Volume 3, Issue 4 — April 21, 2017
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Editorials Editorials Editorials
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Must-Have AV Business Trends – Augmented Reality, Touch Screens, and Live Streaming
By Tony Sprando Commercial AV Designer
We had a lot of fun last week researching the AV demands of Generation Z, especially as those demands related to higher education. Now we are going to address the overlap of three of those demands as they relate to business success. They are augmented reality, touch screens and live streaming. For each trend, we are sharing an expert’s point of view and we welcome your ideas and thoughts too!
Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR)
First, let me define “augmented reality.” Live Science states that, “Augmented reality is using technology to superimpose information on the world we see. For example, images and sounds are superimposed over what the user sees and hears.”
Five ways augmented reality will transform your business — Nick Heath shares, “From better customer service to expert help for remote workers, here’s how AR will help firms work smarter.”
- Remote Guidance — Workers in the field could use AR glasses to feed them relevant information on how to solve the task in front of them.
- Better Training — Unlike a real-world training scenario, a trainee can play through an AR situation as many times as they need to grasp a concept or a procedure.
- Visualizing Objects — Visualization of 3D objects using AR could offer a better sense of what a finished product would be like than a flat image on a screen.
- Better Customer Service — AR has the potential to make life easier for customer-facing staff, especially in retail.
- New Ways of Working — AR headsets could change the way we work, especially when we need to capture images like in the insurance and medical professions.
Touch and Interactive Projectors, Boards, Surfaces and Programs
Seven Proven Benefits of Touch Screens and Touch Screen Technology — One of the greatest benefits of touch screens is the intuitive interaction between user and device. The website, skytechnology, presents a solid case for businesses to shift to this type of interface. Here’s why:
- Speed – Touch screens help us operate any device faster.
- Ease of Use – It has been proven that touch screens are intuitive in use.
- Everyone’s an Expert in Touch – Pointing at something you want is an instinctive gesture.
- Device Size – Integrating everything into the display helps save valuable space.
- Accessibility – Touch screens can also be of incredible value when accommodating users with physical limitations.
- Durability and Easy to Clean – Touch screens in general are very well adapted for public use and applications that require heavy usage.
- Cost Reduction – Using a touch screen interface increases accuracy and reduces time to get used to the equipment.
Streaming “Everything”
Five Live Streaming Solutions that are Improving the World — The crew at DaCast, an online video services company, shares their thoughts and explains why live streaming is the future of distributing media. Are you ready for it?
- Global Connectivity – Live streaming allows people from all over the world to participate in your event, regardless of physical or geographic barriers.
- Improvement of Life – Now, individuals can use their skills to set up live tutorials to teach a wide variety of people across the nations.
- Environmentally Friendly – Shifting to streaming versus watching a DVD will save energy and reduce CO2 emissions.
- Better for Business – Professional streaming services that are bundled with a content delivery network allow you to stream to individuals from all over the globe.
- Entertainment – Live streaming is a natural outlet for entertainment as people crave that feeling of “seeing it first.”
As a business owner in the AV industry, I am really excited about these future trends for both my business and yours! Of the three I touched on, which one do you think will have the most influence in your industry?
Tomorrow’s a new day!
Tony, the AV guy Leave a Comment
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Conference Room Greatness
By Tony Sprando Commercial AV Designer
I just love conference rooms. These rooms have such power in them and strengthen the attendees with a sense that “I am safe to share my ideas in private, with people who want to be here.” Then there are times I enter one, and I see all the possibilities of a space that could host greatness.
To transform your room into conference room greatness, ask yourself these questions:
Can I focus in this room? If there is echo and reverberation, it’s just annoying to hear your own voice bounce around in the room, not to mention road noise or conversations from the adjacent areas. Real life story: I was asked to upgrade the audio video system in a meeting room. I sat down at the conference room table to discuss the options then the unthinkable happened — “FLUSH, gurgle, gurgle” came from on the other side of the wall. The customer looked at me, embarrassed to admit that the bathroom is on the other side. Needless to say, I moved on with our conversation for I could not find a way to transition gracefully.
Don’t let this happen to you. Plan your space with acoustic design in mind. And if you think you are too late, then seek the council of an acoustical designer to discuss sound barrier, silencer and panels. A well-designed conference room gives you the ability to keep inside information inside and unwanted sound out. This helps everyone relax and listen to each other.
Is my conference room well-equipped? Ask yourself these following questions:
Does my conference room enable people to enjoy face-to-face interactions? These interactions are essential in fostering quality connections between remote and onsite employees. To learn more, revisit our blog post, “Use Video Conferencing to Keep Your Company Connected.”
Is my conference room a go-to zone for teams and departments working on various projects? The goals are to help them conduct quick status reports, share updates and set weekly benchmarks before heading back to their workspace to take care of business.
Does my conference room make a great impression? “Like a custom suit, a conference room instantly conveys to clients, prospects and visitors your organization’s personality, level of success, attention to detail and relevancy in the modern world.”
Does my conference room have instant access to tools? Having an InstaShow for sending your content up on the large display is ideal. Other great tools are Apple TV, Chromecast and and enterprise solution like VIA-Connect Pro.
Is my conference room amazing? Now really, it is just a room. And the words “conference room” have been a symbol of boring and unnecessary since Rework was published. But you can make it amazing by purposing to do so. Establish the room as the think tank, welcoming all thoughts and ideas. Every great meeting has on its agenda the goal of coming to a decision about what actions people in the company should take next. From choosing to go in a new direction, to beginning or ending a relationship with a client or vendor, to setting budgets, selecting teams, and more, the majority of decisions that are made in a company are made inside the four walls of a conference room. In short, the sacred ground of your company conference room is where decisions are made and problems are solved.
