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2012 Kramer Electronics, Ltd. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
HDMI
DVI
DisplayPort
Fiber
Fiber
Fiber
F
VI
t
F
H
Twisted
Pair
VGA
Twisted
Pair
Twisted
Pair
J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A3
REmEdy #1
what is ambient light? simply,
put, its the light that doesnt
come from the projector. its a
problem for commercial spaces
because in many applications,
high levels of ambient light are
requiredin order to achieve
their purposes, houses of wor-
ship, classrooms, meeting
rooms, lobbies all require a sig-
nifcant amount of ambient light.
the problem is that high
ambient light in a space reduces the contrast
level of the image as its perceived on the
screen, and thus makes it hard to see. tech-
nically, the screen is refecting both the light
produced by the projector and the ambient
light existing in the space.
once the decision has been made to use a
projection system (versus a fat-panel), the
next question is front projection versus rear
projection. rear projection requires space
behind the screen which varies between
a few feet to many feet, depending on the
system used. if you have the space, rear
projection solves most ambient light issues,
since you can control the amount of ambi-
ent light in that space, and it wont compete
with the light from the projector.
if front projection is required, there are
things you can do to control it or minimize its
effect on the quality of the projected image:
1. Control the light
sunlight streaming in through glass win-
dows is the most common source of exces-
sive ambient light. many AV control systems
now have the capability to control motorized
shades, blinds or blackout curtains when
the projector is activated.
the second most common source of
ambient light is generated by room light-
ing, which may be required in order for
people to see meeting materials or other
participants while they view projected con-
tent. Lighting dimmers can also be added
to the AV control system. Also, make sure
that light fxtures near the screen (either
on adjacent walls or the ceiling) can be
controlled separately from the other fx-
tures in the room. reducing light near
the screen will reduce the contrast ratio,
making the image easier to see.
2. SCreen loCation
the key consideration for placement
of projection screen place-
ment is to locate the screen
as far as possible from obvi-
ous light sources like win-
dows or skylights.
3. SCreen SeleCtion
new front projection screen
technologies have emerged
that can reproduce excel-
lent images, even under
challenging ambient light
conditions. most of these screen mate-
rials attempt to reflect more of the pro-
jected light compared to ambient light.
screens that are described as high con-
trastlike grey screenswill work bet-
ter than matte surfaces. Another screen
material feature a lens design that
diverts ambient light away from the seat-
ing area, while reflecting on axis light
(presumably the light directly projected
from the projector) to the audience. the
only drawback for this technology may
be a more narrow angle of reflection and
thus, seating area.
4. ProjeCtor SeleCtion
in the old days, before LcD and DLP pro-
jection, crt projectors simply werent
capable of producing enough light to
compete with the sun. today, as a result
of better light engines, lamp technolo-
gies, and screens, economically achieving
adequate projector brightness is rarely an
issue. in fact, a bigger issue is when AV
designers choose an overpowered projec-
tor in attempt to overcome ambient light.
higher brightness does not increase con-
trast ratio; in fact, it may reduce it. the
negative effect on image quality is almost
always worse than the ambient light itself.
Projection for Venues with
Ambient Light
+
KiSS (Keep it Simple)
1. Darken the room.
2. if you cant darken the room, use rear-projection.
3. if you cant rear project, minimize light near the screen.
4. for rear or front projection, use a screen technology
that reduces ambient light at the screen.
Digital Projection inc. took a gamble that paid off at
infocomm '12; their booth was completely open
(sans the typical dome or theater-style setting). this
demonstrated solutions that deliver precise imagery
in a real-world scenario. www.digitalprojection.com
TM
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Photo courtesy of Louise Stickland
Photo courtesy of Gallagher & Associates
Photo courtesy of Mt. Pisgah UMC
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Photo courtesy of N.C. Science Museum
Photo courtesy of Immersive Display Solutions
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Hall of Fame
PRECISION DISPLAYS FOR EVERY VENUE
M-Vision Series
J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A5
Heres the scenario: An executive brings her
laptop into the meeting room, connects the
video cable thats been provided at the lec-
tern and (after a few presses of the Function
buttons) theres an image on both the laptop
and the external display (or projector). The
problem is, the image doesnt entirely fll
the screen. Panic, fnger-pointing, and/or
technology rage ensues.
There could be two reasons for this, and
they are related, but different: aspect ratio
and image resolution.
