AV Technology - Technology Manager's Guide to Next Gen Audio - July 2023

Page 10

THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER’S GUIDE JULY 2023 14 AV/IT THOUGHT LEADERS ON INTELLIGIBILITY 22 AV/IT ENTERPRISE AND CAMPUS-WORTHY PRODUCTS AV/IT TEAM GOES ALL-IN WITH CLASSROOM UPGRADES
PLUS: SPONSORS: AUDIX | EPOS | SENNHEISER | SHURE | YAMAHA UC 3 CASE STUDIES EMBRACE NEXT-GEN AUDIO
OF SHOW WINNERS ANNOUNCED PAGE 32
NEXT-GEN AUDIO
BEST
2 IN THIS ISSUE 32 22
Photo: Sennheiser
Getty
06 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com Editor’s Note 04 Cindy Davis makes a plea for remote audio and video to match the best our industry offers. AV/IT Team 06 The AV/IT team at Middle Tennessee State University has gone all-in and upgraded every classroom to improve audio quality for hybrid students. Thought Leaders 08 Fourteen thought leaders share technology suggestions, best practices, and some sound advice for ensuring the near and far ends of the conversation are intelligible. Case-in-Point 16 An audio upgrade for an Oslo landmark. | Hybrid learning tech that means business. | Teleconferencing that exceeds expectations. Products That Matter 22 Twenty-two AV/IT enterprise and campus-worthy audio products and solutions. Best of InfoComm Awards 32 Winners of the InfoComm 2023 Best of Show for AV Technology, Digital Signage, and Tech&Learning publications
Photo: Sennheiser Cover Image:
Images

CONTENT

VP/Content Creation, Anthony Savona

Brand and Content Director, Cindy Davis, cindy.davis@futurenet.com

Contributing Writer, Macy O’Hearn

Managing Design Director, Nicole Cobban

Design Director, Sam Richwood

Production Managers Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling

ADVERTISING SALES

Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech

Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465

Janis Crowley, janis.crowley@futurenet.com, 845-414-6791

Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com, 212-378-0473

Zahra Majma, zahra.majma@futurenet.com, 845-678-3752

SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE

To subscribe to AV Technology or Future’s other AV industry brands, go to https://www.smartbrief.com/subscribe

LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS

AVTechnology is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities. licensing@futurenet.com

MANAGEMENT

SVP Wealth, B2B and Events, Sarah Rees

Managing Director, B2B Tech & Entertainment Brands, Carmel King

Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech, Adam Goldstein

Head of Production US & UK, Mark Constance Head of Design, Rodney Dive FUTURE

NOW

AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, AV/IT technology managers, directors, and other decision-makers must install new or upgrade audio solutions in any space that isn’t optimized for speech intelligibility—on the near and far side.

Louder is no longer good enough when microphone and speaker technologies have advanced so that participants in the back of the room can hear as clearly as those in the front of the room. And in today’s hybrid world, it’s imperative for participants at the far end of video conference and collaboration session to hear and be heard by every person in a meeting space.

I’m going to take this moment to send a plea to all decision-makers with remote workers to please provide them with audio and video solutions to use with their laptops befitting our industry. With few exceptions (and I can’t name one), microphones, speakers and cameras built into laptops are not good enough. You can do better, and the solutions are available.

heard clearly.”

Poor room acoustics can create a challenge for even the best audio systems. Alan Jacobson, Solutions Engineer at Legrand | AV said, “Modern office environments can be acoustically challenging due to excessively reflective surfaces. To mitigate this, consider microphone arrays or ceiling microphones with a built-in digital signal processor and echo cancellation for minimizing ambient noise and reverberation.”

Pete Herr, director of Global Systems Marketing at Shure, added, “When hybrid work fails to lead to successful collaboration and meetings, employees are left to handle the consequences: frustration, impacted productivity, hindered business operations, et cetera. Forthcoming research from Shure explores this topic. We found that an unproductive hybrid working environment leads to increased cognitive load for employees; has significant business implications; and increases stress, leading to a lack of productivity.”

responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

“You’re on mute” should be the only reason a participant can’t be heard. We reached out to thought leaders from AV/IT companies to share their perspectives, technology suggestions, best practices, and some sound advice for ensuring intelligibility.

David Missall, insights manager, Business Communication at Sennheiser said, “When it comes to AV or IT integration in any collaborative meeting space, audio should be the first concern. Getting the “first mile” right is key; by choosing the right audio technology in your meeting space, participants can be

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

Financial and Strategy

Artificial intelligence is beginning to have an impact in our industry. “We’ve undoubtedly entered the age of AI in AV, where digital signal processing combined with microphone technology like human voice activity tracking (HVAD), automatic room EQ, dereverberation, and adaptive echo cancelling significantly make up for the lack of acoustical treatments and open and reflective architecture,” said Balazs Boldog, field sales engineer at Yamaha Unified Communications.

Read the full interviews from these industry experts, plus eight more, starting on page 08.

Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

EDITOR’S NOTE INTELLIGIBILITY
FOLLOW US twitter.com/AVTechnologyMag
INC. 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor New York NY 10036 All contents ©2023 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any
US,
Chief Executive Officer Jon Steinberg Non-Executive Chairman Richard Huntingford Chief Officer

Setting the Sound Standard

The 500-acre Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is home to 20,000 students across 300 degree programs in eight undergraduate colleges, of which an estimated 80 percent of the student body attend classes in-person. Nevertheless, all classes are recorded and streamed for remote and hybrid participants via Panopto, making audio quality for all students, interoperability, and ease of use for faculty, key considerations for the AV and IT staff at the university.

After a few years of remote and hybrid classes, leveraging a camera and lanyard-style lavalier microphone for all classrooms, James Copeland, director of classroom technology at MTSU and his team realized they needed a better solution. “We quickly felt the pain of using battery-powered mics,” Copeland said. “There were issues with having the batteries regularly charged, so professors would come in and they couldn’t record their lecture because the mic was drained. If a class was over Zoom, the students couldn’t hear anything, so it was like the class wasn’t even happening.”

Beyond the challenge of remembering to charge the mic for the next educator, students wanted a better solution for collaboration. “Students in class wanted to communicate with their remote classmates, but did not want to physically pass a mic, and potentially germs,” Copeland said. “Logistically it was a natural transition to move to a ceiling microphone.”

PARITY AND PRIORITY

The classroom technology department needed a better, easier-to-use solution across campus, with the provision that both the professor and students would be heard in a livestream or recording. Copeland and his colleagues Aaron Dill, classroom control system programmer, and Dustin Cunningham, classroom audio visual technician, landed on the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 for this sizeable project with support from a team of contracted integrators including Howard Technologies, M3, OneDiversified, and TriStar Digital Connections.

The choice to go all in on 250 TeamConnect Ceiling 2s across MTSU’s campus was due to a few of the mic’s key differentiators. “The Sennheiser option was more ready out of the box [compared to competitors],” Copeland explained. “What caught my attention was the Priority Zone feature for professors.” The Priority

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 6
AV/IT TEAM
Middle Tennessee State University classrooms are outfitted with Sennheiser microphones to improve audio quality for hybrid students—making conferencing a breeze for faculty and leadership in the process.
Over 250 Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones throughout MTSU’s campus allow remote students to enjoy the same immersive classroom experience as their in-person peers.

Zone capability allows users to take full control of the speech in a room by setting a parameter in the space for the audio, enabling it to beam to focus on a specific location—for instance, the front of the room around the instructor’s area. This way, if there are side conversations happening across the room, the presenter or professor is not interrupted in the recording or livestream.

“We have classrooms where the tables and chairs are constantly reoriented,” Dill added. “The beamforming mic benefits us here as well, because you never know where everyone will be set up for a class.” The TCC2 features patented dynamic beamforming technology which picks up all audio in a room and uses digital signal processing to automatically locate and highlight the individual speaking, regardless of where they are sitting, standing, or moving. Voices are picked up evenly throughout the space, which is an important consideration if planning for a dynamic classroom setup or a professor with a collaborative teaching style.

Copeland and Dill manage 3,000 to 3,500 streams each day for class sections, relying on the TCC2s deployed across campus to capture the audio for each of these, with Control Cockpit to oversee the mics from a centralized location. The Sennheiser ceiling microphones are integrated with MTSU’s Epiphan Mini video production systems in each classroom, as well as their Panopto recording and sharing platform. The TCC2 is also certified for Zoom, which is used by a few faculty members as part of their recording setup.

CROSS-CAMPUS BENEFITS

Outside of the classroom use case, the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones are also being used in conference room environments on campus. Specifically, these were selected for audio in the vice president and provost’s conference rooms, successfully enabling a natural and flexible audio experience for hybrid meetings happening amongst the university’s leadership and faculty.

Since the rollout of the TCC2s across MTSU’s sprawling campus, Copeland and Dill have received positive feedback from faculty and students. “All I’ve heard is how well it works and how easy it is,” Copeland said. “I used to get hundreds of tickets that there was no audio in a recording, because faculty would misuse the previous microphone solutions. This is no longer a concern thanks to the ceiling mics.”

Beyond the high-quality recorded audio, students and faculty also enjoy the intuitive mute capability of the TCC2s too. “Sometimes students will come up to a professor during class to talk about grades,” Copeland said. “The ability to easily mute the ceiling mics from the panel for such private conversations was a nice feature.”

In the future, Copeland plans to continue growing MTSU’s state-of-the-art AV and IT setup with Sennheiser. “The TeamConnect Ceiling 2 has become the new standard for us,” he said. “We have four new building projects we are currently designing for, and plan to use them as our microphones.”

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 7
MTSU conference rooms equipped with TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones provide a natural, flexible hybrid meeting experience for university faculty and administration. Photos: Courtesy of Sennheiser
“I used to get hundreds of tickets that there was no audio in a recording, because faculty would misuse the previous microphone solutions. This is no longer a concern thanks to the ceiling mics.”
—James Copeland, director of classroom technology at MTSU

THOUGHT LEADERS

ACOUSTICALLY SOUND ADVICE

For the past three years, the most common refrain during a video conference is, “You’re on mute.” That is an easy enough fix.

But if that were the only issue regarding speech intelligibility, then we wouldn’t have created this guide. We reached out to 14 thought leaders from AV/IT companies to share their perspectives, technology suggestions, best practices, and some sound advice for ensuring the near and far ends of the conversation are intelligible.

1 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 6 AV TECHNOLOGY | avnetwork.com

DAVID MISSALL Insights Manager, Business Communication Sennheiser

While video technologies are often top of mind, the most critical element of any conference room remains the audio. We’ve all experienced how a meeting can be suddenly unproductive if there is an echo, if someone’s audio drops out, or, even worse, if the screen freezes and both audio and video experience disruption. Therefore, when it comes to AV or IT integration in any collaborative meeting space, audio should be the first concern. Getting the “first mile” right is key; by choosing the right audio technology in your meeting space, participants can be heard clearly.

To ensure the most acoustically sound room for collaboration, planning for audio in the design phase of a meeting space and connecting AV and architect teams early on are highly recommended. Planning a space for productive audio conferencing requires a clear vision of the space’s primary use cases, size, and the end user’s workflow. The collaboration between AV and architects in the planning phase for a conferencing space can minimize the troubleshooting and longterm risk of audio dropouts, echoes, or other videoconferencing challenges.

Whether planning a new meeting space or revamping an existing one, deliberate decisions should be made with the end users and use cases in mind. Whether a space will be used for two- or 20-person meetings—how often video will be needed and what type of presentations or sessions will take place in the space can help determine whether a soundbar, a ceiling microphone(s), or a combination of these solutions would make the most sense; and whether features like voice lift or beamforming technology will be needed to maximize the audio. To help streamline this process Sennheiser offers its Room Planner configuration tool, a free, browser-based platform, which lets AV teams map out their space and identify the best solutions for their environment.

ALAN JACOBSON Solutions Engineer Legrand | AV

In the world of videoconferencing, the importance of audio should not be overlooked. While video may take the spotlight, audio quality is crucial for successful meetings or hybrid learning experiences. Here are some best practices for ensuring seamless communication.

First, avoid relying on built-in laptop microphones. Instead, opt for external table or ceiling microphones that clearly capture voices. Placing a table microphone equidistant from participants ensures equal audio quality, while ceiling microphones are ideal for larger spaces or rooms with complex seating arrangements. Ceiling microphones are a great way to reduce clutter on the table, and their placement in the room often isolates them from obtrusive sounds.

Second, consider the room’s acoustics. Modern office environments can be acoustically challenging due to excessively reflective surfaces. To mitigate this, consider microphone arrays or ceiling microphones with a built-in digital signal processor and echo cancellation for minimizing ambient noise and reverberation. These solutions enhance audio fidelity and prevent echo and feedback.

Third, laptops and personal devices may work for one-on-one conferencing, but consider incorporating external speakers to elevate the audio experience for the whole room. Soundbars or ceiling speakers provide richer and more immersive sound, allowing participants to hear every detail clearly. External speakers enhance engagement and focus during video conferences.

By implementing these audio best practices, organizations can unlock the full potential of videoconferencing. Clear and intelligible audio fosters effective collaboration, engagement, and productivity. Elevating the audio experience ensures successful and impactful videoconferencing and hybrid learning environments.

It’s almost a given these days that when discussing conferencing, we’re discussing conferencing in the hybrid world. Almost all organizations have some form of a hybrid setup, meaning some employees are participating in a meeting from home, while others are participating from the office. This has brought many benefits to employees, but also requires new conversations around how to ensure that employees are having the same positive work experience regardless of location.

To achieve an equitable meeting environment, it is critical to develop solutions that enable productive hybrid work and implement these solutions for use across an organization. When hybrid work fails to lead to successful collaboration and meetings, employees are left to handle the consequences: frustration, impacted productivity, hindered business operations, et cetera. Forthcoming research from Shure explores this topic. We found that an unproductive hybrid working environment leads to increased cognitive load for employees; has significant business implications; and increases stress, leading to a lack of productivity.

So how do we set up successful conferencing environments that instead serve to alleviate cognitive load, improve business outcomes, and reduce stress? A successful conferencing environment is one where devices are easy to set up; collaboration is encouraged; and employees feel valued, productive, and capable.

With a high-quality suite of audio devices providing solutions for all participants, regardless of location, we can ensure convenient collaboration for all employees. A solution that offers seamless connectivity, equity, compatibility with leading streaming platforms, and configuration to meet the needs of meeting spaces of all sizes will lead to overall greater productivity and engagement within an organization.

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 9
Photo: Getty Images

BALAZS BOLDOG Field Sales Engineer Yamaha Unified Communications

In the modern AV landscape, there are plenty of audio best practices to consider!

We’ve undoubtedly entered the age of AI in AV, where digital signal processing combined with microphone technology like human voice activity tracking (HVAD), automatic room EQ, dereverberation, and adaptive echo canceling significantly make up for the lack of acoustical treatments and open and reflective architecture. We can bring out the best in the available technology by following some guidelines.

The ABC’s of acoustics are absorption, blocking, and coverage—your friends in combating poor design or utilizing rooms as never intended. Absorption in the form of paneling around a conference room, or higher NRC-rated ceiling tiles or clouds into an open ceiling can do wonders to mitigate reflection.

When it comes to microphones, you now have more choices than ever. Mounting location may not be critical in your case, but consider whether you plan to reconfigure the space regularly, and whether your microphones would require recalibrating to the new seating arrangement. If these are wireless microphones or have self-tuning features, this task is quick and requires no user adjustment. Consider microphone pickup pattern and directionality to fit the use, and ensure that they aren’t capturing more audio than necessary.

The replication of clear and intelligible audio is paramount for an effective meeting, making speaker selection vital. Select speakers for the size and acoustic features of the space. Work with your manufacturer, consultant, or integrator to identify the required throw and dispersion patterns to cover your space without deafening those in the front, while ensuring that speech is clear and loud enough to understand from the back row.

Director of Pro AV Solutions and Connected Ecosystems Panasonic Connect

In today’s hybrid world, it’s important that all meeting participants— regardless of location—have an equitable experience. Enlisting better audio technology to support these experiences, like corporate board meetings or university lectures, is very important. Organizations need to take current implementations one-step further. The next step to true hybrid collaboration is making sure all technology—whether that’s audio, cameras, projectors, or displays—work together as one cohesive ecosystem.