Interested in transforming your conference room? Let’s connect!
Pursuing greatness with you,
Tony, the AV guy Leave a Comment
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Is the Microsoft Surface Hub An Overpriced Collaboration Board?
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
With the deluge of new collaboration boards that will hit the market over the next six months (this was the most popular launch product at ISE in Amsterdam, last month), there’s no question that Microsoft will have to cut the price of their Surface Hub — or, no one who knows any better will buy it. They can’t keep ripping people off at $8,000-$9,000 (55”) and $20,000 (84”) a pop — considering the limited functionality compared to the newbies on the market as well as they’re priced 20-30 percent higher than everyone else.
Although both are 4K resolution, the need for a 4K collaboration board at 55″ is more of a novelty than a requirement. Even at 55″ and standing next to the board, you can’t discern a technological advantage to a 3840×2160 resolution monitor versus a 1080p one. But, as most of the forthcoming collaboration boards that will hit the market in 2017 will be 4K too, that presents an even bigger obstacle to Microsoft. Everyone does 4K now.
And, as most of the new collaboration boards launched at ISE that were in the 55″ range (by the way, that’s where Microsoft sells more than 80 percent of them) and nearly all of them carried a $5,000 price tag, the giant software maker will, no doubt either drop their price or become irrelevant. Then, there’s Google’s Jamboard — which was hidden upstairs in the BenQ booth — which just debuted, officially, at $5,000. It’s way, way more simple to use than Surface HUB as well as has a much nicer user interface. Maybe not as many features, however, but all the features everyone is asking about. And, then you still have a plethora of other companies with collaboration boards too — all aiming at Microsoft, companies like Avocor, Cisco, NEC, Newline, Sharp and Google.
And, we haven’t even talked about SMART — yep, they’re back with all-new SMART Boards, InFocus and their industry-founding Mondopad, Epson and their projection-alternative BrightLink Pro line of projected interactive collaboration boards and the five or so other companies that recently launched into the space. And, more are coming to InfoComm in June.
And, all of them will be at InfoComm in Orlando, if you want to test each one out — oh, all except the Microsoft Surface Hub… Leave a Comment
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Vivitek Intros NovoTouch Collaboration BoardVivitek introduced at DSE 2017 this week a new 4K collaboration board designed for conference rooms, meeting areas and corporate lobbies. The NovoTouch is a native UHD 4K (3840×2160) LED display with up to 20 points of touch.
Utllizing the collaborative NovoConnect solution, the NovoTouch can connect up to 64 users at the same time as well as allow up to four people to present simultaneously on the same display. It offers wireless cross-platform mirroring from any device, moderation and on-screen annotation functions and polling and voting features for measuring audience participation. It’s also dual network with “ultra-secured” network support for separated or paralleled wired and wireless connections.
The NovoTouch is available in four sizes: 65″, 75″, 86″ and 98″. All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Digital Signage Expo Announces 2017 APEX Award Winners Digital Signage Expo (DSE) announced the independently judged winners of its APEX Awards for 2017 at the 13th Annual APEX Awards Ceremony, Wednesday, March 29 at the Renaissance Hotel.Razorfish and Dreambox Visual Communications took home the top honors of the night, winning the APEX Installation of the Year and APEX Content of the Year awards, respectively. The two overall winners were selected from the nine Gold award winners.This year Gold, Silver and Bronze DSE 2017 APEX Awards were presented to winners in nine categories from a field of 138 entrants:Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (13 entries)
- Gold – Christie for Star Wars: The Force Awakens Red Carpet World Premiere
- Silver – Bluecadet for Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Bronze – Second Story, part of SapientRazorfish for SFMOMA/Photography Interpretive Gallery
Business & Government Services (17 entries)
- Gold – Salesforce for Salesforce West Lobby Pixelscape
- Silver – Dimensional Innovations for Hy-Vee Headquarters
- Bronze – Forge Media + Design for 2 Queen Entry Experience
Education & Healthcare (15 entries)
- Gold – GestureTek Health for St. Joseph’s Health Centre Just for Kids Clinic
- Silver – Sensory Interactive for Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
- Bronze – Second Story, part of SapientRazorfish for Libbie Mill Library/Libbie MIll Library Media Installation
Event Venues & Hospitality (17 entries)
- Gold – Dimensional Innovations for U.S. Bank Stadium/Vikings Voyage
- Silver – Movilok for Logis La Fonda Barranco
- Bronze – 10net Managed Solutions Ltd for Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
Food & Beverage (7 entries)
- Gold – HEROFi INC for Buffalo Wild Wings TV (B-DUBS TV)
- Silver – Converse Marketing for Caterpillar – Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
- Bronze – SiliconCore for Sportsbar 1904 at the FIFA World Football Museum
Immersive Environments (12 entries)
- Gold – ESI Design for Terrell Place, Washington, D.C.
