Volume 8, Issue 10 — May 20, 2010
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Welcome to another issue of rAVe ProAV Edition! Today Chris Chinnock from Insight Media is at the 3DSA conference in Japan and has written an interesting Display Daily about new, futuristic technologies, including holograms, 3D, and 3D sound, that are being used to do things like recreate, in lifesize scale, popular events such as the FIFA World Cup or concerts. Be sure to check out his description below because this stuff is cutting edge. We're busy getting ready for InfoComm, of course, and hope you are too. If you want to hear me speak on social media, there are details below on my class "Social Media Marketing for ProAV Dealers." Enjoy the issue! –Gary Kayye, CTS Back to Top
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Displays in 2022
By Chris Chinnock
Senior Analyst and Editor, Insight Media I am in Japan this week to attend the 3DSA conference, which is sponsored by NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology). Part of the research conducted by NICT, and the focus of 3DSA, is on futuristic display technology. This week we also picked up word that the Japan Football Association (JFA) is promoting some very advanced display technology as part of its bid to win the 2022 World Cup event. Therefore, talking about the future of displays in 2022 seemed like a good idea for today’s Display Daily.
The FIFA World Cup event is huge and this year marks a major ignition point for 3DTV with coverage of the event. This coverage will be in stereoscopic 3D for viewing on glasses-based 2-view TVs.
In 12 years, the experience could be quite different. According to JFA general secretary Kohzo Tashima, chief executive officer of the bid committee, they have included a 550 billion yen (six billion dollar) "Universal Fan Fest" project as part of their bid package. This project will "treat football fans worldwide to ultra-realistic live 3-D telecasts of World Cup matches."
 What does this mean? According to Tashima, during each match, images would be captured from 360 degrees by 200 high-definition cameras and transmitted as three-dimensional images. The matches would be shown on giant screens or, if technological advances in coming years allow, projected like a real match onto the pitch itself, giving viewers the illusion of watching the real thing. We were not quite sure what he meant by "the pitch itself," so we asked NICT VP Dr. Kazumasa Enami about this concept. It turns out we asked exactly the right guy as it was his proposal to JFA that got them excited about the possibilities and inclusion in the bid.
According to Enami, the idea is to create a display system as large as an Olympic-size swimming pool. Projectors would be arrayed underneath a giant-size screen and the audience would sit in bleachers around this display – just like in the actual sporting venue. Using a super multi-view technique, the audience would be able to see the event from their perspective in the seats. Change your seat and you would get a different view of the action — just like in real life. And — this would all be without any eyewear.
Is this possible? According to Enami, yes. In effect, they are already doing the development work needed to create such a display. For example, a 70" super multi-view light field type display using over 50 projectors has already been developed in their Kyoto labs. A 200" version is planned for 2013. Can a 100-meter version be ready by 2022?
Yesterday, I was able to tour the NICT facility and see demonstrations of other futuristic display technology. For those readers of Large Display Report, you may already be familiar with some of the advanced technologies developed by NICT, most of which was shown at NAB 2009.
For example, one technology features a device to interact with a 3D virtual object using a tool that includes force feedback and sounds (drag the tool over the object and you hear a scratching sound). New to this technology is the addition of smell, although we were not able to experience that advancement.
NICT is also quite involved with integral imaging and electronic holography. A demo to highlight this capability showed capture of a rotating object using a white light source, a 240×135 lens array and a JVC camera with 3840×2160-pixel resolution. Elemental images from each lens array component are electronically processed into a hologram. These are combined over the entire image to produce red, green and blue holograms that are sent to the display section at 30 frames per second. The display system features red, green and blue lasers illuminating very high-resolution LCoS panels (also from JVC) to transform the holographic data, which is written to the panel, into a visible image. This image changes in real time, but it has a tiny 4-degree field of view, is only about an inch square in size and contains speckle from the laser sources. This was also shown at NAB last year.
