Volume 4, Issue — March 15, 2018

I was recently in Jacksonville for our annual sales meeting. One of the highlights of that meeting was when our guest presenter, Amahl Hazelton, director of communications for Destinations at Moment Factory, shared a plethora of interactive AV experiences they developed around specific public spaces.

Now, I have heard the term “place-based entertainment” many times in my career, with the idea being that through the use of creative technology and space, you turn the “place” into a true “destination.” So even though I was familiar with the concept, Amahl actually introduced me to a new term describing the design and realization of these spaces.

Placemaking

If you want to see some amazing examples of some placemaking, feel free to look at the sizzle reels on Moment Factory’s site as they are very well done.

Placemaking really extends beyond traditional AV, however, as it not only requires an understanding of technology, it also requires some insight into human psychology and behavior and why they visit the public spaces they do. It also requires a unique understanding of urban planning and architecture as well as the historical context of the space at hand and how that can be leveraged to create a destination.

When I was on the integration side, anytime I was able to speak to someone about a lobby project, a visitors’ center, an interactive tour, etc., I always talked to the potential client about creating a true destination.

I define a destination as an experience so compelling that you’d travel to see it, even if you weren’t interested in the company, product, service or subject matter. 

For instance, I go out of my way to walk into the SalesForce lobby just to see their amazing large format content, even though I really have no other business at SalesForce. In this case, their lobby goes from something you had to walk through to accomplish your goal elsewhere in the building, to the lobby visit becoming the actual goal itself. It becomes the destination. This is really a subset of placemaking called creative placemaking.

Creative placemaking is just one more way that AV companies can focus on experience and leverage their technical expertise to partner with content creators and architects to create amazing destinations.

Many integrators already have the right connections inside their government and corporate accounts. Many times there may be separate decision makers for these spaces as well. Integrators may have to leave the IT department and walk down the hall to marketing or the C-Suite as well. Either way, integrators today have amazing opportunities to expand their services beyond operations centers and huddle, conference and boardrooms and out into the public spaces as well to leverage a new focus on experiences and create true destinations.

Now it’s just time to capitalize on them.

Before you commit to incorporating augmented or virtual reality into your design process, consider these scenarios that could harm, rather than help, your final outcome.

Much like Doctor Who’s TARDIS, the toolbox for design just got a lot bigger on the inside. What was once relegated to testing labs, tinkerer’s garages, and a relatively small segment of the gaming industry has now exploded onto the landscape of everyday tech with the promise to change practice in everything from product design to education to entertainment to architectural design. Unlike other technologies we have seen, augmented and virtual reality are looking to have staying power in a truly disruptive way.

A quick primer on this technology and its current capabilities:

Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are supplemented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics, or GPS data. The most recent successful AR example is a little game you may have heard of: Pokemón GO. Thanks to the app, millions of users were chasing virtual creatures around the actual globe using their smart phones. The app generated millions of dollars in sellable data for the game’s creator and launched AR technology into the mainstream.

Virtual reality (VR), unlike augmented reality, currently relies on a head-mounted display (HMD) that blocks out all external visual and auditory stimulus and provides a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment with which users interact using special electronic equipment. Having the largest presence in gaming/entertainment, medical, and military applications, products such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift are providing immersive environments that transport the user into the intended scenario.

Both technologies have a long history dating back to the 1960s, and for much of their collective history, they were seen as clunky and expensive. Over the last several years however, investments from deep-pocketed sources coupled with advancements in computing power and the rise of smart devices, have gotten us much closer to the kind of technology we associate with legendary science fiction lore.

Designing with the Tech of the Future


As designers we have the opportunity to leverage this technology and delve more deeply into the design process in new ways. At DLR Group, we’re exploring how we can use this technology as an internal collaborative and iterative process in partnership with our clients, as a part of the product for the client in the form of a marketing/fundraising tool, or as an immersive way to experience the final environment.

