Latest headlines: Anthony Coppedge on AI in the AV world, Kevin Ivey on COVID-19 and its effect on sports and entertainment venues, plus news from ClearOne, Epson, VuWall, AVIXA, Peerless-AV and more
April 6, 2020 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 7
Hello, to all you digital signage #AVtweeps! Happy Monday! I know that Mondays don’t slap quite like they used to because we’re all at home all the time, but I hope it brings you all joy to know that it is my birthday! And for my birthday I decided to give you all the gift of being able to sign up for our new project. You might have heard of it — it’s called LAVNCH, and we’re kicking off the platform with a whole week of events beginning April 27. Sign up here — be there or be square.
This week I have four whole columns for you to read because I know you’ve been looking forward to some quality reading. First, Anthony Coppedge discusses artificial intelligence and how we in the AV industry can use it to our advantage. Kevin Ivey from Baker Audio Visual discusses COVID-19 and its effect on entertainment venues. Plus, Mark Coxon writes about keeping your integration business on track during the current state of the world, and Graham Cooke from Futuresource Consulting ponders if the LCD video wall market is coming to an end. (Spoiler: He doesn’t think it is.)
In other news, Epson is shipping what it’s calling the world’s first 4K 3LCD 12,000-Lumen laser projector, Hypersign has a new DSaaS program, plus AVIXA has officially canceled InfoComm 2020 — so see you all next year in Orlando.
Whether your firm has joined the chorus touting “AI” or is more conservatively accurate in the programming of “machine learning,” there’s a non-stop buzz in the industry around the advancements of computing power and advanced algorithms used to analyze dizzying amounts of data from an ever-expanding networked technology install base. Either way, an opportunity for the audiovisual (AV) industry is the chance to both connect to these devices and capture useful information for providing next-level service, support and even new sales from data trends and insights.
We are all facing adverse impacts to our seasons and schedules as a result of the restrictions imposed to impede the spread of the Covid-19 virus. How do we best leverage our collective downtime to plan for a resurgent market and the return of fans and patrons to stadia, arenas and entertainment venues?
If you’re like me, you’ve seen a slew of articles about “opportunities” for the AV industry during the current pandemic. Most of these are marketing pieces, meant to promote a manufacturer’s products or to promote services by addressing the fear, uncertainty and doubt that is part of the current Zeitgeist. I’m offering up five pieces of advice for my counterparts in the integration space that may help you find business continuity in the current pandemic environment and perhaps keep your business afloat and your technicians employed in the next 60-90 days.
Last week, Samsung Displays (DID) announced that it is to end production of LCD video wall displays on July 31, 2020. As one of the largest panel providers in the industry, Samsung DID’s decision to exit LCD video wall panel production has generated shockwaves, but it also presents significant opportunities for its former competitors.