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ALSO INSIDE: ANNOTATED INSTALLS | 2011 BRAND LEADERS | DOING BUSINESS IN MUSEUM AV MAY/JUNE 2011
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CONTENTS
TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGY
INSTALL SOLUTIONS
COMMUNITY VIEWS
PROAVMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 28 NUMBER 3
8 VIEWPOINT 12 5-MINUTE INTERVIEW 48 INFOCOMM NEW PRODUCTS
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sure, you need to keep an eye on
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Now Playing on PRO AV TV
It includes a whopping 100 Samsung LCD screens. It needs specially
built Premier mounts to hold it all together. And (not surprisingly)
its located in the gateway to all things big and brightLas Vegas
McCarran International Airport. This massive 627-square-foot
videowall is a sight to behold. Will it be a PRO AV Spotlight Award
winner? Plus, tune in to PRO AV TV after InfoComm 2011 wraps up
for videos of new products and technologies from the show oor.
Speak Now or Hold Your Peace. InfoComms efforts to publish certied industry standards
continues. PRO AVs editor blogs about why being part of the process is so important.
Cisco Systems: Atlas Tripped. Remember when the pro AV industry didnt know what to make
of the IT networking giant lurking in its backyard? Maybe the industry is still guring it out, but
Parallax View columnist Pete Putman sees Cisco Systems recent missteps and gures the company
isnt as smart as it might think. Read Petes blog and listen to him explain in an exclusive podcast
with PRO AV editor Brad Grimes.
e-Newsletters. Pete Putmans Wake-Up Call newsletter joins the PRO AV Weekly News
Update hitting email inboxes around the industry. To subscribe and receive them both, go to
proavmagazine.com and follow the Newsletter link.
Discussion Forums. The new PRO AV Online includes PRO AV Connect, the community site for
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10 What Makes a Great Stream?
It seems everyone has a streaming media
solution to sell you. And though streaming
media has become an important part of AV
installations, not all solutions are created
equal. Plus: InfoComms new sustainability
ofcer is keeping his eye on a potentially
disruptive green building code.
edited by brad grimes
14 Doing Business in Museum AV
You might think that museums would have
suffered severe budget cuts during the great
recessionand many did. But now theyre
spending and theyre looking for innovative
AV systems to lure visitors. by tim kridel
43 2011 PRO AV Brand Leaders
We asked AV pros to name the companies
whose products they use most. This is what
they said. Look for leaders in a handful of
new product categories, including racks,
audio consoles, and videowall controllers.
by brad grimes
22 Corporate
Projecting video onto a sphere? Been there, done
that. Try wrapping at-panel displays around a
globein the shape of continents. by dan daley
28 Corporate
When CNBC wasnt enough, a nancial services
rm built its own TV network to send video
throughout its new HQ. by linda seid frembes
32 Entertainment
One nightclub developer; three distinct venues
in downtown Sacramento, Calif. Heres how
cutting-edge, networked audio is helping
revitalize this city street. by dan daley
18 Consultants Connection
Does the Apple iPad have you worried about the
future of AV integration and design? It shouldnt.
by thom mullins
20 Architectural AV
Get an insiders view of the AV and architectural
overhaul of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum. by raymond kent
66 Parallax View
IPTV, streaming video, wireless AV, and HDMI-
over-Cat-5 are all in play at InfoComm 2011. If
you havent learned the basics, now is the time.
by pete putman
40
INFOCOMM 2011 PREVIEW
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yet: InfoComm 2011 in Orlando, Fla., (though you may
be standing in the Orange County Convention Center
right now reading these words) and the introduction of
InfoComms new Sustainable Technology Environments
Program (STEP, which Im told should be out in July).
So Ive got a little time and several hundred words to
foreshadow both.
InfoComm 2011 is shaping up to be a big show, but
with a decidedly understated green AV presence. Last
year at this time, InfoComm had determined that the U.S.
Green Building Council at least in the short term
wasnt going to consider AV systems in its ubiquitous
LEED ratings. So InfoComm decided to go it alone, and
a group of integrators, consultants, and manufacturers
began the arduous task of creating an AV sustainability
rating system from scratch. The group previewed STEP
at InfoComm 2010 in Las Vegas, then went largely silent
while it wrote and rewrote what insiders say will be an
exhaustive, living document.
In the intervening year, one got the impression that
green AV, as many of us in the media (and many in pro
AV) came to call it, had lost steam. It always seemed like
an uphill battle to preach energy efkciency to an industry
whose creations consume energy by design. But as the
economy got healthier and people started to worry less
(and cynics grew tired of green as a bunch of marketing
hype), there seemed to be far fewer pro-green headlines
and more along the lines of Is Green a Fad?
Against this backdrop, InfoComms task force toiled
away on STEP. Early predictions had it coming out in
January 2011. And I know they hoped it would be done
in time for InfoComm 2011. But despite vacillations
about green in the general populace, sustainability has
grown more important to the AV industrynot lessas
time has passed. So the krst version of STEP needed to be
as strong a document as possible.
Why? InfoComms collected experts can tell you best,
which is why Super Tuesday of InfoComm 2011 is such
an important day. The Sustainability Standards Liaisons
Forum runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June
14. If you can make it, go. If youve already missed it,
check the roster of speakers and reach out for an update.
Im told there may be a progress report on STEP and
perhaps something tangible describing STEP ratings. And
later in the week, InfoComm is announcing a foundation
of like-minded groups and associations to help manage
STEP going forward.
But thats it. Aside from a small Sustainable Products
Showcase, dont expect this years InfoComm to hit you
over the head with green. But again, that doesnt mean its
any less important. Anyone involved with STEP, including
InfoComms new sustainability ofkcer Allen Weidman
(see 5-Minute Interview, page 12), will explain, for
example, that although Joe Public may be tired of green,
chances are your local government has just gotten around
to taking it seriously. Sustainability is the future of build-
ing, and if the AV industry doesnt engage with various
partiesfrom other associations, to local governments,
to code councilsgreen is something thats going to hap-
pen to pro AV on someone elses terms. To hear Weidman
tell it, a strong, credible STEP program is almost more
important for showing outsiders what AV technology
can do than it is for rating AV projects in the short-term.
And dont snooze on integrated building technology
as a wave of the future. Weidman likes to say that AV can
humanize intelligent buildings. But if we dont step up,
someone else will. Last month, I was at the American In-
stitute of Architects Convention in New Orleans, talking
to AV manufacturers, and one said he was kelding queries
from companies such as Johnson Controls for custom
drivers so that their systems could control AV systems. It
needs to be the other way around. Reportedly, integrated
building technology will account for a big chunk of STEP
credits. Thats good. Its time to reinvigorate discussion
of green, sustainable AV solutions. Dont get left behind.
Why Sustainability Matters
Rating AV systems on their sustainability is an idea whose time has come, but InfoComms
new green program has more far-reaching implications for the industry.
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AV INTELLIGENCE
By Tim Kridel
What Makes a
Great Stream?
FROM BANDWIDTH MANAGEMENT TO IPADS TO
CONTENT CREATION, HERE ARE A FEW POINTERS
FOR COMPARING STREAMING PRODUCTS.
bypr oae itae s tmk t sembmy
communicationsdigital signage, training, collabora-
tionand if it doesnt already involve video, it will soon.
So says a recent Gartner Group survey, whose respondents
expect their video usage to more than double in external
communications and digital signage.
YouTube has created an appetite, says Ted Gessesse,
VBrick Systems Online Streaming Service (VBOSS)
product manager.
Its a trend that highlights why streaming video skills
are increasingly important for AV pros. Besides needing IT
and networking skills, success also requires understanding
streamings unique characteristics and how they determine
what to look for when comparing one vendors streaming
solution to anothers.
For example, there are myriad ways that end users
consume video. Thanks to the proliferation of broadband
cellular networks and tablets such as the iPad, its increas-
ingly likely that many streams will be going over a wireless
connection and out to a handheld device. So one thing to
look for when comparing different vendors streaming
products is how they handle situations when, say, some
viewers are using a desktop PC on a corporate LAN, while
others are watching on an Android tablet from a caf Wi-Fi
hot spot, and still others are on an iPhone over cellular.
Moreover, the Apple iPhone and iPad cant handle
Flash, while Windows Media doesnt work well on other
handheld devices. These kinds of variables must be front-
of-mind when determining the platform that best supports
a clients video end points.
You need to be able to support to the full contingent
of devices because thats where your audience is, says
Dave Stoner, CEO of ViewCast, which makes Niagra
streaming media appliances and encoders for deliver-
ing video to broadband networks and mobile devices in
multiple formats, resolutions, and bit rates. The whole
idea of this technology is to reach people where they are.
MANAGING BANDWIDTH
When multiple usersor devices, in the case of digital
signagetune into a stream, and each ones network
connection is at a different speed, the platform shouldnt
throttle down the video quality to the lowest common
denominator.
We have sensors that look at the connection youre
coming in on to offer you the right kind of video, says
VBricks Gessesse. You dont have to do just 150kbps
because youre limited to what iPhone users can handle.
Its helpful if the platform also can make adjustments
on the y in order to ensure the best possible viewing ex-
perience as conditions change. So if my bandwidth drops
or my devices CPU gets busy with some other application,
it will drop back in the stream Im receiving and pick one
thats a lower bit rate so the user experience can be main-
tained at the level that the customer expects, Stoner says.
Streaming also shouldnt overload the wide-area net-
work (WAN) connection going into the clients facility.
Suppose the client wants to produce training and human
resources videos at one ofnce and then stream them out
to several regional ofnces around the country. The WAN
connection point would become a bottleneck if dozens of
employees in each regional ofnce were to get their own
stream straight from that ofnce.
BurstPoint Networks avoids that problem by offering
what it calls relatively inexpensive delivery nodes for the
clients regional ofnces. Those nodes grab a single copy of
each stream from the head ofnce, for example, and then
each regional ofnce can multicast them over its LAN.
Its incredibly efncient, and you get scale, says Tom
Racca, BurstPoint president and CEO. We do tens of
thousands by doing that. Can you imagine 100 people
trying to go out of one T1 line to watch an HD video?
BurstPoint recently joined national AV systems integra-
tor AVI-SPLs partner program. AVI-SPL is now offering
the BurstPoint Video Communication Platform, which
can be deployed as a standalone solution or leveraged
to take advantage of previous customer investments in
technologies such as videoconferencing and telepresence.
The streaming platform itself also needs to be scal-
able. Ideally it should have enough head roomin terms
of ports and processing powerto be able to accom-
modate growth. Thats because once clients experience
the benents of using streaming video on a daily basis,
they typically wind up doing more with it than they had
originally planned.
Its surprising how many platforms cant cope with
large trafnc demands, especially geographically diverse
content, says Phil Jackson, Front Porch Digital chief
marketing ofncer. Front Porch Digital has made its name
developing solutions that digitize, store, manage, and
distribute video content. In 2008, the company bought
SAMMA Systems, which makes systems that automati-
cally migrate video tape archives to digital formats.
But no matter what the users needs are, its often dif-
ncult to make apples-to-apples comparisons to determine
which product meets those needs. Its important to look
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PRO AV: What does it say about InfoComm that they created your position and what exactly will you be doing for the organization?
WEIDMAN: Having been in the trade-association business for 30 years, it borders on avant-garde that InfoComm has created this
position. Its very progressive and enlightened, and it was generated by the members interest in sustainability. A lot of corporations
dont have sustainability ofcers. So at InfoComm, I have three main jobs. First, Im going to be InfoComms representative to other
organizations. Second, Ill be informing the industry about sustainability activities. And third, Im going to roll out, operate, and rene the
STEP program. In my spare time, Ill be responsible for InfoComms sustainability program both within our ofce and at the trade show.

PRO AV: InfoComm essentially initiated the STEP rating program because it had a hard time engaging the U.S. Green Building
Council. With STEP in hand, will you try and reengage the USGBC?
WEIDMAN: Absolutely. And there are a number of other groups to engage with, too. But theres one especially important document
out there now, the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), that Im participating in. Whats signicant about it is that its being
promulgated by the International Code Council and has the potential, when its published, to be adopted by 22,000 jurisdictions in the
U.S. Unlike the USGBCs LEED program and some others, which are voluntary, the IGCC has the potential to be mandatory. And what
those folks are up to is scary, because the logic theyre using is not good business logic. This is our opportunity as an industry to conduct
some social reengineering. LEED is terric, and we will certainly go back and work with the USGBC, but the battleground is really going
to be over the IGCC.

PRO AV: What is it about the IGCC that could have implications for the pro AV industry?
WEIDMAN: We dont know all the implications yet. But for example, it may require some metering of all outlets in a building. And the
Environmental Protection Agency is pushing hard not only on the concern about [toxic] building materials, but also applying that concern
to products that come in after the certicate of occupancy. In fact, they have a clause in this code that requires the building inspector to
come in 30 months after the certicate of occupancy to inspect for elements of the IGCC. So building commissioning, shading, lighting
levelsthese are areas where a bunch of things are going on that our industry needs to be aware of and understand so we can take
positions on them if necessary. Imagine a smart grid connected to a submetered outlet that says youve used enough energy just as you
start an AV program. Or your signage suddenly turns off. Or shades automatically go up because a sensor sees that sunlight has hit a
particular window. We as an industry arent yet accounted for in all this.

PRO AV: Can you take something like STEP to the IGCC or the USGBC to start to explain how the AV industry approaches
sustainability? And is there any reason to think well have more success with the IGCC than we did with the USGBC?
WEIDMAN: Yes and yes. First, the IGCC is probably a more important audience for STEP immediately than the rest of the InfoComm
membership. Thats why I say this is such a progressive thing for the industry to be doing. As for working with the committee thats writing
the IGCC, there are a number of opportunities to nd allies. The American Institute of Architects is a co-sponsor of the IGCC. So is
the Illuminating Engineering Society and even the USGBC. And theres a truckload of consultants, designers, and engineers who have
awoken to this.
PRO AV: When will the IGCC be nished and how quickly will we feel its impact?
WEIDMAN: 2012 is when its supposed to be published. Theyre in version two of the draft and its already been adopted by some
jurisdictions as a guideline. Theyll have a meeting of their membership in November and vote up or down on the code. Initially, it
was anticipated that the code would cause so much grief for local code guys and inspectors that it didnt stand a chance of passing.
But the word were getting is that their administratorstheir bosses, the city councils, state legislatorswant a code that can address
sustainability and green building. So were fairly certain its going to pass, though maybe not in this form. It becomes an ofcial code
when a local jurisdiction writes it into law. The big problem is not every one of those 22,000 jurisdictions adopts code at the same time.
PRO AV: As the InfoComm group thats writing the STEP system has been diligently working, has green AV lost any momentum?
WEIDMAN: Well, I read an article recently that compared the number of times green showed up in advertising in 2010 versus
2009 and there seemed to be a downturn. But Im less concerned about green than I am about sustainability. The messages were going
to present to members are that this is where business is heading, and that its a signicant opportunity. Intelligent buildings are going
to change the marketplace and the AV industry has the opportunity to humanize the intelligent building. We can provide information to
occupants thats missing in a LEED building, for example. And clients are going to demand more sustainable systems over time. Keep in
mind, the wild card in all this is Walmart. Through the companys sustainability consortium, they are going to affect the way people buy
products of all kinds. Think about the billions of product impressions in a Walmart store each year and now think what would happen if
each product they sell had a sustainability index tag, how is it going to change the way peple think about the buildings they work and
live in, let alone the products they buy?