Aspect ratio refers to the width-to-
height ratio of an image. We live in a world
of many standards, so theres not one
single aspect ratio thats common among
all source devices and display devices.
The most common ones today are wide-
screen 16:9 (or 16:10 for Apple displays)
and 4:3. Resolution refers to the actual
pixel count of the display, expressed as the
number of horizontal pixels by the number
of vertical pixels. A resolution of 1366 x 768
therefore has an aspect ratio of 16:9 (or
1.78 to 1); so does a resolution of 1920 x
1080. Simple math. Native resolution of
a display refers to the fxed resolution of its
imaging device, which could be an active
matrix display on a laptop or the imaging
engine in a digital projector. Most displays
are able to inform the source of its native
resolution using extended display identif-
cation data (EDID).
First, the bottom line: The only true way
to avoid this problem is to use a source
device with the same native resolution
as the display device. But since this isnt
always possible, video signal processing
offers a few solutions (sort of).
Scaling is signal processing that alters
the size (or resolution) of an image to ft
the pixel size (or native resolution) of a dis-
play device, without changing its shape (or
aspect ratio).
But when the aspect ratio of the image
produced by the source (like a laptop with
a 4:3 aspect ratio) does not match the
aspect ratio of the display devices native
resolution, the image doesnt completely
fll the shape of the display, and you see
the black bars (which are not really black
bars, but the result of no image data being
sent to that part of the screen) along the
sides or top and bottom of the display.
Most digital displays have built-in scal-
ing circuitry which allows you to get rid of
the black bars, but not without a tradeoff.
The remote control units for many dis-
play devices have a zoom or image size
button. You can lose the bars by zooming
the image to expand it horizontally (for a
4:3 source image on a 16:9/16:10 display)
or vertically (for a 16:9/16:10 source image
on a 4:3 display)but youll lose image
content from the top and bottom or sides.
Some scaling circuitry can also expand
the image, stretching a 4:3 source image
horizontally so it flls a 16:9 frame. But the
image will appear distorted.
A common real-world example of the
aspect ratio problem is displaying a Pow-
erPoint slideshow that was created in 4:3
on a 16:9 display. While changing the Page
Setup from 4:3 to 16:9 or 16:10 will re-size
text without much problem, Microsoft has
yet to offer a scaling function for graphics
or photos. Until they do, the only solution is
to re-set or re-size each image individually.
Remedy #2
Aspect RAtios
When the Source content DoeSnt Match the DiSplayS ForMat, What
Do you Do?
PESA
pesa.com
info
Pesas Vidblox RX module
allows 3G-SDI signals to be
scaled to a wide range of
DVI or VGA resolutions.
J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A7
REmEdy #3
DeALing with content
ProtecteD source mAteriAL
the digital revolution is undeniably the
most pervasive issue in AV today. Vast
improvements in sound and visual quality
are the most obvious benefts, but there
are drawbacks too, especially for com-
mercial AV applications. Digital AV has
historically been driven by the consumer
electronics industry and content creators.
because digital signals are theoretically
perfect copies of the original and so easy
to duplicate, extensive copy protection
schemes, along with an entire economy of
devices and organization to enforce them,
have emerged. the most prevalent scheme
is high-bandwidth Digital content Projec-
tion (hDcP). hDcP was developed with no
consideration of commercial AV applica-
tions. After all, most pre-recorded content
like flms and music are transmitted from
one source to one display or audio system,
right? not always in commercial AV, where
users often want to include protected con-
tent in their presentations. in addition, the
most popular signal transmission technol-
ogies have hDcP in their core specifcation,
which in turn, require the use of hDcP-
compliant components. the bottom line is
that over the last several years, hDcP has
been the number one source of headaches
for commercial AV system designers.
here are some of the most common head-
achesalong with their aspirin.
1. BlaCK SCreen
All components are connected, powered
on, but theres no image on the display.
this could be due to a bad cable or one
thats too long; in either case, signal deg-
radation can prevent the exchange of eDiD
(extended display identifcation data),
which tells the source the optimal video
parameters for the display. solution: if the
components all have hDmi interfaces, be
sure to use only good-quality, high-speed
hDmi cables.
Another cause could be the presence of
a non-hDcP compliant device in the signal
chain. All hDmi and DisplayPort interfaces
support hDcP, but not all DVi interfaces do.
if any component in your system supports
hDmi, then all of them must or no signal
will be passed. if youve got one component
with a DVi interface, its possible that the
component does not support hDcP, and is
preventing the key exchange thats required
to pass the signal. solution: make sure
every component from source to display is
hDcP compliant.
