Systems Contractor News - Sept 2023

SYSTEMS CHECK

Is Your Office a Magnet for Employees?

Another AV/IT Summit is in the books. This year, we set up shop in the UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders. It’s a great venue and served as an excellent backdrop for our exhibitors and various panel discussions.

Of course, no event is without its challenges—and this year, the keynote address turned ours into a hybrid event. Less than 12 hours before showtime, the flight transporting our keynote speaker, Kay Sargent, was cancelled after numerous delays. Sargent is a member of the SCN Hall of Fame (2022) and director of HOK’s WorkPlace, which designs and engineers work experiences for clients around the world. Needless to say, her keynote was highly anticipated.

Thankfully, she was able to provide us with a video of a recent interview, complete with a slide presentation, which delivered plenty of insights to our attendees. Sargent’s remarks were focused on the very timely topic of the human-centric hybrid workplace.

According to Sargent, 94% of knowledge workers surveyed want more flexibility in when they work, and 80% want flexibility in where they work. Meanwhile, 74% of public sector companies have adopted hybrid work policies. A 3:2 model (three days in the office, two days remote) is the most common, but many companies have announced a mandatory four-day office schedule this year. Those numbers sure don’t look like they add up to a happy workforce.

Sure, management can simply declare remote work is no longer a thing, but that’s probably not going to encourage loyalty among employees who were forced to work from home during the pandemic and suddenly realized they liked it. Employees want to know why they have to return—what’s better at the office than what they have at home?

Sargent also shared an eye-opening statistic: Employees spend more than 252% more time in online meetings than they did just a few years ago in the pre-pandemic world. She also said there is a rise in after-hours work that is extending the average workday. Coincidence?

A smart hybrid strategy has to answer the right questions. After all, as Sargent asked, what is the “stickiness” of remote work? Is it simply the convenience? Maybe employees simply want to avoid the commute or an eight-hour work block.

Sargent emphasized the importance of purpose of place. Essentially, the office must serve as a magnet for employees, drawing them back in with legitimate purpose. Part of the pull is ensuring that leaders are on site and accessible; do as I say not as I do isn’t going to work here. The other part is rethinking the offices into tech-enabled, techenhanced spaces.

As Sargent explained, her team is no longer designing environments, they are designing the experience.

Her presentation reinforced my feeling that the Pro AV industry is going to remain extremely busy for the foreseeable future. Technology not only needs to be a cornerstone of any successful return-to-office effort, but it needs to drive any hybrid operational models moving forward.

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SEPTEMBER 2023 VOL. 30 NO. 9

CONTENT

VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona

Content Director Mark J. Pescatore, Ph.D. mark.pescatore@futurenet.com

Content Manager Wayne Cavadi

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Members of your SCN editorial team—Mark J. Pescatore (left), Steve Greenblatt, Jennifer Guhl, and Wayne Cavadi—attended the AV/IT Summit at the UBS Arena last month. Not a bad day at the office, that’s for sure.

ENCO Acquires DoCaption E

NCO has acquired DoCaption, a developer and manufacturer of captioning, subtitling, and ancillary data solutions for the broadcast and Pro AV industries. The deal closed on July 1, with ENCO retaining DoCaption’s entire product line, intellectual property, staff, and business operations based in Valence, France. It is ENCO’s third business acquisition in the past 12 months, following the acquisitions of RUSHWORKS in January and TranslateTV in July 2022.

ENCO has long worked with DoCaption to deliver live, automated captions and insert closed captions into live broadcasts. The acquisition means that ENCO can now offer more complete, integrated, and cost-efficient solutions for broadcasters, and offer more complete solutions to caption meetings, lectures, and presentations in live AV environments.

DoCaption specializes in developing embedded, integrated hardware and software solutions. Its products include specific solutions for SCTE 104 metadata signaling and insertion for ad markers, SMPTE timecode generation for synchronization, scoreboard data encoding for venue displays, and integrated open captions generators and keyers.

“Immediately, we can now sell captioning encoders alongside our on-premises and cloud-based enCaption systems to offer more flexible and affordable singlesource solutions,” explained Ken Frommert, president of ENCO.

Solotech Brings AV Innovation to VAI Amphitheater

Solotech has partnered with the VAI Resort team in Glendale, AZ, for the highly anticipated VAI Amphitheater project. As designers and equipment providers for the performance audio and lighting systems, Solotech is committed to delivering an unparalleled live entertainment experience when the venue opens in 2024.

“Solotech is ensuring that the AV technology attracts both artists and travelers from across the globe,” explained Aaron Beck, business development manager and senior engineer at Solotech. “Our drive for spectacular, and the VAI Resort team’s trust in us to execute, is what’s at the heart of our partnership.”

The VAI Amphitheater’s uniqueness stems from its ability to provide an incredible viewing and listening experience to every seat in the venue, including the balconies of the VAI Resort Muse Tower. To provide coverage for such a vast space, Solotech is deploying L-Acoustics K1, K2, and KS28 loudspeakers and K1-SB subwoofers for the main audio system, along with Kara II long-throw and X15 HIQ and X12

AVI-SPL Offers New Bundle for Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms

AVI-SPL now offers a furniture and technology bundle that delivers the Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms vision of meeting equity and uplifts the hybrid meeting experience for all. It enables the Microsoft Teams Front Row layout in 21:9 format using purpose-built elements that put human experience and sustainability at the center of team collaboration.

A Microsoft managed partner, AVI-SPL developed the bundle with Crestron, Jupiter, and

Salamander Designs. In response to customer requests, the bundle also responds to increasing mandates for accessible, sustainable solutions. As a complete solution, it also satisfies market demand for simple, quick, and scalable deployment.

The new ADA-compliant and ENERGY STARcertified bundle for Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms includes the Crestron Flex conference system with Jabra PanaCast 50 videobar, Jupiter 5K LCD display, and Salamander Designs credenza and

short-throw loudspeakers for the stage monitor system. AVB audio distribution with L-Acoustics P1 processors will ensure exceptional audio quality throughout the venue.

Solotech also designed a flexible lighting system to meet the challenges of the venue’s diverse programming and the desert climate. The MA Lighting MA3 lighting console, combined with a range of Robe Lighting fixtures, provides dynamic lighting for every performance. Plus, Solotech is supplying the amphitheater’s cable, power, power distribution units, and hardware needs for a seamless, reliable infrastructure.

“This is the first venue where guests can enjoy performances at the amphitheater from their hotel balconies with the same audio quality you’d have by the stage,” said Howard Weiss, vice president of entertainment for VAI Resort. “The experience for artists will be superb, and Solotech will be there in support with best-in-class technology for years to come.”

Arc Table. AVI-SPL provides all design renderings, installation, and system integration. The bundle is globally available and able to be easily procured as a single unit.

Solotech is delivering audio and lighting systems for the new VAI Amphitheater (rendering inset).

AVI-SPL’s new bundle for Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms includes solutions from Crestron, Jupiter, and Salamander Designs.

What We Learned at the 2023 AV/IT Summit

By Wayne Cavadi

Pro AV and IT industry experts

AV Technology’s Cindy Davis, SCN’s Mark J. Pescatore, and TV Tech’s Tom Butts for the 2023 AV/IT Summit, which was held on Aug. 2 at the UBS Arena in New York City. Keynote speaker Kay Sargent, senior principal and director of WorkPlace at HOK, started the day’s discussions by examining what the hybrid world should look like now and in the future. As explained, it is no longer about designing the right environments, but the right experiences. Here are some highlights from the rest of the sessions.

It’s a Videoconferencing World

No, the “Workplace 2024: People, Place, Purpose” panel was not solely about videoconferencing, but we are kidding ourselves if we don’t think it plays a large role in the current hybrid world. Scott Josephson, AV/IT professional, noted changes are coming rapidly and we see it in the acceleration of videoconferencing technology. For example, with AI, cameras act as directors, finding the speaker and panning back and forth between participants.

Where should we focus our attention moving forward in the workplace? For Josephson, it was to give the employee a choice and provide flexibility in regard to remote and in-person work with purpose. For Jenn Steinhardt of Shen Milsom & Wilke, it is time to rethink how spaces are being utilized and to ensure we are promoting collaboration and routine. Bill Bennett of ENCO focused on captioning and the importance of saving the transcripts so people can re-read when they need to.

But perhaps Jason Kikta of AUTOMOX said it best. He said it’s time for companies to be the leading investment, not the trailing one. Companies can no longer implement based on decisions that came before—but be a trailblazer and stay ahead of the curve.

Campus Technology Considerations

It may be hard to remember, but just a few short years ago, people wondered if anyone would ever return to the classroom. Now, of course, students and teachers are back, and a lot of the technology installed is not necessarily being used for the same intent. As Joe Way, co-founder and chair of HETMA, explained during the “Higher Ed 2024: Campus Technology of Tomorrow” panel, education is still very much tangible and not all virtual and digital.

So, what are the conversations vendors should be having with higher-ed professionals to make that a comfortable return? According to Jonathan Kornberg from the Columbia University Medical Center, it starts with ceiling mics and mics for large spaces, lecture capture, and types of audio devices for recording and live events. Cameras are still very important, in particular those powered by AI.

Tim Van Woeart from Rutgers University said there is once again a big push for active learning (the pre-COVID buzzword) and a reliable, easy-to-use AV-over-IP solution is the way to go in active learning spaces over multiple networks connecting multiple campuses miles apart. Erin Maher-Moran from Johns Hopkins University added that everything should be simple and flexible, allowing educators to get the bells and whistles by simply pressing a button. Also, and somewhat surprisingly, the need for chalkboard capture cameras is larger than ever, as many faculty haven’t adapted to the whiteboard.

The Future Is Approachable

SCN’s own Mark J. Pescatore gathers a panel every year and asks the same question: What is the future of Pro AV? Last year, topics like Microsoft Teams/Zoom/UC, bandwidth, and HDBaseT dominated the conversation. This year, buzzwords and big ideas like virtual and remote production, meeting equity, and, to no one’s surprise, AI were at the forefront.

When it comes to AI, Bill Newman of Yealink Network Technology explained it should be about the user experience. Device-level intelligence makes it easier to capture experiences and helps today’s technologies get ahead of the curve.

Samantha Potter from Allen & Heath USA explained that during the pandemic, a lot of fun, innovative technology was created—and now that we have it, we need to use it and make it easy to use. Mark Vitt from TRITECH Communications agreed; no matter how many cameras, displays, and microphones bring a conference room together, the technology needs to be approachable.

And speaking of conference rooms, what’s in the dream conference room of the future? Jeff Mele of Metinteractive felt attendees should be able to experience and interact seamlessly just like they’re at home. For Red Thread’s Ashish Maru, the ideal conference room is the one in which the technology doesn’t get in the way. Let the presenter present and let AI handle the camera angles and voice tracking. The panelists agreed that technology has to be easy to use for the end user and easy to install for the integrators. The ecosystem is just fine where it is, but the potential for an enhanced digital future is limitless.

Stadium Technology Is Cool

As with last year’s AV/IT Summit at Citi Field, home of MLB’s New York Mets, the location of the summit was a multipurpose sports venue. UBS Arena is home to the New York Islanders, but also hosts events, concerts, and shows.

During the “Technology on Ice” session, Ryan Halkett of the New York Islanders and Steve Stubelt of Diversified discussed how building the new UBS Arena from the ground up was all about the fan experience—or what they called the home ice advantage. Technology had to be the driving force and enable that enhanced experience.

As Halkett said, “Fans love experiencing the building. They finally have a home and more importantly, they feel like it’s their home.”

SCN’s Mark J. Pescatore (right) asked his panelists about the future of Pro AV.

AV Technology’s Cindy Davis (left) hosted the “Workplace 2024: People, Place, Purpose” panel

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HOLOPLOT Powers Sphere Immersive Sound

Sphere Entertainment has unveiled Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which provides crystal-clear, individualized sound to every seat in Sphere, its unique entertainment venue opening in Las Vegas this fall. Sphere Immersive Sound i s a fully integrated, concert-grade audio system that revolutionizes immersive audio experiences.

Specifically developed for the venue's unique curved interior, Sphere Immersive Sound includes approximately 1,600 permanently installed and 300 mobile HOLOPLOT X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker modules as well as 167,000 individually amplified loudspeaker drivers. The result is controlled and consistent audio for audiences of up to 20,000 people, providing each audience member with a truly exceptional and personalized listening experience. HOLOPLOT’s algorithms in the optimization engine compensate for any audio transmission losses.

Traditional loudspeaker technology in large-scale venues can result in audio quality that diminishes as distance from the speakers increases, due to the uncontrolled nature of sound wave propagation.

HOLOPLOT’s patented 3D Audio-Beamforming technology uses intelligent software algorithms to create unique, highly controlled, and more efficient soundwaves than conventional speakers, ensuring that levels and quality remain consistent from point of origin to destination, even over large distances. The system can also simultaneously send unique audio content to specific locations in the venue, creating the possibility for different sections to hear completely different content—such as languages,

music, or sound effects—offering opportunities for truly customized and immersive audio experiences.