Sustainability is here to stay, even if we dont know what its nal form will be. But it starts with doing something like the STEP program,
which really tells the industry that sustainability has value and gives the industry an idea of where were headed.B.G.
InfoComm will host the Sustainability Standards Liaisons Forum at the InfoComm trade show Tuesday, June 14, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m
in room W307 of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The session is worth seven renewal units.
5-MINUTE INTERVIEW
ALLEN WEIDMAN, INFOCOMM INTERNATIONAL : As the pro AV industrys biggest trade association works to
nish off its Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP), it has hired its rst-ever sustainability ofcer to
champion the cause and look out for the industrys interests within the much larger green construction movement.
Weidman has an extensive background working with trade associations on sustainability initiatives. It turns out
he has his eye on one specic green-building program you may not know about.
beyond a manufacturers specications and scrutinize the
assumptions behind those numbers, including how those
assumptions jibe with the users applications.
Customers want us to be able to say, You can encode
this many streams, says ViewCasts Stoner. That de-
pends. What bit rate? What frame rate? What resolution?
What preprocessing? Theres a whole raft of questions
that have to be asked.
The reality is that if you want to know whether a
particular system has the capacity to do what you want,
you need to test the scenario that youre dening.
FEEDING THE BEAST
Content creation and management are also key consider-
ations when choosing streaming platforms. For example,
if the client already has a videoconferencing suite, it can
double as a production studioprovided that the stream-
ing platform can interface with it. In other cases, the client
might want to use Web cams or even smartphone cameras.
According to research rm Interactive Media Strategies,
nine out of 10 companies that use videoconferencing say
they also have online video solutions.
Think about whats already there, says BurstPoints
Racca. Not every vendor has the ability to integrate with
videoconferencing systems. In May, BurstPoint rolled out
what it calls Conference Point for integrating traditional
videoconferencing solutions with online streaming sys-
tems. The company said that Conference Point supports
up to six simultaneous standard-denition live-streaming
sessions, two 720p high-denition sessions, or a combina-
tion of HD and SD sessions.
Once it exists, the content has to be managed. For
example, the client might want to give only certain
employees, departments, or ofces the ability to publish
or access content. In that case, the streaming platform
might have to interface with an LDAP server or whatever
piece of infrastructure that the company already uses for
IT rights and privileges.
Some verticals will have additional requirements. For
example, colleges and universities might want to be able
to restrict access to only those people who have registered
for a course, rather than all enrolled students. In the legal
market, the ability to encrypt video depositions might be
a requirement.
Other clients might want the ability to track whos
watching what and for how long, as in the case of com-
pliance videos. Although streaming might be thought of
as strictly a one-way medium, platforms often support a
back channel. The client could use the back channel to
support quizzes that conrm that viewers were actually
paying attention during the video.
The ability to track viewing also helps determine when
content is getting stale and needs to be refreshed. For some
clients, that can be just as important as video quality and
bandwidth.
Thats going to tell me a lot about the use cases,
not just the bits going through, Racca says. Is it still
popular? Is everyone who needs to see it for compliance
purposes viewing it?
Finally, enterprises may want to put the power of video
publishing on users desktops. Cisco Systems Digital
Media Suite includes a solution called Show and Share
that pulls in user-generated video content while also con-
trolling access. VBrick just came out with its Rich Media
Desktop, which extends the companys streaming plat-
form so that individual users can publish video from their
computers for live or on-demand streaming.
Of course, with that much video owing through the
pipes, your client may need bigger pipes. AVIT conver-
gence anyone? AV
AV INTELLIGENCE
Doing Business
in Museum AV
THOUGH SURPRISINGLY RESILIENT DESPITE THE RECESSION, THE MUSEUM MARKET STILL
CANT BE CONSIDERED LOW-HANGING FRUIT. SO IS IT WORTH EXPANDING INTO?
By Tim Kridel
y pro avedit asigm spkv ltirm di p spgd
during the worst recession in about 70 years, it should
have been museums. However, as dependent as they
are on donations and tourismboth casualties of an
economic downturn28 percent of museums are stick-
ing with expansion plans, according to the most recent
Association of Art Museum Directors survey. And two-
thirds say that endowment income increased or remained
the same in 2010, which helps explain why only 4 percent
of museums are deferring expansion.
If those stats are enough to make you consider
expanding into the museum market, be prepared to spend
a lot of time waiting for projects to come to fruitionas
in years or even decades.
The museum market is not a box-sale market, says
Sue Lepp, senior vice president at Design and Production
(D&P), a Lorton, Va.based integrator whose recent
projects include the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum in
Atlanta. It used to be that ve years was the minimum
development time for a museum project.
Lepp says that shes seen master plans that are 20 years
old because thats how long it sometimes takes to raise
enough funding to start construction. So for integrators
chasing the museum opportunity, successmake that
survivalis as much about managing cash now as it is
about coming up with stellar designs.
Jobs tend to run for years, says Bob Haroutunian,
principal at Amelia Island, Fla.based PPI Consulting.
Im working on museums right now that dont open until
2016, 2018. So the business model is different.
AV pros who can live with those terms often nd some
pleasant surprises, such as how willing to spend big bucks
museums tend to be. For example, when the directors of
the Mint Museum of Art were building a new facility in
downtown Charlotte, N.C., they knew that they had to
compete with several other nearby museumsincluding
the NASCAR Hall of Famefor a nite pool of tourist
dollars (see Install Snapshot: Competing for Visitors,
next page). That strategy juiced the signage budget.
They knew they didnt want static boards, says Bruce
Banbury, president of Charlotte-based Video Systems of
the Carolinas, which worked on the project. They didnt
want rear-lit translucent screens for upcoming events.
They wanted something with video that looked techy.
That something was a 70-inch NEC Display Solutions
LCD, which had just hit the market. When these rst
came out, they were $11,300, Banbury says. They just
ponied right up and said, Whats the biggest thing we can
put in the lobby for upcoming events?
It was fun because it wasnt driven by budget as much
as it was, Whats the latest, greatest thing we can put in
here? Banbury explains. They were willing to spend
the money to compete.
RATCHETING UP THE AV EXPERIENCE
A growing number of museums are adding or upgrad-
ing facilities that show documentaries and other video
content, including Imax and 3D versions. With movie
theaters transitioning from analog lm to digital projec-
tion, and a growing mass of content thats available only
in digital formats, museum organizers realize the need to
update to digital projection, says Dave Duncan, Texas
Instruments DLP Cinema manager.
And for many, interactivity is the name of the
game, meaning technology that blends AV and IT to
engage visitors. And itsinteractivity to the extent
that it doesnt increase their stafng for maintenance
is big in larger facilities that are seeing millions of
visitors a year, Lepp says. Those that have strong
IT groups embrace technology more readily and those
that dont are combining their IT and AV groups in
order to support the technical components of the
systems. Generally, museums are seeking higher-tech
interactivity, especially touch tables and larger-screen,
computer-based interactives. They are well aware that
they have to engage youth in a compelling manner to
compete. And the museums that are operating for prot
put an even higher value on the high-tech, big-impact
At the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas Cit y, Mo.,
integrators installed touch-panel displays for the museums
Monet exhibition in order to bet ter engage visitors
young and old.
MUSEUMS CATCH-22
As museums hurry to incorporate new technology in
order to appeal to tech-savvy visitors, they must strike
a balance. According to the study Museums &
Societ y 2034: Trends and Potential Futures, from the
American Association of Museums, 46 percent of
museum visits were via websites in 2006, and that
share was expected to rise.
Looking ahead to 2034, after years of creating
new experiences to draw people in their doors,
the study says, Museums confront many decisions
about the collection, presentation, and preservation
of new forms of virtual objects. Meanwhile, as the
world continues to go digital (and progressively
virtual)and as the cost of storage, distribution and
processing power continues to plummetpeople nd
themselves further divorced from the real. The studys
authors continue, In an increasingly atomized and
digitized world, people still have a core desire for
human engagement and authenticit y. Museums will
be oases of the real in an increasingly virtual world.
ART MUSEUMS FEELING THE LOVE
According to the Association of Art Museum Directors
2011 State of North Americas Art Museums Survey:
85 percent of museums reported that they
increased or maintained their exhibition
programming in 2010.
Nearly 80 percent maintained or increased
stafng during 2010.
63 percent reported an increase in giving.
But 49 percent reported a drop in government
support.
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AV INTELLIGENCE
experience to draw more people in the door.
In fact, Lepp says, interactivity is often so important to
museums that the AV systems that support it are usually
considered mission-critical. Because interactivity is
so powerful, we have not seen those budgets trimmed as
quickly as physical budgets, she says. D&P is currently
working on a music museum that is facing budget
challenges, but the AV systems and supporting software
programs are considered the last resort for budget cuts.
And a year ago, the company finished work on the
Kentucky Derby Museum, which ultimately opted for
a higher-end Planar Clarity Matrix videowall because of
its impact and low-maintenance features.
MEETINGS REAL AND VIRTUAL
Besides tourism, some museums also are competing for
conferences and meetings by adding rooms, auditoriums,
and other venues that cater to area companies seeking
a place for off-site meetings. These events reduce a mu-
seums reliance on donations and visitor fees by providing
an additional revenue stream. One extreme example is
Los Angeles Skirball Cultural Center.
Approximately 25 percent of the revenue of the whole
organization was spun off from having events, says Rich
Cherry, the former director of operations. In order to do
that well, you have to compete with the best of the best.
But a lot of times, the AV side of it is not quite where it
should be. For enlightened museum directors, there is a
revenue stream to be had by improving the technology
to a level that makes it an attractive option for corporate
groups to buy space.
Besides rental revenue, museums also can justify
AV upgrades if they help further cultural goals such as
community outreach. For example, one room at the
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo.,
has a Tandberg videoconferencing system used partly
for communicating with schools whose students are
scheduled to visit.
The Tandberg system was purchased to do some of
the initial, previsit things with teachers so they wouldnt
have to come into the museum [twice], says Brandon
Wilcox, the museums systems support specialist. We
could show them the presentation before they got here.
In other cases, museums use videoconferencing or
streaming systems for distance learning, such as when
a curator makes a presentation. Some museums have
cart-mounted, wireless video systems that a curator can
wheel around from exhibit to exhibit to discuss them
with a remote audience.
A PIECE OF THE ACTION
Yet another potential revenue stream is digitizing archives
and then selling access to them, as in the case of museums
that specialize in broadcast history. That content also
can be used within the facility, by streaming it to the
museums digital signage, for example.
Customers like the Library of Congress are using
our migration system, SAMMA, to digitize and save their
videotapes, which degrade over time, says Susan Crouse,
Front Porch Digital director of product marketing.
Museums might be able to start thinking about
repurposing their video assets so they can raise money.
[With] our DivArchive and DivaPublish systems, they
could publish assets online and get advertising dollars.
Museums also seem to be increasing spending on
AV gear that enables interactivity. Sometimes thats a
touch table with ceiling-mounted projects that throw
down an image when a patrons hand breaks an infrared
beam. Other museums are using devices such as iPads to
encourage interactivity between visitors.
A map is cool, but being able to run an image of an
army across a map against someone elses army is even
cooler, says Cherry, director of the Balboa Park Online
Collaborative in San Diego.
The collaborative is noteworthy because its a rarity:
a nonprot organization created to help the Balboa Park
facilitys member museums with technology projects.
Most museums dont have an extensive in-house team
to handle AV, something that limits their willingness to
invest in big tech projects. In other cases, theyre looking
for integrators to take on that task, creating a long-term
relationship and revenue streamone more factor
that AV pros should be aware of when considering the
museum market.
Museums are well aware that they have to engage
youth in a compelling manner to compete, says Dale
Panning, D&P senior systems engineer. The museums
that are operating for prot put an even higher emphasis
on the high-tech, big-impact experience to draw more
people in the door. AV
Install Snapshot: Competing for Visitors
When the Mint Museum of Art opened a second
facilit y this past October, a record- breaking 17,000
people stopped by in the rst three days. The
Charlotte, N.C., museum is hoping that AV will
help pack them in on a daily basis.
Located in Charlottes business district, the new
145,000-square-foot Mint Museum Uptown includes
a three-sided outdoor kiosk featuring t wo 5-inch
Sanyo LCD displays (pictured below) that highlight
upcoming events. Digital signage might seem like an
odd choice for a museum that specializes in American
and European art, but it was part of a strategy to
attract younger demographics and to compete with
nearby museums, including Discovery Place and the
NASCAR Hall of Fame.
That was part of the long-range discussion with
the museum, says Bruce Banbury, president of
Charlotte-based Video Systems of the Carolinas,
which worked on the project. For the 18- to-50- year-
old crowd, theyre competing for the same dollar
that everyone else is.
Besides the kiosk, the Mint Museum also chose
a 70-inch NEC LCD to make a splash in the lobby.
A series of 22-inch displays reside by each elevator
to provide waynding information, to the facilit ys
conference rooms and fth-oor ballroom, for example,
all of which are rented out to supplement donations
and visitor fees. Indeed, the Mint designed the
Uptown facilit y partly to attract nearby companies,
such as Bank of America and Duke Energy, which
might be looking for off-site meeting space. To
have a room for your own benet, and to create
a revenue stream when youre not using it, makes a
lot of sense, Banbury says.
Like many enterprises, the Mint knew that com-
pelling content was key for getting the most out of
its digital signage investment. Video Systems pro-
vided access to a staff member who came out of
the desktop-publishing world to specialize in digital
signage. The Mint hired her for 90 days60 days
up front and 30 days post [installation]because
they wanted it to look professional and clean on
day one, Banbury says. They didnt want to go
through a learning curve. Thats another angle for AV
integrators: To win these large jobs and get this kind
of digital technology into museums, the creative is
something you need to be able to deliver.T.K.
Design and Production installed interactive maps for the
Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
CONSULTANTS CONNECTION
ypproara y vyerpd its y tgr mykl ptyp
featured an acrobat who was capable of balancing himself
atop a stack of alternating boards and cylinders. It was
breathtaking to watch him put down a cylinder, add a
board, add another cylinder at a right angle to the rst
one, and so on. He was working his way up to four cylin-
ders, but he never quite made it, even after three attempts.
Still, I had to admire him. I would have stopped after the
rst cylinder.
Thinking back on him reminds me of the current
state of our industry and our efforts to balance new
technologies, perceived client needs, and ease of use.
Its a delicate balancing act thats constantly buffeted
by advances in consumer electronics, computing, and
the way people use new devices.
Just recently, amid discussions about control in-
terfaces and how people would like to interact with
their technology and their living spaces, I myself was
buffeted by a series of happenings. First, I attended
a webinar that used streaming audio and video to
discuss streaming audio and video, and asked whether
industry professionals like me are afraid of deploying
the technology. Then I caught a radio report about the
implosion of the recording industry, and the (seem-
ingly) endless questions about its future. After that, I
brushed up on doing standards-based videoconferenc-
ing on the Apple iPad, learned about a 3D application
for said iPad that uses facial tracking to adjust the view
of an object, and read the previews of Volkswagens
Bulli, a new prototype microvan that will be equipped
with a docked iPad to control its infotainment systems.
The common thread in all this tumult is a desire to
use technology to enhance communications, reduce
costs, and control our environment. These develop-
ments are driven by technological trendsa limited-
but-growing amount of network bandwidth; better
processing; the spread of higher-quality, lower-cost tech-
nology; and new computing and interface paradigms.
