• The Karate Kid
• Salt
• Taxi Driver
• That’s My Boy
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• The Other Guys
• Total Recall

The group will expand content in 2013 (TBA but “Fall season” was mentioned) using a PPV (pay per view) distribution service that will offer up to 4,000 titles from Sony Pictures alone. But don’t expect to dial in Netflix or Hulu to get UHD native streaming over the Internet just yet. The bandwidth requirements will limit UHD content for these sets, and it’s still not clear just how the 4K titles will be distributed (via disc and mail?) or if they are using video compression combined with a “trickle to hard drive” scheme. The point is, we don’t expect to see real-time 4K video streaming over the Web anytime soon. So it may be back to the mail (via Netflix original model) and / or waiting for an overnight download to watch a 4K film.

Sony also said it will use the opportunity to re-launch 1080p Blu-ray titles using a “Mastered in 4K” moniker with the promise of 1080p versions that are “...derived from the highest quality 4K source material with new expanded color, ...dynamic and vibrant picture, ...and plays back on all existing Blu-ray players and HDTVs.”

UHD exploded on scene last quarter at CES with remarkable product coverage particularly by the China brands (Mainland and Taiwan.) At the time, most analyst saw the move to UHD as a way for flat panel set makers to boost declining ASPs (average selling price) of HDTVs, and perhaps gain an early market position in a flat-panel TV field dominated by Korean rivals Samsung and LG. All the while, content was seen as the gating issue, perhaps pushing out the UHD TV adoption by a year or more.

Now, clearly, Sony is using the new UHD format to help get to market early with a differentiated product that leverages its unique position in both consumer electronics and TV / film production / distribution. So it’s sooner rather than later for UHD with Sony leading the charge, with this complete 4K media player / display solution and the hopes to reinvigorate the once untouchable brand and bring back the glory days of “Sony-No Baloney.”

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TouchSystems continues to grow its budget-friendly line of displays with a multi-touch 32” display.
 
The V 32, based on NEC’s V322, features an improved mechanical design, resulting in a slimmer depth. The display features built-in rather than rear-mounted speakers. It also offers expanded connectivity through digital loop-through and DisplayPort. Finally, it boasts an Open Pluggable Specification slot, which offers seamless integration with NEC accessories and third-party components. The display can be integrated with either DST (single touch) or infrared (multi-touch).

Specs include a pixel pitch of 0.51 millimeters, a brightness of 340 cd/m2, a contrast ration of 2000:1 and a native resolution of 1366x768.

Here are the details: http://touchsystems.com/ Add a comment

Linear has added Z-Wave lighting products to its line of wireless residential and commercial offerings. The new products represent a benchmark for Linear as the company seeks to unify wireless lighting control products with existing security and access control systems and other Z-Wave products.   

Z-Wave is an international wireless standard for intelligent, interoperable, low-power, RF mesh networking technology. A smart chip and compact protocol enable two-way RF communications among Z-Wave enabled devices. Linear is now manufacturing, selling and distributing Z-Wave lighting control products that include: wall dimmers, wall switches, wall outlets, lamp modules, appliance modules, three-way switches/dimmers, fixture modules, as well as international versions of the same products.

Linear says the products also fit with its recent acquisition of 2GIG Technologies since 2GIG's GO! Control platform is Z-Wave certified and provides a control panel for the management of lighting, security, access control and more.

Go here to learn more: http://www.linearcorp.com/ Add a comment

AVnu Alliance, the industry forum that certifies Audio Video Bridging (AVB) products for interoperability, has announced the formation of the AVnu Alliance Broadcast Advisory Council (AABAC). The AABAC was launched today during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show in Las Vegas.
 
Serving as a forum for network technologists and AVnu Alliance members, the AABAC aims to advance the broadcast industry's AVB requirements and promote the adoption of AVB in demanding broadcast applications. The AABAC is encouraging participation from AVnu Alliance members and broadcasters.
 
"We've already seen strong interest from broadcasters drawn to AVB's ability to provide high-reliability, converged media and data infrastructure," states Lee Minich, AVnu Alliance chair of the Marketing Work Group and president of Lab X Technologies. "With the collective expertise in the AABAC, the AVnu Alliance now has a dedicated platform to assess AVB requirements important to the broadcast market."
 
Designed to meet the demanding needs of high-quality, real-time synchronized audio and video through guaranteed bandwidth networks infrastructure, the open IEEE AVB standards have been adopted in many demanding markets including automotive and professional A/V.
 
"AVB is a game-changing technology for the broadcast industry, and AABAC is the perfect medium to share and shape this future with the world's leading broadcasters, "adds Jan Eveleens, AVnu Alliance Pro Video subgroup chair and CEO of Axon. "AABAC will be a high value engagement for any broadcasting company interested in the future of their audio and video infrastructures."
 
Those interested in joining or learning more about the AABAC may contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and to learn more about AVnu, go here: http://www.avnu.org/ Add a comment

At NAB, Vaddio announced the launch of its ZoomSHOT -- a high definition, point-of-view camera with HDMI and analog component outputs. Based on Vaddio’s ClearVIEW HD-19 PTZ camera technology, the ZoomSHOT provides a 19x optical zoom, auto focus, auto iris, advanced image control and high definition video resolutions up to 1080p60/50. Manual pan and tilt positioning allows for simple, yet precise control.

Vaddio’s complementary QuickSET mounting system offers simple installation by just positioning the camera to a required shot and locking it in place. Optional wall and ceiling mounts are available in addition to the standard set-top mount.

Power, video and control all run over Cat5 cabling. Full image color control is available from a built-in internal On-Screen Display. In addition, to Vaddio’s existing Quick-Connect solutions, a new Quick-Connect USB option outputs USB and analog component (YPbPr) and HDMI.

Here are all the specs: http://www.vaddio.com/product/zoomshot_camera Add a comment

Auto-updating digital signage content is the most time efficient option to provide up-to-the-minute, relevant information to an audience. Visix will teach you how to leverage it during a 30-minute webinar that will feature:

• Show traffic cameras, building renovations and more through graphic links and web page messages
• Display current weather and forecasts from NOAA for one or more US locations
• Purchase AccuWeather Premium Weather to display frequently updated current conditions and forecasts for one or multiple locations across the globe
• Purchase the Visix news service or RSS News to display news feeds from almost any RSS 2.0 URL
• Show event information for rooms and/or locations using a text file or Event Adapter
• Display data using custom Flash modules

The webinar will take place on Thursday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m. eastern time and will take about 30 minutes.

Register here: https://student.gototraining.com/r/4608160234191168256 Add a comment

Extron's new IN1608 is an eight-input, HDCP-compliant scaling presentation switcher with four HDMI inputs, two universal analog video inputs and dual HDMI outputs. It also features two Extron DTP 230 twisted pair inputs and a DTP 230 output for extending HDMI, audio and bidirectional control signals to DTP 230 transmitters and receivers, each over a single CATx cable up to 230 feet (70 meters). The IN1608 provides the convenience of supporting local and remote displays with fast and reliable switching, and a high performance scaling engine that converts all HDMI and analog sources to the optimal resolution. Selectable output resolutions are available up to 1920x1200, including 1080p and 2K. The IN1608 also includes a host of audio switching and processing features. It is available as a standard model with two stereo audio outputs, the IN1608 SA, which adds a stereo 4/8 ohm power amplifier and the IN1608 MA with a mono 70 volt amplifier.

The two DTP 230 twisted pair inputs can receive signals from remote DTP 230 transmitters in areas such as a conference table, lectern or wall for connecting a guest laptop. The DTP 230 twisted pair output can be used to transmit from an IN1608 in a rack to a DTP 230 receiver behind a flat-panel display on a wall, above a ceiling-mounted projector, or any other remote location. To simplify installation, bidirectional RS-232 and IR signals can be inserted from a control system and transmitted over the single CATx cable together with the video and audio, enabling control of a source or display. The IN1608 can also remotely power each of the DTP 230 transmitters and receiver over the same CATx cable, streamlining system design and installation.

In addition to video switching and processing, the IN1608 can serve as the central component for audio system integration. It includes eight-input audio switching, two mic/line inputs, HDMI audio embedding and de-embedding, and several audio processing features for mixing, ducking, tone adjustments and more. Audio configuration features and options can easily be accessed through the internal Web pages, with an intuitive GUI that provides access to all available adjustments and settings. Two IN1608 models feature integrated power amplifiers. The IN1608 SA delivers stereo power amplification with 50 watts rms per channel into 4 ohms and 25 watts rms per channel into 8 ohms, while the IN1608 MA provides mono 70 volt amplification with 100 watts rms output.

The IN1608 features an advanced scaling engine that can scale HDMI, RGB, component, and standard definition video signals to a common high resolution output. It provides high performance 1080i deinterlacing and Deep Color processing to deliver optimal image quality. To simplify integration of HDMI sources and displays, and to help ensure optimal system performance and dependability, the IN1608 features three Extron-exclusive technologies: EDID Minder, Key Minder and SpeedSwitch. EDID Minder and Key Minder automatically manage EDID communication and HDCP key negotiation between input and output devices to ensure reliable operation. With SpeedSwitch Technology, the IN1608 delivers virtually instantaneous switching speeds for HDCP-encrypted content.