To get the most out of your implementation, harness the right audio technologies for the space and use case. Beamforming ceiling mic array systems with built-in acoustic echo cancellation provide a great hand-free solution in conference rooms. However, oftentimes it is necessary to augment the system with dedicated wireless microphones for teachers and presenters in larger spaces, or touch-tospeak microphone platforms for conferences and panels to improve speech audibility. Consider options with built-in DSP functions for automatic sensitivity adjustment, noise reduction, and echo cancellation to ensure that no matter where the speaker or listeners are in the room, everyone—in person or remotely attending—can digest the information just as easily.

Along with harnessing myriad audio options, make sure your audio applications work in tandem with other audiovisual equipment. Builtin integration with PTZ cameras provides critical tools like voice and facial tracking, providing an automated experience for the speaker, ensuring quality audio and visuals for all participants, and reducing the burden on support teams.

Furthermore, audio devices such as 360-degree camera speakerphones, which provide other audiovisual capabilities, are beneficial for small spaces. Built-in microphones, cameras, and 360-degree range, camera speakerphones make sure all in-person participants are seen and heard on a video call. Remote participants also feel more present and involved, as barriers to communication are removed and they can interact with each of their peers.

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 10
“The ABC’s of acoustics are absorption, blocking, and coverage—your friends in combating poor design or utilizing rooms as never intended.”
—Balazs Boldog Field Sales Engineer Yamaha Unified Communications
“To get the most out of your implementation, harness the right audio technologies for the space and use case.”
—Petro Shimonishi Director of Pro AV Solutions and Connected Ecosystems Panasonic Connect

The number one requirement when selecting a meeting room audio system is its ability to provide intelligible audio. While this might seem like an obvious primary requirement, you’d be surprised how often audio system performance is compromised by room aesthetics and other design considerations.

The prevalence of glass walls, open ceilings, and unfinished concrete floors and walls is the major trend in today’s offices. The thought that less is more is paramount in many designs. All these design choices, however, contribute to a more reverberant room, making the pickup of intelligible audio that much more challenging. The reality is that less really is less when it comes to the quality of the audio experience.

One consideration that can contribute to (or at the very least, not detract from) the audio experience is making the audio experience of in-person and remote participants a design

requirement. Set a target RT60 score and evaluate rooms against that requirement. Additional considerations include placing meeting rooms on the interior of a space, reserving locations with valuable natural light for individual workspaces and limiting the amount of glass; finishing ceilings with acoustic tile systems or panels; adding soft furniture to spaces; adding carpets or area rugs; and acknowledging that some additional room acoustic treatments may be required after construction. Measure and add these as needed.

While intelligibility is often expressed as

a priority primarily for remote participants, consider that the in-room experience can also be problematic. Does the sound of outside traffic permeate the room? Is the sound of HVAC systems overpowering? Are the fans in computers and displays distracting?

Being explicit about the desired overall acoustic performance of a room and the technology products within it is a good first step toward getting the desired experience and performance. Independently measuring room performance and canvassing staff to share their experiences will make sure performance stays on track.

“While intelligibility is often expressed as a priority primarily for remote participants, consider that the in-room experience can also be problematic.”
—Nancy Knowlton Chief Executive Officer Nureva

TERRENCE BOYD Senior Business Manager Sony Electronics

While video is often viewed as the most dynamic part of conferencing, without a proper audio setup communication would be virtually ineffective. Conducting a lecture or meeting with a presenter or participant whose audio is unstable is a non-starter.

When implementing a new audio setup, there are many considerations for choosing the most effective solution for your environment, needs, and objectives. The most important consideration is a good network connection to maximize your ability to communicate. Next, understand the space you’re working with: Is it a large conference room, a small classroom, a lecture theater, or even your home office? Different microphones, headphones, and speakers are optimized for different room sizes, setups, and acoustics. Consider how many participants are a part of the lecture or meeting, and whether they’re located in the room, off site, or hybrid. Additionally, while we’re typically looking for ways to make sure everyone can hear the speaker with the same clarity, there are instances where the opposite is necessary. In some cases, discussions are private, and you want to ensure a sensitive conversation can only be heard by the appropriate parties.

Once you’ve gained an understanding of your needs and goals, it’s time to put a technology framework together. This is when it’s helpful to understand the benefits of specific audio solutions. To increase intelligibility, consider a beamforming ceiling microphone with advanced speech reinforcement like Sony’s MAS-A100, which frees presenters from the constraints of lavaliers and handheld mics and reduces feedback and ambient noise. For rich, powerful sound that supports large display technologies, consider Sony’s SLS-1A powered line-array speaker, which through its unique proprietary driver design minimizes sound distortion and enables beam steering to accurately control the direction and angle of sound delivery throughout the listening area.

…And when all else fails, check to make sure you’re not on mute!

AURANGZEB KHAN Senior Vice President of Intelligent Vision Systems Jabra

Today, 80 percent of all meetings are now either fully virtual or hybrid, with only 20 percent happening fully in person. However, with employers focused on helping their remote workers transform homes into dynamic remote work hubs over the last few years, it’s clear that the in-office experience has fallen behind.

Thirty-seven percent of employees say they often feel left out of the conversation in hybrid meetings, and 42 percent say they can’t hear what’s being said in hybrid meetings. So how can employers get their offices up to speed? By reprioritizing meeting spaces for virtual communication and utilizing new, inclusive collaboration technology. This begins with selecting conferencing audio devices that ensure everyone in and out of the office can participate and be heard—equally and authentically.

Conferencing audio technology should be designed for the portability and flexibility that today’s hybrid workers need, and purpose built with inclusive meetings in mind. They should be engineered with advanced audio features so everyone feels like they’re together in the same room, even when they’re spread across the globe. Features like full duplex audio make a significant difference in allowing conversations to flow freely in both directions, just like they would in person. Voice level normalization ensures everyone’s voice is equalized to the same volume level. State-ofthe-art microphones are critical to field sound from all directions, harnessing every change in voice tone, so every nuance is picked up. And noise reduction technology is important to drown out tapping of keyboards and background noises.

Where we work has changed a lot since the traditional office space of the past. In offices, employers should look to create interactionbased versus task-based spaces that provide the flexibility and collaboration employees need, and outfit them with the right cuttingedge conferencing technology for all voices to be heard in natural, flowing conversation.

Although the evolution of hybrid work has introduced a host of new audiovisual technologies to help workers get work done from anywhere, audio remains the most critical function. From our own customer surveys, maintaining reliable, quality audio is mission critical—more so than quality video— and the stakes are only getting higher.

In the past, organizations focused their conferencing AV efforts on a showpiece boardroom for important and/or large “all hands” types of meetings. Now, those businesses are asking for potentially hundreds or even thousands of small meeting environments—each requiring scalable and easy-to-install AV solutions to meet the explosion of demand for unified communication tools.

To get there, installers and their customers must turn to automation to ensure these small meeting environments maintain a competent audio setup to ensure effective communication. After all, complex AV gear can be its own impediment. When a room doesn’t work as expected or is too complicated to manage correctly, it can be overwhelming and distracting to end users.

Therefore, using audio system optimization features, such as automation, natural language processing, and predictive analysis, can vastly improve the relationship that users have with AV assets as well as room utilization. When rooms work and sound as expected, it also reflects well on the installer and the IT team that contracted the installer, which can lead to repeat business.

Offering customized AV setups deployed as a mass commodity is the surest way to achieve client delight. For the integrator, equipment that is easy to install, configure, use, and customize via automation will continue to gain share at the expense of complex, hard-touse solutions. Mass customization is the new commodity. Fueled by AI and other automated tools, mass customization equates to happier clients, more business opportunities, and better margins.

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 12

Crestron

We spend a lot of time in our industry talking about the “equity of experience.” Finding solutions that provide that meeting equity in the hybrid workplace has primarily applied to video.

But we need to remember that audio is still the most important part of any meeting. Even if video is unavailable, an audio connection still allows a meeting to proceed or a participant to join. Beyond that, quality audio is critical to proper engagement. Poor audio increases the cognitive load on meeting attendees and will create fatigue very quickly.

Delivering quality audio to every collaborator in a space is really about physics. Obviously, with a single mic, those closest to the device will be heard more clearly, and when someone in the back of the room begins to speak, the gain of that microphone needs to increase. This is why you need professional-

grade solutions that can automatically adjust from speaker to speaker depending on distance.

The same holds true for loudspeakers: How do we deliver the same volume to everyone in a room, regardless of proximity? If speakers are fixed in a room, the right DSP solution can go a long way to rectifying any audio imbalance for the listener. (Quality DSP can also be beneficial in rooms with a lot of hard, reflective surfaces that can create unwelcome

audio reflections.) The other option is to introduce a pod system that can distribute audio to a number of tabletop boxes that cover a specific area of the room. Add the right microphone to that pod, and you’ve solved your distance issues for both parts of the audio equation.

Ultimately, the solution comes down to room size and application: A collaboration bar will suffice in a huddle room, but larger spaces will always demand more robust solutions.

“A collaboration bar will suffice in a huddle room, but larger spaces will always demand more robust solutions.”
—Sam Kennedy Senior Director of Product Marketing Crestron

Management for Audio HP Hybrid Systems

Balancing work and home life can be challenging, but with the right tools, you can create a professional and supportive atmosphere that makes a real difference in peoples’ lives. Here are some audio best practices that enhance remote interactions and foster productivity.

First, establish confidence in your audio presence. When you join a meeting, you want to make a strong impression and be present without interruptions. With cutting-edge audio tools, ensure your voice takes center stage while minimizing distractions from background noise. It’s about creating an environment where you can confidently express yourself without worrying about unexpected interruptions, like a bus driving by or your kids playing in the background. We believe in empowering people to engage seamlessly, focusing on the meeting’s content rather than technical glitches.

Second, empower users to avoid asking, “Can you hear me?” Nothing breaks the flow of a conversation like constantly questioning the audio quality. By investing in reliable microphones and headsets with exceptional noise-canceling capabilities, you can ensure that your voice is clear and professional, instilling confidence from the moment you join a meeting.

And finally, take steps to combat meeting fatigue and boost engagement. We understand the toll that virtual meetings can take on your energy levels. By expanding the frequency range of human speech, audio devices allow listeners to capture the subtle nuances of tone and better understand accents. This promotes a deeper level of engagement and connection, relieving the strain of constantly trying to decipher what is being said.

At HP, we want to empower people to thrive in hybrid work environments. By optimizing audio quality, we can enhance connections, boost productivity, and create a sense of togetherness. We understand that the little things, like crystal-clear audio and immersive interactions, can make a profound difference in building meaningful relationships.

CARRIE KAUMANS Corporate Channel Marketing Manager Listen Technologies

When it comes to audio best practices, first, consider the needs and preferences of your audience. Are any audience members hard of hearing? Will they need an interpreter? Will they be sitting, standing, moving around a space, or looking at a screen?

Second, ensure audio clarity and coverage by testing from various locations within the space. Listen for any potential challenges posed by HVAC systems, room acoustics, or background noise. Arrange seats or position speakers strategically to ensure clear audio for all listeners. If people need to step out of the space temporarily, ensure they can still hear the audio effectively.

Third, make sure that clear audio is accessible to all attendees. Assistive listening devices can assist individuals with hearing loss, overcome distance-related challenges, reduce the impact of background noise, and compensate for poor acoustics. They can also enhance the audio experience for everyone in distracting environments. Explore various options such as FM band, infrared, or audio-over-Wi-Fi systems, which cater to the unique communication and audio needs of different venues and participants, including those engaged in audio conferencing.

Fourth, invest in high-quality microphones and speakers to ensure optimal sound reproduction. Test and calibrate the equipment to deliver clear and balanced audio. Consider using directional microphones for capturing speakers’ voices effectively, especially in environments with significant background noise.

And finally, take steps to minimize potential audio interference. Keep cables and wires organized and away from sources of electrical or electromagnetic interference. Properly position microphones and speakers to avoid feedback loops or audio distortion.

Providing clear and accessible audio enhances the overall experience for your audience, facilitates effective communication, and ensures that your message is effectively delivered. By considering these best practices and implementing them appropriately, you can create an engaging experience.

BRANDON WHITE Director of Product Development

Vanco International

Selling clients on the need for AV-enabled conference spaces has gotten both easier and harder. Prepandemic, the number of rooms that needed to be equipped with both audio and video was limited; conferencing just wasn’t part of the everyday workflow. Now, with many companies going hybrid, the question of conferencing audio is no longer whether it’s necessary, but what kind is necessary. With that question comes the new challenge of selling audio conferencing.

Our industry has done a great job innovating all-in-one audio and video devices, but while these products may be all in one, they are not one size fits all. It can be difficult to help clients overcome the misconception that they can just put a video bar in their largest boardroom and be done. Our own all-in-one Pulse Audio Collaboration Bar performs beautifully in small meeting rooms and huddle spaces. The super-wide angle of view means you can be right next to the display and still in frame, but it’s not designed for sound reinforcement in a classroom or larger meeting space. If you’re working with an all-in-one device, be sure to demo it for the clients in their space to make sure it meets their needs.

With all the innovation in the corporate technology space, it can sometimes be easy to overlook some of the most practical solutions, like in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. These types of products are a natural fit for larger conference spaces. In-wall and in-ceiling speakers evenly distribute sound throughout the room, and a backbox—or our exclusive Beale Street line with patented Sonic Vortex enclosures—can allow you to install speakers without fear of bleeding through to an adjacent space. Innovation drives the channel forward, but sometimes it pays to go back to basics.

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 14

Mersive Technologies Videoconferencing is evolving at breakneck speed. With teams dispersed across multiple locations, even small rooms and huddle spaces need to support remote participants. But there is a crucial part of conferencing that is often overlooked in corporate environments: audio.

Compatibility and the audio design in the physical conference room are keys to conferencing success. First, you need a conferencing and collaboration platform designed to work with any AV employees may bring to the table. Mersive’s Solstice Collaboration Platform supports all operating systems, browsers, and conferencing solutions to create one predictable and universal experience.

That means any audio device connected to any conferencing system is shareable under the unified Solstice platform. Solstice will treat

COVER 150 SQ. FT. WITH A SINGLE MIC

M45 SHORTGUN - AIMABLE CEILING MIC

The M45 is a miniaturized shotgun condenser microphone with a swivel-and-pivot base for convenient positioning. The M45 is optimized for vocal intelligibility and offers high sensitivity, an integrated preamp, immunity from RF interference, and is easy to install in a 1-1/2” hole with no additional tools required.

audio from AirPods connected to a Zoom call the same as audio from a high-end audio conference microphone using Teams. Audio is routed from any device to all participants, exercising the BYOM utility inherent in the Solstice platform for a flexible room solution. The result is a new level of collaboration between on-site and remote users. Generally, the ability to share audio from different kinds of content varies by browser and operating system.

When it comes time to share and collaborate in person, there are best practices meeting admins can suggest, such as advising meeting participants not to speak into their laptops but rather speak toward the mic. If meeting participants are sharing from their own laptops, ask them to mute their sound so there is no echo. As an admin, don’t turn your audio playback up too loud, which can cause those on the remote side of your meeting to hear echo. These small details amass to build better experiences for all users, and ultimately help create meeting equity; remote participants will hear participants more clearly and have a better overall experience.

LEARN MORE AT AUDIXUSA.COM Audinate® is a registered trademark of Audinate Pty Ltd. Dante® is a registered trademark of Audinate Pty Ltd.
“You need a conferencing and collaboration platform designed to work with any AV employees may bring to the table.”
—Alan Young Chief Procurement Officer, Chief Information Security Officer Mersive Technologies

CASE-IN-POINT

16 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com

AUDIO UPGRADE FOR AN OSLO LANDMARK

Oslo’s latest nightlife addition, Telegrafen, is an experience all its own. Located in the historic “telegraph building” in Kongens gate 21, it’s a trip back in time to the 60s, 70s, and 80s—but not without cutting-edge experiences and technology.

The 3,200-square-meter venue consists of six modern and flexible event rooms, five unique bars, and three game zones with over 40 games and activities such as darts and the Dutch shuffleboard game Sjoelbak. Telegrafen Oslo is designed to give visitors the ultimate combination of delicious food; high-quality facilities; a pleasant atmosphere; and engaging, memorable entertainment.