- Silver – SapientRazorfish for Allied Reit/Mimur’s Well
- Bronze – Dreambox Visual Communication, Inc. for TAPI Pipeline Groundbreaking Ceremony
Public Spaces (21 entries)
- Gold – Dreambox Visual Communication, Inc. for Conquest of İstanbul, 563rd Anniversary
- Silver – Intersection for LinkNYC
- Bronze – Float4 for City Walk, Dubai
Retail (24 entries)
- Gold – SapientRazorfish, formerly Razorfish for T-Mobile Times Square Store
- Silver – Shikatani Lacroix Design for China Zheshang Bank
- Bronze — The Sandbox Agency for LG’s “Best Buy TV Experience Wall”
Transportation (12 entries)
- Gold – Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts & Design for The Blowing Bowler
- Silver – NanoLumens for Miami International Airport
- Bronze – Gridcast Media Inc. for Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal 1
DSE is here.
Our coverage of DSE (including videos shot at every single booth on the show floor) is here. Leave a Comment
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CDS Launches Lineup of Touch Tables CDS has just launched a range of commercial-grade commercial touch tables available in 32″, 42″, 46″ and 55″, all 1920×1080 and a 65″ 4K 3840×2160 version. All are able to detect at least 12 touch points simultaneously.
All CDS tables include multi touch, a black border PCAP touchscreen overlay and come in various stand styles. The tables use an Intel Core i7-6500U 16GB (120GB SSD, Wi-Fi, Windows 10 Pro) as well as integrated touch software. They are designed to be used in applications such as retail, exhibitions, schools, museums, reception areas, signage and meeting rooms.
All of them can be found here. Leave a Comment
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Oblong Just Launched a Collaboration Board System Too, in New Mezzanine Teamwork Oblong Industries today announced the launch of Mezzanine Teamwork, a collaboration solution for huddle spaces and small meeting rooms. It’s a HUB that can be connected to any display – sort of like a cross between a Barco ClickShare and a Cisco Spark Board.
Using a 3D tracking system, the Mezzanine Teamwork uses the Oblong Mezzanine Appliance with screen-mounted IR tags, a bluetooth access point, and a wireless wand control device to control the room, the content on the display as well as track meeting participants (to auto-switch for far-site participants) to simplify all-room control. Teamwork includes built-in videoconferencing, wireless collaboration, far-site collaboration, whiteboarding and annotation as well as an endless digital canvas for content to be shared. This is all connected to the network as well as to a display (55” or larger).
Users can join via video, iOS device, Android device, Windows or MAC OS laptops and the Mezzanine Appliance (that’s the hub of the room) takes up to 10 total connections at the same time (four can be HDMI sources (1080p or 720p), one is an IP camera connection and the other five are simultaneous video-streams (via the network) for remote or local participants. The Appliance OS is Ubuntu 16.04 and has an integrated 512 GB solid-state drive for content storage and management. It is then connected to up to two things simultaneously — one output is HDMI and the other is USB-C and cab be anything from a whiteboard to an other display (up to 1080p).
Here’s more information. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Ships New Line of UL 1449 Certified Power ConditionersCrestron announced today it is now shipping a complete family of professional-grade UL 1449 certified power conditioners. Rack-mountable, the Type 3 Listed PC-100, PC-200 and PC-300 are for 120-volt AC power distribution, switching, surge protection and EMI/RFI noise filtering for AV systems.
UL 1449 is the UL safety and performance standard for Surge Protective Devices (SPD), formerly known as Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS).
RMS voltage and current monitoring enables technology managers to log and report line voltage, current, power and energy usage at the input. The external temperature sensor keeps tabs on heat conditions within the equipment rack or room. Network connectivity allows for setup and operation using a web browser, and extensive custom control and monitoring capabilities are enabled through integration with a Crestron control system.
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GPO Display Debuts Panoramic Display Line From 16″ to 48″
Creative display sizes and form-factors are hard to come by. Nearly every display manufacturer exclusively sells 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio monitors — with few other options.
But, GPO Display has a line of 16”, 19”, 24”, 28” and 48” monitors that are like the width of a panoramic photo taken with your smartphone. With the exception of the 1,366 horizontal pixel resolution 16” version, the horizontal pixel resolutions of the line are all 1920, with vertical resolutions varying between 260 pixels to 540 pixels. Plus, every single display can be customized with a choice of bezels, front and back cover as well as branding — yes, they will even brand them with your company’s or school’s logo.
In case you’re worried about creating content for the displays, all you have to do is create content that’s designed for a 1920×1080 monitor (or for 1366×768 for the 16” version) and have the area you want to be displayed on any of the panoramic displays in the top ½ or 1/3 of the screen.
In addition to standing out — since they aren’t the same-old 16:9 aspect ratio — they can be used in more places since they are smaller in height — for example, for display in transit applications, digital signage and gaming. But we can see these being used in a conference room or meeting room as a stock-ticker display or a world clock — perhaps even outside a room as a room scheduling display. In a call-center, this could be used as a call-queue display and in a restaurant, a menu board.
The idea is to get the integrator and the client to think outside the traditional rectangle and offer-up a creative display option. The brightness of each display ranges from 320 nits to 700 nits. The lifetime for the displays is spec’d to be 30,000 hours. Inputs include two HDMI, one VGA and one USB, plus there’s a built-in digital signage media player.
Here are all the specs.
Here’s a blog that GPO Display wrote that has a few examples for using the panoramic monitor.
GPO Displays will feature the Panoramic Display series at InfoComm in booth 2385. Leave a Comment
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Oblong and AVI-SPL Sign Preferred Partner Agreement Oblong and AVI-SPL have increased the scope of their relationship to ‘preferred partner’ status.
