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Volume 4, Issue 8 — August 24, 2010
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The Bell Tolls
By Joel Rollins, CTS-R Well, for whom DOES the bell toll, then?
Last month, I took issue with many of my colleagues over the prediction of the “death of the projector.” While I agreed with the overall point that there are great, and in many ways more useful, new technologies for display coming to market, I disagreed over the pace with which changes would happen. I especially disagree on the swiftness of this issue when it comes to the rental end of the business, and I went on to detail my reasons why, in the rental end of the business, we’d be using projectors for a long time to come.
But that act of rebuttal can take a heavy toll on a columnist, so I’m here this month to atone for it. You see, it seems to be important that we ALL predict the death of SOMETHING. Just ask Jean Dixon. But I’m not going to follow her example of predicting the death or divorce of 50 famous people each year. I consider the approach cheating, since the odds against that number of celebrities remaining intact for a year are statistically in her favor. If you predict enough things, SOME of them will be right.
No, I’m going to predict the death of just one critical technology in rentals. And I’m going to predict that the end is coming suddenly, and faster than most of you will credit. And that the changes it introduces in our industry will be far-reaching, even more so than the changes in our display technology inventory. And that many of you are currently spending big money on a technology that, while it may be important to some aspects of the consumer market, is going to be practically stillborn in staging.
The bell tolls for thee, physical storage. Say goodbye to nearly all forms of “sneakernet.” And say goodbye quickly, because magnetic and magneto-optical storage, unlike the projector, will disappear FASTEST in the rental end of the industry.
I was at the iMac launch when the whole world criticized Apple for doing away with the floppy disc as a standard part of the computer. Anybody used a floppy disc for anything important in the last couple of years? And the disc was just the first example. I’m predicting that virtually all magneto and magneto-optical storage methods (the CD and DVD included) will be dying a rapid and nearly unlamented death in the rental industry, especially in staging, for anything but software updates and cheap manufacturer catalogs. But we won’t be exchanging presentations on them. And any manufacturer still distributing updates or info to you on physical discs is one that is wasting your money and has questionable grasp of our industry’s technologies.
This is driven by a number of factors, only one of which is the size of the files involved in presentations. But let’s go there first… because I’ve looked at the presentations I’ve handled over the past two years, and a vanishingly small number of them, for anything but basic PowerPoint, would fit on a CD or DVD. And those that would, for other reasons, weren't exchanged that way.
Now, some of you are saying, “What about Blu-Ray”? Well, what about it? Are you getting a lot of demand from producers or clients for Blu-ray playback, for anything but commercial movies? No, and you’re not going to. Blu-ray is a great standard for mass distribution, and has all the copy-protection features (and issues) that the big movie studios want. But it is difficult to author using the most commercially-available programs our producers use, and is too unstable as a standard (it’s been revised several times already and about to go through another revision) for anything but home distribution to playback devices. And playback is inconsistent from player to player — read the trade press, or just ask Gary. And it is STILL too small and in video playback too limited in resolution to use for high-quality presentations to large screen displays, especially given the resolutions that projectors and tiled-wall systems are capable of.
But the factors are bigger than the one of storage capacity. They have to do with the way we make presentations today, and the way we present them. Sneakernet just doesn't cut it anymore, with ANY size disc.
First, it has to do with the number of revisions shows go through, and the unlikely idea that there will be time to burn large capacity discs after the last round of changes are made — especially since many of those changes, and more every year, come on the day of the show — often while the previous presenter is on stage.
Another factor is the use of materials in virtual meetings, web-based collaboration, and videoconferencing — where the distribution of physical storage is not only impractical, but also nearly impossible. And silly, come to think of it. And not only is the MEETING distributed — so are the people who create it. Face it, one of the challenges an AV company has is to get all the presenter materials we need together on time, from different people in different places. It’s time we stopped trying, because we’re attempting to force clients into an old-show mentality they no longer have. Today, when you ask a client to give you all their materials assembled on a disc, they look at you funny — and may be thinking they need to call someone who “gets it.”
No, our future is written in the clouds. In servers and network access.
Discs will be useful to us — as coasters. But we’ll still be using projectors long after the oddity of pressing bits to plastic (as Larry Ellison has said) is over.
rAVe Rental [and Staging] contributor Joel R. Rollins, CTS-R, is General Manager of Everett Hall Associates, Inc. and is well known throughout the professional AV industry for his contributions to industry training and his extensive background in AV rental, staging and installation. Joel can be reached at Joel can be reached at joelrollins@mac.com Back to Top |
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Christie Digital Debuts the Ultimate 3D Projector Christie’s new Mirage WU7K-M is something you gotta see. Featuring a full WUXGA resolution (1920×1200) display and dual lamps (making uniformity nearly perfect), the Christie Mirage WU7K-M is a 6,300-ANSI-lumen powerhouse.
With dual-link DVI support at 330MHz full bandwidth and up to 10,000:1 contrast, the projector is designed for stereoscopic 3D applications and includes three modes of 3D input: standard frame rate of up to 120Hz, as well as frame-doubled content for maximum source compatibility and flicker-free operation. With the addition of a second input module, the Dual Input 3D mode enables the display of a frame-locked, passive stereo source for high-performance, active stereo at 120Hz without the need for an external passive to active converter.