There are a variety of ways to engage in AR/VR and a myriad of price points to go with it, each with advantages and drawbacks. Wading into this world can no doubt be a daunting task for any design team, but enticing possibilities for collaboration and new design techniques far outweigh the hesitancy. Below are some key considerations when deciding to launch an augmented or virtual reality design project:

1. Define Your Objectives


There are several key factors to consider outside of which technology you to use. In some ways the technology takes a back seat to the actual experience you’re working towards. As powerful as AR/VR technology is, the goal should always tie back to the core mission, brand, or business objective. This drives back to the most basic of questions: Why is using this type of platform necessary, and what do you expect of the outcomes?

2. Select the Technology


Once you’ve outlined your objectives, you should review the available technology to consider which one makes the most sense for your project. Does augmented or virtual reality make better sense? Are you using an existing technology you already have? Will it require custom software or off-the-shelf products to allow you to accomplish your goals? These considerations are critical to success as the outcomes may not translate between platforms; content developed for Oculus Rift will not translate to Google Cardboard.

It’s also crucial to understand the technology of any partner firms. Misunderstandings here can be akin to making a video call to someone using a rotary phone, as well as options for user control devices, which can range from gaming controllers, wands, gesture technology, or even thumb wheelsI It’s important to consider the user, the environments, and which control capabilities exist.

3. Try Before You Buy


First-time users are often awestruck when they initially experience new AR/VR technology. It’s exciting to try new things, but sometimes in their excitement, users lose their ability to deliver actionable contributions or feedback. It’s helpful to schedule training sessions with the team to acclimate everyone on how to best maximize your use of the technology. This could–and often should–include leveraging similar examples or test runs of the current project for your team to try out for themselves before any required constructive meeting.

4. Understand First-Person Design


Just as in the real world, in AR/VR, users see things from a different perspective. The iterative and interactive nature of AR/VR allows each user to contribute to the environment in their own unique way. This feature is exciting, but it is important to design the framework and boundaries for the environment, rather than have it be endless. If it’s too large, the team gets lost. If it’s too small, you could wind up virtually tripping over each other.

5. Separate the Good From the Bad


Investing in quality content will make the experience of designing in AR/VR much more effective, more dynamic, and more memorable. Know your comfort level with creating content, and find the right partner with the right experience to help fill any gaps. The teaming requirements should tie directly back to the original objectives, and how best to achieve them.

6. Mobile vs. Dedicated Environments


Incorporating a mobile platform for design use requires additional levels of consideration. Mobile app developers will tell you that some of the biggest challenges are creating apps for multiple platforms and multiple versions of operating systems, even on the exact same device. This complicates mobile AR/VR apps significantly, as there are essentially two layers to the app design. The first is the actual app design, which considers experience navigation and other out-of-experience control features such as settings. The second is the experience design itself, and how to navigate within the experience. Items such as breadcrumb threads and content libraries often have to be split between AR/VR modes and within the app itself. So the ability to develop or use the tools across both environments to leverage the experience in the design process is imperative.

7. Duration and Timing of Delivery


Setting realistic expectations for the development, setup, and delivery of the experience so users get the most out of the design process is crucial, particularly if you work on billable time. Even if you clearly define your objectives, select the right technology, and put the right people in place, you can’t completely absolve yourself of delays or complications. A timely approach will allow users to reap the unique, unmatched benefits this technology can produce.

Developing the necessary tools to achieve your goals can take an average of 12-to-16 weeks for simple scenarios, and as much as three-to-six months before design even begins. The good news is set-up can work in tandem with other initial developmental design processes, such as programming and schematic design, which often mimics the timeframe of AR/VR setup. There are also several shortcuts that can shorten the set-up time, including purchasing stock 3D video capture or computer-generated elements, purchasing pre-written modules of code or complete software add-ins such as Enscape for Revit.

8. Understand the Technology Will Evolve Faster Than Your Project 


Thanks to large infusions of investment capital being pumped into the market, technology developers are spinning out new technology and software almost daily. This is exciting, but can make for an uneasy landscape. You and your team can chase the proverbial technology tail forever, trying to dazzle and incorporate what new thing just came out. Keep in mind that your main objective is to deliver an experience and a narrative rather than showcase the technology. The AR/VR landscape can be an incredibly powerful design and presentation tool, but it is not a cure-all for unwanted or inadequate design ideas. What it can do is provide solid dimensional collaboration and communication opportunities that present the material in a more intuitive way than 2D drawings or images on a screen.

