Systems Contractor News - October 2022 by publications

Welcome to the OctoberIssueof

19 Executive Q&A Sales SVP Brian Igoe celebrates ViewSonic’s 35th anniversary. Healthy Communication Visix CEO Sean Matthews sees opportunities in healthcare digital signage. Jacob Zuo talks production.

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36 AVoIP and NDI KILOVIEW CTO

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30 A Drive in the Country

By Steve Seminario

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Avoid friction with effective management.

24 Gaming

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4 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com Vol. 29 No. 10 October 2022 Systems Contractor News (ISSN 1078-4993) is published monthly by Future US, Inc., 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036-8002. Periodical postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to: SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR NEWS, P.O. Box 1051, Lowell, MA 01853. Subscribe online at www.MySCNews.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks for address changes to take effect. ©Copyright 2022 by Future US, Inc. PRINTED IN U.S.A. CONTENTS

Integrators

Technology

Esports

As cloud-based video workflows become the norm, NDI will likely remain an important I/O standard.

Business at Its Core win at the new Tech Port Center + Arena.

dvLED displays bring modern flair to classic cars.

What selecting a projection screen. Wayne Cavadi

dvLED display installs are gaining market share— here’s what to expect in the coming years.

New 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratio configurations are gaining popularity in today’s hybrid workspaces.

By Wayne Cavadi Healthy Communication add value to healthcare digital signage. Sean Matthews How NDI 5 Impacts AVoIP Remote Live Production

38 Watch This

18 Executive Q&A

28 Wide-View

By Mark J. Pescatore Executive Q&A

By Jacob Zuo

26 A

ViewSonic’s Brian Igoe talks about the company’s new emphasis on providing solutions.

People

By Mark J. Pescatore On Your Business

By James Careless New Look for Meeting Spaces

By Pete Putman dvLED Displays

StageConnect CEO Cole Morgan says their event software is built to be part of the show.

Viewpoint 42 If You Need Something, Just Ask Customer-led innovations are always welcome. By Rachel Bradshaw Departments 17 ASSOCIATION NEWS 20 NEWSMAKERS 40 NEW PRODUCTS 3024 34 Above It All The Clowes Pavilion at the Indianapolis Museum of Art: Newfields is not just an event space—its dvLED ceiling display is a work of art. By Jennifer Guhl

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ccording to the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), Rocket League was the most popular team esports game during the 2021-2022 school year. You may think playing soccer with rocket-powered cars is a ridiculous notion, but thousands of student-athletes—many of whom have received scholarships and financial aid specifically to play soccer with rocket-powered cars— wouldAshleydisagree.“AJ”

The league sanctioned more than 13,000 matches across a dozen different games, which attracted more than 767,000 unique viewers. That means hundreds of thousands of people went online to watch other people play videogames.

Have you gathered your team to discuss your esports strategy? The stats don’t lie: Esports is serious business at the collegiate level and beyond—and it’s just going to keep getting bigger. That means plenty of opportunities for systems integrators and manufacturers to get in the game.

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Some of the esports facilities Jones showed us were visually stunning and filled to the rim with tech. Remember, these are just the collegiate programs. There are professional esports teams around the world, as well as purpose-built esports facilities like the Tech Port Center + Arena (see page 24).

Unlike the solo campaigns of my leisurely assaults on digital bad guys, teamwork makes the academic dream work. Last season, teams from almost 700 schools (including more than 400 varsity programs) competed in the NACE Starleague for scholarship funds.

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Vice President, B2B Tech Group Carmel King Vice President, Sales, B2B Tech Group Adam Goldstein

Jones, director of membership sales and services for NACE, served as our keynote speaker at the AV/IT Summit in early August. Established in 2016, NACE is a nonprofit association that works with more than 200 member schools (including almost two dozen other Division 1 schools) to advance varsity esports programs. Jones argued a very compelling case for esports. They certainly have the numbers: With more than 13,300 NCAA Starleague esports student-athletes across the country, there are more college esports athletes than hockey athletes.

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I understand the appeal of esports. I got hooked on Wolfenstein 3D and never looked back. Doom, Duke Nukem, Halo—between these and other first-person shooters, I’ve spent way too many hours staring down the barrels of make-believe pistols, shotguns, and RPG launchers. Apparently, though, I did not spend enough hours shooting simulated demons, Nazis, and aliens to make it a career.

NACE’s Ashley “AJ” Jones made a case for integrators to target the esports market at the AV/IT Summit.

Let’s Get Serious about SoccerPlayingwithCars

John Casey, john.casey@futurenet.com, 845-678-3839

Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com, 212-378-0468

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8 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com

Motion Mapping uses the BrightAuthor:connected app to create, publish, and manage the content, which is stored locally and delivered to the players

The information in the report helps integra tors adjust their sales and marketing strategies. Understanding the most recent construction put-in-place totals helps them stay on top of slowdowns, recoveries, and market/geographic changes.“The report reveals that short-term com mercial construction activity will be upheld by recent economic expansion, but contraction is anticipated down the road, which may weigh on future industry growth,” said Tom LeBlanc, executive director, NSCA. “Integrators will find this data helpful in the early stages of design. Consider using the ‘percentage of total vertical market construction’ averages as a starting point in client discussions, tracking how their local marketplace compares to national averages.”

HETMA Announces Prism Scholarship Recipients

“The opportunity to provide access to mentors, tools, and dynamic events in our industry was the lightbulb moment for this program,” said Joé Lloyd, senior director, communications, AVIXA. “Equitable access brings a diversity of thought and representa tion that will establish new thought leaders. We could not be more excited to be a part of this initiative.”

“The BrightSign players are perfect for this kind of synchronized playback setup,” said Harris. “If we need to update content, we just log on to our control PC and push it out to all the players and it just works.”

NSCA

The intent of the Prism Scholarship is to encour age women, LGBTQIA+, black, Latino, Asian, indig enous, disabled persons, and others to become active leaders and role models as technology managers in the higher education space.

Although this was a new type of undertaking for the retailer, it was very much a collaborative effort. Basing the content around a storyboard from the in-house design and visual merchandising teams, Motion Mapping deployed a mix of carefully placed projectors, screens, and sensors to bring it life.

Motion Mapping used five BrightSign HD224 media players to present the five “windows,” which are Samsung 65-inch 4K screens framed by wooden casements. Two additional HD224 media players power the Optoma projectors that map animated images onto kitchen cupboards and a desk in the lounge area. Other elements of the display run on Green Hippo Karst using a Datapath FX4 display controller with Kramer fiber optic HDMI cables.

The result: Pieces of furniture are animated or transformed into interactive information points. A friendly “cow orker” character appears at intervals to provide titbits of knowledge about the products and prompt customers to explore them further. And elements such as windows showing realistic outdoor scenes and a dazzling art wall work in synchronicity to create a beautiful and stimulating environment that says all the right things about personal workspaces.

our founding cohort,” said Joe Way, Ph.D., CTS, director of learning environments, Information Technology Services, University of Southern California, and chair of HETMA. “We are looking forward to witnessing this incredible group of AV professionals grow in their craft, earn their CTS, experience InfoComm, and become a lasting force in both higher ed and the AV industry.”Scored, chosen, and distributed solely by HETMA’s discretion, the scholarship includes a one-year Elite Membership to AVIXA, inclusive of the entire online catalog of education, access to a virtual Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) prep course and course materials, coverage of exam fees for the CTS exam, mentorship by a HETMA member, and a trip to a future InfoComm show.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

IKEA Enhances Shopping with Digital Display

2022SpendingConstructionUptickForecastsinU.S.toEnd

“The objective was to draw people into the new space and increase the amount of time they spent learning about and enjoying the products,” explained Stuart Harris, founder and creative director of projection mapping specialists Motion Mapping, which created the installation. “They wanted to combine digital elements with physical products in a way that was cool and exciting, and we had lots of ideas about how to do that.”

across a private Ethernet network.

NSCA has updated its biannual Electronic Systems Outlook report for Summer 2022. It includes construction outlook information for United States and Canada based on actual data from Q1 and Q2 of 2022, as well as a forecast for the remainder of 2022, 2023, and beyond. Overall, total U.S. engineering and construction spending is forecast to end 2022 up 9% compared to up 8% in 2021.

The NSCA Electronic Systems Outlook is free for NSCA members to download at nsca.org.

“Higher education has always been an avenue to impact social change. HETMA recognizes that we have a unique opportunity to fulfill our mission of growing the influence of underrepresented professionals in the greater AV industry and are proud to announce

hen IKEA’s design team at the compa ny’s flagship London branch in Wem bley set about remodeling the store’s homeworking department, they wanted to create a high-tech, immersive, and interactive experience that would inform and delight customers. BrightSign media players helped to realize that vision.

The recipients of the 2022 Prism Scholarships are: Mahogany Hickman, Kameesha Jones, C. Ann Kelly, Dez McNeil, Earl Mcnulty, Dustin Myers, Michelle Rasic, and Britt Yenser. This year, to commemorate the retirement of industry icon Cory Shaeffer, HETMA awarded a scholarship in her name to Natalie Gillespie from Northwestern University.

he Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) has announced the recipients of the Prism Scholarship. With the support of AVIXA, HETMA created the Prism Schol arship to support the growth of under represented communities within the U.S. higher education technology workforce.

As promised, Samsung delivered—but it was just the beginning. Instead of waiting for the next offseason to push forward, the Mets and Samsung added a little more in June, and then again in July, and even some more at the end of August.

“Initially I loved the outfield LEDs. It was all static, but now it really pops during moments of domination. But I’ll tell you now, it’s the Rotunda,” Fernandez admitted. “It’s the first thing fans see. It’s like they’re hit with, ‘Hey, I’m at the Mets game.’ It looks so vibrant.”

The organization looked across the industry and considered several major players for the project. “Our criteria were not just the control room, not just LED boards, not just a big scoreboard eventually, but also an IPTV network, wayfinding—it’s a long-term, 3–5-year plan,” Fernandez said. “We wanted a partner that could be very wide in what they could do. Samsung was a true master integrator for all those components. They had the best grasp of our vision and were the best partner.”

The Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field has been upgraded with digital displays.

New York Mets Partner with Samsung to Bring Pro AV ‘Wow’ to Citi Field

The phased upgrade began in late 2021, which left less than four months to be ready for first pitch of the 2022 season. “We started around December 13, and we had to deliver by Opening Day on March 31. We had to replace all our ribbons, gut our entire control room, build a new data center,” Fernandez recalled.

The second reason was an end-of-life strategy and new program created with the upgrade. “There’s a new benchmark for what we’ll install and we’ll continue to invest,” he added.

Why would a stadium that ushered in a new era of Mets baseball just 14 seasons ago already need an upgrade? “There were two reasons,” explained Oscar Fernandez, vice president of technology solutions, New York Mets. “One is we wanted an upgrade for the fans. With new ownership, new investment, and a new team on the field, we said, ‘Let’s look at the stadium and take a step back. What can we do from a technology perspective while still staying with the aesthetic, and how can that enhance the game?’”

Samsung and its integration and design partners got to work installing the new “wow” factors. The Mets took advantage of the technological upgrade with some architectural enhancements, gutting the

“That was a large benefit of a phased approach,” Fernandez noted. “[Samsung] are still here the whole time. The tech side, the PM side, the installers are all here. It’s been good to have them fully embedded.”

As the Mets continue to improve on the field, so does the entire experience around it. What was originally some flashy new LED ribbons and screens in April was suddenly, by July, a completely redone Jackie Robinson Rotunda, full of digital displays that showed the lineup, pitching stats, and player cards.

control room and some of the adjacent booths and redoing the production offices so the production teams had a better base for running the show.

he New York Mets are enjoying a successful 2022 campaign. While the team is currently in the hunt for the National League pennant and MLB postseason glory, Mets fans are reveling all the hits, runs, and excitement with an enhanced gameday experience.

10 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com NEWS

By Wayne Cavadi

Off the field, Samsung and the Mets have partnered for a technological upgrade for Citi Field, which opened its doors in 2009. However, the facility isn’t going through a traditional upgrade. Much like the team, the stadium is growing and evolving—and seemingly bringing just a bit more “wow” to the fans each month.

For fans new and old, the Rotunda is their first experience at Citi Field. While the Mets have gotten extremely positive feedback from surveys and in-person fan intercepts, Fernandez said you can see it as soon as fans enter the ballpark. He saw a big difference when it debuted earlier this season. “I was out there for 10 minutes, and I counted 29 different groups taking pictures and selfies of themselves in front of those displays,” Fernandez added, “which wasn’t happening before.”

“The investment in IPTV is going to be big for the fans,” Fernandez explained. “Even if you have to wait on line for food, you’re going to be able to see the game in crisp clarity. We dipped our toes in that at Taste of the City [a “foodie” food court in centerfield],

so we want to have that everywhere.”

Neither the Mets nor Samsung are taking the proverbial foot off the pedal, as there are big plans for 2023. Some of those upgrades include the installation of roughly 1,000 additional Samsung LCDs around the ballpark, two large LED boards for game viewing, and

tight-pitch LED throughout the experience on the Promenade Plaza.

Samsung has partnered with the New York Mets to deliver a phased upgrade of Citi Field’s AV facilities.

And what about the massive, signature scoreboard in centerfield? Fans can expect big changes there as well. Fernandez was a bit more tightlipped about what that entailed, but he teased: “It’s going to be some thing to awe fans and make us an iconic venue from a technology perspective.”

The Mets plan of a phased rollout has been an overwhelming success. “Just like you change up the roster at the trade deadline, we’re continuing to enhance the stadium,” Fernandez said. “If you came to a game in April and then in July and August, you’ll have a different experience.”