Sphere Immersive Sound will also use HOLOPLOT’s unique Wave Field Synthesis capabilities, a spatial audio rendering technique that leverages virtual acoustic environments. With conventional audio technology, the perceived origin of a sound has traditionally been the location of the loudspeaker. Using Wave Field Synthesis, sound designers can create a virtual point of origin, which can then be placed in a precise spatial location. This enables audio to be directed to the listener so that it sounds close, even though the source is far away—for example, an audience member could hear a whisper that sounds like someone is talking directly in their ear.

The entire sound system is completely hidden behind Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot interior LED display plane, which wraps up, over, and around the audience. Combined with Sphere Immersive Sound, it creates a fully immersive environment. Sphere also features patented 4D technologies such as infrasound haptic seating and various atmospheric and environmental effects to create multi-sensory experiences

that take storytelling to an entirely new level.

“Sphere Immersive Sound is a cornerstone of the custom-designed technology that will make Sphere unlike any venue, anywhere in the world, providing audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest, no matter where they are seated,” said David Dibble, CEO, MSG Ventures, a division of Sphere Entertainment. “Creating this experience required us to go far beyond existing audio technology, and in HOLOPLOT we found a partner at the forefront of innovation to help achieve our vision and truly transform what is possible with audio.”

Last summer, ahead of being further customized and scaled for Sphere, Sphere Immersive Sound was introduced at the Beacon Theatre in New York. The system brought a nearly 100-year-old venue into the next generation, and has offered artists and audiences a glimpse of what the system can deliver.

“From the beginning, HOLOPLOT has been focused on radically transforming audio technology, rethinking the underlying physics of sound reproduction as we know it,” said Roman Sick, CEO, HOLOPLOT. “Working alongside Sphere Studios on Sphere Immersive Sound has been a truly thrilling opportunity for our team, challenging us to extend the boundaries of our technology at an unparalleled scale and create a revolutionary listening experience.”

Sphere will open its doors on Sept. 29 with the first of U2’s 25 performances of “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere.” U2’s The Edge said the venue’s immersive technology was a big selling point for the band’s residency at Sphere. “In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he said. “We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”

HOLOPLOT

Almost 2,000 HOLOPLOT X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker modules are part of the Sphere Immersive Sound system at Sphere.

The Sphere Immersive Sound audio system helps Sphere, the new entertainment venue in Las Vegas, create an immersive atmosphere.

Left Lane Capital Renovates with K-array Loudspeakers

Located in Brooklyn, NY, the Left Lane Capital corporate building overlooks the waters of the East River. There is no better view than on the 20th floor, where a full K-array system was installed in March as part of a complete renovation of the space.

Specified and installed by Architech Designs, the project was in collaboration with the Ovadia Bros. New York fashion designers (and twin brothers) who provided interior design and furnishing direction. Having previously deployed K-array products in similar projects, Architech Designs opted for a full K-array sound system to work seamlessly with other integrated technology, including custom Crestron control, Ketra lighting, 100-inch Sony display, 4K videoconferencing cameras, and soundproofed huddle pods.

“While initially designed for background music, K-array’s headroom and output allowed for the open-area speaker system to provide exceptional audio,” explained Robert D’Amico, project manager at Architect Designs. “The end result is a system that

caters for all occasions, from company functions to cocktail parties.”

The high-end corporate install called for a minimal yet style-focused approach. The discreet design of K-array’s products allowed Ovadia Bros. to design a stylish, minimal interior without the need to work around bulky loudspeakers.

“We chose K-array for their ability to deliver the world-class sound, performance, and reliability we were seeking,” explained Noah Siber-Sanderowitz, former operations manager at Architech Designs. “The goal was to deliver a world-class audio-video conferencing experience for the conference rooms, a sleek yet powerful office-wide music system for distributed audio, and an immersive audio system for the sensory room.”

K-array’s products were able to overcome the acoustical challenge of concrete walls while still providing high-quality sound. The audio system consists of 12 Tornado KT2 point source loudspeakers, four Vyper KV52 ultra-slim column loudspeak-

ers, and two KU210 and eight KU44 Rumble subwoofers. Slimline Vyper column loudspeakers are in the main boardroom.

Discreet yet powerful Tornado loudspeakers were used in the sensory room, which features a minimalistic design despite being packed with advanced technology. “K-array’s aesthetic-driven designs gave us the ability to blend the speakers into the space whilst providing class-leading sound,” said Siber-Sanderowitz. “The client is thrilled with the performance and result, which looks as good as it sounds.”

The stylish sensory room delivers immersive audio with two Tornado loudspeakers and two Rumble subwoofers.

ClearOne Streamlines Remote Learning at The College of New Jersey

Amid a torrent of rapidly changing student needs in Spring 2020, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) embarked on a mission to make its campus accessible to remote learning. The college’s Office of Media and Technology Support Services (MTSS) began evaluating several options to deliver high-quality audio capture in classrooms and lecture halls, ultimately commencing a multi-phase rollout of ClearOne solutions across the entire campus.

“When COVID threw a wrench into in-person classes, we quickly recognized the need to develop hybrid learning environments that support the ongoing success of our staff and students,” said Jon Bannan, director of user support services. “The most critical need we identified was that any solution must be dead simple to operate, or otherwise risk introducing interruptions and frustration into educators’ daily schedules. The ClearOne COLLABORATE Versa Lite CT system stood out as a high-performing solution that’s compatible with virtually any computer, mobile device, or collaboration platform, making it easy to deploy in multi-use spaces that host different educators throughout the day.”

Featuring the ClearOne BMA CT, a beamforming microphone solution that blends in with drop ceilings,

the COLLABORATE Versa Lite CT system provides enhanced audio pickup and clarity while simplifying connection of AV peripherals and computers through the ClearOne Versa USB Hub. It offers acoustic echo cancellation and adaptive steering, which intelligently switches between the unit’s multiple directional microphones to optimize pickup based on the current location of speaker or meeting host.

The deployment is ongoing, with each year's budget providing additional funds to integrate more classrooms, conference rooms, and other spaces. To date, MTSS has installed 53 Versa Lite CT systems in small and medium-sized classrooms in conjunction with a variety of camera solutions that offer automatic tracking to keep the presenter in frame as they move around the room. Most rooms also include a projection system, while some feature a digital display.

“Three years after we began this project, we would be hard pressed to find a student, parent, or educator who expects anything less—it’s essentially a requirement now,” Bannan explained. “In the competitive college landscape, staying ahead of technology trends is vital to achieve enrollment goals and provide all students equitable access, regardless of individual situations or external disruptions.

Audiotonix Embraces AI with Sonible Acquisition

Audiotonix recently announced the acquisition of sonible, which develops assistive AI-based processing solutions for professional audio. Located in Graz, Austria, sonible’s assistive mixing plug-ins have provided a new generation of intelligent processing production tools for engineers and audio creatives with workflow-enhancing features at their core. Its product portfolio also includes multi-channel amplifiers for high-end audio installations dedicated to science and research, as well as speaker technology for delivering 3D immersive soundscapes.

sonible will join the growing Audiotonix brand portfolio of audio technology and solutions companies

that includes Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiCo, DiGiGrid, Group One Limited, Harrison, KLANG:technologies, Slate Digital, Solid State Logic, and Sound Devices.

“The sonible team have spent the last 10 years developing the most advanced assistive AI technologies for mixing and audio creation,” said James Gordon, CEO of Audiotonix. “Along with investing in their growth and helping the team expand their current market solutions as sonible, we will also look to harness their technology across our other Audiotonix brands. The potential to utilize sonible’s intelligence in our other brands will be a ground-breaking proposition for all our customers.”

Additionally, using the same solutions across campus has raised the tech confidence of staff and offers a simple, intuitive setup that even guest speakers or event hosts can operate with ease.”

After witnessing the widespread success of the Versa Lite CT solutions, MTSS turned its focus to the college’s lecture halls, developing a solution that combines multiple BMA 360 ceiling microphones with a Converge Pro 2 DSP mixer in conjunction with tracking cameras. The solution ensures complete coverage for the larger rooms while enabling connection of up to 12 additional microphones commonly used for panel discussions and multi-speaker scenarios. The BMA 360 makes system design even easier by allowing up to three distant units to be daisy chained together using P-Link, requiring only a single home run cable to the DSP.

New Display Serves as ‘Gateway to Times Square’

Out-of-home (OOH) media company BIG OUTDOOR launched a new digital platform at the north end of the Times Square bow tie on top of the Duane Reade building at the corner of 50th and Broadway. Dubbed the “Gateway to Times Square,” a pair of stacked LED displays face north and provide long read times to traffic entering the Crossroads of the World. With the larger of the two screens serving as the bottom display, they have a combined 3,100 square feet of digital canvas. Both outdoor video screens employ SNA Displays 8mm EMPIRE Exterior LED display technology.

The College of New Jersey is using ClearOne solutions across campus for high-quality audio capture.

Biamp Opens Boston Office, Demo Space

On July 26, the Biamp team converged on its new office space in the Great Boston Area region, along with customers and partners, to host an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event began with opening remarks from CEO and co-chairman Rashid Skaf, who said the new location will enable the team to conduct more engaging product demos in a location that is more accessible for visitors.

Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the new demo spaces, which provide more complete and engaging environments to test Biamp products. Skaf noted the new space provides a compelling showcase to help partners and customers in the region gain a better understanding of the options and capabilities Biamp offers. The new space is located at 800 District Ave., Suite 310, Burlington, MA.

The Boston area remains an important part of the Biamp footprint, where much of its sound masking product development originated. The new office space also reinforces Biamp’s commitment to providing a regional showplace and demo area for its Northeast U.S.-based employees, partners, and customers.

New NSCA Award Honors Mentors

NSCA has established the John Greene Mentorship Award. The honor will be bestowed upon an industry professional who demonstrates the same passion for and dedication to mentorship as Greene did during his 30-plus years serving the industry before his death in 2021 at age 63 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The winner will be recognized at the annual Business & Leadership Conference, which is scheduled for February 2024 in Irving, TX.

Greene was always quick to support his colleagues, coworkers, and AV industry friends. He began his AV career as a regional account manager for JVC before joining Total Video Products as its vice president of sales. Since 2006, he worked as the vice president of sales and marketing for Advanced AV, which was acquired by New Era Technology in 2013.

While his career was impressive, so were his commitments beyond his professional life. Greene spent five years as an Ignite Ambassador and served as a volunteer and co-captain for Special Olympics Pennsylvania and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The association is hoping the industry can work together to pay it forward by mentoring up-and-coming leaders and carry on his tradition.

“As we navigate multi-generational staff and evolving leadership within companies in our industry, it has become increasingly important for businesses to consider implementing a mentorship program,” said Mike Boettcher, EDGE president, who is a former NSCA president, current NSCA board member, and longtime colleague of Greene. “We couldn’t think of an individual who better exemplifies the traits of a mentor than John Greene.”

Mersive Delivers Room-Responsive Digital Signage for WeWork

WeWork is redefining how it works collaboration. The Mersive Technologies Solstice collaboration platform continues to be deployed globally at WeWork coworking locations to create frictionless collaboration systems for WeWork members, offering nearly instantaneous sharing and collaboration. Solstice also enables WeWork to integrate its booking systems with Mersive’s Dynamic Digital Signage for a branded in-room user experience and more costefficient use of WeWork spaces.

“The main thing that attracted us to the Mersive Solstice collaboration platform was its reliability,” said Jacob Robinson, director of engineering at WeWork. “With competing solutions, we had to constantly reboot, the uptime on the devices wasn’t good, and the devices were not as modern as what Mersive was offering for essentially the same price or less.”

With 15,000 Solstice Pods across more than 500 locations, the solution had to be scalable and easy to manage. Solstice Cloud makes deploying and managing new Pods simple. WeWork can leverage configuration templates and schedule updates or change digital signage. Rich analytics lets the company collect data from spaces and use those insights to optimize room use.

Solstice’s new web-based sharing feature not only automatically loads security certificates for a more frictionless sharing experience and fewer support calls, but it also allows those who want to share their screen to do so in seconds.

WeWork also developed motion sensors to work with the Solstice platform, so if movement is detected in the room, the screen can display a welcome message. If the room is not booked, a screen will pop up that informs the person in the room they need to book it to

use it. This helps WeWork make more efficient use of space and reduce conference room squatters.

“We’re pushing the boundaries of what digital signage can do with Mersive, and it’s making the experience for our members as good as it can be by giving them a fully customized WeWork experience,” added Robinson. “Since we’ve deployed digital signage in this way, we have seen a dramatic increase in positive experiences reported.”

Biamp CEO and co-chairman Rashid Skaf was on hand to open the company new office space.

Chuck Wilson, executive director of NSCA Education Foundation (left), and Mike Boettcher, NSCA board member and longtime colleague of John Greene, announced the John Greene Mentorship Award at InfoComm 2023.

WeWork has deployed Solstice to create branded in-room user experiences across more than 500 locations.

Have We Stuck the Soft Landing?

By Peter Hansen

Good news, good news, and good news this month! Conditions aren’t perfect, but the macroeconomy has hit a strong run of good news, and Pro AV seems to be strengthening along with it.