What I missed last year was the 3D sound demonstration, which I found to be the highlight of the tour. For this, NICT hired three musicians: two guitar players and one shakuhati (bamboo flute) player. In the recording studio, 26 microphones arranged in a spherical pattern, surrounded each musician. For playback, NICT created a spherical speaker enclosure with 26 1-inch speakers arranged in the same relative positions as the microphones. These speakers were positioned in a room at the locations and heights of the original instruments during recording (check out the anaglyph 3D photo of the room). When played back, the sound quality was simply amazing. You could walk around these "virtual musicians" hearing the sound from various angles. Stand in front of the shakuhati player and it was definitely louder. Walk around and you can hear different mixes of the sound. The quality was so good it was nearly lifelike. Very cool.
 NICT has other display technologies they are developing and there will be two days of papers from various groups that will provide insight into the direction of research in future displays. Today, I talked about our 3DTV forecast methodology, which attendees told me was far more complex and involved than they had imagined. Tomorrow, I want to listen to what they think about the future. Chris Chinnock is a senior analyst and editor at Insight Media. Reach him at chris@insightmedia.info Back to Top
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InfoComm 2010 – The Digital Signage Show?
By Gary Kayye, CTS  InfoComm's featured digital signage in each of their last three annual events – but this year, you'll see the DS market featured like never before. With a record number of exhibitors actually showing DS products and truly interested in working with ProAV integrators, you NEED to slice out a block of your time to spend learning about the DS market inside and out.
It all starts with InfoComm's Digital Signage Pavilion. Located in the Las Vegas Convention Center's North Hall, the Digital Signage Pavilion is where the companies who normally wouldn't exhibit in a ProAV-only trade show will be located – companies that are specifically manufacturing products that serve the DS market but don't ONLY require ProAV integrators to design and install them. Companies like Omnivex, Roku, Scala, X2O Media, Harris and even Hyundai.
But, don't assume the only DS stuff is there in that Pavilion. It's going to be all over the floor. For example, NEC will be showing VUKUNET — their DS ad-serving network — in their own booth. Companies like Samsung, Sony, Sharp, LG and NEC obviously have DS displays — some are actually designed specifically for the DS market in that they have built-in media servers and players.
Speaking of media servers and players, you'll find over a dozen manufacturers of those, too. In the DS market, content is sent the "new-fashioned way" via IP networks (including video, audio and control). So, heading over to these media player companies to understand how content is managed and transmitted via a network and how YOU can make money not only setting up that network, but also keeping it running is important. So, you'll need to pay careful attention to companies like Visix, RiseVision, Roku, and a few new companies who will debut products there — I know about them, but I am sworn to secrecy.
 However, I will let you in on our secrets. We WILL be tweeting LIVE from the show floor via our rAVe NOW service so on Day One of the show, if you want to know where to go to see the new, totally innovative DS products, you NEED to be following us via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ravepubs
In addition, rAVe NOW will be shooting video LIVE from the show floor and we'll be posting it starting Tuesday (the day before the show opens). We'll tweet about the videos you NEED to watch, and you can periodically head over to our rAVe NOW Video site at: https://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1892&Itemid=285 and watch them all four days!!! We'll easily post over 500 videos!
See you at InfoComm!
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Telepresence to Reach $2.7 Billion by 2015  Despite the tough economic environment, sales of telepresence hardware, software and services grew to $567 million in 2009, says ABI Research in a new study.
"Nearly any size company has access to telepresence and video conferencing services," says David Lemelin, director of the ABI's Enterprise Communications Research Service. "Suppliers are helping businesses transition to telepresence by introducing personal and room-based HD video conferencing solutions. Telepresence room rentals are also on the rise."
Expanding the options for access to telepresence products and services is critical for maintaining strong market growth.
"Video conferencing products that are a step above 'talking heads' at reasonable price points allow companies to experience the benefits and incorporate them into their business processes," adds Enterprise practice director Dan Shey. "This begins a cycle of growth that will lead to using true telepresence systems."
Factors that will drive the telepresence market 4X to reach $2.7 billion by 2015:
- Saving on travel costs particularly for companies experiencing supply chain expansion;
- Suppliers targeting companies with legacy video teleconferencing systems and expanding telepresence system interoperability;
- Telepresence enhanced with unified communications features such as whiteboards, document sharing and webcam videos;
- Growth of managed and cloud telepresence services from vendors such as Glowpoint, BT Onesource, Verizon and AT&T;
- Telepresence products for mobile employees and devices such as laptops and iPhones.
