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Welcome to another edition of rAVe! The Ultimate InfoComm! [Before I start my InfoComm review, I want to send my condolences to NSCA Executive Director Chuck Wilson and his family over the loss of his father-in-law last week. In the midst of losing an office to a flood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Chuck had to leave InfoComm on the first day of the show to be with his family during this time of grief. Our prayers are with him.] InfoComm 2008 did not over-promise, but it certainly over-delivered! The BIG SHOW last week in Las Vegas simply was amazing. It all started on Day 1 when art least 30,000 people poured on to the show floor and got a chance to see not only the biggest AV show ever, but the best in this writer's opinion. The aisles were wide, the booths were stocked and the education delivered by each and every presenter was over the top. I was simply in awe of what InfoComm and NSCA did in combining their efforts and bringing us the Ultimate AV show — InfoComm 2008. For rAVe, this was a fun show. We weren't constrained by a physical booth this year, so having set-up a live blog on our web site, we hit the show floor and started blogging text messages and photos about what we saw heard and identified as the best of the show. Over the course of the three day show, we blogged over 200 text messages and photos FROM the show floor — in real-time — as we saw things we wanted to tell you about. If you weren't one of the thousands who read our blog, you can go back and read each and every text message and see every photo at: http://www.twitter.com/ravepubs And, as this was the biggest AV Show ever, we will spend June and July covering each and every aspect of the show. Our coverage in rAVe will include product reviews, new product announcements and our annual rAVe Best of InfoComm 2008 Show Awards. In addition, we'll even tell you what sucked at InfoComm — which products or companies aren't worth trying out — so you don't waste your time! So, enjoy our InfoComm coverage over this and the next few issues as it will, by far, be the most comprehensive of ANY publication in our industry and will, unlike any other, not just give you product fluff but will truly give you a review of the good, the bad and the ugly! Enjoy the issue! –Gary Kayye, CTS
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There were a lot of new products and technologies at InfoComm 2008 that are worthy of a mention and we'll cover them all in our comprehensive InfoComm coverage this month and next. To that end, I want to start by covering My Top 6 New Technologies at InfoComm 2008 (these are in no specific order — all six deserve equal billing): —4LCD: Sanyo demonstrated 4LCD technology. Aimed at those DLP-lovers who prefer the colorimetry of DLP to LCD, 4LCD from Sanyo was a hit when we polled DLP fans. Although traditional LCD colorists didn't prefer it to 3LCD, those in the DLP camp did (even one DLP-staffer asked me if I had a chance to see it).
Feature Article
Day two of EduComm 2008 in Las Vegas began with a futuristic view of AV technology in education by Gary Kayye, technology visionary, publisher of the KayyeRave newsletter, and president of Kayye Consulting. Kayye told the audience that by 2011 — just three years from now — ubiquitous content delivery will be king. But for that to become reality, there are steps that educators must take to push manufacturers along the path to true AV/IT convergence. He pointed to Apple's iTunes platform, and Tivo as two examples of how content will ultimately be delivered, accessible at anytime from anywhere. To get to that point, he said, there are four steps along the path to AV/IT convergence: 1. Get Educated. Explore educational programs from organizations like InfoComm, and others that offer certification in AV/IT technology. Hire the "geeks and freaks," Kayye said. These video game-playing, computer hacking young people will be the tech gurus of the future. 2. Buy Networked Products. The future college professor won't have a laptop, and will show up for class with a simple USB thumb drive that stores presentations. All applications and services will be hosted on networks and be available anywhere at anytime. Standardization will reduce maintenance and support and will enable all devices to work seamlessly. Kayye also told the audience to buy networked devices that will enable content to be maintained and supported remotely. Wireless access will replace wired access very soon, he said. The new wireless standard will be 802.16 or WiMax, which has a range of about 30 miles. 4. Share information Openly. The best way to advance AV/IT convergence is for vendors to work with educators to design these future devices. Don't wait for it to happen — take the initiative, Kayye said. Educators need to organize and share information about what they want, rather than wait for a manufacturer to tell them what they need. "We're evolving," Kayye said. "Are you going to evolve with us?" Reprinted with permission from University Business http://www.universitybusiness.com/