In the case of the recording industry, the widespread
use of digital audio recording and playback technology
has simultaneously created new paradigms for record-
ing and distribution while almost completely obliterat-
ing the previous business model. That same process is
now occurring with digital video (Netnix, Hulu, etc.)as
it becomes more widespreadalthough its usage has
lagged behind the use of digital audiothanks to new
affordable, powerful, and intuitive equipment.
So where will all this change lead? How will we pull
off our balancing act? Will we nd ourselves ghting
it out at the bottom of the barrel as clients demand
ever-cheaper solutions? Will we abandon what weve
learned from physics about whats really needed to
create or replicate a quality AV experience? I dont
think so. Lets look closer at the iPad phenomenon.
Last year, when the iPad burst onto the scene, it was
a logical progression of technology that began with the
iPod and continued with the iPhone. Steve Jobs identi-
ed a direction that technology could go and created a
device that simultaneously responded to one need and
created new needs, while forging a direction that the
rest of the industry is only now beginning to embrace.
I happen to own an iPad and use it on a daily basis
to check email, read books, browse the Web, and look
up the weather. Ive never been much of an Apple fan in
the past and, like the proud owner of a Smith Corona,
Im loath to give up a really good machine and move
on to new technology without a compelling reason. But
I nd it easier to use my iPad on a regular basis than I
do my laptop.
Now, as these devices have gained adherents, we in
the AV industry have begun looking for ways to incor-
porate them into our system designs. Where iPads and
similar devices proved themselves most immediately
useful was in systems control. Apps were written that
allowed users to monitor and control their AV systems
using an iPhone or an iPad. It wasnt long before we
started reaping the fruits of that innovation. As soon
as iPads came out, we began hearing questions such as,
Why is your touch panel so expensive?, I like this
interface better. Can you do this for your system?, and
Can I connect it to the AV system? And of course,
weve heard the declaration, Look what I can buy for
$500!
Flicking and scrolling have taken on new
meaning and provided us with a new standard to strive
for in system control. The new standard for usability is
no longer the six-year-old user, but the iPad interface.
We have to embrace that. New technologies will
drive new paradigms in worknow, systems integration,
and user interfaces. Theyll transform our expectation
of how things are supposed to work. Theyre beginning
to have an impact on control system design, and its not
all bad. Most importantly, this evolutionary course is
leading us toward a higher-quality user experience, not
a lower-quality one. Though the iPad is an Apple prod-
uct, this is not like iTunes and MP3 les, which taught
the public to gorge on compressed music.
As we go into our technology balancing acts, were
right to worry that new devices could affect the quality
of the solutions we deliver. In reacting to iTunes, Nap-
ster, and others, the audio industry recognized and
found ways around the shortcomings of digital com-
pression techniques. Thats in part because state-of-
the-art solutions will always be moved forward by
those unreasonable individuals for whom the status
quo is not good enough. Their efforts, in turn, lead to
higher overall quality, and the listener who was willing
to settle for less will actually end up getting more.
Similarly, although displays get cheaper, that doesnt
mean that producing whats shown on those displays
will become less expensiveespecially when every-
thing from a hotel lobby to a phone now has a video
screen. To the contrary, production values will have to
improve in order to optimize images and pixel counts
depending on whether the video needs to be high-def
or just good enough for everyday use. After all, why
would any company spend lots of money to build a
solution that does nothing but transcode video signals
from their native format and resolution into signals
that can be viewed on a wide variety of devices?
Though modern technologies will impact our pro-
fessional lives for years to come, I believe it will be for
the better. They wont lead to a reduction in the quality
of what we provide. If anything, theyll make people
more aware of the difference between well-executed
technical work and, well, poorly executed stuff. There
will still be a need to learn (and teach) the basics. Much
like the acrobat who kept trying, well eventually be
able to stand several cylinders high, balancing our
myriad issues.
Lessons from an iPad
While AV pros still have to manage customer
expectations, they need not worry about
lowering their quality standards.
Thom Mullins is a senior
consultant with Afliated
Engineers NW in Seattle.
As we go into our
technology balancing
acts, were right to worry
that new devices could
affect the quality of the
solutions we deliver.
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ARCHITECTURAL AV
y prr oypayo vye p yedi. y tsrg mk pd smlkty,
such as a book or a piece of clothing. It could be a sound,
such as a voice recording or a music track. Each has a
story to tell. The depth at which that story is commu-
nicated to the masses differs depending on several fac-
tors, including the medium. Museums, theme parks, and
even corporations struggle with storytelling, which can be
imperative to their success.
In todays technology-driven world, these organiza-
tions have new tools at their disposal to help in their story-
tellingvideo, audio, show control, virtual reality. These
tools can take a museum patron, for instance, to places
that bring a story to life. Today, someone can not only
look at a dinosaur bone at a Smithsonian Museum, but
also enter a world complete with the sounds and smells of
the Jurassic period. Its the job of the design team, working
with the storytellers, to communicate that vision.
Recently, I had the pleasure of being the lead AV, light-
ing, and show control designer on one of Americas iconic
museumsthe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
in Cleveland, Ohioas it examined and refined how
it told its own stories. Over the years, the massive I.M.
Peidesigned structure, which opened almost 16 years
ago, presented challenges in terms of how the museum
staff could exhibit its collection of artifacts, particularly
given its large glazed lobby. In addition, the museum staff
discovered that waynding was a major concern. Many
patrons, it turned out, hadnt realized that the building
was both a hall of fame and a museum under the same
roof. People could miss entire sections of artifacts in
Ertegun Hall, for example, where the majority of the col-
lection is displayed, due to poor waynding and lighting.
These problems were made worse by the buildings
outdated audiovisual, lighting, and presentation technol-
ogy, most of which was original to the building. Terry
Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame, and his staff decided it was time for an update.
Its fairly simple, Stewart said about the project. We try
to make sure that the music and the detritus around how
music is createdwhether theyre instruments, costumes,
or lyricsare preserved and exhibited here. A great deal
of what the renovation is about is reacting to what weve
learned about the building during the last 16 years.
Architecture rm Westlake Reed Leskosky was added
to the team based on its experience as a practice leader in
performing and cultural arts. (And it helped that the rm
is headquartered just blocks from the Rock Hall.) The
team, led by managing principal Paul Westlake, FAIA,
and project director Josh Haney, AIA, was guided by the
Rock Halls mission statement, which basically spells out
that it sees itself not only as a source of entertainment,
but also one of education. We had to keep this mission
in mind when we evaluated how best to accomplish the
Rock Halls goals within its $5.5 million budget.
One of the biggest challenges when working in an
existing structure, especially one designed by an iconic
architect, is determining how the architecture relates
to the storytelling. Westlake described the scenario as
architecture needing to provide the backdrop and path-
ways that lead a patron directly where you want them to
go and hide where they should not go.
As designers, we had to walk a line between our con-
tribution, especially in terms of AV technology, and the
museums contribution, in terms of the content and arti-
facts. Technology such as digital signage, video displays,
audio, and lighting needed to work in concert with the
architecture to tell a story. But it couldnt become the story.
Heres how Stewart put it:
As far back as when the museum was built, we felt we
had a balance of technology and static exhibits. We think
you need to strike that balance. Some folks are going in
the direction of strictly interactive and technology-driven
museums and we dont think thats correct. Rock and roll
is an art form represented by great totems or relics, mean-
ing guitars, clothing, and more. The spirit of the music is
captured in those relics. At the same time, its very hard
to tell the entire storyand it is certainly hard to exhibit
the art form itself, which is musicwithout the creative
and ever-evolving technology of the day. Weve lived
so long in this day of interactivity, personal computers,
cell phones, and everything else that we are driven to
technology because its what people expect.
Ultimately, the technology scope of the Rock Hall
project was pretty straightforward. We were to provide a
cohesive, unied system that was bulletproof and easy to
maintain. In the process, we had to deal with poor acous-
tics, old or insufcient infrastructure, outdated content
in obsolete formats, and issues about how the museum
technology staff was going to operate and maintain the
new systems. Not to mention, we had to factor in the
museums desire to leave a green footprint.
The systems backbone is based on Alcorn McBrides
V16 Pro Show Controllers, linked over a new ber-optic
network. The controllers trigger several Alcorn McBride
Digital Binloop HD DVM/HD-Pro video players and
Digital Binloop audio players. This setup gives the
museum the nexibility to take individual exhibits off-line
without impacting that daily operation of the facility or
drastically reducing the visitor experience.
The system also ties into the museums new theatrical-
based exhibit lighting system, which is controlled via
Alcorn McBride Light Cue Pros running DMX 512 to
Altman Smart Track xtures, retrotted with Cree LED
lamps and Philips Color Kinetics eW Cove Linear LED
xtures for case lights. Traditional incandescent track
xtures were used on a selective basis where the light
quality of an LED lamp was not sufcient for a specic
artifact. This solution gives the museum control of light-
ing at the xture level. It also reduces the potential dam-
age to artifacts by virtually eliminating infrared and heat.
And because the lamps have a 50,000-hour life span, it
reduced maintenance as well. Yes, the cost to upgrade to
LED was almost double that of more-traditional light-
ing designs, but the energy savings and the benet to the
artifacts proved substantial.
Throughout, displays and projection systems were
upgraded to 1080p. In some cases their location and in-
tegration were rethought in order to better tell the story
without being intrusive. And the new audio was planned
carefully to minimize the acoustical impact of the recon-
gured now of the museum.
Before the renovation, audio bleed was a major is-
sue. We addressed it with a combination of custom-built
Brown Innovations focusing array loudspeakers and
K-Array KKVB-50 mini line arrays strategically placed
to keep patterns tight, give better directionality, and mini-
mize bleed. For example, theres a line of exhibit casework
called City Scenes in which each section of case represents
a different city in the country and its musical innuences.
Prior to the renovation this area was a cacophony of
unintelligible sound that overlapped to distraction, and
the video displays were lost within poorly lit and over-
crowded casework. By using the KKVB-50 line arrays,
centering the video displays, and reworking the lighting,
we created a series of distinct exhibits that tell a linear
story and provide a much better experience.
You see, when you integrate technology into exhib-
itswhether in museums or a corporate lobbyit be-
comes part of the story, rather than an object on which the
story is told. Technology for technologys sake can come
across as an afterthought. About the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame and Museum, Westlake said, The architectural
changes and technology helped to shape distinct rooms
and experiences with their own individual characteristics.
If you havent been to the Rock Hall in a while, come
back and reexperience it. If youve never been, you should.
It has a great story to tell.
Its Still Rock and Roll to Me
An iconic Cleveland museum recently got an AV and architectural face-lift,
which helped it better tell the story of one of the countrys great art forms.
Raymond Kent, CTS,
Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
BD+C, is an award-
winning technology
and entertainment
designer who works with
leading architecture and
performing arts companies.
When you integrate
technology into
exhibits, it becomes
part of the story, rather
than an object on
which the story is told.
MAP_ProAV_BGR_511.indd 1 4/28/11 10:06 AM
CORPORATE INSTALL
yproaav edits odg edva gyea spysp esstdim
platforms over the decades. As individual companies,
both Lockheed and Martin trace their origins to before
World War II. As a merged entity, the company has
produced fighters, patrol aircraft, guided missile
cruisers, satellites, and spacecraft. So when Lockheed
Martin decided to consolidate its Washington, D.C.
area operations into a new Global Vision Center, it
wanted to communicate its rich history and worldwide
reach in an equally iconic manner.
The result was a unique AV sculpture that takes
the basic concepts of a kat-panel videowall and
wraps them around a globe. Conceived by Cincin-
nati-based creative shop the Brand Experience and
executed by technical producer the Todd W. Hall Co.
and AV systems integrator Inter-tain Productions, the
globe now sits in the lobby of the Lockheed Martin
Global Vision Center in Arlington, Va. It was the
result of a brainstorm, recalls Geoff Thatcher, exec-
utive creative director at the Brand Experience. The
idea of the globe came from translating the concept
of Lockheed Martin as a global security company.
But projecting video onto a fabric-covered globe had
this been-done-before feeling to it.
The creative team wanted to achieve the same
effect but in an innovative way. It decided to use kat-
screen video displays on a globe, with the monitors
arranged to approximate the shape and location of
the Earths seven continents. When the team pitched
the unique idea to Lockheed Martin, Thatcher says,
The client said, Do it.
This was easier said than done, of course. After
Can it be that projecting blended video onto a
sphere has become blas? Leave it to a global
defense contractor to try something a little bit different.
This Wall
is Round
BY DAN DALEY
CORPORATE INSTALL
being roughed out in Adobe Photoshop and then
scale modeled, the globes sizable frame9 feet in
diameterwas eventually fashioned out of steel
bands curved around a hollow core. Then 51 Boland
Communications monitors of varying aspect ratios
and sizesranging from 7 inches to 26 inches di-
agonal were attached to the spherical frame. The
displays back panels were attached to perforated
metal and then riveted to the globes framework.
Their bezels were covered with black automotive
paint so that they would blend together.
All the displays were congured on an IP net-
work, allowing the team to use a unique address for
each one and to wirelessly tweak parameters such
as color control and contrast. Also, all the moni-
tors, regardless of their size, were manufactured
from the same run of TFT, which gives us greater
consistency in the performance of the overall dis-
play, says technical producer Todd Hall.
Each display was connected to one of four
16-channel Alcorn McBride SD Video Binloop
media servers housed in a Middle Atlantic equip-
ment rack. The Video Binloops are compact, eco-
nomical, and reliable players with no moving parts.
Each Binloop cage accommodates 16 player cards.
In the case of the Lockheed Martin globe, the
overall system generates and sends 51 streams of
video to the globe and three more streams to several
wall-mounted video displays in the lobby. An AMX
NI-7100 controller and a Modero 7-inch tabletop
touch panel trigger an Alcorn McBride V16 Pro
show controller, which in turn cues the Binloops to
play their stored content
The video had to be chopped up and sync
rolled, Hall says. Shows can play on one or 10
monitorsor on all of them. Many images were de-
signed to run from one monitor to another.
The content, which includes everything from
high-resolution images to videos from Lockheed
In the nished product, Meyer Sound Stella-8C 8-inch
coaxial speakers are ceiling mounted in a ciruclar array
above the Lockheed Martin globe.
In the middle of the Meyer speakers is a pair of Tannoy
110TB-X 10-inch low-impedance passive down- ring
subwoofers with low-pass lters.
In addition to the lights inside the globe, six Philips Color
Kinetics ColorBlast 12 LED xtures with frosted lenses
illuminate the globe from above while eight Philips
Color Kinetics iColor Cove MX wide-beam high-intensity
LED light xtures protrude from the base.
The innovative video globe at Lockheed Martins new
Global Vision Center is festooned with displays of
varying sizes made by Boland Communications, which
specializes in commercial monitors.
The globe was built and wired at the Todd W. Hall Co. facility
in Atlanta. Thin Belden DT 179 ber- optic cabling enters from the
base of the globe and is then run through its hollow vertical bands
to the monitors.
Eight Philips Color Kinetics ColorBurst 6-inch LED xtures are
installed inside the globes base and angled up. Their lighting,
and that of other xtures added later, are coordinated by a
Alcorn McBride LightCue DMX recorder.
CORPORATE INSTALL
Martins archives, was custom developed for the
globe, in part because of the unique conguration
of the monitors. South America gets pretty skinny
at the bottom, Thatcher says. We had to produce
content that would look fantastic on the videowalls
that formed each continent.