Mets 2022beenDon’tSeason-at-a-GlanceAVletthephasedapproachfoolyou.ThishasamassiveundertakingatCitiField.Theseasonupgradesinclude:•12,000squarefeetofSamsungdvLEDdisplays•FivelevelsofSamsungLEDribbonboards•EnhanceddisplaysintheJackieRobinsonRotunda•Approximately300newSamsungLCDscreens•AnimmersiveIPTVsystemusingSamsung’sMagicINFOsoftware•Triplethenumberofcamerascapturingreal-timeactionfromeveryangle•Doublethenumberofslo-moreplaysystems•CompletedigitalconversionfromstaticscreensattheTasteoftheCityFoodCourt•NewSamsungHDscreensinthedugoutstothebullpenandeventheclubhouse NEWS

The J-Series helps bring dynamic sound to Techno and EDM shows at NEBULA.

Regarding the choice of a certified pre-owned system, the decision was a no-brainer. We were able to offer a superior and sustainable product to the client, with all the benefits of a new system, but at a reduced price point.”“As a classically trained musician, I am still amazed with our PA system,” noted Gao. “We are running it with every kind of application—hip hop, EDM, house, techno, performances—and it doesn’t matter the application, the system can handle it with ease and the headroom to put my mind at ease. The TAG team did a great job on the initial install and over months, fine-tuned it. I think we are at the perfect spot now.”

Pre-owned d&b Loudspeaker System Delivers for Times Square Venue

EBULA, one of Times Square’s latest hotspot, features world-renowned and up-and-coming DJs. It also features a certified pre-owned (CPO) d&b J-Series loudspeaker system.TheCPO program at d&b was born from the long-term corporate commitment to voluntarily meet the requirements of effective substantiality. Extending the life of a loudspeaker system is a small but powerful way of providing premium audio while helping to protect the natural world. CPO systems are meticulously remanufactured to the original factory quality standards and offered with a manufacturer warranty.“Moving into Midtown was a bold move but it’s a great fit,” said Yang Gao, owner of NEBULA. “Man hattan needed a large-scale, music-driven immersive venue. NEBULA fills that void. The d&b CPO J-Series was chosen because it’s a sustainable solution.”

NEBULA has a seating/standing capacity of 550 between the main floor and the mezzanine. Technical

“The J-Series has been a staple product in the audio industry for over a decade,” said John Gonzalez, Technical Arts Group. “We easily achieved the SPL we were looking to hit while maintaining a substantial amount of headroom and still experiencing the warmth that the J-Series has been known for.

NEBULACREDIT

mately four feet.

NEWS

Arts Group (TAG) of New York and Miami was responsible for the audio and lighting installation in the 11,000-square-foot dual-level space. One of the challenges was gaining the height to fly a PA and lighting grid. The floor had to be dug out approxi

NEWS

The new stadium, formerly a tennis facility, features six competition courts with 24-inch-deep sand. The facility also features energy-efficient LED lighting, seating capacity for 450 spectators, new scoreboard, and a new Danley Sound Labs system.

“Danley SH96HO and GO2-8CX loudspeakers were the perfect choice for this installation,” said Comeaux. “We also used Danley TH412 subwoofers for the low end of the system. Just like all of the Danley Sound Labs’ systems on campus, this one brings an appropriate ‘punch’ to their sound and really creates a festive environment—perfect for LSU Athletics.”DanleySound Labs’ amplifiers, loudspeakers, and subwoofers can be found across LSU Athletics facilities including Alex Box Stadium, Carl Maddox Field House, and Tiger Stadium. According to Bold, coaches, athletes, and administrators are pleased

“Over the years, many of our facilities have received upgrades or we’ve needed to replace

LSU Beach Volleyball Stadium Serves Up New Sound System

A new Danley Sound Labs system delivers audio to LSU’s six-court beach volleyball stadium.

“The level of clarity from music to announce ments are equally balanced,” Bold added. “The projection and even coverage across the entire stadium from a single location with minimal need for cabinets is unique to point source loudspeaker suppliers like Danley. It performs as if the scoreboard was loaded with multiple speakers pointed in many positions.”“Asboth an LSU fan and a Danley employee, I’m always excited to go to LSU events,” said Comeaux. “You can always tell that the fans enjoy the audio system as much as they do the game. It sets the tone for the quality and performance you’ll see on the court and on the field from LSU’s student athletes.”

with the system’s performance.

systems,” said Terrance Bold, director of audio and visual services at LSU. “This installation was new, unlike those prior projects.”

With 27 regular season wins and 32 overall wins, both school records, LSU had five pairs earn AVCA Top Flight honors. One player, Melia Lindner, became LSU’s first Beach Elite 90 Award winner. The winning ways weren’t just on the court—they included the courts. Over the past few years, LSU has completed major upgrades, unveiling a brand-new beach volleyball venue in the heart of campus in 2019.

The design of the new system was completed by AJP Consulting, and Sound Advice from Baton Rouge, LA, completed the installation. Danley Sound Labs western sales manager Kim Comeaux was also involved in the project.

The 2022 beach volleyball season was one of the most successful in program history for Louisiana State University. As LSU’s team elevated itself on the court, Danley Sound Labs improved the fan experi ence with a new, enhanced sound system in the six-court stadium.

uring the pandemic, quick-serve restau rants (QSRs) had to rapidly adapt to chang ing conditions. While many businesses had to require masks, disable touchscreen kiosks, or even close all indoor service, many establishments with drive-thru windows saw increased business.

“The basics of our drive-thru experience hadn’t changed in decades, but this new fluid business environment proved that we have an urgent need for more flexible operations,” he added. “By going digital with LG outdoor displays and an easy-to-use content management system, we can now schedule automatic updates for different daypart menus, promote new items or specials, and even show on the screen what is beingAccordingordered.”to

New digital drive-thrus with high-brightness LG displays improve efficiency while being aesthetically pleasing to customers.

Petersen added that the first location to receive a digital drive-thru saw a 7.5% increase in cars and an average check increase of 5.2% year-over-year since it was installed. The store interiors are going digital, too, so managers can update the LG signage quickly and easily, which gives customers a fully modernized experience no matter how they buy their food.

The first location in Monroe, WA, now features a dual-lane drive-thru, with each lane featuring two 55-inch vertical high-brightness outdoor displays (LG model 55XE4F) that provide up to 4,000 nits of brightness. Besides displaying the menu itself, one of the most important features of the displays and content system is that it can be configured to provide order confirmation, so both customers and employees are assured that each order is heard, entered, and prepared correctly. This seemingly small convenience feature can provide high customer satisfaction, efficiency, and fast order completion time.

“Our drive-thrus account for the majority of our business, so it’s important for us to work to improve the efficiency of that experience,” said Brandon Petersen, digital experience manager at Taco Time Northwest. “In 2018 and 2019, we began looking at the key advantages digital menu boards offered over traditional printed signage. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, closing a number of our dining rooms, we began to invest in a digital drive-thru strategy. We implemented digital menus at a pilot location in 2021, and we’re upgrading up to 20 more restaurants in 2022.”

SOLUTIONSBUSINESSLGCREDIT

In fact, Taco Time Northwest is shifting from over-the-counter menu boards to queue-style displays, where multiple digital screens are mounted on a wall alongside a designated waiting line area, so customers have plenty of time to see all the options, while the restaurant has greater opportunity to advertise specials and upsell items. The Monroe location now features three side-by-side 43-inch displays (LG model 43UL3J-E) in the queue area.

NEWS SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com14

demic, up to 70% of a location’s sales occurred at the drive-thru window, and some had already expanded to two drive-thru lanes to ensure quicker service.

Taco Time Northwest worked with Zones, a global IT service provider delivering end-to-end IT solutions, to develop a robust digital signage and content network using the latest companyexecutiveadvancedAccordingtechnologies.toDelonLew,technologyatZones,theco-developeda

“The quick service restaurant game is changing, and LG’s display solutions can help optimize opera tional efficiencies and provide excellent customer experiences,” said David Boerlin, digital signage key account manager at LG Business Solutions USA. “Whether it’s for a drive-thru, a queue line, or even specialized areas such as drive-in booths, our product line has an ideal option for every need and situation, including touchscreens, 4K displays, and even transparent LED film signage. We look forward to seeing how inventive business owners like Taco Time and third-party solutions providers like Zones continue to reimagine the quick service restaurant industry.”

Taco Time Northwest Taps LG for Improved Drive-Thru Displays

“The digital screen is the customer’s main point of interaction, so it’s critical to use displays that offer exceptional visibility in virtually any lighting situation with bright colors and reliable performance every day, regardless of weather conditions,” Lew said. “The full solution we sourced had almost everything we needed, but we decided to compare LG’s high-brightness outdoor displays against the standard included display, and we all agreed the LG appearance was superior.”

drive-thru solution alongside a third-party, QSRfocused tech company, and chose to alter the solution with LG high-brightness outdoor displays.

Now that restaurants are returning to normal, many owners and franchises are refocusing their investments to develop better drive-thru experiences that use technology to help improve order accuracy, automate upselling, reduce wait times, and enable real-time dynamic price adjustments across multiple locations. At Taco Time Northwest, a chain of 79 Mexican fast-food restaurants operating in western Washington, drive-thrus using new high-brightness displays from LG Business Solutions USA are enabling its locations to deliver these benefits and more.

Petersen explained that even before the pan

Petersen, the ability to change item pricing is a gamechanger, allowing Taco Time to promptly react to increases in supply prices or other factors. If the cost of beef rises, for example, loca tions with all-digital menus can simply adjust item prices accordingly—with out needing to swap out menu tiles by hand across multiple menu boards or place unattractive stickers over existing prices.

“Quality is very much in our control, starting with the process itself,” said Brady. “We could have

By Wayne Cavadi

While estimates of meeting the demand has been on the rise—from 12 weeks to 52 weeks to as high as 80 weeks—it is beginning to normalize, not just for Crestron but globally. The challenge now is meeting that

restron held a Town Hall on Sept. 1 to address the ongoing supply shortage and back-order issues many Pro AV manufac turers are facing. President and CEO Daniel Feldstein and COO Dan Brady outlined what Crestron was doing, answered several questions, and explained what was causing the bulk of the problems.

That’s no longer the case.

15avnetwork.com // October 2022 // SCN

More accurately, Jellybean components, as Brady elaborated. While there is a smart chip shortage, that is not the main issue Crestron is seeing. Using the DM NVX—Crestron’s heaviest hit product line—as an example, Brady explained there are more than 2,500 parts from 240 suppliers on one circuit board. If one part is missing, the model can’t be built. Most of those parts cost less than a penny and—at one time prepandemic—were so readily available they could have hundreds of millions on hand for when demand spiked.

is reason to be hopeful for the first time in 18 months. The foundries that produce the chips are returning to capacity, which improves delivery accuracy and leads to less volatility in output and shipping.

The answer? Jellybeans.

Crestron Addresses Supply Chain Issues

Crestron has also proactively started to plan ahead for demand, asking customers for earlier order placement while providing lead times based on information from suppliers to give worst-case scenarios. Brady also assured that quality was not being overlooked by any means.

Whatdemand.isCrestron

The addition of the Pro Portal is in beta. It can provide customers with order status and other valuable information. Crestron is also continuing to innovate and reinvest in ways to deliver products more quickly. These solutions include redesigning its own products to optimize availability and even recom mending competitors’ products when they are needed in a more timely manner.

eliminated test steps and tested products faster, but we’re not going to do that.”

doing to battle these shortages?

Crestron executives discussed supply chain issues during on online “town hall” meeting last month.

While they admitted the Pro AV industry is not out of the woods yet, both Feldstein and Brady feel there

NEWS

“It’s not one chip that’s the problem,” Feldstein explained. “Its hundreds of chips, and that can change any day.”

Simplifying the sound at the Meubitrend factory has helped to boost employee morale, giving them access to the music they enjoy at volumes that make sense for quiet offices, rowdy canteens, and factory floors. Employees are extremely happy with the control and ease of use this setup adds to their day, and ownership is already looking ahead to adopting Atmosphere technology in the factory showroom and other areas ripe for expansion.

“People come in in the morning, and they take off their jackets, grab a cup of coffee, and put on the radio,” explained Ferdi van den Berg, marketing director at pro audio distributor Mennegat Trading. “Meubitrend workers would use small, portable devices, which they put on their own desk or worksta tion, and there was music all over the place. All different radio stations, all different noises; it was a mess.”Ina wide-open space like a factory floor, such distractions can be frustrating for workers, turning their attention away from maintaining the high standard of quality that has been attached to the Meubitrend name for more than 40 years.

The company needed a centralized digital audio system that would give their workers the enjoyable work environment they desire, with clear sound and opportunities for personalization, while eliminating the grating cacophony of sound that was getting in the way of a successful workday. AtlasIED’s Atmos phere audio processing and control system offered a complete solution that was music to their ears.

“Meubitrend came to us with a number of wishes for their audio setup,” recalled Anton Verhoeven, account manager at Backline Audiovisual Projects. “First was the background music. Second, a buzzer for break times so that everybody has a break at the same time, and third was the use of a paging micro phone. So, we needed a solution that allowed us to create different zones where volume, messages, and other sounds could be individually controlled. When we found that the Atmosphere system had this capability, we knew this was the right solution, and our engineers were very enthusiastic about how simple Atmosphere was to install and use.”

An AtlasIED Atmosphere audio system is helping Meubitrend address several audio issues in its factory.

Three of those zones were on the factory floor, where workers typically listened to the same music but needed to control the volume separately, depend ing on the noise level generated by equipment and other conditions in each area. The other two zones

ATLASIED

16 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com NEWS

Whether working in an office, retail setting, factory, or at home, workers around the world often turn to music to increase their productivity and creativity. Employees at Meubitrend’s factory in The Netherlands are no exception. Listening to music was supposed to make their workday more pleasurable, but all the workers’ listening devices playing at once were cluttering the soundscape of the factory, not to mention crowding the physical workspace. Instead of being melodic, the result was downright unpleasant.