AVI-SPL designs, builds, integrates and supports systems and environments that enable communication and collaboration, partnering with manufacturers like Oblong to improve the way organizations get work done. Oblong is the developer of the Mezzanine range of solutions for immersive visual collaboration. Oblong’s Mezzanine transforms meetings into visually engaging work sessions characterized by Infopresence — the immersive, content-rich experience that delivers a heightened level of real-time collaboration in-room and across locations.
Together the two companies have made Oblong’s immersive, spatial operating environments the centerpiece technology in executive briefing centers, command centers, teaming rooms and conference spaces in many enterprises.
“Oblong is one of those forward-thinking technology companies truly changing the way we work, collaborate, and create,” says Dale Bottcher, senior vice president of sales for AVI-SPL. “They’re transforming workplaces for our clients around the world by providing a better collaborative user experience for generating ideas with parallel work processes.”
Oblong will kick off the new partnership April 10-12 during AVI-SPL’s Sales Acceleration Summit, demonstrating its unique immersive collaboration solution including the newly launched Mezzanine Teamwork. Leave a Comment
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Atlona Starts to Ship OmniStream AV-over-IP Products The Atlona OmniStream product line is their first foray into the its first line of AV-over-IP products. The OmniStream family consists of five products to integrate and distribute 4K/UHD video (@60Hz 4:2:0 Chroma Sub-sampling), audio, and RS-232 control over Gigabit Ethernet networks — albeit compressed. The OmniStream line has dual-channel encoding and decoding, redundant AV networks and streams, encrypted content distribution, broadcast-quality 4K video compression (if you consider compression broadcast-quality) with low latency and the ability to convey 4K video and Dante audio simultaneously over the same network.
The OmniStream line comprises the following products:
- OmniStream 111 (AT-OMNI-111) Single-Channel Networked AV Encoder
- OmniStream 112 (AT-OMNI-112) Two-Channel Networked AV Encoder
- OmniStream 121 (AT-OMNI-121) Single-Channel Networked AV Decoder
- OmniStream 122 (AT-OMNI-122) Two-Channel Networked AV Decoder
- OmniStream 232 (AT-OMNI-232) Two-Channel Dante Networked Audio Interface
From hat we can tell, this is the first AV-over-IP product that has dual-channel encoding and decoding — this allows each OmniStream 112 and OmniStream 122 to process two independent 4K/UHD video streams in a single, half-width rack enclosure.
The dual-channel components can also be configured for system redundancy, with each encoder and decoder handling two simultaneous streams of the same HDMI source. The two independent streams are encoded and decoded simultaneously, and when a physical or logical connection fault is detected in a primary stream, the decoder automatically switches over to the backup.
OmniStream uses SMPTE VC-2 video compression (SMPTE 2042), a visually lossless codec that Atlona says was originally developed by the BBC for high quality imagery in master control video distribution as well as post-production and archiving — the delay is a half a video frame or 9 millisecond delay for 60 Hz video signals.
OmniStream features SMPTE 2022 forward error correction for protection against packet loss and the resulting signal dropouts, which can occur in large-scale applications spanning several networks. It also features selectable AES-128 encryption for securing sensitive or protected content in government, military, healthcare and corporate environments.
All OmniStream AV encoders stream HDMI embedded audio, including Dolby and DTS multi-channel bitstream formats. In addition, the OmniStream 232 Dante network interface can be used for transmitting and receiving two-channel audio over the network. The OmniStream 232 also integrates sources such as microphones and PCs into a third-party audio DSP as well as a larger Dante system.
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Ships DigitalMedia NVX 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 HDR Over 1Gb Network AV Solution Crestron is now shipping the DigitalMedia NVX Series, the AV-over-IP 1GB network product launched at ISE in February. The DigitalMedia NVX Series makes it possible to transmit stunning 4K60 4:4:4 HDR video over standard 1 Gigabit Ethernet, with what Crestron is marketing as “no latency” (their words).
DM NVX Series leverages 802.1X so that every DM NVX device is authorized, Active Directory credential management ensures that only authorized administrators gain access and Secure CIP protocol ensures secure connections between DM NVX and Crestron control systems.
DM NVX Series is an infinitely scalable software-defined matrix that provides the ability to share 4K60 4:4:4 HDR content securely anywhere over a dedicated 1Gb copper or fiber network, with no latency or limits — again, this is from their press release. Other network AV products that rely on 10 Gigabit Ethernet don’t scale beyond a single switch. By contrast, Crestron DM NVX Series leverages standard enterprise-grade 1Gb network infrastructure, which is 10 times more scalable at a fraction of the cost.
Typical network AV systems encode/decode and then scale sequentially, which results in additional latency. Crestron’s patent pending technology simultaneously encodes/decodes and scales, eliminating any latency incurred in transmitting video over the network. Software residing in the DM NVX Series Encoder/Decoder boxes and cards makes it capable to configure, deploy, and manage systems from the web.
DM NVX Series is comprised of DM NVX Encoder/Decoder Boxes (DM-NVX-350, DM-NVX-351), DM NVX Encoder/Decoder Cards (DM-NVX-350C, DM-NVX-351C), and the DM NVX Card Chassis (DMF-CI8). DM NVX Encoders/Decoders feature built-in USB 2.0 routing, DSP and breakaway audio, HDCP 2.2 support, auto-switching, all-in-one encoding/decoding, and support Ethernet natively, as well as fiber with optional SPF modules, all at price similar to competitor’s products that have less capability and are not secure.
We shot a video of this at ISE here.