Go here to learn more: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=in1608&search=IN1608 Add a comment

The Power of AV for Education is designed exclusively for audiovisual technology professionals working in education, training and learning environments. This event will examine technology's role in education trends and will be led by Shen Milsom Wilke's Bill Nattress and Cornell University's John Pfleiderer.

The Power of AV for Education will cover:

 

• The future of AV technology in classrooms
• How to improve the learning environment
• How to facilitate classroom and training room activities
• How to use web conferencing for distance learning
• BYOD: Trends in the support environment

It's free and you can register here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35747.htm

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Panasonic today announced the PT-DZ13K series of projectors, the latest addition to its 3-chip DLP projector lineup. Unveiled at the 2013 NAB Show in Las Vegas, the PT-DZ13K series consists of four models that offer a range of resolutions and brightness between 10,600 and 12,000 lumens and from 1366x768 to 1920x1200 resolutions.



For rental and staging applications, the PT-DZ13K Series’ Dual Lamp System enables continuous operation even if one lamp fails and using the Lamp Relay mode allows for 24/7 use, as the two lamps alternate in operation. Using what Panasonic says is a long lamp life of up to 4,000 hours in Eco Mode and an Eco Filter with a replacement cycle of up to 12,000 hours, it significantly reduces the projector's operating expenses and total cost of ownership over previous models.

The line includes various interchangeable lenses, a lens memory function that saves settings, such as zoom, focus and lens shift, built-in geometric adjustment functions and all four models will ship later this month.

You can see them all here: http://www.panasonic.com/business/projectors/ Add a comment

Clear-Com's new Version 1.1 of the HelixNet Partyline Intercom System includes system linking capability, which extends digital partyline intercom communications over a network among a production’s field users, mobile trucks and in-studio headquarters, without compromising the audio quality.

The HelixNet Partyline Intercom System claims to be the industry’s first digital network partyline intercom to combine the simplicity of a traditional analog partyline intercom with the advanced network management capabilities of a matrix intercom. Because it uses a single-pair, shielded cable for supporting all audio channels, program audio and power for beltpacks, it is ideal for broadcast applications that require quick setup and distribution of multiple channels of intercom.

Expanded functionality under version 1.1 includes the ability to link up to five HMS-4X Main Stations and up to 100 HBP-2X Digital Beltpacks via Ethernet to build larger and more sophisticated partyline intercom systems. HelixNet’s station-to-station networking function makes this possible by defining up to five Main Stations that can be connected via the new HLI-ET2 Ethernet Module. Main Stations can connect directly or through a LAN using standard IT switches. A new HLI-FBS Fiber Module is also available for linking stations over long distances. The Fiber Module has two fiber ports using SFP modules for simple exchange of fiber transceivers. It also allows linking to four other Main Stations in a fiber daisy-chain. The standard connection is Single-Mode with Multi-Mode offered as an option.

Complete specs are here: http://www.clearcom.com/ Add a comment

I stumbled across a very interesting marketing approach by Crestron yesterday. I'd heard rumors of its existence, but it took some looking to find it.

On Crestron's website under the RESOURCES section of its site, there are side-by-side comparisons or Shoot-Outs, if you will, posted of the company's Digital Media line of switchers to both Extron DXP Series and the AMX DVX (Enova) switchers. Both Extron and AMX are given their own video:

To view the videos in full 1080p, make sure you select that resolution in the player's lower right-hand corner.

Here's the Crestron vs. Extron video: 



And, here's the Crestron vs. AMX video:



Primarily, the shoot-out between the switchers focuses on switching performance. In case you have lived under a rock for the past few years and haven't noticed, switching between sources is a big deal. Sometimes the image blanks (goes black), sometimes there's video noise, sometimes there's flashes of video "garbage" and sometimes you see the image switch, go black, flash up again and then go blank before finally stabilizing and showing the new image. Over the years, technology has progressed and switcher manufacturers have helped in source switching. Where the plethora of on-screen switching anomalies between a Blu-ray player and a cable TV set-top box via the TV's inputs barely gets noticed in the home, when that flashing, blanking and video-noise occurs on a large projection screen in a an on-campus auditorium or in a high-end boardroom, it's seen by everyone and can be distracting.

So, switcher manufacturers have employed all sorts of creative ways of not only speeding up the switching time, but they've also delayed the switching (while blanking the screen themselves) so that the on-screen video flashing is dissipated or not even noticed -- but, sometimes, that delays the switching time.

And, with this new generation of hybrid analog/digital switchers, this problem gets worse because not only is it dealing with resolution changes on-the-fly, but the switcher is also dealing with processing input signals that can be analog, digital or a mix of both -- not to mention the complexities of switching a source that also has HDCP (high definition content protection), EDID (extended display identification data) and/or DDC (Display Data Channel) data embedded into the signal. All of these signal characteristics make for a complex switching situation that can make or break a switcher's performance if not dealt with properly. The cheaper the price of the switcher, the less likely it deals with these complex switching issues properly -- thus, the more on-screen garbage you'll have to deal with (and, in some cases, if not dealt with properly, the signal being switched, may not show up at all).

So, that brings me back to the videos at hand (posted above). Crestron is staking a claim that they do it better than anyone. And, they demo that with what they say is a true side-by-side comparison.

So, what do you think? Is the market ripe for a new type of Shoot-Out at InfoComm? A Switcher Shoot-Out?

I think this is a bold, but potentially risky, move by Crestron as it not only calls out the competition, but they document it via video in full-1080p resolution -- so all the world can see. Good marketing move, or not? In college, Marketing 101 teaches us to never mention our competition by name, but that all changed with the success of the "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" ads from Apple. The success of those ads pitted the Mac directly against the Windows PC. Is this Crestron's Mac vs. PC moment?

What do you think?

Update: Extron has responded, which we write about here. AMX has also responded, which we write about here. Add a comment

Shen Milsom Wilke principal L. William (Bill) Nattress will discuss future technology trends in higher education at InfoComm's "Power of AV for Education" event in New York City this Wednesday.

Bill's session, "Technology in the University: Future Trends" will examine how technology can improve learning environments, how it can facilitate activities that are difficult to do in a traditional classroom and how technology will help educational institutions deal with shrinking funding sources by providing efficient distance learning environments.

Topics include:
-Mobile computing
-Video
-Social Networking
-Cloud computing

The session will take place this Wednesday, April 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST.

Register here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35747.htm Add a comment

Premium audio brand Neumann has announced the launch of its new active studio monitor: the KH 310 A. The KH 310 A is a three-way system that is based on newly developed drivers housed in a sealed cabinet. The company says this ensures extremely accurate reproduction over the entire frequency response at surprisingly high reproduction levels.

The KH 310 A is suited for use as a near-field monitor for mixing and mastering, as a front loudspeaker in medium-sized surround systems or as a rear loudspeaker for larger multi-channel systems. It can be used in applications such as those in the fields of music production, broadcasting, post production and mastering. In combination with the Neumann studio subwoofers, KH 810 and KH 870, which feature a 7.1 High Definition Bass Manager, the KH 310 A monitor provides users with a perfect surround solution. The system is particularly relevant for use in the movie industry, which often requires monitoring solutions for multi-channel recordings with eight or more audio channels.

The KH 310 A's treble, midrange and bass drivers have all been designed and tested by Neumann. Each driver is carefully optimized using acoustic simulations and undergoes an extensive series of measurements, ensuring an extremely linear reproduction across the entire frequency range. The bass driver provides an accurate response down to 34 Hz. This is achieved using a sealed cabinet design that provides extremely fast transient response. The mid-frequencies, essential for speech and vocals, are reproduced with exceptional precision by a dedicated soft dome midrange driver. The high frequencies are handled by an alloy fabric dome in an elliptical Mathematically Modeled Dispersion waveguide.

Three powerful class-AB amplifiers and a high-capacity SMPS power supply deliver very high headroom to the system with no audible distortion, and the acoustical controls for bass, low-mid and high frequencies make the KH 310 A a problem solver for acoustically challenging environments such as edit suites and OB vans.

The KH 310 lists for $2,249 and more specs are here: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/ Add a comment

Vaddio’s new PowerVIEW PTZ cameras bring three-chip "broadcast camera performance" to a single-chip camera, according to the company. Based on third-generation Maicovicon MOS imaging sensor technology, the HD-22 and HD-30 improve color and brightness uniformity, ensuring an improved high definition image quality.

The HD-22 comes equipped with a multi-element 22x optical glass auto-focus zoom lens that provides up to a 66-degree field-of-view for a wide range of telephoto or wide-angle shot options. An impressive 128x wide dynamic range covers both light and dark contrasted areas and a Color Capture light system produces vivid color images without color saturation or filtering. The HD-30 has a 30x optical power zoom.

The PowerVIEW HD-22 and HD-30 are the industry’s first robotic PTZ cameras to use the new MOS 1/2.8-Progressive Scan imaging sensor. By suppressing uneven brightness, the HD-22 and HD-30 provide an unmatched low-light performance of 0.4 LUX and a Super Sharp Detail technology for auto-sharpening fuzzy images.

Outputs include native 1080p/60/50 Digital HDMI and analog component video resolutions, ideal for use in the highest demanding HD camera applications requiring a 3-Chip PTZ camera.

Get all the specs at: http://www.vaddio.com Add a comment

Sony surprised everyone at NAB with aggressive pricing for its 4K (3840x2160) TVs -- the Bravia XBR-55X900A (55") and the XBR-65X900A (65") are $4,999 and $6,999, respectively. They will start shipping on April 21st.