2. SnoWy iMage
in the days of analog broadcasting, we used
to call this snow due to poor reception.
with digital signal transmission, it means
that youre actually looking content protec-
tion in action; the snow is encrypted video.
Like black screen, it can happen when your
display (or any active component, like an
extender or a splitter, used in the transmis-
sion) doesnt support hDcP. the display, in
turn, isnt able to decrypt the video stream.
solution: check for hDcP compliance of all
components, and replace if necessary.
3. SWitChing DelayS
this headache is unique to commercial AV
because rarely does a residential installa-
tion require the use of switchers or video
routers. the problem is that whenever a
newly-connected device is sense in the
signal transmission (as happens when the
source or display is switched) a new round
of key exchanges and authentication must
be negotiated, and that takes time. solu-
tion: some manufacturers have taken steps
to minimize switching time and speed up
the key exchange process by maintaining
continuous authentication among hDcP-
compliant components.
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J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A9
REmEdy #4
ViDeo connector incomPAtibiLity
this issue has to be the source of
more user headaches than any
other in the world of video. Video
connector standards are like the
weather in new england; if you
dont like it, just wait a minute,
itll change. the only difference
is that many old interface standards
never seem to go away completelylike hav-
ing a rainstorm, snow, tornado, and blue sky
all at the same time.
of course, there are technical (and com-
mercial) reasons for this, but at the end of the
day, its the tech manager or presenter who
often pays the price for the constantly chang-
ing connector issue.
hoW DiD We get here?
first, its helpful to distinguish between video
formats, standards, and connectors. before
digital, VgA (developed by ibm in 1987) was
the most common video signal format, and
it was considered standard although it
was never adopted by an offcial standards-
making body. for many years, most Pcs
output VgA, and displays and other sources
accepted it. VgA uses the common De-15
connector, still seen on many Pcs.
thats all changing with digital video
signal formats. for commercial AV appli-
cations, the most common digital formats
are DVi, hDmi, DisplayPort, and sDi. within
each format, there are multiple variants and
connector types.
in 2010, intel, AmD and Pc makers Dell,
Lenovo, samsung, and Lg announced
that they would phase out VgA con-
nectors (or ports) by 2015. their rea-
soning is that digital formats such as
DisplayPort and hDmi allow for slim-
mer laptop designs and higher reso-
lution with deeper color than VgA.
earlier this year, analyst frm nPD
in-stat released a report stating that
DVi ports will also disappear from
Pcs over the next fve years, setting
the stage for standardization on
hDmi and DisplayPort.
there are several other sev-
eral issues driving the phase out
of VgA and DVi interfaces. one is
that VgA does not allow for content
protection, so it may be phased out
due to digital content license agreements. A
more practice issue for manufacturers and
users is the size of the connectors: VgA and
DVi connectors with thumb screws are dif-
fcult and sometimes impossible to accom-
modate in the latest ultra-slim notebook and
netbook designs, and connecting and secur-
ing these cables to monitors is diffcult in
confned spaces.
So Why Do We Still neeD tWo Digital
interFaCeS?
DisplayPort and hDmi are very different tech-
nically, and each has a different product focus.
hDmi is the de-facto standard in home the-
atre and is used widely on hDtVs, and some
Pcs and monitors include hDmi to enable
connectivity with hDtVs and other consumer
electronics gear. DisplayPort is focused on
Pc, monitor, and projector applications as a
replacement for DVi and VgA where high per-
formance is critical, and allows backwards
and forwards compatibility over standard
cables. the DisplayPort connector is com-
patible with hDmi signals, enabling product
interoperability. And, to make content pro-
ducers happy, DisplayPort 1.2 supports hDcP
v1.3, ensuring that protected content such as
blu-ray Disc movies may be easily viewed
over a DisplayPort connection that includes
hDcP support.
Be PrePareD
while there is no one best plan to avoid the
connector conundrum, the best advice is
to be prepared. whenever possible, try to
determine the connector type of all possible
sources and displays before any installation
project or ad hoc presentation. check to see
if there are matching connectors on installed
AV devices (projectors, fat panels, switchers)
and connectivity interfaces (pop-up access
panels or wall plates, etc.). if youre lucky, the
issue is resolved with a single format cable of
the appropriate length.
when that is not possible, there are three
courses of action:
1. use adaptors: Adaptors provide the
simplest solution, but with digital video sig-
nal transmission, there can be drawbacks
too. for example, dont expect to get audio
from a DVi connector (its video only). Also,
most adaptors are passive devices, and
wont convert from digital to analog.