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Whitlock, Impact, Team for Global Alliance
The Whitlock Group, a force in the U.S. market, and European giant Impact announced an alliance that will create one of the industry's first and only global alliance for the AV install market. They even named it — the Global Presence Alliance — and they plan to provide "seamless global AV services" with "consistent quality and support." So far, this alliance focuses on the U.S. and Europe but the companies say they plan to take this alliance past just those borders. According to the announcement, the Global Presence Alliance will provide a sole-source solutions approach, a consistent, consolidated service operation, better pricing due to efficiency, etc. etc. The companies say this alliance is a formalization of an existing working relationship between the two. FreddCausevic, CEO of Impact, pointed out that the videoconference market, in particular, makes this good timing since that market is experiencing a 25 percent growth. So it makes sense for an alliance that can install cohesive systems worldwide. For more information, go to http://www.whitlock.com/aboutus/pr_global_presence_alliance.cfm
NSCA Office Flooded
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa office of NSCA was affected by the recent floods. Chuck Wilson told us the building where NSCA has offices is partly under water and the office is still closed until further notice. But, NSCA is in business! They are receiving their e-mail messages and all staffers have their cell phones. If you need to reach them and cannot, we will get a message to them for you — just let us know how we can help! This is now on the NSCA website: DUE TO WEATHER-RELATED EMERGENCY, NSCA OFFICE IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. IF YOU NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL NSCA'S MAIN NUMBER AT 319-366-6722 AND AN NSCA STAFF MEMBER WILL GET YOU TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT. (POSTED 6/12/2008 8:00 AM CST-US). Our thoughts are with the NSCA employees, their families and neighbors. Update: NSCA tells rAVe they may move into temporary offices Wednesday the 25th.
InfoComm Announces Record Numbers, Again!
Anyone of you who attended InfoComm this year can vouch for the fact that it was the biggest show of our industry, ever. InfoComm released number the last day of the show — 34,600 attendees and 988 exhibitors. That is a LOT more than the previous high of 855 exhibitors last year. And, a BIG part of this year's success certainly is directly related to the work done by InfoComm's VP of Expositions, Jason McGraw! Congratulations Jason — you told me 32,000 and you delivered 34,000!!! Hey InfoComm Board: GIVE Jason a RAISE (or at least a bonus)!!! Registrations for InfoComm Academy educational courses totaled 8,606 for 2008. The Institute of Professional Development (IPD) attracted 587 registrants, up from 531 in 2007, a more than 10 percent increase. Super Tuesday, a full-day of advanced instruction for AV pros, attracted 817 registrants in 2008, a 12 percent increase from 2007. I can see the smiling face of Melissa Taggart of InfoComm right now! And, knowing Melissa the way I do, I suspect she'd rather have time off to visit her daughters rather than a raise Among the most attended courses were the classes focusing on Green AV, Technology Trends and Project Management. Other popular classes include Syn-Aud-Con's Sound Reinforcement for Designers and the Imaging Science Foundation certification class. Classes offered jointly by InfoComm Academy and NSCA University drew 564 students. Other highlights of InfoComm 08 include the welcoming of InfoComm International's 5000th member, a preview of the 2008 InfoComm International Asia Pacific AV Market Definition and Strategy Study, and the debut of the association's social networking program. For more information, go to http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/avindustry_6249.htm
ISE Announces Middle East Conference
ISE Announced at InfoComm plans for a new conference at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center in 2009. The show is scheduled for March 23-24. As this area of the world is the fastest growing, this is a great decision by InfoComm Executive Director, Randy Lemke. What raised more than a few eyebrows is that ISE announced the partner for the venture is CMP, or CMP Information Ltd. (CMPi) as it's known outside the U.S. To read the news, go to http://www.iseurope.org/kcms/UserFiles/File/pressreleases/ISMEA%20launch%20PR%20letter.pdf