9. The Environment for the Environment


The last consideration for using AR/VR in the design process is where you will be using this technology. Mobile applications have the least number of controlled environments and offer the most flexibility, but the output can be affected by the real world environment, e.g. sunlight glare, ambient noise, poor acoustics in the space. AR in a dedicated, enclosed, controllable environment requires special consideration to maximize the technology’s ability to display content. Depending on the sophistication of the technology, it may require fixed objects within the room to lock onto where the AR visual field sits.

The computing power required for many of these system is much greater than for standard applications. Poor or limited bandwidth will hamper the experience and can cause latency issues or crashes. The rule of thumb when working with this technology is that you should double the expected bandwidth required whenever possible.

Following these best practices can put your design project on a good path for success. I recommend starting off with unique aspects within a smaller project’s total design project so you can acclimate to the process, and get a feel for how it will be beneficial. Doing this on multiple projects will allow you to build your skills and improve your design portfolio across greater platforms. Happy designing!

This content is reprinted with permission from DLR Group.

You can’t ask us to nominate you.

And, you can’t get an award by advertising or sponsoring us or paying for it. And, there are NO Awards entry fees!

We sent reporters to EVERY booth/stand at ISE 2018 and we selected the TOP products in every possible product category for our 2018 Best of ISE Awards. No other publication — or entity for that matter — goes to very booth at the ISE show and sees every new product demo’d or launched at ISE in Amsterdam annually — so these are THE BEST of THE BEST.

So, if you are wondering which products were the best at ISE and outperformed the others in their respective categories, this is it: the 2018 Best of ISE Awards. And if you are a manufacturer who won an award, be proud! You were hand-selected by our editors and reporters after evaluating every new product shown at ISE in your product category. We didn’t just pick these “on the show floor” during the show or by using spec-sheets distributed prior to the show — we picked these by actually looking at each and every product and comparing them to the competition. In fact, this is why it took us en entire month to award these… You truly are the BEST of ISE!

Finally, as the ISE show is really four shows in one — it’s a HomeAV show, a ProAV show, a Digital Signage show and Rental & Staging show — we’ve decided to separate the awards into different categories, based on their application. So, for 2018, there are five awards categories:

Conferencing, Collaboration & Meeting Rooms: The biggest trend in meetings rooms is collaboration and collaboration include both wired and wireless system, video, audio and far-site connectivity. This category of the Best of ISE products serves every aspect of the typical meeting room or huddle room space:

• Best New Videoconferencing Product: Lifesize Icon 450
• Best New Videoconferencing Accessory: Angekis Autopilot Tracking System
• Best Videoconferencing System: RealPresence Debut
• Best New Conferencing System Product: DisplayNote Mosaic
• Best New Audio Conferencing Product: Nureva Dual HDL300
• Best UC PTZ Camera: Logitech MeetUp
• Best New Audio Conferencing System: Polycom SoundStructure C-Series
• Best Collaboration System Product: Nureva Wall
• Best New Wireless Collaboration System: DVDO TILE
• Best New Wireless Collaboration Product: Kindermann Klick & Show
• Best Collaboration Software Product: UC Workspace Quicklaunch
• Best New Collaboration Board: Sharp BIG PAD
• Best New Collaboration Board Accessory: Panacast 2s Camera
• Best Audio Conferencing Product: Nureva Dual HDL300
• Best Huddle Room System: Avocor F-Series
• Best New Meeting Room Projector: Panasonic PT-MZ Series
• Best New Meeting Room Audio Product (tie): Yamaha CS-700 and ClearOne AnalogX
• Best New Meeting Room Product: Televic Conference Plixus
• Best New Meeting Room Speakers: Genelec 4000 Series
• Best New Huddle Room System: Cisco Spark Room Series
• Best New Huddle Room Display: NEC InfinityBoard
• Best New Huddle Room Accessory (tie): Biamp Devio CR1 and zioxi powerHubs
• Best New PTZ Camera: Vaddio Roboshot IW
• Best room Microphone (tie): TAIDEN HCS-5335 and Biamp Tesira TCM Ceiling Beamtracking Microphones
• Best Video Wall System: MultiTaction Hybrid Wall
• Best Wireless Accessory: Crestron FreeForm
• Best Wireless Technology: Barco ClickShare CSE-800
• Best New Short Throw Projector Product: Hitachi LP-AW4001 3LCD Laser
• Best New Wireless Product: NorthVision
• Best Wireless System Product: Vivitek NovoConnect With LauncherPlus