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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TechLogix Launches SMP Table-Top Collaboration SystemThe TechLogix SMP is a table-top wired collaboration system that’s basically a switcher with HDBaseT, a mini-control system and connectivity. It’s part of their Show-Me Series. Available in digital and analog and digital models, the SMP provides a single all-in-one interface for meeting rooms, huddle rooms and other collaborative environments. The table top hub includes:
- HDMI and/or VGA port
- Control for source selection, display on/off and display volume
- Recessed twisted pair connection with strain relief
- Integrated IR learning window
- Integrated power-over-twisted pair power circuit
The table top collaboration hub connects to a remote receiver using a single twisted pair cable, and the entire system only requires power at the display end and all display control commands are programmed, transmitted and output via CEC (for consumer displays) or IR. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Extron Introduces Industry’s First Control Processor With AV LAN Ports and PoE+ Extron just launched the IPCP Pro 360 — a control processor with three dedicated AV LAN ports and one standard Ethernet port. The control processor provides PoE+ to external devices, eliminating the need for additional power supplies. It features advanced security standards and Gigabit Ethernet ports, which make it compatible with multiple TouchLink Pro touchpanels using a standard network infrastructure. The AV LAN ports are designed to control local AV devices, and safeguard them from outside intrusion or interference. The IPCP Pro 360 can be used with Extron LinkLicense, which further enhances the capabilities of Extron Pro Series control systems. The IPCP Pro 360 is designed for controlling multiple devices and control signal types within AV systems requiring an isolated AV network.
The Extron IPCP Pro 360 can be configured using Global Configurator Plus or Global Configurator Professional software or programmed using Extron Global Scripter. For enterprise-wide applications, GlobalViewer Enterprise can provide centralized AV resource monitoring, management, and control over a computer network.
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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Harman JBL Intros EON ONE PRO Rechargeable Portable PA HARMAN Professional Solutions today unveiled the JBL EON ONE PRO rechargeable portable personal linear-array PA. The EON ONE Pro combines the sound quality of a professional system with the convenience and portability of a self-contained, battery-powered solution. Featuring Bluetooth audio, a seven-channel mixer and a rechargeable lithium battery that lasts six hours, EON ONE Pro is designed for portable and rental applications for pop-up musicians, educators, fitness studios, corporate environments and more.
Claiming it as the first all-in-one battery-powered linear-array PA system, the EON ONE PRO has a high-frequency section and two spacers fit conveniently into the base unit. Two spacers provide a long throw for live performances and large crowds, while a single spacer is ideal for conferences, gyms and medium-sized groups. For small meetings and intimate events, users can place the high-frequency section directly atop the base unit.
With a maximum SPL of 118 dB (peak), the EON ONE PRO provides distortion-free audio. An 8” bass-reflex subwoofer delivers a low-frequency response that’s designed for recorded music. The high-frequency section features JBL’s patent-pending Directivity Control Geometry, which optimizes the spacing and angles of the six two-inch high-frequency drivers to deliver full and clear sound over a wide coverage area, ensuring that the entire audience hears the sound accurately and consistently.
The built-in seven-channel mixer with Hi-Z inputs and phantom power enables users to connect microphones, instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars and keyboards, and other sources. The mixer features bass, treble and reverb controls to optimize the sound. The unit also includes a pass-thru XLR connector for integrating additional units for more robust sound reinforcement. Bluetooth audio streaming makes it easy to play back recorded music from smartphones or tablets. A USB charger connection provides power for phones and tablets when needed and the unit features an integrated tablet stand for convenience.
Here are the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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BenQ Ships Industry’s First Color-Critical Monitor With Single-Cable USB-C Connectivity BenQ America has launched a new 100 percent sRGB and Rec. 709 monitor offering a range of features aimed at creative professionals. The new 27” PD2710QC includes a USB-C Docking Station for MacBook and PC users, allowing designers to charge devices, transfer data, transmit audio and video, and connect to the internet, all through a single cable.
Simultaneously delivering up to 61 watts of power to a laptop or mobile device, the 27″ (2560×1440) IPS LED display’s single 5-Gbps Super Speed USB-C connection powers its integrated hub and features multiple audio, video, network and USB ports. Using the screen’s DisplayPort output and built-in multi-stream transport technology (MST), users can expand their workspace across multiple monitors. In addition, the included Display Pilot Software allows users to further customize their viewing experience by splitting their screen into multiple windows.
The PD2710QC features 100 percent sRGB and Rec.709 color accuracy and a wide viewing angle and it’s part of BenQ’s PD series design monitors that features a Darkroom mode, which creates the optimal setting for work in darker post-processing environments by adjusting the brightness and contrast of images, a CAD/CAM mode, which offers superior contrast on lines and shapes of technical illustrations; and Animation mode to better visualize the details hiding in dark shadows.
BenQ incorporated anti-glare screen and Eye-Care technology, including Zeroflicker and Low Blue Light, which eliminate flicker and filter out harmful blue light that can cause eye fatigue and irritation.