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Christie Brings New M Series 3-Chip DLP Projectors to InfoComm
Christie has a new series of 3-chip DLP projectors, the M Series, built on a dual-lamp and consisting of six new models. They were shown for the first time at InfoComm. The projectors range from 5,000 to 9,500 ANSI lumens and come in two resolutions: SX+ (1400 x 1050) and HD (1920 x 1080). Also of note is they weigh just 55 pounds, pretty light for this much power. And, they looked beautiful — Panasonic, watch out as Christie's coming directly after you with a product line that's clearly better than yours! This Series also provides an expanded suite of lenses that includes two new options — a short zoom (1.25-1.6:1 SX+ / 1.16-1.49:1 HD) and a long zoom (7.5-11.2:1 SX+ / 6.9-10.4:1 HD). These lenses all incorporate true Intelligent Lens System (ILS) capabilities, which Christie says automatically recognizes and calibrates a lens when it is installed. There is an encoder-based system that ensures repeatable recall of all lens offset, zoom and focus positions. The M Series includes the Christie DS+6K-M at 5,000 ANSI lumens; the Christie HD6K-M at 5,100 ANSI; the Christie DS+10K-M at 9,300 ANSI; the Christie HD10K-M at 9,500 ANSI; and two Christie Roadster models with stacking and rigging. For more on the M series, go to http://www.christiedigital.com/AMEN/Resources/Brochures/MSeriesFAQ.htm
SANYO Announces 4LCD Technology, Shows New Projector
SANYO not only announced a new projector, but the company did so while announcing the new 4LCD optical engine. The technology is giving the new LP-XP200L a spec of 7000 lumens and 2200:1 contrast ratio. The 4LCD is explained as adding a Color Control Device to conventional 3LCD (red, green, blue) that automatically controls the amount of yellow light in the image, thereby producing a brighter image, says the company. Other specs include 1024 x 768 resolution with 4:3 aspect ratio (bummer, we hope their next ones give us widescreen like everyone else is providing these days). Plans are to ship to the Japanese market in September, and SANYO says more 4LCD projectors are on the way. This projector uses SANYO's Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) single filter cartridge that SANYO says contains ten lengths of filtering material plus an airflow sensor to detect when airflow is obstructed by dust. The AMF system automatically advances a clean section of filter when needed. When the last section of filter material becomes obstructed an on-screen graphic appears telling the user to change the cartridge. And each filter lasts approximately 10,000 hours with a cartridge lifecycle of about 2 years. This projector can be connected to the network wired or wirelessly using the SANYO PJ-NET ORGANIZER. It has motor-driven vertical and horizontal lens shift, and a special mechanical shutter is also placed behind the lens and activated by the remote control, allowing the presenter to close the lens and temporarily darken the screen. For more information, go to http://www.sanyo.com/news/2008/06/18-1en.html
Hitachi Brings Short-Lens Projector to InfoComm
While it's not a new projector, the new short-lens CP-A100/ED-A100/ED-A110 from Hitachi was new to InfoComm and it was pretty cool, with a great aesthetic form factor and the ability to project a 60-inch image from about 16 inches away. Once a market completely dominated for years by NEC, Hitachi has the best short throw follow-up to NEC's line we've seen so far. This is specified at 2500 lumens, 400:1 contrast ratio, XGA resolution and it is networkable. It uses LCD technology. You can get a 360-degree view here: http://www.hitachidigitalmedia.com/products/cpa100/360.html To read more, go to http://www.hitachidigitalmedia.com/product.do?actionName=showProductAction&pt=6&pg=72&proid=608
Optoma Shows Handheld Pico Projector