Network AV & Signal Distribution: Everything’s going AV-over-IP — but not quite yet. This category includes both AV-over-IP products as well as other ways of getting signals from source to display:

• Best New Video Interface: Kramer DGKat 2.0
• Best New Video System Accessory: Aurora HDBaseT Supercharged
• Best New Control System Software Product: Barco Event Master 5.1
• Best New AV-over-IP Transport System: SDVoE’s 10Gbps
• Best ProAV Control System Interface Concept: VuWall Debuts TRx 2.0 AV Network Management
• Best HomeAV Control System Hardware: Legrand Nuvo P30 Touch Screen Controller

Digital Signage & Public Spaces: The fastest growing segment of AV over the past half-dozen years to so been digital signage. So, it makes sense for this to have its own category of award-winning products:

• Best New Screen Product: Screen Innovations Solo Wireless Screen
• Best New Overall Digital Signage Display Product: Philips Q Line Series
• Best New Digital Signage Touch Display: LANG GhosT-OLED Touch
• Best New Digital Signage Display: NEC P754Q
• Best New Digital Signage Hardware Product (tie): Chief Impact On-Wall Kiosk and MOBIMA WAYU
• Best Digital Signage Software Product: BARIX RetailPlayer
• Best Digital Signage Accessory: Pixelart
• Best New Digital Signage Product for AV Integrators: Delta Displays NovoDS 4K
• Best New Digital Signage Media Player: BrightSign XD Series Media Players
• Best New Digital Signage OS: Navori QL 2.0
• Best New Outdoor Digital Signage Display: VideoTree Oceana
• Best Use of Augmented Reality: Realfiction DeepFrame
• Best Overall LED Wall Product: ABSEN Acclaim
• Best Modular LED Wall Product: Christie Velvet CorePlus LED
• Best New Video Wall Display: Barco UniSee
• Best Video Wall Product: Peerless-AV SmartMount Supreme
• Best New Rigid LED Wall Product: Leyard DirectLight 0.7mm
• Best New Flexible LED Wall Product: LG Transparent LED Film
• Best New Video Wall Accessory: Baanto Mod-u-lar Frame
• Best Portable PA System: Bose Professional S1 Pro
• Best Emergency Services AV Product: LDA Audio Tech LDA ONE
• Best Transparent Display: LG Transparent OLED

Rental, Staging & Live Events: If you’re one of the 30,000 or so AV’ers in the rental, staging or live events markets, you’ll love this category of new award-winning ISE products aimed specifically at making your job easier or adding to the wow-factor of your application:

• Best New Rental/Staging Projector: Epson L20000U
• Best New Rental and Staging Product: Absen COBALT
• Best New Rental/Staging Accessory: Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel
• Best Rental and Staging Speakers: Renkus-Heinz ICONYX Steerable Arrays
• Best Live Mixer for Installs: CADAC CDCseven Audio Console
• Best Microphone Mixer: Bose Professional ToneMatch Stereo Mixers
• Best New Live Production Mixer for Installs: PreSonus Series 3 Mixer
• Best Rental/Staging Product for Live Events (tie): Epson Pro EB-L1755U and Sharp’s 8K ecosystem
• Best New Live Events Control System Hardware: RGBlink T-Series

Education and Installed Large Venue Products: These are, exactly as it’s titled, new products at ISE that were aimed specifically at the education and large venue (lecture halls and auditoriums) markets. So, if you design, sell or integrate AV technology aimed at the education segment of AV, you’ll want to check out these award-winning ISE products aimed at learning environments or giant rooms:

