Volume 7, Issue 22 — November 30, 2009

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Welcome to another issue of rAVe ProAV Edition!

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a chance to spend some time away from work with your friends and families.

It can be difficult to keep up with the changing standards put forth by various government entities or industry associations, especially lately with all the hubbub about Green AV and people scrambling to establish guidelines. rAVe Columnist Linda Seid Frembes breaks down all the latest standards and guidelines in her editorial below, which you definitely won't want to miss.

Enjoy the issue!

–Gary Kayye, CTS

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The Times, They Are A-changin'

By Linda Seid Frembes
rAVe Columnist

The weeks between Halloween and the New Year always gets me into a nostalgic spirit. I spend a lot of time thinking about the past year as well as planning for the next one. In that same vein, I wanted to take a look at some of the new standards and regulatory changes that affect the AV industry now and into 2010. Some have already closed for comment but others are still open for AV practitioners to voice their opinions.

(1) Audio Coverage Uniformity in Enclosed Listener Areas

InfoComm’s first performance standard was approved by ANSI in September 2009. You can purchase a copy here. According to the standard summary, “The procedures described in this standard are intended to be used primarily for AV presentation systems where audio is provided as a part of the system within an enclosed environment. These systems may be installed within a variety of AV applications, including conference rooms, training rooms, classrooms, auditoria, theaters and museum exhibits. This Standard may also be applied to large venue audio systems or any system that includes audio coverage within enclosed spaces.”

 Exceptions to the standard include:

• Outdoor venues
• Indoor stadia/arenas (larger than 5,000 seats)
• Airports (refer to FAA: Federal Aviation Administration)
• Cinemas (refer to SMPTE: Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)
• Home theaters (refer to CEDIA: Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association)
• Sound masking/speech privacy
• Paging/voice evacuation systems
• Background music systems
• Retail spaces/shopping malls (refer to local building codes)
• Concourse and common circulation spaces (refer to local building codes)
• Tents/temporary outdoor spaces

Up next: InfoComm has released a draft standard called Design and Coordination Components which is available for public review and comment until December 14. You can download a PDF of it here.

(2) Energy Star’s Audio/Video Specification

The new spec has been months, if not years, in the making. Version 2.0 was finalized on November 16, 2009 [PDF]. Comments on the Final Draft Version 2.0 closed earlier in the year, but you can read the comments that were submitted by InfoComm, Biamp, Intel, Toshiba, and others here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=revisions.audio_video_spec

According to Version 2.0, requirements for commercial and professional AV products are:

• Sleep mode power consumption limits (base, IP networking)
• Auto Power Down requirements (for Digital Signal Processors, this is the only requirement)
• Product function power consumption limits (display, IP networking, optical disc player)
• Amplifier efficiency requirement (small, medium, and large)
• Idle power limits for all products if option to disable APD

Consumer AV requirements vary and will roll out over a period of several months. Specifics can be found in PDFs at the link provided.

(3) California Energy Commission’s regulation on flat panel TVs

When it comes to environmental practices, California is a trend-setter for the nation. Lately, there’s been much ado about the CEC’s supposed hatred against flat panel TVs and their manufacturers. “California is banning TVs!” is one comment I read. A vote was passed on November 16, 2009 on the CEC’s two-stage program that will mandate a 50 percent reduction in flat panel TV energy consumption over the next four years.

According to recent news reports, “The first-in-the-nation regulations would phase in starting in 2011 and would set a cap on the amount of power a TV can draw. Large sets would be allowed to use more power than small ones. All models larger than 58 inches would be exempt from the regulations, though they may be covered in the future.”

The regulation is not retroactive and will not affect TVs already on the market. For details on the new regulations, visit the CEC’s web site.

(4) Convention Industry Council’s green meeting standards

The CIC’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) Panel on Green Meeting and Event Practices released the final draft standards for green meetings and events for review in August. According to the CIC, the process of developing green standards has been a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) and APEX to answer the need in the meeting and event industry for a uniform measurement of environmental performance.  By submitting the standards to the ASTM for approval, the standards developed will be accredited standards.

There are standards in nine different areas of event management: Accommodations, Audiovisual (AV), Communication, Destinations, Exhibits, Food and Beverage, Meeting Venue, Onsite Office, and Transportation. The group held in-person discussion events and allowed users to comment on their blog at http://wp.apexsolution.org. Comments closed in September, but you can still see an archive of the AV draft standard here: http://wp.apexsolution.org/?cat=169

Details about the green meeting standards will firm up by the end of 2009.