Starting today, six Sony Store locations (Century City, Calif.; Costa Mesa, Calif.; Houston; Las Vegas; New York and Palo Alto, Calif.) will be the first to feature the XBR-55 and 65X900A 4K TVs, offering consumers in-store demonstrations of 4K and enhanced (translation: upscaled) video.

This summer, consumers of Sony's 4K UHD TVs can purchase the FMP-X1 4K Media Player bundled with 10 feature films and video shorts in true 4K resolution for $699. In the fall of 2013, users of the same 4K Media Player will be given access to a fee-based video distribution service offering a library of 4K titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment and other notable production houses. The feature films included with purchase of the 4K Media Player are Bad Teacher, Battle: Los Angeles, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Karate Kid (2010), Salt, Taxi Driver, That's My Boy, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Other Guys and Total Recall (2012).

To coincide with the availability of Sony's new 4K Ultra HD TVs, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is also bringing to market a lineup of "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray Discs.

The 4K TVs include Wi-Fi, upscaled inputs, two pairs of 3D glasses and use what Sony is calling Triluminous displays with X-Reality PRO and Motionflow XR960 technology.

More details are here: http://www.sony.com Add a comment

Barco LiveDots (a Barco company) has added a new C-series LED display, dubbed the C8. It has a pixel pitch of 8.33 millimeters and is spec'd at 5,000 nits brightness. It's an outdoor LED display that Barco says has been specifically designed for use in the rental and staging industry or for fixed installations.

Because the C8’s mechanical accessories -- such as the truss beams, feet and stacking frame -- as well as the image processors, are common to the other C-series LED displays, rental companies can use their current inventory and make it work in cross-rental applications. Like the rest of the C-Series from LiveDots, it's hermetically sealed and fan-less.

Here are all the specs: http://www.barco.com/en/products-solutions/led-displays/outdoor-led-displays/833mm-pixel-pitch-5000-nits-outdoor-led-display.aspx Add a comment

Today Christie introduced two new 3-chip DLP, 4K projectors -- the Christie D4K2560 and Christie D4K3560. The company says these new D4K models are the 3-chip DLP 4K projectors from Christie that also offer frame rates at 60 frames per second (fps). Both the Christie D4K2560 (25,000 center lumens) and Christie D4K3560 (35,000 center lumens) provide razor-sharp image detail – and video with smoother motion and transitions – for unsurpassed image quality and a more vibrant and appealing visual experience. The new projectors replace the Christie D4K25 and D4K35, respectively.
 
“Christie is the only manufacturer providing full 4K (4096x2160) resolution at 60 Hz and the reliability and image clarity of 3-chip DLP all in one package. Both projectors are a quantum leap forward in video image processing and a breakthrough in high frame rate and high resolution video projection,” said Mike Garrido, senior product manager, Business Products, Christie.
 
The Christie D4K2560 and Christie D4K3560 projectors are the first of Christie’s new TruLife Electronics platform. Additionally, the units come equipped with 3G SDI, Display Port and DVI/Dual Link DVI inputs, so Christie customers can update their existing sites for future projects without the constraints of SDVI inputs.
 
“Customers such as automotive designers and amusement park operators will love the increased dynamic range and the highest fidelity content with immaculate, deep, and vivid color transitions,” Garrido continued. “Amusement parks, for example, are open all day and well into the evening seven days a week and the combination of 4K, 60 Hz and DLP reliability can manage the heavy workload with smooth, crystal-clear video content much longer than what has been available."
 
The Christie D4K2560 and Christie D4K3560 have a three-year parts and labor warranty and ship in June 2013. Tou can see all the specs of the D4K2560 here: http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/products/projectors/3-chip-dlp/Pages/
Christie-D4K2560-3-chip-DLP-4K-projector.aspx and the D4K3560 here: http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/products/projectors/3-chip-dlp/Pages/christie-d4k3560-3-chip-dlp-4k-projector.aspx
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High End Systems is launching a couple of new lighting products at the Pro Light & Sound show in Frankfurt this month.

The SolaWash 19 and SolaWash 37 are high brightness moving wash lights that will complement High End System’s existing LED fixtures, the SolaSpot LED and Trackspot Bolt. Powered by 15-watt RGBW LEDs, and offering the deep hues provided by the company's Indigo Highlighter, these fast, compact and versatile fixtures are meant for applications such as concerts, theaters or corporate events. Features such as built-in dynamic patterns and lenses, a 12- to 65-degree zoom, variable CTO and multiple fixture modes offer a lot of flexibility.

High End Systems is also launching the Master Wing 4 for the HOG4 family, which has 30 fader-less playback masters - as well as a rate encoder, also found on the HOG4. The Master Wing 4, like the Playback Wing 4, comes with a 15.6” widescreen touch panel and a slot for expansion with a Super Widget or MIDI Timecode Widget.

Finally, the company is unveiling new features for the HOG 4 family at the show, including Command Keys, which is the ability to attach any directory items to the LCD User Keys.

Find out more about these products at http://www.highend.com Add a comment

Meyer Sound has introduced the Compass RMS, a new hardware and software solution that the company says streamlines the real-time monitoring of Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeaker systems. Building on Meyer Sound’s remote monitoring technology, the new Compass RMS system features the RMServer, the purpose-built network hardware that communicates loudspeaker performance data over Ethernet and twisted-pair network. The control interface is now fully integrated into the Compass 3.0 software, which supports both Mac and Windows. Compass 3.0 also serves as the user interface for the Galileo loudspeaker management system and the CAL column array loudspeaker.

With the control interface moved to Compass 3.0, users of Compass RMS can perform mute, solo and wink ID functions and monitor more than a dozen parameters much more efficiently. These parameters include peak amplifier power and voltage, average amplifier power, limiting, fan speed and heat sink temperature. Compass RMS adds the ability to automatically discover RMS-equipped loudspeakers on the network, eliminating most data entry.

Compass RMS is built on the IEEE 1722.1 open standard for communication and control. Using a standard router, Compass RMS can be controlled with a wireless computer or a tablet. RMServer works independently of Compass, and can send emergency notifications via email even when Compass is not connected.

RMServer is backwards compatible with all Meyer Sound loudspeakers equipped with an RMS module. RMS is an option for all loudspeaker models and the MPS-488HP power supply. To deploy Compass RMS, users should purchase the correct number of RMServer units, download the free Compass 3.0 software, and perform a quick, one-time procedure to set each loudspeaker’s ID code. Each RMServer can connect up to 50 RMS-equipped Meyer Sound loudspeakers or 96 low-voltage loudspeakers using 12 RMS-equipped MPS-488HP power supplies.

Compass RMS will ship in May 2013. Click here for more information: http://www.meyersound.com/products/compass_rms/ Add a comment

DVDO today announced the availability of the company's latest product, the Quick6 x 2 4K Ultra HD HDMI switcher.

The Quick6 HDMI switcher upgrades home theater installations to the latest video connectivity technologies including InstaPrevue technology, which enables a live picture-in-picture preview of each connected HDMI device.
 
Quick6 offers 300MHz HDMI inputs, InstaPrevue and InstaPort and support for MHL mobile devices. Unlike traditional HDMI switchers, Quick6 is designed specifically to integrate with existing A/V Receivers (AVRs), upgrading the entire home theater with the latest audio and video features and future-proofing with 4K Ultra HD support. The product's dual HDMI outputs can also be used to drive two displays simultaneously. Entertainment enthusiasts will find the Quick6 HDMI switcher to be an ideal product for new and existing home theater setups with multiple HDMI sources and displays.

The Quick6 HDMI switcher features:

• Six HDMI inputs including four (300MHz) 4K Ultra HD capable inputs and two MHL-enabled inputs to connect to mobile devices
• Dual HDMI outputs - two displays or one display and one AVR
• InstaPrevue - Live on-screen previews of active inputs
• InstaPort S Technology - Near instantaneous input switching
• Picture-in-Picture
• Audio Return Channel (ARC)
• S/PDIF optical and coax outputs
• Serial port for automation control
• Automatic switching - three modes
• USB for easy firmware update

DVDO Quick6 is available now with a list price of $399.

For more information, click here: http://www.dvdo.com.

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Atlas Sound is now shipping all its equipment racks with printed rack rails. The company says this makes it easier for integrators to plan a rack elevation and reduce product install time at the job site. The rack rails are printed with each 1RU section having a designated number and defined area. This easily identifies how many 1RU sections are in the rack and makes it easy to see where each product should be placed when installed.    Atlas Sound has been producing equipment racks since the 1960s. The company's current line of racks, all of which are made in the USA at the company's Ennis, Tex. production facility, includes multiple series that each offer a unique set of features and benefits. Each rack series is available in various heights and depths.      For more information, go to http://www.atlassound.com

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BenQ America Corp. today announced its new M7 Series of high-brightness, high-performance projectors. Designed for education and other large-venue settings, the product line comprised of the MX720, MW721, MX722, MX766, and MW767 features up to 4,200 ANSI lumens of brightness, contrast ratios extending to 13,000:1, and power-saving technology to cut energy consumption by up to 70 percent. The higher-end models include features such as USB camera integration and remote desktop capabilities to facilitate classroom management, wireless display for cable-free connections and projection templates to make presentations easier.