• Best New UP and Coming Education Product: Barco WeConnect
• Best New Product for Higher Ed Market (tie): Vivitek NovoCast and  Itech Net Lectern
• Best K-12 Classroom Product: Kaptivo
• Best New Document Camera: WolfVision VZ-8neo+ Visualizer
• Best New Classroom Accessory: AmpliVox Classroom Audio System
• Best High-End Fixed Install Projector: NEC 4K PH3501QL RB Laser
• Best New Large Venue Projector: EPSON EB-L12000
• Best New 4K DLP Projector: NEC PX1005QL
• Best New 4K 3LCD Projector: EPSON EB-L12000
• Best Audio Reinforcement/Asst Listening Product: Listen Technologies ListenTalk

Overall Winners: This category of winners represent the best of the best at ISE 2018. These are the 28 best new products at ISE 2018 that work for any and every application of AV:

• Best Overall New Product: Samsung The Wall Professional
• Most Creative New Product: Barco AVaaS
• Best New Video Product: DVDO TILE
• Best Video-over-IP Product: InFocus Jupiter StreamPoint
• Best New System Projector: Sony VPL-FHZ90L Laser Projector
• Best New Home Theater Projector: Optoma UHZ65 Cinema Projector
• Best Projection Technology: DPI 8K Laser
• Best New Flat-Panel Display (Overall): LG Transparent OLED
• Best New Audio Product: TASCAM DA-6400
• Best New Audio Product (tie): AEX VPA Series and Sennheiser Cockpit
• Best ProAV Speakers: Meyer Sound Bluehorn
• Best New Audio Accessory: Dan Dugan Model E-2A Automixer
• Best HomeAV Speakers: Legard Nuvo Series Two Landscape Speakers
• Best AV Mount or Rack Sysem: Middle Atlantic Proximity In-Wall Boxes
• Best New ProAV Furniture Product: TeamMate WorksZone Collaboration Pods
• Best New HomeAV Furniture Product: Cineak Largo Chair
• Best ISE Demo: Epson Story
• Best Concept Product: Dataton Watchout Blacktrax Integration
• Best ProAV Mobile App: KorbytGo
• Best Service/Product You Probably Didn’t See: Kino-mo Hypervsn
• Best New Technology: Christie GUARDIAN
• Best In-Field Integrator Product: MSolutions’ HDBaseT Testers
• Best New AV Integrator Service: Crestron XiO Cloud
• Most Ubiquitous Technology: SDVoE
• Best Booth at ISE: NEC
• Best ISE Gutsy/Kudos Award: Christie Integrating SDVoE into BOXER
• Best Lighting Fixture: Exterior Projector

SaveSave

SaveSave

With NovoCast, anyone in a classroom that’s using the system can connect to a projector or flat panel display and instantly share content and collaborate to the main screen wirelessly, without having to rely on the school network. NovoCast enables teachers and students to connect from tablets, phones or laptops using WiFi; so whether it’s a teacher delivering a lesson.

As NovoCast is a wireless presentation system designed and based on the principle of BYOD, anyone can connect and share content using the Windows, Mac, Android, iOS or Chromebook device.

It also has a teacher moderator feature. Once lessons are up and running, NovoCast’s moderator and content preview functionalities enable students to participate, while giving the teacher full control over the content that is displayed. This prevents any inappropriate material being displayed during the lesson, along with any unpleasant surprises for both teachers and students.

Here are all the tech specs.

With the spread of wearables, augmented reality and virtual reality, education stakeholders again face the question of how developing technologies may support learning. These technologies have the potential to impact learning in significant ways. However, evaluating their uses requires sifting through the hype and developing a critical filter for assessing their potential value.

As highlighted in KnowledgeWorks’ 2015 forecast, The Future of Learning: Education in the Era of Partners in Code wearables, augmented reality and virtual reality could be used to support the creation of responsive learning environments, or learning biomes. This provocation raised the possibility that these developing technologies might facilitate the creation of more inclusive, positive group learning environments that would support students in cultivating the knowledge, skills and dispositions that they will need to succeed in the future.