2. use an active Device: A very common
scenario in which connectors present prob-
lems are group presentations, where multiple
presenters each bring their own laptop. but
combining multiple formats is considerable
easier than it used to be, by using presentation
switchers. A presentation switcher accepts and
scales a wide range of video signals to a com-
mon, high-resolution output rate.
3. Check alternate inputs on
downstream device: many display
devices like video projectors offer
several input options. instead of
concentrating on making the con-
nection work at the source end,
try working backwards and check
to see options are available on the
next device in the chain.
BArco
Barco.com
info
barco says that its new click-
share is a one-click answer
to video connector incompat-
ibility, and so much more.
ClickShare
The one click wonder
Youre one click away from more productive meetings
ClickShare brings a new wind into meeting rooms, refreshing
the way we share ideas and make decisions.
Watch the 2 minutes demo at www.barco.com/clickshare
www.barco.com/clickshare
J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A11
in the early days of computing,
the term multiplatform was
straightforward: ms-Dos/
windows or mac. today, with
many different operating sys-
tems, device form factors,
delivery options and providers,
multi-platform is most often
defned with the ambiguous (and
often overstated if not downright mislead-
ing) phrase any device, anywhere, any
time. the reality is that we have a long
way to go before multi-platform evolves to
omni-platform.
As computing, communication and pre-
sentation technologies have converged, so
have the number of platforms proliferated.
todays tech landscape is one of multiple
standards and interoperability issues,
making it diffcult for technology manag-
ers to keep ahead of advances in technol-
ogy and the needs of their end-users.
for enterprise video content delivery,
however, the smoke may be clearing on
video platform delivery options. one of the
key platform distinctions is the
type of device used for viewing.
PCS
the bottom line here is that
Adobes flash is the dominant
software for viewing online
video on Pcs. if you want to view
video on a Pc, chances are youll
continue to use flash Player to do it.
MoBile DeviCeS
for mobile devices, it looks like htmL5
is king. there was a signifcant momen-
tum shift in the fall of 2011, when Adobe
announced that they would stop the future
development of flash on mobile platforms.
instead, theyll work with developers to cre-
ate Apps for the various mobile platforms.
According to their offcial announcement
dated november 9, 2011:
htmL5 is now universally supported
on major mobile devices, in some cases
exclusively. this makes htmL5 the best
solution for creating and deploying con-
tent in the browser across mobile plat-
forms. we are excited about this, and will
continue our work with key players in
the htmL community, including google,
Apple, microsoft and rim, to drive htmL5
innovation they can use to advance their
mobile browsers.
some observers like streaming Learning
centers jan ozer believe that this sets the
stage for a windows/mac style dichotomy,
which should be welcome news to video
content developers and consumers alike.
streaming producers are going to need
a plug-in based option for several more
years, and flash is the obvious choice, says
ozer. flash on the desktop isnt going away
any time soon. it just feels like in the mobile
space, Adobe decided if they couldnt pro-
vide a good experience, for whatever rea-
son, and it didnt make sense to provide a
bad experience.
for the content consumer, it means it is
less likely that youll receive the this for-
mat is not supported brick wall when you
try to watch a video.
REmEdy #5
muLtiPLAtform onLine
ViDeo DeLiVery
crEStron
crestron.com
info
format options continue to grow, as are the multiple platforms for playback. 4K resolution will soon become the standard viewers expect from online
video providers, according to crestron, which is why they are moving aggressively to support, manage, and distribute it.
DigitalMedia

the only complete, end-to-end digital solution

engineered for MORE
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managed network control
design options with copper & ber
audio capabilities
products supporting HDBaseT
experience and system installations
Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.
2012 Crestron Electronics, Inc. crestron.com/dm | 855.604.2127
J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A13
transcending and bridging all other cur-
rent tech trends is the explosion of mobile
devices and demand for functionality of
every kind on mobile platform. in 2011, more
smartphones and laptops were shipped
than Pcs and laptops. As a result, tech
users are demanding increasing capabil-
ity from their mobile devices. the collision
of streaming and mobility is transforming
the traditional models of location based or
scheduled learning and training.