Optoma chose InfoComm to launch its new Pico Handheld Projector. This DLP projector uses LED technology, as you might have guessed as its low power light system is the best for super-small projection devices like this, and it's small enough to fit in your palm (seriously, it's exactly the size of an Apple iPhone). Optoma expects this to be used mostly by ultra-mobile users who want to project from mobile devices such as iPods or for people who just need to make presentations to small groups from "portable media players" rather than laptops, PDAs, smart phones and digital cameras. They aren't really releasing any specs as yet, but they do hint that the image it projects is 100 times the size of the source device. We found a DLP insider that told us that the real resolution they were showing at InfoComm was about 320 x 240 (half that of VGA). The company has plans to ship only to Europe and Asia in late 2008 with a worldwide launch planned for 2009. And, yes, it is battery operated (expected to be 1-2 hours of battery life at launch), but the key here is size. Image quality? Well, for half that of VGA, for playing movies or short presentations, it's got potential. For more information, go to http://www.optomausa.com/PressRelease_Detail.asp?Press_id=67
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Epson Demos 3LCD WXGA Projector at InfoComm
Epson's PowerLite Pro G5200WNL Projector is one of those presentation projectors that looks like it was designed with a wish list — widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio, 4200 lumens, WXGA resolution and networkability, and a price tag of around $3,400. This is a 3LCD design specified at 800:1 contrast ratio with horizontal and vertical lens shift, instant off and on and 30 degree tilt. It also has closed captioning, an increasingly popular trend and a good trend, too! This was the best small/install projector we saw at the show. We were thoroughly impressed by this projector. It's not the level of a Christie or DPI for staging ort big installs, but it squarely hits 70% of the install market. For more information, go to http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63075424
Canon Shows First WUXGA LCoS Projector
Just after Canon announced the company will produce its own LCoS technology (as well as continuing to source from JVC), Canon not only brought the new LCoS production to InfoComm, they already put it into a projector. At a press conference at InfoComm, Canon showed the new REALiS WUX10. They announced the usual "better than DLP because" and "better than LCD because" and the image did look nice, but for some reason they chose to project the image on a relatively small screen. But, Canon officials tell rAVe it can project up to 300 inches. This is specified at 1920 x 1200 resolution supporting 1080 and 16:10 with 1000:1 contrast ratio. It weighs 10.8 pounds. Canon says they will ship in October with MSRP of $12,999. For more information, go to http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20080603_realis.html
Casio Launches New Super Slim Pro-Series Projectors
Casio, which always brings some cool super slim projectors to InfoComm, did so again with four new Super Slim projectors. These are DLP models. Casio says the XJ-SC210 and XJ-SC215 are designed for color accuracy and are specified at 2500 lumens. These two models provide 10 percent expansion of the chromaticity region. The XJ-S57 and XJ-S52, on the other hand, deliver more brightness, specified at 3000 ANSI lumens. Some models include a 2X power zoom lens, a RS-232 port and a USB port for PC-free presenting. You can't tell from the picture, but these are seriously small, weighing under 4 pounds and measuring 11 x 8 x 1.5ish. Planned pricing will start from $1,299 – $1,599 MSRP. For more information, go to http://www.casio.com/news/content/E8B0B888-6BB8-4C2D-9D04-46921B69747B/
Lumens DC260 — First Cool-Looking HD-Capable Document Camera Lumens' new DC260 not only looks cool, it's the first multimedia HD 1080p capable visual presenter on the market. This uses a dedicated processor, HDMI output for a large screen flat panel display, and audio and video processor for full frame video recording to SD card. It also has a 3x optical zoom, double lamp design for optimal lighting and it does all this for $999! For more information, go to http://www.visualedtech.com/Lumens/dc_260.htm
DPI's New WUXGA Single-Chip DLPs Offer 16:10 Aspect Ratios
Digital Projection International showed at InfoComm new WUXGA (16:10 aspect ratio) compatible projectors that include full 1080p video with no scaling required, says DPI. The new projectors are additions to the iVision 30 and dVision 30 series from DPI. The new iVision 30-WUXGA uses TI's DarkChip. It supports a native resolution of 1920 x 1200, weighs just 6.5 lbs, and is specified at up to 3100 ANSI lumens and 4000:1 contrast ratio. The new dual-lamp dVision 30 WUXGA is specified at 4300 ANSI lumens and up to 7500:1 contrast ratio. DPI says they made installation on this one highly flexible with a selection of six lenses covering a throw distance range from .75:1 up to 6.5:1. Also, the lens shift capabilities of the dVision 30-WUXGA projectors offers up to 55% vertical shift and 45% horizontal. Incidentally, the additions bring DPI's offerings to almost 50 installation-grad single-chip projectors along with their 17 3-chip DLP projectors. For more information, go to http://www.digitalprojection.com/content/view/34/61/ and http://www.digitalprojection.com/content/view/303/136/