The PD2710QC is priced at $599 and it’s here. Leave a Comment
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We’re Back from DSE 2017 – The Largest Digital Signage Expo Ever
The 2017 Digital Signage Expo (DSE) was their biggest, ever. And, we covered it all here. So, what’s there? We shot about 300 videos of new products from the show floor. These included a 55” OLED display (called Wallpaper) from LG Business Solutions that is the less than the thickness of a dime. BrightSign had all-new 4K media players — including an OPS one — and NEC showed a giant LCD, a infinite-resolution display solution, retail analytics that can tell who you are and a media player on a USB stick. Oh, and the show had the industry’s first analog digital signage display — uh, what? Go look at it — it’s from a company called BREAKFAST. We also took 300+ PHOTOS from the show floor and podcasted! We hope you find this microsite useful and productive. And, while using it, if you have ANY suggestions to make it better for future shows, just send us an email at pr@ravepubs.com — we do pay attention to your ideas! All our DSE coverage is here. Leave a Comment
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Altinex Expands Cable Nook Product Line With New CNK220 and CNK222 Altinex has added two new interconnect boxes to its Cable Nook product line: the CNK220 and CNK222. Both the CNK220 and CNK222 provide a way of enabling the user to access connections to AC power, USB charging, HDMI, network and other media sources from a table-mounted box.
The Altinex CNK220 includes the CNK200 Cable-Nook Modular Tabletop Interconnect Box and the SP3504SC faceplate. The faceplate is pre‑configured with one CNK-IP-200 module that provides dual AC power and dual USB charging ports. The center module (CNK-IP-212) includes an HDMI video input connector, two 3.5 millimeters audio connectors and one 15-pin VGA port. The third module is the six snap-in port CNK-IP-211, which is outfitted with two RJ45 network connectors, leaving four open ports for customization by Altinex or the integrator.
The Altinex CNK220 includes the CNK200 Cable-Nook Modular Tabletop Interconnect Box and the CNK‑IP‑210 faceplate. The faceplate is pre‑configured with two CNK-IP-200 modules (each with dual AC power and dual USB charging ports) and one CNK‑IP‑217 HDMI module. The CNK‑IP‑217 module has one HDMI pass‑through connector and four blank snap‑in ports that can be customized by Altinex or the integrator.
The CNK-IP-200 module (UL/cUL Listed) in both the CNK220 and CNK222 is designed for 12 Amp AC power capacity while the dual USB charging ports are 3 amps total, 5VDC, Type A, 2.0. These units come with 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) power cables terminated with a single male plug. They will be available in May and pricing is $585 for the CNK220 and $625 for the CNK222. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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New Shuttle PC Designed for Sharp AQUOS BOARDsThe new Shuttle PN-SPCi7W10S PC is now available as an add-on solution for the entire AQUOS BOARD interactive display line. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-6700 Skylake Processor and 8GB RAM/256GB internal SSD, the PN-SPCi7W10S can operate up to three AQUOS BOARD interactive displays from this single PC. When using three PN-L803C AQUOS BOARD interactive displays, the Shuttle PC uses Sharp Pen Software with integrated Wide Board mode to recognize the multiple screens as a breathtaking, super wide screen.
The Shuttle PN-SPCi7W10S PC is expected to be available for shipment later this month and orders may be placed immediately. It will list for $2,450 and weigh five pounds. But, it’s designed to fit behind the AQUOS BOARD. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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LG Officially Adds Wallpaper Displays to Digital Signage Lineup — Stuns Everyone Looking At It LG Electronics USA Business Solutions has finally debuted the new lightweight LG OLED “Wallpaper” commercial display as well as new customizable open-frame LG OLED displays at the 2017 Digital Signage Expo (DSE). The Wallpaper isn’t totally new. In fact, we were the first publication to see the commercial version of it when it debuted in Australia last summer — here’s the video we shot there.
The LG OLED Wallpaper technology has literally created a new category of displays as it’s so thin. And, as you no doubt know, OLED technology has a unique ability to turn each pixel on or completely off, thus, black is black — and since white is the opposite of black in displays (and all color is made from everything between black and white), colorimetry is incredible.
So far, it’s the talk of the DSE — nearly everyone is talking about it.
This version of the LG OLED Wallpaper is specifically for commercial display applications and it’s in a 55-inch form-factor that weighs less than 13 pounds and has depth that is just 3.65 millimeters (0.14 inches). Yes, you read that right — barely more than 1/10th of an inch.
The Wallpaper display can be mounted either vertically or horizontally for a customizable display design. Ultra-slim mounting brackets with a magnetic mat create a truly seamless design that becomes one with the wall. Electronic components are housed in a separate control box connected to the display with a 2-meter (6-1/2-foot) cable.
The LG OLED Wallpaper commercial display is native HD (1920×1080) has 64 GB of internal memory, content mirroring capabilities, content scheduling and Wi-Fi connectivity. Future versions will include larger sizes (likely up to 80″) as well as 4K (3840×2160) resolution displays.
Also on display in the United States for the first time at DSE 2017 is the “In-Glass Wallpaper” LG OLED digital signage display. Designed with dual-sided ultra-slim OLED panels in a glass pane, the In-Glass Wallpaper LG OLED display is perfect for boutiques, art galleries and other businesses that want to add a sophisticated touch to their interior décor. The In-Glass Wallpaper LG OLED solution will be available in standing and hanging versions to provide businesses flexible options.
Here are the technical details. Leave a Comment
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Zylight Introduces Pro-Cyc Color 350-Watt Cyclorama Light Zylight is debuting its Pro-Cyc Color asymmetric wall washer later this month. Designed for TV studios and theatres, the 350-watt Pro-Cyc Color produces a soft, even field with enough output to cover 25-foot cyc walls. It shines pure white for a clean chromakey wash and features Zylight’s Color Mode to produce millions of colors without gels or filters.
Built for floor use or truss mount, the lightweight Pro-Cyc Color features solid aluminum and steel construction. Up to four Pro-Cyc Color fixtures can be daisy chained through their powercon connectors. The Pro-Cyc Color features integrated DMX operation as well as an intuitive control panel for smooth 0-100 percent dimming.