Linda Seid Frembes is a rAVe columnist who covers AV technology, installs, market trends and industry news. Linda has worked with high profile AV manufacturers, trade organization, systems integrators, rep firms and dealer/distributors in the industry including John Lyons Systems, Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW), Northern Sound & Light (NSL), and InfoComm International, among others. Reach her at linda@ravepubs.com

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Audio Conferencing Design Automation

By Craig H. Richardson
VP, GM Polycom Installed Voice Business

Today’s audio conferencing systems include many different components, such as varied styles of microphones, program audio sources, telephony interfaces, video codecs, amplifiers, and loudspeakers. At the core of these systems is a programmable DSP device that is responsible for all the audio in the system. This programmable audio device is a “black box,” which has thousands of options that are configured by the system integrator. Thankfully, configuring the “black box” of programmable audio conferencing systems has become easier over the years due to design automation tools.

These design automation tools, such as Polycom’s InstantDesigner, allow AV designers to create a fully functional system in less than a minute by only specifying the desired number and types of inputs and outputs. The tool begins by presenting different types of input signals that are commonly found in conferencing systems, including microphones (ceiling or table), program audio sources, and conferencing devices including telephony interfaces and video codecs. Similarly, the tool presents different types of outputs, including amplifiers, recorders, and conferencing devices. Based on the types and number of inputs and outputs required, the equipment required to implement the design is determined – useful for seeing what equipment is required given the inputs and outputs required.

By combining information about the numbers and types of signals with best practices for conferencing design allows the tool to select input and output gains, add input equalization to remove room rumble, create audio matrix routings, configure the acoustic echo canceller references, and more. For example, the matrix routing knows that echo cancelled microphones should be routed to remote devices, remote devices routed to local loudspeakers, recording devices require both local and remote audio, and remote devices shouldn’t be routed to themselves but should be routed to other remote devices.

The tool should be well integrated to the typical workflow so that even after the initial design is complete, new audio channels may be added or removed. Then the system will continue to use the design automation features to create proper routing and appropriate signal parameters based on the type of audio channel that has been added.

The result of the design automation tool is that the system designer has a stable baseline configuration that was built with conferencing best practices. This baseline provides an ideal platform from which to layer additional functionality such as sound reinforcement, split and combine rooms, and other customizations required to meet the customer’s requirements. We’ll consider these applications in future articles.

While design automation tools shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for good design or an excuse not to think, these tools can take much of the drudgery out of the design and install process by automating the creation of the stable baseline settings. The net result is more time for the A/V specialist to add value to the system to ensure that it meets or exceeds the customer’s requirements.

Craig H. Richardson is the vice president and general manager of Polycom's Installed Voice Business. He can be reached at craig.richardson@polycom.com

 

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The Future of Remotes? NEC Shows Battery-less Remote Technology

NEC Japan is demo’ing a battery-less remote control technology that they think will take off in less than two years.  The concept is that through movement and button pushing on the remote control, users would generate enough “human-power” to allow the remote to power itself through the vibrations — it seems possible!

If you can read Japanese, read all about it here:  http://www.necel.com/news/ja/archive/0911/1702.html

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rAVe Announces the ProAV Dealer's Social Media Blueprint

Do you feel like you’re missing out on social media? Or do you think it’s just a passing fad? Everyone’s been talking about it lately, and we’re sure you’re wondering if there’s value in it for you, as a B2B enterprise, an AV dealer. Well, there is!

Social media has real value to you as a way to build your brand and authentically communicate with your customers and industry colleagues. Don’t get us wrong – social media takes commitment. You have to ADD VALUE, or you just become spam!

So, keep reading as we're not trying to sell you anything – in fact, we're going to give it to you for FREE.

rAVe [Publications] has been using social media for three years. We’ve Twittered and YouTubed and blogged. We’ve even taught social media to college students (at UNC-Chapel Hill’s top-rated journalism school), and partnered with top industry organizations (CEDIA, InfoComm) to bring you social media coverage of industry events.

We’ve had a few false starts, and a lot of wild successes. We know what works and what doesn’t, and now want to pass that knowledge on to you.

rAVe [Publications] will release next month a PDF document called The ProAV Dealer’s Social Media Blueprint. We’ll tell you all about the (mostly free!) tools available to you, and how specifically you can use them to build your brand, add value, and be an authentic communicator.

Best of all, we’re giving this document away FREE to all who register for it ahead of time. Once it comes out, we will charge $500. Register NOW for The ProAV Dealer’s Social Media Blueprint from rAVe [Publications].