Along with the importance of defining the selection and volume of background music that adds enjoyment to the workday experience, management needed to connect its paging microphone to break in with intelligible, important announcements. Ownership also wanted the ability to program perfectly timed pause announcements that interrupt the music with prompts to signal the start and end of midday breaks. The AZM8’s built-in bell scheduler fulfills that must-have, making sure that all workers are taking their breaks on the same schedule.

While the musical selections typically came from pre-selected internet radio stations, Atmosphere A-BT remote Bluetooth audio inputs allowed workers to easily connect their own mobile phones or other devices to play their personal playlists or other music—a treat reserved for Friday afternoons or parties in the canteen. Atmosphere integrated seamlessly into the existing loudspeaker system, and that ease of interoperability was matched by the system’s ease of use, which was important for giving employees flexible control over the sounds of their“Theday.most important thing was that it was easy to use by the employees, and not a very complicated system that one person knows,” said Verhoeven. “When you want to change volume, it’s very easy to do from the office, in that part of the company. At the same time, it was equally important to limit who was able to do what with the system. Atmosphere has built-in parameters to make sure of that.”

AtlasIED Elevates Audio at Noisy Furniture Factory

involved the canteen and office spaces. Like the factory, the canteen was a loud and lively place, whereas the office area was more mellow and required a different musical selection at a lower volume.

Using the Atmosphere AZM8 eight-zone audio processor, pro audio distributors Mennegat Trading and Backline Audiovisual Projects designed a system with five unique zones that served the specific sound requirements for areas throughout the facility.

Multiple C-ZSV zone, source, and volume wall controllers were installed in the space, with limita tions in place to define the features employees could use and which needed to be left to the professionals.

“We trained the responsible people on how they could choose radio stations or how to use the Bluetooth input to play music from their telephones or from their devices, which is very easy with the source controls and the volume controls,” Verhoeven continued. “The rest, we know how to do, and we support that from a distance.”

actory work is notoriously noisy—but when the biggest distraction is not the loud equip ment but 80 competing individual radios and speakers, something must be done. That’s why Dutch furniture manufacturer Meubitrend turned to AtlasIED to streamline and simplify the sound in its 215,000-square-foot factory.

year. One commenter wondered if any digital microphones were left on Earth—and if perhaps they need to search farther afield into the galaxy. Labor market difficulties were acute as well.

ASSOCIATION NEWS Multi-Domain AV Solutions ™ for Mission-Critical Data We’ve Got You Covered THE DESKTOPTHE WALL THE www.rgb.com/multidomainPHONE

Despite the positive overall, survey comments skewed negatively. While this may seem contradic tory, AVIXA analysts believe it reflects the salience of the current challenges. For example, supply issues see certain products with lead times of more than a

SurprisesofStrengthAVSales

erhaps the tailwind of return to in-person hasn’t fully spent itself yet. Despite contin ued general economic threats and weak ness, AVIXA’s latest Pro AV Business Index shows August was an exceptionally strong month for AV sales growth. The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) acceler ated from its July mark of 61.4 up to 65.1, the highest mark since April.

“The sheer unusualness and sharpness of these issues spur comments, even if overall sales are growing,” said Peter Hansen, economist, AVIXA. “Going forward, the AVI-S will likely decelerate from its current mark. Given the string of scores in the low 60s and the lack of a clear, enduring reason for the acceleration, it is unlikely the 65.1 score represents a newRecessionnormal.” threat is a persistent concern. In China, the central bank very slightly lowered interest rates in response to fears of contraction. In Europe, fears center on a realistic scenario where spiking winter fuel costs due to sanctions and retaliation from Russia cause a downturn. And in the United States, the Federal Reserve’s restated commitment to combating inflation by applying the brakes to economic growth creates a serious risk of recession. In sum, that’s a great deal of risk.

For data on what a recession might mean for Pro AV and how companies can prepare, take a look through AVIXA’s library of quarterly Macroeconomic Trends Analysis (META) reports at www.avixa.org/ META (free to Silver and Gold AVIXA members). The

In the wider economy, U.S. employment num bers for August showed more strong growth with 315,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate did tick up 1/10 of a percentage point as more workers entered the labor force—a small relief to businesses strain ing to find help.

“Recession Impacts” report looks at the scale of contraction of Pro AV during a recession, and the “Recession Roadmap” report reviews vertical market performance during the Great Recession of 2008-09 to assess which areas provide the most secure revenue sources.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. For more informa tion about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

The AV Employment Index (AVI-E) also ticked up in August, though less dramatically than the AVI-S. The current figure is 61.0, up just less than a point from the July mark of 60.1. For Pro AV, this signals continued labor market challenges. Hiring will not get easier, and nor will retention. Businesses experienc ing the kind of sales growth shown in the AVI-S should budget extra time and money to find and retain the talent needed to support the project work.

: There are so many conferencing platforms out there. What does StageConnect do differently?

By Mark J. Pescatore

StageConnect CEO Morgan Ready to Power Real-time Event Interaction

: Where do you see the Pro AV industry heading?

Company: StageConnect

18 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com

We’re going through the same thing now as we were then. People are nervous that remote attendance will cannibalize in-person attendance. I believe we will see a decline in remote events that have a component of remote attendance. However, it’s going to return and only continue to climb the same way it did with the sports leagues, Netflix, and every other time we’ve seen a democratization of access based on location.

Ovetime: In my spare time I am an avid specialty coffee geek, I build custom 3D printers, and practice Jiu Jitsu.

CM: I would argue that we’re not a conferencing platform. But if you want to compare us to what else is out there—Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Vimeo, YouTube—I would say that we’ve taken the best aspects of all of those, combined them into professional software, removed limitations, and then implemented a patent-pending tag system.

: What are the short and long-term goals of your company?

way that presenters can create active and engaging interactions on the stage.

PEOPLE EXECUTIVE Q&A

Sticking with the comparison to existing plat forms, some of them are one-way only. Some of them have a very limited amount of interaction. Some of them require complex on-site hardware. Instead, we are real time. We’re two-way. We’re cloud software, so we’re infinitely scalable. And everybody’s interac tive. We are the best of every world, from massively scalable, one-way meetings to infinitely interactive meetings, all distilled down to the perfect version built for events.Best of all, our software is built for AV professionals.

CM: Look at the fundamentals of effective communication. Presenters have a direct feedback loop of understanding from their audience. When they look for confirmation of understanding—people nodding their heads, saying yes, smiling, whatever it is—this confirmation should be used to set the pace of their event. And using this two-way, real-time video technology to bring this one-on-one communication principle to infinite scale is the best

: What advice can you provide for presenters to create better interaction with remote attendees?

CM: No, and I’ll give a quick example to explain why. In the past, sports leagues would never broadcast games, or they would allow broadcasting only when they had sold out stadiums. And if stadiums hadn’t sold out, they’d black out the games.

CM: The short-term goal is to remove the limitations of the physical venue for events, so your event can be as large as the entire world—or at least as large as the audience that’s willing to attend. Our long-term goal is to free ideas from the constraint of location, democratize access to ideas and conversations across many, many sectors, so that someone in any part of the world can have a real interaction with anyone else, from anywhere else, in a real-time, meaningful, and sustainable way. Environmental sustainability is another long-term goal. Obviously, we’ll reduce the carbon footprint from travel, etc. That’s a big one.

: Are you concerned that the return to in-person events will minimize interest in remote audiences as active participants?

CM: Yes, absolutely. This is something we built from the ground up as event software. There are plenty of meeting applications or live streaming platforms, but we’re trying to build true event software. We’re built for events and to be a part of them.

CM: I think the Pro AV industry is headed in two directions. First, it is taking some things that were previously in the cloud or that required large amounts of resources to complete and condensing them into small devices with AI and machine learning enhancements. Second, they’re also taking things that were historically physical and on site into the cloud. I think StageConnect is riding along both of those parts, where we can take very simple on-site encoders and send video to the cloud, then take a lot of the heavy lifting that’s done in the cloud and send it to the ground.

All aWorld’stheStage

: When do you establish StageConnect, and what are your responsibilities?

Cole Morgan

Position: Founder/CEO

: It’s almost as if StageConnect is designed to be part of the show. Was that the plan?

Cole Morgan: My co-founder, Matt Murphy, and I started working on the company in November 2019 and filed the official paperwork in July 2020. I am CEO and CTO of the company. My responsibilities are to set the vision of the company, pace the company for the industry, drive the product forward, and manage the composition of the company as far as people, resources, partnerships, etc. So, I would say general leadership with product, people, and process.

CM: I have experience in running a web agency, working in reality television and film, and hosting live events. If you take my work in web, video, and live events and combine them, that really lends itself to this role. I can’t think of any more perfect background to lead a real-time video streaming platform for events.

: How has your background prepared you for this role?

: The use of laser light sources appears to the future of projectors, so why are lamp-based projectors still popular?

the absolute best features, performance, and technol ogy for esports professionals and gaming enthusiasts. Then, there is the OMNI line, which is a comprehensive line of competitively priced gaming monitors with a wide array of features for the casual gamer.

19avnetwork.com // October 2022 // SCN EXECUTIVE Q&A PEOPLE

Company: ViewSonic Americas

: What are the short and long-term goals for your company?

and software to keep students connected and workers productive are what we’re going to strive to bring to market.

BI: ViewSonic will celebrate its anniversary in the same way that we have grown our business, and that’s by celebrating with our partners. ViewSonic was born of the channel, and we remain dedicated to our partners. They’ll see a series of promotions, special pricing, SPIFs and activities to celebrate this milestone. Our end customers will also see special offers throughout the Noyear.anniversary would be complete without a party, and we’ve had a few this year and plan to host an event at CES 2023 in January to keep the celebra tion going. It’s a big milestone.

Brian Igoe: I’ve been with ViewSonic for 27 years. I currently head up North American sales.

: Where do you see the Pro AV industry heading?

Brian Igoe

BI: Laser projectors have really become accessible for a larger audience. They deliver saturated colors, high brightness, and a much larger lifespan than lampbased projectors. In the long run, laser may be more cost-effective than lamps—but for now, there is still a premium with these projectors. And that’s it in a nutshell: price.

Also, conferencing and collaboration solutions are highly requested. We’re finding customers looking for all-in-one type solutions, for hardware and software. As a company, ViewSonic has been making this shift into becoming a solutions provider, so I think it positions us nicely to grow with our partners and their needs in this market.

BI: Short term? To deliver innovative solutions to optimize productivity and collaboration in business and educational environments. Long term? As needs change in the market, ViewSonic will change our product lines to match what our partners need to grow their businesses. Solutions like larger displays, easier connectivity options, and better management tools

Our software really helped schools as they were struggling with remote learning. The biggest hurdle was ensuring that teachers were fully comfortable with our software, and that’s why we provided free professional development training during the pandemic.Nowthat students are back in school, we continue to deliver education solutions that allow collaboration and sharing of content and ideas either in the classroom or across the globe. We currently have more than six million myViewBoard users, and we’ll continue to enhance and develop products that foster education.

BI: There have been changes from static products to more interactive and cost-effective products, and I think that’s where the Pro AV market will continue to go.

: With so many product lines, how has ViewSonic navigated through recent supply chain issues?

Overtime: In my spare time I enjoy traveling with my family, and if there is a golf course at our destination that’s a bonus. My wife and I enjoy good food with friends, and we are always on the lookout for new things to try.

As the Company Celebrates 35 Years, Sales SVP Igoe Sees New Emphasis on Providing Solutions

BI: The Pro AV market is expected to grow to, I think I’ve seen, $230 billion by 2023, and I believe this is due to enhancements in display technologies, IoT for smart buildings, IT and the cloud, and artificial intelligence. A shift is an increase in demand for larger-sized displays. The CE and Pro AV markets have always pushed for bigger screen sizes, and we’re definitely seeing growth in the 86-98-inch touch-display category, especially in enterprise conference rooms.

BI: Well, the supply chain has presented some challenges over the last year for just about everyone, but I think ViewSonic has managed it well. The key was and is to set expectations and clearly communicate with our customers and partners about products and SKUs that have been delayed.

ShiftsViewSonicStrategies

: How has the growth in hybrid learning workflows impacted your classroom solutions?

: The Pro AV industry is always changing, but what are some of the really big shifts you’ve seen in the past decade?

: ViewSonic has two lines of gaming monitors. How important has esports become to Pro AV, and is it an area of growth for your company?

BI: At ViewSonic, we developed software called myViewBoard to allow students and teachers to interact and collaborate in the classroom or remotely.

: How is ViewSonic celebrating its 35th anniversary?

BI: Esports is exploding. It was already a fast-growing market, but the pandemic really seems to have accelerated it. There has been a significant increase since 2016, and in 2020 there were 272 million occasional viewers and 223 million esports enthusiasts for a combined audience of close to 475 million.Forreference, the 2019 League of Legends World Championship drew more than 100 million viewers worldwide. The 2019 Super Bowl drew in 112.3 million viewers.ViewSonic has two gaming monitor lines. The ELITE series is our flagship gaming monitor line that offers

When it comes to esports in education, it’s more than just the monitors for gaming. Most labs will include high-end monitors for streaming, editing, and content creation. Then there’s teaching—and just like a football coach, an esports coach will need products to review and critique gameplay. And that’s where the full line of ViewSonic commercial displays and interactive displays can come in.

If you don’t need to display detailed visuals or video—say you are using a projector for meetings where you are showing charts, spreadsheets, and the like—then a lamp-based projector will be just fine. Same with brightness. In most office settings, you won’t need the extra lumens and there’s no need to pay for them. Of course, ViewSonic has a line of lamp and laser projectors to fit all needs.