The Pro-Cyc Color is priced at $2,799 and will be available in Summer 2017. Here are the specs. Leave a Comment
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BenQ’s New G-Series Monitors Debut BenQ America today announced two new additions to its mainstream monitor lineup: the GL2706PQ and GC2870H. The new 27″ VA GL2706PQ display is designed for the office that is native QHD 2560×1440 resolution using an LED backlight panel. Packed with BenQ’s Eye-Care technology, including ZeroFlicker and Low Blue Light and has an ergonomic height-adjustable stand that allows users to set up their most comfortable viewing angles.
The 28″ LED FHD 1920×1080 resolution GC2870H is 85 percent NTSC color gamut coverage using 8-bit color at a 3,000:1 native contrast ratio. With 178°/178° wide-viewing angles, users can experience authentic colors and ultra-sharp details from any direction. Also, featuring Eye-Care technology, the GC2870H is designed to filter out harmful blue light, effectively decreasing eye fatigue and irritation. It also has an HDMI interface.
Both models are available now and list at $189 for the GC2870H and $299 for the GL2706PQ. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Advanced Forms Advanced Videowall GroupAfter spinning off APG Displays’ rental business into APG Rentals in 2016 to provide a more dedicated rental service, Advanced today announced that, effective immediately, all of its APG Displays sales and installation sectors will be integrated into a new division of Advanced, the Advanced Videowall Group. According to Advanced President David Weatherhead, the new division combines the breadth and capabilities of the company’s systems integration unit with APG Displays’ unique specialist videowall skill set. All APG Displays engineers, technicians and sales executives will be brought into the new division.
“The Advanced Videowall Group brings a new type of business and a new level of expertise to the market — one that customers are asking for more and more every day,” Weatherhead said. “Clients are no longer looking to purchase a standalone videowall. They frequently ask for a full suite of integration services, with the addition of other AV elements, such as control systems. By combining Advanced’s large integration programs with the specialized expertise of APG Displays, the Advanced Videowall Group offers this entirely new package for our clients.”
Advanced has created some groundbreaking videowall solutions, including a curved laser phosphor display videowall for GE Digital Energy, as well as a high resolution LED videowall in broadcast for CNN’s Washington, D.C. bureau. They have designed and installed videowalls into almost every type of application in the U.S. and Canada, and frequently partner with leading broadcast studio set designers, retail design and marketing agencies, interior designers, architects and professional AV consultants to assist in both facilitating client vision and ensuring a flawless client experience.
You can find the Advanced Videowall Group here. Leave a Comment
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Global Survey of 24,000+ Workers Shows Need for Flexibility in WorkplacesProductivity and teamwork are both significantly improved when employees can choose where they work, a global survey of anywhere working trends has found. The survey, commissioned by Polycom.
“We predicted that 2016 would be the ‘year of video,’ and it’s satisfying to know that people are really seeing the benefits of working this way,” says Jim Kruger, CMO of Polycom. “The survey results also tell us that businesses need to offer video collaboration tools to enable the human contact that people crave. Organizations that are able to offer flexible working practices and the right collaboration tools will be the winners in recruiting and retaining top talent.”
The survey has revealed the main benefits and challenges for employers and employees when it comes to adopting a flexible working culture. While results vary by country, there are three key trends that remain constant across the board. The vast majority of respondents (98 percent) agree that an anywhere working approach boosts productivity, as people can choose to work where they are most efficient. 92 percent of respondents also agree that video collaboration technology improves teamwork. Meeting colleagues via video helps keep the human interaction element that can sometimes lack when working remotely, enabling employees to develop better relationships. The survey also reveals that 62 percent of the global working population is working flexibly – more than ever before. Digital transformation is partly responsible, as it drives organizations to explore new ways of working at a faster pace. Firms are racing to innovate, develop a better working culture, and retain the best talent to remain competitive.
“There is a stigma that remote workers are disconnected from the rest of the team, yet this study proves that they are more sociable and proactively reach out to develop strong relationships. The new technology tools that enable communication and collaboration are actually motivating workers to pick up the phone, seek face time and create lasting bonds. This is the upside of remote work we rarely talk about,” Jeanne Meister, partner, Future Workplace.
Sixty-six percent of millennials are worried that they aren’t perceived as hard-working when they are not in the office. This is a big concern globally, shared by 62 percent of all respondents. For organisations to keep up with the fast-pace of digital transformation, there needs to be a shift in attitude, and a new approach to how people work and collaborate. By measuring performance based on outputs, and not hours worked, employees are reassured that management knows presenteeism does not equate to good work ethic. Underlying this shift in work culture is technology. The right collaboration technology needs to be in place to enable teams to collaborate, and employees to have the same access to resources as if they were in the office.
For more information about the survey results, read Polycom’s white paper “Changing Needs of the Workplace.” Leave a Comment
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BenQ Adds Curved Eye-Care Monitors to E-Series Lineup BenQ America today announced the EX3200R and EW2770QZ have joined the company’s E-Series entertainment monitor lineup. The new displays come equipped with BenQ’s Eye-Care technologies.
The BenQ EX3200R is a 31.5″ curved 1920×1080 resolution monitor with a curvature of 1800R to increase the field of view. It features a 144Hz refresh rate, a built-in Cinema Mode automatically changes the color settings in video footage, Video Format Support and their ZeroFlicker and Low Blue Light modes. It has a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.