To read the entire study, go here: http://www.abiresearch.com/press/1636-Telepresence+at+an+Inflection+Point%3B+Sales+Projected+to+Reach+%242.7+Billion+by+2015 Back to Top
Sign Up for Gary Kayye's Social Media Class at InfoComm  On Thursday, June 10th from 12:30-2pm, rAVe Founder and UNC Journalism School professor, Gary Kayye, will be teaching his most popular seminar ever: Social Media Marketing for ProAV Dealers
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. However, social media takes commitment. You have to ADD VALUE, or you just become spam! We know you may have doubts about social media, but the reality is that more and more people are using it, and if your customers aren’t on it now, they will be very shortly. You don’t want to be left behind. Gary Kayye, founder of rAVe [Publications], has been using social media for three years. He's Twittered and YouTubed and blogged. He even teaches social media to college students at UNC-Chapel Hill’s top-rated journalism school, and partnered with top industry organizations such as CEDIA and InfoComm to bring you social media coverage of industry events. He's had a few false starts, but also a lot of wild successes. He knows what works and what doesn’t, and now want to pass that knowledge on to you.
Sign up for Gary's class at InfoComm here: http://www.infocommshow.org/networknow/public/SessionDetails.aspx?SessionID=1993&FromPage=nz_ALSessionSearch.aspx
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John Pfleiderer Announced as InfoComm's Volunteer of the Year  John Pfleiderer, CTS-D, CTS-I, of Cornell University, was announced as the InfoComm Volunteer of the Year at the recent InfoComm 100 meeting. Pfleiderer has been an active volunteer for more than a decade, but was specifically recognized this year for his role in certification. Under his guidance, the number of renewal unit providers and offerings has more than tripled. He was recently re-elected for another term on the Certification Committee. Congratulations and thanks are in order!
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Christie Wins Inaugural "Green AV" Award  At the InfoComm 100 conference, Christie was named this year's Green AV Award winner.
The Green AV Award recognizes organizations for their commitment to social responsibility, sustainability and the environment.
"Sustainability practices are important for the future of the AV industry," said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. "InfoComm is pleased to issue these first Green AV Awards to those who are paving the way for a greener and stronger audiovisual industry. Christie is a great example of an organization whose commitment to the environment extends to all areas of their company."
Environmental initiatives Christie has undertaken include:
- Successfully registering two manufacturing plants to the internationally recognized environmental standard, ISO 14001
- Leading the way with products that are among the highest lumen per watt output efficiency for 3-chip DLP projectors
- Introducing energy-efficient stand-by modes for new projector models, and developing next generation solid state LED illumination technology that is more environmentally friendly
- Achieving an impressive 82 percent waste diversion rate at the Canadian manufacturing facility through effective management of recycle streams including electronic waste and organics (food waste)
- Reducing electrical consumption by 13 percent per employee within the first year through a "Power Down" energy conservation program
- Reducing natural gas usage by 41 percent
- Carpooling programs and employee awareness campaigns such as "Lunch n' Learn" sessions to encourage employees to adopt environmentally responsible practices at home
Other award winners in the Green AV Award category include AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions and Waveguide Consulting Inc.
Christie Digital can be found at: http://www.christiedigital.com/emeaen Back to Top
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Canon Launches Six New Projectors  In launching two WXGA (1280×800) and four XGA (1024×768) projectors, Canon claims they’ve got the greenest projectors on the market with the six models dubbed the LV-8310, LV-8215, LV-7385, LV-7380, LV-7285 and LV-7280 – all 3LCD, LCoS (reflective LCD) projectors. Claiming to all have at least a 4000-hour mercury-free lamp, a 1-watt stand-by mode and lower wattage lamps than other portable projectors on the market, Canon is betting its future on these models priced from $799 to $1699. Each has at least 2200 ANSI lumens output, with the brightest being the flagship LV-7385 (an XGA model) being the brightest at 3500 lumens. Each projector is both RS 232 and IP controllable.
For more information, go to: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=109
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Samsung To Debuts World's Brightest Pico Projector – 30 Lumens!  Weighing less than an iPhone, Samsung's first Pico LED projector, the H03, will feature 30 ANSI brightness in a lightweight, fairly cool looking design – but it’s not official, yet.