Click here to register for your free copy of the ProAV Dealer's Social Media Blueprint: https://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1677&Itemid=225

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AVI-SPL Launches Control System in a Box

Dubbed CRIB, the AVI-SPL (the integration company) “pre-integrated solution” is actually aimed at other integrators as a system in a box solution that can be installed in a single day.  AVI-SPL says the CRiB system is custom designed to meet the requirements of the NOC (network operations center) operation staff. Although specific components were labeled, AVI-SPL told rAVe that the CRiB includes a large screen display system with primary and secondary monitors, a video processor for source and display management, desktop monitors for operational situational awareness, an operator console and chair, and is designed to fit all budgets.

No question that AVI-SPL has a lot of NOC experience and it will be interesting to follow the CRiB.  You can read the AVI-SPL press release here:  http://www.avispl.com/SLIS/AVI/MediaDocuments/201.pdf

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New Matrox PC Graphics Card has ProAV Applications

Matrox Graphics, known to most of us as a PC graphics card manufacturer, earlier this month announced the launch of the Matrox M9188 PCIe x16 Octal graphics card, capable of supporting eight DisplayPort or DVI Single-Link outputs from a single workstation. The Matrox M9188 PCIe x16 offers 2GB of memory, resolutions up to 2560×1600 per output and they claim it is also capable of imaging warping. 

This PC card has interesting ProAV applications — imagine monitor-wall systems driven from a single Windows-based PC, rather than an image processor.  We’re certainly not going to recommend switching to a system driven by a Windows-based PC (remember Vista?), but it will be interesting to consider this in multi-monitor applications. 

Want more information?  Go to:  http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/graphics_cards/m_series/m9188pciex16/

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Chief Ships White Board Mount

Easily install white boards over chalkboards with Chief’s new white board mounting solution. With a vertical adjustment of 27.8” (706 mm), the mount is designed to actually fit over the top of pre-existing boards that are 3 – 5’ (0.9 – 1.5 m) tall. Optional installation methods give you the choice to install either in front of or on top of pre-existing chalk and marker trays.  Here are all the details:  http://www.chiefmfg.com/productdetail.aspx?AccessoryID=1138

Want to add a projector?  Chief has built their new White Board Mount to work in combination with Chief's new short throw projector wall mounts for a complete whiteboard mounting solution.  Check out those products here:  http://www.chiefmfg.com/search_results.aspx?CategoryID=307

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HaiVision's New MAKITO is HD H.264 Video Encoding with Component and DVI Inputs

HaiVision launched their latest MAKITO, an HD H.264 encoder that now supports both component analog and DVI inputs.  HaiVision says the MAKITO delivers low latency, full frame rate H.264 encoding of high definition video up to 1080p60, or computer graphics resolutions up to 1280×1024 (SXGA).

For more info, to go:  http://www.haivision.com/products/makito

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Extron Announces New MediaLink Keypad Controller

Extron last week announced the immediate availability of the MLC 62 RS D MediaLink Controller, keypad for controlling AV equipment in classrooms and meeting facilities. The MLC 62 RS D features eight customizable backlit soft touch buttons providing control capabilities for common A/V functions including display power, input switching, and volume control. The new controller serves as a replacement for a display's handheld IR remote, providing user-friendly control for a projector or flat panel display, and eliminating problems related to misplaced IR remotes, confusing menus, and dead batteries.
The MLC 62 RS D offers IR and unidirectional RS-232 for universal display control, two relays for controlling screens and lights, and a digital input for interfacing with switches and sensors. The controller includes black and white Decora faceplates.

Visit the Extron website for more information: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=mlc62dad

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EPSON Launches Three New Projectors

Epson intro'd three new projectors last week for the ProAV market. The network-ready, XGA resolution PowerLite 1830 and 1915 are apparently ready to ship now with specs that include 3000 and 4000 ANSI lumens, respectively, HDMI connectivity, built-in wireless and Epson's "Screen Fit" technology – an auto-sensing feature that intuitively sets up the appropriate screen size, keystone and focus. The PowerLite 1925W (originally launched earlier this year, but just now shipping) is a WXGA 16:9 aspect ratio projector that is also spec'd at 4000 ANSI lumens, HDMI connectivity, built-in wireless and Epson's "Screen Fit" technology. 

If you want to see all the specs, go to:  http://www.epsonbrighterfutures.com/products/largeClassroom

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Polycom's New ATX 300 is Game Changer

Last week, Polycom announced a new line of highly adaptable immersive telepresence solutions – dubbed, the Polycom Architected Telepresence Experience (Polycom ATX) 300.  The Polycom ATX 300 solutions can be customized by “qualified” ProAV  integrators – making this an “exclusive” integrator product.  Yay!