Modern amenities, art, and furniture all combine with the original artwork and architectural elements from as far back as 1916 to make Telegrafen Oslo a blast-from-the-past experience. All this doesn’t mean that its designers would be satisfied with audio capabilities that were stuck in a bygone era. System integrator Bravo turned to a robust suite of Bose Professional products to form a holistic solution that could keep pace with all the varied experiences guests can have within the space.

A day inside Telegrafen Oslo could include everything from a conference in a customizable event room; to lunch from the venue’s impressive kitchen; to a darts tournament in a bar with a distinctly 80s vibe; or a full, luxurious, three-course meal and a late night of dancing and socializing.

That variety is attractive to visitors, but it presented a potential headache for audio engineers and staff. How can a space with so much to offer leverage a diverse, yet holistic audio solution that’s powerful and versatile enough to cater to all of these experiences without interfering with the blend of heritage and high-tech?

“We needed a partner who could ensure high-quality sound in big, flexible spaces, larger educational facilities, restaurants, bars—in other words, we needed distinct solutions suitable for everything from fun, experiential sound to clear audio for conferencing,” said Steffen Johansen, technical project manager for system integrator Bravo. “We needed a provider that could deliver products that met all of our needs, not one that only provides the loudspeakers.”

The final suite included 14 distinct products serving different roles throughout the venue for a cohesive, elegant audio solution. Products included DesignMax in-ceiling loudspeakers, the Panaray MA12 family of modular columnar array loudspeakers, PowerSpace and PowerMatch amplifiers, and the Videobar VB1 all-in-one USB conferencing device.

While the diverse selection of loudspeakers provided a superior sound experience and integrated into the different styles throughout the building, having the Bose Videobar VB1 in the conferencing space ensured transparent conferencing technology for high productivity and ease of use. The Videobar VB1 provides intuitive and quick connectivity with a single cable.

“What’s so cool about this project is the breadth of Bose components used throughout the venue,” said Jørn Akerhaugen

of Skagstindgruppen, which owns Telegrafen Oslo. “Telegrafen provides an amazing experience for the eyes and the ears thanks to Bose innovation and audio quality. In the restaurants is one experience, then as you move throughout the space— from the meeting rooms to all the other gathering areas—it’s an incredible, immersive experience.”

The DesignMax family of loudspeakers enables the best possible audio experience for visitors in the conference rooms and restaurants, no matter where they are. Couple that with intuitive and simple control via ControlSpace products and powerful sound from Panaray loudspeakers and PowerSpace amplifiers, and the resulting solution is truly ready for anything.

When guests enter the venue, the audio compliments the aesthetics, enhances their experience, and never becomes a distraction, regardless of where they are or their activities.

“I had no doubt that Bravo and Bose would deliver exactly what was needed for each unique space,” said Akerhaugen. “The end result exceeded my expectations, and I’m proud to show everybody how incredible each space is—they’re all amazing. I’m so proud of how everything fits into the aesthetic and character of our venue and how easy the solutions are to use.”

Bose also helped Johansen and Bravo ensure that the transition to the system was seamless.

“Bose did everything I needed as far as DSP programming and support,” Johansen said. “They’re supportive, reliable, and easy to work with—even at a scale like this. We don’t get that kind of support from all our manufacturing providers.”

17
JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com
Photos Courtesy Bose Professional

HYBRID LEARNING TECH THAT MEANS BUSINESS

Temple University’s Fox School of Business is leveraging the power of ClearOne’s industry-leading BMA 360 Microphone, and CONVERGE Pro 2 DSP Mixer to empower educators with easy-to-use classroom systems that improve usability and remote learner experiences. According to Vikram Singh, the school’s IT director, the tumultuous COVID years created an urgent need for modern remote communication tools that provide convenience, reliability, room-toroom consistency, and, most importantly, crystal clear audio quality for every remote participant.

“By 2021, we had demoed a variety of solutions with our partner installation firms. We decided that the ClearOne BMA 360 and CONVERGE Pro 2 solutions offered the most user-friendly and flexible system that could be adapted into a range of room types and sizes,” Singh explained. “The first room we addressed was an event space of around 3,000 square feet with 20-foot ceilings, which previously relied on wireless handheld and lavalier microphones for voice pickup. Adding three BMA 360 ceiling tile microphones throughout the room greatly simplified use and increased efficiency because it can pick up voice accurately and clearly from any spot in the room, eliminating the need to hand-deliver microphones for audience questions.”

As a proof of concept, the event space was a major success. Combined with the room’s two cameras and two laser projection screens, the BMA 360 beamforming microphone array delivered superior audio quality and reliability with no daily setup required. Instructors and meeting hosts praised the system’s simplicity, including its ability to work with various collaboration platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as its compatibility with all major operating systems, including Windows and MacOS.

Following the initial success, the school began outfitting additional large spaces with the same three-BMA 360 solution, including the adjacent large classroom and an auditorium. Key benefits of the BMA 360 include its 600-square-foot pickup range and ability to automatically steer the microphone arrays to the current speaker. These features enable the three-microphone system to capture audio from every spot, with greater clarity than previous designs that relied on microphones with smaller coverage.

“It was obvious that the ClearOne room was the ideal solution, as other spaces experienced major disruptions in audio pickup due to existing microphones picking up HVAC noise,” Singh said. “The advanced noise cancellation offered by the BMA 360 and CONVERGE Pro 2 digital signal processor

solved that problem and became our preferred solution, which we are now in the process of standardizing across the school. In fact, it’s so intuitive to use that we don’t even have to provide training—the users just know how it works.”

“Replacing the existing hanging mics in the Fox School of Business with ClearOne’s nearly invisible ceiling tile microphones has improved the appearance of these rooms, with reduced distractions and visual clutter,” said Jason DiCampello, CTS, regional sales director at ClearOne. “Additionally, after each room is installed and programmed, there are no complicated settings to fiddle with or options to choose, so staff can focus on the lesson and the students instead of wasting time fussing with the technology.”

The success quickly spread beyond the Fox School of Business, with several other Temple University schools beginning renovations of remote collaboration systems with the same ClearOne solution. Instructors and meeting hosts can use each room’s integrated PC or easily connect their own laptops, regardless of operating system or collaboration platform.

Standardizing on ClearOne is an important goal for Singh, as it simplifies every aspect of daily use, including instructor and student experiences, system maintenance, and room scheduling. With 40 classrooms, five event spaces, and about 25 conference rooms, deploying minor variations on a standard solution can help minimize in-class setup time and avoid the frustration and delays that often arise from using disparate systems. As smaller rooms may not require multiple BMA 360s or their own CONVERGE Pro 2 DSPs, they can instead utilize other ClearOne devices specially designed for smaller spaces.

Temple’s hybrid and remote solution upgrades are ongoing, with an ultimate goal of a fully standardized campus where every relevant room functions the same. The CONVERGE Pro 2 DSP provides enhanced signal processing to improve audio clarity even further, as well as manage input signals from multiple microphone units.

18
JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com
Photos Courtesy ClearOne

TELECONFERENCING EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

More than 100 years ago, The SwedishAmerican Chamber of Commerce, New York (SACCNY) was founded with the mission of promoting and strengthening trade and commerce between Sweden and the United States. Out of this mission Gateway was created—a modern professional environment in the heart of Midtown, Manhattan. Gateway acts as the next step in modernizing SACCNY support for Swedish entrepreneurs, established corporations, and beyond. There, event spaces, conference rooms, and remote work areas all service the establishment and growth of USbased Swedish business.

All this pinnacles in Gateway’s showcase space, referred to as “A Room with a View.” This high-value space accommodates seating and teleconferencing for up to twelve and required a cutting-edge experience that not only delivered on its promise, but also did so seamlessly. To do this, the Gateway team engaged Harpervision.

“Executives don’t want to have to think about the technology,” Greg Harper, president of Harpervision Associates and vice president of Infrastructure for Shorelight Education explained. “They want a videoconferencing experience to be as authentic as possible.”

This revealed an ideal opportunity for QSC to partner with Sennheiser and Barco—the combination allowing for “A Room with a View” to exceed all expectations. The Q-SYS OS, the

software-based foundation for Q-SYS, drives and manages the room’s Q-SYS Core 110f processor, as well as its connected peripherals. Three Q-SYS PTZ-IP conference cameras allow for multiple vantages and an immersive remote experience, while NV Series video endpoints deliver the Q-SYS conference cameras and room audio to all major conferencing applications, as well as providing video transport. As a Q-SYS partner product within the greater Q-SYS ecosystem, with the room’s Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) microphone is easily integrated into the Q-SYS system design via an available Q-SYS plugin, and its beamforming technology follows the speaker. In addition to those obvious audio benefits, it also allows the Q-SYS OS to trigger Q-SYS camera position presets based on the speaker’s location.

“So we’re getting the data from the Sennheiser TCC2 microphone and using that data to automatically switch the cameras based on who’s speaking,” Harper elaborated.

To stay aligned with their vision of a seamless experience, agnostic, bring your own meeting capabilities became a priority. The Gateway design enables users to easily access conference mode-switching via a Q-SYS Touch Screen Controller. With this, users can instantly shift the meeting room setup to Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other UC platforms. Convenience is further enabled with the Barco ClickShare Conference. The Barco control plugin for Q-SYS allows users to connect and present wirelessly, no matter their location.

Contributions to Gateway extended beyond the Room with a View—spanning throughout the larger space to the Media Lab; the Board Room, which seats eighteen; and the Event Room, which seats 60 people. All of these areas share the same ethos of flexibility and user centricity in service of SACCNY’s larger mission.

“Our setup is truly BYOD. This is extremely powerful, and you don’t get that in many places,” Harper concluded. “You get the whole package: high-quality audio, stunning visual communication, lots of control, and remote capability. What else could you want?”

20 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com
Photos Courtesy Q-SYS

SOUND PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS THAT MATTER 22 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com

your favorite meeting platform and can be further enhanced with compatible products. Featuring the latest advances in meeting technology, like the 4K Ultra HD camera that comes with AI-powered autoframing and person tiling, the TC Bars enable remote participants to clearly see and hear everyone in the room, so even the smallest gestures and facial expressions are conveyed to maximize meeting inclusion and engagement.

sennheiser.com

M45 Shortgun

installed

is able to cover up to 150 square feet of area with remarkable sensitivity and exceptionally clear sound. It is ideal for use in corporateor educational classroom-style setups, boardrooms, and conference rooms, as well as larger lecture venues and hospitals. Highly versatile and amiable, it features a low-profile, swivel-and-pivot base for convenient positioning. The M45 is optimized for vocal intelligibility and offers high sensitivity of 98 mV / Pa at 1 kHz, a maximum SPL of >124 dB, an integrated preamp, immunity from RF interference, and is easy to install in a 1.5-inch hole with no additional tools required.

audixusa.com

23 1
2
Audix’s M45 Shortgun miniaturized shotgun condenser ceiling mic
JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com

3

Shure’s MXA902 Integrated Conferencing Ceiling Array, part of the Microflex Advance ceiling array microphone platform, is the world’s first with integrated loudspeaker and IntelliMix DSP for small- and mediumsized meeting rooms. For IT managers and AV professionals seeking reliable audio solutions that are easy to configure out of the box, the MXA902 delivers premium audio capture and reproduction with minimal setup required. The ceiling-mounted audio solution is complete with a state-of-the-art array microphone for enhanced directional voice capture and an integrated wide-dispersion loudspeaker for natural-sounding far-end speech. The MXA902 is a bold new solution that delivers microphone, loudspeaker, and DSP technology in one device.

shure.com

4

IMPACT

1000 Headset

EPOS’ IMPACT 1000 Headset leverages industry-leading speech intelligibility technology. By harnessing machine learning technology, the IMPACT 1000 works to identify which sounds should be suppressed in a user’s environment and which sounds should be enhanced. Together, this first-ofits-kind solution addresses the challenges of modern work environments, empowering workers in open-plan offices to block out unwanted noises and create disturbance-free work experiences for both sides of a call.

EPOS machine learning technology scans user environments 32,000 times per second to suppress disruptive sounds, and enhances desirable audio to ensure only the relevant sounds slip through to the person the user is talking to.

eposaudio.com

5

Atlona’s AT-CAP-SP100 Speakerphone is a USB and Bluetooth speakerphone designed for use with popular conferencing and unified communications platforms including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco, and many more. Combining microphone and speaker audio in a single, elegant enclosure, the CAP-SP100 provides 360-degree coverage to capture voices within a radius of up to 16 feet. Its six-element microphone array focuses audio pickup while suppressing background noises, allowing individual meeting participants to be heard loudly and clearly. USB-C, Bluetooth, and analog audio connectivity ensure compatibility with a wide array of computers and mobile devices, while the included battery allows operation up to eight hours without a power connection.

atlona.com

3
AT-CAP-SP100 Speakerphone
24 4 5 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com
MXA902 Integrated Conferencing Ceiling Array

Vaddio’s EasyIP CeilingMIC/AMP D is an in-ceiling audio solution with an overhead microphone and a built-in speaker amplifier—both featuring Dante networked audio. The EasyIP CeilingMIC/AMP D features a PoE+ network connection, an overhead microphone, and one powered speaker output, making it a convenient and cost-effective two-in-one solution for incorporating a microphone and a passive speaker with an EasyIP or Dante audio system. Dante makes installing any-size project easy by providing digital signal transmission over the network. The EasyIP CeilingMIC/AMP D is part of the expanding family of Vaddio’s EasyIP AV-over-IP ecosystem.

Yamaha UC’s CS-800 Video Sound Bar features a 4K AI-enabled video camera that supports auto-framing and allows for three modes: speaker tracking, individual tracking, or group mode. Audio and video information are used to determine the section of the space or meeting room where relevant participants are located to direct the focus to that area.

Through a simple HDMI connection, users can easily launch video calls on the CS-800. Whether used in a BYOD environment or with installed equipment, the product supports auto wake up when someone enters the meeting space and provides on-screen guidance regarding how to start the meeting. Additionally, the technology enables companies to add customized images and corporate messaging.

uc.yamaha.com

Panasonic’s WX-AM800 Ceiling Array Microphone, designed to cover a 30-by30-foot area with four adjustable zones, automatically adjusts its sensitivity based on the location of the speaker and features built-in integration with one Panasonic PTZ camera for voice tracking without a control system. With the new WX-AU202 Antenna/ Receiver, users can add up to two Panasonic DECT wireless microphones without having to use rack space. Corporate meeting rooms and classrooms need crisp, clear audio technology to ensure all participants, whether they are in-person or tuning in remotely, can actively participate in the conversation.

legrandav.com 6 EasyIP CeilingMIC/ AMP D
7
8
CS-800 Video Sound Bar
panasonic.com WX-AM800 Ceiling Array Microphone 25 8 7 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 6

9 10

HDL310 and HDL410 Audio Conferencing Systems

Nureva’s HDL310 and HDL410 Audio Conferencing Systems give customers a plug-and-play system with pro-AV-quality audio that lets every voice be heard. The simplicity of installation, setup, and device management gives IT professionals new opportunities to accelerate the cost-effective deployment of their large and extra-large conferencing spaces without compromising the collaboration experience. These unique systems are powered by Nureva’s patented Microphone Mist technology, which fills a space with thousands of virtual microphones to deliver the full-room audio pickup and clarity required for an inclusive meeting experience, regardless of where participants are located or facing.

nureva.com

Videobar VB1 and VB-S

Bose Professional’s Videobar VB1 and VB-S conferencing devices are all-in-one USB meeting solutions. The Videobar VB1 is specifically designed for medium-sized meeting spaces up to 20 by 20 feet. Its counterpart the Videobar VB-S is more compact, with plug-and-play simplicity enabling a quick and easy setup—ideal for small meeting spaces of up to 10 by 10 feet. The Videobar VB1 provides six automatic beam-steering microphones (four for the Videobar VB-S), a 4K Ultra HD camera, and signature sound—together removing videoconferencing hardware headaches. The Bose Professional Videobar conferencing devices help you huddle up, connect, and get more done.

pro.bose.com

11

SLS-1A HighPerformance Line-Array Speaker

Sony Electronics’ SLS-1A High-Performance Line-Array Speaker is purpose built to create new sound field coverage for education, corporate, retail, and faith applications. The speaker solves common pain points for large and medium spaces with largeformat displays; for example, unfavorable acoustics and architectural challenges, unintelligibility, separation of visuals and sound, and the inability to create a listening experience prioritized for each participant. The SLS-1A minimizes sound distortion and enables beam steering to accurately control the direction and angle of sound delivery. It features center screen sound localization technology for a uniform sound experience, regardless of location.

sony.com

10
26
JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com

12

13

Speak2 75 Professional Speakerphone

Jabra’s Speak2 75 Professional Speakerphone is the best for hybrid working. It is a personal, pocketable device for the coffee-table-conferencing, dining-roomdialing, hotel-hot-desking meeting rooms of today’s hybrid world. It’s the next generation of Jabra’s world-leading Speak Series of professional, portable speakerphones, and it is packed with the latest technology, including a 65mm speaker, super-wideband audio, full-duplex audio for the most natural conversations, and four beamforming microphones. It’s also the only speakerphone in its class to feature an intuitive Microphone Quality Indicator, and both USB-C and USB-A connectors on the same cable.

jabra.com

13

Crestron Flex Pods

14

Crestron Flex Pods by Crestron provide flexible, high-quality audio for hybrid meetings and are scalable across many spaces. All components are designed to be used out of the box with no audio setup. No matter where the people are in the space, the solution can be moved to ensure optimal range and reach so everyone can hear, and be heard, clearly. In-room participants experience consistent audio as volume levels are synchronized across all Crestron Flex Pods in the room. Users can easily mute, unmute, and adjust the speaker volume right on the Crestron Flex Pods, putting control where the people are.

crestron.com

Rally

Series All-in-One Video Bars

Logitech’s Rally Series All-in-One Video Bars deliver easy, equitable, and consistent video conferencing experiences across various sized rooms, and feature impressive audio. A natural meeting experience for remote employees is created with the twice-as-loud Rally Bar Huddle’s redesigned ported-audio system, advanced sound pickup via beamforming mics, and AI-based noise suppression.