With 3,500 (MX720 and MW721), 4,000 (MX722 and MX766), and 4,200 (MW767) ANSI lumens of light, the projectors offer astounding brightness within any ambient light setting. The projectors feature XGA (MX720, MX722 and MX766) and WXGA (MW721 and MW767) native resolutions for sharp images, built-in 10-watt or 20-watt speakers and a six-segment color wheel to cast lifelike images onto the screen.

Lowering total cost of ownership (TCO), all models feature an "Eco Blank" mode, allowing presenters to blank out the projection screen whenever the projector is not in use. To further reduce energy costs, the MX720, MW721, MX766, and MW767 use BenQ's SmartEco technology to enable power-saving features. In the "SmartEco" mode, the projector automatically adjusts lamp power by up to 70 percent — using just the right amount of brightness that is needed. A "No Source Detected" mode automatically lowers brightness to 30 percent when no display has been detected for more than three minutes, while a "Standby" mode lowers power consumption to less than 0.5W while the projectors are inactive. In addition, the M7 Series features an audio pass through function that further preserves lamp life by enabling just sound for audio-only podcasts or presentations.

For complete connectivity, the M7 Series features LAN Display for full projection management via a single LAN cable, dual HDMI and D-sub ports to enable inputs from several sources, and DLP Link support for 3D projection. Other features include "instant restart," which allows rapid rebooting when devices are accidentally switched off and a microphone input to facilitate setups by eliminating the need to carry speakers.

Available now, the BenQ MX720, MW721, MX722, MX766 and MW767 retail at $1,299, $1,499, $1,499, $2,199 and $2,399, respectively.

More information is available here: http://www.BenQ.us. Add a comment

Haivision today announced the launch of the Haivision Video Cloud, which simplifies the complexity of live and on-demand video workflows by providing an end-to-end media platform. Haivision’s online video platform provides a complete solution for companies to engage their audiences with dynamic media content, regardless of network or device.

The Haivision Video Cloud simplifies the complexity associated with the management and publishing of video by integrating on-premise source encoding, file-based and live transcoding, media management, microsite builder, automated publishing and feed management and viewer-based real-time analytics. With the Haivision Video Cloud, organizations can implement an end-to-end system they can rely on to deliver both live and on-demand media experiences to any connected device.

The Haivision Video Cloud features integration of a robust and reliable content delivery network (CDN) – Akamai – that ensures that the storage and delivery of media assets in the cloud is quick and of the highest quality. The Haivision Video Cloud features the ability to automate the delivery of content to websites, mobile devices and tablets, along with social media syndication.

Core components of the Haivision Video Cloud include:

• A Video Content Management System (VCMS) that automates the gathering and publishing of live and on-demand content and integrates publishing workflows, file transcoding, media management and viewer-based analytics within an intuitive user interface
• Haivision’s flagship live cloud transcoding engines support adaptive streaming formats with KulaByte, pay-per-use automated cloud transcoding with HyperStream Live and 24/7 linear cloud transcoding services
• Easily configurable video micro-sites with Haivision’s Site Builder, to present video content in customized media webpages
• Content delivery powered by Akamai’s industry leading content delivery network (CDN) for storage and transport

For more information, click here: http://www.haivision.com/hvc Add a comment

Acer America today announced a new home theater projector, the Acer H5370BD. This 720p projector is 3D-ready and lists for only $549.

The Acer H5370BD projector can deliver pictures up to 300 inches. It is specified at 2,500 ANSI lumens brightness and 13,000:1 contrast ratio with Dynamic Black technology.

This projector supports popular 3D technologies including Blu-ray 3D, DLP 3D and NVIDIA 3DTV Play. Acer 2D-to-3D technology automatically converts into 3D any 2D picture or video signal that passes through the HDMI port.

Eco-friendly modes save power and extend the projector's lamp lifespan, which lowers the total cost of ownership. By selecting the option to use Acer ExtremeEco mode, the power consumption of the projector can be reduced up to 70 percent and the lamp life extended up to 10,000 hours. In addition, the projector automatically enters ECO mode if there is no input signal for five minutes, which reduces standby power consumption by up to 50 percent.

To see all the specs, click here: http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/MR.JG511.00A Add a comment

The Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA) will produce a Digital Screenmedia Symposium May 9-10 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Staying ahead of the consumer
• Omni-channel customer engagement
• How to rethink digital screenmedia: in-store and out
• QSR and fast casual: turning dining digital
• Integrating screenmedia into store design
• Mobile integration

Speakers include:

• FK Funderburke, Director, Immersive Experiences, SapientNitro
• Leah Gentry, Director, Content, Social and Design, Sprint
• Ignaz Gorischek, VP, Store Development, Neiman Marcus
• Kyle Jeffrey, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Associate/Design Director, Gensler
• Shelley Pisarra, Senior Director, Shopper Insights & Analytics, PepsiCo - Frito Lay
• Michael Winton, EVP/Co-Founder, IndoorDIRECT

Along with education, the event will afford attendees with plenty of opportunities for networking. One session, called the “Brain Exchange” will give attendees the option to participate in the roundtable discussion of their choice and exchange ideas with peers.

The event will also include an evening dinner party at Austin Ranch, which is adjacent to the Hilton. During the evening event, winners of the 2013 DSA Industry Excellence Awards will be announced.

The DSA Advisory Board will hold its biannual meeting on the morning of May 9 before the Symposium begins.

Register online here: https://dsa.silkstart.com/events/digital-screenmedia-symposium.

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Triad Speakers, Inc. today announced the availability of its new InWall Bronze/4 SlimSub.  

Measuring 3-15/16 inches deep to fit into a standard 4-inch deep wall cutout, the flat grill, flush mount design of the SlimSub is an aesthetical improvement over the model it replaces, the InWall Bronze/4 Sub, which protruded several inches from the wall.  

The SlimSub delivers deep bass at high volumes, achieving a maximum output of 109 dB from 40-80 Hz with bass extension of -6dB at 25 Hz. Triad says this performance also represents an improvement over the previous model and in fact rivals that of the company’s larger, 6-inch deep InWall Bronze/6 model.  

According to Triad Speakers President Larry Pexton, the company fine-tuned the sealed enclosure to match the excursion of the proprietary long-throw 10-inch aluminum driver used. Triad engineers also integrated a round steel back-plate that serves to replace the thick MDF behind the driver, capturing more air volume to accommodate the lengthy throw of the driver.

The SlimSub fits into the same cut-out (size "V") as the company’s other in-wall subs, making it ideal for retrofit opportunities. The SlimSub incorporates all three types of Triad’s Acoustimesh grill (wide, narrow and frameless), which the company can custom paint-match at the factory.

The InWall Bronze/4 SlimSub is paired with Triad’s 350-watt rack amplifier (RackAmp 350 DSP) at an MSRP of $1,400. It is shipping now.

To see all the specs, click here: http://www.triadspeakers.com/products/iwb4sub.html Add a comment

Today Christie unveiled its latest electronics platform – Christie TruLife – with a proprietary, 1.2 Gigapixel per second, floating point architecture. Christie TruLife electronics forms the basis for the latest generation of projectors, which the company says is capable of delivering ultra high resolution, high frame rate video with high image fidelity (e.g., 4K resolution image processing at 60 fps and beyond). The current standard digital interfaces such as DVI have a bandwidth of 165 MHz.
 
With a high-performance electronics engine that leverages the latest in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) integrated circuits (ICs), the platform is capable of supporting a video-processing pipeline of up to 1.2 Gigapixels per second (GPix/s). Christie projectors based on the new electronics platform will use this very high capacity image-processing power to deliver immersive, hyper-realistic video experiences.
 
Many industries will immediately benefit from this original video-processing electronics architecture, such as theme-park attractions, visualization “power walls” and flight simulation environments. Christie TruLife electronics can provide customers with realistic experiences, alleviating the image blurring and motion sickness that may accompany these environments.
 
A common measurement of video-processing power -- the speed or rate with which video data is processed, is typically measured in Gigapixels per second (GPix/s). Christie says its platform scales to reach 1.2 GPix/s, which is nearly 10x faster than standard high-def projection and 4x faster than typical 3D projection, as well as double what other 4K projectors are capable of.
 
Launching throughout this year, Christie projectors featuring TruLife will enable 4K2K, Ultra-HD/Quad-HD resolutions today at 60 fps, and will have the capability to support higher resolutions and higher frame rates.
 
Christie’s new electronics platform will also facilitate the creation of new user experiences, automated setup, increased connectivity and “smart” control features enabling the next generation of collaborative, augmented reality and projection mapping applications.

For more information, click here: http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/visual-solutions/pages/default.aspx Add a comment

A small article that appeared in this week’s news caught my attention. It was a report that Örebro University in Sweden had installed three Sectra Medical Systems AB (Linköping, Sweden) “Visualization Tables.” The attention catching part was that these systems are to be used in medical education programs to replace or complement the dissection of bodies.  What struck me was the realization that technologies for the creation of graphical imagery, the display of imagery and the capabilities for users to interact with imagery had all advanced to the point where a medical school could justifiably choose a hardware/software solution as the means to teach anatomy to students. The Sectra Visualization Table is a 46-inch LCD with a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080.  The system has an ambient light sensor and can produce an image up to 700 cd/m2. The system includes multi-touch capability with the ability to detects up to 32 points simultaneously with a spatial resolution of less than 2 millimeters. Since the touch system is optically-based, a light touch is sufficient and no pressure is required.