Starting with Pro AV: Our sales index for July shows an acceleration in revenue growth, from the positive but mediocre June mark of 55.9 to a solid but unspectacular mark of 59.3 for July. In describing company performance, survey respondents highlighted a variety of factors. Positive influence from the economy was common, though others highlighted ongoing economic challenges.

Supply chains remained a frequent factor, though the consensus and our data are clear that they are on a trajectory of improvement. Hiring is also an issue; while some companies are fine, others remain perpetually understaffed or struggle mightily to fill

open positions.

The best news came from the wider economy this July. U.S. GDP hit a big surprise when the advance estimate of second-quarter growth came in at an annualized rate of 2.4%. So much for the first-half recession concerns.

This good news on growth was accompanied by good news on U.S. inflation, which saw the annual CPI inflation rate cool to just 3.0% year-on-year (down from 4.0%). Core inflation, which is an important guide for interest rate decisions, was higher at 4.8%, though this, too, was a meaningful improvement from the May mark of 5.3%.

These major pieces of good news contributed to a special outcome in the Dow Jones stock index: a 13-day winning streak, the longest in 36 years. In fact, the streak was just a day short of the all-time record set back in 1897. It’s not all good news—Europe continues to experience stagnant growth, though inflation is declining there, too.

The AV Employment Index (AVI-E) wasn’t as

positive as the rest of the report this month, falling from 59.3 to 56.9. Now, 56.9 is not a bad result for the steadier AVI-E, but it is the lowest level recorded since July 2021.

Interestingly, the result paralleled the data on U.S. employment for July, which showed the addition of 187,000 jobs, a level that was the lowest since 2020. Yet, the news was good overall. To start, 187,000 jobs would have been a bit above average for the months leading up to the pandemic. Beyond that, unemployment ticked down to 3.5%, and the average hourly wage increased at a 4.4% annualized rate. In sum, a positive report, even if hiring is slowing down—for Pro AV and the U.S. economy alike.

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

Peter Hansen is an economist at AVIXA.

PEOPLE EXECUTIVE Q&A

Simplified Systems through Standards

PlexusAV’s Cogels Embraces IPMX for New AVoIP Solutions

By Mark J. Pescatore

: Congratulations on your InfoComm launch. How long have you been with Sencore and PlexusAV, and what are your responsibilities?

Steven Cogels: Over a year ago, I rejoined Sencore to help the company re-emerge in the professional AV industry through the introduction of PlexusAV. Previously, I worked for Sencore for almost five years as the regional sales manager for EMEA. During that time, their business in EMEA was starting and I was one of the first international employees. My prior history with Sencore made it easy to rejoin, as I know what we are capable of. My responsibilities are centered around overseeing PlexusAV, a sub-brand of Sencore, as we launch the brand and an entirely new product lineup.

: What was Sencore’s thinking behind launching PlexusAV?

SC: Sencore’s re-emergence into the professional AV industry, specifically through PlexusAV, included months of careful consideration and strategizing. Rather than introducing a line of Pro AV solutions under Sencore, it was determined that a broadcastcentric approach wouldn’t suffice. The narrative, terminology, acronyms, and application-specific needs are still very different for the broadcast and Pro AV industries. PlexusAV was established to provide solutions for the modern Pro AV integrator with their customers in mind. Most importantly, the people behind PlexusAV have decades of history in Pro AV. PlexusAV may be new to the industry, but it’s powered by 70-plus years of broadcast excellence.

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

SC: The short-term goal is to establish PlexusAV as a trusted, technology-leading brand in the Pro AV industry. We aim to eliminate traditional restrictions behind ecosystems and project design by embracing a standards-based approach. We’ve designed and engineered everything using a standard. This means integrators are not locked into any so-called ecosystem and not required to buy everything from one company. We believe that simplicity is key. The long-term goal is to expand our solutions offerings with new products, technology partnerships, and an expanded global reach.

: Why is AVoIP so complicated, and how will PlexusAV simplify it?

SC: The introduction of AV-over-IP has created an untransparent jungle of closed, non-standardized technologies. As a result, AV-over-IP has become incredibly complex because of the introduction of proprietary solutions that have created walled gardens. These technologies have been pushed into the market, and although they have become quite successful, they’ve created an AV-over-IP jungle.

PlexusAV is simplifying AV-over-IP by eliminating proprietary technology. PlexusAV is designed and engineered as a standards-based, AV-over-IP solution to provide backward and forward-compatible, reliable, capable, and future-proof products. The human-centric design behind PlexusAV eliminates traditional restrictions behind ecosystems and project design. With PlexusAV, integrators are not locked into a customized ecosystem that limits innovation or requires more network bandwidth than necessary. Most importantly, the standards are easily accessible, although reading them in-depth might put anyone to sleep. The open standards that PlexusAV are designed upon are truly open and available for anyone.

: Why the decision to embrace the IPMX standard?

SC: We carefully decided to use the industry standard for sending video across broadcast networks globally— this standard also manages networks already using 8K! It’s called SMPTE ST 2110 (also known as IPMX). PlexusAV is taking a double-faceted approach by harnessing a standard to simplify integration and empower integrators to become subject matter experts on a standard rather than a proprietary technology. PlexusAV users don’t have to be exclusive to IMPX, either. PlexusAV has embraced emerging and established industry technologies and components to support various distribution methods. As a result, PlexusAV is eliminating the stress of picking an AV-over-IP technology. So, integrators never have to worry about choosing the right or wrong one—it just works.

: What products are available from PlexusAV?

SC: At InfoComm 2023, PlexusAV introduced the AVN Series, including an IPMX transceiver (P-AVN4), Plexus Visual Array Appliance (P-AVN-VSA), and Plexus Gateway (P-AVN-GTW). The lineup of solutions in the AVN Series will be available and shipping later this year.

Steven Cogels

Position: Global Director of Business Development Company: PlexusAV

Overtime: Although I’m based in Europe, I enjoy partaking in a common American tradition of grilling and cooking outdoors.

: Anything else on the drawing board?

SC: Right now, we are laser-focused on the AVN Series. We want to gather feedback from customers and technology partners, and utilize their feedback as we continue to build our portfolio in a logical manner.

: What vertical markets are you targeting?

SC: PlexusAV is designed for higher education, large venues, healthcare, corporate and enterprise, and other applications. We believe that PlexusAV will simplify AV-over-IP in various applications because we offer multiple versions of encoders and decoders to create an innovative, accessible, and humancentric ecosystem. Additionally, we’re embracing both emerging and established industry technologies, like NDI and Dante, to eliminate any concerns about compatibility with application-specific requirements.

: How can systems contractors make PlexusAV part of their AVoIP solutions?

SC: We are already talking to a number of key AV distributors, system integrators, and, of course, AV consultants. We will evaluate our strategy separately for each territory. However, in the short term, any interested parties can reach out to us via our U.S. office through our website, plexusav.com.

: After spending time on the InfoComm show floor, what do you think is creating the biggest buzz for the Pro AV industry?

SC: The market adaption of AV-over-IP is growing fast. Most manufacturers now have some form of AV-over-IP solution. This is great, as moving audio, video, and control signals to the network opens up a lot of future expandability. AV integrators now understand they must learn about IP and become IT experts. It’s somewhat of a challenge for them to learn about all the different technologies out there and select what fits their application best.

But clearly, the most exciting trend is the interest in standards-based AV-over-IP. At InfoComm 2023, we had conversations with end users, consultants, and integrators actively looking for standards-based solutions. While we expected to have to explain the value of having an open standards-based solution, we only had this conversation with a small part of the people that visited our booth. In most of our discussions, there was already and understanding about what standards benefit end users and integrators.

EXECUTIVE Q&A PEOPLE

‘This Is Different’

HARMAN VP Trader Talks AMX’s New Role in Pro AV

By Mark J. Pescatore

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

Jamie Trader: I’ve been in the AMX family for 16 years, having performed many functions across the business. Today, I’m responsible for HARMAN Professional’s Video & Control portfolio. This means aligning teams and resources around tomorrow’s growth strategy—and empowering really amazing people to go build the spectacular things this brand was meant to build.

: AMX is wrapping up its 40th anniversary. How has the company celebrated this milestone?

JT: Aside from the obvious people celebrations globally, we’ve launched 40 new products this year across the entire portfolio—solutions that begin the foundation for our next 40 years.

: After touring your booth at InfoComm, it almost feels like AMX is reinventing itself. What is the company’s new philosophy?

JT: First, I’m thrilled you noticed that something seemed different. You weren’t the only one. Every visitor to the booth, at some point, stopped and said, “This is different. Really different. This is the direction I’ve been hoping this industry would finally go. What’s going on here?”

What they’re responding to is the culmination of years of R&D investment where we’ve been reimagining the role AMX will play in the industry and for our customers.

But to your question, I wouldn’t characterize it as a reinvention of AMX, or a new philosophy, so much as a return to the philosophies that began this business and an investment into the brand to do the right things.

The AMX mission, dating all the way back to Scott Miller’s garage over 40 years ago, has always been about simplifying the way people interact with technology. The way we see it, the business of simplifying human interaction with technology hasn’t really changed—not because technology hasn’t, but because people haven’t. People want the same things today that they wanted 40 years ago. They want to get their job done. They want to be able to go into a room, interact with other human beings, share and express ideas, and solve problems.

They want to have meaningful experiences, and sometimes technology can get in the way. And sometimes the physical environment can get in the way. So, the business of automation has not

changed. You’re still trying to synthesize human behavior with digital information and the physical environment surrounding you for the sake of simplicity.

So, while the business—or the goals—of simplification haven’t changed, the focus on which friction to eliminate has. And you can’t eliminate the friction by doing things the way our industry does them today. You have to look at standards adoption differently. You have to look at our customers’ talent funnel and their workstream differently. You have to look at the supply chain differently.

This is what people are noticing as different with AMX today.

We’re telling our customers that today’s AMX product outlook is about “embracing your tools. Your skills. And enabling you to work the way you want to work.”

: What are AMX's strongest vertical markets?

JT: While adopted across a very wide market spectrum, AMX continues to find its greatest adoption in government, education, corporate, and hospitality markets.

: How is AMX moving beyond its control roots?

JT: AMX has decades-long expertise in advanced video solutions. Between our early AutoPatch solutions, which brought the market its first-ever digital video switching technology and first fiber video transport, to the current Enova digital video platform, to the industry’s first networked AV (AVoIP) platform, first 4K streaming solution, first AVoIP 4K video window processing, and so much more, AMX has continued to invest in making video more useful for people trying to communicate.

In fact, we’ve just launched SVSI’s next-generation secure, enterprise-grade AVoIP 4K60 4:4:4 products. This is a premium performance platform that we’ve built and positioned to be price competitive with our competitors’ bottom-tier solutions. But the advancement is not just about great video at a great price. It’s also about actually being able to do more with your investment in networked video, such as simultaneous multi-streaming (MWC, H.264, H.265) with inde-

Jamie Trader

Position: Vice President, Global Product Line Management Video and Control (AMX)

Company: HARMAN Professional

Overtime: When you love what you do, there really isn’t spare time or overtime. There’s just time. And you spend it on your passions. For me, that’s travel with my wife, music on my piano, time with the family, and helping great people build things that are important.

pendent USB2.0 routing and MJPEG live preview. We will continue to invest in video technology advancements, not just in the AVoIP space, but the overall spectrum of video technologies, in all formats.

: What is AMX MUSE, and why is it so important for AMX?

JT: AMX MUSE is HARMAN Professional’s powerful and secure next-generation automation platform. Going beyond the traditional capabilities of AV control, AMX MUSE simultaneously processes multiple scripting languages, supports No-Code/ Low-Code capabilities, simplifies routine development tasks, and opens up the possibilities for technicians and IT managers of all skill sets to deliver advanced automation easily and quickly in a modern era of complex, data-driven technology.

And it does it all without a single proprietary tool. Your IDE, your tools, the languages you like (use any or all of the three we support at launch). And for those who don’t like to program, leverage MUSE’s native support of the most popular, most capable No Code/Low Code platform on the globe. Built for you to be able to leverage a global developer community and to have your diverse team all participate on one platform simultaneously—MUSE is built to inspire your possibilities.

The AMX MUSE platform will first appear in dedicated hardware controllers that include modern embedded processors and rugged, industrial storage. But that’s not the only place you’ll be finding this technology. AMX MUSE is one of the first new platforms delivered as a direct result of our strategic R&D investment to unify our electronics portfolio. AMX MUSE is more than just an automation platform, it’s a gateway technology able to communicate across ICSP (legacy AMX), HiQnet (legacy HARMAN Pro audio), and HARMAN Pros’ new Open-API protocol: HControl. That means you can expect to find this across a very wide range of HARMAN Pro solutions and much more.

PEOPLE NEWSMAKERS

ADVANCED SYSTEMS GROUP has announced executive-level appointments within its Managed Services team. MIKE TYLER has joined as director of operations, productions, and will oversee on-site production teams supporting client studio and event venues. Before joining ASG, Tyler was the senior manager for NetApp TV.

REHAM AYOUB has joined as director of operations, creative, and will oversee post-production and design teams that support clients on premises and remotely. Most recently, she served as vice president of talent for Digitas North America.