: How long have you been with this company, and what are your responsibilities?

Position: Senior Vice President of Sales

In categories such as dvLEDs, as the prices come down, we’ll see a super-fast shift from traditional video walls to these larger dvLED walls. Also, these dvLED products have better ROI, are easier to install, require less maintenance, and deliver better overall performance. This is a win-win product for both installer installer and customer.

There are two new industry veteran additions to the PLANAR U.S. sales team. Based in the Atlanta area, MARK CHEATHAM is managing sales efforts in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina as the SEC east account manager. Most recently, he served as a design engineer for Diversified. HOLLY MYERS is the new mid-Atlantic account manager. Based in the Washing ton, DC area, he will help manage the company’s sales efforts across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. He joins Planar from CHESA, where he worked as a senior account executive in the federal CLEAR-COMsector.hasappointed

BRIGHTSIGNSMPTE.hasexpanded its

ChicoHicksDominguez

NEUTRA is the company’s new senior product manager and lead experience engineer. Herlein, who has multiple digital signage patents, had a long tenure at Cisco and, most recently, at Amazon Web Services. He will guide all future software develop ment for BrightSign. Neutra, who

VISIX, which was recently certified as a Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, has promoted TREY HICKS to chief operating officer. Hicks, who also serves as chief sales officer, will continue to manage the Visix sales team and channel relationships. As COO, he will also take on executive responsibility for operational

Greg Herlein

Matthew (Matt) Neutra

MARCO LOPEZ as the compa ny’s vice president of engineer ing. Lopez brings 30 years of

Holly Myers

Mark Cheatham

KINLY has promoted CHICO DOMINGUEZ to vice president of U.S. service and support. The new role sees Dominguez taking responsibility for all technical operations and service delivery including installation, fabrica tion, programming, engineering, project manage ment, and U.S. help desk. Based in New Jersey, Dominguez first joined Kinly as director of opera tions in 2007.

PEOPLE NEWSMAKERS

Trey

product development, including strengthening the company’s leadership in wireless technology and advancing its IP-based intercom solutions. His previous work on the Active Format Description (AFD) standard during his time with Miranda Technologies won an Emmy Award in 2011 and was adopted and standardized by

executive team with two key hires: GREG HERLEIN joins as head of software engineering while MATTHEW (MATT)

Another management style is highly focused on the technical abilities of their team and the quality of the products they produce. These managers tend to be technical experts promoted to leadership due to their superior level of knowledge and experience. As a result, they put a great deal of emphasis on develop ing the expertise of their team, defining the approach to their products and offerings, and holding their team accountable to high quality standards. The blind spot of these managers can be their difficulty in balancing productivity, profitability, and priorities of the business while maintaining their commitment to a superior level of technical requirements.

In all approaches, effective management is a result of building confidence and gaining the commitment of the team through successful leadership and personal connections. While some may feel that a manager is a boss and those reporting to them must simply follow directions, this is an “old school” mindset that is likely to lead to disappointment and frustration. More commonly, successful managers understand the need to earn the respect and buy-in of those whom they manage.

A Choice of Style

he Pro AV industry, like many others in the technology space, tends to focus heavily on the technical expertise of its members. While it goes without saying that organizations in a technological industry need to evaluate talent based on their specialized skills and expertise, there is also an equal need for business-minded individuals who can help their technical counterparts leverage their skills to grow and help their organizations succeed.

Avoiding the ‘Old School’

By nature, most highly technical individuals focus on the quality of their work, their desire to satisfy clients, and the respect that they get for the complex ity of the work they do. In contrast, many who focus on the business side need to concentrate their efforts on efficiency, productivity, and accountability of their team in contributing to the profitability of their organization. This commonly leads to friction resulting from a misalignment of perspectives, interests, and goals—and allows for the potential of adversarial relationships between those who are in the associated technical and managerial roles. The ability to minimize this conflict stems from effective management.

While technical experts have been known to embrace those who have been in their shoes and can understand their challenges and the efforts required for them to be successful, they can be resistant to those who are less familiar. Those managers who are on the outside are forced to work harder to gain the trust and respect of their team, resulting in a longer runway for the adoption of their leadership.

Managers can span the gamut of involvement, intensity, supervision, individuality, and latitude. Some managers are only comfortable with their team working a specific way, while others are less particu lar as long as the work gets done and goals are met. Management styles may also be impacted by the degree of success achieved.

22 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com

A team is perceived to be operating well when they are achieving successful outcomes. In this case, the adage of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” applies, and the degree of management involvement will likely not change or become more relaxed. When this is not the case, more pressure is applied to perform, causing management to be more hands-on and have tighter restrictions.Inmostcases, a manager is responsible for not only the success of the team but for the advancement of its members. Thus, management must be a blend of individual and team approaches. Managers must communicate with their team regularly to understand them both on a professional and personal level. Effective managers look to make all those around them better and in doing so support, educate, develop, and empower their team to improve, grow, andInsucceed.thePro AV industry, technical knowledge and experience are often looked at as being the prominent factor in dictating the success of individuals and organizations. While managers should have a degree of baseline technical knowledge to effectively understand those whom they are managing and the situations they are facing, it is not their primary asset. More importantly, they need a host of additional skills that go beyond the technical arena.

PEOPLE ON YOUR BUSINESS

By Steve Grenblatt

What’s the Best Approach for Leading Technical Teams?

Managing a team of technical experts can be a particularly challenging role. Effective technical managers possess a special blend of skills enabling them to be business leaders while also being able to relate to the technical acuity of their team. Often, the personalities of those in specialty roles present a unique challenge to managers.

In general, there are several approaches to management, each with its pros and cons. One management style is highly focused on projects and processes. Managers that practice this as a primary strategy tend to be very goal-oriented and committed to getting tasks done on time and under budget, and they can be very valuable in achieving successful outcomes for an organization. The weakness of these

managers tends to be the people and technical elements of the role.

While the products or projects produced in the audiovisual industry are a direct result of the work of the technical contributors within an organization, without the guidance of management, their potential would be hampered and the ability for organizations to succeed would be reduced. An organization without effective management is like an orchestra without a conductor or a sports team without coaches. While it is musicians and players that make the music and compete in the game, neither can be collectively effective without the leadership of their conductor or coach.

Steve Greenblatt, CTS, is the founder of Control Concepts, Inc., which provides specialized software and services for the Pro AV industry. Contact him at steveg@controlconcepts.net.

Yet a third type of manager is one who is more people-oriented. These managers look to understand, inspire, and motivate each individual they manage. People managers look to get the most out of the team by interpreting their strengths and weaknesses and applying specific techniques to help them overcome obstacles, improve performance, and maximize effectiveness. People managers may not be the most technical or most efficient, but they will use their abilities to connect with those whom they manage to build trust and gain their commitment to maximize effort and follow their lead.

Avoid Friction with Effective Management

Managing a team of technical experts can be a challengingparticularlyrole.

Competitive Events

full broadcast-quality TV production,” Martin said.

Center has 12 arena gaming stations with 10 Gbps data links to access switches. This allows for faster data transfers, which is why these systems are used for on-stage esports team competitions in front of audiences, usually arrayed in two tables in sets of five. (The system can also be expanded to 18 arena gaming stations for events with three teams of six, all playing together in multiplayer games.)

Because speed is everything in esports gaming, the Tech Port Center is equipped with an incredibly powerful fiber optic network. It includes a wired network with 40G redundant links from core to edge, plus 5G cellular distributed antenna system (DAS) high-density Wi-Fi and a broadcast network with SDI and NDI transports. The facility also has dark single mode fiber throughout the facility and dark Cat6 cabling between its intermediate distribution frames (IDFs) to connect portable gaming show rig deployments.

The Tech Port Center offers 60 gaming stations for visitor use.Three

To establish Tech Port Center as a gaming hub, the facility has opened a LAN Gaming Center within its walls. “80s kids would call these places arcades,” said Michael Martin, AJP’s vice president of technology. “Now they’re called cybercafes, gaming lounges, etc.”

SNA LED screens provide the live audience with various views of the action.

In line with modern gaming trends, the cabinetencased Donkey Kong consoles of the 1980s are now table-mounted gaming stations, each with a 1 Gbps data link to access switches with 40 Gbps links to the facility’s networked computing core. These stations can be used by visitors on an ad hoc basis, or be reserved for use by groups and local esports gaming leagues.

Polished Productions

New Texas Event Venue Is Optimized for Esports

The esports coverage starts with an array of cameras. At the arena gaming stations, the players’ faces are captured by Marshall POV cameras, while overall action and crowd imagery are shot using Hitachi Z-HD5500 HD broadcast cameras (both fixed and roving). There are also BirdDog robotic cameras positioned around the arena to provide a bird’s eye view of the action. “The feeds from them all, plus streams from the gamers’ video monitors, are all sent to our production studio, which houses a combined technical operations center/control room capable of

Gaming at Its Core

“Each player has an individual station in the gaming center, which includes the PC, display, mouse, keyboard, headset, and chair,” explained Sam Elizondo, Tech Port Center’s director of esports and LAN gaming. “We have 60 of these stations and room for 20 BYOD [Bring Your Own Device] stations. The computers have preloaded games on them already, and you can also play your own titles as well if you own them.”

sports are the top attraction at the justopened Tech Port Center + Arena in San Antonio. Managed by entertainment giant ASM Global, the 180,000-square-foot, multipurpose facility, also plays host to concerts, sporting events, and conferences. But the reason AV consultant Anthony James Partners (AJP) was given a $5.2 mil lion AV technology budget was to create an esports playing/viewing venue that would dazzle the fans.

Once the visuals (and floor audio) get back to the production studio, the crew selects and mixes the feeds just like they would for any sporting event. “We have a

To punch up the visuals, Elizondo said there are 38 moving lights that can be programmed to a produc er’s vision. Meanwhile, audio from the gamers’ headsets is accessed through their computer feeds to the production studio, while staff intercoms, floor audio, and color commentator audio/official announcements go through separate pathways. “The on-air talent is housed in two separate breakout rooms located directly behind the stage,” he added.

In addition to its 60 gaming stations, the LAN Gaming

24 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com

By James Careless

The monitors that matter most to fans are a trio of SNA 4mm LED screens mounted behind the compet ing gamers’ tables. The center screen measures just over 19x34 feet and is flanked by two 13x26-foot screens. These can serve as part of a three-monitor display or operated separately and angled to serve different areas of the arena. The Tech Port Center also has 74 Samsung monitors that are controlled by UCView CMS signage software, plus exterior LED displays for messaging and advertising. Sound is delivered using a high-power JBL Cinema 7.1 surround sound loudspeaker system.

To keep these productions going smoothly with all the signal paths involved, AJP has done everything it can to minimize signal latency in the venue’s network. “Latency can’t be allowed to exist,” said Martin. “Minimizing it came down to ensuring that the network jacks and every other physical element in the network was perfect. After all, the competitive gaming system is a single-mode fiber optic backbone that connects those 10-gig switches to the NIC [network interface control ler] cards. Something as simple as a jack being improp erly terminated or even not quite pressed down enough could actually cause latency in it.”

can run for hours at a time over one or two days. “Most of the time, what you’re watching on the big screens is the actual game play, as well as seeing how the competitive players are reacting as things progress,” Martin explained. “The players can become quite animated as they either succeed or get killed as the game progresses.”

TriCasterNewTek2Eliteswitcher.

Make no mistake: The production values during Tech Port Center esports competitions are as polished as any major league sports event. In fact, during an esports event, the main camera-based feed is switched by a professional technical director, who is backed by a graphics expert adding lower-third CG titles, audio director managing the sound, and another technician selecting the feeds for the venue’s various“Wemonitors.evenhave video replay and slow motion,” said Martin. “We run both just as you would in football, and use the lower-third of the screen to crawl information, plus pop-up relevant scores, wins/losses, you name it.”

Limiting Latency

The team at Tech Port Center is able to bring esports right into the action during competitive events, which

AJP spent weeks testing the Tech Port Center network—from the gaming stations at one end to the switches and the NICs at the other—to make sure the system exceeded expectations. “We didn’t experience any signal latency in the network once we were done,” Martin said. “And as of now, we’ve not seen any at all.”

ESPORTS BUSINESS

NewTek TriCaster 2 Elite switcher that handles the video feeds to the in-arena LED displays and for streaming to the web,” Martin said. “The output goes to a Ross Video system to deliver content to our large LED displays and Samsung HDTVs throughout the facility.”

The Tech Port Center features a control room built around a

By Pete Putman, CTS

Over time, projection displays became more sophisticated and brighter. Starting in the 1970s, electronic displays such as CRT televisions and monitors began supplanting film projection, but it wasn’t until the 1990s when projectors really took off, following the introduction of first liquid-crystal display (LCD) and then Digital Light Processing (DLP) video and data projectors.

Beginning of the End?

Why dvLED Display Installs Are Gaining Market Share

he AV industry and meeting spaces—conference and boardrooms, classrooms, and amphitheaters—have been intertwined for decades. The need for visual support (and sometimes audio) goes back just as far. Our industry’s biggest trade association—AVIXA—started life in 1939 as the National Association of Visual Education Dealers (NAVED) to promote increased government funding of education when visual aid options were limited to film projectors, chalkboards, and flip charts.

These smaller pixel pitches (down to about .8mm, equivalent to that of a 60-inch plasma TV from 2010), coupled with bright, saturated colors and immersivelevel contrast, have made dvLED walls a practical

Consider that a “bright” LCD display using conventional LED backlights can achieve levels of 300 to 400 nits, while one equipped with quantum dot (QD) technology will push the bar higher to 1,000 nits. That’s not even breathing hard for a 1.2mm-pitch RGB dvLED display, which leaves everything in the dust at 1,600-2,000 nits. That, in turn, begs the question: Can a display be too bright? (Yes, it can, but that’s a subject for a future article.)