The software associated with the Visualization Table facilitates user interaction with can render 3D images of the human body. Any DICOM image can be viewed on the table. This specifically includes images generated by CAT or MRI scans as well as medical images and videos from almost any other source.

One of many online videos illustrating the Visualization Table in operation can be found here. As shown in the video, students are able to zoom in, rotate or cut into the virtual body without the use of a scalpel but in a way that, none-the-less, seems quite natural.  Since the “body” is not destroyed, the same image can be used repeatedly. This not only reduces the number of bodies needed for instruction but also allows interesting or unusual conditions to be presented an unlimited number of times.

Going beyond student education, other important uses and advantages have been identified for the Visualization Table specifically and medical imaging system approaches generally.  These include the following:

• Providing a surgeon the opportunity to become familiar with a patient’s anatomy before surgery thus allowing detailed planning of the operation.
• The touch interface allows a surgeon to interact with the virtual body with their hands, much they would during actual surgery. This enhances tactile memory and arguably increases the quality of the surgery. Furthermore, it can reduce operation and rehabilitation time by minimizing the occurrence of unexpected issues.
• The system effectively enhances collaboration between doctors.
• The system can be used to improve the quality of communications on medical issues between doctors and patients.

Closing with just a thought: given a single user and with the addition of head tracking, it would seem to be a straight forward matter to transition the system from rendered 3D imagery to active glasses-based stereoscopic 3D imagery. Doing so would provide an additional level of realism to the “off-line” medical applications described above. Add a comment

On March 25th in Alabama, a true tragedy took place. A digital sign installed in an airport came crashing down on a family. It killed a 10-year-old boy and injured his mother and two brothers. You can read about the accident on rAVe’s site here.

Before I go any further, I wanted to make clear that there are still a lot of unknowns. I don’t intend this article to point fingers or place blame. I do think there is an appropriate time and place for that, but I don’t have enough information. Rather, I hope we take a moment to reflect on this incident and recognize that sometimes what we do can be the difference between life and death.

On several of the mail lists that I participate, we get the occasional ridiculous picture of a horrible AV install. We all make jokes about it, which in many cases is appropriate.  Have you seen the picture of a satellite dish attached to a shopping cart? That deserves a good laugh. Then, every now and again the picture will come across that will make you shiver. These are the images of projectors secured with duct tape or sitting in a milk crate hanging from rachet straps. Or this picture, of a LCD panel hanging on by, I don’t know what, clear tape?

Hopefully, a tragedy like this can remind us that not only should we not laugh at these dangerous installs, but we should also condemn them. For the readership of this particular newsletter, think about who is sitting under that projector, screen or speaker -- probably a child, ranging in age from 6 to 21. That’s someone who implicitly trusts that that 10-pound projector will not fall from 15 feet onto them. We need to respect that trust.

We did a project a few years ago where we installed nine classrooms, each one with a suspended ceiling. We used a product we love, the Extron PCM 240. The mounts were handed off to the general contractor, who had a carpenter install them. Every system comes with turnbuckles and 60 feet of safety wire. The intention of this, of course, is to take the main weight off the suspended grid, and place it on firm support structures above. Obviously, it also ensures the system will not fall if some part of the ceiling fails. In walking through the rooms after, we found all the turnbuckles and wire in boxes on the floor. They had not used the safety equipment. Obviously, we made them go back and put in these safety features.   

Today, I question what would have happened if the equipment had been thrown away, rather than left in the room? Would we have thought to look above the tile and ensure the wires were connected to solid structure? I don’t know the answer to that question, but I hope that going forward the memory of what happened here forces us to check on such things. Even if it is “someone else’s job,” when it comes to safety why not take a moment to do that double check?

Incidents like this give a clear logic for standards and accreditations. I spoke with a fellow technology manager, Greg Brown, who holds both the CTS-I and the CTS-D certifications. Greg told me that the CTS-I exam covers some of the safety issues an installer needs to know, like safe weight loads. Greg also pointed out that “we’ve lost an appreciation for the due diligence our work requires living in a world of 10-pound projectors. Back when we regularly hung 200-pound, three-gun CRT projectors above audiences, it was pretty obvious a careless install could kill someone.” Greg makes a terrific point, and I would go further to say that this does not just cover integrators and installers, but it also includes (maybe even more so) those of us in education who do our own installs.  

Another example from my personal experience is with installing a projector lift in our field house.  I knew that I did not have the engineering knowledge to properly spec out how the lift should be installed and secured. I turned to the engineers in our Facility Services group. They also felt unsure of their expertise in this matter. They turned to a local engineering firm, and a local sheet fabricator to come up with a system to secure the lift to the steel beams in the field house. The experience was slower and more expensive, but we know that the lift is secure and will not fall onto people. It also highlights Greg’s point: We knew that we needed to be sure with a 400-pound contraption that it was safe, so we took the extra steps. A small speaker or projector may not seem as dangerous, but I am not volunteering to stand under a falling one.

So, do you have any lingering safety concerns about installed equipment? Is there that one screen hanging from just sheetrock? Is there a projector secured only to a suspended ceiling?  If so, take a moment now and make plans to fix it. You may save a life without even knowing.

Scott Tiner, CTS, has worked in the AV/IT field in public K-12, private K-12 and higher education institutions. With a BS in Secondary Education from the Boston University School of Education, he has a deep interest in the use of various types of technology in the classroom. Currently, as the assistant director of user services: digital media, classroom technology & event support at Bates College, Scott designs learning spaces, oversees event support and staging and manges all video streaming on campus. Scott also oversees the Digital Media Center. The Digital Media Center provides support and instruction on all video and audio editing on campus.??

Scott is very active in the field, having presented at both regional and national conferences. In 2011, he was appointed as chair of the Technology Managers Council of InfoComm. Scott can be contacted via LinkedIn, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stiner or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Add a comment

Entries for Visix's Expression Awards for digital signage content are due April 30, 2013. The company is giving out one People's Choice and three Judges' Awards for the best digital signage designs created using a Visix software application. Winning entries can be from small or large organizations, and can be created by professional designers and communicators, or by students, administrators and HR assistants.   A winning entry: Uses original, clever and appealing design Communicates the message clearly Shows an understanding of the target audience Is optimized for the digital signage medium Includes a call to action Expression Award winners will receive: An Apple iPad A mounted, personalized Expression Award Recognition in Visix's e-newsletter and press release announcing winners Winning entry featured on Visix websites and Facebook page Use of the official Expression Award winner logo See all the details here: http://www.visix.com/expressionawards.html

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rAVe founder Gary Kayye will serve as a judge for the 2013 Digital Screenmedia Association Industry Excellence Awards, which honors the best self-service, digital signage and mobile technology deployments across all vertical market segments.

Entries could be entered in the following categories:

Technology:

• Digital Signage
• Self-Service/Interactive Kiosk
• Mobile

Vertical market:

• Corporate Communication
• Digital Out-of-Home Campaign
• Entertainment/Gaming
• Financial Services
• Government/Education/Non-Profit
• Healthcare
• Restaurant/Food Service
• Retail
• Travel/Hospitality
• Other (industry not listed above)

Additionally, judges will award a Screenmedia Integration Award, which best demonstrates the integration of two or more technologies, as well as Industry Deployer of the Year, given to an individual person from an end-user organization and Network Operator of the Year, which is given to a company.

The winners will be announced at the DSA Symposium on May 9 in Dallas, Tex.

See last year's winners here: http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org/2012-dsa-industry-excellence-award-winners Add a comment

BOXLIGHT has announced the release of the ProjectoWrite5 featuring dual screen link, which creates two separate and independent interactive screens by connecting two projectors to one computer. This feature allows for twice the interactive surface area and with the addition of dual pen, allows two separate presenters to interact with the screens and/or toggle interactive content back and forth.
 
The ProjectoWrite5 also features PC-less presentations through the addition of a USB input, allowing for 1.5GB of internal storage of items such as Office docs, video, audio and image files.

The initial release includes three versions:

• ProjectoWrite5 WX30N | WXGA, 3,000-lumen, standard throw
• ProjectoWrite5 WX31NST | WXGA, 3,100-lumen, short throw
• ProjectoWrite5 X32N | XGA, 3,200-lumen, standard throw

The EZ Display APP for mobile devices will allow you to send images, web pages or view live from your mobile device, and includes annotation features to allow for real-time interaction. With an optional Wi-Fi USB display adapter (dongle), connectivity increases to include projection of up to four devices at one time.
 
List on the ProjectoWrite5 ranges from $1,887 to $2,443 and here are the details: http://www.boxlight.com

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At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, singers were told by organizers not to dress “sexy” in an attempt to stop the state of undress that decorates MTV today. Needless to say, that mandate felt limiting to many of the stars used to flaunting it as part of their act.

One singer found a different route: Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood, who recently celebrated her 17th No. 1 song.

Underwood came on the Grammy Awards stage in a big, flowing gown and stood the whole time fixed in the same spot. It immediately seemed slightly awkward to fans who had expected an animated performance with Underwood wandering the stage.

Before the fans had time to react, something spectacular happened to her dress: the white gown lit up with a series of striking changes, changing into a brilliant blue, a fire-engine red, and even patterns of roses and more.

Awestruck fans described the designs as “holographic” and said it "looks like Avatar."