ATLASIED has added two new regional sales managers. MARK FOERDERER will manage sales for North-Central America, while EDDIE NAVARRO will manage sales for the Rocky Mountain region. With more than 20 years of experience in audio and sound masking, Foerderer has fostered strong relationships with integrators and consultants. Navarro spent the last decade in both business development and technology sales roles for the K-12 market.

STEVE DURKEE has joined BRIGHTSIGN as CEO. He brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and a proven track record of success in the Pro AV space. Durkee will co-CEO the company with JEFF HASTINGS through the end of the year. On Jan. 1, Hastings will assume the role of CTO within BrightSign, dedicating his efforts toward the development of products and services. In addition to his role as CTO, Hastings will remain on the BrightSign board and continue to be a significant investor in the company.

LOTTA SCHIEFER is the new global sales lead for BROMPTON TECHNOLOGY. Her 30-plusyear career includes stops with Barco and other global manufacturers. Most recently, she was the operations manager for broadcast and technical services at the Royal Swedish Opera.

INFILED has added JASON MANGUBA and ZACK STEWART as regional sales directors for the company’s fast-growing fixed installation team in North America. Manguba has more than 20 years of experience in the channel. His career started off in a cold calling sales role, but quickly moved to various positions including brand management, distribution, key account manager (end user), and channel sales. Stewart has more than 12 years in the AV world, with experience in account management, AV consulting, dvLED engineering, and distribution.

PPDS has added three new members to its North American team. With almost 20 years of AV sales experience, TOM NOVOTNY has joined the hospitality team. Based in Chicago, he will work with the PPDS hospitality sales channel to drive sales of professional TVs, digital signage, and dvLED solutions in the East Coast region. In his new role as director of federal government sales, LCD display, Salt Lake City-based AV sales veteran TYE DATO will help develop and launch TAA go-to-market strategies. He will play an important role in driving awareness of PPDA TAAcertified solutions within the AV channel and identifying new sales opportunities. And MEGAN LIPINCZYK, the new channel marketing manager based in Tampa, FL, is tasked with developing and executing comprehensive channel marketing plans and programs, as well as overseeing joint marketing campaigns, promotions, and trade shows.

SOLOTECH has appointed STEVEN PECHIE as vice president, global managed services of the Sales and Systems Integration Division. With more than a decade of experience in leadership roles encompassing operations, managed services, and sales management, he brings a wealth of expertise to his new position. Pechie will oversee the strategy and deployment for global managed services, evaluating growth opportunities and market strategies to enhance client services worldwide, as well as developing a comprehensive roadmap to drive the continuous evolution of managed services offerings and solutions.

Rep Report

MAXHUB has appointed VISION2 MARKETING for sales representation throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Southern Nevada. Founded in 2004, Vision2 Marketing represents several premier manufacturers of professional audio, video, lighting, and control products. The company has built a seasoned team of sales and support professionals with backgrounds in production, integration, and music retail.

Audio networking specialist AUVITRAN has appointed Glasgow-based CUK as its distributor for the United Kingdom and Ireland. The full range of AuviTran products are now shipping from the CUK distribution center in East Kilbride, Scotland. CUK’s presence in both live sound and installed AV allows the company to service AuviTran’s two key market sectors.

LOWELL MANUFACTURING

COMPANY has welcomed a third generation to the family business. THOMAS LOWELL has joined as a process engineer. He is the son of Tom Lowell, one of the company owners who also serves as the purchasing manager. Thomas previously worked authoring good manufacturing practice (GMP) documents at a Fortune 100 company. His focus at Lowell Manufacturing will be to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of processes, as he designs and implements procedures that drive scalability and repeatability within all areas of production.

ROB LAMB has joined NANOLUMENS as CFO. He is part of the executive leadership team. Previously, he served as CFO at Hodinkee, where he led the company through the acquisition of Crown & Caliber, and spent nearly 20 years with Turner Broadcasting in a variety of finance roles. At Nanolumens, Lamb will lead the finance, accounting, international procurement, and information technology functions.

With more than 10 years in the dvLED and digital signage markets, RYAN WILHELM has joined PEERLESS-AV as business development director for North America. Previously, he held a regional sales manager position for a global dvLED manufacturer, and had served as the business development manager for an integrator.

Mike Tyler

Steven Pechie

Jason Manguba

Zack Stewart

Tom Novotny

Thomas Lowell

Lotta Schiefer

Ryan Wilhelm

Tye Dato

Megan Lipinczyk

Reham Ayoub

Mark Foerderer

Eddie Navarro

Steve Durkee

Jeff Hastings

Rob Lamb

Free Stuff or Investment?

Manufacturers Must Measure ROI of Long-Term Evaluations

By Douglas Kleeger

Iwould like to share a recent situation I was in, which is directly related to when a consultant requests equipment from a manufacturer for “long-term evaluation.” This aspect of the industry was something I didn’t know about until I was working for a consulting firm years ago—typically, equipment manufacturers (some more than others) don’t mind giving consultants equipment to test and use, with no return date in the near future.

Integrators typically don’t get the same treatment. The reason is simple, of course: Integrators buy equipment and sell it for a profit, while consultants don’t buy or sell equipment at all, they just recommend equipment.

In Search Of…a Scaler

I have an older TV in our playroom and wanted to hook a PC to it. It was not going so well—connectivity issues, format issues, you know what happens when you try to

save some money. To be clear, I planned on replacing the TV in the future, so I didn’t want to buy anything.

One of the new manufacturer’s reps I had met was touting a company’s video products that I had never used before, so I looked at their product lineup and asked to try a particular scaler with a VGA-to-HDMI out. It worked great. I went into the menu and was able to customize and shift the picture to get it just right. A few weeks later, the rep got back to me and said he would gladly sell it to me for 10% over cost or he wanted it back. I returned it.

Now that I knew what I needed, I contacted a few other manufacturers looking for their version of the piece. I was up front in my request. Everyone I contacted had been burned by consultants trying pieces, never returning them, so I got no after no.

That is, until a rep came around who I had not worked with before with a product I had never used before. He was very accommodating, so I asked how he would feel about a “loaner” piece for me to try. He figured there wasn’t a better way to show how good his product than to let me use it.

He was right, by the way. It worked great. I was impressed with its picture and ease of use, and I started specifying his product on some projects.

Troubleshooting on a Deadline

Later, I got a call requesting onsite troubleshooting help for a system that wasn’t working. It was in a new stadium for a university—more than 200 displays sourced by nine cable tuners for HD. The issue was that the HDMI outputs of the cable tuners going into the modulator wouldn’t produce a picture. The upcoming event, just a few days away, would host many of the facility contributors, and the organizers wanted HD pictures throughout the

stadium during the tours.

The manufacturers, consultant, and integrator had been working on it for almost two weeks, and nothing was successful, except putting a composite signal out of the tuner directly into the modulator. They decided to use the component output of the tuner to feed a scaler that would send HDMI to the modulator. The modulator manufacturer specified a piece, the consultant signed off, and nine units were purchased. I won’t name names here, but the devices didn’t work with the modulator, though they did work directly to a display. This added to the frustration and ultimate decision to bring in someone else (me).

When I reviewed the drawings they sent, l thought it might be an HDCP issue. Why weren’t they going directly into the Blonder Tongue modulator’s component input if the HDMI did not display a picture? It turned out the Blonder Tongue was “value engineered” out of the system, and a less expensive modulator from another manufacturer only had HDMI and composite inputs, hence the need for a scaler.

Of course, I was immediately concerned, as they didn’t even have the right drawings to reflect the installation. Still, I signed on to the project and visited the site the next day. And since I had that loaner scaler with VGA or component in and HDMI out, I decided to bring it.

When I arrived, I started systematically looking at all the devices, testing each for functionality. After a few hours, I reached the same conclusions as the others. With much resistance from the team, I tried my scaler—and just like that, HD pictures everywhere!

I had to laugh; what were the chances that I would have the exact piece needed to fix this? I called the rep and let him know we needed nine of these for a project. He was thrilled that his efforts really paid off here (and so was I).

There was some engineering to do, such as logistics for the placement of the scalers (another rack and complete re-racking was required), but in the end, the solution worked and the consultant signed off. So, to all those manufacturers who missed out, what’s the ROI of your long-term evaluation strategy?

Doug Kleeger, CTS-D, DMC-E/S, XTP-E, KCD, is the founder of AudioVisual Consulting Services. Contact him with questions or comments at doug@avcs.us.

Reading, Writing, Replays

USC’s Digital Creative Lab Offers Something for Everyone

By Wayne Cavadi

Filled with the latest technology, the University of Southern California’s Digital Creative Lab is an esports venue to behold. The Trojans esports team now has a place to call home—but they aren’t the only ones. The innovative facility is home to content creators as well as learning spaces and practice areas for those that want to hone their skills in everything from podcasting to live production.

And it may just be the start.

A Wider Focus

The doors to the Digital Creative Lab opened in February 2023, but the idea was in motion for some time. Prior to its creation, USC had an esports club team that practiced in an old firehouse garage four blocks off campus. When you pair the interest in gaming with one of the top game design programs in the nation, it was clear there needed to be a central space on campus to build that community and give them an identity.

USC’s AV director, Joe Way, Ph.D., CTS, and his team went to work on a plan before the pandemic hit, but when the world went hybrid, an esports venue became less of a priority. When they were able to refocus on the project, they found a large enough space in the bottom of the basement of the Leavey Library to make an esports venture work. But there was one catch.

“One of the things that’s important for my position is I’m funded through the central provost office, which means anything I do has to serve every student, not just any particular major or discipline,” explained Way. “We recognized even if we put in the gaming, we’re still really only servicing gamers or the team. But as we started putting the computers together and what it took to do high-performance gaming, we said, ‘What if we just deck them out a little bit more and we could use them for 3D modeling?’”

What started as a very targeted idea evolved into a venue enveloping many activities across the entire student body. Way quickly saw how many different disciplines gaming touched. There was video rendering and graphic animation for film students, as well as 3D model renderings for architectural students.

Plus, the broadcasting side of esports opened the door for a wide range of studies, from film and television to social media.

As a result, they added a video production room, anchored by Panasonic’s KAIROS live production platofrm, for teaching YouTube and TikTok production. They added a podcast studio. They installed 3D printing stations. They made sure it was a live streaming classroom. Oh, and if they ever need a hologram, they added a system to do that, too.

“People, especially the younger generation, are now a personal brand,” Way said. “If you’re a music student or if you’re a film major or broadcast, those are easy. But what if you’re a humanities major? How can you build your brand and utilize a space like this? That’s where we thought, well, if you’re in class, maybe you wanted to create your own YouTube channel, talking about things you’re learning and develop that type of content, a conversational thing and interview style. And it was like, ‘Wow, now we’ve really taken every discipline and we’ve been able to give them a space to work and share ideas and build projects together.’”

Did We Pack Everything?

The Digital Creative Lab holds roughly 200 people because, ultimately, it was designed to be an event space. There are a lot of nooks and crannies that seat different amounts of people. For example, the esports space is somewhat closed off, but it has 20 workstations plus a broadcast control room that seats six. The podcast studio seats another six, while the live streaming classroom has 30 seats. But it’s the design that brings it all together.

“Because everything is completely interconnected as an AV-over-IP system, all of the screens can end up being turned into overflow,” Way explained. “The big collaboration room can hold probably 80-100 itself. If we have an esports tournament, they can watch because not everyone’s going to fit inside, but we can live produce it and overflow it into all the screens out there.”

Reading the list of the Pro AV solutions in the lab almost feels like a who’s who of manufacturers in the industry. As Way said, “We took everything and more because we didn’t know what we were getting into. We didn’t want to come to find out later that we forgot

something, so we just added everything.”

For the gamers, there is a mix of Microsoft Xbox Series S, Sony PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch OLED consoles. Dante Domain Manager and a slew of other Audinate solutions back the audio. An ARHT system powers the hologram area, while a BrightSign XT11144 media player feeds the displays. There are also several Canon cameras and lenses and Huddly conference cameras throughout the facility.

The esports production control room is powered by the KAIROS, but there is also the QSC Core 110F audio DSP, Crestron DM NVX encoders and decoders, Epiphan Pearl Mini and Pearl 2 live production systems, and RØDE RØDECaster podcast production studios all in play throughout the facility. For videoconferencing, there are DTEN D7 all-in-one collaboration solutions, as well as Shure MXA710 and MXA910 ceiling array microphones. (You’ll also find a Shure MV7 podcast microphone in the podcast studio.)

Way knew refresh rate was important, but there was also a lot to learn. “Esports people, they don’t care about resolution, which is surprising. They want high refresh rate,” he explained. “They don’t want a big screen— they want simple right here in front of you, no distraction. In order to make that happen, we knew that we needed to keep things synced. We needed to be faster and get rid of latency.”

Of course, with so many different hands on everything—from teachers to students to those more comfortable with Pro AV—ease of use was a major factor. “There’s kind of two sides of it, to be honest,” Way offered. “One of our key philosophies here at USC is that we want this to be a very frictionless experience. The systems have to be simple. They have to work for everybody, and we want people to be able to utilize it independently.