26 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com BUSINESS DISPLAYS

Since then, advances in image resolution, brightness, and color accuracy have come at breath taking speeds. Projectors got smaller, brighter, and cheaper. Experimental flat-screen imaging technolo gies (LCD and plasma) finally went mainstream with ever-larger sizes. Pixel counts soared from VGA (640x480) to XGA (1024x768) to Full HD (1920x1080) to Ultra HD (3840x2160). Aspect ratios went wider and video signal formats transitioned from analog (VGA, RCA, BNC) to digital (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort)—and got smarter along the way.

choice for indoor spaces. True, they are very expen sive. But the first 50-inch WXGA plasma monitors had price tags exceeding $30,000 in 1997, and those 500-lumen (with a hotspot) VGA LCD projectors from 1994 cost just south of $10,000.

Instead, dvLED displays use a switched operating mode with pulse-width modulation (PWM) to transi tion from an “off” state to an “on” state thousands of times per second. The ratio of “offs” to “ons” in a given time interval generates a specific luminance value for each color. And the cycle (refresh) rate is so fast that there’s no chance you’ll see any flicker.

It’s a certainty that prices for indoor dvLED monitors and walls will drop substantially throughout the decade, and they will increasingly crowd out other display types. For one thing, dvLEDs have ample luminance to combat high ambient light levels. If anything, they can be too bright in darkened rooms, which necessitates operating them at a fraction of their specified luminance (which, of course, would extend their useful life).

The latest display tech threatens to replace every other display that preceded it. Direct-view inorganic LEDs (dvLEDs), once an expensive and exotic display platform largely relegated to digital signs and stadium score boards, are available with smaller pixel pitches in sizes that are practical for use in meeting and learning spaces.

Currently, dvLED manufacturing is dominated by China, which has a higher ratio of installed dvLED to flat-panel displays than other regions of the world, particularly in transport, hospitality, healthcare, and control room applications. Market research firm Omdia predicted last August that the average dot (pixel) pitch of indoor and outdoor dvLEDs shipped worldwide will fall to 2.1mm by 2026, and that 1.2mm LED video walls are becoming common in commandand-control rooms, with 0.8mm pixel pitch products also on the way. The Omdia report also stated that the share of LCD panels in Chinese projects will decline from 68.9% in 2019 to 30% by 2026.

As opposed to OLEDs mentioned earlier, iLEDs don’t suffer from problems with differential aging of colors (as did plasma and CRTs). Blue iLEDs last as long as green and red. And dvLED displays don’t operate in a continuous mode—the power consumption and heat generation would be considerable.

Pros and Cons

A SpacesMeetingLookNewfor

Many industry analysts wondered where it would all end, if it even could end. Over the past decade, we’ve seen plasma fall by the wayside, high-bright ness LCD monitors push projectors out of more and more once-secure applications, and flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays capture market share in smartphones, tablets, televisions, and even digital signage.

The high luminance levels of dvLED displays make them a great solution for any meeting space, particu larly flex spaces with high ambient light levels. A typical classroom or meeting room using fluorescent or LED lighting could have a typical ambient light level of 100 lux. To achieve the desired 15:1 contrast ratio recommendation for this space, we’d need roughly 6,000 lumens from a projector on a 120-inch diagonal screen. That would translate into a direct-view display rated at 460 nits, which is pushing a conventional LCD monitor or wall hard, but barely taxes a dvLED.

DISPLAYS BUSINESS

Small-pitch dvLED walls are already making their way into everything from real estate offices to houses of worship and major medical centers. And they don’t have to be permanently installed: Several prototypes of roll-around widescreen dvLED displays have been shown at InfoComm. These “go anywhere” displays are easily assembled by two people using locking tiles and connectors, and the only interfaces are an HDMI connector and AC power.

that have limitations on peak luminance, dvLEDs can push out very intense red, green, and blue shades and reproduce high dynamic range (HDR) visual content. Only quantum dot-equipped LCDs can approach that level of performance, but they can’t match up against dvLED’s high contrast and color saturation over wide viewing angles.

The modular nature of dvLEDs also makes it a lot easier to achieve large screen sizes during installation—moving 80-inch and larger one-piece displays can be a difficult task in some spaces.

To be sure, dvLEDs require good heat manage ment. They get pretty warm even when using switched PWM techniques. While LED device life

times have improved considerably over time, they still can and do fail, requiring replacement of indi vidual tiles. Perhaps it’s no surprise that dvLED power supplies can also be a major point of failure (as they are in so many other electronic devices). With all that illumination horsepower at the touch of a button, it takes careful design of the viewing environment to make sure you don’t cause eyestrain by using only as much screen luminance as you need.

Achieving even larger sizes like 100 and 120 inches is also a much simpler task, particularly since one-piece LCD and OLED displays aren’t currently available in those sizes.

Regarding color, dvLEDs can produce colors with high levels of luminance and saturation that exceed the older ITU Rec.709 color gamut, more closely match the digital cinema DCI P3 minimum color gamut, and cover a good deal of the newer ITU Rec.2020 gamut. Unlike phosphor-generated or organic material colors

It’s a certainty that prices for indoor dvLED monitors and walls will drop substantially throughout the decade, and they will increasingly crowd out other display types.

Wider aspect radios on dvLED video walls can display more information or more virtual meeting participants.

dvLED displays can be provide a platform for branding or elevating the workplace experience.

28 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com BUSINESS DISPLAYS

In a July 2022 OMDIA report covering the LED video display deployment for North America, the industry analyst is forecasting fine-pitch LED year-over-year growth rates of around 35% for this year.

It’s also important to note that a display manu facturer’s warranty program or managed service offering can help alleviate concerns or even simplify the buying process. Looking for a program that

Screen Real Estate

In addition to delivering unmatched performance and flexibility to create seamless, vibrant, long-life displays of any size or shape, dvLED displays also come in a wide range of pixel density and price point options and allow for simplified maintenance. As a result, today’s LED video wall solutions are reinvent ing the way businesses operate daily.

Outside of wider aspect ratios, large dvLED video walls are giving organizations a platform for branding and storytelling, brainstorming and learning, and elevating the workplace experience. This includes applications spanning CEO boardrooms, meeting spaces, employee and members lounges, security operations centers, and corporate lobbies.

By Steve Seminario

Some video walls today include built-in software or front-end video processors, which means users can switch between different layouts of visual content across the video wall canvas. This includes centered 16:9 presentation to neatly arrange data, as well as A/B side-by-side content viewing to support simulta neous analysis and discussion. Keep in mind that these configurations can sometimes take place automatically via content sensing or be selected by users via touchpanel.

While still a significant investment, dvLED video walls are increasingly becoming more affordable. As with any new technology, growing demand and ongoing advancements give way for a wider selection of products that eventually come with a smaller price tag.

Within Reach

For example, when one of the largest grossing law firms in the United States and globally needed an LED video wall solution that would complement the sophisticated, modern design of its premier office space, it added two large LED video walls side-by-side in the lobby. Measuring nearly 26-feet-long, 11-feethigh in a 13x10 configuration and nearly 22-feet-long, 11-feet-high in an 11x10 configuration, the installa tions make a powerful impression when entering the space, while paying tribute to the firm’s corporate culture, which emphasizes employee happiness. With a 1.2 mm pixel pitch, the video walls are multipur pose, supporting live events, presentations, digital conferences, and more.

The cost of an LED video wall solution will vary greatly by factors such as size, pixel pitch, and fea tures—but today, manufacturers are offering fine-pitch LED video wall displays that deliver seamless, highresolution visual experiences at a price similar to tiled LCD video walls. This makes technology upgrades possible for customers who are budget-conscious or perhaps looking to add seamless LED display technol ogy to their workplace for the very first time.

21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratio configurations are emerg ing, providing the opportunity to broaden the viewing area, observe multiple content sources at a time, boost productivity, and create an overall more immersive experience. This is especially true for facilitating authentic and engaging videoconference experiences between remote participants and in-room colleagues.

The wide-view aspect ratio also better accommo dates videoconferences in which a large group of collaborators are joining from one remote boardroom. Plus, a wider apsect ratio provides more real estate to accommodate a larger number of boxes of individual participants during virtual meetings.

New Aspect Ratios Ideal for Today’s Hybrid Workspaces

ith today’s strong emphasis on reimagined workplaces, companies are embracing new technologies that power collaboration with colleagues near and far as well as improve workflow efficiency. This includes directview LED (dvLED) video wall technology—and there are fundamental reasons why these products are being used by enterprises so extensively.

dvLEDWide-ViewDisplays

In many cases, rooms in even the nicest buildings can have height constraints that limit the size of a video wall installation. 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios are a great way to get more screen real estate by filling the horizontal wall space in a room. These aspect ratios also support standard 16:9 content windows, allowing virtual interactions and presentation materials to fit easily and more naturally within the borders of wide-view video walls.

Service features such as front-side module replace ment, in-country repair, and technical expertise are important factors. Additionally, bundled offerings that arrive ready to install and equipped with everything customers need for successful video wall deployment can significantly reduce the time, complexity, and cost. This can span everything from LED display cabinets, spare modules, cables, and wall mounts to remote power supply, remote control, and a video controller.

provides a customer with control and flexibility to meet their individual requirements or adjust as needs arise is key for finding the perfect solution as well as an experience that offers peace of mind.

It’s also worth noting that coating can be applied to today’s display products to deliver protection and added durability. This kind of ruggedization is particularly important in high-traffic, casual contact environments, as well as applications that include touch interaction.

enhanced data gathering and presentations—there’s an impressive selection of products to choose from that offers something for every need.

If the video wall is being added to a lobby or meeting room, where the viewer will be close to the video wall, a tighter pixel pitch will allow viewers to experience clear imagery without the distraction of discerning pixels. In a setting with greater viewing distance, such as a large auditorium, a larger pixel pitch can be used, delivering comfortable viewing while achieving a lower price point. To facilitate the understanding of these trade offs, some vendors provide video wall calculators or configurators on their websites that can help end users work through Flexibilityscenarios.andversatility are two of the greatest advantages of LED video walls, because they open a range of creative implementations not previously possible. Designers imagining spaces incorporating

Steve Seminario serves as vice president of product marketing for Planar, where he has helped develop and introduce a wide range of leading display products for more than 15 years.

Streamlined Installation and Service

In the case of installing dvLED video walls outdoors, many products offer game-changing features designed to withstand weather conditions.

Best Practices in the Office

curved video walls, column wraps, halos, and other visual designs now have those options.

For companies who are new to dvLED, it’s likely questions will arise about installation and mainte nance. A manufacturer’s relationship with systems integrators and resellers is critical, as well as the manufacturer’s own regional service technicians, who can assist with installation, training, and ongoing support. Exploring the full range of resources available with your dvLED investment will help ensure that it’s well-positioned to deliver captivating and impactful viewing experiences for users.

No matter the situation, wide-view dvLED display technology can play a leading role in fostering next-level collaboration. If something’s missing from your remote videoconferencing experiences—or if it’s time to upgrade the team’s boardroom technology for

A key consideration when exploring dvLED video walls for workplace settings is viewing distance. Where will the product be deployed and how will it be used?

With waterproofing, wear-proof masking, dust-tight enclosures, mesh for low wind resistance, and UV protective treatments, organizations can maximize viewing experiences while extending the life of a product and saving money on premature repairs or replacements.

avnetwork.com // October 2022 // SCN 29

Another important factor to consider is the substruc ture. Designing and building a foundation that is solid and durable will ensure a completely flat and level surface for the mount solution.”

30 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL SIGNAGE

A Drive in the Country

With this being a brand-new building, the placement of the screens was pivotal but also challenging. As Johnson explained, they wanted curved screens from the beginning because they were worried about viewing angles from the multiple exhibits in the Great Hall. An added, unexpected addition was having to tilt the Great Hall screen downward for optimum viewing.

Three custom-built 2.5mm pixel-pitch dvLED displays are highlighted throughout the museum. The first one you notice is the 10x24-foot convex and tilted (eight degrees to be precise) display in the Great Hall. Currently, the content—created by Johnson using a tvOne CORIOmaster (to enable multiple sources on the screen at once), Adobe software, Ping HD, and the integrated LG SuperSign digital signage software—is donor names, but there are plans to include upcoming exhibits, fun facts, announce ments, and advertisements from partners.

crucial and will ensure not only a smooth installation, but the mount solutions accuracy and longevity.

Enter KnownPeerless-AV.foritsprecise custom mounts, the team at Peerless-AV went to work designing what was

Inside the 65,000-square-foot museum—illumi nated by a wide range of colors controlled from the Crestron PRO4 app on AV manager Blake Johnson’s iPad—are LG dvLED screens. Whether it is the digital displays with pricing information at the welcome desk, daily menu at the café, or stunning 18x31-foot curved display in the theater, there is a screen in just about every line of sight.

dvLED Displays Bring Modern Flair to Classic Auto Museum

Going the Extra Mile

By Wayne Cavadi

required to get the LG displays up to showcase the much-anticipated content.

“Whether it’s working with a traditional or curved dvLED system, when exploring the option of a custom-mount solution, there are a few important factors to keep in mind,” said Peerless-AV’s Kevin McDonald, senior director of business development.

“First, understand that every installation will have its own set of unique challenges. Taking precise meas urements at the very beginning of the process is

The 297-seat Presentation Theatre features an 18x31-foot dvLED screen.

A 24-foot dvLED marquee welcomes visitors to the Presentation Theatre.

But that’s not even half of it.