This paper explores the potential for wearables, augmented reality and virtual reality to help create more responsive learning environments that:

• Increase student engagement
• Enhance the personalization of learning
• Increase understanding of others’ experiences and perspectives
• Help develop greater levels of self-awareness
• Foster critical thinking
• Increase student agency

In exploring these technologies’ future potential for education, the paper presents a frame for understanding how such technologies add a layer of “digital depth” atop physical reality. It also takes a closer look at each technology, with emphasis on its relevance to education. Building upon this analysis of the technologies’ potential relevance to education, five future vignettes illustrate some ways in which wearables, augmented reality and virtual reality could support the creation of responsive learning environments. The future vignettes are followed by insights and implications for education stakeholders to consider in evaluating potential uses of these and other emerging technologies in education and an action guide for exploring these technologies’ potential in specific settings.

Here is where you can read the paper.

The Planar Simplicity Series 4K features:

• Wide variety of sizes (43”, 55”, 65”, 75” and 86”)
• Exceptional clarity with four times the resolution of Full HD
• Whisper-quiet fanless design
• Native 4K resolution at up to 60Hz support for smooth video and mouse tracking
• Integrated signage tools, such as USB playback with scheduling and LAN distribution, eliminating the need for third-party hardware
• Built-in speakers

All the details are here or here.

Thunderbolt 3 provides high speed data transfers, powerful performance and lightweight in a single form factor. So, while more laptops – like MacBooks and Ultrabooks – are adopting the interface, many users are still faced with the challenge of connecting multiple devices with legacy interfaces due to lack of the proper port.

UH7230 key features include:

• Support of dual 4K or 5K resolution for graphics-intensive multitasking – allows users to connect one 5K display or two 4K displays (one DisplayPort and one Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port) with nearly 16 million more pixels than HDTVs. Whether editing video or digital media, designing graphics, or using applications that require high-definition visuals, users will benefit from astonishing resolution, contrast, and color depth.
• Blazing fast speed to boost productivity – with up to 40Gbps bandwidth, users can transfer files faster (a 4K movie takes less than 30 seconds) and reduce waiting, freeing up more time to accomplish other tasks.
• USB Power Delivery 2.0 for Mac and Windows laptops – supporting up to 85W of power delivery, the UH7230 is an intuitive central hub for not only connectivity expansion, but also for charging a laptop and USB accessories. The UH7230 can provide power to matched USB-C Windows or Mac laptops with PD Profile specifications of 20V/4.25A, 15V/3A, 9V/3A, and 5V/3A.
• Simplified workspace via a single cable – using the (included) single Thunderbolt 3 cable, the docking station expands connectivity up to 8 ports, including audio, Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 USB-C and USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports to accommodate a user’s most demanding computing needs. A Thunderbolt 3 port is also provided to daisy chain up to 5 additional Thunderbolt 3 devices, such as data storage.

The UH7230 Thunderbolt 3 Multiport Dock is now available for $220. More information is here.

Because of an integration partnership between Carousel Digital Signage and Jamf, a device management provider that specializes in helping IT departments bring the Apple experience to corporate, education and government organizations, it allows the Carousel App and Apple TVs running on a digital signage network to be easily monitored and managed as remote IT appliances.

Jamf is the leading Apple device management solution in K-12 schools, making the education sector particularly well-suited for the Carousel App. But the same capabilities and benefits can be applied to corporate campuses and other enterprise-class deployments that want to add our digital signage, or transition their network to a lower cost, more reliable and easily managed solution.

Here are all the details.

All three of the newest models in the series have two digital inputs (HDMI and one HDMI/MHL), use 3LCD projection technology and claim a contrast ratio of 16.000:1. They offer brightness levels ranging from 4,500 to 5,200 lumens and resolutions ranging from XGA (1024×768) to WUXGA (1920×1200). The expanded Collegiate Series comes with a 1.6x zoom lens, moderator control mode (for wireless projection), multi-projector capability and projector monitoring from a remote location.

Here are the detailed specs.

Is it a smooth, seamless process that automatically sets the technology at your service as soon you enter the room? Is the video quality stunningly realistic?

Or do you have to start from scratch every time, locating plugs and remote controls, pushing a number of buttons and maybe figuring out why a particular component isn’t working properly?

If it’s the latter, as we’ve often seen, we have very good news that can make your videoconferences, meetings, presentations, content delivery and room/device integrations a lot simpler, and smarter.