“That said, this is also a high-end broadcast space. We created it where if it’s being used as a class, essentially, there’s two settings on it,” he continued. “There’s classroom, which the GUI of it looks exactly like a regular classroom. And you flip the switch, and it turns into a ‘go have fun, everything’s available, mess with it all, and learn how to use it’ experience. All the broadcast options are available. And then you flip it back and it resets, and it’s all back to simple.”

USC’s new Digital Creative Lab is packed with Pro AV technology, as well as extensive hardware and software for gamers.

Remember the Mission

The Digital Creative Lab seems to have no boundaries. Way explained that they made sure to leave room for growth, and that required having cloud options within the AV ecosystem. As a result, the lab can expand to other areas around campus.

“We do a lot of events outside, where maybe we want to overflow it outside to show it,” Way said. “Right outside this building is actually the main quad area where they do events for either football days or rallies. So, we thought, if we run [equipment]

straight up, we can get it connected outside and could both put in and out of the room.”

Though it has only been open for a short time, reviews for the facility have been positive. But with all the flashy technology and innovative spaces for study, it is important to remember how the lab links back to a vision of a space that gives every student the opportunity to succeed.

“A lot of people wouldn’t know by looking at it, but our mission statement is that every space we utilize is user-centered in design, but it’s also that

everything has to be sustainable, accessible, and safe,” Way noted. “The [Listen Technologies] assisted listening system hidden throughout, the transcription services throughout everywhere—everything is completely ADA compliant. We want every workstation set to be accessible to people in wheelchairs. Those are really things that I think a lot of people overlook, but they’re actually very important when we do our design to be able to have everything to work for every student.”

The Digital Creative Lab also features a podcast studio.

Crestron control panels help make switching from esports to classroom features as easy as flipping a switch.

Recipe for Success

Key Digital AV-over-IP Components Are Main Ingredients for Atlanta Restaurant

When Chef Mimmo Alboumeh opened his latest venture, Botica, a restaurant in the A tlanta's Buckhead district, he quickly gained a loyal following of customers and restaurant critics/journalists alike. Botica features fare based on two of Mimmo’s favorite national cuisines, Spain and Mexico.

But delicious food is only part of the recipe that makes up Botica. Featuring a warm and engaging atmosphere, the restaurant occupies 5,000 square feet of open indoor and outdoor seating, including a private dining room. When it came to designing and installing an AV-over-IP system to support the property’s 41 displays, Mimmo hired Atlanta-based Kirkyard A|V (KYAV).

History of Hospitality

KYAV has a rich history in both the restaurant and AV industries. Daniel “Dano” Kirk began his career working in restaurants and hospitality in the mid-1980s. After several hospitality jobs, owning his own restaurant, and consulting for many of his former co-workers and associates about both restaurant operations and existing and emerging technologies, he formed KYAV. The specialized system integration firm understands restaurant operations and the technologies that help restaurateurs function efficiently.

“I’ve been involved in the restaurant industry since I was about 14 years old,” said Kirk. “In the late 90s, after I had moved to Atlanta, the owner of the restaurant where I was working kept saying, ‘Man, the service from this technology is terrible.’ I knew how to solve those problems and offered my services.

“Since then, I have been a go-to resource for restaurants looking to install AV systems that provide the best possible experience for themselves and their customers. The level of knowledge and service Kirkyard A|V provides to our clients is based on my understanding of restaurant operations, which sets us apart from other technology consultants. If you’re going to do things right, it helps to really be immersed in that world from the start.”

When Kirk was designing the AV system for Botica, he chose to employ components from Key Digital. “I definitely appreciate Key Digital products, because at the end of the day, they just work,” he explained. “I also appreciate their customer support. Whenever there’s a complication or something that needs to be looked at or addressed, they’re right on top of it. They’re very easy to work with, and I always feel comfortable installing their products.”

Simplified Switching

One of Botica’s needs was the ability to support vendors doing product launches (a new brand of tequila, for example) in the restaurant for the Buckhead Atlanta market. That meant, in part, being able to show dedicated content on its TV displays for each new brand being launched, while being able to instantly switch to a baseball or football game or even split up the content across displays. “They wanted to have a higher-end control system for the managers and the staff that was very easy to operate,” Kirk said.

He recalled a recent product launch: “With just three or four button presses, all the TVs were changed to what people wanted to watch after the product presentation without having to walk around the restaurant with a handful of remotes and trying to figure out which one controlled what. We just stepped up to the iPad and it was done.”

For video distribution, Kirk installed Key Digital KD-IP822ENC 4K AV-over-IP encoders and KD-IP822DEC decoders. Every display has a decoder and every source—from satellite receiver to streaming service to auxiliary input device—has an encoder. “Those all plug into a network switch,

which then connects to the iPad,” he explained. “You just open up their KD app, and it allows you to change the source to display, pair a display and source, or pick the video wall and select the source and swipe across the video wall to very simply stretch that image across the video wall screens. It’s all very intuitive and user friendly.”

For audio, Kirk chose the KD-MAX8x8 audio matrix switcher, which allows the restaurant to control up to eight sources in up to eight different zones. For example, the volume of the music in the bar area can be adjusted, while the private dining room can have audio from a football game and the patio has a completely different music source. “And when there is a live band performing, they can play it over the sound system if they choose,” Kirk added. “The MAX8x8 is a great little device.”

Another advantage was how little custom programming Kirk had to do. “Once the devices are configured, the Key Digital app that runs on the iPad finds the devices, does the work, and is rock solid,” he noted. “I have a 20-plus year history with Key Digital, and I’ve definitely appreciated their ability to stay ahead of the curve with reliable, intuitive products.”

With a Key Digital audio matrix switcher, the restaurant can control up to eight sources in up to eight different zones.

Botica's gear rack features Key Digital encoders, decoders, and an audio matrix switcher.

The outdoor area at Botica features video displays driven by a Key Digital AV-over-IP system.

AV Takes Command at FedExField

AJP Teams with WPS and ANC to Enhance the Gameday Experience

By Wayne Cavadi

The Washington Commanders, one of the oldest NFL franchises, have certainly not been strangers to change over the past few seasons. Now, with the help of Anthony James Partners, the Commanders are bringing more transformation, this time ushering in a new era of gameday AV experiences to Commander fans.

FedExField—which is located in Summerville, MD and plays host to Commanders football, a slew of musical acts and tours, and even Premier League soccer matches—opened its doors in 1997. Then named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, the stadium changed its name entering the 2000 NFL season to its current moniker. From 2004-2010, FedExField seated 91,000 people—the most in the NFL—until the stadium contracted the seating to the nearly 68,000

capacity it holds today.

While stadium seating, team ownership, and even the team name have been through numerous transformations over the past decade, the facility’s AV offerings had not. According to Royce Wall, vice president, construction services at Anthony James Partners and the lead on the LED design, procurement, and construction oversight at FedExField, the Daktronics displays at the stadium needed to be updated. More than a decade old, the previous displays were faded—and with so many different modules replaced over the years, it took on the appearance of a checkerboard more than a fan-friendly display.

Flash and Flare

The LED enhancement began as early as July 2022, when AJP designed the system and began fielding bid offers. By December, the Commanders had

selected ANC to provide not only new gameday and ribbon board displays, but an entire graphics package for the first year. The North American representative for Lighthouse, ANC turned to the company’s LED screens for the north and south endzones, game-in-play displays, and the LED ribbon displays encircling the bowl.

“There are endless benefits to working with a trusted single-source solution partner,” explained Alison Burke Benesta, senior director, marketing and branding for ANC. “More than simply adding new digital screens is required to improve a venue’s experience fully. Beyond the required technical integration expertise, teams want to take the latest display technologies to the next level.

“Venue display systems must deliver a connected experience visually and behind the scenes. To achieve that, there needs to be a strategic network of complimentary technology and venue solutions, including powerful control software, creative content production, multimedia advertising solutions, ongoing maintenance, and reliable partners that build custom solutions that ensure our client’s success for years to come.”

The main end zone Lighthouse displays are 8mm HD displays (tighter than the previous 23mm displays) that measure 95x26 feet. A pair of ribbon displays flank each scoreboard and measure 2.95x674.5 feet with a 10mm pixel pitch. Four 8mm game-in-play displays were installed throughout the

New Lighthouse 8mm displays at FedExField debuted during a July 30 Premiere League doubleheader.

stadium measuring at 4.4x31 feet. ANC also provided a one-year unlimited graphics package that includes, well, everything.

Wall said ANC will handle marketing and other graphics for both main displays and ribbon board displays. “In terms of fan engagement, just think about the ability to highlight 30 sponsors throughout the stadium throughout the experience, along with continued game prompts, touchdowns, get loud, scoreboards, things like that,” he added. “ANC is creating all content for the whole year for them.”

“ANC Studios designers have an extensive understanding of unique aspect ratios, wrapping content, and visibility,” added Burke Benesta. “Additionally, we utilize the primary objective of the location to creatively produce content for the purpose of the different displays. It’s important when starting the process to

keep the big picture of the fan experience in mind. Hence, all boards deliver a fun but cohesive look and still play to their strengths.”

We always hear that new LED displays—which made their FedExField debut during a Premier League doubleheader on July 30—bring a better gameday experience. But what exactly does that mean? “The flash and the flare,” Wall explained. “When you sit in these stadiums, you can see the action on the field, but you get more out of it when you watch the high-definition boards. FedExField’s new 8mm displays are probably the tightest pixel pitch in the industry; most venues are at about 10mm. Before the upgrade, you really didn’t even pay attention to [the displays] because they had no impact. Now it’s bright, it’s clean, it’s fresh, and with the enhanced audio, it’s just going to be incredible.”

All About the Experience

The audio Wall referred to is a work in progress. As with the LED displays in place, the sound system was old and needed to be replaced. Jack Covert, director of audio and AV engineering at AJP, quickly realized he had a monster on his hands.

“We recognized based on the complexity and the size of the stadium and access, it was going to be broken into two phases,” Covert explained. “The stadium doesn’t stop; it doesn’t shut down. They’ve got events, they’ve got soccer, they’ve got Beyoncé coming in in a couple of weeks. The amount of staging they do takes—let’s put it this way, it’s not as fast as halftime at the Super Bowl.”

Phase one was ready for the Commanders first NFL preseason home game in mid-August, and phase two will begin as soon as the NFL season ends. During the

“The upgraded video displays and audio systems are the next steps in modernizing our stadium to create an exciting and immersive gameday experience.”

Trista Langdon, Washington Commanders

first phase, AJP identified existing components that could be used for another year.

“It’s a distributed system around the stadium everywhere, and you can tell that although it was a thoughtful design originally, a lot of delay fill speakers have been added in different places,” Covert explained. “We had to get around and identify all of that, the condition of that, and the reason it was put in. So, phase one: a new front-of-house mix position refit and a completely new loudspeaker system.”

With the help of Washington Professional Systems (WPS), AJP selected and installed more than 40 Fulcrum Acoustic FH15 Series loudspeakers, which, according to Covert, cover the majority of the stadium. A Powersoft Unica amplifier system was chosen for its power and reliability. A QSC Q-SYS system is being used for processing, Shure digital wireless improves speech intelligibility for the PA announcers and hosts, while a DiGiCo FOH mixing console brings it all together.

Phase two will literally take the audio to new heights, as the plan is to install Fulcrum Acoustic AHC Series loudspeakers and US221 subwoofers on the lighting towers at season’s end.

Covert said the challenge is to offer enhanced live sound that is comparable to audio performance from quality headphones or earbuds. “It’s twofold. Number one, certainly we want to enhance the experience for the audience, which means the subwoofer, the sub-low content of the sound system, needs to go down to the bottom of the spectrum,” he noted. “At the same time, we need to be able to have efficient coverage from the upper mids to the high frequencies, defining speech intelligibility, as well as providing that kind of sparkling clean sound that everybody’s used to from a full range device.”

Elevated Expectations

Whether it is football or fútbol, fans at FedExField are now engulfed in an experience that touches all the senses. “There’s absolutely no doubt in our minds that this upgrade is exactly what is needed at FedExField and is going to elevate the client expectations for the NFL games and other performances in the stadium exponentially,” said Covert.

“The upgraded video displays and audio systems are the next steps in modernizing our stadium to create an exciting and immersive gameday experience,” added Trista Langdon, senior vice president of operations and guest experience for the Washington Commanders. “The upgraded resolution will immediately improve the in-game experience for our fans by providing crisp views of video content and game information, as well as immersive play-by-play engagement.”

According to Wall, with the recent change in ownership, if a new stadium is on the horizon in the not-so-distant future, the Commanders are ready to move forward. “The buy-in to replace these displays was that potentially in the next three to five years, if the team ends up with a new home, the intent is to take the displays with them,” he explained.

Not only did this project expand AJP’s audio portfolio into the sports world, but for Wall, there was some personal satisfaction with the successful installation. “I’ve been a Washington fan my entire life,” Wall said. “Being part of this build and working in the stadium was something that my family and I were excited about. We’ve watched them since forever. On a personal level, it meant a lot to be at FedExField getting to know all the folks there. They’re just incredible people.”