In consumer electronics, the hot trend is “wearable electronics,” but Underwood’s trick was actually projector mapping. Two projectors (no, we don’t know which brand... yet) hung more than 20 meters high (70 feet) above the stage created the patterns. Underwood performed while standing on an apple crate to help along the effect.

Underwood’s Creative Director came up with the idea for projector-mapping the dress. The actual gown-maker had only two weeks to design and make the gown-as-projection screen. The gown-maker said he was inspired by shape and look of the new World Trade Center in New York and he probably used as much fabric as WTC used concrete to get the amount of billowing dress needed to act as a projection screen.

This, of course, was not the first time someone has thought of this. There are several instances of creative dance troupes using this trick (mapping not an individual dress but the whole troupe), but this is the first time mainstream TV has seen the magic of projector mapping on the clothing of a superstar in Prime Time.

Click here to see the making of Underwood’s projector-mapping dress: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/grammys-2013-carrie-underwood-dress-designer-don-oneill-18475201 Add a comment

InfoComm International and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the completion of a major upgrade to audiovisual systems at the AIA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The project was the result of a collaboration between InfoComm and the AIA in which InfoComm members donated products and services to address the AIA's changing technology needs.
 
"This project provided an opportunity for the audiovisual and architectural associations to work together and demonstrated the types of professional collaborations that our members are capable of," said David Labuskes, executive director and CEO, InfoComm International. "Technology solutions that are coordinated closely among AV professionals, architects, and clients consistently outperform systems that are not and result in exceptional experiences."
 
The AIA required significant upgrades to the audiovisual systems in its boardroom and adjacent areas. Not only does the AIA hold its own meetings and events in the spacious, irregularly-shaped room, it also rents the space to nearby organizations.
 
"Our board members, most of whom are architects, are visual people," said Richard James, chief operating officer of the AIA. "Our interest was in updating the quality of the technology in our boardroom, which can be an expensive task. InfoComm and its partners worked with our technical staff to determine exactly what we needed and then found a group of willing donors of the necessary equipment. We appreciate their very generous contributions."
 
The process began in November 2010, when InfoComm issued a request for proposals to it members. K2 Audio, of Boulder, Colo., was chosen to perform the pro-bono design.
 
"Some of our biggest clients are architects, so it seemed like a nice way to give something back and at the same time showcase to them the capabilities we have as an AV design firm," said Deb Britton, K2 Audio's CEO and principal consultant. "As consultants, we frequently team with architects on design projects. We work with them on everything from churches, to schools, to performing arts centers, to corporate headquarters. In fact, it's more common than not that we work for an architect, as part of the design team, than the building owner. In those situations, we basically take the project from programming and schematic design to construction and administration."
 
K2 Audio grew out of Peak Audio in 2005. Peak Audio developed groundbreaking audiovisual technologies such as CobraNet, which became a popular standard for transmitting uncompressed, multichannel, digital audio over standard Ethernet networks. K2 Audio's long-time customers include the United States Senate and House of Representatives.
 
"It's not your typical boardroom, with a rectangular table and 20 people sitting around it," said K2 Audio Senior Consultant Rodrigo Ordóñez, CTS-D. "This is a large, round room with about 50 positions for AIA board members."
 
Among the upgrades was an overhaul of the boardroom's legacy conferencing system, which previously was not tied into its public address system. Program audio was routed to ceiling speakers throughout the space, but conference audio was limited to the room's speaking positions. "This meant that for people sitting in overflow areas and not at the speaking positions, there was no sound reinforcement," Ordóñez explained.
 
K2 Audio also included in its design a new videoconferencing system, which presented a significant opportunity to the AIA. "Introducing that capability increases the likelihood that we can rent the boardroom to outside parties," said James.
 
The project wrapped up in time for the AIA's December 2012 Board Meeting. Applied Visual Communications (AVC) of Herndon, Va., handled the installation and provided on-site support during the important meeting.
 
"The AIA was a great customer. They understood the technology, had a good handle on what they needed, and could vocalize it," said Dante Ross, CTS, project manager for AVC.
 
In addition to K2 Audio's design, the follow audio/video manufacturers donated equipment to the AIA project:

• Biamp Systems donated audio processing systems
• Chief Manufacturing donated display mounts
• Cisco Systems donated the videoconferencing system and network switch
• Da-Lite Screen Co. donated the boardroom's 16:9 projection screen
• Extron Electronics donated the control system, control panels, signal processing equipment
• Listen Technologies donated the assistive listening system
• Middle Atlantic Products donated equipment racks, cable management, and power strips
• projectiondesign donated a F82 Series, 10,000-lumen projector and lens

"We were very happy that it all came together before the December board meeting, because our Board selects the Architecture Firm and AIA Gold Medal recipients from among several finalists whose work is projected on-screen," said James. "During the meeting, AIA CEO Robert Ivy explained the features of the new systems and the thanked the companies that donated them. The significant improvements were very well received."
 
The AIA's new audiovisual system also now includes a modest digital signage network for announcements and room scheduling, which the AIA is considering expanding in order to route video sources from the boardroom to screens in other areas of the building.
"They were great to work with," said K2 Audio's Ordóñez. "Everyone was responsive. Once some of the high level design decisions were made, the technical designs went very smoothly."
 
Photos of the AIA boardroom and AV systems can be found on InfoComm's Flickr feed at bit.ly/InfoCommAIA. Add a comment

Extron's MediaLink for iPad, version 1.1, provides an additional point of control for systems with Ethernet-enabled MediaLink controllers and their associated control modules. With this app, users can wirelessly control their AV system using a Wi-Fi network, allowing them the freedom to move from room to room. This latest release adds powerful new features, including support for Extron control modules to expand the app’s functionality in more applications and an enhanced Room Manager that eliminates the previous version’s 12 room limit, giving users the ability to use the app in larger scale installations. MediaLink for iPad 1.1 supports all generations of iPads and iPad mini and is now available for download on the App Store.

In addition to the features mentioned above, MediaLink for iPad version 1.1 also features Auto-reconnect, which recalls the previous session even after the app is closed, and Auto-lock override that keeps the iPad screen on and allows the app to stay active at all times. As in the previous version, each button press is tracked in real time between the app and the controller, so that both stay in sync. MediaLink for iPad supports Extron MLC 104 IP Plus and MLC 226 IP MediaLink Controllers that are configured using Global Configurator.

Here are all the details: http://www.extron.com/product/software.aspx?id=vml&s=5 Add a comment

RGB Spectrum's new OmniWall 16 display processor has up to 16 inputs and 16 outputs - ideal for 2x2, 3x3 or 3x4 screen arrays, or linear configurations from 1x16 to 16x1. For larger video walls, the OmniWall 32 offers up to 32 inputs and 32 outputs. For even larger walls, multiple chassis can be connected in parallel. A wide selection of modular fiber and copper inputs include digital and analog sources - DVI, HDMI, 3G/HD-SDI, RGB and component signals. The system supports DVI resolutions up to 1920x1200 and 4K (UltraHD) up to 4096x2160. HDCP compliance allows the processor to accommodate content-protected HDMI signals and provide embedded audio pass-through. An HDCP encoded signal can be routed to all outputs. Control includes RS232, IP and front panel.

Here are all the stats: http://www.rgb.com/news/announcements/item.php?file=Omni Add a comment

That’s right – we heard it from none other than movie producer Jon Landau. Starting March 28th and running for two weeks, you can see the new GI Joe: Retaliation movie at the AMC Theater’s Burbank 16 EXT Theater in 3D using a laser projector. The 65-foot screen will be powered by Christie and will achieve a 3D brightness level of 14 foot-lamberts – way above the 4-6 ft-L that most 3D movies are shown at. That brightness and the long life of the lasers are why projector makers and theater operators are so excited about this technology. Oh, and did I mention it will run on a 4K projector?

The development of laser for projectors has been a topic we have followed for years, but most have figured their roll out was years away. This is the first time a laser projector will show a first run movie to general audiences, so it may be here sooner than you thought.

We have also just learned that one of key developers of lasers for cinema projectors, Laser Light Engines (Salem, NH), has just penned a manufacturing agreement with Elbit Systems of America (Ft. Worth, Tex.). Elbit will now manufacture the LLE DSG-265, a high-powered, solid state de-speckled GREEN laser module.

Obviously a red and blue laser are also needed for a projection solution, but LLE says the green laser will be incorporated into a complete red/green/blue (RGB) laser illumination system that replaces traditional high pressure gas discharge lamps. This laser module is part of LLE ‘s “universal” architecture that enables plug and play with new projection systems or can be used to retrofit and upgrade tens of thousands of existing installations.

Laser projectors, high frame rate, wide dynamic range, wide color gamut, new 3D sound solutions and distributed production are among the topics that will be highlighted at the 2013 NAB Show’s Technology Summit on Cinema. This event, which runs April 6-7 in Las Vegas, is produced by SMPTE. Keynoting the event will be Jon Landau who will have an interview style discussion with Variety columnist David Cohen.

Landau and the executive staff of SMPTE hosted a pre-show webinar yesterday to profile the event. That’s when Landau told us about the laser projector screening in response to a question about the timing of such events.

We will be attending and will be very interested in a number of sessions. These include one detailing the status of digital projector and 3D roll outs on a worldwide basis as well as updates on the new 3D sound formats, like Dolby Atmos and Barco Auro 11.1.