WIRING THE GLOBE
But the biggest challenge may have been wiring the
globe, says Emile Wolsky, executive producer at
Inter-tain Productions. The video globe would cer-
tainly lose its impact if there were visible cables. A
54-channel snake had to be custom fabricated (51
channels for the globe, three for the wall-mounted
displays), then run 70 feet inside half-inch conduit
from the head-end closet to the globe itself. To t all
the strands into the conduit, integrators used ultra-
thin Belden DT 179 ber cable, which also required
using special crimping tools for the BNC termina-
tions. The cable enters the globe from below and
then the strands for each quadrant of the globes
interior are routed to each video continent through
the hollowed vertical spars that make up the globes
exoskeleton. Power for each display is routed the
same way.
Philips ColorBurst LED lights were installed at
the base of the globe, as well as overhead, to en-
hance its appearance. An Alcorn McBride Light-
Cue DMX recorder, also triggered by the V16 Pro,
synchronizes lighting effects with the globes sound
system. The LightCue records the output of any
lighting board and a single rack records 512 DMX
channels in real-time and stores preset looks.
The globes sound system comprises Meyer
Sound Stella-8C 8-inch coaxial speakers that are
are ceiling mounted, as well as two Tannoy 110TB-
X 10-inch low-impedance passive down-ring
subwoofers. The audio feeds come from the Bin-
loops. Halls says that the audio was mixed on site
using an Avid Pro Tools system to tailor sound
effects to the imagery.
There are aircraft sounds and a missile launch
and we got them tightly locked to the video, Hall
explains. The subs add to the punch.
In fact, the combination of sound, video, and
lighting has created a powerful icon that stops visi-
tors in their tracks. And no one seems to mind that
the video continents are abstract approximations,
even after the design/build team consulted with a
professor of geography during construction. Texas
is kind of a dening feature for the map of North
America, says Thatcher. The only way we could
make it t was to pretty much wipe out Oklahoma.
We felt bad about that. AV
Whats in the rack? Near the bottom are an AMX NetLinx
NI-7100 controller, NetLinx Mini CardFrame, and AMX
wireless network interface, plus a Meyer Sound Stella-188
power supply and a QSC CX1102 two-channel amplier.
In the middle of the rack are ve Speco Technologies color
multiplexers (one four- channel and four 16- channel products),
which enable up to 16 image sources on one screen.
Operators can see everything playing on every screen in the
Lockheed Martin lobby on a Dynex TV in the equipment room
(at right).
At the top are the four 16- channel Alcorn McBride SD Video
Binloop media servers, followed by the Alcorn McBride V16
Pro controller and LightCue DMX recorder.
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CORPORATE INSTALL
riNnNcin iN1i1U1icN ir cN ccnvcin1icN
anu inoimarion lov. Lmloyees neeu consranr access
ro srock maiker uuares anu voilu nevs ro kee aLieasr
o rle gloLal maiker. So vlen Russell Invesrmenrs,
a voiluviue invesrmenr nim rlar manages iouglly
$160 Lillion in assers, moveu irs gloLal leauquaireis
iom 1acoma, Wasl., ro Searrle in 2010, ir ruineu ro
Dimensional Communicarions ro uelivei vlar voulu
Le ciirical AV sysrems.
1le nevly cliisreneu Russell Invesrmenrs Cenrei
(oimeily rle Waslingron Nurual 1ovei, rlen rle
Clase 1ovei) is rle sixrl rallesr Luiluing in uovn-
rovn Searrle, virl irs namesake occuying nve o
rle 42 loois. San Iianciscos Clailes N. Salrei
Associares vas rle AV consulranr anu clie sysrem
uesignei oi Russell Invesrmenrs anu ensuieu rlar
rle inregiarion ream lir rle giounu iunning.
Ir vas a riglr rime iame o aioximarely rvo
veeks iom Liu ro on-sire voik, says Dan Cann,
iojecr managei ar Dimensional Communicarions.
1le AV Luuger vas seveial million uollais anu
rleie vas a lor ro accomlisl in a sloir amounr o
rime. 1le AV sysrems uesign vas neaily comlere
vlen ve joineu rle iojecr, making oi a seamless
riansirion ro rle insrallarion oirion.
Sre onro any o rle Russell Invesrmenrs loois
anu irs cleai rlar access ro inoimarion anu
collaLoiarion aie ro iioiiries. 1le comanys
leauquaireis emLiaces an oen looi laneven
rle CLO sirs our in rle oen among rle orlei
900 emloyees.
Visirois vlo enrei rle loLLy aieas aie gieereu Ly
50-oor-viue uynamic viueovalls rlar use lysical
valls as rleii iojecrion suiaces. Conrenr incluues
voilu commouiry anu cuiiency iices, srock maiker
uuares, nevs leaulines, anu moving gialics. Cie-
arive agency Dovnsrieam, o Poirlanu, Oie., ciear-
eu rle conrenr anu ioviues iemore uuares ro eacl
o rle loois Dell XPS 9100 comureis, vlicl acr
as conrenr seiveis. Lacl Dell comurei is nervoikeu
virl rle uislay sysrems on rle orlei loois so rlar
rle conrenr is synclionizeu eiecrly. I you coulu
somelov Le in rle loLLy on eacl looi ar rle same
rime, you voulu see rle same conrenr ar rle same
rime on all loois, Cann says.
1o aclieve rle iiglr eecr, Dimensional Commu-
nicarions insralleu six BenQ NP6 S1 DLP mul-
rimeuia iojecrois siue Ly siue in rle ceiling, using
Clie RPA iojecroi mounrs. (Due ro sace limira-
rions, rle 16rl looi las only rvo iojecrois.)
1lis oirion o rle insrall vas uinculr Lecause
rle BenQ suei-sloir-rliov iojecrois aie lysical-
ly lineu u virl eacl orlei. We lau ro use lysical
aujusrmenrs Lecause rleies no zoom oi lens slir,
only keysrone coiiecrion, Cann says. 1le ceiling
is an angleu ceiling, uiagonally acioss rle loLLy, so
ve lau ro usl rle iojecrois liglei anu liglei inro
rle ceiling in oiuei ro line rlem u.
Lacl iojecroi gers irs conrenr ovei an Lxrion
N1P rvisreu-aii riansmirrei-ieceivei connecrion
Working with numbers can be a very visual experience. Heres how one
nancial services rm set up its ofces in order to see information ow.
The Money Channel
BY LINDA SEID FREMBES
C O M M E R C I A L
CORPORATE INSTALL
using an Extron P/2 DA2 Plus VGA distribution
amplier. The projected images are blended using
TV One C2-2450A edge blenders, which enables
content to move across all 50 feet of the projection
space.
On one of Russell Investments oors is an execu-
tive conference center. Visitors to that oor see a tra-
ditional 4x5 videowall of 20 NEC X461UN 46-inch
narrow-bezel LCDs, hung on Chief LSMVU Fusion
pull-out mounts. The NECs are a great choice for a
videowall, Cann says. The in-monitor processing
eliminates the need for additional equipment and
theyre easy to assemble since they have built-in set-
tings for videowall applications. Theres one video
input for all the displays, which also saves on labor.
And the Chief mounts articulate outward for easy
maintenance access.
IN-HOUSE TELEVISION
Russell Investments employs an in-house media
production team that often broadcasts custom
content on modulated TV stations, dubbed Russell
TV. Once people pass through a lobby and into the
oors main workspace, theyre typically greeted by
a Sharp LC-46LE700UN 46-inch LCD on a Chief
PCM ceiling mount that constantly shows either
a regular nancial news channel or the companys
own Russell TV programming.
Additional Sharp LC-26DV27UT 26-inch LCDs
on a Chief FSR wall mount are located at what the
company calls its collaboration bars. These 10-foot
work tables are located throughout each oor and
have power and Ethernet connections, so employees
can quickly and easily collaborate and still have access
to news and information.
High-denition signals to the various Sharp dis-
plays come from one of three main source types: a
Crestron DigitalMedia system sitting in one of the
rms multipurpose rooms, a farm of ve Russell TV
servers, or from one of six Comcast HDTV tuners.
Each source interfaces with its own Contemporary
Research QMOD-HD modulator, and each Russell
TV display has a Contemporary Research ICC2-
ATSC HDTV tuner and RS-232 controller. Through
a head-end network controller and Web server, the
companys technology managers can control all the
Russell TV screens through a Web interface.
The solution enables control via coaxial cable,
which saved on additional labor and materials.
And each Contemporary Research HDTV tuner
is addressable either by group or by individual dis-
play, Cann says. This allows the staff to schedule
the TVs on or off status, and to globally change
channels or volume.
COLLABORATION: VIDEO AND OTHERWISE
Most meeting rooms in the Russell Investments
headquarters sport either audio or video confer-
encing capabilities. In addition to 11 small AV
conference rooms for basic meetings, employ-
ees on the main oors have access to seven tele-
conferencing rooms, which include Sharp 60-inch
LCDs, Polycom IP 5000 tabletop conferencing
phones, and laptop connections for HDMI, VGA,
In Russell Investments executive conference center is a 4x5 videowall
of NEC X461UN 46- inch narrow- bezel LCD monitors. Onboard image
processing means the client doesnt need a separate videowall controller.
Behind each of the NEC displays is a Chief LSMVU Fusion pull-out mount.
The LSMVU is designed for videowalls with centerless shift, which makes
it easy to slide screens apart or together for maintenance and alignment.
When not streaming video via the companys in-house TV service, a
SpinetiX HMP100 networked digital signage player supplies content.
Russell Investments maintains two multipurpose rooms for a variety
of larger-scale meetings and functions. In this room, a pair of
general- contractor - installed Da-Lite drop-down screens provide the
projection surface for two 5,500- lumen NEC NP4100W WXGA
(1280x800) video projectors.
As in the companys videoconferencing rooms, the multipurpose
rooms have Tandberg codecs and cameras, but they also include
Sonic Foundry Mediasite RL recorders for capturing what goes on
in the room and streaming it throughout the ofces via Russell TV.
Ethernet, and power. Crestron DigitalMedia switch-
ers handle signal distribution.
Each conference room uses a Crestron TPMC-
4SM wall-mounted touch panel and RoomView
software tied into a Microsoft Outlook group cal-
endar for room scheduling. Dimensional Commu-
nications is working with Russell Investments on
an additional feature to track actual room usage
by adding a motion detector to each room that will
indicate not only whether the room is booked, but
also if its occupied.
In the executive conferencing center, there are six
teleconferencing and three videoconferencing rooms,
as well as one multipurpose room. The videoconfer-
encing rooms employ Tandberg C60 1080p video
codecs and Sharp 60-inch displays, with a Crestron
TPS-6 Isys touch panel enabling AV control.
The companys multipurpose rooms have AV
capabilities similar to its videoconferencing rooms,
plus extra production and streaming capabilities.
In both rooms, a Sonic Foundry Mediasite RL
recorder streams events via Russell TV to the rest of
the building. And adjacent to one of the two mul-
tipurpose rooms is a separate control room from
which production staff can run an event or meeting.
For instance, in case of an overow crowd, a parti-
tion wall can be removed and the control room can
send the Russell TV signal to an adjacent caf area
on the y.
Dimensional Communications collaborated with
the AV consultant and Russell Investments to make
some changes to the multipurpose rooms AV design
once the installation began. We got on site and real-
ized the client needed some additional functionality,
such as a DaVinci interface for its Biamp AudioFlex
DSP, Cann says. The team also decided to relo-
cate some of the video cameras to better optimize
viewing and video capture angles.
We had the good fortune to work with a good
AV design by a solid designer. It was a well-thought-
out plan, he says. We are also fortunate to work
with a client who understood that technology done
well costs money. They were willing to invest in the
project to do it right the rst time. AV
Russell Investments videoconferencing rooms sport a pair
of Sharp PN-E601 60- inch pro-class 1080p displays for
viewing local and remote content and meeting particpants.
Theyre hung on Chief XSMU Fusion xed- wall mounts.
Below the displays is a Tandberg Precision 1080p
camera, which feeds a Tandberg Codec C60 1080p video
collaboration system.
Built into the conference table are eight Audio-Technica
ES947 cardioid condenser boundary microphones. A
Polycom Vortex EF2280 digital signal processor handles
mic mixing, as well as echo and noise cancellation.
A Crestron DigitalMedia 8x8 matrix switcher handles the
videoconference rooms AV switching. A Crestron CP2E
controller, TPS-6 touch panel, and TPMC-4SM RoomView
controller allow users to manage the rooms AV and
schedule meetings.
In a control room adjacent to one multipurpose room, the operator can
switch feeds from the three Sony BRCZ330 HD broadcast cameras
placed throughout the room using the Sony BRS-200 CCU switcher.
A Crestron TPS-4000 touch panel controls the presentation AV, while
Panasonic PLCD24HD 24- inch LCD monitors display the live
video feeds.
A Biamp AudiaFlex DSP manages audio within the multipurpose
room and can route it to adjoining areas in case of overow
situations. The Biamp frame contains 26 echo- cancelling cards
and 16 two- channel output cards.
The rooms rack also include one of the companys 58
Contemporary Research ICC2-ATSC+HDTV tuners and controllers
for displaying Russell TV content. Russell TV is based on eight
Contemporary Research QMOD-HD modulators, which take
disparate sources and turn them into cable channels.
ENTERTAINMENT INSTALL
Tic-Tac-Toe
Three clubs in a row enjoy big, networked sound as part of a multimillion-dollar
initiative to revitalize one state capitals downtown.
cNr Nicn1cUv criiNc ci1 n i1iNr cnnr
insiieu ainring o Gou giving Auam an elecriic gui-
rai. Anorlei earuies a ,500-gallon aquaiium vleie
meimaius anu meimen eioim aquaric Lallers.
You miglr rlink youie in Las Vegas, vleie ovei-
rle-ro is raken oi gianreu. Bur youu Le suiiiseu
ro leain rlar youie in Saciamenro, Cali., rle srare
cairal knovn moie oi olirical maylem rlan laiu-
coie cluLLing. 1liee nev venues, oeneu in ]anuaiy
anu Lackeu Ly a $5. million suLsiuy iom rle Sacia-
menro Ciry Council, nov ancloi rle nevly ieviralizeu
K Srieer Nall in rle cirys uovnrovn.
Lacl o rle rliee venues, all ovneu Ly San Iian-
cisco niglrcluL oeiaroi Geoige Kaiary, las a
veiy uieienr uecoi. Pizza Rock ueliveis a ull-sizeu
PereiLilr semi-riuck lal-vay rliougl a vall, vlicl
seives as rle D] laroim. 1le Dive Bais uiessing
is moie lireial rlan irs name suggesrs, virl a mas-
sive aquaiium vleie cosrumeu uiveis svim among
rle nsl anu lay o rle ciovu. A solisricareu
30-somerling ciovu enjoys a moie uscale exe-
iience in rle uisco-iesrauianr Disriicr 30, virl irs
viueovall reclnology. Bur vlar all o rlese venues
slaie, in auuirion ro rleii iole in sraging rle come-
Lack o Saciamenros lisroiically uougy uovnrovn,
is a luge emlasis on auuio eioimance.