Similarly, Rally Bar’s advanced audio engineering—high-performance speaker drivers, adaptive beamforming mics, port tube for enhanced low frequencies, and patented anti-vibration suspension system for full duplex—deliver powerful, roomfilling sound so everyone is heard. AI sound optimization is made possible for auto-level loud and soft voices while suppressing unwanted noise with RightSound technology that improves over time. logitech.com

12
27
JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 14

SoundTube’s STNet IPD-Hub 2 Amplifier, a versatile, Dante-enabled two-channel amplifier, is ideal for audio conferencing applications. Plenum-rated with onboard DSP and AES67 compatibility, it is a costeffective alternative to conventional audio distribution. The optional Remote Volume Control enables seamless integration with RDL Format A input devices. Operating via PoE, PoE+, or MSE’s High Power PoE @ 40W means flexibility and efficiency. It’s perfect for small- to medium-sized areas, with the capacity to link multiple units for larger spaces or eight-zone setups. Optimize your conferencing audio experience with the STNet IP-enabled IPD-Hub 2 amp and SoundTube IPD speakers.

soundtube.mseaudio.com

NM Series Network Microphones

Q-SYS’ NM Series Network Microphones are ideal for any collaboration space. They feature advanced beamforming technology with four software-configurable zones and up to 360-degree coverage, allowing designers to minimize noise and refine intelligibility for optimal collaboration experiences. The tabletop NM-T1 enables users to easily manage meetings with a fully programmable RGB LED light ring for visual indication of microphone mute state. For touchless operation, it includes an integrated proximity sensor that is activated with a simple hand wave over the microphone. All processing on the NM-T1 is centralized on the Q-SYS Core processor, providing processing flexibility and headroom for additional fielddeployable microphone enhancements via software, now and into the future.

qsys.com

17

Biamp’s Desono C-IC6LP low-profile ceiling mount loudspeaker provides an ideal choice for any conferencing space that demands superior speech reproduction in narrow depth ceilings. The powerful and versatile shallow, low-profile ceiling loudspeaker features just a 4-inch (10cm) mounting depth. Optimized for superior speech reproduction in conferencing environments, the C-IC6LP is a two-way 6.5-inch (16.5cm) passive coaxial loudspeaker with either a standard category cable or traditional speaker cable installation connection. The C-IC6LP also directly integrates with the Tesira AMP-450BP, a four-channel “backpack” PoE+ amplifier that reduces wiring requirements and installation time. biamp.com

28 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 15 16
15 16 Desono C-IC6LP STNet IPD-Hub 2 Amplifier
17

18

Sonia Family of Networked Amplifiers and Ceiling Speakers

Xilica’s Sonia Family of Networked Amplifiers and Ceiling Speakers are ideal for IT-friendly collaboration spaces. The series includes the Sonia C5, a compact 5.25-inch in-ceiling speaker with a wide, even dispersion pattern that enables fewer speakers in large spaces.

Sonia C5 is powered by Xilica’s Sonia Amp, a PoE+-enabled amplifier with an integrated network switch that can power up to eight daisy-chained Sonia C5 speakers. With four individual channels, one Sonia Amp can also power Sonia C5 speakers across four neighboring meeting rooms. Standard Category cable connectivity between Sonia Amp and Sonia C5 eliminates the traditional, polarized speaker wire, power calculations, and proprietary installation practices.

xilica.com

19

BMA 360D Beamforming Microphone Array

ClearOne’s BMA 360D Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tile delivers unrivaled audio performance. It’s the industry’s only ultra-wideband, frequencyinvariant beamforming mic array with uniform gain response across all frequency bands. Dante integration enhances the array’s functionality by delivering unprocessed beam audio on individual Dante transmit channels, and a smart-switched output is delivered on a separate Dante channel to provide the optimal mix of active inputs while enabling ClearOne’s full suite of audio enhancements. The BMA 360D now incorporates the world’s most advanced audio technology and is compatible with any Dante-enabled DSP mixer.

clearone.com

20

AS Series Ceiling Speakers

ATEN Technology’s AS Series Ceiling Speakers deliver excellent sound quality through their 100-20kHz bandwidth, allowing maximum listening space efficiency with fewer sets of speakers. They come in pairs of 4-inch (AS104) or 6.5-inch (AS106) coaxial two-way loudspeakers with a 20mm dome tweeter; 30W RMS and 60W peak power, and 60W RMS and 120W peak power, respectively; and matching transformers running on 70/100V lines or 8 ohm to suit various applications. Phase issues are minimized by adopting coaxial neodymium magnetic drivers.

The AS Series is manufactured with UL94-V0 materials, improving flame and fire protection. ATEN ceiling speakers are ideal for auditoriums, HoW, sport venues, and mid-size meeting spaces. aten.com

18
20
29 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com

21 ListenWIFI

Listen Technologies’ ListenWIFI is the next generation of the Listen EVERYWHERE audioover-Wi-Fi solution. ListenWIFI streams venue audio to smartphones through a free, customizable app or directly to new LWR-1050 receivers. When used with proper signage and neck loops, the new receivers make ListenWIFI compliant with ADA and international accessibility requirements. New ListenWIFI Beacons provide location-based audio for a fully automated and seamless user experience. Beacons are small units that can be mounted on a wall and transmit information to LWR-1050 receivers and smartphones running the ListenWIFI app. ListenWIFI is used for assistive listening, language interpretation, streaming video or TV audio, self-guided tours, and audio description.

listentech.com

22 IsoFlare Series

The AtlasIED IsoFlare Series of premium ceiling loudspeakers is the perfect accompaniment for any corporate conference room. The IsoFlare series uses a specialized core based on next-generation point source technology and offers outstanding stereo imaging with constant directivity for more immersive sound quality. The series includes coaxial high-frequency compression drivers for consistent audio quality and high-caliber transformers to prevent distortion. It is available in seven models, including full-range models in four-, six-, and eight-inch sizes, a 4-inch low profile model, an 8-inch subwoofer, and two preinstall models.

atlasied.com

READ MORE ONLINE

Want to find out more about the latest products and tech? Simply click here to visit the AVT website and access your ultimate product guide.

30 21 22
JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com

AWARD WINNERS OF INFOCOMM 2023 BEST OF SHOW

The AV/IT industry is back—en force! The event which took place from June 10-16 in Orlando was a huge success. The official InfoComm 2023 numbers underscored this sentiment. Coming in at 29,325 verified attendees is a whopping 39 percent more than in 2022. The increase in exhibitor booths to 700, and the 29 percent year over year increase, would make any number-cruncher happy.

Our first congratulations go out to the AVIXA team for an outstanding show. As editors of Future’s AV Technology, Digital Signage, Mix, Sound & Video Contractor, and Tech & Learning, we are not surprised the show was a success because the number of nominated entries into our Best of Show well surpassed pre-2020 numbers. We hired more judges this year than ever before.

We pride ourselves in the integrity of our award programs. Each publication engages with AV/IT professionals who are experts in the technologies specific to the categories we assign them to evaluate. Our judges are CTS-certified technology managers, engineers, integrators, and consultants.

We require that our judges talk with product managers, engineers, or other man-

ufacturers’ representatives to best evaluate products and solutions for innovation, feature set, ease of installation/use, and potential overall value to the installation/institution. Our judges cannot make themselves known to the companies whose products they are evaluating. Future pays our judges for their valuable time the expertise.

Congratulations to the R&D and product teams who have developed new products and solutions or iterated upon existing ones to make them relevant and necessary in today’s environment.

We hope you are as excited to learn more about these products as we were reading about them during the nomination process.

Introducing the of Best of InfoComm 2023 award winners!

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 32
AV TECHNOLOGY, DIGITAL SIGNAGE, & TECH&LEARNING

AV TECHNOLOGY, BEST OF SHOW AWARD WINNERS

Dante AV 4K-T Transmitter and 4K-R Receiver

Share from Browser

Airtame’s Share from Browser feature democratizes screen sharing and hybrid collaboration. This feature gives users the ability to screen share or start a hybrid conference call from the web browser of their choice, without having to download or install any new applications. This is especially useful for first-time users such as guests and those who have restrictions from running software on their machines. With Share from Browser, users can share to an Airtamepowered display in seconds without wasting time with installations. Users simply use an Airtame pairing code displayed on their screen, and select if they want to share a browser tab, windows, or entire desktop.

airtame.com

AJA’s Dante AV 4K-T Transmitter and 4K-R Receiver enable seamless transport and control of low-latency, professional-quality 4K/ultra-HD/2K/HD/VESA Dante video and audio to/from 12G-SDI or HDMI 2.0 devices over a 1GigE Dante AV network. Audio and video streams from both devices can be easily managed using the popular Dante Controller software. Building on AJA’s OGDANTE-12GAM 12G-SDI/Dante 64-channel audio embedder/disembedder, these new converters allow AV teams, professionals who manage video distribution in a networked facility, and systems integrators to easily incorporate high-quality, visually lossless video into AV-over-IP environments spanning stadiums, arenas, theaters, churches, schools, office complexes, hotels, conference rooms, and more.

aja.com

Jetpack JPK-1300 Switching, Transport, and Control Solution

AMX’s Jetpack JPK-1300 Switching, Transport, and Control Solution is for K12 classrooms and small-to-medium meeting spaces. It provides simple-to-operate room controls, multiple video inputs, and enables voice lift for clear communication with everyone in the space. The JPK-1300 combines 4K60 4:2:0 HDMI and USB-C video switching and distance transport, room control, wallplate accessibility, and audio amplification in a kit that requires zero programming and provides the security and reliability that AMX is well known to provide. The kit is fully loaded to support a wide range of classroom and meeting space applications and can be controlled through panel buttons, RS-232, Telnet, SSH, a Web GUI, and the Jetpack Manager application.

amx.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com
33

SVSI N2600 Series Encoders and Decoders

AMX’s SVSI N2600 Series Encoders and Decoders are cost-effective, powerfully robust AVoIP solutions. All models feature a high-quality, low-latency 4K60 4:4:4 MWC codec that is ideal for streaming both live video and detailed content in classrooms, meeting spaces, courtrooms, bars, and other applications.

They also feature transport of fullbandwidth USB 2.0 signals between encoders and decoders, video preview images viewable from the built-in web interface or from a touch panel, and enhanced support for high-security networks.

Wallplate encoders include both an HDMI input and a USB-C input that supports both video and USB 2.0. N2600 wallplate decoders create an elegant and secure installation when installed behind a wallmounted display.

amx.com

DynamicCL

Arthur Holm’s DynamicCL camera lift system has been designed to hide table VC cameras when not in use. These 360-degree table cameras often cover all the people at the table and are therefore typically located in the center of the table, but the DynamicCL allows the cable to retract with the camera, leaving the table free from obstructions. The camera lift has integrated camera power and a USB- C or USB-A cable for the camera feed to the laptop. The DynamicCL is also available without a retractable cable for fixed connectivity. The movements can be controlled remotely via RS422 or locally on the device.

arthurholm.com

AST1530/AST1535 AVoIP Matrix Video Wall Processor

ASPEED’s AST1530/AST1535 AVoIP Matrix

Video Wall Processor is a cutting-edge video extender solution that supports up to 4K real-time video over IP. With its exceptional features and advanced technology, this product is designed to meet the demands of high-end professional AV applications. At the heart of the AST1530/AST1535 is its 4K60 1G AVoIP high-quality visually lossless video codec, delivering stunning visuals with uncompromised clarity. Immerse yourself in a world of vibrant colors and lifelike details, thanks to 12-bit color depth processing and 16-bit OSD that ensure an exceptional visual experience.

With an ultra-low latency of below 0.5 frame, you can enjoy smooth, synchronized video playback without any noticeable delays.

aspeedtech.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 34

PresentON VP2021

ATEN Technology’s PresentON VP2021 is a wireless BYOD solution that enables anyone, including visitors, to easily share content from a laptop or mobile device so that participants can actively collaborate for enhanced and efficient workflows. It is ideal for both huddle spaces and large meeting spaces, and is flexible enough for corporate or education use.

The VP2021 features multi-view and audio-out capabilities, designed to increase content-sharing flexibility. It is equipped with USB touch-back and moderation mode functions, allowing presenters to easily control meetings. This solution also features Remote View so participants can immerse themselves in the presentation. PoE connectivity makes installation easy.

aten.com

RXT-4D Desktop Touch Panel

Aurora Multimedia’s RXT-4D Desktop Touch Panel is a 4-inch desktop touch panel with a ReAX JavaScript based control system. Ideal for conference rooms, educational facilities, hospitality, digital signage, and more. The RXT 4D has a beautiful 480 x 480 1:1 aspect ratio touch screen with 160-degree viewing. It also works as a Dante beamforming microphone with advanced hardware for feedback suppression, auto gain, and noise cancellation. The 2D/3D graphics engine with 1080p H.264 streaming decoder provides a powerful solution for complex graphics and video, ensuring an enhanced user experience. The RXT 4D also has a 1-watt smart-amplifier-powered speaker, stereo digital microphone, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor.

auroramm.com

VPX-TC1-WP2 AV-over-IP Wall Plate Transceiver

Aurora Multimedia’s VPX-TC1-WP2 AV-overIP Wall Plate Transceiver provides one of the most advanced 1G IP streaming solutions on the market, utilizing Aurora’s new Mimix CODEC technology. Mimix compression allows for near-perfect reproduction of video and graphic images at resolutions up to 4K60 4:4:4 over 1G networks. It has zero frame (1.78ms) latency and seamless switching for lag-free content.

Audio, video, data, and control can be sent securely to one or many units using an off-the-shelf 1G RJ 45 Ethernet switch. The two video inputs can be selected from the buttons, auto sense, or IP command. The audio can be de-embedded at any location, and/or be sent to or received from a Danteenabled device.

auroramm.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 35

AXIS C1610-VE Network Sound Projector

Axis Communications’ AXIS C1610-VE Network Sound Projector is a robust, intelligent speaker that delivers clear, rich audio for security, safety, and operational needs—indoors and out. It can be easily integrated with network devices and includes built-in AXIS Audio Manager Edge software for configuring, managing, and scheduling options. It has a sleek, Red Dot Award-winning look and is IK10-rated and IP66-rated to withstand vandalism and weather fluctuations. Equipped with a digital signal processor, 5W amplifier, built-in microphone, and LED status light, this PoE

ClickShare CX-50 2nd Generation

Barco’s ClickShare CX-50 2nd Generation is the premium ClickShare Conference with A++ ecolabel, designed to enable better decision-making and collaboration in highimpact meeting rooms. Thanks to dualscreen support, everyone gets an equal seat in the hybrid meeting, no matter if they join remotely or in-room.