Daktronics Delivers at Lambeau Field

The Green Bay Packers selected Daktronics to manufacture and install two main video displays, two auxiliary video displays, and 60 concourse LED displays at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. The installation of approximately 24,500 square feet of LED displays totaling 79.5 million pixels took place in the spring, and the technology was set to debut at the beginning of football season this fall.

Each main end zone display will feature 6mm pixel spacing and measure more than 10,500 square feet at 48x220 feet. The Packers displays will be one of the few 4K displays in professional football. These displays are also HDR-capable and feature environmental protection to keep them operating as expected in the Green Bay weather.

The east and west auxiliary scoreboard displays will each measure more than 7x74.5 feet and feature 6mm pixel spacing to share all the scoring and statistical information fans expect to see as they

follow along with the game.

All 60 displays in the concourses will feature 2.9mm pixel spacing as they connect with fans away from their seats and keep them immersed in the action while moving about the stadium. Varying in size, each display is optimized for its location inside Lambeau Field for maximum impact on audiences, whether showing live game feeds, concessions, pro shop promotions, live data updates, or other special messaging.

“Daktronics is proud to once again have a significant presence inside Lambeau Field,” said Tony Mulder, Daktronics regional manager. “We have been fortunate enough to work with the Packers recently as they have updated their outdoor marquees and some of their club area high-resolution displays, but the in-bowl displays are certainly our core business. We couldn’t be happier partnering with the Packers organization and such a legendary stadium on those centerpieces once again.”

Two new main video displays will highlight Green Bay Packers football in 2023.

AJP has already installed more than 40 Fulcrum Acoustic loudspeakers at FedExField, and more audio upgrades will be completed after the NFL season.

Dance in the Rain

Despite Industry Uncertainty, It’s Time to Change Pro AV Business Practices

By Julian Phillips

Avery proud dad walked his eldest daughter down the aisle in Stockholm this summer—and if you ever get the chance, I thoroughly recommend a Swedish wedding, because they’re so much fun. And so it happened that during the five-hour session of marvelous food, speeches, and singing, I had my “a-ha” moment, though admittedly they were Norwegian. It was this quote that grabbed my attention: “Don’t sit and wait for the storm to pass, learn how to dance in the rain.” Perhaps it is time for us all to shake our stuff and get thoroughly soaked, because the AV industry is about to get funky and none of us are going to stay dry.

First, let’s do some storm watching. Contrary to most financial analysts, in February I brazenly predicted there would be no recession in 2023, and as the latest job, growth, and inflation numbers attest, I should be proven lucky. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the Federal Reserve and the markets won’t try their best, as “bust-to-boom” economics has proven highly profitable in the past.

Despite this macro safety net, there appears to be an abundance of caution in most sectors of the economy, and we’re feeling it in the AV industry, too. There’s certainly a lot of opportunity out there, but we’ve also seen delayed decision-making and rollouts and some downscaling of original plans.

A lot of this is understandable given the uncertainties about hybrid work, return to office, and real estate utilization. However, just as with our analogous weather, behind the dramatic events, there lie fairly predictable causes. Just as climate change didn’t happen overnight, neither did the evolution of work—and although the pandemic put a spotlight on our fundamental issues, they have been present for a generation and long overdue for overhaul.

However successful our survival reflex during COVID-19, we cannot lock ourselves away and hope for a return to normality, as nothing appears to be normal anymore. Whatever storm is on the horizon, sitting it out is not an option. Let’s slip on our tap shoes and find our inner Gene Kelly.

The general rule in times of uncertainty is to identify the things you can be reasonably certain of and those that you can control, and then focus management attention and resources to accelerate fundamental change. These are the “big five” that I believe not only integrators but everyone else in the AV value chain should focus on.

UCC and Cloud First

As if like magic, our customers have migrated most of their communication and collaboration tools to UCC platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom hosted in the cloud. Not necessarily new news, but a cloud-first strategy has deeper implications for integrators; we must mirror and match. Our kit bags for deploying, provisioning, monitoring, and managing our customers need to follow suit. Our programmers need to be app developers and our UCC offerings professionalized and priced to equivalent IT services.

Service Design Culture

Everything we do should be designed as a service, including how we procure hardware and stage for our customers. But here’s the thing: We can’t just proclaim, “We need to sell more services.” We must totally redesign their scope and simplify the delivery model so that we can scale at lower cost. This also extends to how customers pay. Our customers are used to subscription and enterprise licensing for their IT—why not their AV?

Hunting Out Inefficiency

No doubt, we have made progress over the last decade, but it remains a reasonable certainty that most integrators are still not achieving the levels of profitability they deserve for their hard work and expertise. It’s easy to blame declining profit margins, but you can’t control that. Focus on internal operations and dysfunctions, recruit experts from outside the AV industry, and back them to transform your supply chain, shipping, processes, and cost controls. Then, watch the dollars flood back to your bottom line.

Sales Conversion

I’m not talking about closing rates here. We have some brilliant salespeople, many of whom are legendary, but in comparison to other technology markets, we have neither matured our sales methodologies and performance measurement, nor embraced omnichannel marketing to the extent we need. We need to migrate from transactional to

lifetime value metrics, coach our people in strategic customer management, and create career paths for college graduates. This requires transformational sales leadership and substantial investment—but again, the returns in customer loyalty and recurring revenues are easily justified.

Throw Away Our Umbrellas

Whoever thought an Englishman would entertain such sacrilege? Without wishing to stretch our precipitation metaphor too far, think of an umbrella as a shield protecting us from the tough realities ahead. It’s easy for us to stay busy being busy, as there is still enough business out there to lull us into a false sense of security.

This is exactly the time that senior leadership needs to provide the vision, clarity, resources, and unwavering support for the business to make transformational investments, experiment with the new, chuck out the old, and above all else make allowances for some failures along the way. The future direction, sustainable growth, prosperity, and well-being of the AV industry and its community is entirely in our hands.

It is, of course, entirely possible that you don’t believe in my sense of urgency or indeed in the priorities I have set out here. You may have already transformed your business to withstand whatever projectiles outrageous fortune hurls in your direction; good, well done. Hopefully, you can agree with me on one thing: It’s not necessarily what you do, it’s the fact that you are trying something new, and you keep on trying come what may.

Stripped bare of its metaphors, “dancing in the rain” is an attitude of mind. For those of us more advanced in our careers, we owe it to the next generation of AV professionals to modernize and professionalize our beloved industry at a pace that should leave us all breathless. Promise me this: Next time there’s a rain shower, walk outside and stand in it until you are soaked to the skin. It’s amazing how refreshing it is.

Julian Phillips is the managing director of XTG, the AVI-SPL Experience Technology Group, and was named a member of the SCN Hall of Fame in 2019.

We have made progress over the last decade, but it remains a reasonable certainty that most integrators are still not achieving the levels of profitability they deserve.

A Smart Investment

New Prudential Studio Maximizes Production Values and Flexibility

By James Careless

How does a fiscally-responsible firm like Prudential Financial build a new video production studio that can create broadcast-quality content at a reasonable cost? By combining the best of new and old technologies to create a modern studio that looks great on camera but stays within budget.

That’s the approach that the design firm Provost Studio of Raleigh, NC, adopted when it accepted the project. Located in a separate, multi-story building near Prudential’s headquarters building in Newark, NJ, the new Prudential Studio has everything to produce a range of live and recorded programs, from interviews and group discussions to news. These programs are streamed to employees in-house, and some are also made available to customers, investors, media, and other external audiences on the company’s YouTube channel and other outlets.

Out with the Old

Before the new studio was built, Prudential used two small studios that really didn’t do the company justice. “Prudential had two state-of-the-art control rooms with a strong ability to produce quality video content, as well as seasoned video professionals in place,” explained Peter Provost, Provost Studio’s president and director of design. Unfortunately, its existing studios didn’t match them in quality. “They included two small greenscreen areas and an informal

discussion area, but didn’t provide the flexibility, brand alignment, or optimization for mobile content.”

In fact, one of the studio spaces was kind of a “Between Two Ferns” setup. “It had a backdrop, a riser, literally a fern, and two chairs,” Provost said. “I think Prudential realized, from a visual perspective, that their environment didn’t really match the quality and the thought leadership that their content provides, so they really wanted to raise the overall level of production in all elements.”

The new Prudential Studio, which opened last fall, is a significant step up. Provost was hired to build a

spacious, elegant corporate boardroom-style set with multiple shooting zones. While every project is unique and has its own set of learning opportunities, Provost said the most impactful part of this project was the close collaboration.

“We worked together to design a studio that prioritized flexibility and allowed the team to generate compelling and impactful content for a variety of audiences,” he added. “They basically wanted to update everything aside from their control rooms. We designed a flexible studio environment that features multiple shooting areas within a 30x40-foot footprint. By tracking scenic elements and technology, we were able to create four distinct shooting areas, including a media wall area, informal area, stand-up area, and chromakey area.”

Variety Show

At the far left of the studio, the media wall area has a news-style anchor desk and large 1.6mm Planar LED video wall background. To its right, Provost installed a freestanding, movable 75-inch Philips touchscreen/whiteboard for interactive presentations in its stand-up area.

Next in line is the main studio conversation/ informal area, which features full wall-length “windows” with city views. These are not actual windows, of course, but they also aren’t LED displays. “Due to budget limitations, we utilized a system of scenic backdrop rollers in two areas rather than LED,” Provost explained. “This setup allows Prudential to update in a later phase with LED if they choose.”

In its current form, the windows can be filled using one of three different pulldown photographic backdrops that show urban and other scenes. Granted, using static photo backdrops is an “old tech” solution that harkens back to the earliest days of TV broadcasting. But when it comes to on-camera visuals, these backdrops look just as real as actual window views or electronically

Peter Provost

The media wall area features a news-style anchor desk and Planar video wall background.

With a blend of static and dynamic elements, each space on the Prudential Studio set can host multiple programs.

generated images on LED video walls or inserted via greenscreen in the control room. It works well with the room’s stylish contemporary interior, while keeping costs down.

Going further to the right is a bookcase wall/ informal area, which can also be used for multiperson shoots. The 75-inch touchscreen can be rolled into this space to serve as a display. There is also a chromakey area for video insertions.

For those times when a non-windowed space is needed, Provost Studio has built a roll-in wall with multicolored panels and lit areas. This can be moved around the set as needed, essentially creating an entirely new visual space for the set’s multiple Sony HSC-300 cameras, which are equipped with Telescript prompters. The cameras are holdovers from the last studios, along with the Sony MVS-6530 video switchers, Soundcraft Vi5000 digital audio mixing consoles, Ross XPression CGs, and Evertz routers in the control rooms.

“We reimagined the look and feel of Prudential’s on-air brand to align with other communication channels and generally elevate the way video content is created with scenic, lighting, and AV display systems,” Provost noted. “In addition to the scenic environment, we took a comprehensive approach to increasing the overall production value of the video content for Prudential, including lighting design and integrating display technology at multiple scales. The new studio material palette takes inspiration from the new corporate headquarters, with particular attention to creating a less corporate, more hospitality-inspired space.”

Corporate Design

Looking back on the Prudential Studio project, Provost feels a sense of satisfaction. His people succeeded in creating a flexible multiuse studio space that elevated the look of Prudential’s video content to align with the quality of its content and corporate reputation—all while harnessing existing equipment and cost-saving solutions that kept project expenses under control. The result was in line with Provost Studio’s approach to corporate design.

“Our main goal with any project is to create a visually stunning environment that resonates with the brand and target audience,” Provost said. “Just as important is the fact that the spaces we design meet and exceed current and future needs. Our job as production designers is to collaborate with our clients to provide them with a custom studio ‘toolbox’ that they can use for their specific needs.

“That said, our measure of success for a project isn’t ‘are they using the studio toolbox as we originally imagined,’ it’s ‘are they creating new shooting use cases and content scenarios with the toolbox we designed that we hadn’t previously anticipated?’ With every project, we learn a bit more about how to anticipate current and future content

production needs,” he continued. “There is definitively a common theme in the use cases, but the real art/science comes from the nuance of creating original spaces as distinct as each of our clients.”

As for Prudential’s reaction to its new studio space? “It’s been great,” said Provost. “We saw a

pause with this client and others in terms of getting back to the office after COVID and starting to create content in these spaces. But now that they are up and running, it all seems to be doing really, really well—and we’ve been getting very positive feedback.”

TECHNOLOGY TRANSPORTATION AV

Building a Better Airport

Unifying AV Systems Promises Better Experiences for Passengers and Staff

By Carolyn Heinze

Airport AV is complicated. The sheer amount of mission-critical communications required in this environment can lead to some intricate technology designs. But while the systems themselves may be complex, some argue that centralizing airport AV leads to a better experience for passengers, as well as the airport staff responsible for managing the audiovisual technology.

Ron Birkla is president of Red Envelope Consulting, a firm that provides design and consultation services to facility owners, manufacturers, and AV integration companies. An AV industry veteran, Birkla has spent much of his career designing systems for theme parks, casinos, and museums.

In 2022, he and his team began focusing on the transportation industry, including airport AV. One of the first things he noticed: Unlike the markets he was accustomed to working with—where audiovisual systems were operated, monitored, and managed from a centralized location—in airports, each AV system was designed to run on its own.