1le Liggesr clallenge leie vas uoing all rliee
venues ar rle same rime, iecalls Biau Karz, leau sys-
rems inregiaroi oi ]K Sounu, vlicl lau ieviously
voikeu virl Kaiary on rle RuLy Skye cluL in San
Iiancisco. He says rlar rle iojecrs comlexiry vas
comounueu Ly a consranrly evolving sounu sysrem
uesigneu ro rake inro accounr a nev seakei iou-
ucr iom LAW, rle QX Seiies. Ir lau all o rle usual
clallenges o uoing a ligl-ionle sysrems insralla-
rion, excer rimes rliee, le says.
PLAYING THE ANGLES
Disriicr 30 vas rle nisr venue ro Le inregiareu. Iiisr,
]K Sounu sounu uesignei anu conriacroi Niclael
Lacina iecommenueu rlar rle ream imlemenr some
acousrical riearmenr in rle oim o 1ecrum clouu
anels susenueu iom rle ceiling. 1len rle main
sounu-sysrem comonenrs veie insralleu. Disriicr
30s uance looi is suiiounueu Ly oui LAW QX596
ligl-ourur rliee-vay louuseakeis. Karz uesciiLes
rle uance looi as a aiallelogiam, virl rvo siues
acing eacl orlei anu rvo nor, iesulring in Lorl
acure anu oLruse coinei angles. Seakei lacemenr,
rleieoie, vas ciirical in oiuei ro avoiu ielecrions.
1le acousrical riearmenr leleu, Lur ir vas
BY DAN DALEY
mainly about angling the speakers correctly, about
how far to go into the corners because the corner
angles are different from each other, Katz explains.
The initial locations for the Hilti Unistrut grid hang-
ing system were determined by sight, based on hours
spent poring over the architectural plans, as well as
projecting the height of the acoustical clouds in an
effort to keep the speakers below them. But it was
time well spentthe initial y points proved to be
mostly spot-on, and it only took a little extra nesse
to get the speakers hung.
Another challenge during system setup was that
this was the rst installation of EAWs new QX596
loudspeaker in a club environment. The design
a triaxial speaker in which three separate driver
groups for highs, mids, and lows all emerge from
the speaker as one point source on the same axis
proved to be a good one for the room. Because the
speaker design focuses the entire spectrum so well,
we get a lot of clarity and power without having to
overwhelm the room, says Katz.
Lacina adds, This system can pressurize the
room without ever running near capacity. That
means the components are never being stressed.
In addition to the QX596s, District 30s dance
oor includes two EAW SB528zP large-format sub-
woofers, stacked vertically to focus the bass with-
out overloading the room with low end, and an
EAW UX8800 digital signal processor. Elsewhere,
four JF29 compact full-range loudspeakers and an
SB250z medium format subwoofer serve the bar
area; four JFX88 compact full-range loudspeakers
and an SB150z compact subwoofer are in the VIP
area; two VR61 compact full-range loudspeakers
cover the lobby area; and eight CIS400 ceiling loud-
speakers are in the bathroom areas.
TAKING A DIVE
Speaker placement and acoustical panels are also
key ingredients of the sound system in the Dive
Bar. Its a pretty thin, narrow room and the key to
making the sound work there was the downtilt of
the speakers, along with the dampening of the room
with the Tectum panels, Katz says.
The Dive Bar also needed to be the most ex-
ible of the three venues. For example, audio input
Dive Bars lounge includes EAW JF29 two- way speakers
lining the parallel walls, driven by a pair of QSC CX1102
1,100W power amps.
The lounge also includes a pair of Samsung PN58C7000
58-inch plasma displays. Beneath the left video monitor is an
XLR input panel for the clubs signature Dueling Pianos event.
Deep inside the Dive Bar, a pair of EAW JF50 two-way
speakers and QSC RMX1450 power amps keep one of several
lounges pumping with music from either a DJ or a giant iPod.
Patrons can drop their iPods into the dock and let it perform for
the house. The DJ can also fade out the iPod signal and bring
up the house feed of his Mackie Onyx 1220 compact mixer.
Cabling for the iPod comes in behind the wall of the giant
device, which has a Mac Mini computer inside.
For District 30s main dance oor, two EAW SB528 dual
18-inch subwoofers are stacked together to ensure a tight
horizontal dispersion pattern. Throughout the club, JK Sound
made liberal use of QSC Audio power ampliers, including
CX502, CX702, and CX1102 models.
The DJ position is front- and- center, with its Pioneer DJ M800
mixer and main digital output, plus a Rane TTM57SL DJ
Mixer with built -in Serato Audio Research interface, Technics
MK1200 MK2 turntables, and QSC K10 self-powered monitors.
Hung from the ceiling are two of the four corner- array EAW
QX596 high-output three- way loudspeakers. Along one wall
is the clubs asymmetrical videowall, composed of a variety of
Samsung LCD and plasma displays.
can come from a giant fabricated iPod dock that
allows patrons to pump their own music through
a system set up on the dance oor. The dance oor
is covered by four EAW JF29 speakers, which are
hung using a single pole of all-thread rod termi-
nating in a double bridle mount. In addition, there
are two SB250z speakers and a UX8800 proces-
sor in the front lounge area; three JFX88 enclo-
sures and an additional SB250z in the main bar
and aquarium area; four JF50S compact full-range
loudspeakers in the game room; and eight CIS400s
in the bathroom areas.
The JF29 speakers have good directivity, and
once we found the right downtilt angles, we didnt
need a feedback suppressor, even for the dueling
pianos on the dance oor, Katz says.
In between the Dive Bar and District 30 is where
partiers as well as families can get a bite and en-
joy good music. Pizza Rocks sound system in-
cludes eight JFX590s, two SB528zP subs, and a BSS
Soundweb London processor in the main dining
and bar area; two VR62 compact full-range loud-
speakers in the clubs brick-oven-pizza entry area;
two VR61s in the front patio area; and eight more
CIS400s in the bathroom areas.
Because the clubs are all located in a row on
Sacramentos K Street, the sound systems from all
three venues are connected together so that music
from any venue can be transmitted to any of the
others. Signal routing has the S/PDIF output of the
Pioneer DJ M800 mixer in District 30 going to a
S/PDIF-to-AES converter and then straight to the
UX8800 processor, keeping an all-digital front-
end from the CD player to the main processor for
the cleanest audio possible. The analog output is
routed to BBS Soundweb units for distribution
to the other venues when needed. The DJ mixer
itself is always on and acts as the main mixer for
the house audio.
Ultimately, an adroit combination of speaker
choice, placement, and processing (including liber-
al use of the Gunness Focusing digital loudspeaker
correction capability of the UX8800 processor to
compensate for room anomalies) resulted in what
Katz calls a club sound system that sounds like
studio monitors. AV
At District 30, audio feeds go through BBS Audio Soundweb London
networked signal processors and out to the clubs, as desired.
Audio throughout the venues relies on EAW UX8800 DSPs with
Gunness Focusing technology, which uses custom algorithms to correct
loudspeaker response anomalies.
The rack also includes QSC Audio power ampliers, including the CX502,
CX702, and CX1102. At the bottom is a 3RU QSC RMX 5050.
Two Samsung PN58C7000 58-inch displays hang between the
acoustic material that is used to bafe the brick walls.
The Peterbilt truck DJ platform, which includes a Pioneer DJM 800
mixer, holds a smoke machine and a digital air horn, plus the
headlights are tied into the clubs DMX lighting system.
Eight EAW JFX590 two- way speakers ring the Michelangelo- style
mural on the Pizza Rock clubs ceiling. Like speakers throughout
the K Street venues, their signals go through an EAW UX8800
processor.
When the time comes to break ground or perform a site upgradefinish it off with presentation hardware you can be proud of. For
the Dual-Lamp 8000 Series, Mitsubishi has gone back to the drawing board and created a line of advanced, adaptable projectors that
are designed for unique applications and demanding environments. The first series of dual-lamp projectors in our product line-up
is ideal for installation with such features as:
Geometric correction adjustments for projection on curved surfaces
Continuous projection requiring only one hour of rest time per lamp per week
Horizontal and vertical edge blending for seamless display and resolution expansion
User-swappable optional color wheel tailored to either higher brightness or color accuracy
360 degree flexibility allows for projection on ceilings, floorsand everything in between
Automated, self-cleaning air filter is reusable and reminds users when it needs rinsing
Unique heat pipe design uses no moving parts and keeps the projector cool
XGA, WXGA, and WUXGA resolution options available
Before the 8000 series, you probably never thought a projector could do so muchand handle so many situations. Call your local
Mitsubishi dealer for a demo of the projectors that define Performance, Quality, Reliability, and Value.
www.mitsubishi-presentations.com
TOLL FREE 888.307.0349
www.mitsubishielectric.ca
PHONE 905.475.7728
DLP
logo and DLP
medallion are trademarks of Texas Instruments.

Make Your Next Installation
Stand Out
e Mitsubishi Dual-Lamp Seriese Cornerstone of Your Next Installation
INSIDE
INFOCOMM 2011 PREVIEW
2011 PRO AV BRAND LEADERS
NEW AUDIO PRODUCTS
NEW VIDEO PRODUCTS
NEW SIGNAL MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS
NEW CABLES & ACCESSORIES
INFOCOMM
PREVIEW
AND NEW
PRODUCT
GUIDE
40
43
48
52
58
62
2011
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEVELOPMENTS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,
BUT ENJOY WHAT KEEPS AV PROS COMING BACK TO THE CONFAB OF THE YEAR.
THE MORE
THINGS
CHANGE,
THE MORE
THEY STAY
THE SAME
BY PRO AV EDITORS
1ni iN1 .cUi rn1nri iNrcc ncv. 1le Liggesr AV garleiing o rle yeai las long ceaseu Leing only aLour
iesenrarion reclnology, live sounu, anu signal svircling. ov irs aLour uigiral signage, srieaming meuia, anu (yes,
inueeu) inoimarion reclnology. 1ouay, i rleie aie rvo rlings ve knov aLour 21sr-cenruiy io AV, rle nisr is rlar
AV anu I1 lave alieauy conveigeu, rle seconu is rlar ve uonr alvays knov vlar rlar means oi oui inuusriy (see
Leieclauns, AV-I1 Glue Guys, anu orlei Nyrlical Ciearuies, nexr age).
1lis ]une, arrenuees iom moie rlan 100 counriies uescenu on Oilanuo, Ila., ro lel oige rle uruie o AV.
Anu vlile some o ir is unclaireu reiiiroiy, sucl as rle I1 connecrion (Hevlerr-Packaius vice iesiuenr o visual
collaLoiarion RoL Scorr ueliveis rle keynore on 1uesuay, ]une 14, ar 4 .m.), Luiluing managemenr, anu susrain-
aLiliry (meer InoComms nev susrainaLiliry oncei in 5-Ninure Inreiviev, age 12), mucl o vlar you can
exeiience ar rle slov is rle riieu-anu-riue auuio/viueo reclnology you loveu aLour youi joL in rle nisr lace.
Bur InoComm can Le a lor ro rake in. I norling else, uiviue youi rime among rle olloving rliee acriviries
anu youll lave a Lusy, ulnlling InoComm.
INFOCOMM 2011
1
2
3
GET HANDS-ON
InfoComm is an opportunity to interact with innovative
AV technology in a hands-on environment. Not only can
you see and touch thousands of new products from 950
exhibitors (the tip of the iceberg is our InfoComm products
guide, beginning on page 48), but you can also experience
them in the shows specialized showcase areas.
One of the unique features of the show is its audio
demo rooms, where more than 20 pro audio manufac-
turers, such as Harman, Sennheiser, and Meyer Sound,
turn the sound up to demonstrate the quality of their
loudspeakers and related products.
New to this years show is the Invisible Technologies
Showcase, with an emphasis on wireless, Bluetooth, and
other technologies that enable AV installations without
cabling. Drop by the showcase to hear invisible in-
wall loudspeakers and see wireless video solutions in a
working environment. Attendees will also have access
to the showcases audio control room for a behind-the-
scenes peek.
Also new this year is the IT Services Pavilion, spon-
sored by CompTIA, the information technology trade
association. Attendees can meet CompTIA member
companies who are interested in integration partner-
ships with AV rms, as well as learn about IT software
and services available to the market.
And for the ultimate immersive experience, swing
by one of the 3D Technology Theaters. 3D is a hot
topic for the AV industry and heres where the new-
est hardware and software are in action. Attendees
can experience the latest advancements in 3D and
get ideas about how to implement the technology in
vertical markets.
GET SMART(ER)
Anyone who holds a Certied Technology Specialist (CTS)
certication from InfoComm must earn 30 renewal units
(RUs) in a three-year period. InfoComm 2011 is a conve-
nient way to obtain many of those RUs under one roof
while also learning about new aspects of the AV business.
This year, according to InfoComm, 70 percent of all classes
at the show are being offered for the rst time, including
new coursework in IT, cloud-based AV, and live-event
production.
To catch up on issues and trends impacting the
world of audio system design, sign up for the following
classes:
Mass Notication and Life Safety manufacturers
training (course MT43), from Bosch Security
Systems, runs June 15 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and
covers the current state and future of the mass
notication and life safety market in the U.S.
On the agenda: how code changes are affecting
AV design.
AVB or IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging:
The Future of Standards-Based AV Networking
(MT10), from the AVnu Alliance, kicks off June 15
at 2:30 p.m. and looks at the role of the IEEE
802.1 Audio/Video Bridging Standards in the
professional AV industry.
Audio for Gaming (IS079) runs June 16 at
12:30 p.m. and explores the fast-growing segment
of audio and music for video games and the unique
challenges of designing a user experience through
sound.
The emphasis on AV and IT is again prevalent at this
years show. Attendees who want to learn how to in-
tegrate with and operate in the IT world should take a
look at these classes:
AV/IT Networking (IS048) on June 16 at 8 a.m
will review common difculties between rewalls
and wireless technology, and will use digital signage
and streaming applications to illustrate the common
pitfalls of what could go wrong in an AV-IT
installation.
IT Speak for AV 101 (IS076) on June 16 at
12:30 p.m. helps establish a basic understanding
of IT terms to help ward off misunderstandings
between AV and IT due to language difference.
Selling to the IT Director (NS04) on June 17 at
8 a.m. looks at the marketing and sales tools
needed to reach out to this very important
gatekeeper within the IT department.
Theres also no shortage of special-interest training for
attendees who want drill down into very specic topics.
For example, 3DComm runs June 15 to June 17 and is
lled with 3D-related training and market information.
There are 24 90-minute tutorial courses (search class
listings for course numbers that begin with 3D) cov-
ering 3D content creation, display, markets, solutions
and installation.
IMCCA, the unied conferencing and communica-
tions industry association, is working in conjunction
with InfoComm International on two days of special-
interest training on June 15 and June 16. IMCCA ses-
sions include presentations by Polycom, Radvision, and
AVI-SPL (search class listings for course numbers that
begin with IMCCA).
MEET AND GREET
The show is also a great place to network and meet new
people in the AV industry, from InfoComms opening re-
ception on Tuesday night to the last council meeting. Info-
Comm makes it easy to get involved with the organization
by holding council meetings throughout the show. At-
tendees can meet council members in their areas of interest
and to hear about the latest initiatives that will shape the
AV industry. Among the notable council meetings:
The Rental and Staging Council meeting (room
W102B) is Thursday, June 16, at 9 a.m. Council meet-
ings for the Systems Integration Leadership Coun-
cil (W105B), Independent Programmers Council
(W101A), Independent Reps Council (W101B), Man-
ufacturers Council (W102A), Technology Managers
Council (W102B), and the Independent Consultants in
Audiovisual Technology Council (W106B) are all on
Friday, June 17, starting 8 a.m.