During the pandemic, there were quite a few installations that struggled in turnaround time. Whether it was supply chain issues or physically being able to get to a place, delays were not unexpected.

hidden gem in North Georgia that opened its doors in June 2021, the Savoy Automobile Museum is dressed to impress as you approach the massive building in Cartersville. Donned in bright red—as any sports car enthusiast would love—and draped in windows as tall as the building itself, the exterior of Savoy Automobile Museum is a sight to behold. Inside, every classic auto is masterfully restored. Well, minus the 1954 Plymouth Savoy that was uncovered when breaking ground and became the museum’s namesake.

“There were talks about adding in displays everywhere,” Johnson explained. “We decided to choose just a few really large display solutions that are impressive on their own and don’t distract from the cars. So, we have one large one in the Great Hall and one in the theater—those are enough to catch your eye. It mimicked a wall and when you see it, it becomes part of the architecture, and doesn’t distract from what the museum wants to highlight.”

That brightness is important. Another Georgiabased company, Magnum, installed the Chauvet LED, full-color lights that beautifully bring extra oomph to the stage (and the rest of the museum as well). Despite adding an array of colors to enhance the presenter or exhibit, the stunning and vivid visuals

“That’s interesting, right?” Johnson reflected. “It was estimated to take a lot longer than it actually did. Building construction took a long, long time, but getting the screens up? Since it was already all designed by Peerless-AV, it was just a matter of assembling. It was just a few weeks. Southern Digital Design knocked it out and they did fantastic.”

remain impressive on display—at only 20%. “A projector is also easily washed out,” Johnson noted. “But I haven’t been able to wash out these panels… and I’ve Theretried.”isalso full surround sound in the theater divided into three zones which Johnson described as “sounding and looking fantastic for all the movies.” The entire Savoy Automobile Museum has Symmetrix Dante audio processing solutions, bringing soft sounds in the exhibit areas and the dynamic audio required to bring movies to life.

DIGITAL SIGNAGE TECHNOLOGY

Inside the control room atop the last row of the theater is a NewTek TriCaster 2 Elite and an Allen & Heath audio mixer. Five Panasonic PTZ cameras, three in the theater and one in each dining room, as well as Audix microphones are available during corporate events or presentations at the museum. (Fun fact: The first event held at the museum was a wedding—this place does it all!)

“The theater’s concave design that wraps around the rear of the stage required the need for a custommount structure and solution for curved dvLED displays,” said McDaniel. “Peerless-AV worked with LG Electronics and Savoy Automobile Museum to create a solution that ensured each dvLED display blended in with the building’s architecture.”

Simply put, the Savoy Automobile Museum’s AV setup drives like a dream. With new content expected for the LG displays and exhibits changed roughly every four months, a guest’s visit will be different every time. Now one year in, the Savoy Automobile Museum is in the driver’s seat for an exciting future.

That was the opposite at Savoy. The museum looked to Georgia-native Southern Digital Design, headed by Daniel Purcell, for the technological and dvLED installation. Together with LG and PeerlessAV—and its SEAMLESS Video Wall Integration Program—the installation was completed ahead of schedule.

Let’s Go to the Movies

According to Johnson, he gets asked frequently why they avoided a projector. “Other than just having the display to impress people—because it’s very impressive—one of the big upsides is with the projector, when the lamp goes bad the entire thing cuts out. With this, if one panel goes bad, we swap out the panel—a quick and easy fix. Also, the brightness and intensity of the image is going to outdo a projec tor every day.”

Centered in the middle of the stage—behind a fun, rotating stage to display actual vehicles in front of the screen—the LG display is masterfully anchored to showcase a wide array of brightly colored content.

With the lights a-glow, the displays beaming, and the automobiles awing, the Great Hall is certainly deserving of the moniker. But wait until you see Presentation Theatre.

Before heading into the 297-stadium-seat space, a 4x24-foot dvLED marquee welcomes you with a hint to the film, promotion, or even TED Talk that is being featured. Coming around the corner, your eyes are immediately drawn to the 18x31-foot dvLED screen that is the centerpiece of the theater.

Modernized Messaging

It’s no secret that digital signage is the platform that businesses and organizations turn to when there’s a desire to modernize their communications strategies. The main reason is often to efficiently provide important updates to audiences in a timely manner that also captures attention in a compelling way— something that print, email, and other visual communication methods simply don’t achieve.

Healthy Communication

A more common approach to modernized healthcare facility messaging can be found at the Jamestown Family Health Clinic in Sequim, WA. Owned by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, this is one of the largest family practices on the Olympic Peninsula, with 26 primary care providers and 18,000 active patients. Previously, the facility relied on its already busy staff members to manually post written notes in its waiting room to communicate important information to patients.

By Sean Matthews

How Integrators Can Add Value to Healthcare Digital Signage

The Atlanta chapter of Ronald McDonald House Charities—an organization that provides lodging to families whose children are in treatment at nearby hospitals—has taken an intriguing approach by using digital signage to communicate time-sensitive information to the families it serves. With displays positioned in high-traffic hallways, the system also runs content that tells the story of Ronald McDonald House and its current missions, as well as “thank you” messaging to donors and volunteers.

It’s no secret that digital signage is the platform that businesses and organizations turn to when there’s a desire to modernize their communications strategies.

In Atlanta, Ronald McDonald House Charities uses digital signage to share a variety of messaging.

Some healthcare facilities, such as Jamestown Family Health Clinic, use digital signage to communicate important, real-time information.

The use cases are diverse and some, notably on the interactive side, are often more prevalent in health care than other verticals. One example of this is wayfinding, the most common digital signage application we see in hospitals today.

For example, they can choose to receive a printed set of directions, scan a QR code, receive a text message, or access wayfinding instructions through an app. Also, these systems can be programmed to support multiple languages on a single display, allowing non-English speakers—or those for whom English is a second language—a more comfortable way of getting the information they need.

Large hospitals are notoriously difficult to navigate. Intuitive touchscreen kiosks—much sleeker and aesthetically appealing than the clunky units of yesteryear—give visitors multiple ways to locate their destination depending on their preference, and relieve them of further stress.

Now, the facility can deliver more consistent, real-time communications with its new digital signage system, which features two 50-inch video displays positioned at opposite ends of its large lobby area. Jamestown also benefits from a digital signagefocused Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) package, a subscription-based OpEx solution that enabled the

and session information through interactive displays powered by Visix AxisTV Signage Suite software. The screens provide information on what happens in each conference room, as well as their location in the facility. Users can also access a directory to perform keyword searches for specific events.

Hospitals also leverage digital signage kiosks for patient check-in, reducing the burden on hospital staff. In non-emergency scenarios, the patient registers via a kiosk with built-in blinders (for privacy

ealthcare facilities have varied communications needs for both outward-facing and internal messaging. Whether it’s the delivery of infotainment to waiting areas and patient rooms or critical care notices at nurse stations, hospitals and clinics increasingly leverage digital signage technology to keep visitors, patients, and staff informed in real time.

purposes) or a tablet. The individual is assigned a code (also for privacy purposes) and is entered into the queuing system. Patients can then monitor their progress—from check-in to consultation to the X-ray room—to determine where they are in the outpatient careHealthcareprocess. professionals now take advantage of digital signage when meeting with peers, too. At Hawaii Pacific Health, guests can access wayfinding

32 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL SIGNAGE

healthcare has its unique needs and quirks. Analytics is one technology area that will help end users in most industry verticals address audience needs moving forward. This is particularly true when used with retail and hospitality networks, as analytics can help clients better understand audience behaviors, as well as the effectiveness of out-of-home ad campaigns.Inhealthcare,

Sean Matthews is president and CEO of Visix Inc.

The most common use of digital signage in hospitals today is wayfinding.

The shift from CapEx to OpEx is a familiar transition that we’ve seen trickle down from the IT space to Pro AV, including the digital signage sector. Healthcare professionals, already stretched thin prior to the pandemic, are now seeking to reduce their capital expense budget while also outsourcing management, maintenance, and other tasks to lessen these burdens on in-house Managedstaff.service offerings that include 24/7 remote monitoring keep integrators in front of these

clinic to avoid incurring a capital expense to invest in the necessary gear for the new system.

As is the case with all markets this industry serves,

DIGITAL SIGNAGE TECHNOLOGY

Managed Service Opportunities

Similarly, partnering with suppliers that offer subscriptionbased packages extends the value of the managed service plan coming from the integrator, as the latter pairs ideally with the subscription model. Institutions that are reticent to commit to CapEx procurement models will find the quickly emerging HaaS offerings taking shape around the AV industry attractive.

clients and allow for trouble shooting and resolution, often before the customer is aware that an issue has occurred. Integrators that offer these post-installation services can help hospitals and clinics operate more smoothly, while strengthening their client relationships and establishing new, ongoing revenue sources.

Often, the entire hardware portion can be written off as an OpEx expense; in the case of a Visix HaaS plan, media player ownership is never transferred to the client. Instead, a monthly cloud and player subscription is bundled with the media player itself.

Emerging Needs

the value of analytics will be more about tracking audience numbers, such as participa tion in blood drives. This is a very new technology that will rapidly emerge for varied use cases, but we see analytics as a dynamic toolset for better understand ing contributions, consumer reactions, and overall effectiveness of a digital signage campaign.

For AV integrators, understanding the unique needs of healthcare means investing the time in discovering and understanding what each customer wants to achieve when it comes to patient, employee, and visitor experience, and how digital signage can help them get there. In making this effort, they position themselves as the long-term, trusted partner that healthcare facilities can continually call upon as they scale their systems upward and further explore what digital signage technology has to offer.

No Projection Mapping

Exacting Installation Details

Once the product was selected, the team had to move to the more daunting task of installing what would later become an 11,500-pound, 47x31-foot dvLED structure. “If you look at the final video wall, it looks like the room was built around it,” said Kipfer, who also handles all 3D drafting for Neoti. “That’s how tight it fits. To get it to fit that tightly, you have to put it in a 3D modeling software and just make sure that everything is going to work out correctly.”

creators first, but the company knows technology.

using 4mm, but with the entire project centered upon quality, he wanted a product that matched that. Blockhouse worked to ensure the budget would allow for the 2.5mm product, no matter what.

“I think that for 2.5mm for the height that you’re at, it’s perfect,” said Winkler. “It’s going to hold up for a long time. It looks super clear and bright.” Winkler said they may have been able to get away with

Above: The Indianapolis Museum of Art: Newfields features 522 dvLED panels suspended from the ceiling of its indoor courtyard.

The collaborative undertaking began when the museum engaged with Blockhouse Studios, an innovator in cutting-edge mixed media technolo gies and design, and integrator AVI Systems to decide if some of the initial ideas and concepts were rooted in a semblance of reality. Blockhouse was a familiar partner for the museum, having led projection mapping for its Fall Harvest Show. As a result, the company was an ideal partner to concep tualize a gathering space that leaves a lasting emotional impact while being a space for true artisticBlockhouseexploration.approaches everything as content

Due to gravity, the membrane would naturally sag over time. There was no way to keep it as tight as it would need to be, along with other variables concern ing the projectors and mapping of content that would not meet the expectations the museum had for the project. To guarantee the screen would meet stand ards concerning durability, brightness, and color accuracy, it became clear that dvLED would be the idealWithsolution.thatin mind, Blockhouse received a com petitive bid from locally-based LED provider, Neoti, and began discussions of selecting the right product from them. Neoti has a diverse offering of LED products; Joe Kipfer, lead technician with Neoti, said it became clear that the power-efficient and light weight 2.5mm UHD Series would provide a smooth image without pulling a lot of power—and meeting all weight and safety requirements.

“We see how to use these tools and use them right,” said Kevin Winkler, owner of Blockhouse Studios.

Every detail had to be exact, from how many brackets were needed to the placement of the brackets, and requirements were tightened to ensure

“When we’re selling LED to the client, it’s not just because it’s our product, it’s because it’s the right thing for that project.”

ItAboveAll

ndianapolis Museum of Art: Newfields, one of the premier arts organizations in the Midwest, took the opportunity during a recent renovation to blend technology, art, and design—on the ceiling.

The ceiling has steel structural beams, but it was not possible to mount the panels directly because it would make the display too tall. Everything had to be lowered with steel cable, allowing the steel beams to take the full weight. At the bottom of the steel cables, pipes were laid out in a grid and the panels were attached directly to the pipes using customized brackets.

The museum had originally wanted to use projection mapping on the ceiling—but when Blockhouse reviewed the plan, it was immediately clear it was not a possibility. Creating a membrane, or projec tion mapping screen, large enough for the ceiling was just not feasible, with many leading manufac turers of projection mapping membranes unwilling to tackle the project.

Through the installation of 522 Neoti dvLED panels on the ceiling of the Clowes Pavilion, the museum created an immersive, engaging experience that has all visitors with their eyes toward the sky. Officially unveiled in March, the museum wanted the indoor courtyard to seamlessly connect to their other art galleries while having the ability to stand alone as a unique venue for outside rentals and events.

34 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com TECHNOLOGY IMMERSIVE DISPLAY

LED is not often installed on a ceiling—but when it is, the install process becomes more complicated. Kipfer explained there are some unique requirements for a project where LEDs panels are above people’s heads with the picture facing down toward them. Gravity obviously brings added safety concerns; each panel had to be customized, beyond the specialty type of panel that was selected, to include safety cables to avert anything that is loose or can be removed from falling below.

By Jennifer Guhl

Indianapolis Museum of Art Installs dvLED Ceiling Display

“This makes you feel,” said Winkler. “You don’t get that with every install.”

screen. This made it very clear, for Blockhouse and the museum, what content would and would not work within the Contentspace.ranges from drone shots of the campus, including its exquisite gardens and grounds, and fluid art pieces that allow for the natural elements of color to shine through, making you wonder what you’re exactly seeing. For added impact, the content is paired with an emotional soundscape curated by Andy Beargie, Blockhouse audio engineer.