For example, there are approximately 8-10 AV subsystems in an airport environment. This usually includes passenger information displays, public address system, wayfinding, digital signage, concession AV, ADA compliance systems (such as assistive listening and visual paging), conference rooms, command-and-control center, and an emergency operations center. “In any other project—a casino or a theme park, for example—these systems would all be interconnected,” Birkla said.

Dangers of Disconnection

When AV systems are disconnected, any number of issues arise, especially in an airport, where passengers need easy access to critical flight information at all times. Birkla cited airport concessions as a prime problem area: “When John’s Sports Bar plays a game really loud, it conflicts with the passenger information from the PA in the concourse or adjacent gate,” he explained. “The bar turns up its audio, the airline requests audio at the gate to be louder to compensate, so the bar turns up its sound even more.” In the end, it’s all noise and passengers can’t hear important announcements.

This is particularly problematic in an airport, since those they serve are, quite literally, from all over the world. Vlada

Shchepynska, an experienced AV project coordinator and Ukraine native who joined Red Envelope as project coordinator, cited herself as an example.

“I am not a native English speaker, and [in an English-speaking country] for me it would not be possible to understand what they’re talking about when the gates are so close together, and the sound from the bars, restaurants, and newsstands are conflicting with the paging system,” she offered. “I think that confusion is the biggest problem [in airports].”

Based on this, Birkla and his team began working with airport clients on what he calls a “unified approach” to AV. This model applies the same methodology the firm uses with its themed entertainment clients to simplify the airport’s AV ecosystem. “We look at every subsystem that touches AV and design a solution that unifies them into a single pane of glass for control and monitoring,” he said.

Concession audio, for example, is connected to and controlled by the facility-wide public address system. Birkla argued this not only prevents separate systems from competing against one another, but also “provides a slick solution for connecting assistive listening that can play back passenger info or IPTV in the concessions.” He said these relatively simple modifications significantly improve the passenger experience.

Opportunities and Challenges

For airport AV/IT staff, a unified approach to AV offers the convenience of remote monitoring and troubleshooting. According to Birkla, this enables staff—who are too busy to dispatch personnel to check up on equipment—quickly identify system failures, decreasing the number of unused (and useless) displays, speakers, paging stations, and amplifiers throughout the facility.

“We design an overarching monitoring system where they get automated reports of failures, whether it’s IPTV, paging, mass notification, or even conference room equipment or command and control centers,” Birkla explained. “When it comes back to a central station, it puts one person in a seat, in charge of monitoring and then dispatching service calls.”

There is also the opportunity for airports to generate added revenue by applying an AV-as-a-Service model to its concession clients. Concessions already lease internet and cable TV from airports; Birkla said services such as passenger information, public address, and assistive listening and visual paging services could be added to this package.

While a unified approach to airport AV may solve many problems, Birkla conceded that one of the main challenges with the model is the relationship between AV and IT. “The keystone technology that makes the unified AV solution possible is networking infrastructure,” he explained.

This means airport IT departments must be open to AV being on the network. “In transportation, that can be difficult because the AV systems might only be partially funded by IT—the budgets come from a wide variety of [departments] including operations, passenger experience, public relations, tenant relations, marketing, and the airlines themselves,” he noted. Getting all these different stakeholders to understand the benefits of this design model can be difficult.

Traditional flight boards can be enhanced with wayfinding and other information to help passengers.

From left, Ron Birkla, Vlada Shchepynska, Ryan Biziorek, and Doug Freutel

Reducing Congestion

Radiant Technology Group, an AV design and integration firm headquartered in Lewis Center, OH, has been focused on building smarter airports since 2010, when the John Glen Columbus International Airport solicited the firm to centralize its digital signage management systems. Since then, the company has done work for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and several others, according to Doug Freutel, vice president and visionary.

Aside from simplifying digital signage management, Freutel explained that Radiant Technology is working with airports to limit congestion at key points, such as the gates where passengers wait to board their flights. He said part of this solution involves enhancing traditional flight boards that are positioned throughout amenity areas with regular updates on things like gate changes or passenger alerts. Wayfinding and public information screens may also display data on wait times in nearby restaurants, or occupancy levels in the restrooms—important information that helps passengers plan their time at the airport.

Freutel also noted that Radiant recently worked with Omnivex, a digital signage content management software developer based in Concord, Ontario, to enhance the mobile passenger experience. By scanning a QR code at their gate, passengers may receive up-tothe-minute information about their flight as they are visiting other areas of the airport.

“The challenge with flight apps is there can be a delay of as long as 20 minutes between [the information they deliver] and what’s actually showing at the gate,” he said. “You may be at the Sky Lounge with your [flight app] up and it’s showing, ‘my flight’s taking off in 20 minutes, I’d better get to my gate.’ When you get to the gate, you find out your flight’s been delayed an hour.”

By delivering actual gate data, Freutel said airports can decrease the congestion that often manifests around boarding areas. This same information is also translated into text messaging that can be delivered to the displays positioned throughout the airport for ADA compliance. “We’re really looking at how to use digital signage to optimize flow throughout the airport to make people feel more comfortable, take advantage of the amenities at the airport, and feel less tethered to the actual gates,” he added.

A Better Experience

Ryan Biziorek, associate principal and acoustics and audiovisual expert at Arup, a global sustainable development consultancy, noted that airlines themselves are paying increasing attention to customer experience from the moment passengers purchase a ticket, all the way through to the conclusion of their trip.

“The hospitality experience is end-to-end, [and] the airport terminal has really become a hospitality experience,” he offered. “With that, we’re seeing more investment in audiovisual technologies integrated in the architecture to create this experience.” These experiences may come in the form of large LED video

wall systems for digital art, design elements that convey the fabric of the community in which the airport is located, or even performance spaces, theaters, or small museums sponsored by local institutions.

For Shchepynska, providing a great passenger experience is essential if airports—and airlines—want

people to have a positive opinion of their brands.

“People tend to remember bad experiences, and even if my trip was absolutely perfect but I had a bad experience in the airport, I will remember it and I will tell everybody about it,” she said. “It is really important for passengers to have a good experience.”

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT REVIEW

Show and Tell

New AVer A30 Universal Camera Brings Flexibility to Classrooms

By Mark J. Pescatore

Apparently, AVer isn’t satisfied with just making document cameras. Its new A30 universal camera adds audio capabilities, webcam functionality, picture-in-picture, and more. Because of its all-in-one capabilities, intuitive remote control, and expanded functionality when integrated with AVer’s free AVerTouch software, it’s a tempting option for integrators outfitting K-12 classrooms.

The A30’s adjustable camera arm has three points of articulation, so you can accommodate many points of interest. Need to reposition the camera to showcase items to the left or right? Don’t move the unit— the adjustable arm also rotates 90 degrees in either direction. There’s a noticeable “click” so you don’t twist the unit too far and damage it. Auto image rotation flips the camera image automatically, so your content is oriented properly on the screen.

When positioned straight up, the camera arm is about 17 inches high, with the camera at about 15.5 inches above the table. For text, the camera sits a little less than 3.5 inches from the table when lowered completely in front of the unit. For clean, easy storage and transport, the arm folds back into the unit, with the camera head resting on top of the unit (camera down for protection).

The A30 ships with a power cord, USB-C-toUSB-A cable, and a remote control. Connectivity is confined to the rear of the unit, with HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and 3.5mm line/mic ports, plus a Kensington lock slot. The power button is also here,

though the other function keys are found on one side of the unit. You can connect the A30 to a computer via USB or directly to a monitor via HDMI.

Presentation Options

A red light below the AVer logo in front of the A30 lets you know it’s off. The red light turns blue when you press the power button, and you’re greeted with a musical chirp, which means it’s time to start presenting.

The USB-A slot offers some important functionality. First, you can plug in an external webcam and create a picture-in-picture display, so you can stay on screen while using the A30 to display documents, 3D objects, even X-rays or film slides. The on-screen menu lets you change the location or size of the PiP, or even make the A30 camera the secondary (small) image. You can also use the USB-A slot to connect external storage for recording stills and videos.

That’s one of the things I really like about the A30: options. You have tons of them, and most are readily available via the remote control. The function keys on the unit work as well, but they are clunky by compari son. In other words, don’t lose the remote.

For example, the “visor” feature lets you black out parts of the screen and reveal them later. A “spotlight” offers similar functionality. In either case, the D-pad on the remote lets you manipulate the area. Got the perfect shot of that object you are discussing? Freeze it. Need an on-screen timer? The A30 has that, too.

I suspect most users will defer to the “auto” settings—the menus are a bit extensive to navigate, and some advanced functions can be more compli-

personalize or customize your experience. The image menu lets you adjust brightness, contrast, and more.

When you add the AVerTouch software, the A30 becomes even more versatile. Basically, the software provides whiteboard functionality and better control of some features. For example, the spotlight and

The A30 offers delivers good pictures of text and objects for classroom presentations (left). The integrated light works pretty well, but it can also create a visible bright spot (right).

The A30’s adjustable camera arm has three points of articulation and auto image rotation.

visor options are more easily controlled with a mouse than with the remote. Plus, you can “snip” images to keep the focus on a specific area of interest. You can even connect with Google Classroom. However, when I recorded in 4K through the AVerTouch interface, the audio and video were clearly out of sync, so stick to lower resolution options when recording through the software.

PRODUCT REVIEW TECHNOLOGY

webcam. That said, it worked pretty well, especially with its built-in microphone and speaker, and can eliminate the need for an additional piece of equipment in the classroom.

With an MSRP under $700, the A30 certainly makes its case as a universal camera. As a document camera,

it handles text extremely well. It also has the flexibility to handle 3D objects, and even works as a wide-angle webcam. Built-in audio, plenty of options for customized presentations, and expanded features through the AVerTouch software makes me think the A30 will be universally accepted in K-12 classrooms.

Sound and Video Options

The onboard microphone delivered surprisingly good sound reproduction for my videoconferencing test. I turned on the noise reduction and echo cancellation, and was told I sounded clear, even from several yards away. If there’s a chink in the armor, it’s the integrated 6-watt speaker, which does a good job for speech but lacks high-fidelity music reproduction. However, when you consider the A30 was designed for a classroom, not a recording studio, it does the job—and the convenience of a built-in speaker cannot be overlooked.

The A30 features a 13-megapixel 4K camera that supports up to 30 fps in 4K or 60 fps in 1080p. The 23x digital zoom can be a little imprecise, particularly when you hold down the button to speed up the process, but the 1x button on the remote instantly brings you back to the standard view. Once you engage the digital zoom, you can use the remote (or mouse with AVerTouch) to shift the image and get the precise framing you want.

As you might expect, the digital zoom adds noise to the picture almost immediately (motion mode adds even more), so consider moving the camera head closer instead, if possible. If you are using the A30 as a document camera close to the document and without the digital zoom, you will be very impressed with the legibility of text, even the “fine print” on an advertisement or a medicine bottle.

Depending on the location of your lighting, the camera head can cast a shadow over your content. A small light positioned just above the camera lens does an admirable job illuminating small objects or documents in a darkened room, but it can also create a visible bright spot on your materials.

Because of its wide-angle lens, I don’t think even AVer would try to convince you that the A30 is the best choice for videoconferencing. Plus, its color reproduction couldn’t match my professional

More than a document camera, the A30 allows you to connect a separate webcam for picture-in-picture presentations.

TECHNOLOGY CLASSROOM AUDIO

Speech Intelligibility Solutions

How to Choose the Right Speakers for Your Entire Space

By Garrison Parkin

Speech intelligibility is paramount whether a class is in-person, virtual, or hybrid. If students can’t hear or understand the instructor, their ability to learn and retain information is compromised. The larger the room, the more critical speech intelligibility becomes. In small classrooms, instructors may be able to speak louder to reach the back of the room, but that’s not a viable option in a lecture theater, cafeteria, or gymnasium.

Intelligibility plays a huge role in learning and information retention. If you’re in a reverberant space like a church or train station and all you hear is muffled speech, you’ll quickly give up trying to understand what’s being communicated. The same is true for students: If they can’t hear and understand the instructor, they’ll zone out. The higher the speech intelligibility, the easier it is to retain information and understand the topic of conversation.

Sound Transmission Index

Simply put, speech intelligibility is the percentage of speech a listener can understand. Intelligibility is affected by the volume level and quality of the speech signal, the type and level of background noise, room reverberation, and more. It’s an essential consideration for loudspeaker selection.

While multiuse spaces like auditoriums, cafeterias, and gymnasiums often feature music reproduction, they always have spoken word, so the sound system must ensure the message is clear. The only way to provide an accurate speech intelligibility rating is to measure it in the room (which is highly recommended). A rule of thumb for the threshold of 100% intelligibility is usually a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 12 dB, meaning the signal should be roughly four times louder than the noise floor.

The next best thing to having data measurements is understanding the details of speech intelligibility and the Sound Transmission Index (STI). STI is a numeric representation measure of communication channel characteristics whose value varies from 0 (bad) to 1 (excellent).