For more hobnobbing, check in at the various recep-
tions throughout the show. For example, P AV will
be handing out its Spotlight Awards for the industrys
best AV projects on Thursday, June 16, at 4:30 p.m. in
the InfoComm booth (3855).
First-time attendees can get a tour of the show from
InfoComm staff members and get tips on maximizing
their time. The orientation offers a virtual look of the
show oor, followed by an optional walking tour. Its
free to all attendees, but registration is required. Tour
times are Tuesday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., or Wednesday, June 15, from
7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.
And when day two of the exhibition (Thursday)
ends, relax and rock out to a blues band of AV industry
peers. The DrunkUnkles concert to benet the NSCA
Education Foundation is June 16, from 9 p.m. to 11
p.m. at B.B. Kings Restaurant and Blues Club.
Because AV is fun, right? AV
LEPRECHAUNS, AV-IT GLUE GUYS, AND OTHER MYTHICAL CREATURES
BY MELISSA TAGGART
InfoComm International is known for pursuing issues facing the industry in a serious and systematic manner. We develop classes
by assembling subject matter experts and hosting Designing a Curriculum sessions, a procedure rst developed by Ohio State
University. We document best practices. We train the trainers. Then we train the students and survey them about classes. We call
on industry executives to make sure our programs are serving the markets needs and keeping up with technology.
So why the allusion to mythical creatures in relation to our AV-IT curriculum? Its not that we are treating the subject lightly.
In September 2005, InfoComm brought together industry experts to develop a curriculum for its rst AV-IT classes. One of the
groups ndings was the need for an AV-IT glue guysomeone (male or female, despite the moniker) who was expert at both AV
and IT and could bring the systems together. This person was touted in classes and became an ideal many companies strived for.
Unfortunately, the AV-IT glue guy has proven elusive. The rst indication that this creature might be rare came in discussions
with the industry about project management. One ongoing frustration expressed by project managers (who, in most cases,
are talented AV installation professionals who have been promoted through the ranks) was getting AV and IT professionals on
complicated projects to be on the same page and speak the same language. Executives complained about lost time and cost
overruns relating to time spent working out AV-IT issues. In the absence of an AV-IT glue guy, the project manager had become an
unsuspecting understudy.
In recent weeks, as InfoComm has been reevaluating its AV-IT curriculum, weve discussed the rapid pace of change in net-
centric AV and found that some experts observations challenge the very utility (and existence) of the AV-IT glue guy. In todays
environment, a networked device may require conguration by several individuals. In fact, today, six years after developing an
AV-IT curriculum, there are actually calls for increased demarcation between AV and IT specialists. No one person can be truly
expert in both, and expecting an AV veteran to also be responsible for network congurations can result in a lot of frustration. The
people designing and operating an AV-IT system are more satised when theyre allowed to focus on their areas of expertise.
Teaming, it turns out, is the key. Ensuring that AV systems meet IT requirements is often the responsibility of a full-time operations
center, a team made up of both AV and IT professionals, both engineers and technicians. It does not fall to some AV-IT glue guy.
Still, InfoComm wants to know: Does your company have one of the elusive AV-IT glue guys? Are you teaming AV and IT
professionals effectively within your operation? Are you frustrated by the complications of net-centric AV? Let us know. And if you
see a leprechaun and a glue guy discussing Ohms Law over a beer, please send a photo.
Melissa Taggart is senior vice president of education and certication at InfoComm International.
EXPERIENCE MORE .: CONNECTIVITY :.
Thinking outside the RF bottleneck. Its how weve come up with breakthrough solutions like our award-winning SpectraPulse
Ultra Wideband
Wireless Microphone Systemthe new standard for secure wireless communication. The innovations continue with the addition of a body-pack
transmitter that allows speakers the exibility to clearly transmit audio as they move throughout the SpectraPulse coverage area. Whatever your
installation demands, experience more. audio-technica.com
Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless operation
Delivers clear audio with no problems in crowded
RF environments
No frequency hunting or coordination
14 simultaneous channels with no frequency
coordination required
Body-pack Unit Now Available
Pair any A-T Wireless Essentials
microphone
with the new mtu301 Body-pack Transmitter
for even more system exibility.
Inherent securityOptional encryption package
meets the AES 128-bit digital encryption standard
Now available with body-pack transmitterFor free
& exible meeting / speaking / teaching presentations
Backed by Audio-Technicas 5-year warranty
FEATURES
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
1. Christie
2. Sanyo
3. Panasonic
Christie
Panasonic
Digital Projection
Sanyo
NEC
Sony
Barco
Mitsubishi
Epson
Eiki
InFocus
Sharp
BenQ
Hitachi
Number of Voters : 259
2010 BRAND
LEADERS
TOP LARGE-
VENUE
PROJECTOR
BRANDS
BRAND
LEADERS
2011 PRO AV
No, we never copy and paste a prior years Brand Leader results. It just looks that way in some product categories
(mounts, loudspeakers, and touch panels, for instance). Youve got your favorites and youre sticking with them. But
when we look closer at the latest numbers, we see other trends, such as Digital Projections climb up the list of large-
venue projector brands, Crestrons growing share of matrix-switcher voters (must be the DigitalMedia boost), and
a narrowing of the gulf between the share of people who prefer Crown Audios power amps and those who prefer
QSC Audios. Variety is the spice of life, and having several brands you can roll out, depending on the install, keeps
you nimble.
Of course, to reveal even more about the products that AV pros use and specify, we throw in new categories every
year. First-time Brand Leaders for 2011 include Extron for its videowall controllers, Sony for its pan-tilt-zoom cameras
(many of which are made by runner-up Vaddio), Listen Technologies for its assistive listening systems, Yamaha for its
audio consoles, and Middle Atlantic Products for its racks.
How did we arrive at the 2011 Brand Leaders? In April, P AV gave readers a link to an online survey and asked
them to indicate which AV product brands they used, specied, or installed most. They were allowed to select more
than one in 29 product categories (thus the percentages dont add up to 100). Overall, 303 people registered and 275
qualied AV pros completed the survey. We got so much good feedback, that we couldnt t all the winners in our
pages. To nd out who the Brand Leaders were in ber-optics, streaming media, line arrays, distribution ampliers,
and lighting control, go to proavamagzine.com/2011brandleaders.
TEXT BY BRAD GRIMES
CHARTS BY AMANDA BUCK
YOU LIKE THEM. YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE THEM. IN OUR THIRD ANNUAL
READER SURVEY, ITS CLEAR WHO THE FAVES ARE. BUT WHOS NEXT?
Those Polled:
47%
26%
18%
9%
AV integrators and installers
End users and technology
managers
AV consultants
Other speciers (rental
and staging, architects)
BRAND LEADERS
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2010 BRAND
LEADERS
TOP
CONFERENCE
& CLASSROOM
PROJECTOR
BRANDS
TOP
PROJECTION
SCREEN
BRANDS
TOP
FLAT-PANEL
DISPLAY
BRANDS
TOP
VIDEOWALL
CONTROLLER
BRANDS
TOP DIGITAL
SIGNAGE
SOLUTION
BRANDS
NEC
Panasonic
Sanyo
Epson
Mitsubishi
Sony
InFocus
Christie
Hitachi
Sharp
1. NEC
2. Sanyo
3. Panasonic
Da-Lite
Draper
Stewart Filmscreen
Vutec
Elite Screens
1. Da-Lite
2. Draper
3. Stewart
Filmscreen
Samsung
LG
Panasonic
NEC
Sharp
Sony
ViewSonic
Mitsubishi
1. Panasonic
2. Samsung
3. LG
Extron
RGB Spectrum
Christie/Vista
Barco
Jupiter Systems
Gefen
TV One
Matrox
Planar Systems
NEW FOR 2011
1. Scala
2. Other
3. Tightrope
Media
Other
Tightrope Media
Scala
Visix
Black Box
Siny Ziris
X2O
CoolSign/Haivision
Four Winds Interactive
Omnivex
Harris InfoCaster
TOP MATRIX
SWITCHER
BRANDS
Extron
Crestron
Kramer
AMX/AutoPatch
Barco
Analog Way
Gefen
Key Digital
RGB Spectrum
Christie/Vista
1. Extron
2. Kramer
3. Crestron
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
2010 BRAND
LEADERS
TOP VIDEO
SCALER
BRANDS
TOP VIDEO-
CONFERENCING/
TELEPRESENCE
BRANDS
Extron
Kramer
Crestron
TV One
Analog Way
Key Digital
Barco
Gefen
Christie/Vista
RGB Spectrum
1. Extron
2. Kramer
3. Crestron
1. Polycom
2. Tandberg
3. Cisco
Polycom
Cisco/Tandberg
Sony
LifeSize
Hewlett-Packard
NEW FOR 2011 Sony
Vaddio
Panasonic
Cisco/Tandberg
JVC
Bosch
Canon
TOP PTZ
CAMERA
BRANDS
TOP AUDIO
CONFERENCING
SYSTEM BRANDS
TOP
ASSISTIVE
LISTENING
BRANDS
Polycom
ClearOne
Biamp
Tandberg
Cisco
Bosch
1. Polycom
2. ClearOne
3. Biamp
Listen Technologies
Sennheiser
Williams Sound
Telex
Beyerdynamic
Anchor Audio
Califone
Phonic Ear
NEW FOR 2011
39
The percent of respondents who said they preferred
an Extron system to control their videowalls.
BRAND LEADERS
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
2010 BRAND
LEADERS
TOP WIRED
MICROPHONE
BRANDS
TOP
WIRELESS
MICROPHONE
BRANDS
TOP
INSTALLED
LOUDSPEAKER
BRANDS
Shure
Audio-Technica
Sennheiser
AKG Acoustics
Electro-Voice
Clock Audio
Countryman
Beyerdynamic
Audix
Bogen
1. Shure
2. Audio-
Technica
3. Sennheiser
Shure
Sennheiser
Audio-Technica
Revolabs
AKG Acoustics
Electro-Voice
Sony
Countryman
Lectrosonics
Beyerdynamic
1. Shure
2. Sennheiser
3. Audio-
Technica
1. JBL Professional
2. Tannoy
3. Atlas Sound
JBL Professional
Tannoy
Atlas Sound
EAW
Electro-Voice
Bose
QSC Audio
Community Professional
Mackie
Meyer Sound
TOP POWER
AMPLIFIER
BRANDS
TOP AUDIO
MIXING
CONSOLE
BRANDS
Crown
QSC
Extron
Yamaha
Crestron
Lab.gruppen
Ashly Audio
Electro-Voice
Atlas Sound
Crest Audio
1. Crown
2. QSC
3. Extron
Yamaha
Mackie
Allen & Heath
Soundcraft
Midas
Tascam
Behringer
Roland
Avid/Digidesign
NEW FOR 2011
Technica
75
The percent of respondents who said they build their AV
equipment racks using Middle Atlantic products.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2010 BRAND
LEADERS
TOP TOUCH-
SCREEN/
PANEL
BRANDS
TOP AV
CONTROL
SYSTEM
BRANDS
Crestron
AMX
Elo TouchSystems
CyberTouch
Control4
Extron
1. Crestron
2. AMX
3. Elo Touch-
Systems
Crestron
AMX
Extron
Kramer Electronics
SP Controls
Control4
1. Crestron
2. AMX
3. Extron
1. Smart
Technologies
2. Hitachi
3. PolyVision
Smart Technologies
PolyVision
3M
Hitachi
NEC
Panasonic
TOP
ELECTRONIC/
INTERACTIVE
WHITEBOARD
BRANDS
TOP DISPLAY
MOUNT
BOARDS
TOP
PROJECTOR
MOUNT
BRANDS
TOP POWER
MANAGEMENT
BRANDS
TOP AV
EQUIPMENT
RACK
BRANDS
Chief
Peerless Industries
Premier Mounts
OmniMount
Da-Lite
Draper
Sanus Systems
1. Chief
2. Peerless
3. Premier
Mounts
Chief
Peerless Industries
Premier Mounts
OmniMount
Da-Lite
Draper
1. Chief
2. Peerless
3. Premier
Mounts
Furman Sound
Middle Atlantic
American Power Conversion (APC)
SurgeX
Tripp Lite
Belkin
Panamax
ETA Systems
Juice Goose
1. Furman
Sound
2. APC
3. Middle
Atlantic
Middle Atlantic Products
Raxxess
Lowell Manufacturing
Chief
APC
Winsted
Peerless
NEW FOR 2011
INFOCOMM PRODUCTS
WIRELESS MICROPHONE SYSTEM
The AKG WMS 470 wireless system has an automatic frequency-setup function that nds
and displays all available channels. Before opening a channel, a pilot tone function will
prevent unwanted start-up noise and the receiver will only open the audio if the pilot tone
is detected. The WMS 470 operates up to 16 channels simultaneously within the same
frequency band and up to 48 channels using multiple frequency bands. The transmitters
are powered using a single alkaline, lithium, or Ni-MH rechargeable batteryproviding
up to 14 hours of use with lithium batteries. The WMS 470 is available in a variety of
congurations including handheld, head-worn, and lavalier mic options. The WMS 470
handheld microphone has a built-in dipole antenna to ensure reliable transmission with
50mW output power. 818-920-3237. www.akg.com. Booth 743.
A
U
D
I
O
NETWORKED AUTOMIXER
Attero Tech, which makes CobraNet audio interfaces, wants to bring
networked audio to small-scale applications with its new GearBox
18/6. The integrated device includes 18 inputs and six outputs, all with
full-matrix mixing, plus an eight-port Power-over-Ethernet switch to
help expedite connecting CobraNet input and output end points. The
box has built-in support for combining up to four rooms, as well as
support for remote-volume control. It comes with a gigabit Ethernet
expansion port for connecting to an additional Ethernet switch, and a
port for connecting to third-party control systems, such as those from
AMX or Crestron. 260-496-9668. www.atterotech.com. Booth 578.
STAGE MONITORS
Community Professional Loudspeakers is introducing two high-
performance monitors to its M-Class series. The new MX8 and
MX10 models handle 375W and 500W respectively. The 8-inch MX8
and 10-inch MX10 use Communitys proprietary coaxial driver units,
meaning all the sound emanates from the same point source while
the Tru-Phase conical high-frequency waveguide eliminates transition
anomalies that can occur in square and rectangular horns. The two
also incorporate Communitys Carbon Ring Cone Technology, which
increases the effective cone area for greater performance and reliabil-
ity, and its Dyna-Tech multistage limiter circuits, which protect against
damage from overdriving. 800-523-4934. www.communitypro.com.
Booth 817.
3D POWER AMPLIFIER
Xantech is showing its CA1250 power amplier. The 2RU rack-mountable six-
zone/12-channel bridgeable audio amplier is designed for commercial and industri-
al applications. It brings together the convenience of a 70V and a 100V distribution
topology with the efciency of Class-D amplication. Each zone is independently
switchable between its zone-specic stereo inputs and a mono global audio bal-
anced input for paging applications. Each zone is also independently bridgeable to
a single mono output for single-speaker use or higher-output power. 888-512-5972.
www.xantechcommercial.com. Booth 1255.