According a wainhouse research report,
As smart phones and tablets become
increasingly pervasive [among students],
educational institutions are increasingly
being asked to deliver content to or otherwise
harness the power of those devices for mobile
learning (m-Learning). the trend is not lim-
ited to education; for any training or learning
environment, mobile delivery is becoming an
expectation. can vendors deliver it?
MoBility ChallengeS
streaming to mobile devices is becoming
fairly common, but there are still some limi-
tations.
Bandwidth. Although compression
algorithms are improving all the time,
bandwidth continues to be an issue and
expectations for higher quality (hD) view-
ing experiences and multiple streams drive
increasing bandwidth requirements.
Connection stability. since mobile
devices are mobile by defnition, moving
in and out of coverage areas continues to
present a problem for stable connection to
a local wifi area or 3g/4g coverage.
As mobile device processing power
increases, the major limitation among
devices simply comes down to screen size;
its diffcult to view more than one stream at
a time. Larger mobile devices, like tablets,
are a better choice for decoding and viewing
multiple streams or easily switching between
them.
MoBile aPPS
Learning software companies like tegrity
offer mobile apps that allow you to record,
search, and stream content mobile devices.
tegrity campus, a fully automated lecture
capture solution streams content to the
tegrity mobile App over the air, so theres
no need for the student to frst connect
to a computer in order to download con-
tent. blackboard recently announced the
beta launch of blackboard
collaborate mobile, an
interactive mobile app
for their collaboration
software.
harDWare venDorS
aDD MoBility
Although apps may provide
an effcient, streamlined approach
for mobile viewing, its also possible to
view streams optimized for mobile devices
on web browsers. many of the traditional
(and non-traditional) streaming providers
are offering solutions. streaming hardware
vendors are also getting into the mobile act.
Last year, sonic foundry released media-
site 6, the most recent version of its lec-
ture capture platform that allows users to
view live or on-demand streams on mobile
devices using htmL5 and h.264. it includes
a feature they call automatic device detec-
tion which determines what type of device
youre using, then provides the optimal for-
mat for that device. haivisions Viper is a
compact integrated appliance for capturing,
streaming, reviewing, distributing, and pub-
lishing multiple hD h.264 streams simul-
taneously to any desktop, laptop, or mobile
device. And AV control provider crestron
now offers captureLive hD, an end-to-end
lecture capture and streaming solution that
can stream content to mobile devices.
Feature WiSh liSt
no matter which system you use, youll
want to be sure their platform uses adap-
tive streaming (also known as adaptive bit
rate streaming), a technique that enables
the optimum streaming video viewing expe-
rience for a diverse range of devices over a
broad set of connection speeds by detect-
ing the users bandwidth and cPu capac-
ity and adjusting the stream accordingly.
while adaptive streaming has been in use
for some time, it has become more impor-
tant for mobile streaming because of the
inherent limitations of wireless networks.
Protocols from Apple (httP Live streaming
or hLs), microsoft (smooth streaming), and
Adobe (httP Dynamic streaming) all use a
form of adaptive streaming.
REmEdy #6
extenDing webcAsts &
Lecture cAPture to
mobiLe DeVices
HAIVISIon
haivision.com
info
mobile video delivery is becoming an expectation to users in just about every vertical market. image
courtesy of the AV design and integration frm conference technologies inc. (conferencetech.com).
Touch Anywhere To Begin
www.haivision.com
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J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A15
one of the key issues that distinguishes
commercial AV from residential AV is the
distance of signal transmission. its one
thing to connect a three-meter hDmi inter-
connect cable from a blu-ray player to an
hDtV; its quite another to run an AV signal
from a distribution closet to every meeting
room on a corporate or university campus.
for long distance AV signal transmission,
there are basically four choices; 1) coax,
2) category cabling, 3) fber optic cabling,
and 4) wireless. All of these have distance
limitations depending on the quality of the
cable and/or electronics, signal strength,
type of signal, quality of connectors and
terminations, and other factors. signal
attenuation is the primary determinant of
a cable or wireless signals distance limit.
for analog signals, attenuation results in a
gradual deterioration of the audio or video
signal, along with increased noise. for digi-
tal signals, some loss of signal quality will
be noticeable, but a more likely limit indica-
tion will be a complete loss of transmission.
Coax
two-conductor coaxial cabling has been
the backbone of broadcast and AV cabling
infrastructure for over 80 years. coax is
still prevalent for video signal transmission
up to about 300 feet. using active line driv-
ing electronics, you can extend distances to
up to around 1,000 with reasonable quality.
but variances in the quality of manufactur-
ing can result in performance degradation
especially at longer distance. there are
many types of coaxial cable, typically dif-
ferentiated by rg (radio guide) number.