The supercharged model is simple, easy to use and makes everyone feel part of the conversation. It enables meeting room users to work the way they want and use the devices and video conferencing platforms they feel comfortable with; and it eliminates the need to figure out a room computer or display, or attach any cables.

barco.com

Barco’s TruePix is a series of advanced LED displays produced by Barco, designed to deliver stunning visual quality and exceptional reliability for a range of applications. With high-resolution pixel pitches, precise color reproduction, and a modular design, Truepix provides a flexible and customizable solution for a variety of display needs.

barco.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 36

ATEM Television Studio

HD8 ISO

Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO is a new family of all-in-one live production switchers that combine broadcast features with extreme portability. These new switchers feature broadcastgrade control panels with advanced features such as streaming and recording. There is also an ISO model that can record all video inputs and can connect to up to eight remote cameras. These new switchers also support live streaming, talkback, and optional internal storage.

Customers get a powerful switcher with eight standards-converted SDI inputs, two aux outputs, four chroma keyers, two downstream keyers, SuperSource, two media players, and lots of transitions.

blackmagicdesign.com

Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pro

The Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pro by Blackmagic Design is a powerful new camera that features an EF lens mount and a 6K sensor for improved colorimetry and fine detail handling. It also features built-in live streaming via Ethernet or mobile data, so customers can place cameras remotely— almost anywhere in the world—and the cameras can generate a H.264 HD live stream that is sent over the internet back to the studio. Advanced features also include talkback; tally; camera control; built-in color corrector; large, integrated 7-inch HDR viewfinder; Blackmagic RAW recording to USB disks; ND filters; and more.

blackmagicdesign.com

Cordless Explorer Display Cart

Bretford Technology’s Cordless Explorer Display Cart is the first ever batterypowered, all-terrain, outdoor-rated large display cart. Pinnacle communication is now effortless, everywhere. The Bretford Cordless Explorer Display Cart uses 1000 Wh swappable lithium technology—a groundbreaking innovation tailored to the needs of AV/IT end users. This state-ofthe-art cart promises to revolutionize the way professionals, educators, and coaches engage and collaborate in today’s digitally connected world.

This versatile cart is designed to support up to a 75-inch display and up to 200 lbs. It is compatible with a wide range of TV sizes and brands, ensuring a secure, safe fit even during transportation, thanks to its VESAcompliant mounting system.

bretford.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 37

Tessera G1 Receiver Card

Brompton Technology’s Tessera G1 Receiver Card is by far the most powerful to ever go into an LED panel. It has 20 times more computing power than the current Tessera R2+ receiver card and unlocks new capabilities that will help define the future of LED processing.

The G1 is capable of supporting a staggering one-million-pixel capacity for a new generation of ultra-fine pixel pitch panels. Furthermore, it can drive panels at refresh rates up to 1,000 frames per second. It is also the first-ever receiver card to support 10Gb fiber Ethernet connections direct to the panel. Additionally, the G1 supports Brompton’s unique Dynamic Calibration technology, an essential building block for high-quality HDR video.

bromptontech.com

CleverLive

Clevertouch Technologies’ CleverLive is a cloud-based content management platform that empowers users to work in their preferred manner—a comprehensive solution catering to the communication and collaboration needs of organizations across various industries.

Right from the entrance of a building or campus, CleverLive captivates the audience. It enables communication through various means, such as informative posters in windows, welcoming messages at reception, directories in foyers, global news updates, weather information, local time displays, and company information in public areas. Additionally, it facilitates seamless booking of meeting rooms integrated with O365/ Microsoft Exchange calendars. CleverLive ensures efficient management and display of organizational information.

clevertouch.com

UX Pro 2

Clevertouch Technologies’ UX Pro 2 is an all-in-one solution designed to enhance collaboration in meeting rooms, auditoriums, reception areas, and break-out spaces. With its exceptional features and seamless integration capabilities, the UX Pro 2 sets a new standard for touchscreen user experience and versatility.

The UX Pro 2 boasts a range of unique and innovative features that elevate the user experience to extraordinary levels. Our patented High Precision Super Glide Touch technology ensures a remarkably fluid writing experience with no lag, whether using fingers, gloves, or the dual recognition stylus. The touchscreen effortlessly distinguishes between palm erase, finger touch, and stylus writing, eliminating the need for constant setting adjustments.

clevertouch.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 38

Desk Scheduling

Crestron’s Desk Scheduling line extends Crestron’s scheduling solutions portfolio. With the Crestron Desk Q and Crestron Desk Touch, organizations can now book, track, and manage all their areas—from the desk to the room—with multiple hardware options and price points, and gather more data and analytics on utilization across more spaces. Desk Q is a highly visible LED status indicator so employees can quickly identify which desks are available for booking, regardless of whether someone is present at the desk. Desk Touch is an interactive, touch-screen-based system with indicator lights and desk signage that enables employees to see current desk status, block time, and future schedules.

crestron.com

Flex Pods

Crestron’s Flex Pods are a new addition to the Crestron Flex platform, providing organizations with more choices in their microphone and speaker selections. Crestron Flex Pods deliver flexible, highquality audio for hybrid meetings and are scalable across a wide range of spaces. Audio is a critical component of hybrid meetings; in-person participants must be able to hear remote participants clearly, while also ensuring their own audio is captured reliably. Crestron Flex Pods can be installed with a Crestron Flex system or AirMedia wireless presentation and conferencing kit, or stand alone to seamlessly integrate with other BYOD solutions.

crestron.com

TITAN 41000 4K-UHD Laser Projector

Digital Projection’s TITAN 41000 4K-UHD Laser Projector is the newest member of the DP’s legendary TITAN family. The TITAN 41000 represents a huge leap forward over the popular current models, with many aspects completely reimagined and redesigned for greater efficiency and smaller size. It is 15 percent more efficient than its predecessor and other projectors, based on lumens-per-watt output. This reaffirms the TITAN’s green credentials along with its already legendary status as a projection powerhouse. An extended 40,000 hours illumination lifetime in ECO mode, as well as a dust-proof, filterless design enable the TITAN 41000 to operate 24/7 with minimal maintenance.

digitalprojection.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 39

Omni Cable-Free Conferencing Solution

DisplayNote’s Omni Cable-Free Conferencing Solution is designed to transform the meeting room experience. A virtual USB cable lets you connect to a screen, camera, and mic, instantly. When launching a conference call on their preferred platform, users can now utilize the room’s hardware as it if it were their own.

The Omni is platform agnostic, so it works with all popular conferencing platforms. It also seamlessly connects a laptop to the meeting room equipment, so no more huddles around a single laptop; what’s on the laptop screen can now be seen on the large meeting room display.

displaynote.com

Pro V6 Controller and Web App

Enado’s Pro V6 Controller and Web App is a game changer in the world of hospitality and sports bar entertainment systems. This innovative controller and web app allows both staff and clients to easily switch sources and channels on screens and video walls to the events they want to see—all from their own devices using the venue’s secure Wi-Fi.

What sets Enado ProV6 apart from its competitors is its ability to control any device, its no-code programming, and its enhanced features such as local QR codes for room, zone, device, and video wall control. The web app can be used on any device, including iOS, Android, Mac, and PC—even POS terminals.

enado.com

enCaption5

ENCO Systems’ enCaption5 is an AIenhanced software that excels at helping audiences retain, comprehend, and engage with information presented in real time, with industry-leading speed and accuracy. enCaption makes presentations easy to follow and understand for both hard-ofhearing participants and within venues with limited audio coverage. ADA-compliant enCaption live captioning software has been the leading platform for automated closed captioning and speech-to-text translation in broadcast TV and radio for several years. Accuracy improvement of up to 20 percent, with enhanced speaker detection for more seamless captioning of program material with multiple speakers, has been included in the latest version of enCaption5.

enco.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 40

AV.io+ Capture Cards

Epiphan Video’s AV.io+ Capture Cards make acquiring video signals from SDI and HDMI sources with zero lag or latency easy. Ready to work right out of the box—the only setup required to capture exceptional HD video is to plug it in, making it an easy fit in any workflow. Compatible with Windows, Mac, or Linux, there are no drivers to install or setup required to achieve incredible results. Connect the card to any device and it will automatically set the best scaling, aspect ratios, and other settings based on the software in use—including when swapping between sources.

epiphan.com

Epiphan Video’s Connect turns Microsoft Teams meetings into a remote and hybrid video production asset. Add a Teams meeting URL to Epiphan Connect and producers are able to access isolated video and audio from each participant. These isolated assets are available via SRT and can be added to any SRT-enabled production tool for recording or streaming.

When Connect isolates Teams and Zoom video, it takes the highest quality available— up to 1080p, which is higher than a standard Teams call. And because this operation is entirely cloud based, there’s no strain on local hardware or networks to achieve higher quality.

epiphan.com

Pearl Family

Epiphan Video’s Pearl Family of all-in-one video production systems—Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, and Pearl Nano—can stream, record, encode, live switch, and more. Designed to serve as the heart of a brand new live video production workflow or enhance existing AV infrastructure, each Pearl model balances power and maximum ease of use.

The intuitive, one-touch streaming and recording functionality allows for minimal training for new users. As soon as Pearl is plugged in, it’s ready to stream to any CDN, CMS, or LMS in HD quality. Whether ingesting signals from physical connections, NDI, or SRT—each Pearl is ready to work with minimal setup.

epiphan.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 41
Connect

IMPACT 1000 Headset

EPOS’ IMPACT 1000 Headset leverages industry-leading speech intelligibility technology. By harnessing machine learning technology, the IMPACT 1000 works to identify which sounds should be suppressed in a user’s environment and which sounds should be enhanced. Together, this first-ofits-kind solution addresses the challenges of modern work environments, empowering workers in open-plan offices to block out unwanted noises and create disturbancefree work experiences for both sides of a call.

EPOS machine learning technology scans user environments 32,000 times per second to suppress disruptive sounds, and enhances desirable audio to ensure only the

PowerLite 810E Ultra-ShortThrow Projector

Epson’s PowerLite 810E Ultra-ShortThrow Projector is its first extreme shortthrow fixed lens laser display to offer 4K Enhancement, and offers significant innovations in display technology to meet current display needs for corporate, education, immersive experiences, and more. Stacked with new features in a sleek, compact chassis, it has an incomparable throw distance, digital zoom, and simple image adjust. The PowerLite 810E transforms classrooms, meeting spaces, and immersive experiences while offering simple installation and setup in virtually any environment. For non-permanent installations, simply place it on a tabletop or a cart for mobile use; and for fixed installations, users can leverage the optional

PowerLite L775U 3LCD Laser Projector

Epson’s PowerLite L775U 3LCD Laser Projector brings strikingly clear images to meeting rooms, classrooms, and beyond. This conveniently lightweight, compact projector offers native WUXGA with 4K Enhancement and an incredible 7,000 lumens of brightness, providing smooth, ultra-bright, detailed images for up-close viewing. The projector is also compatible with Epson’s optional PixAlign camera for simplified multi-projector installations and access to advanced projection capabilities. Display stunning images up to 500 inches that will wow audiences, and switch between different aspect ratios—from standard 16:10 to ultra-wide 21:9 for a more immersive experience—ideal for hybrid work environments and classrooms.

epson.com

PR-R13PI Big Dog Power Distribution Unit

Ethereal’s PR-R13PI Big Dog Power Distribution Unit combines all of the features integrators need into one intelligent power distribution unit to deliver surge protection, remote control, smart home integration, rack temperature management, and more. Twelve individually controllable outlets have power metering, self-healing, and automatic reboot capabilities for smarter and easier remote management of connected devices. Devices can be turned on and off without requiring an internet connection, allowing for scheduled reboots and an easy network equipment power reset that can solve the most common technical issues. For integration professionals, this means reduction of timeintensive support calls and truck rolls.

bigdogpower.com

TeamTablet

FlatFrog Laboratories AB’s TeamTablet is the ultimate collaboration display that will redefine how your team works together. Prepare to be amazed by its exceptional industrial design and cutting-edge features. This 55-inch OLED touch display is set to revolutionize your meeting experience, from the CEO’s office to the boardroom. Experience seamless integration of content sharing, whiteboarding, and video conferencing with the innovative TeamTablet. Effortlessly share your laptop screen or specific files wirelessly with everyone in the meeting room, facilitating seamless collaboration and information exchange. The TeamTablet empowers you to work together effortlessly and share ideas in real time with its hyper-responsive inking and built-in annotation capabilities.

flatfrog.com

HVS-190 Video Switcher

FOR-A’s HVS-190 Video Switcher marks the continued expansion of the popular HVS switcher series, supporting high-bandwidth NDI and NDI|HX input and output. It is a one M/E version of FOR-A’s flagship HVS-490 video switcher and comes standard with 3G/HD-SDI and HDMI interfaces. The HVS190 features frame synchronization and processing amplification on all inputs and is available in two models. The HVS-190S, with a control panel separate from the main unit, comes with eight inputs/five outputs, and is expandable to 20 inputs/11 outputs. The HVS-190I is an integrated control panel/main unit video switcher with the same standard I/O configuration as the HVS-190S and is expandable to 16 inputs and nine outputs.

for-a.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 43

INOGENI’s CAM230 Switcher is the ultimate solution for meeting equity in virtual meetings. The INOGENI CAM230’s fast and seamless camera switching is a breakthrough in the industry, allowing facilitators to control the switching themselves of 2x USB 3.0/2.0 and 1x HDMI cameras, and easily giving equal opportunities for all participants to speak and contribute.

The INOGENI CAM230 is an innovative device that combines multiple features at a very affordable price for universities, colleges, and businesses. With its highquality pro AV switcher, versatile connection, and control options, it ensures quick and seamless switching between cameras and connects without drivers to all HDMI, USB, and AI cameras.

inogeni.com

TOTEM 360 Conference Camera and Speakerphone

IPEVO’s TOTEM 360 Conference Camera and Speakerphone is a complete audiovisual solution, providing a seamlessly stitched 360-degree image from four cameras, sound from an all-around speaker, and capturing voices via an array of four beamforming microphones with AI noise reduction.

It utilizes four AI-enhanced video modes that are designed to remove the barriers of hybrid conferencing and learning. Users can cycle through them with a press of a button, without the need for any additional software. Based on the selected video mode, the AI tracking functionality identifies up to four active speakers, highlighting them in individual close-up or tracking their movement, making it easy for the audience to follow along.

ipevo.com

PanaCast 50 AI-Powered Updates

Jabra’s PanaCast 50 AI-Powered Updates comprise a series of innovative upgrades to the PanaCast 50. Jabra’s collaboration with Microsoft unlocks a new era of inclusive and dynamic communication, as the PanaCast 50 will be the first intelligent front-of-theroom Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows (MTR-W) video bar to enable Copilot in Teams Rooms and IntelliFrame. Hybrid meetings are also taken to the next level as the upgraded PanaCast 50 system comes equipped with Jabra Intelligent Meeting Space. The new feature allows customers to set a meeting room or space virtual boundary, so that people within the defined space are fully included, whereas people outside of the boundary are not inadvertently included.

jabra.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 44

Pana X 120Hz 5K Pro Series

Jupiter Systems’ Pana X 120Hz 5K Pro Series is the next generation of 5K ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio LCD displays from Jupiter Systems. The Pana X uses Quantum Dot Mini-LED technology, making it the most technologically advanced ultrawide LCD in the market.

