MARINE ELECTRONICS & ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS
tired eyes, bias lighting (light placed behind the screen so that it does not shine at the viewer or cause reflections on the screen) gives the best effect when no brighter than 10% of the brightest white on the screen. for those modern superyachts that have larger windows and are without fully enclosed cinemas, the problem of excess light has become more of an issue. However, integrators can now install systems whereby turning on the screen will automatically result in the blinds being lowered and the media lighting activated – creating the perfect viewing experience. In fact, lighting generally is becoming inseparable from audio visual entertainment as together they form part of the overall integrated on board experience. The interconnection of lighting and sound on board superyachts is well known from party decks and discos where the rhythm and intensity of the music can be translated into corresponding colour and movement via the yacht’s own lighting system. Now the use of light is moving on from simple entertainment to becoming more about lifestyle and well-being. By using the same control interfaces that control audio-visual functionality, users can design and select lighting schemes to match any mood or activity within the particular zone of the yacht in which they find themselves.
The Next Generation for the next generation of yachts, specialists in integrated lifestyle systems such as VBH are much less about ‘audio visual’ and more about ‘multi-sensory’ as the possibilities for personal control of what owners and guests can see and hear extends to every aspect of the onboard
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experience. This even includes the way in which luxury yachts can receive and assimilate information about everything ranging from destinations and weather to safety briefings and tonight’s dinner menu. luxperiencelab has been working on ways to enable guests and crew to view information from multiple sources in ways that makes it pleasurable as well as easily absorbed. Practical augmented reality using eyewear is just around the corner, but the demand for similar kinds of overlaid experiences is present. luxperiencelab is meeting this demand as it has designed an interactive information system for the owner of a yacht who is very proud of his engines. Glass panels have been installed on either side of the walkway through the engine room that not only allow visitors to view the engines in total safety, but also encourages them to project touch-activated displays on to the panels to call up information on the yacht’s systems and provide real-time operational data. By aligning themselves with a particular piece of equipment, a touch of the nearby panel will call up relevant information seemingly overlaid over the item. This approach can be translated all over the yacht to create an effect that is futuristic as well as practical.
Future Focus The near future undoubtedly holds the promise of even more advanced applications that blend reality with electronic enhancements, and which offer users of superyachts genuine lifestyle benefits alongside compelling entertainment. However, superyachts do face one particular challenge as the growth in demand for
streaming content versus standard broadcast entertainment, together with the new highdefinition image standards is far outpacing the ability of broadband services to deliver them wirelessly. 4K + HDR content can require 25 Mbps for a single programme, and the cost of that sort of bandwidth via satellite is expensive. Superyacht technology specialists are moving to bridge the gap with products such as the VBH Pulse Media Delivery Platform. This maximises the usage of available bandwidth in a number of ways. Streaming the content in multiple formats for different devices helps to reduce the demands on the available bandwidth, as does intelligently monitoring users’ viewing preferences and then pre-downloading content that may be of interest to them. Other innovations go a long way towards extracting the maximum value from the limited bandwidth available. These are exciting times for those working in what is being called ‘living technology’. The interconnectivity of all types of devices through the Internet of Things is starting to change the lives of everyone, and the superyacht environment with its inherent sophistication and complexity will benefit even more than most.
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