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Da-Lite Debuts 3D Virtual Black in Special Theater at InfoComm
The picture to the right was taken before the show opened, and that was the only time during the show that the waiting line wasn't at least 25 people long. The demo was of Da-Lite's new 3D Virtual Black project screen, specifically designed for rear-projection 3D. The video was quite impressive, showing a variety of applications from underwater and sea creatures to surgery to retail to gas surveying, you name it. Of note is the fact this 3D uses polarization-preserving properties developed by Da-Lite chemists, and it eliminates the stereoscopic ghosting you often see in 3D. Also, this was designed using seamless 16-foot-high material that can fold for transportation. Word of mouth kept the lines long and Da-Lite had a cool ad running on CNN, too, which we saw four times in two days in the mornings. But, the proof was in the presentation. Da-Lite's Blake Brubaker-led presentation was amazing. It incorporated CGI, video, HD and simulation– probably 3D's biggest market to date. Da-Lite's got a sure fire hit on its hands with this new material and technology and the projector manufacturers involved in 3D technology proved this to us by constantly asking if we'd seen the Da-Lite 3D demo yet… For more information, go to http://www.dalite.com/whats_hot/
Extron Premieres New 1500' Twisted Pair Receivers for Extended Distances
Among the rumored 100 products Extron introduced at InfoComm was the MTP 1500RL Series of extended distance twisted pair receivers. Available in four models, the new extended distance receivers work with MTP Series transmitters to send high resolution video along with RS-232 or audio signals 1,500 feet or more over a single CAT 5-type cable. The extended distance receivers are compatible with resolutions up to 1600×1200 UXGA, and feature separate continuously variable level and peaking adjustments that precisely optimize image quality for various cable lengths. The receivers are housed in low profile, rack-mountable metal enclosures that can be discreetly mounted in racks or behind wall-mounted displays. The long-distance receivers are designed for anywhere a high-res video signal needs to be sent a long distance, such as large buildings, airports, campuses, etc. The four new receivers are compatible with the Extron MTP Series of transmitters, switchers, distribution amplifiers, and matrix switchers. Each receiver offers an additional female RJ-45 buffered output, enabling up to eight receivers to be connected in series, reducing the number of parallel cable runs required. Two of the models also feature skew equalization with independent skew delay compensation adjustments for each color. For more information, go to http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=mtp1500rlseries_pr
Extron Expands DVI and HDMI Product Line With Over 20 New Products
Extron Electronics announced at InfoComm more than 20 new products for integrating DVI and HDMI sources and displays, including DVI and HDMI matrix switcher boards for the SMX System MultiMatrix, and the first products from Extron for dual link DVI applications including an Extender and an Equalizer. Extron also introduced two Fiber Optic Extenders for long distance DVI transmission, four DVI distribution amplifiers, and two scalers for converting analog RGB signals to DVI and HDMI. The day Extron ships this line, they will likely be the industry's largest manufacturer of powered HDMI and DVI products — a huge emerging market! Extron has four new DVI DAs with up to eight outputs, and the SMX DVI Pro Series and SMX HDMI Series matrix switcher boards for the SMX System MultiMatrix Modular Multi-Plane Matrix Switchers. The boards are available in 4×4, 4×8, 8×4, and 8×8 sizes, and are HDCP compliant. For dual link DVI applications, Extron offers the DVI DL 101, a dual link DVI equalizer that attaches to the end of a long DVI cable run, and automatically provides the necessary active equalization to ensure optimal image quality. The DVI DL 201 is a transmitter and receiver set for sending dual link DVI signals over three economical and integration-friendly CAT 5-type cables. Both products extend DVI signals significantly beyond the 5 meter (15 foot) limitation for DVI cables. For long-haul transmission, Extron says the company offers the DVI 104 as an effective, economical solution for extending DVI signals up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) over four fiber optic cables, while the FOXBOX 4G DVI fiber optic transmitter and receiver set sends DVI, audio, and RS-232 signals over a single fiber up to 30 km (18.75 miles). Finally, the RGB-DVI 300 and RGB-HDMI 300 are scalers that convert incoming analog component video or RGB signals to DVI and HDMI, respectively, with selectable output rates up to 1920×1200, including HDTV 1080p/60. For more information, go to http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=dvi_hdmi_prodline_pr