Compared to the current generation of Pana displays, Pana X models comprise a range of sizes in thin-profile touch or nontouch 5K 120Hz LCDs, each with optically bonded, tempered, anti-glare, edge-toedge glass; identical frame-less design; identical back; identical depth dimension; and identical ports at exact locations. The bezel-less, glass-to-edge, super-low-profile frames are ADA compliant, with a 78mm total depth.

jupiter.com

Zavus Xtreme Pixel MicroLED

Jupiter’s Zavus Xtreme Pixel MicroLED brings unmatched color and contrast to the crowded LED space. This customizable, large, seamless display solution is the latest addition to the company’s 21:9 ultra-wide display offerings, designed to meet the demands of enterprise and industrial companies that require visualization technology as a centerpiece. Zavus XP offers a customizable range of seamless displays; the 21:9 form factor starts at 165 inches in 0.7mm ultra-fine pitch and continues up to 281 inches diagonal—all in 5K resolution— making it ideal for large-scale deployments. With its 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 16-bit-per-color internal processing, the Zavus XP delivers image quality that outperforms the competition.

jupiter.com

MaxColor Series 2 Transmitter and Receiver

Just Add Power’s MaxColor Series

2 Transmitter and Receiver provide integrators with an affordable and scalable 4K UHD distribution platform to natively support today’s 4K source content, with high frame rates over existing network infrastructures. MaxColor offers high frame rate, deep color, and 4:4:4 chroma support to ensure that what is seen at the capable screen matches the output of the source with no subsampling or downscaling. The series delivers zero detectable latency, instant and seamless switching, 4K up and downscaling, and HDR management while supporting all lossless audio formats and HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision for the best viewing experience. Additional features include image pop, push, pull, and integrated control.

justaddpower.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 45

Connect Series 1504 Smart Amplifier

LEA Professional’s Connect Series 1504 Smart Amplifier is a game-changing solution that resets the standard in pro audio amplifier performance, connectivity, and ease of deployment for large installations.

The Connect Series 1504 four-channel model drives up to 1,500 watts per channel and is available In Network Connect (1504) and Dante Connect Versions (1504D). The Smart Power Bridge feature of this amplifier will provide ultimate flexibility, allowing for two channels that can turn the amp into a 2 x 3000-watt amplifier. Users can connect using the amplifier’s built-in Wi-Fi Access Point, connecting to an existing Wi-Fi network, or using a Local Area Network Ethernet connection.

leaprofessional.com

LAEC018 163-inch All-in-One LED Display

LG’s LAEC018 163-inch All-in-One LED Display offers immediate operation in virtually any commercial environment, and features an embedded controller and builtin speaker. Joining the rapidly expanding All-in-One family, the new 163-inch display offers plug-and-play simplicity and supports a wide array of usage scenarios, from boardrooms and classrooms to transit centers, command centers, and shopping plazas.

The captivating display operates at up to 500 nits of brightness and features a 1.88mm pixel pitch. Plus, built-in Quad Core SoC can execute several tasks at once to provide smooth content playback, while the LG webOS Smart Platform enhances user convenience with intuitive GUI and provides simple app development tools to SI or/and developers.

lg.com

6000 Series AVoIP Transcoders

Liberty’s 6000 Series AVoIP Transcoders, for the first time, offer a cost-effective solution to distribute 4K60, zero-latency video on the network. Leveraging the new AVoIP ASIC chip and an efficient board design using 33 percent fewer components, the SDVoE 6000 transcoder saves money, while not compromising on features or performance.

The 6000 Series transcoders uniquely function simultaneously as encoders and decoders; for many applications, this means you only need one endpoint instead of two. Additionally, boasting a failure rate of less than .1 percent, a five-year standard warranty; and backed by Wesco Global Support and Logistics, 6000 transcoders are the simplest, most affordable, and most dependable AVoIP endpoints on the market today.

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 46

Taurus UCX Universal Matrix Switcher

Lightware’s Taurus UCX Universal Matrix Switcher enables users to easily share their content, switch hosts, and control their meeting room easily and intuitively. The latest variants of the Taurus UCX are also capable of extending USB-C signals over longer distances, allowing unprecedented flexibility for system designers.

Taurus UCX allows seamless connectivity across various video conferencing applications, including Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and others. It simplifies switching between video conference sources depending upon the needs of a particular meeting. Featuring easy host switching, Taurus UCX supports USB peripherals such as web cameras and microphones, as well as multiple video conference platforms, within the same room.

lightware.com

ListenWIFI

Listen Technologies’ ListenWIFI is the next generation of the Listen EVERYWHERE audio-over-Wi-Fi solution. ListenWIFI streams venue audio to smartphones through a free, customizable app or directly to new LWR-1050 receivers. When used with proper signage and neck loops, the new receivers make ListenWIFI compliant with ADA and international accessibility requirements. New ListenWIFI Beacons provide location-based audio for a fully automated and seamless user experience. Beacons are small units that can be mounted on a wall and transmit information to LWR-1050 receivers and smartphones running the ListenWIFI app. ListenWIFI is used for assistive listening, language interpretation, streaming video or TV audio, self-guided tours, and audio description.

listentech.com

AI-Box1 CamConnect Processor

Lumens’ AI-Box1 CamConnect Processor is a powerful voice-tracking processor for Lumens PTZ cameras. Supporting multiple cameras and microphone arrays, the AI-Box1 can transform the audio-visual experience within meeting spaces, lecture rooms, and conference suites. It supports up to four IP cameras, up to 16 multiple array microphones, PBP and 2 x 2 multiview output, and an AI algorithm for people tracking and center stage.

mylumens.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 47

105-inch Ultra-Wide Commercial Display

MAXHUB’s 105-inch Ultra-Wide Commercial Display panel allows users to deliver a rich video conferencing experience, engage participants, showcase more content, and address the challenges facing hybrid workforces. Create an engaging experience perfect for utilizing an extended display with integrated whiteboarding, smart sensors, and curated applications. Use the additional screen real estate to serve up new video layouts, increase engagement, and utilize applications specifically geared toward 21:9 screen ratio.

maxhub-usa.com

M4350 AV Network Switches

NETGEAR’s M4350 AV Network Switches are designed for the most demanding AVover-IP installations of up to thousands of endpoints. They bring all the simplicity from the M4250 AV line, with more enterpriseclass hardware packed in, redundant power supplies, and larger fabrics with 25G and 100G uplinks—all centrally managed by the NETGEAR Engage controller.

Simplify AV multicast deployments with NETGEAR IGMP Plus for out-of-the-box functionality for professional, medical, residential, and broadcast AV; plus lighting installations and more. Automatic multiswitch configuration and profile-based setups make setup a snap, allowing you to focus on parts of the installation.

The revolutionary NETGEAR AV user interface contains pre-configured profiles for all major audio, video, and lighting protocols.

netgear.com

OMP-HM 8K HDMI 2.1 Optical Fiber Extender

OPHIT’s OMP-HM 8K HDMI 2.1 Optical Extender supports 4K/8K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160 / 7,680 x 4,320) resolutions up to 330 feet (100m) over MPO-connected multi-mode fiber. The pigtail-type extender supports OM3 (or OM4) fiber, and it is an ideal solution for video applications such as digital signage, broadcasting, videoconferencing, large-venue auditoriums, control rooms, medical video integration in the OR suite, and medical imaging applications. The OMP-HM provides easy plug-and-play installation; enables 8K Ultra HD resolution and electromagnetic interference protection for reliability and security between the source and the device; and complies with HDMI standards, including being CEC capable and HDCP compliant.

ophit.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 48

Owl Bar

Owl Labs’ Owl Bar is the first and only front-of-room camera on the market that works wirelessly with a 360-degree, centerof-the-room camera for a complete frontand-center video conferencing experience.

The Owl Bar pairs with the Meeting Owl (AI-powered, Wi-Fi-enabled, 360-degree camera, microphone, and speaker) and Whiteboard Owl (dedicated camera that adds any in-room whiteboard to video conferences) to make hybrid meetings even more inclusive and immersive.

The Owl Labs ecosystem uses proprietary AI-powered software to automatically switch between cameras to capture the best view of in-room attendees, enabling more face-to-face interactions that feel like natural conversations between inperson and remote participants.

owllabs.com

Unified Device Management

PepperDash’s Unified Device Management (UDM) is a manufactureragnostic AV operations product that empowers users to take full control of enterprise AV infrastructure.

Unlike other AV management applications that simply monitor network health, Unified Device Management can also be used to actively define, deploy, and enforce a wide spectrum of deviceconfiguring settings in real time. With UDM, users gain insight into device-specific information such as security settings, firmware versions, program files, and memory usage.

Additionally, integrated into our Portal platform, UDM gives users the ability to view information about ancillary devices, manage and share configuration files, track and be notified of device changes over time, and view an auditable record of user-driven changes.

pepperdash.com

UltraRes W Series Ultra-WideFormat LCD Display

Planar’s UltraRes W Series Ultra-WideFormat LCD Display is optimized for nextgeneration collaboration for today’s modern hybrid workforce.

Building on the decade-long Planar UltraRes Series reputation, these commercial-grade displays have been successfully installed in secure conference rooms around the world. The Planar UltraRes W Series provides customers with a secure, 105-inch ultra-wide format display that is ideally sized to suit the most popular unified communications and video collaboration platforms including Microsoft Teams. The Planar UltraRes W Series also features brighter, wider color gamut panels with local dimming, and is available in both non-touch and optically bonded 50-point projected capacitive touch technology.

planar.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 49

Poly Studio X52

The Poly Studio X52 is an all-in-one video bar with the latest, state-of-the-art AI-powered video technology to optimize mid-size enterprise meeting spaces. The new 20-megapixel camera, with 95-degree field of view, reaches the farthest ends of the conference room, allowing each person to be seen clearly. The new camera removes any distortion in the field of view, enhancing the far-end experience as well. The Poly Studio X52 also utilizes Poly DirectorAI smart camera technology to give everyone an up-close view, or switch automatically as different people speak.

Audio innovations include NoiseBlockAI to block out distracting background noises that are not audible speech, and Acoustic Fence technology to remove sounds or conversations from outside the defined meeting zone.

poly.com

vCore Virtualized Processor

Q-SYS’ vCore Virtualized Processor provides scalable Q-SYS functionalities in a fully software-based format directly from a PC/server compute device (via hypervisor), allowing users to drive a subset of the Q-SYS OS (based on your choice of available Q-SYS vCore feature licenses). Q-SYS vCore uses the same modern, standardsbased IT architecture as the rest of the hardware-based Q-SYS processing portfolio. Furthermore, it utilizes the same software (Q-SYS Designer Software) to build, design, and deploy these systems.

The Q-SYS Control feature license enables Q-SYS vCore to provide enhanced control, automation, UX capabilities, and remote monitoring and helpdesk features to systems, particularly those that do not require dedicated Q-SYS audio or video functionality.

qsys.com

G-Series Realtime Media Servers

Realmotion’s G-Series Realtime Media Servers were developed to bring the benefits of hardware-accelerated graphics to the field of professional AV applications, with the goal of powering immersive and interactive experiences of all shapes and sizes—all in real time.

The G-Series comprises four products: the G2, G4, G16, and G32 servers, and each is more powerful than the last. They are C++ based and include game engine integration, which works hand-in-hand with their interactivity capabilities, 2D and 3D sensor integration, and our proprietary technology of markerless 3D tracking of over 25 people within a space. Other features include video capture up to 2x UHD/4K or 4x FHD 8-bit @ 60hz, pixel mapping, and GPU-accelerated video playback.

realmotion.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 50

VR-400UHD 4K Streaming AV Mixer

Roland’s VR-400UHD 4K Streaming AV Mixer is an easy-to-use, powerful 4K switcher that gives anyone the power to run a successful live event. With its two touchscreens, users can quickly set various scene presets, preview them in real-time, and confidently run transitions by knowing precisely what viewers will see. AV solutions like the VR-400UHD are crucial in everyday applications where professional operators are not always readily available.

The VR-400UHD can preview eight scenes at once on the touchscreen, and with eight programmable scene banks, the VR-400UHD can hold up to 64 possible saved scenes. Additionally, equipped with seven HDMI ports, the VR-400UHD supports high-quality video up to 4K/60p with four cross points.

proav.roland.com

TruePower56 Managed Remote Power System

Ross Video’s TruePower56 Managed Remote Power System allows for the central installation of power in a climatecontrolled rack room instead of local power at the LED display. TruePower eliminates the AC power bricks in every cabinet operating at 86 percent efficiency and increases your power efficiency to 97 percent, creating an eco-friendly solution. In addition, it provides relief on HVAC needs in the display environment, can be configured with n+1 redundancy, simplifies installation with 10-gauge plenum speaker wire connectivity, simplifies maintenance with remote monitoring, provides easy access to power supplies, and has the output capacity of 24kW in a 2-RU box.

rossvideo.com

Arc Table

Salamander Designs’ Arc Table features a beautiful, functional curved shape to optimize today’s business hybrid collaboration for all participants, regardless of their location. Designed for use with modern meeting setups (like Microsoft’s Front Row), the Arc Table fosters more inclusive participation. Unlike traditional conference furniture with a rectangular table that’s tailored for face-to-face interaction, the Arc enables a modern room orientation with a semicircle shape that allows everyone to see each other and face the monitor with similar distance from the camera. Many options are available to meet every enterprise space and need.

salamandercommercial.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 51

IAB Series The Wall All-in-One

Samsung’s IAB Series The Wall All-inOne is a game-changer for businesses. The package comprises an integrated deco bezel, an S-Box, and a pre-assembled frame kit, lowering total cost of ownership and simplifying installation.

The IAB is offered in 4K 146-inch, 2K 110-inch, and 2K 146-inch displays. The IAB features a slim and sleek design with a 59mm thickness. It has a direct input connection on the screen, which eliminates the need for a separate S-Box while also reducing space.

Additionally, Micro HDR and Micro Motion technologies improve image quality by offering breathtaking HDR10/10+ with peak brightness and a smooth 120Hz frame rate.

displaysolutions.samsung.com

TeamConnect Bar Solutions

Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Bar Solutions delivers trusted Sennheiser audio quality to every meeting with the TC Bar S and TC Bar M. Designed to maximize meeting and collaboration spaces, the TC Bar will easily integrate with your favorite meeting platform and can be further enhanced with other compatible products. They feature some of the latest advances in meeting technology such as the 4K Ultra HD camera, which comes with AI-powered autoframing and person tiling. The TC Bars enable remote participants to clearly see and hear everyone in the room, so even the smallest gestures and facial expressions are conveyed to increase meeting inclusion and engagement.

en-us.sennheiser.com

Microflex Advance MXA902 Ceiling Array Microphone

Shure’s Microflex Advance MXA902 Ceiling Array Microphone is the world’s first conferencing ceiling array microphone with integrated loudspeaker and IntelliMix DSP for small- and mediumsized meeting rooms. For IT managers and AV professionals seeking reliable audio solutions that are easy to configure out of the box, the MXA902 delivers premium audio capture and reproduction with minimal setup required. The ceilingmounted audio solution is complete with a state-of-the-art array microphone for enhanced directional voice capture and an integrated wide-dispersion loudspeaker for natural-sounding far-end speech. MXA902 is a bold new solution that delivers microphone, loudspeaker, and DSP technology in one device.

shure.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 52

Flexible Transparent Film Display

Smart AVX’s Flexible Transparent Film Display is an innovative and transformational type of display technology with high transparency, vivid colors and intense brightness. In many commercial media usage scenarios, transparent LED displays can be applied to glass windows or any transparent surfaces. Transparent LEDs installed on visible window panes facilitate clear dynamic messaging to display and attract customers’ attention without blocking a large amount of required clear space. Furthermore, the product itself is as thin as 2.5mm, and as light as 5 kg per square meter, making it very versatile and able to be applied ubiquitously throughout stores, malls, airports, office buildings, or virtually any transparent, media-worthy surface.

smart-avx.com

ELF-SR2 Spatial Reality Display

Sony’s ELF-SR2 Spatial Reality Display provides highly realistic, three-dimensional content without special glasses or VR headsets. Highlights of the new offering include an upgraded high-speed vision sensor, image quality enhancing technologies, and installation flexibility. Additionally, the ELF-SR2 enables more robust functionality through its support of applications and development. It is optimized for industrial design, surgical planning, architecture, engineering, construction, signage, retail, software/ application development, game developers, and entertainment applications.