Attenuation is a key specifcation for all coax
cables, and most cable manufacturers will
specify attenuation loss in decibels per foot.
the longer the coax cable, the greater the
loss, but loss is also frequency dependent.
for digital signal transmission (sDi) with
coax cable, you can send a composite video
signal up to 2,700 feet at low bandwidth (143
mbps) with the right type of cable. but at
higher bandwidths for hD signals, distance
limitations are typically several hundred feet.
Category CaBling
the American national standards institute
and electronic industries Association (Ansi/
eiA) have created standards that specify cat-
egories of unshielded and shielded twisted
pair cabling, which is more commonly asso-
ciated with networking applications. today,
its also commonly used for long distance AV
signal transmission. its an attractive alterna-
tive for many reasons, including 1) its cheap
(compared to coaxial), 2) its small and easy
to work with in the feld, 3) its commonly
pre-wired in many buildings, and 4) shielded
twisted pair cabling provides some immu-
nity to electromagnetically induced noise.
high-resolution signals can be sent an aver-
age of two to three times farther over twisted
pair cabling compared to coaxial. extended
distance transmission is achieved using an
active electronic signal transmitter/receiver
pair to convert the signal from AV formats
(DVi, hDmi, VgA, etc.) to a balanced signal
thats optimized for twisted pair cabling.
other types of signal processing can also be
included (peaking, level, equalization, etc.) to
ensure signal integrity over long distances.
FiBer oPtiC
for long distance cable signal transmis-
sion, nothing beats fber optic cabling. After
all, its what runs communication signals
between continents, across oceans. but
just like any other transmission medium, as
distance increases, opportunity for signal
degradation also increases. And, like other
long distance media, it requires signal con-
verters at both ends. fiber optic cabling is
available two basic types: multimode and
single mode. single mode fber is smaller in
diameter, more expensive, but can transmit
up to 18 miles (30 km).
in addition to external transmitters/
REmEdy #7
Long DistAnce
ViDeo signAL
trAnsmission
+
Who Makes extenders?
cat x fiber web
Adder x x us.adder.com
Amx x x amx.com
Apantac x x apantac.com
Aten x aten-usa.com
Atlona x x atlona.com
black box x x blackbox.com
c2g x cablestogo.com
communications x commspecial.com
specialties
comprehensive x x comprehensivecable.com
crestron x x crestron.com
DVi gear x x dvigear.com
extron x x extron.com
fsr x fsrinc.com
gefen x x gefen.com
hall research x x hallresearch.com
Kramer x x kramerus.com
matrox x x matrox.com
minicom x x minicomdigitalsignage.com
opticommemcore x x opticomm.com
smart AVi x smartavi.com
oPtIcoMM
EMcorE
opticomm.
com/products/
hd-monitor-hd-
display/
info
the opticomm-emcore
hDmx is a video format
converter and matrix
switch (any input to any
output). it can connect
to any source DVi, hDmi
or 3g hD-sDi/hD-sDi/
sDi and send the output
to the fber monitor.
REmEdy #8
changing content is one thing; creating it and quickly getting on the displaysometimes called
dynamic content updatingis a bit more of a challenge. the key is to put the control and access in
the hands of the technology manager, instead of relying on a third-party service provider.
Digital signage provider mvix offers cloud-based approach for media storageallowing you upload,
download, or edit content anywhere with an internet connection. most of their clients use PowerPoint
to create basic digital signage content. changes can be made at a moments notice, and as soon as
content is changed and saved, it is immediately pushed to digital signage player wherever it lives on a
network.
one of the simplest solutions comes from edina, mn-based AV integrator Alpha Video. their cast-
net system uses a fll out the form web page approach to information creation which allows non-
technical employees to update information from anywhere theres a network connection. And, the
castnet web interface is set up for use on a mobile device. An end-user can log into the castnet
interface and make updates to the content from any mobile device with a web browser.
of course, live data feeds to digital signage players can add an element of dynamic content updat-
ing without any direct action required by technology managers. tightrope media systems carousel
Digital signage, for example, allows you to easily create twitter, rss, weather or news bulletins that
will automatically appear and update on the display network. this type of content is especially criti-
cal in environments like hospitals or school campuses.