LG’s commercial AV group has teamed up with Cisco to create a seamless integration between the industry-leading Cisco Spark Room Kit Series and LG Commercial UHD Displays to transform the experience from complicated to conversational.

Cisco Spark Room Kits are powerful collaboration solutions that integrate with select LG commercial displays to bring more intelligence and usability to your small to medium-sized meeting rooms – whether registered on the premises or through the cloud.

The Room Kit includes camera, codec, speakers and microphones integrated into a single device – and is ideal for rooms that seat up to 7 people. The Room Kit Plus features a separate quad-camera bar and can accommodate larger and deeper rooms of up to 14 people. Both kits offer sophisticated camera technologies that bring speaker-tracking capabilities to every room.

In a nutshell, with the LG/Cisco solutions you can walk into a conference room and get going – as simple as that, even if you’re a first-time user. The system will greet you with a welcome screen and is a much more engaging experience for everyone. You control everything through the intuitive Cisco Touch 10 control unit, so there’s no need to use separate remote controls or learn different user interfaces. And the biggest benefit? Now you can be free to focus entirely on collaborating and not on the technology.

Currently there are six Cisco-certified commercial displays available from LG, from 49- to 98-inches, with dual screen sharing option and 24/7 rating. LG’s IPS screen technology means colors are more vivid, text is sharper and a wide viewing angle ensures all participants see a clear picture. What’s more, LG commercial displays use on average 31 percent less power compared to conventional RGB panels for lower power consumption, lower running costs and superior eco credentials.

Here are more details.

The single HDL300 system, which is optimized for spaces up to 20′ x 20′ (6.10 x 6.10 meters), is widely recognized for its remarkable audio pickup, simple installation and autocalibration capabilities. The new Dual HDL300 system was developed in response to customer demand to bring these capabilities into larger, dynamic spaces where the challenge of delivering quality audio conferencing is even greater. These spaces include briefing centers, training rooms, conference rooms, learning labs and a range of multipurpose rooms. They often involve participants moving around the room — speaking from many locations and facing almost any direction. Powered by the next generation of Microphone Mist technology, the system can handle the audio requirements of these spaces without the complexity and cost of more elaborate solutions. The technology uses sophisticated algorithms to simultaneously process and integrate sound from two sets of virtual microphones that fill the room and feed the sound to remote participants. This, combined with simultaneous echo cancellation, position-based automatic gain control and sound masking, creates a clear and natural audio experience.

The Dual HDL300 audio conferencing system will be available for order in March 2018 through a global network of value-added dealers and distributors and will ship in June 2018. The European MSRP is US $6,499.

The HDL300 is here.

With the Qumi Q38 you can project up to 130” at 600 lumens brightness, 10,000:1 contrast ratio and it has a 30,000 hours LED light-sourcee. Additionally, there are integrated dual-2-watt speakers, as well as the option to pair the device via Bluetooth to a compatible sound system. Together, those features all help to amplify the large-screen viewing experience, while bringing content to life.

What’s more, the Qumi Q38 features a built-in wireless connection that enables users to seamlessly connect to the web and project Full HD digital content. For those who prefer to project directly from the projector, easy access to online streaming content provider apps is possible, enabling users to watch movies or television shows via services such as Netflix and YouTube, using a smartphone as a hotspot. Similarly, the projector’s PC-Free Reader enables users to preload media and document files onto the projector’s internal 8GB memory (5GB user availability) or to display content via a connected USB memory drive.

Key Features:

• Highly portable thanks to thin streamlined design, lightweight size and an embedded battery that lasts up to two hours
• Screen size up to 130” diagonal projection and 1080p resolution
• Built-in wireless connection to mirror iOS or Android smartphones and tablets, as well as Windows and Mac OS personal computers.
• Preloaded premium application store offers a wide range of popular apps and games for download and customization of the Q38
• PC-Free Reader to preload media and document files onto the Q38
• Maintenance free projector thanks to lampless design with environmentally friendly LED illumination  source lasting up to 30,000 hours
• Texas Instruments’ DLP chip technology
• Advanced Quad-Core CPU running and Android operating system

The Qumi Q38 is available in red, black and white at £499. Here are the details.