The Polycom ATX 300 is basically a telepresence “kit” featuring technology components and software that is combined with planning, design, and implementation services from ProAV integrators (you) partner with clients to create customized solutions for a broad range of industries and applications. The system can be used to create unique immersive telepresence environments customized with displays, furniture, lighting, acoustics, décor, etc. Customers can also choose to incorporate existing furniture or components to reduce costs and adapt the system to unique room requirements. For example, in businesses the Polycom ATX can be adapted into research and development environments to accelerate time-to-market for new products by connecting global teams and creating tighter collaboration with partners and supplies – thus, proving an ROI. In manufacturing environments, telepresence can be integrated to enable effective remote quality assurance for facilities anywhere in the world by enabling people in other locations to see and examine products as they come off the line in real time.

Polycom ATX solutions are based on established video conferencing standards and open interoperability, so organizations can use them with existing video conferencing systems and with the estimated two million standards-based video conferencing and telepresence systems in use today.

Mike Brandofino, executive vice president of video communications and unified collaboration at integrator AVI-SPL said, “When Telepresence was introduced with only a few room sizes and configurations, our customers kept asking us if we could reproduce the Telepresence experience, but with different layouts and that could interface with other audio and video equipment. As soon as ATX was available, it gave us the full kit of Polycom functionality with the ability to let our design engineers use their creative talents to create solutions that specifically meet our customer requirements.”

Want to learn all about the ATX 300?  http://www.polycom.com/products/telepresence_video/telepresence_solutions/immersive_telepresence/atx.html
 

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Polycom HDX Series Joins Cisco Developer Network Program

Last week, Polycom announced that it has joined the Cisco Developer Network Program as part of the program’s Unified Communications technology category. In addition Polycom’s HDX 4000, HDX 6000, HDX 7000, HDX 8000 and HDX 9000 systems have successfully completed interoperability testing with Cisco’s Unified Communications Manager versions 6.0 and 7.0. 

For more information about this go to: http://www.polycom.com/cisco

The Cisco Developer Network unites Cisco with third-party developers of hardware and software to deliver tested interoperable solutions to joint customers.  Members of the program share Cisco’s strong commitment to customer service and satisfaction and are required to undergo interoperability testing based on criteria set forth by Cisco.  With offerings such as Polycom’s HDX series telepresence systems, customers can more quickly deploy a broad range of Cisco Compatible business applications, devices, or services that can enhance the capabilities, performance, and management of their Cisco network.

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InfoComm Adds 3D Comm to Show's Line-up of Special Events

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NSCA's Latest Market Intelligence Report

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InfoComm Publishes 2010 Educational Calendar

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THE Digital Signage Show Pre-Registration Now Open

There’s a lot of talk among the ProAV integrators out there that they’re interested in or planning to enter the digital signage (DS) market.  Well, let’s see if you are serious!  In fact if you are, don’t just send ONE body to the annual DSE show (details below), send 25 percent of the number of people you’d normally send to InfoComm.  So, if you send 10 people to InfoComm, send two or three to DSE.  Seriously!  Take this market SERIOUSLY!

Digital Signage Expo (DSE), Interactive Technology Expo (ITE), and Out-of-Home Network Show (OOHNS), the world’s largest International Trade Show and Conference and the only place where digital signage and interactive technologies are exclusively showcased all in one place has opened registration for all three co-located shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This year Digital Signage Expo’s Seventh International Conference has been expanded to present the world’s largest educational conference ever, staged to help encourage and support the industry’s growth. The conference consists of 40 industry peer-led seminars (expanded from 30 in 2009), 37 Lunch & Learn Roundtable industry-specific discussions and 20 on-floor workshops, with more than 160 speakers to run Wednesday and Thursday, February 24-25, 2010.

Register at:  http://www.digitalsignageexpo.net

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News from Stampede, Global Presence Alliance, ClearOne

Stampede has hired three more Electrograph staffers — Kevin Welling as director of sales, western region, Karen Meneghetti as senior relationship manager, key accounts, and Alex Ivani as a product manager on the vendor management team… The Global Presence Alliance has expanded into Canada by adding Canadian integrator AVW-TELAV Audio Video Solutions to its roster… ClearOne has been granted a permanent injunction by a federal court against products of DialHD, Inc. The products include the AEC4, the Mix-4 or Automixer, the HD4551, and the Longoo ACON1001. ClearOne initially won a lawsuit against Biamp Systems and a group of defendants collectively termed the "WideBand Defendants" that included at least one former ClearOne employee. ClearOne alleged that some of these defendants and other parties attempted to circumvent the original court order by establishing new company DialHD, Inc., to continue selling ClearOne trade secrets.

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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition 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 ProAV industry, 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 anything good (or bad).

Don't like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.

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.

Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship publication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market.rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004 and is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market.rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007.rAVe ED [Education] launched in May 2008.

To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com

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Copyright 2009 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 510 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 376 – 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.