Client:
Job#:
Job Name:
Document Name:
Publication:
Publication Upload:
Drop Date:
Ink:
Size:
Opticomm
XXXXXX
Op t i c o mm_ AVTe c h _ FTTM_ J u l y _ 2 0 1 2 _ r 3
Op t i c o mm_ AVTe c h _ FTTM_ J u l y _ 2 0 1 2 _ r 3
AV Te c h n o l o g y Ma g a z i n e
Email - Hi Res PDF
7/13/12
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Trim: 5.625" x 9"
Live: 5.125" x 8.5"
Bleed: 5.875" x 9.25"
content creAtion on the go
receivers, some manufacturers build
the optic conversion capability right into
AV components. for example, transport
solutions provider opticomm enables
fber to the monitor, by offering a direct
input module for display manufacturers
to allow direct fber optic inputno exter-
nal receiver to power and install.
WireleSS
wireless signal transmission in AV is most
commonly associated with microphones.
but for video signal transmission, its a
different story. most AV providers would
love nothing more than to forego the labor
and expense of running cable to displays.
but the simple truth is, the technology
is not to the point where we can give up
the cable entirely yet, especially not for
reliable hD video signal transmission in
commercial AV applications. for some
security applications, you can transmit
video camera images up to several hun-
dred feet using rf converters, but there
are bandwidth and signal quality trade-
offs. gefen offers a variety of wireless AV
solutions.
J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A17
REmEdy #9
this one of the most basic questions in all
of AV. over the years, there have been many
ways to answer it, including complicated
formulas with variants depending on mul-
tiple factors. the main concern is to ft the
screen to the audience size and the room.
how do you know when the screen size
is adequate? it depends on the image to be
viewed. note that image size and screen
size are not necessarily the same thing.
the image is the relevant content on the
screen that people need to see, and it may
occupy only 50 to 75 percent of the screen
area; the screen is the maximum physi-
cal display area. Despite this technicality,
for most screen size calculations, we use
screen and image size to mean the same
thing.
theres no simpler explanation of proper
image size than the one found in info-
comms book, the basics of Audio and
Visual systems Design: A projected image
is sized correctly when the most distant
viewer can comfortably read characters,
numerals, and other symbols that have
been prepared in accordance with proper
graphic standards. focusing on the image
content frst gives us a test to use once we
think weve determined the best screen
size.
bigger is not always better; for most
commercial AV applications, an immer-
sive experience is not the objective. even
for the so-called telepresence experience,
human images shouldnt appear larger than
actual life-size. it is possible to overwhelm
the human visual system with data, which
impairs the communication of information.
4-6-8 rule
one of the oldest and most reli-
able rules of thumb to deter-
mine image size is the 4-6-8
rule, which states that the
farthest viewer should be no
farther from the screen than
some multiple of the image
height. that multiple depends
on the type of content being
displayed.
for graphics or detailed
drawings, the farthest viewer
should be no more than 4 times
the image height from the
screen. for data or numbers,
the farthest viewer should be
no more than 6 times the image
height, and for video content, no
more than 8 times image height. by focus-
ing on the image height as the guideline (as
opposed to diagonal or width), it removes
screens aspect ratio from the equation.
iDeal SCreen DiMenSionS
once youve determine the screen height,
the width is then dictated by the aspect ratio
you want to use. for 16:9 aspect ratio, mul-
tiply the height by 1,78; for 4:3 aspect ratio,
multiply height by 1.33.
remember that sitting too close to the
screen can be as detrimental as too far; the
closest audience member should be about
1.5 times the height of the screen.
seating layout can also affect viewing. on
a fat foor, optimal viewing for the farthest
row requires the bottom of the screen to be
positioned above the heads of seated audi-
ence members in the closest row, which is
usually 4 to 4.5 feet from the foor. Also, the
top of the screen should be at least 6 inches
from the ceiling.
the real WorlD
while these formulas and guidelines are
fine for calculating the ideal screen size,
in many cases achieving the ideal is lim-
ited by a pre-determined ceiling height
or seating layout. if you dont have the
option to size the screen according to
the distance to the farthest viewer, con-
sider multiple screens, positioned within
the distance to viewer guidelines. often,
stage left and right screens with a dupli-
cate image will get closer to ideal for the
farthest viewer, simply by reducing the
viewing angle.