New generation high-speed vision sensors enable high-speed processing, as well as low latency for reduced motion blur and crosstalk. Ten-bit processing supports a wide color gamut that covers Adobe RGB at approximately 100 percent for accurate color reproduction.

pro.sony

Sony’s SRG-A40 and SRG-A12 PTZ Cameras, with built-in AI analytics, automatically and consistently track and naturally frame presenters, regardless of movement or posture, for seamless content creation and control—all without operating a computer. The new PTZ auto-framing technology features automatic operation for quick object tracking and rediscovery, as well as multiple auto-framing options. Highlights of the cameras include image quality with automation, the flexibility of IP, powerful zoom, remote control, and easy configuration and operation. They are ideal for use in education, corporate, medical, government, broadcast, and faith applications, as well as for live events.

pro.sony

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 53

xIO XLR-Series

Symetrix’s xIO XLR-Series sets a new standard for performance IO with pristine audio, industrial-strength materials, exceptional design, control options, and a complete line of models that reliably deliver sophisticated results.

These wall-mounted, mic/line, Danteenabled endpoints include an ultra-highperformance audio signal path. Symetrix invested heavily to incorporate the same renowned studio-grade mic preamps and AD/DA signal chain as our top-of-the-line DSP into compact form factors. The result is best-in-class clarity, intelligibility, and accuracy that maximizes performance of the entire system. These endpoints empower the entire AV pathway by capturing, transmitting, and converting the highestquality audio with sampling rates up to 96K.

symetrix.co

Antares P1.2 Outdoor Fine-Pitch Display

Vanguard LED’s Antares P1.2 Outdoor Fine-Pitch Display is the only direct-view LED video display in the world with a pixel pitch down to P1.25. The Antares Series features Invisiguard, a unique coating that provides impact and IP65/54 ingress protection. Other features include: a brightness of 3,500 cd/square meter, which is suitable for outdoor conditions; front installation and front maintenance; spacesaving, ultra-thin wall mounting; Superlock Technology; multi-pass CNC cutting to ensure flatness of all modules; True Black; micro LEDs; a refresh rate of 3840hz; 1/40th scan rate at P1.25; and CE, EMC, TUV-EMC, FCC, ETL, UL, ROHS certifications.

vanguardled.com

AV Bridge Nano

Vaddio’s AV Bridge Nano is a compact and affordable AV-to-USB bridge, joining Vaddio’s popular AV Bridge family. The AV Bridge Nano features a simple plug-and-play design that converts an HDMI source like a camera to a USB or IP stream. Ideal for conferencing, distance learning, or live streaming, the AV Bridge Nano enables users to connect with colleagues, students, or followers using their Pro AV equipment. Its compact size makes it ideal for on-the-go use, while its compatibility with popular software applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Facebook and YouTube Live ensures easy integration into any streaming setup.

legrandav.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 54

ViewBoard IFP105S Interactive Display

ViewSonic’s ViewBoard IFP105S

Interactive Display is a 105-inch, 21:9 interactive display with native 5K (5,120 x 2,160) resolution. This display offers an immersive sharing solution with multiple connectivity options, wireless content sharing, and seamless functionality.

The IFP105S features USB-C connectivity with 65W charging and dual-pen, 40-point touch. With Airplay, Chromecast, and Miracast support, it offers instant and seamless wireless content sharing. The split screen and two-way touch interactivity with the ViewBoard Cast application makes collaboration easy and intuitive.

The ultra-wide screen with advanced annotation and collaboration tools are optimized for hybrid meetings with multiple split-screen options, and floating window mode for multitasking.

viewsonic.com

Choros AR Space Booking Platform

Visix’s Choros AR Space Booking Platform is a disruptive new technology that supplants room signs by offering schedule display and robust booking features via native AR support on smartphones, saving the considerable cost and installation workload of room sign deployments. With no app to download or website to log in to, it speeds up booking and simplifies user adoption. Users simply scan a QR code mounted near a shared space to see if it’s available, see upcoming reservations, book the space, find other available spaces, and more. Administration is handled in a userfriendly cloud dashboard.

visix.com

X-VRSE

Cynap Videobar

WolfVision’s Cynap Videobar is an allin-one meeting room solution combining WolfVision Cynap wireless presentation and web conferencing technology, together with a 4K AI camera and beamforming array microphone, plus premium sound from audio specialists Fohhn. Natural speech is reproduced throughout the room, and extended low-frequency reproduction ensures excellent sound quality when playing back videos or music. Built-in BYOM web conferencing enables users to connect wirelessly, and run hybrid meetings using any conferencing service from a laptop. Up to four devices can share content wirelessly on screen, and this content is also easily shared with remote colleagues during meetings.

wolfvision.com

XTEN-AV’s X-VRSE is a rich technology that allows users to design and visualize spaces in real-time using VR, as an immersive experience. X-VRSE lets users enter into and explore spaces using an interactive platform built indigenously by the XTEN-AV team. X-VRSE offers more than a walkthrough of your designs, but an interactive experience to add, alter, and customize the products and aesthetics of the room. Customizations are achieved by different modes in X-VRSE: Edit mode, Coverage mode, Sitelines, and SPL mode. X-VRSE simulates coverages for all AV devices in your design and allows you to reposition or change them according to your requirement. xtenav.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 55

MeetingBoard Collaboration Display

Yealink’s MeetingBoard Collaboration

Display delivers an incomparable video conferencing experience and is suitable for all scenarios. To guarantee a meeting experience that ensures every participant has an equal seat, it includes top-class hardware and AI-enhanced algorithms. It features six speakers, a dual-camera system, a 4K touch display, and a 16-MEMS microphone array to provide an immersive audiovisual experience. It enables AIpowered features such as auto framing, speaker tracking, multi-focus framing, noise cancellation, and reverberation suppression. It allows seamless collaboration with Microsoft and Zoom’s native whiteboard, providing a digital paper writing experience; and it is suitable for various deployment needs, with wall-mount or movable floor stand options.

yealink.com

ZyPerUHD60-2E/D AVoIP Encoder and Decoder

ZeeVee’s ZyPerUHD60-2E/D AVoIP

zactrack mini Tracking Solution

The zactrack mini Tracking Solution by zactrack is a briefcase-sized solution that offers easy transport and deployment for areas of 15m x 15m, by a single person. Designed to introduce tracking to new users and spaces, the zactrack mini is perfect for smaller venues, exhibitions and conferences, individual performers, rental companies, houses of worship, and more.

With zactrack’s core value of providing a quality user experience, the zactrack mini boasts a smaller form factor with battery-operated components and wireless connectivity for an even faster and easier setup. It is also a more economically viable solution, opening the act of tracking and following to any application, designer, or performer.

zactrack.com

Encoder and Decoder deliver pixel-forpixel reproduction of compressed 1080p HD and full 4K@60 4:4:4 UHD resolution content with ultra-low latency over a standard 1Gb Ethernet network via off-theshelf IP switches. They eliminate the need for a separate AV network or distribution equipment

The encoder features dual LAN and twin HDMI 2.0a ports and a USB-C port, making it ideal for applications from simple meeting spaces to complex AV integration projects. In addition, it features HDMI output with HDMI loop out for confidence monitoring and a USB host port. The decoder sports an additional Ethernet port and is optimized to work in tandem with the new encoder.

Zoom Rooms Intelligent Director

The Zoom Rooms Intelligent Director by Zoom is a patent-pending feature that takes multiple camera streams and uses AI to choose the highest-quality image and best camera angle view of each person located in the room. Intelligent Director uses three cameras in a Zoom Room, helping participants to have a more engaging, faceto-face meeting.

Intelligent Director works for up to 16 individuals in a Zoom Room, and not only does the presenter get the best possible view, but so does everyone in the Zoom Room. Intelligent Director requires a Zoom Rooms license, a qualified Windows or Mac Zoom Rooms, three Zoom Roomscompatible cameras, and one Zoom Rooms Controller.

zoom.us

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 56

DIGITAL SIGNAGE, BEST OF SHOW AWARD WINNERS

Pixel Reality Series

AI Conversational Interactive Experience Software

22Miles’ AI Conversational Interactive Experience Software, featuring ChatGPT, has connected the conversational engine with its own AI platform to reveal the next generation interactive experience. The AI Conversational Interactive Experience Software is currently available and can be inserted into any existing app. Current 22Miles SaaS customers using the company’s Mobile 3D Wayfinding app can upgrade their experience with a GPTpowered chatbot.

What’s the difference between a live receptionist and a digital kiosk? Well, we don’t come to a kiosk and ask “Good morning. Where can I get a cup of coffee?” Instead, we may have to find or search “coffee” on the screen. Having to learn a new interface, which can be different on every screen, makes a huge impact on the visitor experience.

22miles.ai

Absen’s Pixel Reality Series is able to satisfy the needs of any Virtual Production. The series comes in two sizes (500 x 500mm and 500 x 1,000mm), with pixel pitches ranging from 1.5 to 5.2mm and compatibility with control systems such as Brompton and NovaStar. Its narrow pixel pitches suit LED backdrops as images can be captured even at close range, whilst the high brightness provides optimal lighting needed for ceilings. The PR series has been developed for excellent in-camera visual effects, allowing virtual assets to be captured in vibrant detail. The 99.9 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage allows creators to use precise color reproduction and the capability to display smooth video at a high frame rate.

usabsen.com

RM Series LED Display

AOTO Electronics’ RM Series LED Display is a broadcast-grade, HD-LED display for Virtual Production. RM Series is a cuttingedge IMD four-in-one fine-pixel-pitch LED product that can be utilized to replace green screens in filmmaking. It can deliver superior on-camera performance as compared to the standard LED screen thanks to its ability to significantly reduce moire and light reflection. Due to its high-performance contrast ratio of 8000:1, approximately 180-degree viewing angle, up to 7680Hz refresh rate, and 1/6 scan rate, RM series is widely regarded as the best-performing LED display device available for virtual production on the market.

aoto.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 57

RXS-2 Intel NUC Element PC

Aurora Multimedia’s RXS-2 Intel NUC Element PC is designed for the AV industry and more. Its small size allows for mounting behind displays and under tables. It can also be rack mounted as two in a 1RU or 12 in 5RU. It is available in i5 and i7 with 500GB or 1TB SSD. The RXS-2 has dual 4K60 4:4:4 HDMI outputs and one HDMI input for capture of 4K signals. Wi-Fi 6, 2.5G LAN, 1G LAN, USB 3.1, and RS-232 ports make it perfect for unified communications and digital signage applications. The front OLED will display IP address, MAC address, serial number, and more which is great for servicing.

auroramm.com

Mimio DS Series

Boxlight’s Mimio DS Series digital displays, with their cutting-edge features and innovative design, revolutionize presentation, collaboration, and campus communication.

Powered by Android 11 and offering seamless OTA upgrading, the displays house a powerful quad-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and an invisible IR receiver, all concealed within their narrow bezel and ADA-compliant thickness. The multi-functional USB Type-C ports provide easy connectivity options, enabling 4K audio and video transmission, network connections, charging for external devices, and access to external microphone and camera. Additionally, real-time wireless screen sharing from up to six devices simultaneously and synchronized annotating with CleverShare enable seamless collaboration in classrooms, conference rooms, and common spaces.

boxlight.com

XD5 Digital Signage Player

BrightSign’s XC5 Digital Signage Player is the industry’s most powerful solid-state media player. Built on BrightSign’s signature solid-state platform, it exceeds signage PCs in performance, reliability, and longevity, while powering four screens at once from a single player. Video wall presentations are streamlined with multi-output players, and the hardware-accelerated 4K video rotation makes it easy to deliver eye-catching multiscreen experiences. BrightSign XC5 delivers sophisticated HTML content supporting 3D graphics, Web GL, JavaScript and interactivity in 8K. Redefining digital signage applications across multiple displays with powerful HTML is what BrightSign XC5 was designed for, making them the ideal choice to deliver captivating experiences.

brightsign.biz

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 58

UX Pro 2

Clevertouch Technologies’ UX Pro 2 is an all-in-one solution designed to enhance collaboration in meeting rooms, auditoriums, reception areas, and break-out spaces. With its exceptional features and seamless integration capabilities, the UX Pro 2 sets a new standard for touchscreen user experience and versatility.

The UX Pro 2 boasts a range of unique and innovative features that elevate the user experience to extraordinary levels. Our patented High Precision Super Glide Touch technology ensures a remarkably fluid writing experience with no lag, whether using fingers, gloves, or the dual recognition stylus. The touchscreen effortlessly distinguishes between palm erase, finger touch, and stylus writing, eliminating the need for constant setting adjustments.

clevertouch.com

Crew Multi-Camera System

Huddly’s Crew Multi-Camera System transforms ordinary video meetings into professional, studio-like productions, using insights from film and television. Powered by an AI director, Crew enables all participants to be clearly visible, and automatically adjusts the camera angles to include everyone. It is a game-changer for remote and hybrid work, addressing key challenges faced by organizations who are looking to eliminate meeting fatigue, enable remote work, and ensure platform compatibility. Collaboration across locations is made easier with the system’s seamless integration with various video conferencing platforms. Furthermore, the Huddly L1 camera is certified for Microsoft Team Rooms, providing optimized video collaboration within that ecosystem.

huddly.com

Machine Learning Broadcast

Korbyt’s Machine Learning Broadcast takes advantage of cluster-based data mining algorithms to bring the same concepts used for retailers’ product recommendation engines to empower everyday communicators. It dynamically adjusts the duration and timing of existing digital signage content, and finds and schedules new content to display. By refining playlists dynamically based on AI-driven camera optics, user feedback, and business intelligence, Korbyt Machine Learning Broadcast helps businesses automate the scheduling of new content to drive viewer engagement and increase dwell time.

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 59

LSAB007 MAGNIT Micro LED Display

LG’s LSAB007 MAGNIT Micro LED Display is an ideal solution for a variety of commercial use cases. This 0.78mm pixel pitch display features LG’s Deep Black Technology and an impressive 100,000:1 contrast ratio to deliver stunning images as the content creator intended, with vivid colors, breathtaking contrast, and ultra-fine detail.

The display’s Alpha 7 Intelligent Processor recognizes and analyzes original content and optimizes image clarity and sharpness. It also works with a light sensor to deliver the appropriate display brightness level based on changing ambient light conditions. LG MAGNIT’s support for HDR10 and HDR10 Pro provides enhanced dynamic tone mapping that produces a wider color spectrum.

lg.com

DigiIP 1000 Series AVoIP Encoders and Decoders

Liberty’s DigiIP 1000 Series AVoIP Encoders and Decoders are standards based and purpose built to be simple, dependable, and affordable AVoIP solutions for displaying 1080p content. Utilizing standard H.264/265, 1000 Series is ideal for stand-alone, unmanaged systems with up to 50 displays – no programming or software required.

The 1000 Series encoders are purposebuilt for 1080p digital signage and video distribution applications without the added complexity and cost associated with over-engineered, one-size-fits-all hardware. Simply connect the endpoints to the network and use the free app on your phone or tablet for set up, turning the system on and off, recalling pre-configured settings, and routing signals.

libertycable.com

Outdoor LED Display Solution

MAXHUB’s Outdoor LED Display Solution commands attention with bold visual displays at 100000 cd/square meter brightness and can easily cope with any harsh environment. Its slick two-in-one board design and simple, all-in-one power box brings you a thinner, lighter cabinet. Innovative case design coupled with high efficiency and advanced energy saving techniques keeps things cool even in demanding conditions. The non-glare panel ensures the highest-quality viewing experience in every space, regardless of viewing conditions. Fast installation and easy maintenance are key to keeping things simple. Our lightboard can be installed in 20 seconds and the power box can be replaced in under a minute.

maxhub-usa.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 60

UltraRes L Series Display

Planar’s UltraRes L Series Display combines Planar’s best-in-class LCD features with award-winning direct-view LED technology to deliver an all-in-one, easy-to-use display solution. The seamless LED display features 24/7 reliability, an ultra-slim bezel, integrated video and audio electronics, and 20-point IR touch technology for next-generation collaboration. Planar UltraRes L Series is 136 inches with Full HD resolution and is available with a wall mount for permanent installation as well as a rolling floor stand for mobility. With front-service installation, Planar UltraRes L Series displays support quick deployment and maintenance. The new all-in-one display makes LED easier to bring to an even wider range of applications in environments spanning corporate, education, and beyond.

planar.com

H27 PRO Indoor LED Display Solution

QSTECH’s H27 PRO Indoor LED Display Solution is designed for a wide range of applications including data visualization, education and training, conference rooms, and commercial displays. It features a unique three-in-one design, integrating the power supply unit, receiving cards, and hub board on the same PCB, as well as a five-inone board with built-in power supply and receiving card redundancy.