Sharp's New TL Series of LCD Monitors — Best Ever?
Sharp's new TL LCD monitors, which debuted at InfoComm, are no doubt considered some of the best on the market but, we'll go even further to say that without any hesitation, the best LCDs we've ever seen!. This is a line of 1920 x 1080, two-megapixel HD monitors that includes 52- and 46-inch models with 2000:1 and 1500:1 contrast ratio, respectively. Target markets include teleconferencing, CAD/simulation, digital signage, corporate, educational, training, hospitality, sports arenas, entertainment and house-of-worship, says the company. The TL series features a new thin, lightweight cabinet design for easy installation as well as RJ-45 LAN control. It is also designed with fanless cooling. BUT, they NEED small sizes!!!!! Sharp, BUILD a 37" version! Come on! MSRPs are $4,995 for the 52-inch TL-M5200 and $3,995 for the 46-inch TL-M4600. For more information, go to http://www.sharpusa.com/products/FunctionPressReleaseSingle/0,1080,769-8,00.html
Pantel Shows Outdoor LCD HDTVs
Pantel has a huge variety of outdoor LCD televisions, from a small 20 inches all the way up to a huge 65-inch model. The middle sizes are 32, 42 and 52 inches, too. At InfoComm, they had the coolest demo — water being poured right on them! The company says they offer double the brightness of most indoor TVs, and these are all specified at 1080 resolution. One notable feature is the wireless transmitter that comes standard with all these models. The wireless package lets you broadcast both audio and video wirelessly up to 150 feet to the TV. Testing, says the company, proves these operate in weather conditions ranging from -40F up to 140F. These are also made with anti-reflective glass. For more information, go to http://www.panteltv.com/products.html
Panasonic Brings 103-Inch Plasma to InfoComm
Although not brand new (it launched in February), Panasonic brought its impressive 103-inch plasma display to InfoComm and we took notice! This is a full 1080p resolution display and Panasonic says it ships with a 100,000-hour service life and backed by a three-year warranty. By the way, in speaking with the Panasonic rep there at the booth, he wouldn't go on record, but he claimed to me that they (Panasonic) would be the world's ONLY plasma manufacturer by the end of 2009 — even making other companies' stuff (he specifically noted Sony and Phillips). Called the 10 Series TH-103PF10UK, new features include configurability for video walls, new video processing technology, enhanced wireless capabilities, plug-in card functionality and dual HDMI. For commercial video wall environments, the TH-103PF10UK provides native support for up to a 5 x 5 display configuration, the largest of any plasma display in the industry. Also, the new Portrait Zoom feature helps display of a single horizontal image across three vertically-mounted 103-inch plasmas for an impactful display 93 square-feet. The 103-inch plasma ships standard with two plug-in boards: a Dual 1080p HDMI Board (model TY-FB10HMD) and a Component Video Board (model TY-42TM6A). It also comes with a built-in PC Input (15pinHD), Audio Input (for PC), and Serial Control (RS-232C) Input. For more information, go to http://www2.panasonic.com
Arrive Brings UIltra HD Digital Signage Appliance to InfoComm
Arrive introduced at InfoComm the Arrive.MediaPoint Digital Signage Appliance, which the company says delivers 1080p real time dynamic digital signage and interactive information management. And it does so, says Arrive, using a unique application features that Arrive is developing. The new appliance uses touch and software tools to simplify large-scale signage systems. It is an integrated (hardware and software) appliance rather than a PC-based software system. All that it requires, says the company, is a connection to power and TCP/IP to give instant Ultra High Definition playback of media files. The network feed is provided from a FTP based server which is not proprietary and can be managed from anywhere in the world. For more information, go to http://www.arrivecorp.com/press4.htm or http://www.arrivecorp.com/mediapoint.htm
Digital Signage Setup in Five Minutes?