FURTHEST GENERAL VIEWING DISTANCE

8x SCREEN HEIGHT
PREFERRED VIEWING AREA
90 DEGREES VIEWING CONE CENTER OF SCREEN
ACCEPTABLE VIEWING AREA
45 DEGREES OFF THE EDGE OF THE SCREEN
CLOSEST VIEWER
1x IMAGE WIDTH
FURTHEST INSPECTION VIEWING DISTANCE
4x SCREEN HEIGHT
FURTHEST DETAIL VIEWING DISTANCE
6x SCREEN HEIGHT
SEATING AREAS
mAtching imAge size to
AuDience sizehow big
Does it neeD to be?
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J u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 2 | 10 Remedi es foR eveRyday vi deo PRoblems A19
1. extreMe teMPeratureS
one way to keep displays cool in a hot
environment is to use an enclosure that
includes thermostatically controlled air-
conditioning, much like we use in build-
ings. but this has drawbacks which include
increased power consumption, size, and the
need to draw outside air inwhich may also
draw dirt, dust, moisture and other harm-
ful elements. Atlanta-based manufactur-
ing resources international (mri) offers
enclosed displays that use a system they
call coolVu, which relies on what they call
a closed-loop cooling system. All sensi-
tive components are contained in a sealed
environment which is air-cooled as a single
unit by low noise/low power fans.
the same enclosure used for cooling
systems can be insulated to retain heat in
extreme cold temperatures. normally, the
small amount of heat generated by an LcD
can maintain the internal temperature within
operating limits, but in extreme cold weather
a small heating element may be used.
2. ProteCt the DiSPlay FroM the
environMent
the national electrical manufacturers Asso-
ciation (nemA) has developed standards for
electronic equipment enclosures. for out-
door digital signage, the required standard
is nemA 4. nemA type 4 enclosures offer
several types of protection: 1) it prevents
people from touching hazardous parts; 2) it
provides some protection of the equipment
inside the enclosure from ingress of solid
foreign objects (falling dirt and windblown
dust), 3) it protects against the ingress of
water (rain, sleet, snow, splashing water,
and hose directed water); and 4) it also
ensures the external formation of ice on the
enclosure will not damage the device inside.
Also, nemA 4x, commonly used in outdoor
environments, provides additional protection
against corrosion.
3. Dealing With Sunlight
the quality of an image on any display
depends on many factors, but chief among
them is brightness. but in an outdoor
environment, a display cant pos-
sibly compete with the 1.6 billion
nits produced by the sun. some
LcD panels are capable of produc-
ing 1500 nits or more, but battling
brightness with brightness is not
always the solution. Another critical
factor in outdoor viewing circum-
stance is contrast. contrast ratio is
the ratio of luminance between the
brightest white and the darkest
black that can be produced on a
display. most display manufactur-
ers will cite their contrast ratio per-
formance; but unfortunately, like
many specifcation numbers that
are used to sell audio and video
products, they can be deceiving
in the hands of overzealous mar-
keters. comparing display based
on published contrast ratio num-
bers is diffcult and can be mis-
leading because there are many
ways to measure it, state it, and
almost impossible to verify in the real world.
the bottom line: for outdoor digital signage,
you want the highest contrast ratio possible,
but be wary of contrast ratio claims over
1,000:1there is some scientifc evidence
that suggest the human eye just cant detect
contrast any higher than this.
Perceived contrast can also be increased
by locating the display in a shaded area pro-
tected from direct sunlightfor example,
under the eaves of a building structure.
this can also balance out the changing
conditions caused by sun and intermittent
clouds during the course of a day.
Another approach is to use a
special transrefective overlay
flm applied to the screen. these
flms are designed to refect
ambient light (from sunlight for
example) from screens surface.
the drawback is that they typi-
cally have insuffcient transmis-
sive luminance, which means
that when the sunlight level fuc-
tuates (like when a cloud passes
by), it may be harder to see
images on the screen.
4. vanDalProoFing
most enclosures for use with outdoor
digital signage displays include a locking
mechanism to prevent theft. but protect-
ing the display from senseless damage is
another problem. clear polycarbonate front
panels (like Lexan) are one way to pro-
tect the display, but its easily scratched.
Another technique is offered by chilin solu-
tions. using a Dupont process called Ver-
tak optical bonding, the company bonds
a sheet of cover glass to the display using
optically transparent adhesive and a spe-
cialized process.
samsungs oL46b (left) is an
all-in-one outdoor display and
enclosure. cybertouchs outdoor
digital signage solution (above)
withstands the sun and rain (and
vandals).
REmEdy #10
oPtimizing outDoor
DigitAL signAge