NETWORKED POWER AMP
Stewart Audio announced the CVA100-2 CobraNet-enabled power amplier, the com-
panys rst to include a factory-installed network option. It is a 200W 70V two-channel
constant-voltage amplier with 100W per channel that ts conveniently into a half-rack
form factor. The new CVA100-2 incorporates Stewart Audios proprietary Signal Sense
Power Technology, which ensures the amplier is only powered when there is a signal
present. The company says the amplier is Energy Starcompliant. It has a selectable high-
pass lter, plus remote volume control and muting, with optional control via RS-232 or
infrared. The rear panel provides LEDs for visual conrmation of power, clipping, signal
presence, and activity. 209-588-8111. www.stewartaudio.com. Booth 824.
NEW AT
NEW AT
NEW AT
NEW AT
WIRELESS HEADWORN MIC
Audio-Technicas new P893cW MicroEarset omnidirectional condenser head-worn microphone is now
available with its 2000 and 3000 series wireless systems. The new product bundles, known as ATW-2193a
2000 series and ATW-3193b 3000 series (pictured), come with a BP893cW MicroEarset (black or beige
microphone), a 2000 or 3000 series receiver, and a UniPak body-pack transmitter. The BP893cW is the wire-
less version of Audio-Technicas BP893 MicroEarset. It has an ergonomically molded earpiece and a 1-inch
boom. Its extended frequency response provides natural sound reproduction, and its lightweight low-prole
design make it suited to theatrical performances, houses of worship, and broadcast studios. It includes a
55-inch permanently attached miniature cable, terminated with a locking four-pin connector for use with
UniPak transmitters. 330-686-2600. www.audio-technica.com. Booth 915.
WIRELESS MONITOR
Lectrosonics new Quadra digital wireless monitor
consists of the M4R belt-pack diversity receiver and
the M4T half-rack transmitter. It features digital RF
modulation, two or four channels of 24-bit/48kHz
digital audio, analog, or digital inputs, and a unique
mixing interface for users. The Quadra system oper-
ates in the license-free ISM (industrial, scientic, and
medical) band between 902MHz and 928MHz and
has a throughput latency of 1 millisecond for analog
inputs and less than a half-millisecond for digital in-
puts, according to the company. The M4R receiver
has a user-friendly interface with a high-resolution,
backlit LCD and membrane switches. A four-chan-
nel mixer enables the performer to tailor the mix in
real time. The M4T transmitter features transmis-
sion power of 200mW for extended operating range.
800-821-1121. www.lectrosonics.com. Booth 1211.
CELLING LOUDSPAKERS
Community Professionals new Distributed Design Series of ceiling loudspeakers is the rst to incorporate
the companys Drop-Stop and Twist-Assist features. Drop-Stop provides spring-loaded legs to support the
back can on the rails and C-ring so that the installer doesnt need to hold the can against the tile while
tightening the clamps. Twist-Assist performs a similar function for the bafe assembly: When the back cans
are preinstalled into a conduit system, a twist of the bafe into the back can brings the Twist-Assist clips
together, supporting the bafe assembly while the installer fastens the screws. The series includes ve full-
range, standard-depth back-can models. The D4 is a 4.5-inch 60W model; the D5 and D6 are 5- and 6-inch
100W models; the D8 is an 8-inch 150W design; and the D10 is a 10-inch 200W model. Theres also a
D4LP low-prole, shallow back-can model thats only 3.6 inches deep for installation where space is limited.
800-523-4934. www.communitypro.com. Booth 817.
MP3 PLAYBACK AND RECORDING
In addition to its support for MP3 audio les, Technomads Schedulon 3.0 is the rst Schedulon to be able
to record and playback WAV les. It comes with 2GB of internal storage, which users can augment using
standard, low-cost ash memory, including USB drives. Like earlier versions of the product, Schedulon 3.0
enables manual or automatic playback of user-loaded audio from a front-panel screen and push-button
knob. Technomad has enhanced the automatic playback functionality by allowing it to be scheduled down
to the second. The company says that the new product is nearly 200 percent faster and comes with an up-
dated, more intuitive interface. Theres an internal power backup option that provides up to 20 minutes of
battery-powered operation. 617-275-8898. www.technomad.com. Booth 537.
PRO LOUDSPEAKERS
Not only is Tannoy introducing a line of loudspeakers,
its collaborating with Lab.gruppen on self-powered
versions of the products. With more enclosures and
transducer complements, the VX Series comprises 10
passive speakers with Tannoys Dual Concentric point-
source driver. It includes 12- and 15-inch models that
mark the debut of Tannoys Q-Centric Waveguide for
better pattern control, as well as twin-driver models
for enhanced LF performance and versatility. Among
the 10 passive models are nine that incorporate Lab.
gruppens new IntelliDrive energy-efcient amplier.
The self-powered speakers will be sold as the VXP
series. The new cabinet design includes new Integrip
handles in all but the two smallest enclosures for easy
lifting. 519-745-1158. www.tannoy.com. Booth 709.
NEW AT
LOUDSPEAKERS
In response to what it says is demand for higher-
powered enclosures, Martin Audio is adding the
X12 and X15 (pictured) to its line of Blackn loud-
speakers. The X12 is a compact two-way system
with a high-specication 12-inch LF drive unit and
a 1-inch exit compression driver, mounted on a
user-rotatable 80-by-50-degree constant directivity
horn. The internal HF/LF crossover is switchable
between passive or bi-amp operation, depending
on requirements. The X15 enclosure has a 15-inch
LF drive unit and 1.4-inch exit compression driver.
The X15 has the same rotatable horn. When run in
biamp mode, or with a subwoofer, Martin recom-
mends that it be used with a Martin Audio DX1.5
or DX2 controller to optimize system performance.
519-747-5853. www.martin-audio.com. Booth 129.
WIRELESS CONFERENCE PHONE
In adapting its wireless audio technology to conference phones,
Revolabs has created a unied communications solution for small-
and medium-sized customers. The Revolabs FLX combines wire-
less operation, high-quality wideband audio, 128-bit encryption,
integrated Bluetooth, and support for both analog and IP com-
munications. Users can add a variety of Revolabs microphones
to the solution, including lapel or omnidirectional tabletop mics.
Revolabs FLX eliminates the need for separate desk and confer-
ence phones because the dialer works like a telephone for hand-
set calls, as well as for setting up conference calls. In addition
to phone conferencing, callers can use the Revolabs FLX as the
audio interface for their videoconferencing units. 978-450-5400.
www.revolabs.com. Booth 1062.
WIRELESS MIC SYSTEM
Shures new Axient wireless microphone system can automatically
change frequencies, undetected by the user, to avoid interference.
It detects RF interference and moves to a clear and compatible
frequency. It also features frequency diversity, which transmits full-
bandwidth audio on two separate frequencies to ensure uninter-
rupted audio. The Axient Spectrum Manager constantly scans the
RF environment, performing frequency compatibility calculations
to assign clear frequencies to each wireless transmitter. And the
system comes with ShowLink remote control, which enables the
user to make real-time adjustments of transmitter settings, such as
audio gain, from the receiver or a laptop while the microphone is
live. 847-600-2000. www.shure.com. Booth 800.
GOOSENECK MICS
Sennheiser Electronic Corp.s installed sound group has begun shipping
two models in an entry-level series of gooseneck microphones. The MEG
14-40 B gooseneck microphone and its sister model, the MEG 14-40-L B
(which features an LED ring), include Sennheisers KE 10 cardioid capsule
in tough metal housings. It has a streamlined 40cm gooseneck with a XLR
3M connector and a exible element for precise microphone alignment.
Both come with RF shielding to protect against intermodulation from wire-
less devices. Frequency response is from 50Hz to 20kHz; impedance is un-
der 100 Ohms; and the maximum sound pressure level is 130db. Sennheiser
is aiming the mics at conference rooms, podiums, announcement desks, and
similar installations. 860-434-9190. www.sennheiserusa.com. Booth 301.
DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING
Symetrix, which makes the SymNet 8x8 digital signal processor and Jupiter processors, is
introducing the Solus line of open-architecture DSPs for small to mid-size installations. The
rst two members of the Solus family differ only in their input and output counts. Solus 4
has four mic/line (plus phantom) inputs and four outputs, whereas Solus 8 has eight mic/line
(plus phantom) inputs and eight outputs. Unlike other members of the SymNet family, the
Solus processors forego input/output expansion in favor of reduced cost, according to the
company. Both the Solus 4 and 8 have Ethernet, ARC port, RS-232 port, two control inputs,
and four logic outputs. The Solus software and hardware fully support Symetrix ARC wall
panels, SymVue (Symetrixs end-user control-panel application), and third-party control sys-
tems. 425-778-7728. www.symetrix.co. Booth 624.
INFOCOMM PRODUCTS
NEW AT
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Having previewed it at the Consumer Electronics Show, BenQ America Corp. is ready
to ship its new professional-grade, high-brightness SH960 DLP projector. The SH960 fea-
tures 5,500 lumens, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, a native 1080p resolution, and a 16:9 aspect
ratio. Its dual-lamp design allows users to opt between maximum brightness or choose
an eco-mode that extends lamp life by 50 percent, according to the company. Horizontal
and vertical lens shift allows exible placement in venues where dead-center placement
isnt possible. BenQs proprietary Wall Color Correction feature allows users to adjust
the projectors output for natural-looking color, even on tinted walls. 949-255-9500.
www.benq.us. Booth 943.
TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY
Crestrons new V-Panel 24 high-denition touchscreen features onboard HD scaling and
a 1920x1200 display resolution. The company is positioning the V24 as a way that users
can avoid installing separate TV displays and touch panels. Its compatible with Crestron
DigitalMedia switchers and routers, to which it can connect using a single DigitalMedia
8G cable, and it supports touch-panel control through either a Crestron Digital Graphics
Engine (DGE) or DVPHD High-Denition Digital Video Processor. The DGE or DVPHD
are installed separately, up to 330 feet away from the V24. The new V-Panel is HDCP
compliant for playing copy-protected content and comes with tabletop tilt or ush wall-
mount options. 800-237-2041. www.crestron.com. Booth 3001.
3D-READY SCREENS
Vutec Corp. has come out with a series of high-denition screens designed for
high-brightness, high-contrast, and wide-area viewing of 2D and 3D content.
The company says that its patented SilverStar screens employ silver-based ma-
terial combined with multiple optical layers to increase color saturation while
expanding contrast in controlled or uncontrolled lighting environments. The
SilverStar 2D/3D-A is optimized for active 3D technology, while the SilverStar
2D/3D-P is for viewing 3D through passive glasses. The SilverStar 3D is offered
in both custom and standard sizes, and it can be multiplexed for large-screen
applications. It is available in Vision X and Vutec screen brands, and in at or
curved versions. 800-770-4700. www.vutec.com. Booth 3843.
MULTI-IMAGE PROCESSOR
Projectiondesign is unveiling its Multi Image Processor WB2560, a new
system that handles image blending and geometry correction for 2D and
3D projection in visualization, training, and simulation applications.
The MIP WB260 integrates with Projectiondesign projectors and per-
forms image and geometry correction on a per-pixel basis. It is scalable,
allowing any number of channels to be combined to produce a single
image. The processing engine is transparent to the image generator and
operates at or near-zero latency, depending on the setup. DualLink DVI
at speeds up to 6.25 Gbps ensures images are free from compression ar-
tifacts at any resolution up to WQXGA (2560x1600). The MIP WB260
includes patented black-level matching, pixel-level matching, and user-
selectable ltering for enhancing detail and sharpness in blend and cor-
rection zones. 888-588-1024. www.projectiondesign.com. Booth 2262.
ULTRA SHORT-THROW PROJECTOR
Mitsubishis new EST (extreme short-throw) projectors rely on their lens-
es, not mirrors, to cast a 70-inch image from a distance less than 23 inches
from a projection surface. The rst two projectors in the new lineupthe
WD380U-EST and XD380U-ESThave USB A and B inputs, support
for computer-free presentations, LAN display, a built-in 10W speaker, au-
dio standby, closed captioning, and 3D-ready capabilities. They produce
2,800 and 2,500 lumens, respectively. The wide-format WD380U-EST
and XGA resolution XD380U-EST are ultraquiet, at 28dB, and offer a
lamp life estimated to last up to 6,000 hours in low mode. The projec-
tors have a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and use DLP technology. 888-307-0312.
www.mitsubishi-presentations.com. Booth 3400.
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DIGITAL SIGNAGE
The new iCompel Enterprise Digital Signage (EDS) from Black Box Corp.
marks the companys move into larger digital signage deployments. The system
comprises iCompel EDS Subscribers (pictured), which are small-form-factor,
Windows 7 Embedded players that are fed content by the systems iCompel EDS
Manager. The manager is available in a precongured rack-mount appliance
running Windows 7 Professional or as a VMware server application. The
VMware software can be loaded on an existing server or used as a virtualized
server in a cloud-computing environment. The EDS platform includes playlist
development and management tools, as well as editing features. Its GUI offers
drag-and-drop control for updating content, customizing messages, and issuing
alerts using Internet Explorer 7 or 8 or Firefox 3.x or 4.x. 877-877-2269.
www.blackbox.com. Booth 5874.
INSTALLATION PROJECTOR
ViewSonics new Pro9500 is a high-brightness installation projector based
on 3LCD technology. It delivers 5,000 lumens, a 3,500:1 contrast ratio, and
1024x768 XGA resolution. It also has built-in 8W speakers. The Pro9500 is
stackable to create a 10,000-lumen image. It comes with a 1.7x optical zoom,
lens shift, automatic vertical keystone correction, and wide throw ratio for
mounting exibility. Along with built-in network connectivity, the Pro9500
supports PC-free slide show presentations, allowing the user to project pictures
or images directly from a USB ash drive without a computer. 888-881-8781.
www.viewsonic.com. Booth 4573.
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INFOCOMM PRODUCTS
COMMERCIAL DISPLAYS
LG Electronics recently pushed further into the commercial market with a set of LED
and 3D displays. The LE530C (pictured) is LGs rst commercial LED HDTV, with a
3,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a slim 1.2-inch prole. It comes with public-display set-
tings, including the ability to clone settings for easy programming, as well as LGs invisible
speaker system, which combines style and a wide sound eld. The LED model comes in
42-, 47- and 55-inch class sizes. The LD950C series is based on LGs Cinema passive 3D
consumer technology and offers a 50,000:1 contrast ratio. The company says its aimed at
hotels, restaurants, bars, and other hospitality clients looking to differentiate through 3D
video. 800-243-0000. www.lgusa.com. Booth 2543.
LED-LIT DISPLAYS
NEC Display Solutions has begun shipping its rst large-screen LCD
display systems that use LED backlighting. The 46-inch X461S and
55-inch X551S (pictured) are less than 2 inches thick and are also
NECs rst to support the Intel Open Pluggable Specication (OPS),
which is an industry standard for built-in option slots that can help
simplify digital signage deployments. They have a native resolution
of 1920x1080 and a contrast ratio up to 4,000:1. The displays
give off 500 cd/m of typical brightness and 600 cd/m maximum
brightness, and can be oriented in landscape or portrait modes.
They have DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D, Ethernet, and serial RS-232
ports and can be tiled in videowalls as big as 10x10. 866-632-6673.
www.necdisplay.com. Booth 1901.
MOTORIZED MASKING SCREEN
Da-Lite Screen Co. introduced new, larger sizes of its Dual Masking
Electrol screen to accommodate large-venue installations. The Large
Dual Masking Electrol is now available in sizes up to 18 feet wide and
features Da-Lites step-back masking system, which means the masking
lays at against the viewing surface to prevent distracting shadows
around the projected image. The ceiling-recessed electric screen offers
a choice between two different aspect ratios: either HDTV format
that masks to NTSC video format, or Cinemascope format that
masks to HDTV format. Custom sizes and formats are also available.