Samsungs says the H03 has been designed to provide the world's brightest pico display solution with an "ultra-efficient" LED lamp that gives more than 30,000 hours of lamp life. The projector can be powered by a removable battery pack or via a power cable (for both office use and a movie at home).
The H03 comes with a built in speaker and a document reader feature. The projector features PC in (VGA), AV composite in, USB port (for memory, download, external power), head set jack, SD card slot for external memory and a tri-pod fitting for mounting.
It’s not on their website yet as it’s not officially been launched in the US, but when it is, it will be here: http://www.samsung.com/us/
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SurgeX International Launches SXN1230  SurgeX introduced its SXN1230 surge eliminator and AC power conditioner last month. Housed in a 12"x12"x4" NEMA enclosure, meeting code for use in ceiling plenums, the industrial-grade SXN1230 provides guaranteed surge protection for dedicated power lines.
Designed for international use in 230-volt systems with single-phase requirements, the SXN1230 uses proprietary SurgeX technologies such as Advanced Series Mode surge elimination and Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI filtering.
SurgeX's Advanced Series Mode surge elimination is superior to conventional metal-oxide varistor (MOV) based circuitry or MOV hybrid designs and is completely non-sacrificial. The manufacturer says its "zero let-through" technology stops all surges up to 6000 volts (unlimited surge current) without producing harmful side effects such as ground-wire contamination or common-mode disturbances.
SurgeX International products have a 10-year warranty.
For more information on this, go to: http://www.surgexinternational.com/products/sxn1230.html
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rAVe Scoop: ClearOne to Launch New Line of StreamNet IP-based AV Distribution and Control Products at InfoComm  At InfoComm, ClearOne will launch the VIEW platform, what they say is a new line of IP-based HD audio/video distribution and control network products based on its patented StreamNet technology.
The VIEW solution claims to offer functionality beyond just AV distribution- it also provides source control, a GUI – graphical user interface-, sensor and relay control – all user controllable and programmable. Distributing AV over IP is an obvious transition in our market and one that rAVe’s been saying is coming for a few years, and the ClearOne’s VIEW has what they are calling LAN Cloud Matrix Switching system, allowing any source to be dynamically routed to any display or audio zone.
The VIEW will debut in hardware form at InfoComm so it’s not on their website, yet.
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Dukane Debuts Circa 1989 Document Camera  Although packed with 2010 features, the new Dukane DVP507 looks like a page out of the 1989 design playbook. Included with an HD resolution camera, 720p capable recording, 240 picture memory and 15x zoom, the digital HDMI output DVP507 is one of the most advanced document cameras we’ve ever seen or reviewed — it even features time lapse video recording!
See all the specs at: http://www.dukane.com/av/products/Item_VisualizersCameras.asp?Model=DVP507 Back to Top
Tecom Will Debut Apple iPad, iPhone Lecterns at InfoComm  Tecom announces its latest feature for its TechPod Interactive Multimedia Lectern, a docking port allowing iPads and iPhones to directly interact with the TechPod's integrated AV technologies.
Tecom will be demonstrating the technology at InfoComm so no specifics yet. |
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Da-Lite Launches Online Screen Designer For Custom Projection Screens  With the move to larger custom projection screen installations, Da-Lite has responded to the market with a new online Screen Designer program that makes specifying a custom Da-Lite screen as easy as following the prompts in the new program. Select screen type, screen size and the screen surface that matches your installation needs.
The new Screen Designer helps select the correct size screen for the room with an easy to use application that is designed to eliminate screen sizes that are either too small or too big for the installation. The Screen Designer also helps determine the need for additional screen drop and the distance from the first viewer to the screen as added features of the program.
To use Screen Designer, go to: http://screendesigner.da-lite.com/
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RTI Ships RK3-V In-Wall Touch Panel  Last week, Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) started shipping the second generation of its RK-3 in-wall touch panel controller, the RK3-V. Designed for flush-mount installations in walls or discreetly hidden away in cabinets, the RK3-V offers a compact, VGA-resolution display aimed at ProAV installs for $999.