Exhibio claims you can set up their digital signage system in just five minutes! It does look easy to use — with what appears to be an intuitive graphic user interface on Exhibio Manager software for inserting your text, audio, images, movies, and even RSS feeds. You can set it up with or without a network or internet connection. What is a bit different here is that unlike most digital signage systems, this is all contained in one "black" box. There is no separate server; no separate player. The company also says there are no monthly subscriptions or "per seat" licensing fees. As digital signage is one of the fastest growing segments of ProAV, we made it a point to seek out small digital signage players that we think you need to know about! And, this is one of them. For more information, go to http://www.exhibio.com/features.php
AMX Gets Into Digital Signage With InfoComm Demo
If you saw the AMX booth at InfoComm, you saw one of their new digital signage systems, which was made up of dozens of flat panels side by side and wrapping the top of part of their booth with images. The company is also making use of the recently-acquired signage company, Inspired Signage. This new Inspired Signage digital signage product family is, according to AMX, a line of pre-packaged solutions designed to bypass custom development. The first product introduced in the Inspired-2-Go line is specifically tailored to the education market. Solutions for other vertical markets will be available in the future. AMX says Inspired-2-Go Education provides pre-packaged layouts containing graphics and animations specifically designed for the K-12 and higher education markets. The layouts also let administrators customize and change the design and content distributed to their displays whenever they want, and with very little training. They can create announcements, event calendars, menus and video clips to news headlines and local weather. The system includes the Inspired Player (IS-Player-200), and the Inspired Composer with Inspired-2-Go Layouts. This is expected to ship in 90 days. For more information, go to http://www.amx.com/newsroom/pressrelease-file.asp?release=2008.6.18.b
AGNPRO Brings HD Signage Player to InfoComm
First launched at the Digital Signage Expo, AGNPRO's new miniBox HD700-S Solo Edition player is billed as delivering 1080p video with plug and play functionality. This allows your customers to update content using removable ComactFlash cards, and set to autoloop or schedule content playback. The company says miniBox HD700-S delivers full 1080p high-definition video via HDMI, DVI, Analog RGB (VGA) and component video outputs. Compatible file formats include MPEG 1/2/4, WMV9, H.264 and JPEG. Standard-definition and 720p content is also supported as well as stereo audio. It also comes with on-board Ethernet, USB, and serial/RS-232 ports. This was the best stand-alone box media players we saw at the show — every ProAV dealer SHOULD call them, become a dealer and learn about delivering content via their players. The unit weighs less than two pounds and has no hard drive, fan or other moving parts, ensuring high reliability in the field. All on-board software is embedded firmware and media files are stored on the CompactFlash card in a secured slot. For more information, go to http://www.agnpro.com/company/pr_0208.html
Service, Service, Service — Digital Signage Firm to Help Integrators Sell Signage Services
This company, RedSet, will soon provide ProAV integrators a way to produce digital signage and sell it as a service!!! You NEED to contact them! They are marketing their signage system as a plug and play system — manageable from anywhere you have internet/web access, and using a build-your-own message toolkit. The company says you, the integrator, can actually sell this as your own system. Once implemented, you can create, target and monitor the digital messaging from day one. They provide the usual reseller support, such as sales and technical support and even presentation and sales participation if needed. And they'll help you sell this as a service, too. I was thoroughly impressed with their presentation and software client — however, I will be interested to hear what your experience is when you contact them as they seemed to be somewhat lost at InfoComm (and someone befuddled) at the number of integrators passing them by and not understanding their offering. So, don't give up if you call them and they don't know what to say or how to approach them as they do offer a complete software turnkey tool to help you set up a digital signage content delivery system. Keep us posted. The system ships in the fall. For more information, go to http://www.screenred.com/index.html