The QHD resolution (2560×1440) EW2770QZ 27″ monitor features a four-sided ultra-slim bezel. With Rec.709 and 100 percent sRGB color space coverage, the EW2720QZ renders 16.7 million color shades simultaneously and has an interesting feature called Smart Focus that allows users to pinpoint an area on the screen and make it the focal point. It also has a 1000:1 contrast ratio.
Featuring BenQ’s Brightness Intelligence Plus Technology (B.I.+ Tech.), the EW2770QZ is specially designed to detect ambient light levels and the color temperature in the viewing environment and automatically adjust on-screen brightness and color temperature. And, for multi-monitor setups, the screen can be desktop-mounted or via its built-in VESA mount pattern, can be mounted on walls or mounts.
Both models are available now, the EX3200R retails for $449 and the EW2770QZ for $449. All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Google’s Jamboard Will Now List for $5,000 and Ship in MayWe have a new, lower, price ($5,000 and a $600 per board annual service contract) and a shipping date (May 20th) for the Google Jamboard.Want to save $300 on the service contract? Buy it now — as it will only be $300 if you buy one before the end of the summer.
As we reported last year, the Google Jamboard — to be sold, primarily, through BenQ in most of the world, is an interactive LCD is a portable (on four wheels), 55” 4K (3840×2160) resolution collaboration board that’s integrated with Google’s G Suite — email, videoconferencing, cloud collaboration of Google Docs, device management, file sharing, etc. Pull in work from Google Docs, Sheets and Slides or add photos stored in Drive. To capture ideas, Jamboard includes tools like sticky notes and stencils as well as intelligent features like handwriting and shape recognition. And, of course, videoconferencing.
This will likely force some other newbies in the collaboration board market to readjust their pricing — as Google previously announced it at $6,000. New collaboration board lines debuted at ISE from Newline, Avocor, Cisco, Sharp and NEC.
Jamboard is all Google, though. Unlike some of the others, it’s designed, made and integrated with Google G Suite and it’s basically just an electronic whiteboard without it. With it, however, you can do document collaboration — with all sites connected seeing the exact same thing on all their Jamboard (or anyone connected via G Suite via a laptop or tablet).
Here’s a YouTube video of the Jamboard in action.
Here are the detailed specs from the BenQ site. Leave a Comment
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Signagelive to Launch Native Support for BrightSign Series 3 Players at Digital Signage Expo Signagelive has collaborated with BrightSign to develop native, embedded support for their latest Series 3 range of digital signage media players which will be launched at Digital Signage Expo 2017 (#DSE2017), 28-30 March, Las Vegas.
To deliver BrightSign digital signage media player support, Signagelive has developed an optimized version of its HTML5 based solution, which they say is in used daily by 1,700+ digital signage networks worldwide. The combined BrightSign/Signagelive digital media player solution includes:
- Full Signagelive digital signage solution with fullscreen and multi-zone support
- Images, Videos, HTML5 web page support
- 100 percent support for scheduling including; recurrence, validity and tag based publishing
- Remote application updates for inline upgrades to the Signagelive BrightSign client
- Widget support — Over 500 Editable Templates, Clocks, Weather and Room Booking Templates
- Web Trigger support for event driven content playback
- Offline playback of all media, layouts, widgets and editable templates
- Proof of Play reporting of all media playback
- Developer APIs for media management, device monitoring, content publishing and reporting
BrightSign Series 3 digital signage media players powered by Signagelive are compatible with the recently launched Signagelive Marketplace, comprising 500+ plus pre-built digital signage pieces of content (ranging from layout backgrounds, editable templates, clocks and weather widgets to pre-built applications).
Built to deliver the editable content templates in the Signagelive Marketplace, the Signagelive Widget Development Framework enables resellers, developers and customers to build and publish custom HTML5 content and interactive experiences to BrightSign Series 3 digital signage media players.
In addition, BrightSign resellers and customers will be able to make use of the suite of developer APIs enabling code-level integration with Signagelive for; network and device monitoring, content management and publishing and real time web triggers enabling contextual and dynamic content updates.
Signagelive is here and BrightSign is here. Leave a Comment
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Yamaha Debuts the CS-700 Video Sound Collaboration System for Huddle RoomsYamaha has announced the CS-700, an all-in-one collaboration solution with a big focus on audio. As you know, Yamaha entered the conferencing market in 2006 and they acquired Revolabs last year. Now, they’ve introduced the CS-700, an in wall-mounted system that includes Revolabs’ microphone technology, a beamforming microphone array, four speakers and through the integrated USB port, the CS-700 is ready to connect to nearly any software-based codec including Microsoft Skype for Business, Cisco Spark, GoToConference, Google Chromebox for Meetings, Vidyo, WebEx, Zoom, BlueJeans and many others. The unit’s wide-angle video camera captures all meeting participants in the room, even those close to the camera. And Yamaha says a special optical solution ensures the high “pixel-per-face” resolution (their term) necessary for participants to recognize nuanced facial expressions that are vital to effective meetings.
Over the same USB connection to their laptop or tablet, users can join a meeting. In addition, the CS-700’s integrated network management system allows IT staff to remotely manage each unit from one location.
The Yamaha CS-700 specs are here. Leave a Comment
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe AVBuyers.Club out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV and HomeAV industries, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write or say anything good (or bad).
To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com.
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship newsletter with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. rAVe Radio, our podcast network, was launched in 2012. AVBuyers.Club, our first publications targeted at end users, launched in May 2015. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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Copyright 2017 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: Sara@rAVePubs.com
rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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