We also learned that there will be a new tutorial from Jim Cameron providing more footage on high frame rate and 3D.  I am also interested in learning the state of what SMPTE is calling distributed workflow.  This means that film production and post production files can be shared, rendered and previewed using very high bandwidth networks almost anywhere in the world.  This could offer some nice cost savings in travel.

There will be sessions that also discuss the impact of wide dynamic range and wide color gamut capture and processing. As Dolby’s Pat Griffiths put it, he sees the goal of cinema capture and display being to exceed what the human eye can see. “We are there now with sound, but not with visual images,” he said. He noted that many of today’s cameras are getting close to capturing and exceeding what the eye can see. Projection still lags a bit, but lasers will help a lot.

The conference will also feature talks on high frame rate capture and display and ask the question: What is the verdict? As Landau noted, and others are likely to agree, it is too early for a verdict as HFR. “HFR, 3D, new sound technologies, wider dynamic range and color gamut are all brand new tools in the hands of creators. You just don’t master these tools overnight,” noted Landau.

Adding any of these attributes to movie production requires more bandwidth, storage and processing power, however, which means more cost. Wendy Aylsworth from Warner Bros Entertainment, speculated that it might be five years before smaller budget films could start to adopt technologies like HFR. But Landau was not so sure. “We are now looking at capturing in HFR 3D, but editing at 24 fps. We would then be able to create masters at 24 and HFR.” He acknowledged that special effects at HFR will definitely be more expensive, however.

As for the take up of 3D in theaters, Landau and Aylsworth confirmed that 3D is clearly stronger outside of the U.S. for theatrical. But Landau made an interesting point. He said that digital theaters are now coming to parts of the world that never had them before so their first experience is a 3D experience, so there is a lot of novelty in many regions still.

What is particularly good about this event is the technology focus. Theaters are the cutting edge for AV entertainment and this event is put on by and for technologists.  While there is much work to do, we are seeing advancements in this space by leaps and bounds, which is why we will also have a strong focus on these topics at the upcoming Projection Summit. Add a comment

I am writing this today to ask for your help. We are on a mission to make this year's InfoComm show the highest attended AV show, ever. And, there's no reason that it can't be.

Why do we care?

Well, at rAVe we spend a lot of time and money carefully tracking the industry trends, product impact, technological movements and the communication between people in AV. And, we've noticed a shift. And, a good one.

But, as timing has it, the shift of a giant wave of growth and expansion in AV happens to be timed (based on all our research and our knowledge-base) to happen this Fall. So?

Well, right now -- and heading into InfoComm -- that means that your boss, your manager and the owners of the big AV integration firms, design consulting firm partners, digital signage dealers and AV manufacturers are all moving very timidly. But, they don't see what we see. We are focused on ALL aspects of AV - not just the segment of the market they are in; you are in. We are seeing a shift -- and it's a good one. And, it's coming. But, the great majority of the shift will occur this fall -- well past InfoComm.

But, unfortunately those same leaders (your bosses) may not see it by the time they have to approve YOU attending InfoComm -- a show that ALL of you reading this NEED to attend.

So, we're going to try and HELP you convince them. Over the next few months through our writing, we'll point to specific trends that bode well for the health of the VA market and, especially, the positive shift we see this fall. And, you can watch for these articles and point them out to your manager, your boss, your owner -- your decision maker.

In the meantime, one BIG thing (and very simple step you can take) is to click here: http://bit.ly/13wYHNv and register for InfoComm using the code: MCTRA

Prepare to be there. Register for InfoComm NOW! Add a comment

The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.

Much has been said of the benefits digital signage offers marketers, but don’t forget the personal context in which digital signage viewers will likely see your message.

Successful marketers know their ads exist in a context that enhances the value of their message to consumers. For instance, a billboard lets Interstate drivers know a gas station is at the next exit. Or, a print ad for the latest smartphone runs in a magazine with a focus on high-tech gadgets. Even the nightly news has commercials relevant to its audience. Who doesn’t need an antacid or hemorrhoid relief after plugging into the latest news?

The same is true for successful digital signage ads. To succeed for the marketer, digital signage ads and messages must deliver value to the consumer. A freely available white paper from DigitalSignageToday.com entitled, “Key Ingredients For a Successful Digital Signage Campaign,” sheds light on putting together a digital signage network that delivers a value proposition for consumers.

According to the white paper, a successful digital signage network combines five key elements to convey clear messages to consumers and keep them entertained. To this end, digital signage captures the attention of consumers and focuses it on product features, specials, or some sort of infotainment that adds to the brand experience. So, by delivering an appealing message at the point of purchase to customizing a marketing message for a specific place and time, digital signage offers significant benefits to marketers and retailers. But a solid digital communication strategy only starts here.

For the growing medium to flourish, marketers would do well to deliver on the value proposition of digital signage for consumers: make their shopping experience better than it would have been without the presence of the digital signs.

One way to make the shopping experience better is to allow consumers to change the content of the digital sign. How so? Simply by giving customers choices in what kind of content they want to see on the screen, which is what interactive digital signage is all about. This enables the context of advertising, product information or infotainment to be personalized according to one’s whims.

In a recent article, "A Lesson From the Agencies: Creating Successful DOOH Content," published by OutputMagazine.com, author Geny Caloisi highlights several examples of how important engaging content is to a more meaningful consumer experience.

The article quotes Sophie Burke of Zoom Media, who says, “...the majority of truly successful and innovative media campaigns involve an element of spontaneity - whether it's copy which can be adapted dynamically based on real-time data, or an interactive component which allows the consumer to get involved."

Additionally, the article quotes Nick Mawditt, global director of insight and marketing at Kinetic, a UK-based digital-out-of-home media company, who suggests that physical interactions are more useful than the more hyped gesture interaction. Mawditt relates, "If you touch a screen, you are engaging in a more personal and private level, even if it's in a public space. With gesture, the engagement is brief and people can feel self-conscious."

So there you have it in a nut shell; in the same way that mobile and Internet media benefits from relevant interactive media, digital signage campaigns can benefit by adding interactions of many kinds, which lead to a better, more helpful, or at least a more personalized experience. This is why engaging content matters to a digital communication strategy and why you should consider trying it on your next digital signage campaign. Add a comment

The VideoForge is a portable test pattern generator that can be used independently or incorporated with Spectracal's CalMAN Software. It provides an HDMI output with video signals you need for testing, calibrating and servicing video displays, including 3D displays. The VideoForge’s features three distinct control interfaces. First the VideoForge utilizes a modern XML-RPC control interface for automated control. Second, the VideoForge features an Adobe Flash-based control panel for interactive control. Finally, the VideoForge can be controlled with a programmable infrared remote for standalone operation.

The VideoForge’s features full 3D support -- every pattern can be displayed in a 3D video format. The standard patterns will show the same image in both left and right eye frames. True stereo patterns are available from JPG and PNG files on the SD card. The VideoForge allows on/off gating for left and right eye images independently -- allowing for testing and measurement of stereo separation or left/right crosstalk.

Here are all the specs: http://www.avproalliance.com/pages/product-catalog-detail/AVFoundry_VideoForge Add a comment

If you’re serious about sustainability, you must be committed to being educated on key concepts, technology and emerging trends. But, this type of education can be difficult to find! From green building materials to Cleantech, there are a number of associations and publications out there, but it can be overwhelming trying to decide which will provide the best fit. So, I have a few suggestions on how to wade through the resources to derive the best educational benefit.

First, find one or two resources and stick with them. Whether you subscribe to a journal such as Sustainable Industries or watch monthly webinars from the U.S. Green Building Council, try to find a medium that is comfortable with you and stick with it. Otherwise, there are so many fantastic and interesting resources out there that you can easily find yourself swimming (perhaps drowning) in a sea of them!

Next, I encourage you to go outside of the industry to discover emerging trends. You will learn about everything from B Corporations to Biomimicry. The idea is to take these innovations and apply the inspiration or concepts to our industry. Finally, engage in conversations! Get out there and start talking to sustainability experts. The best way to do that is to attend a conference that focuses on sustainability. Here are a handful you might consider:

1. ISSP, International Society of Sustainability Professionals (May, Chicago): I like this one because it has a blend of our industry topics (green architecture) with some that may have relevance (sustainability in the industrial sector).
2. AASHE, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (November, Nashville): You will find a fantastic variety of topics that are relevant, not to mention an amazing opportunity to do targeted networking! This conference is where I first learned about the Living Building Challenge (I’m a fan).
3. CISBAT International Conference (September, Lausanne, Switzerland): This is a good international option, focusing on topics around the built environment. It’s primarily solar and renewable energies, but I’ve learned quite a bit from this industry on power – or, more specifically – power management.
4. ISSST – International Symposium on Sustainable Systems & Technologies (May, Cincinnati): This conference was formerly the IEEE International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment. It seems to have a great mix of sessions, including quite a few on technology, which sets it apart from some of the other conferences.
5. SB13 Graz – Sustainable Building Conference 2013 (September, Graz, Austria): Another international conference, this one presents the interesting topic of “Blue Buildings and Green Products.” Also touches on Smart Cities (something we AV folks should be highly tuned into).

This is just a handful of some of the more unique and interesting conferences out there. Of course, you will always benefit from visiting the granddaddy of all green events, GreenBuild, or networking and learning at local events too. If attending a large conference like this just isn’t feasible, you should at least commit yourself to attending one or two sessions focused on sustainability at the industry events you do attend.