It’s spec’d with a lamp life of up to 3,000 hours (per lamp), a fairly low power consumption of only 20 watts in standby, and filter-free, auto-sensing fans and temperature sensors, making it probably the industry’s most efficient “green” 3D projector so far.
Here are all the specs: http://www.christiedigital.com/AMEN/Products/ChristieMirageWU7KM.htm
I’m gratified to see the projector manufacturers backing up my point on the death of the projector being over-predicted :-). Thanks, Christie – this looks awesome.
–JRR Back to Top QSC Unveils SMX Amplifier Line QSC launched a new amplifier line at InfoComm, dubbed the CMX. The CMX Series is available in four models: the CMX 300V, CMX 500V and CMX 800V, housed in a 2RU chassis design, and the CMX2000V, housed in a 3RU chassis design with power ranges from 185 watts to 2500 watts per channel.
All models feature constant voltage output for distributed audio systems with the CMX300V and CMX500V offering it in mono-mode only, while the CMX800V and CMX2000V featuring constant voltage output in either mono- or stereo-mode. The output sections feature rugged class AB and class H architecture (depending on power level) and efficient class H output sections on the CMX800V and CMX2000V to reduce AC current. Unlike other designs, CMX amplifier output devices are directly mounted to the heat sink for optimum thermal coupling and cooling. Likewise, all CMX amplifiers are protected from damage by output short circuits with automatic current limiting protecting the amplifier from damage until the short is corrected. These amps, however, are not Energy Star-qualified or rated.
To learn more, go to: http://www.qscaudio.com/products/amps/cmx/ Back to Top Extron Debuts Quantum Elite The Extron Quantum Elite is a flexible and scalable video wall processor configurable to support a variety of input, output, and windowing capabilities. Featuring two card-cage versions that support various combinations of input and output cards for video, RGB or HD, and DVI sources (up to 1920×1080). Each DVI-I dual output card supports up to 126 video/graphic source windows, and multiple Quantum Elite card cages can be cascaded to create very large display arrays. A high-speed video bus maintains real-time performance even under heavy loading of inputs. The card frame video wall processing system is available with eight or 15 slots.
To learn more, go to: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=quantumelitead
Extron’s done a great job in recent years in making this class of product reliable, understandable, and less expensive — all of which they needed. And with the new categories of displays (like Prysm and Christie’s tiling displays) and new projector resolutions climbing all the time, they’re coming to us at just the right time.
–JRR Back to Top Shure Intro's "Special Edition" Super 55 Mic The design of Shure’s Super 55 microphone is an industry and cultural icon. Known for its excellent sound quality and natural vocal reproduction, Shure created a Special Edition Super 55 microphone that features a sharp new red and black color scheme.
Featuring a black die-cast case, supercardioid polar pattern, and striking red foam, the Special Edition Super 55 is ideal for stage, studio recording, podcasting, and other sound applications where a stand-mounted microphone with a classic look is desired. An integrated, swivel stand mount base and microphone bag are also included.
This product is not going to be available to the ProAV channel and is being sold only through Guitar Center, but the cool-factor of the product makes it still worth a mention.
To learn more, go to: http://www.shure.com/americas/news-events/press-releases/shure_super55-red-and-black-limited-edition
OK, not a mainstream rental item — but we just had to post it. The classic Super 55 with STRIKING RED FOAM — every audio geek I know will want one.
–JRR Back to Top dbx Introduces Media Engine for SC Digital Matrix Processors For Stored Media Playback dbx Professional Products recently introduced the Media Engine for its SC Digital Matrix Processors. As a factory option, the Media Engine brings cost-effective, flash-based, multi-channel playback of stored media to the SC 32 and SC 64.
The SC Media Engine comprises a DSP card and 1GB of flash storage. This allows storage of media files on the SC device itself for subsequent routing and playback. The Media Engine facilitates simultaneous playback of up to eight channels of stored media and a total storage time of around two hours. By integrating the media playback into the SC and leveraging the sharing of the SC chassis and components, the functionality of an external playback device can be obtained more easily and at a fraction of the cost. This allows contractors to add substantial functionality and value to a system without significant incremental equipment and programming cost.
Media playback can be triggered from dbx ZC Controllers, Control Inputs, HiQnet System Architect Custom Control Panels and third party control systems. It can also be scheduled through the HiQnet System Architect Scheduler function, either from a schedule running on a control PC or a schedule running on an SC device itself.
The ability to run scheduled preset recalls and media playback on an SC device means that, once configured, the control PC can be taken away, leaving the SC to make scheduled system changes and play back stored media at pre-determined times.
The SC 32 and SC 64 Digital Matrix Processors feature intuitive Wizard-driven system configuration using HiQnet System Architect. The SC 32 and SC 64 host a total of 32 and 64 analog I/O respectively, configurable in banks of eight.
To learn more, go to: http://www.dbxpro.com/SC64/index.php
Another factor I should have mentioned in this months column — that the playback of presentations is becoming decentralized as well. Thanks for helping make my point, dbx.
–JRR Back to Top |
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe Rental [and Staging] 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% opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the rental and staging industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions — in this case, it’s industry-veteran Joel Rollins' 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 anything good (or bad).
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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
rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. rAVe Ed [Education] launched in May 2008. rAVe DS [Digital Signage] was launched in January of 2009.
To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top Copyright 2010 – 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 Rental [and Staging] 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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