STI predicts the likelihood of syllables, words, and sentences being comprehended. An STI of at least 0.6 throughout the seating area is recommended for education facilities. For the listener, this equates to roughly 75% of syllables being understood, 90% of words understood, and 95% of sentences understood.

Beam steering technology allows loudspeakers to tightly control the sound and place it where needed— on the students—while keeping it away from other surfaces that may cause echoes and reflections. Beam steering loudspeakers are typically much taller than wide and mounted flat against the wall since the beams are digitally steered. For that reason, they’re more

cost-effective than flying a line array and much easier to blend into the building’s architecture. Realistically, the fewer loudspeakers deployed, the fewer visual distractions for students. If the loudspeaker manufacturer supports custom paint schemes for their cabinets, so much the better for having them “disappear” and not act as a visual distraction.

Willamette University Case Study

Founded in 1842, Willamette University in Salem, OR, is the oldest university in the Western United States. The school’s 120-seat Paulus Lecture Hall in the College of Law needed a sound system upgrade to facilitate better remote and in-person lectures and discussions. With a fan-shaped layout and stadium-style seating, they needed a solution that provided granular control over where the sound was directed.

The university’s AV team selected a set of RenkusHeinz Iconyx Compact ICC12/3 arrays because of the extremely challenging room. The ICC12/3 offers the quality and flexibility of an ICONYX array but with a 40% smaller footprint. The reduced footprint allows the ICC to blend into the most architecturally sensitive spaces, while the high vertical directivity of the ICC12/3 can tame the most challenging acoustics environments.

An integrated 12-channel digital amplifier and DSP system power the loudspeaker’s 3-inch, full-range drivers. The professors can now use lapel mics without concern about feedback in the room, while remote students can hear clearly because the audio is properly controlled.

Every listener deserves the clearest sound possible, especially in educational environments. The audio quality needs to help create immersive experiences for students. When students struggle to understand the instructor or program audio, it reduces their understanding of the topic and increases their audio fatigue, creating a less-than-optimal learning environment. Using loudspeakers with high directivity, such as digitally steerable arrays, provides granular control over where the audio is distributed.

Garrison Parkin is the western regional sales manager for Renkus-Heinz.

Loudspeakers with beam steering technology tend to be much taller than wide and mounted flat against the wall.

Willamette University resolved the challenging audio environment in its Paulus Lecture Hall with Renkus-Heinz compact arrays.

TECHNOLOGY NEW PRODUCTS

Boom Collaboration AURA

Roland VR-400UHD

Solutions like the VR-400UHD 4K streaming AV mixer are crucial in everyday applications where professional operators are not always readily available. With two touchscreens, the VR-400UHD allows users to quickly set various scene presets, preview them in real time, and confidently run transitions. 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, providing churches, companies, and schools with all the presets needed for production. Equipped with seven HDMI ports, the VR-400UHD supports high-quality video up to 4K/60p with four cross points. The fourth cross point has four HDMI inputs, so additional sources can be connected and instantly assigned with a scene switch. It also includes a 14-channel audio mixer for combining analog inputs with embedded digital audio.

ClearOne BMA 360D

The BMA 360D beamforming microphone array ceiling tile offers native compatibility with any Dante-enabled DSP mixer. Dante integration in the BMA 360D enhances the array’s functionality by delivering unprocessed beam audio on individual Dante transmit channels. Additionally, a smartswitched 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, which include echo cancellation, noise cancellation, and level control. With proprietary FiBeam and DsBeam technology, participants experience natural and full-fidelity audio across all beams and within a single beam. The BMA 360D comes in both 24-inch and 600mm ceiling tile sizes, while a VESA-mount hole pattern provides support for pole mounting. Integrator setup is simplified by convenient preset beam patterns for common room layouts, while custom beam patterns can be created for unique floor plans.

As the growing appeal of all-in-one devices continues to accelerate, Boom Collaboration has launched the AURA intelligent videobar, with built-in AI functions designed to deliver superior meetings. AURA offers 4K picture quality, 10x digital zoom, and a 120-degree field of view. AI functions include facial detection and sound source localization, providing intelligent auto-framing and voice tracking. Six digital array mics ensure high-fidelity audio and an optimal intuitive response. An 8MP CMOS sensor is combined with plug-and-play functionality as well as a standard three-year warranty.

Sonnet Technologies Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock

The latest in the company’s Echo family of docking stations, the Echo 20 features three Thunderbolt 4 ports, one internal M.2 NVMe SSD socket, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C charging ports, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Type A ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, one 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) port, one 3.5 mm combo audio port, two analog line level output jacks, one 3.5 mm microphone jack, and one SD 4.0 card slot. It enables users to connect peripherals to a central point instead of directly to their computer. All devices are connected through a single Thunderbolt cable, which can also charge laptop computers with up to 100 watts of power. The Echo 20 also supports one M.2 NVMe SSD inside the case, so users can install up to 8 TB of storage.

Sound Devices A20-Nexus Go / A20-TX

The newest additions to the Astral series of wireless audio products, the A20-Nexus Go true-diversity digital wireless receiver (supporting up to eight channels) and A20-TX digital wireless transmitter were designed to streamline wireless audio processes. A20-Nexus Go users can scan a global VHF and UHF tuning range of 169-1525 MHz with Sound Devices’ SpectraBand technology to quickly find clean and open frequencies, easily assign transmitters to those frequencies, adjust transmitter gain as needed directly from the receiver using GainForward, and keep tabs on any potential RF difficulties with A20-Nexus Go’s integrated Real Time Frequency Analysis (RTSA) functionality. The A20-TX digital wireless transmitter uses the same high headroom mic preamp from Sound Devices’ 8-Series mixer-recorders to deliver high-quality sonic purity with a minimum of noise. Other features include a built-in 32-bit float, 48 kHz recorder with removable microSD card.

Vanco POP4390 and VWA3770

Vanco has added to its collection of wall mounts, which offer simple installation and a variety of sizes to support single displays and video walls. The new POP4390 pop-out mount is VESA compatible, supports up to a 90-inch television, and is rated at 165 pounds. The mount offers functionality, cable management, and easy access to the back of the TV. Plus, it has a motion range of five degrees up and 10 degrees down. With similar benefits of pop out functionality and cable management as the POP4390, the VWA3770 video wall mount (pictured) can bring simplicity to the tedious process of mounting video walls. It can accommodate displays from 37-70 inches, is rated to 99 pounds, and offers both horizontal and vertical adjustments.

Vaddio AV Bridge Nano

AV Bridge Nano is a compact AV-to-USB bridge designed to provide seamless connectivity and versatility for videoconferencing. It complements AV systems in lecture halls, town hall meetings, or houses of worship, enabling reliable streaming and video capture scenarios over USB or RTSP/RTMP without needing to purchase two separate devices. Mass deployments and remote management are simplified with the free Vaddio Deployment Tool, while the Vaddio Device Controller touchscreen accessory adds simple in-room control. Thanks to its USB 3.0 interface, the AV Bridge Nano is compatible with the most popular software conferencing applications. It can also be used as a USB capture card for ingesting HDMI video into video editing applications. Its networking capabilities enable the creation of production-quality live streams on platforms such as YouTube Live, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Curvature Array (CCA)

Available both bi-amped or self-powered, the CCA10i is a compact, three-way arrayable point source loudspeaker designed to deliver concertquality audio for medium-sized venues to large distributed systems that need a flexible, scalable loudspeaker solution. It is an ideal choice for performing arts centers, houses of worship, commercial theaters, nightclubs, and stadiums. It features two 10-inch high-excursion, ultra-low distortion drivers that offer reduced power compression, with diaphragms providing efficient and accurate bass reproduction down to 52Hz. The system’s constant curvature waveguide provides array coherence along with precision 160-degree symmetrical horizontal pattern control. Mounted horizontally with tight acoustic centers to minimize comb filtering, each CCA10i enclosure provides a fixed 20-degree vertical coverage pattern and can be flown with additional enclosures in vertical arrays.

Christie Hedra

Available in three models, the Hedra video wall processor offers a secure, all-in-one control room solution. It allows users to make quick and informed decisions with real-time access to data that can be controlled from virtually anywhere. Based on a Linux hardware system and with multiview KVM, users can securely work remotely or centrally, and easily switch between different on-screen layouts and configurations. Drag-and-drop interfaces and customized layouts make it easy to arrange and control video wall displays. Hedra can deliver data to up to four UHD displays—and supports video walls up to 32 megapixels in configurations up to 8x2, so operators can make timely and collaborative decisions. The controlroom-in-a-box is ideal for small to medium-sized applications including command and control rooms, broadcast operations, and security and surveillance.

Omnirax Hybrid Conference Table

Initially commissioned in partnership with Primeview USA, Hybrid Conference Tables have been carefully designed to achieve meeting equity for all participants, both onsite and remote, by creating a synergy between four key components: Microsoft Front Row meeting software, large format LED displays or monitor walls, AI-driven camera technology, and the conference table. The lineup includes a desk engineered to pair with a 105-inch monitor from Primeview as well as larger video walls, addressing a broad range of potential applications. Each table features three primary components: the counter(made from high-pressure laminate or Corian), technology “cylinder,” and structural metalwork. Regardless of size or configuration, each Hybrid Conference Table has been engineered to create enhanced sight and sound lines for both onsite and remote participants. Customized versions of the table designs, including such options as laser-cut or silk-screened logos, are available.

Here Comes Convergence

The Streaming Era Unites Pro AV and Broadcast

By Sarah Joyce

We’ve been living in the era of streaming for quite some time on the consumer side. And now it’s forging ahead in a big way in the commercial world, leading to a crossover between broadcast and Pro AV. What factors are at play boosting this trend?

Part of it is the pandemic. It was difficult to interact with audiences in person during that time, so streaming content was a crucial solution. In fact, revenue for content production and streaming, in addition to conferencing and collaboration, never declined during the pandemic.

Quality or Quantity?

As an event producer ourselves, AVIXA had to implement streaming capabilities for InfoComm 2021, since many people couldn’t attend in person. AVIXA’s in-house content delivery team, led by Sam Minish, vice president of content delivery, put together a livestream content program and worked with a vendor to deliver a remote experience.

As the world started opening up more in 2022 and people were attending events in person, Sam’s team realized we needed to approach streaming differently. Our livestream was about making sure we were providing an experience that was reaching those who, perhaps through budget reasons or being newer to the industry, couldn’t attend the physical show. We focused on delivering content at the show that would resonate with that audience. The team also learned that ramping up the quality while dialing down the quantity was very effective for us.

During the pandemic, there was some tolerance for mediocre quality streaming. As long as you were delivering your message, then that was good enough. Now, with the advancements of streaming technology, there’s an expectation for better quality. When you have YouTubers producing top quality video content, people expect that out of workplace professionals.

Adding to that, we’ve had a generation with video in their DNA filling the workforce for a while now that expects to be visually engaged. There’s also the aspect of real estate—with some companies not needing such a large footprint for employee office space due

to hybrid and remote work, they’re opting to transition the space and add production capabilities to reach their audiences.

Forecast: More Content

According to AVIXA’s 2023 Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA), content production and streaming revenue is forecast to grow from $39 billion in 2023 to $51.3 billion in 2028. In addition, our research of end user decision makers shows AV production rooms for broadcast among the top five spaces in which they are planning to make AV investments.

What are the tools and skills needed to deliver these solutions to customers? The technologies powering content production and streaming are a convergence in AV, IT, and broadcast.

For decades, we’ve been talking about AV and IT blending together as more AV technologies are connected to the network. Media servers and storage act as the management and distribution engines, accounting for more than half of the total solution revenue in 2023, or nearly $19 billion. Capture technologies are next, in the form of cameras and other video production equipment, representing another $10 billion.

Integrators provide some value-added services such as installation and design. That skillset part is an important piece of the puzzle.

Crossover Considerations

Historically, AV and broadcast have interweaved through time. Many people started in broadcast and crossed over to AV or went back and forth. AV and broadcast professionals share skills in audio and video systems implementation, live events production, pre and post-production, filming/recording, and staging/rigging. AV differentiates through skills relating to effective integration of tech into space, while IT increasingly overlaps with both AV and broadcast as technology joins the network.

AVIXA is closely watching this trend of broadcast and AV convergence, and facilitating ways for AV professionals to learn more and make connections to deliver high-level solutions to the market. In June, AVIXA and IABM hosted the first UpStream conference in London to dive into this topic. We brought together broadcast technology suppliers, AV/IT solution providers, and enterprise buyers. The event featured discussions on virtual production, the pros and cons of different streaming platforms, NDI, and much more.

Virtual production was also top of mind at InfoComm 2023 in Orlando with The Unreal Ride, presented by Vūu, Unilumin, and MRMC. Attendees experienced a blend of the physical and virtual worlds through a combination of virtual production technology, including advanced LED panels, a motion-controlled camera, camera tracking, and virtual environments.

What’s in store next? ISE 2024 will host the Content Production, & Distribution Summit on Jan. 31 in Barcelona, so mark your calendar. Also be sure to check out the Content Production and Streaming channel on AVIXA Xchange for news and discussions on the topic.

Sarah Joyce is the chief global officer for AVIXA.

For decades, we’ve been talking about AV and IT blending together as more AV technologies are connected to the network.