To read all the specs, go to: http://www.rticorp.com/products/rk3v.html
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Sony Showcases New Signage Range for ProAV Market  Sony Professional brought a new range of BRAVIA digital displays to Screen Media Expo. Research and says that by 2012, 60 percent of the digital signage market will be covered by consumer TV products. In response to the proliferation of televisions used in the digital signage market, Sony Professional has created a Bravia range with the functionality of a pro display and the usability of a consumer TV. By including RS232 control and IP networking capability in the new BRAVIA B2B range, Sony offers the capability of performing self-diagnosis and timed power saving. The B2B BRAVIA range has what they are calling a “hotel mode” so user can select a default channel, show the time and limit the sound volume. The new BRAVIA B2B comes in 32", 40", 46" and 55".
Also at Screen Media Expo, Sony has a refreshed version of its Ziris software. The all-new Ziris V7 is an enterprise-strength digital signage software suite, which Sony says is easy to use and has streamlined features for content delivery. A new, unified user interface pushes usability to new levels so that anyone familiar with typical office software will feel at home with Ziris 7 immediately.
Sony also showed its new digital signage player, the BKM-FW55, an eco-friendly full HD embedded digital signage player that actually fits inside the display for tamper-proof, simple, plug-in-and-play digital signage.
See it all at: http://www.sony.co.uk/biz/view/ShowPressRelease.action?section=SB+SS+ALL+Press+Center&pressrelease=1237478357190&site=biz_en_GB
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NSCA to Repackage NSCA Zone at InfoComm 2010  The NSCA Zone, booth #C5859 at InfoComm 2010, is your one-stop shop during InfoComm 2010 to network with industry peers, find business solutions for your everyday needs, putt for charity and a chance to win $500 daily, and enter to win a variety of prizes and products, including one of three 42” LCD HDTVs.
NSCA members are the industry’s leading commercial electronic systems integrators. They have access to valuable, industry-specific research, training exclusive to industry professionals, and advocates who fight against legislation that would be lethal to your business. Visit the NSCA Zone to:
- Meet NSCA members and staff who can help you make the most of your membership.
- Pick up a scratch card to win discounts on NSCA membership, training or NSCA’s next business conference, iPods – everyone wins.
- Hear first-hand how NSCA’s Business & Leadership Conference has helped contractors improve their bottom lines, expand their business, and utilize the unique skills of Generation “Why.”
- Take a shot at a hole-in-one and your chance to win $500 in the NSCA Education Foundation’s popular Putting Challenge, sponsored by Herman Procurement & Logistics. For a $5 contribution to the Foundation, receive three chances to make a hole-in-one, as well a drink ticket for a cold water or soda. If you make a hole-in-one, come back at the end of the day for the “putt-off” to win $500.
- Learn how NSCA’s alternative to national healthcare, SystemsPlus™ Health Solutions, can help you create a healthier, more productive staff while saving time and money. Plus enter to win a Ping G15 driver.
- Find out how NSCA is helping protect your business against harmful legislation and policy initiatives.
For more information on the NSCA Zone and the NSCA Education Foundation, visit http://www.nscaatinfocomm.org and visit http://www.nscafoundation.org Back to Top 
News from ClearOne, Crestron, Polycom… ClearOne has announced that R. Scott Woolley has been named director of product management for multimedia and networking products at the company… Alpha Video has announced the addition of Jerry Gale to its marketing department… Polycom has named Andrew Miller, the former CEO of Tandberg, as president and CEO of the company… WolfVision's VZ-9plus3 Visualizer has received two prestigious design awards — the European Red Dot "Best of the Best" award and Japan's "Good Design Award"… Crestron has announced it has the #1 iPad App in the AV industry, according to Apple, and is 31st in the list of overall "Top Grossing iPad Apps"… Crestron has also announced the release of the new Crestron RoomView Add-in for Microsoft Outlook… ClearOne announced its membership in the newly-formed Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF), a non-profit alliance of worldwide technology leaders to encourage standards-based, cross-vendor interoperability of Unified Communications (UC) hardware and software… Stewart Filmscreen has appointed Tim Nymberg as chief marketing officer and managing director in Europe. Back to Top 
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 ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market (we blow away ANY other Publication in the high-end home AV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top
Copyright 2010 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email:sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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