Whichever events or resources you choose, the key is to continue the conversation with peers and others both within and without the industry. It’s a great way to learn more while also staying encouraged and motivated. Do your best to take the information you gather, glean what might be useful to our industry and then apply to your work. That will be the key to innovation and help you sustain your Green AV initiatives.

Midori Connolly is the founder of AVGirl Productions in California. She wrote the first-ever set of Sustainable Staging best practices after discovering none existed. She was the co-chair of the AV committee for the ASTM Standard for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings and is a speaker, writer and consultant for green practices in live events and meeting planning. Reach her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Recent rumors suggest the current subsidy program for energy saving appliances, which is scheduled to end in May 2013, will be replaced by a second generation program soon after expiration, with a higher EEI (Energy Efficiency Index), new size group splits, and new subsidy standards by size group. Indications are that the new program will last for another four years from June 1, 2013, a much longer term than the current program has run.

The first generation energy saving index assigns subsidies to different screen size groups as follows:

China Energy Saving Subsidy (Unit: RMB)



The industry is buzzing about the new EEI criteria, which seems to favor larger sizes like 46” and above. The information shows that the EEI criteria for the new program could be as follows:



Our industry checks show that the 6 billion CNY budget of the current energy saving subsidy program was increased to 10 billion CNY by the end of 2012, after the Chinese government decided to raise the budget allocated to FPD TVs. This indicates that there is flexibility under the total budget of 26.5 billion CNY for all 5 home appliance categories. The increased budget allocation for FPD TVs helps TV sales, especially for local brands and panel makers. In the first round, 32” and 42” benefitted most from the structure of the program, and gained the most share of the three size groupings (19"-31", 32"-41" and 42” and larger).

It will be very interesting to see the higher EEI requirement against higher cost new products like UHD and D-LED, and whether the new subsidy program will encourage LCD TV makers to move towards larger sizes, especially for 46” and 36.5/37”, while 32” and 42” will have less support.

There is still a risk that the Chinese government will not allocate increased budget towards FPD TV due to excessive expense in the 1st program, but the EEI request will be a mandatory policy applied to all FPD TVs.

It is understandable that the government is looking to help out the TV industry, which has undergone a slowdown in recent quarters. There have been concerns about the impact on the market from the expiration of the current program without a replacement program in place. In the case of Japan, once the subsidies ended, demand fell dramatically, though it is not likely that the impact would have been as severe in the case of China. The impact from the most recent rounds of the latest subsidy program have seemed to be having less effect on demand stimulation and resulted primarily in more push from the supply side.

This column is reprinted with permission from DisplaySearch and originally appeared here. Add a comment

Visix has launched a brand new website for its newest digital signage content management application APPOINT. The site is optimized for audiences seeking affordable digital signage solutions for K-12 schools, small businesses, local franchises, clinics and more.
 
The new website features product information, technical specs and pricing with direct links for online buying. Each of three products can be downloaded directly from the website for a free 60-day trial period, and can be purchased and licensed for use through the site’s online portal:
 
APPOINT: This software is used to create, manage and schedule digital signage messages. The user-friendly interface lets users select a theme and layout, import and create content, and then schedule it for playback in either playlists or programs.
 
APPOINT Player: The player software runs on a small PC connected to a screen(s) and tells it what to play when.
 
APPOINTwmv: This application allows users to publish their PowerPoint presentations as videos and schedule them to playback in any digital signage software. This product offers everything in APPOINT with the exception of scheduling and player controls.
 
A digital signage blog also provides articles to educate and help basic users get started with their digital signage system.
 
The site is organized to allow quick, easy access to all of these resources. If a visitor is not sure where to look for specific information, a site-wide search engine and site map are provided.

You can see the site here: http://www.appointsignage.com Add a comment

The use of 3D in Education or 3D in Ed is having a dramatic impact on displaying some very old data and offering new perspectives and insights in the process. Researchers at Harvard, including Egyptologist Dr. Peter der Manuelian, the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences’ Visualization Facility, and the Boston Museum of Fine Art are getting some help from 3D Modeling Software pioneer Dassault Systems (Boston, Mass.) in a “world’s first attempt...” They now have a complete map, plan and model, of the famous Giza Plateau according to Harvard’s Professor Der Manuelian. His Giza Plateau 3D model was developed in collaboration with Dassault (3D modeling software)

To do this, the group has included ancient data collected on glass plates from more than one hundred years ago and incorporate this into the new age display technology that pushes the boundaries of presentation forms into the realm of 3D. The immersive experience 3D provides is unique, offering a teaching tool that can be acquired nowhere else, going beyond traditional lectures and PowerPoint slide presentations. ”We thought it would be a great way to try to bring the students in and expose them to Giza at a scale and in a way that they just they just can’t experience in a regular classroom,” Der Manuelian said.

The Harvard Earth and Planetary Sciences’ Visualization Facility includes:

• 23'x8' 3D cylindrical display (curved screen)
• Three edge-blended, high-resolution active stereo digital (Christie Mirage 2000) projectors
• 3D-Perceptions scaling unit (for edge-blending, geometry correction)
• Content source — Linux based O/S, 4 dual-core Opteron CPUs plus 128GB RAM, Nvidia Quadroplex D2
• Alternative content source — ScalableGraphics Windows DTC cluster, three Dell Precison PC (workstation), dual CPU, 48GB RAM, Nvidia FX Pro 5800, Mellanox Infiniband tertiary Linux image sources
• Stereo Graphics/RealD CrystalEyes Stereo Viewing eyewear

But it’s what’s taking place beyond the hardware that is perhaps impacting education most, developing virtual environments on what Manuelian calls “real archeology” with content gleaned from multiple sources from long-running expeditions like the (1905 to 1947) monumental work done by Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and directed by George Reisner. Over that forty-year period at “Harvard Camp” in the Giza plateau, Reisner collected “...thousands and thousands of glass plate photographic negatives, thousands of pages of notes, diaries, architectural plans, drawings and other recording systems,” Manuelian noted, and now being used to bring his present coursework to life.

The interim step came over the past 10 years, with help from the Mellon Foundation, to convert the vast body of Reisner’s work to digital. But the point is not to just converting this mountain of research into digital data, it’s applying the knowledge, converting data into understanding and new academic insights generated from a collaborative experience. This is perhaps where 3D in education can play a significant role and make a lasting contribution.

“Relationships are what come to the forefront when you’re able to view Giza in this kind of 3D environment,” Der Manuelian said. ”...just how big the pyramids are, where the streets and alleyways have been built, the large and small ones. More importantly, the matrix relationships are so key to studying these archeological sites,” he said. This comprehensive view gives researchers ”...a feel for those relationships. You can get a sense of what’s above ground... we can dive underground and do things that no mortal can do,” he said of his use of 3D in education.

We think the future of 3D in education is wide open as it has already begun to attract a new generation of students, familiar and comfortable with cutting-edge technology now presenting “ancient” data in brand new ways. Researchers like Peter der Manuelian see the use of  3D technology as “...the next logical extension” in education, a technology that can “...link all this material together,” as evidenced by his new millennium course work at Harvard breathing new excitement and lifeblood into the field. And perhaps more importantly, new discoveries from 3D’s new perspective on data resurrected from a lifetime of dedication in Reisner’s great body of work; not to mention the untold treasures of research still waiting in dusty academic halls for its time of resurrection in the new 3D immersive experience sunlight. Add a comment

This week Planar Systems announced that 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) models of select Planar large format LCD displays and video walls are now available free through the Autodesk Seek web service. Autodesk Seek allows architects, engineers and designers to easily find, preview and download 3D models of Planar displays. They can then incorporate these models into their building plans without having to create the models themselves. 3D BIM models of three Planar product families are now available from the Autodesk Seek online content library, a web service that supplies free BIM models from a wide range of building product manufacturers. The models include Planar Mosaic architectural video walls, Clarity Matrix LCD video walls and Planar UltraLux Series large flat panel monitors. Each of these BIM models provides data-rich drawings and product specifications that accurately depict the displays and their options within Autodesk Revit, a market-leading 3D design platform. Here are the details: http://www.planar.com

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Audience is now shipping its ClairAudient The ONE single-driver loudspeaker, which is a 7x5.5x7" (HxWxD) desktop and surround sound home theater speaker.

The ONE incorporates the same A3-S full-range, crossover-less driver as every Audience ClairAudient loudspeaker, along with a passive radiator. The A3-S is a full-range, high power, 12 millimeter excursion, "ultra-low distortion" transducer. Audience says it eliminates the need for a separate woofer, midrange driver, tweeter and crossover network -- and their inherent sonic compromises of sonically dissimilar drivers, phase distortions, loss of resolution and transient response degradation.

Available in a choice of high-gloss finishes including black, red, white and blue with black grilles, The ONE is a point source loudspeaker but without crossover. The ONE is direct-coupled to the amplifier it's connected to, enabling the full damping factor of the amplifier to be directly applied to the A3-S driver's voice coil. By allowing the amplifier, speaker cable and driver to act as a single coherent system, Audience says a level of control over the driver is achieved that is not possible with any speaker with a crossover.

The ONE presents a benign load to an amplifier, resulting in compatibility with a wide range of tube and solid-state amplifiers. The ONE is flat from 50 Hz to 20 kHz in-room response when placed on a desk or near a wall; a subwoofer is required for full-frequency response when The ONE is situated away from a wall.

Here are all the specs: http://www.audience-av.com/ Add a comment