Any required maintenance is conducted on Mondays while the museum is closed, making it less of a safety risk compared to when visitors are present. Technicians use an electric lift that goes all the way to the ceiling. So far, there have been no failures within the network, just the replacement of a handful of diodes. The panels also have rear maintenance capabilities, if needed, it’s usually easier to work on the panels from the front. A custom Mac OS solution keeps the content running smoothly, and the audio system features one-touch automation.

the safety of people below the display. Installing more than 500 panels at this elevation was no easy task, and not one the team wanted to do individually using a lift. During the installation process, scaffold ing was brought in to basically create a false floor and make the install process more efficient. Additional partners were brought in for the install process, including Dodd Technologies, and 3D models were constructed to ensure that every element of the install would work.

All About Content

IMMERSIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

With content creation at the core of Blockhouse’s process, Winkler said the technology is really cool, but you have to have something really stunning to put on screen. “We’re a little different,” said Winkler. “I think this is something that is really emerging and important in the industry. For a while, these types of screens became more popular, and people install these giant screens. No one ever says, ‘Nice canvas.’ It’s about what you put on the canvas. That should be an early consid eration in these projects. What are you putting on these screens, and how are you going to make this an actual, legitimate art install? Just a multi-million-dollar screen isn’t going to get you there.”

The Neoti dvLED panels are attached to a grid that is suspended by steel cables.

Scaffolding was used to create a false floor and make the install process more efficient.

When designing the content, Blockhouse leaned on VR, building the pavilion out, and allowing the museum to test content for a greater sense of scale and perspective within the actual space, something you wouldn’t get from just viewing an image on a

In considering alternatives, technically speaking, both NDI and Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) are great technologies with their own advantages. Both have a lot of supporters and have had a great influence on the Pro AV industry. Before the launch of NDI 5, NDI was mainly applied to local transmission, with SRT used for remote live production—but today, NDI 5 has blurred the lines between the Fortwo.internet applications, SRT has its advantages such as low latency, good security and flexible handshaking/connection methods,

Complex productions can be problematic when managing large numbers of inputs and outputs. NDI Router, a free app in the NDI Tools suite, allows users to route NDI sources as custom inputs to selected outputs with a simple click. Buttons can have bespoke names, and styles and users can preview the source assigned to any destination—making it easier than ever to manage and control inputs and outputs without supervising each stream independently.Buildingon NDI Audio Direct, NDI AudI/O now allows SDK users to connect any audio device as an NDI source without the need to use third-party software applications. This feature significantly simplifies workflows, saving time and removing a layer of complexity.

How NDI 5 Impacts AVoIP Remote Live Production

unlimited NDI sources, monitor all the sources in the network, and record and backup.

Positioned to support content creators who want to take advantage of the flexibility of IP network, NDI 5.5 also boasts simple but effective changes to the NDI tools launcher, allowing more control by users, faster connections with talkback when bringing in remote video sources via NDI Remote, multiple source support in NDI Webcam, and more.

Despite its various enhancements, NDI 5 isn’t without its potential pain points. The first concern is the limited image quality of high-bandwidth NDI, especially in relation to 4K resolution. This relative lack of performance may create problems, and it remains to be seen if NDI|HX3 can fully address them.

Instead, those organizations that need to handle NDI sources in greater volume for major events will need to build routing and multi-view,management,andrecordingcapabilitiesseparately.Inthesescenarios,thesolutionliesinutilizing

Potential NDI Pain Points

In early August, NDI announced NDI 5.5, an update offering enhanced features to allow content producers, developers, and manufac turers more creative freedom to move video and audio across networks. The update delivers user experience improvements and adds powerful tools—including new routing tools, enhanced audio capabilities, and improved features.

Comparing NDI and SRT

By Jacob Zuo

In production workflows, it’s not certain that NDI 5 will help handle every requirement, especially when talking about broadcasts and larger live shows, because a rounded set of products is required to support an entire ecosystem. For those directly using tools, it will only benefit some small productions, as it depends on the performance of the hardware they use. Many will find they are limited to 8-10 channels of NDI

In another meaningful development, NDI also released the NDI|HX3 standard, which will hopefully address the bandwidth limitations associated with the previous iteration by using H.264/H.265 encoding.

As cloud-based video workflows become the norm, NDI is likely to remain an important I/O standard. While video capture and output cards are the basic I/O devices for baseband video entering a desktop-based video production system, NDI ensures the entire workflow is visible when video I/O can only be IPbased. For remote live production, it points toward an exciting and innovative future for those organizations looking to embrace IP infrastructure.

Otherhabits.key

s the most widely used IP video technology, NDI has been available in its fifth-gener ation format for almost a year, ushering in a new era of AV-over-IP production for remote live production. In order to figure out how it should fit into organizations’ technology strategies, it’s important to first assess its impact.

questions include: Which technology ecosystem is more complete? Are there more vendors supporting the technology and driving it more strongly? Which of them can each organization benefit from more? By considering these points, the answer then becomes clear for each user and organization.

The second concern relates to security. Since NDI is plug-and-play, no authentication is required for video connection. This is not a significant issue on local networks, but certainly needs addressing for internet applications. One of the most problematic aspects, however, is its software-based NDI encoding capability, which compared to decoding—and especially on the ARM CPU—is currently a limiting factor for application development.

36 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com TECHNOLOGY LIVE PRODUCTION

Among a range of significant improvements, NDI 5 delivers support for the Reliable User Datagram Protocol (RUDP). Previously, multi-TCP acted as the default transportation of NDI, but the efficiency of network bandwidth utilization was low, especially for wireless applications or when the network was not as effective, adding significant challenges for real-time transmission. NDI 5, however, uses a new transmis sion mechanism of RUDP, known as Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC), to perform better in an unstable network.

and higher reliability and multi-path transmission, among others. However, from a more strategic perspective, the choice of whether to use NDI or SRT will depend on considerations such as workflow and usage

NDI Launches 5.5 Update

NDI 5 is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android, and it also runs on different CPU architec tures. That means NDI can run not only on Windows/ Linux/macOS, but also on ARM-based M1 Mac Mini or Android, as well as all the other ARM-based embed ded systems. NDI’s ability to work with both highperformance servers and low-cost embedded devices is exciting—and is likely to act as a catalyst for innovation in the development of different types of NDI products and devices.

specific software products based on the NDI 5 SDK, which managecan

Jacob Zuo is the CTO and founder of KILOVIEW, a solution provider of IP-based video transmission.

PROJECTION SCREENS

Projectors bring to life the vivid colors and imagery of content creators, but all can be lost without the screen that best suits the content. With considerations like the surface of the screen, projec tor size, or ambient light capabilities, it is imperative to make the “right” choice the first time.

Touching the Surface

For the smallest creases, bumps, or folds, you’d be surprised at some of the easiest tricks of the trade. “Using a blow dryer on the crease is an industry trick that solves a lot of shipping or installation mishaps,” Gustafson said.

Simply put, projection environments can vary widely. Aaron White, home theater and Pro AV sales lead at Severtson Screens, offered up a few questions that must be answered when considering the right screen for each “Thereinstallation.arealotof factors to consider,” he said. “Are there speakers behind the screen, so that you need an acoustically transparent material? What type of projector are you using: UST or standard front projection? Is there a lot of ambient light in the room or is it completely blacked out?”

Da-Lite, a brand of Legrand|AV, said addressing these concerns is critical for any installation. “You are selecting a resolution technology from the projector and content,” she added. “So, if you don’t select the screen surface that matches the resolution and technology needs, you’re really missing out on optimizing the investment. It’s also a major part of the end user’s experience, because if you don’t pair the right screen surface and projector for the environ ment, it may result in a less-than-optimal image.”

“Most screen surfaces don’t reject ambient light as much as they do to compensate for it,” added White. “Many materials add back contrast that ambient light has lost. Other screen materials provide for better reflection of the primary light source [i.e., projector] rather than indirect light sources coming from other angles. A true ALR material generally has some type of layering or reflectors that redirect the unwanted light sources away from the screen while directing the projectors image back to the audience.”

By Wayne Cavadi

“Ambient light, natural or artificial, can come from any source in a room,” said Cox. “In two-piece projection, the only light you want hitting the screen is from the projector. Screen surfaces featuring ambient light rejection properties can separate light in the environment from projected light. Ambient light that falls on a standard projection screen will compete with light from the projector and wash out image contrast, color saturation, and dynamic range, affecting the viewing experience.”

followed by Slate,” he added. “SI’s Unity screen material renders the highest color accuracy when used in dark environments. All of these options, with the exception of Black Diamond, are available with acoustic transparency.”

Wendy Cox, director of product management at

Ambient-light rejection can be a make-or-break feature, especially if natural or aesthetic light is plentiful in installation venues.

Keeping those screens flat is also of utter impor tance. As White said, one of the benefits of a fixedframe installation is it remains static and is not susceptible to creases.

07/28/2022

38 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com

Watch This

What to Know about Selecting the Right Projection Screen

rom residential installations to the U.S.S. Stargazer set on Star Trek: Picard, projection screens have a variety of use cases. Whether it is a live event, immersive attraction, or home theater, having the right screen can enhance the experience for the viewer.

As Gustafson explained, there are plenty of variables to consider when selecting a screen. Throw distance, viewing area, and projector mounting are all part of the equation. However, one key consideration that seems to be at the forefront is how well it rejects ambient“Blacklight.Diamond is Screen Innovations’ most popular ambient light rejecting screen material,

“It can make or break the image quality, which anyone who has walked into a sports bar or house of worship with a projection screen may have experi enced,” noted Ryan Gustafson, CEO of Screen Innovations (SI). “Ambient light rejecting [ALR] technologies, such as Screen Innovations’ Black Diamond and Slate screen optics, were developed to provide a viable option for environments plagued with ambient light.”

Light Management

TECHNOLOGY

stage. Sliding installation brackets allow mounting flexibility for easy attachment of the screen housing to the structure above the drop ceiling.

Projection screens are used in many environments. A home theater, for example, will require drastically different dimensions than a commercial installation. “The general rule of thumb for 16:9 or 10:10 formats, in a commercial setting, is to figure the depth of room divided by two to achieve the ideal screen diagonal,” explained“ScreenCox.size often has some personal preference and bias associated with it,” admitted White. “However, it can also be limited by the room size and projector specs; if the projector is placed a long distance from the screen, it may lose a lot of its light by not being bright enough or also be able to zoom to the desired size. Another major determining factor is seating distance. A rule of thumb is your seating distance should be about three times your screen’s viewingWhichheight.”ismore advantageous for your installation, fixed or motorized screens? “Fixed screens are more stable, delivering a more accurate installation of dimension and aspect ratio than motorized screens,” Gustafson offered. “Motorized screens are more flexible and prone to expand and contract in a 120-degree truck or attic. Although motorized screens are natively flat, they can move with air movement throughout the room. Still, they are a great choice where preserving the architectural and decorative integrity of a room is important or when a room serves multiple purposes.”

Da-Lite’s new cable drop feature, SightLine, available with the Tensioned Advantage electric screen, gives the impression of a floating screen. Available in sizes up to 177-inch diagonal (16:9) or 182-inch diagonal (16:10), it is a ceiling recessed electric screen designed with ceiling trim in place. This conceals the rough opening and eliminates the need to complete additional trim work once the screen is installed. Its two-stage installation option allows the screen case to be installed during the rough-in construction stage and the screen surface assembly during the finishing

Da-Lite AdvantageTensionedwithSightLine

WhileWizard.thereare many considerations, there are also a number of projection screens available. Here are some current offerings from several manufacturers.

Draper TecVision Series

Draper offers 11 TecVision formulations to deal with any projection requirements, including five ALR formula tions. Each TecVision surface is designed for uniform performance across the image and from screen to screen. Draper tests each formulation periodically to make sure it still performs within specs. This attention to detail allowed Draper to attain Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) certification for color accuracy for every TecVision formulation. Draper’s optically seamless technology makes seams invisible on very large installations. TecVision surfaces are available with electric and rechargeable battery screens like the Acumen series, as well as fixed screens like the Profile+.

Elite ProAV Presenter Pro Riser CineGrey 4D

This portable, electric floor-rising projection screen with Ceiling Light Rejecting technology is designed for ambient light room environments. Its tab-tension design maintains a flat and taut front projection surface to provide a ripple-free image suitable for standard long-throw projectors. It’s ALR characteris tics allow the Presenter Pro to be used in rooms with ambient light in lecture halls, boardrooms, training facilities, and other environments where lighting cannot be controlled. Using “scissor-backed” cross risers, the CineGrey 4D material rises and lowers easily.

Screen Innovations Black Diamond

In 2008, Screen Innovations designed Black Diamond to solve the problem of washed-out projection screens in rooms with light. Black Diamond is capable of rejecting light on both the horizontal and vertical axis, so lighting from fixtures above and windows on the side is simultaneously rejected. The optics in Black Diamond result in an immersive dark room experience without the need for blacking out adjacent walls.

The 100-inch screen is a compact, below-ceiling retractable surface mount motorized screen for commercial and residential applications. With built-in controls and a removable case bonnet, the new Lexus is ideal for corporate, educational, gaming, and residen tial use. The Luxus is equipped with a universal hanging bracket, 12v trigger, and dry contact for easy control with optional IR or RS-232. The system supports image widths just over 15 feet and scales up to 209 inches in diagonal 16:9 format with a 12-inch backdrop.