Hands-On With Polycom
rAVe got a chance to try out the Polycom HDX 4000 Series using Ultimate HD for desktop conferencing before InfoComm and we were thoroughly impressed. Not only does the HD look great, but in SD it looks better than any other 4 CIF product we've ever seen. Although made for HD, the HDX series looks awesome at 384 (and, of course at 512 too) and FINALLY fixes the years and years and years of image quality and connectivity issues that have plagued 384 and 512 users who've had it with VTC technology. Buy it for HD, but use it in SD too! The HDX 4000 comes with a 20.1-inch HD screen, speakers, 1280 x 720 resolution, Siren22 Stereo Surround Audio and it is VoIP or analog speakerphone capable. For more information, go to http://www.polycom.com/usa/en/products/video/video_conferencing_systems/desktop/hdx4000.html
Look, Ma, No Windows!
Crestron's new touch panels are now available with or without Windows! One of Crestron's new touch panels is the TPS-6X, a tidy six-inch touch panel in a tabletop form. While docked, the TPS-6X is a wired Cresnet or Ethernet connected panel with full-motion video display. When you lift the panel off the dock, the panel automatically switches to a wireless RF device. TPS-6X features long-range, high-speed two-way RF communication up to 200 feet and 1-way IR. Crestron says the TPS-6X is engineered to deliver the functionality previously found in nine separate touch panels! It is a wireless, tiltcase and permanent panel. As a wired touchpanel, the TPS-6X communicates over Cresnet or Ethernet. As a wireless touchpanel, it communicates via RF and IR. The TPS-6X is shipped with both a pre-engraved backlit button bezel and a blank bezel, in a luxurious black glossy finish. This is an extremely versatile and powerful solution. Sitting on the docking station, the high-speed Ethernet connection enables full motion video display in a scalable or full-size window. Programs can be uploaded to the panel remotely while charging on the dock. The TPS-6X simultaneously remains connected to the RF radio while operating as a wired panel, so when the panel is removed from the dock, it instantly switches over to wireless mode. The TPS-6X operates within IEEE 802.15.4 so it does not experience any of the challenges of WiFi. The TPS-6X is designed for maximum battery life. It ships with default settings to go to sleep when it's not in use to preserve the battery, but the timing can be adjusted. The TPS-6X wakes up and works immediately just by touching the screen or a button. And there's no lag time; it doesn't need to connect or power up. Lighted pushbuttons on the TPS-6X provide quick access to volume adjustment, channel selection, and on-screen menu navigation. Button text is easily viewable in variable lighting conditions thanks to backlit laser engraving. The TPS-6X is also available without buttons. For more information, go to http://www.crestron.com/press_room/press_releases/show_release.asp?press_release_id=1330
 Well, that's it for this edition of rAVe! Thank you for spending time with me as we muse the industry's happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial: Denise Harrison at denise@ravepubs.com A little about me: Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry. rAVe ProAV Edition was launched in February 2003. rAVe HomeAV Edition co-sponsored by CEDIA launched in February 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. rAVe Ed [Education] launched in May 2008. To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com
Copyright 2008 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 510 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 376 – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – 919/969-7501. Email: denise@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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