Its cabinets are made of magnalium alloy, which is light and thin, and can be shipped by columns, enabling direct wall hanging and saving installation time. With a weight of only 4.8kg, a thickness of 31mm, and a 16:9 ratio, it is one of the thinnest and lightest LED displays in its class.

KMC-W 24-inch Kiosk with Windows OS

Samsung’s KMC-W 24-inch Kiosk with Windows OS is designed to help businesses deliver an optimal customer experience. With all-in-one functionality and innovative System-on-Chip (SoC) technology, the Kiosk operates with no external PC needed and makes maintenance fast and easy for business managers and operators. And with various CPU options—including a choice of Intel Celeron 6305E, Core i3, or Core i5 processor—it delivers high-performance computing power with enhanced capabilities.

A key aspect of the Samsung Kiosk Windows version that sets its displays apart is the remote monitoring solution. Managers can view display information, check peripheral devices, troubleshoot, and manage displays remotely, reducing the need for time-consuming site visits.

displaysolutions.samsung.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 61

QxC Series Crystal UHD Signage

Samsung’s QxC Series Crystal UHD Signage is the slimmest UHD signage display, with a thickness of just 28.5mm. It elevates the atmosphere of any business environment as it blends in seamlessly to its surroundings while maximizing space. Its even bezel and centered VESA holes help to evenly distribute the weight and support consistent visuals. When installing the signage, it can be positioned vertically or horizontally to fit the unique space. The home screen user interface (UI) has also been upgraded for greater usability and familiarity.

Additionally, remote management makes it quick and easy to monitor and adjust the display contents anytime, anywhere, while providing color correction capabilities via the convenient mobile app.

displaysolutions.samsung.com

Element Smart Player

The Element Smart Player by Seneca, an Arrow Company, is a one-size-fits-all solution. Manage content and AI workloads like computer vision while aggregating sensor data all on the same enterprise-class device. Choose the processor that suits your project—from Celeron to Core i7—and the form factor that aligns with your installation environment.

The Element Smart Player allows seamless connectivity to edge data sources via a GPIO header, enabling you to harness the power of edge computing effectively. Finally, the compact Element Smart Player integrates seamlessly with different controllers and peripherals, thanks to its multiple communication interfaces (RS-232, HDMI, and USB).

senecadata.com

AQUOS BOARD 4W-B Series

Sharp | NEC’s AQUOS BOARD 4W-B Series of interactive displays is available in four size classes: 55, 65, 75, and 86 inches. Each display includes key features to facilitate teamwork and add interoperability in the boardroom or the classroom.

Its precise 20-point multi-touch detection supports a superior collaboration experience, with simultaneous writing for multiple users. The Sharp Pen Software interface provides access to pen settings and functions including handwriting recognition, whiteboard mode, and overlay mode. Additionally, the Sharp pen-on-paper feature facilitates productivity through glare resistance and natural writing flow. The 4W-B Series also offers instant engagement with an HTML5 browser app to leverage web-based content, making a business or classroom more efficient.

sharpnecdisplays.us

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 62

1.2mm Outdoor LED Display

SiliconCore’s 1.2mm Outdoor LED Display is opening up new possibilities for outdoor digital signage and close proximity viewing by introducing modularity and the highestresolution outdoor LED display currently available. Flexibility is enabled through a modular design with a custom sub-frame that can be made to any dimension to increase scalability.

SiliconCore’s patented Common Cathode technology addresses the heat density concerns that enables this high resolution 1.2mm pixel pitch for outdoor use. The sustained brightness of 4000 nits, needed for outdoor high-density displays, is balanced by the low power consumption that only SiliconCore’s driver technology achieves. The display is fully waterproof and IP65 rated for rugged environments.

silicon-core.com

BZ40L Series Professional BRAVIA Displays

Sony’s BZ40L Series Professional BRAVIA Displays are optimized for commercial environments where reliability, picture quality, and broad compatibility are required. With sizes ranging from 55 inches to 85 inches, a unique differentiator of the bright new series is its state-of-the-art panel treatment, which is unlike competitive displays on the market. The BZ40L’s Deep Black Non-Glare Coating offers both high haze and low reflection, while maintaining deep blacks and high contrast. The displays address virtually every demand, while incorporating Pro BRAVIA users’ favorite features such as unparalleled image quality, a wider viewing angle, thoughtful professional features, and a smart System on a Chip (SoC) platform.

pro.sony

LDP163-181 Direct View LED Display

ViewSonic’s LDP163-181 Direct View LED Display, featuring native 1080P resolution and 4K/HDR/HLG with support, is a super-sized video wall and immersive communications solution. With an ultra-slim bezel, minimalist design, and detachable system control box, the LDP163-181 is perfect for a variety of applications. Installation can be done in either portrait or landscape mode, and for even more versatility, two of these displays can be easily installed side-by-side to form an ultra-wide 32:9 video wall of epic proportions.

The LDP163-181 features a 120 percent Rec709 wide color gamut, 600 nits of brightness, and a 4,440Hz refresh rate. It supports 4K/HDR/HLG with connectivity options including: HDMI 1.4, 2.0, and 2.1; USB 2.0; RS232; RJ45; and Intel OPS Slot-In.

viewsonic.com

ELF-SR2 Spatial Reality Display

Sony’s ELF-SR2 Spatial Reality Display provides highly realistic, three-dimensional content without special glasses or VR headsets. Highlights of the new offering include an upgraded high-speed vision sensor, image quality enhancing technologies, and installation flexibility. Additionally, the ELF-SR2 enables more robust functionality through its support of applications and development. It is optimized for industrial design, surgical planning, architecture, engineering, construction, signage, retail, software/ application development, game developers, and entertainment applications.

New-generation high-speed vision sensors enable high-speed processing, as well as low latency for reduced motion blur and crosstalk. Ten-bit processing supports a wide color gamut that covers Adobe RGB at approximately 100 percent for accurate color reproduction.

pro.sony

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 63

TECH&LEARNING, BEST OF SHOW AWARD WINNERS

Cordless Explorer Display Cart

Blackmagic Studio Camera

6K Pro

The Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pro by Blackmagic Design is a powerful new camera that features an EF lens mount and a 6K sensor for improved colorimetry and fine detail handling. It also features built-in live streaming via Ethernet or mobile data, so customers can place cameras remotely— almost anywhere in the world—and the cameras can generate a H.264 HD live stream that is sent over the internet back to the studio. Advanced features also include talkback; tally; camera control; built-in color corrector; large, integrated 7-inch HDR viewfinder; Blackmagic RAW recording to USB disks; ND filters; and more.

blackmagicdesign.com

Mimio DS Series

Boxlight’s Mimio DS Series digital displays, with their cutting-edge features and innovative design, revolutionize presentation, collaboration, and campus communication.

Powered by Android 11 and offering seamless OTA upgrading, the displays house a powerful quad-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and an invisible IR receiver, all concealed within their narrow bezel and ADA-compliant thickness. The multi-functional USB Type-C ports provide easy connectivity options, enabling 4K audio and video transmission, network connections, charging for external devices, and access to external microphone and camera. Additionally, real-time wireless screen sharing from up to six devices simultaneously and synchronized annotating with CleverShare enable seamless collaboration in classrooms, conference rooms, and common spaces.

boxlight.com

Bretford Technology’s Cordless Explorer Display Cart is the first ever batterypowered, all-terrain, outdoor-rated large display cart. Pinnacle communication is now effortless, everywhere. The Bretford Cordless Explorer Display Cart uses 1000 Wh swappable lithium technology—a groundbreaking innovation tailored to the needs of AV/IT end users. This state-ofthe-art cart promises to revolutionize the way professionals, educators, and coaches engage and collaborate in today’s digitally connected world.

This versatile cart is designed to support up to a 75-inch display and up to 200 lbs. It is compatible with a wide range of TV sizes and brands, ensuring a secure, safe fit even during transportation, thanks to its VESAcompliant mounting system.

bretford.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 64

BG-Commander-Jr Joystick Controller

BZBGEAR’s BG-Commander-Jr Joystick Controller offers several benefits for classroom settings. The two-axis joystick and zoom bridge key design of the BGCommander-Jr ensure smooth and precise camera movement. In a classroom setting, this can be useful during demonstrations where capturing specific angles or details is important. Knob-style controls and small displays allow for easy adjustment of image parameters such as exposure and gain.

The BG-Commander-Jr supports various control protocols and interfaces, including integrated VISCA, UDP, and PELCO P/D control protocols, as well as RS232, RS422/RS485, and IP(UDP) interfaces. This compatibility makes it easy to integrate the controller with existing AV systems or PTZ cameras commonly used in classrooms.

bzbgear.com

6000A+ Interactive Panels

Clear Touch’s 6000A+ Interactive Panels are the latest innovation in collaborative and interactive technology for education and business users. These panels offer a smooth and responsive multi-touch technology that allows for up to 40 points of touch. The A+ panels are available in three sizes: 65-, 75-, and 86-inch, and they offer a range of features that set them apart from other products in this category.

They are the first interactive panels to be EDLA Certified, which means that they have enhanced security and access to native Google applications. Additionally, an enhanced 2.2 audio-integrated soundbar delivers clear and powerful sound for any audio content.

getcleartouch.com

Clevertouch Technologies’ CleverHub is a versatile tool designed specifically for educators, school leaders, and educational organizations. It revolutionizes the way collaboration and communication take place by transforming any display into a touch screen collaborative device. One of the standout features of CleverHub is its support for personal devices. It is fully compatible with Clevershare App, Airplay, Google Cast, and Miracast, enabling the utilization of existing hardware and reducing costs. Furthermore, CleverHub enhances active learning and engagement during instruction, trainings, and meetings with its touch screen functionality. It allows for seamless collaboration, empowering users to annotate over any document and dynamically arrange content on the screen using interactive features.

clevertouch.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 65

CleverLive

Clevertouch Technologies’ CleverLive is a cloud-based content management platform that empowers users to work in their preferred manner—a comprehensive solution catering to the communication and collaboration needs of organizations across various industries.

Right from the entrance of a building or campus, CleverLive captivates the audience. It enables communication through various means, such as informative posters in windows, welcoming messages at reception, directories in foyers, global news updates, weather information, local time displays, and company information in public areas. Additionally, it facilitates seamless booking of meeting rooms integrated with O365/ Microsoft Exchange calendars. CleverLive ensures efficient management and display of organizational information.

clevertouch.com

Pearl Family

Epiphan Video’s Pearl Family of all-in-one video production systems—Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, and Pearl Nano—can stream, record, encode, live switch, and more. Designed to serve as the heart of a brand new live video production workflow or enhance existing AV infrastructure, each Pearl model balances power and maximum ease of use.

The intuitive, one-touch streaming and recording functionality allows for minimal training for new users. As soon as Pearl is plugged in, it’s ready to stream to any CDN, CMS, or LMS in HD quality. Whether ingesting signals from physical connections, NDI, or SRT—each Pearl is ready to work with minimal setup.

epiphan.com

BrightLink 770Fi Laser Display

Epson’s BrightLink 770Fi Laser Display simplifies classroom interactivity. Offering compatibility with frequently used software applications along with full HD, 4,100 lumens of color/white brightness, and proprietary three-chip 3LCD technology, it delivers big, bright, and colorful interactive displays up to 100 inches.

Featuring wireless connectivity with casting capabilities from PCs, Mac computers, Chromebooks, and Android and iOS devices, the BrightLink 770Fi supports standard 16:9 and ultra-wide 21:9 displays with split screen support for up to four screens simultaneously.

The dual-pen-enabled BrightLink 770Fi also includes an optional finger touch function and delivers exceptional value by allowing educators to retain valuable whiteboard space while the display is not in use.

epson.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 66

TR3DK CreateBoard

LG’s TR3DK CreateBoard is a purposebuilt solution that addresses a variety of needs for in-person, remote, and blended learning. The LG CreateBoard is among the most specialized education solutions available, offering an up to 40-point multitouch interactive display that enables live annotations of digital files and provides tools for content creation, sharing, and management. The full LG CreateBoard line includes 65-, 75-, and 86-inch models, plus the all-new 55-inch model, ensuring students can view what the teacher is presenting regardless of seat location or room size. Additionally, the 55-inch model delivers all the CreateBoard’s powerful functions in a compact package for smaller classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices.

lg.com

5000 Series USB-over-IP Extenders and Switchers

Liberty’s 5000 Series USB-over-IP Extenders and Switchers feature a host (local) device and a four-port client device that support isochronous data transfer and transmit signals over standard IP, enabling simple installation, active routing, and network management. Each endpoint drives USB signals up to 100m per device; both local and remote endpoints extend signals at the same time for maximum signal transmission up to 200m.

Each Liberty USB host device creates a virtual hub allowing 1G Ethernet connection to as many as seven clients at once. Automatically switch between presenters by simply connecting to another laptop, or choose a room/remote PC to host using Arranger Control or a third-party control system.

libertycable.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 67

Jalinga Video Studios

PLUSVISION TRADING’s Jalinga Video Studios is not an ordinary video glassboard, but a full-featured hardware and software system with patented features which are unavailable to analogs. We supply to our clients a complete solution, which allows them to start producing content without any additional settings.

The heart of the Jalinga Studio, its software, is Jalinga’s own development, which consists of a presentation editor and a system that supports the process of shooting or broadcasting a video, as well as interacting with the audience. Our software speeds up the video creation process; the presentation is prepared before shooting, so there is no need to hire editing specialists.

jalinga.com

Sony’s ELF-SR2 Spatial Reality Display provides highly realistic, three-dimensional content without special glasses or VR headsets. Highlights of the new offering include an upgraded high-speed vision sensor, image quality enhancing technologies, and installation flexibility. Additionally, the ELF-SR2 enables more robust functionality through its support of applications and development. It is optimized for industrial design, surgical planning, architecture, engineering, construction, signage, retail, software/ application development, game developers, and entertainment applications.

New generation high-speed vision sensors enable high-speed processing, as well as low latency for reduced motion blur and crosstalk. Ten-bit processing supports a wide color gamut that covers Adobe RGB at approximately 100 percent for accurate color reproduction.

pro.sony

ULTRA Series Panels

TouchView Interactive’s ULTRA Series Panels stand apart due to a focus on easeof-use and security. Rated for 50,000 hours, all sizes—from 65 to 98 inches—feature 4K resolution, up to 40 points of touch, and perpetual software licenses.

The ULTRA Series features an Android 11 operating system and an optional slot-in Windows 11 PC, which can be configured to meet customer needs. We use the Intel standard OPS (Open Pluggable System) configuration, allowing end users the flexibility to use our PCs or to source from another vendor. The Gen 4 panel introduces for the first time a 4K camera built into the top bezel of the panel, and a built-in microphone is also included on the bottom bezel.

touchview.com

JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com 68

LDS135-151 Direct View LED Display Solution Kit

ViewSonic’s LDS135-151 Direct View LED Display Solution Kit is a 135-inch large-screen display solution with a pre-assembled design, allowing for setup in minutes. There is no calibration required and no additional installation costs. Simply unbox and turn it on. It features a foldable design that can be packed into its custom flight case, making it easy to set up and share between classrooms, auditoriums, and other areas around a school or campus.

With native 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) resolution and 450-nit brightness, the LDS135-151 comes with pre-assembled LED modules, cabinets, a system control box, and the mobile cart/flight case. It also has a built-in motorized height adjustment stand, push-button lock for stability, and 360-degree wheels for easy transport.

viewsonic.com

THE CLASSIFIEDS

38 JULY 2023 | avnetwork.com
FURNITURE FLYPACKS AND ROAD CASES ADVERTISE WITH US: For more information on advertising in the next issue of AVTechnology, please contact Zahra.Majma@Futurenet.com STAY ONE STEP AHEAD WITH AVNETWORKS FREE ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS
SHOPPING: simply visit www.avnetwork.com/news/subscribe and click on as many newsletters
you need. OR CLICK HERE 9000
ONE-STOP
as
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.