(From left to right) Wendy Cox, Ryan Gustafson, Aaron White

PROJECTION SCREENS TECHNOLOGY avnetwork.com // October 2022 // SCN 39

The new Twilight Series comes in a variety of sizes in tensionsupportedscreennighttimeoutdoormodelsTwinManual,Electric,andTensionmodels.Allthreearededicatedtospacesforuse.Thematerialisbyatab-systemto

EPV SeriesTwilight

provide a flat and taut projection surface for use with ultra, short, and standard throw projectors. Its wide viewing angle accom modates small gather ings or events.large-venue

Size Matters

Stewart Filmscreen Luxus

Severtson’s Impression Series fixed frames with SAT-4K screen material are designed for specialized applications where a permanent projection screen is desired. Made in the United States, the SAT-4K replicates the cinema experience in home and commercial settings. Acousti cally transparent, the entire sound stage can be placed directly behind the screen at the same horizontal axis, allowing the vocals and the special effects to be com pletely in sync with the images on display. The SAT-4K screen meets or exceeds all industry standards for optimum video and acoustic performance.

Severtson Screens Impression Series

Luckily, finding the right screen size is relatively easy. Most companies offer online tools to get started, such as Da-Lite’s Screen Surface Selection Calculator and Screen Designer Tool and SI’s Screen Material

Extron SB 33 A

The AVer VC550 is a 4K dual lens conference camera with scalable speakerphone technology that com bines automated PTZ functionality, dynamic framing technology, and Smart Gallery capabilities to create a reliable and versatile solution for medium to large rooms. It features 12x optical zoom (24x total zoom) and an AI lens for automated PTZ functionality to deliver a full view of meeting attendees and seam lessly detect meeting newcomers. AVer’s Smart Gallery technology captures attendees, enabling AI technology to crop participants’ faces and ensure everyone is visible. Users can choose headshots or half-body mode to adapt to any meeting situa tion. The VC550 is embedded with daisy-chain technology to enable the device to expand by adding up to four additional microphones or two speakerphones.

5.1/7.1, lossless Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Surround Sound, as well as CEC extension commands and functions, HDMI Ethernet channel, and ARC features. Integrators can design for up to 32 audio channels (LPCM) and 21:9 aspect ratio. Covid’s high-quality, ultra-flexible 48-Gbps 8K HDMI cables are engi neered for performance and reliability. Solidly constructed, the cable’s aluminium housing features a gold-plated HDMI connector with a low-profile aluminum head, which is ideal for tight spaces.

The new VP92 4K industrial-grade interactive digital signage media player provides more resolution options including up to 3840x2160 (or 2160x3840 for portrait configuration) with higher bit rate playback. With a dual HDMI port, the new VP92 can support two screens simultaneously with no splitter. In addition, the new Videotel Digital VP92 player comes packed with free software options, ether cloud-based StudioPro or the new StudioWeb. The VP92 4K offers more versatility allowing customers to pause/play, fast forward, and/or rewind video with the remote control. Plus, resellers and integrators can now request customization of the home screen. The new VP92 also has the capability of hands-free screen control, which transfers full navigation control of the screen to a smartphone after taking a picture of the QR code on the screen.

Marshall Electronics

AVer Information VC550

Marshall’s first ePTZ camera is suitable for Pro AV and applicationsbroadcastthat require a high-quality, networkable video source. The CV420e features a high performance 9 1/2 Meg apixel 4K sensor capable of

VIVOTEK VORTEX

Extron has added two new sizes to its SB 33 A Adjust able Width Sound Bar to accommodate displays from 82-100 inches, in addition to existing sizes that support displays down to 46 inches. The SB 33 A can be customized onsite to precisely match the width of the display, offering high performance audio reinforce ment that looks great in any space. Designed for the commercial market, the SB 33 A includes an inte grated slot to accommodate most USB webcams. Options are also available to mount a PTZ camera or have no camera at all. With two 3-inch full-range drivers, the SB 33 A is well suited for small to medium-sized spaces that require exceptional speech intelligibility and high-quality reproduction of program audio.

40 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com

CV420e

VIVOTEK has launched its cloud-based video surveil lance as a service (VSaaS), VORTEX, in the United States, which marks the company’s ability to consolidate camera, app, web, cloud, and deep learning technology into a cohesive and powerful AI surveillance solution. Advantages of VORTEX for SMB expansion include wide camera selection and Smart IR and WDR technologies to elevate visibility in demanding environments. VORTEX features powerful AI video analysis technologies, upgraded real-time detection and post-hoc search functionality, deep search algorithms to convert metadata into search able and quantifiable information—and refine people, vehicle, and environment detection accuracy over time. Plus, VORTEX is capable of sieving through big data to identify or follow past events, and its hybrid cloud architecture allows for unlimited cloud archive, automatic backup, event management, and instant sharing.

Videotel Digital VP92

Covid, Inc. EC-HD31

IHSE USA Draco tera IP Gateway

TECHNOLOGY NEW PRODUCTS

The EC-HD31 8K HDMI non-plenum cable is back ward compatible for 4K/60 4:4:4 resolutions. The 15-foot, high-quality 48 Gbps HDMI cable supports ultra-high-speed 8K@60 4:4:4 deep color sampling, as well as 8K100/120, 10K50/60, and up to 10K/100/120. The cable supports Deep Color and x.v.Color, HDR10, eARC for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X

The Draco tera IP Gateway provides users with the ability to bridge multiple KVM matrices over existing IP networks within buildings, across campuses, and between remote offices. Integrating the high levels of security and performance of the Draco tera KVM system with the flexibility and ease of connectivity inherent in IP-based communication, users can access remote computers and interact in real time with minimal latency and no visible artifacts. It currently supports up to eight bidirectional IP connections for bidirectional KVM operation with video resolutions of up to 4K. In addition to the high level of security data transmitted throughout IHSE’s KVM switching and extension systems, the Draco tera IP Gateway features IHSE’s Secure Core technology, which prevents direct access to data within the KVM system from the IP network.

4K (UHD) resolution up to 60fps with ultra-clean HD resolutions. The camera’s 4.5mm lens features a wide angle (more than 100-degree field of view) with minimal distortion. The CV420e’s digital pan, tilt, and zoom comes with more than 250 presets that are savable and selectable from any number of command sources including IR remote, video management software, web browser GUI, OBS plugins, vMix, and other compatible soft codecs and devices. Its compact (4.5 inches long) and durable design includes rear protection wings to avoid untimely cable disconnect drops. Other features include a 3.5mm audio input and front-facing tally light.

LYNX-RX include local audio de-embedding via 3.5mm stereo output. The LYNX-TX transmitter includes a local loop output, to allow for monitoring and playback status of the local source.

The Ethernet-enabled DTEN Mate (PoE) joins its wireless counterpart as a secure controller, com pletely compatible with any manufacturer’s certified Zoom Rooms device. Both the PoE and wireless versions of DTEN Mate can serve as Zoom Rooms Controller (ZRC) and Zoom Rooms Scheduler (ZRS).

NEW

Hall Technologies LYNX 4K Extender Set

The addition of the DTEN Mate (PoE) allows enter prise IT teams to deploy the DTEN Mate virtually anywhere—outside meeting rooms, in hallways or at desktops—with convenient device management and networking. With a single tap of the 10-inch LED screen, users can launch meetings, admit partici pants, browse meeting schedules, adjust camera and microphone settings, and more. Weighing less than a pound, the device is easy to set up with virtually no learning curve to start. Hardware to wall-mount the device is included.

DTEN DTEN Mate (PoE)

PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY INSTALLATION PRODUCTS MODULAR FLOOR BOXESFIBER CABLESFLYPACKS & ROAD CASES To Advertise in the SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR NEWS CLASSIFIEDS, Contact Zahra Majma zahra.majma@futurenet.comat For the latest industry news and information, visit us online avnetwork.comat

The LYNX 4K Extender Set features extension of Ultra HD resolution, 4K 60Hz video signal with audio and control up to 197 feet over a single CAT6 cable. Ideal applications include education, meeting spaces of all sizes, hospitality, and digital signage applications for up to eight displays. Lynx delivers high resolution 4K graphics, smooth video playback, and audio deembedding. Cascade up to eight receivers to scale functionality and maximize distribution distance exceeding 1,300 feet. Both the LYNX-TX and the

Konftel Ceiling Mount Kit

Specifically designed for its flagship Konftel 800 hybrid conference phone, the new development provides an alternative to traditional desktop placement. It addresses growing market demand for smarter and more flexible room configurations, especially for education and training purposes. The special kit includes a dedicated bracket and ceiling mount plate and is compatible with tripod mount ing systems. Konftel is also developing a new “lecture mode” function (via a free software upgrade) that will enable wireless connectivity between tested and approved headset models and the Konftel 800.

Many AV pros volunteer to provide media support for church and community events. The equipment these venues can afford is often ill-suited to their purpose, and it can be difficult to make things measurably better while staying within budget.

By Rachel Bradshaw

“Replacing traditional digital room signage with ecoPUK results in serious emissions savings,” said Mann. “The initiative works because the solution also offers a great employee experience.”

The experiment caught the attention of the MIDI Association, which reached out in early 2022 and asked if PTZOptics had any plans to expand its MIDI control capabilities. Six weeks later, PTZOptics rolled out fully configurable MIDI control for its entire line of PTZUserscameras.cancontrol a PTZOptics camera using any MIDI device, from a DAW to a soundboard, from a synthesizer to a pedal. They can choose the MIDI notes they want to use and assign them to commands such as set and call camera preset; pan, tilt, and zoom; or speed up or slow down camera movements. Musicians, worship teams, DJs, and other artists no longer need to buy a PTZ controller for livestreaming or video production. If they have a MIDI device, they’ve already got one.

Rachel Bradshaw is vice president, account services, for Caster Communications.

It’s Not Easy Being Green

EcoPUK panels, made with sustainable materials, provide a greener alternative to digital room signage.

ow many times have you thought, while working on a project, “There has got to be a better way?”

Announcers needed a way to connect both a microphone and an audio source—and independently control their volumes. A production suite would have been overcomplicated (and over budget) for this project. White sketched out an idea based on this need, brought it to work, and Vanco’s PulseAudio PA-EXMIX was born.

That was the case when Brandon White, director of new product development at Vanco, volunteered to help improve the audio for the New York-based Saratoga Springs Little League. Saratoga Springs was looking for a big-league experience on a little-league budget: They wanted to not only call plays, but incorpo rate music, sound effects, and other audio. The audio source for these production flourishes was usually a volunteer’s personal phone.

Perhaps you knew exactly what you needed to make the system work more efficiently, simplify its design, or improve the user experience—but that missing piece just didn’t exist. Given a few days in a shop, a bottomless rummage bin of OEM parts, and a limitless supply of time, you could build the widget yourself. However, few integrators have that luxury, and it’s not exactly a scalable approach.

If You JustSomething,NeedAsk

Designing systems for the modern enterprise means balancing many conflicting desires. The office should be connected and modern, but also responsible and eco-friendly. Especially in the wake of the hybrid workforce revolution, it’s not easy being green.

“One of our Fortune 500 customers has commit ted to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2045,” said Tomer Mann, chief revenue officer for 22Miles. “Always-on room signage is not compat ible with that vision, but to support the dynamics of the modern workplace, they still need a frictionless experience for booking meeting rooms and hot desks. They asked us to find an eco-friendly way to deliver our world-class space management solution.”

That’s exactly how MIDI control came to PTZOp tics cameras. “We got a request from a house of worship customer, asking if we could enable them to call camera presets using Pro Tools,” recalled Geoff Robinson, product manager for PTZOptics. “They were already using a DAW [digital audio workstation] to control most aspects of the service, and they didn’t want to add a whole separate controller just for the PTZOpticscameras.”initially created a limited MIDI control application that recalled presets using specific MIDI notes, which it made available to all its customers for free. “Why not?” said Geoff. “We’d already built it, and it just made our gear more valuable.”

42 SCN // October 2022 // avnetwork.com VIEWPOINT

Manufacturers, on the other hand, have dedicated R&D labs, OEM relationships, and the capacity to take an idea from brainstorming through to production. AV manufacturers are also surprisingly accessible and receptive to ideas: Many leading AV companies will not only create custom solutions for their customers, but often end up productizing the results. Sometimes, getting the non-existent product you need is as simple as asking for it.

The request led to a new partnership between 22Miles and EcoPUK, makers of “sustainably smarter signage.” EcoPUK manufactures panels from sustainable materials, laser-engraved with a QR code and other custom branding or information, and equipped with an NFC tag.

It was the perfect marriage of software and hardware for the project: Users tap or scan an EcoPUK panel with their personal mobile device to access space booking software, which is powered by the 22Miles content management system (CMS). The

We’ve Already Got One

A livestreaming setup is never quite done. There’s always something to upgrade, new software to learn, or one more piece of gear needed to make everything run smoothly. The constant cycle of improvement can result in a hopelessly complex setup, leading some customers to declare, “Enough! Can’t we just use what we already have?”

Out of the Park

22Miles CMS has native integrations with Zoom, Teams, Office 365, G Suite, and Exchange. With a couple of taps, users can verify whether a space is available, view alternate spaces, book a meeting, add a videoconference link, and send invitations to colleagues. 22Miles is now the exclusive global distributor for the EcoPUK solution.

The PA-EXMIX is a combination mixer and microphone extender, comprised of a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter accepts up to two audio inputs—one XLR and one AUX—and has a simple manual dial that allows the user to adjust the balance between

“Therethem.are countless volunteers like me who want to add a little production value without spending tens of thousands of dollars or making the system too complicated for a non-technical person to operate,” said White. “It feels really great to create a simple, affordable solution to this kind of problem.”

As a technology sector deeply invested in custom ized experiences and customer service, the Pro AV industry benefits from a cultural mix of personal relationships and start-up mentality. Our manufacturers are nimble and responsive to requests. If you have a need, or even just a great idea, call up your sales rep and ask for it. You may not only solve your own problem, but also provide the inspiration for a new product that helps thou sands of your peers.