The screen comes in tensioned and nontensioned models with
Da-Lites selection of proprietary front- and rear-projection surfaces.
800-622-3737. www.da-lite.com. Booth 2501.
COLLABORATION WALL TABLET
The new InFocus Mondopad is a 55-inch
tablet computer thats designed to be hung
on a wall or mobile mount and support
interactive whiteboard functionality,
cloud-based videoconferencing, and other
presentation applications. The all-in-one
display solution includes a 1920x1080
multitouch LCD, a built-in Microsoft
Windows 7based PC with Ethernet and
WiFi connectivity, a 1280x720 video cam-
era with four unidirectional microphones,
and integrated 10W speakers. It has em-
bedded Intel vPro technology, which
means it can be managed remotely
using third-party software. It has I/Os
for HDMI, component video, composite
video, S-Video, and others. The Mondo-
pad also acts as a wireless hotspot so that
users can connect directly to the tablet
and share information. 877-388-8385.
www.infocus.com. Booth 988.
NEW AT
3D PROJECTOR
Barely a prototype when it was previewed at last falls CEDIA Expo, Digital
Projections active-3D enabled, 5,500-lumen M-Vision Cine 3D is now
reportedly ready for shipment. The projector uses the same DLP DarkChip
technology as higher-end DP products and can output 3D imagery to screens
up to 14 feet wide. The Cine 3D is a native 1080p projector capable of 120
frames per second. Its generous lens-shift range of 30 degrees horizontal and
120 degrees vertical allows for exible installation. Fixed and zoom lenses
are available, with throw ratios from 1.25:1 to 3:1. Theres also a xed lens
that offers a 0.73:1 throw ratio. Connectivity options includes two HDMI
inputs, as well as RGB via D-15, component, composite and S-Video inputs.
770-420-1350. www.digitalprojection.com. Booth 3343.
WAYFINDING
Digital signage software maker Visix is taking the wraps off WayPoint, an
interactive communications and waynding tool for institutional settings. The
software license integrates a suite of customizable modules to give audiences a
one-stop source for information. The solution does not include displays or dig-
ital signage hardware, but it is designed for touchscreen displays and supports
multitouch interfaces. It comes with a channel player application, customized
layouts for 1366x768 and 1920x768 resolutions, 10 matching templates, the
Google Maps 3.0 API, and subscriptions to UPI news and Accuweather.com.
WayPoint is powered by Visixs AxisTV digital signage platform and is com-
patible with the companys new Announce content management software.
800-572-4935. www.visix.com. Booth 4142.
DIGITAL SIGNAGE PLAYER
SpinetiX, which makes small-form-factor signage players, is bringing its newest
software and hardware bundle to the U.S. The HMP200 is the companys
latest mini player (less than an inch thick) and rst to support full 1080p video
output. It has an 8GB solid-state hard drive and consumes just 7W of power.
It has HDMI and VGA video ports, plus LAN and USB connections. The
HMP200 supports most MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 avors, as well as Windows
Media 9. It also now comes bundled with SpinetiXs Web-based Fusion digital
signage software, which allows users to manage and publish content to a
connected screen, plus incorporate RSS feeds, widgets, instant messaging, and
other content. 201-375-4975. www.spinetixusa.com. Booth 4165.
NEW AT
INFOCOMM PRODUCTS
HIGH-BRIGHTNESS PROJECTORS
Christie has begun shipping its high-brightness, high-resolution L2K1000
(pictured) and L2K1500 LCD projectors. The L2K1000 is aimed at users who
need HD and HD-plus resolutions for medium to large venues. The L2K1500
is suited to rental and staging companies that require its 15,000 ANSI lumens
and 2K resolution. Both projectors include Christie 4DColor technology for
enhanced colors, a feature previously conned to lower-brightness models,
according to the company. The L2K1500 operates in several economy modes
and its integrated interval lamp switching extends lamp life. It is stackable and
comes with an optional smoke lter kit to help protect it from pyrotechnics.
866-880-4462. www.christiedigital.com. Booth 2127.
HD MULTIVIEWER
The ProductionView HD MV Multiviewer from Vaddio offers the same func-
tionality as the companys ProductionView HD, but with the addition of multi-
viewer capabilities and digital inputs and outputs. Combined with Vaddios new
TeleTouch Multiviewer Touchscreens, users can switch live feeds and create up
to 12 video thumbnails of preset shots by touching the monitor. The Production-
View HD MV is a 6x2 multiformat seamless video mixer that provides two dis-
crete outputs for dual-bus program feeds. Input signals include analog HD com-
ponent video, RGBHV, and standard-denition S-Video and composite video.
Theres also a DVI-I input for RGBHV, DVI-D, and HDMI. The system supports
HD resolutions up to 1080/60p. 800-572-2011. www.vaddio.com. Booth 1963.
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SEAMLESS SWITCHER
Analog Ways Smart Quad (pictured, second from the bottom) is among the latest products
in the companys line of Smart Series integration switchers. It has seven universal analog,
two DVI, and two HD-SDI inputs and can display four computer or video sources on the
main output. The four windows can display using 12 different preprogrammed presets.
Different effects and seamless transitionssuch as zoom, cut, fade, wipe, and slideare
available. The video output supports SD and HDTV formats in various signals types, from
composite video to HD-SDI. 212-269-1902. www.analogway.com. Booth 2963.
HDMI SWITCHER
The Atlona AT-PRO2HD1616M-SR is a 16x16 high-speed HDMI
matrix switcher, featuring 16 HDMI 1.4 inputs and 16 independently
switchable twisted-pair outputs to feed 16 separate receiver modules
(which are included). The unit has the ability to equalize, amplify,
and reclock the signal to ensure HDMI-accurate signal transmission
through long cables without quality loss, according to the com-
pany. Featuring HDBaseT technology, the AT-PRO2HD1616M-SR
extends HDMI sources up to 330 feet at 4Kx2K resolution over a
single Cat-5/6/7 cable, in addition to providing analog two-channel
stereo, bidirectional RS-232, and zone-specic bidirectional IR pass-
through up to 60 KHz. The unit also provides support for Deep Color,
HDCP content protection, and full 3D, while preserving 7.1-channel
digital audio, including DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. 877-536-3976.
www.atlona.com. Booth 3671.
DISPLAY CONTROL
Contemporary Research has upgraded its Display Express software for mangaging a facilitys dis-
plays, projectors, and TVs from a Web browser. Display Expresswhich can be loaded on an enter-
prises own computers or preloaded on a rack-mounted PCallows users to integrate, create, launch,
and schedule control commands for any number of displays on an RF coax network. Version 5.0
of the server software gives users access to personalized Web-based control panels. Panels can be
scaled from one to 45 buttons and multiple control pages. They can also be viewed on more devices,
including smartphones and tablets. Previously, only system administrators could access everything
conguration, control preset creation, scheduling, and emergency alertson a central control panel.
Now, more people can have strictly dened access to the display control network. 888-972-2728.
www.crwww.com. Booth 3521.
USB EXTENDERS
Cables To Go announced its new USB 2.0 Superbooster Extender, which the company
is aiming at classrooms where it allows users to connect to a USB device such as an
interactive whiteboard, projector, printer, scanner, or camera and from up to 328 feet
away. The Superbooster runs over Cat-5/6 cabling. A 500-milliamp power adapter can
be placed at either the transmitter or receiver end to power devices such as interactive
whiteboards. It integrates USB 2.0 connectivity into a standard Decora-style wallplate or
a USB dongle. Both the wall plates and dongles come in a small form factor in order to t
in tight spaces, and they can be mixed and matched. No software or drivers are necessary.
937-224-8646. www.cablestogo.com. Booth 2583.
SIGNAL GENERATOR
The Harris Videotek VSG-401 is a half-RU-wide, dual-link, 3Gbps,
HD/SD signal and sync generator. It provides four SDI test-signal out-
puts with selectable format, frame-rate, and signal type, and up to 16
channels of embedded audio, with group-enabled settings and global
settings for amplitude and frequency. The unit has two AES outputs,
with one output selectable as a word clock or a digital audio reference
signal (DARS). Two selectable blackburst or trilevel sync outputs are
also included. The test-signal outputs on the VSG-401 allow source ID
selection up to 19 characters. Harris says that the VSG-401 is easy to
operate, with an Ethernet port for software updates and Web-browser
control. A 110/220 universal AC adapter provides DC voltage power
input. 416-443-2752. www.broadcast.harris.com. Booth 3983.
NEW AT
NEW AT
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INFOCOMM PRODUCTS
MATRIX ROUTER
TV Ones CorioMatrix C3-340 employs the companys CorioSoftswitch, which is a rmware-
based video routing, switching, and conversion platform. The matrix automatically recognizes
any of the 16 available universal module slots when theyre installed and can handle up to 64
I/Os. When choosing scaled output modules, it also provides up, down, and cross conversion
between a variety of analog and digital video formats through 3G-SDI. The DVI-U universal
interface has a single DVI-I connector to support HDMI and DVI-I, plus analog YUV, YPbPr,
RGBHV, RBBS, RGsB, Y/C, and composite video. Advanced features include digital icker-
elimination circuitry and a high 4:4:4 full-bandwidth sampling rate for clear images. Pixel-
level motion-adaptive diagonal interpolation and noise reduction ensure high-quality de-
interlacing of PAL, NTSC, and 1080i signals. 800-721-4044. www.tvone.com. Booth 3601.
GREEN MIXER-AMP
Radio Design Labs is shipping the rst in its new HD series 35W
mixer-ampliers. The RDL HD series of high-efciency ampliers
have internal low-power-consumption processors that monitor usage
demands to completely shut down internal circuitry for maximum
power conservation and low long-term operating costs. The Class-D
amps draw less than 1W of main power while in standby mode and
automatically turn on when an audio input signal is detected. The
HD-MA35U/A (pictured) is a four-input mixer-amplier; the HD-
PA35U/A is a single-input amplier; and the HD-RA35U/A is a four-
input remote-controlled mixer amplier. All models are available with
either a 4/8-Ohm or constant-voltage (25V, 70V, or 100V) output.
800-281-2683. www.rdlnet.com. Booth 609.
KVM EXTENDERS
Building on the success of its Extio series remote graphics units,
Matrox is introducing the Avio series, a new line of full-featured,
dual-monitor KVM extenders for high-performance and collaborative
work environments. The new KVM extension solution consists of a
transmitter and receiver unit that allows users to secure the remote
computer in a climate-controlled machine room, while extending
uncompressed high-resolution digital video as well as keyboard,
mouse, and USB devices up to 1000 meters via ber-optic cable.
Avios design supports dual single-link DVI and single dual-link DVI,
delivering smooth video playback at full frame rate. 800-361-1408.
www.matrox.com/graphics. Booth 4063.
STEP-IN SWITCHER
Kramer Electronics is previewing what it calls a step-in switcher, the VP-81KSi. Its
designed to work with Kramers new SI-1VGA modules, which go into the companys
table-mount solutions, such as the TBUS line, and mount in or below conference room
tables. Meeting attendees can connect the computer graphics video and audio from their
laptops to an SI-1VGA module at their seat, which is prewired to the switcher and then
connected to a projector. The VP-81KSi is HDTV compatible and supports resolutions
up to WUXGA. It uses Kramers Kr-isp sync processing technology for producing a
sharp, stable image when the sync level is too low by restoring the signal waveform.
888-275-6311. www.kramer-us.com. Booth 2943.
USB MATRIX SWITCHING
Extron Electronics introduced two new USB matrix switcher boards for its SMX System
MultiMatrix modular, eld-upgradeable matrix switcher. The USB matrix boards can route
up to eight host CPUs to up to four peripheral locations equipped with one or more USB
2.0 devices, such as keyboards and mice, Web cams, personal media players, or portable
hard drives. They support data transfer rates up to 480Mbps and are compatible with
USB 2.0/1.1/1.0 specications. The boards are well suited to KVM matrix applications
when combined with available SMX DVI, HDMI, or VGA matrix switching boards. The
SMX USB matrix boards are available in two I/O sizes: 4x4 and 8x4. 800-633-9876.
www.extron.com. Booth 1501.
NEW AT
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Witness the cutting edge of 3D, audio, digital signage,
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GANGABLE RACKS
Chiefs newest line of AV equipment racks, the
G1 gangable rack system, adds to the companys
growing family of products, which includes
knockdown racks, enclosed racks, furniture
racks, and related accessories. The G1 series
features a fully welded steel frame for strength
and a 2,500-pound weight rating. All necessary
ganging hardware is included with the rack, so
theres nothing to forget. Ganging hardware is
accessible in front of the rack rails so that racks
can be ganged together after AV components
are loaded. The nut side of the ganging bolt
assembly is prewelded into one side of the rack
to simplify ganging. Chief says that the packaging
is designed to cushion the back of the rack for
lay-down loading. The G1 racks are UL-listed
and California Ofce of Statewide Health Plan-
ning and Development (OSHPD)preapproved.
800-582-6480. www.chiefmfg.com. Booth 2831.
INTERACTIVE MOUNT
Announced earlier this year, Chiefs WM220AUSI interactive short-throw projector
mount is now shipping. It integrates eBeam interactive technology into Chiefs tradi-
tional short-throw mount platform so that when paired with any short-throw protector,
the solution turns a projection-ready surface into an interactive whiteboard capable of
showing images 48 to 94 inches in diagonal. The system comprises a short-throw mount,
an interactive receiver (pictured), and an interactive stylus. Users install the eBeam inter-
active business or education software on a Mac or PC and connect the computer and
projector. Chiefs short-throw projector mount offers universal compatibility. Existing
Chief short-throw projector mounts can be upgraded to include interactivity by purchas-
ing a WM2I interactive kit. 800-582-6480. www.chiefmfg.com. Booth 2831.
EQUIPMENT CARTS
Da-Lite expanded its videoconferenc-
ing line of products with new wood
and metal equipment carts. The
monitor mount for each cart accom-
modates up to a 50-inch diagonal
screen, provides 5 degrees of back-
ward tilt and 15 degrees of forward
tilt, and supports 100 pounds. Each
also includes a camera shelf, which
can be mounted above or below the
at panel, and features two locking
doors, a rear locking access panel, and
14 rack spaces on each side. Two six-
outlet power strips are also located
in each side of the cabinet. The wood
carts come in a choice of seven stan-
dard veneers, four standard laminates,
as well as custom nishes. The metal
videoconferencing cart (pictured)
has two 25-by-30-inch shelves and a
pull-out keyboard shelf. It has a black
powder-coated nish. 800-622-3737.
www.da-lite.com. Booth 2501.
PLENUM HDMI CABLES
Kramers new plenum-rated CP-HM/HM HDMI cables are high-per-
formance cables with molded HDMI connectors at both ends. The
low-smoke and re-resistant properties of plenum-rated cabling allow
it to reside in air-return spaces of ceilings, oors, and walls, often sav-
ing the cost of installing conduit. The CP-HM/HM cable assemblies
are made of 26 American wire gauge (in 15- and 25-foot lengths) and
24 AWG (in 35- and 50-foot lengths) conductors. The cables come
with gold-plated connectors, which resist corrosion and provide the
best possible connectivity. They handle full 1080p/60 resolution and
are compatible with 30-bit and 36-bit Deep Color to ensure quality
images. 888-275-6311. www.kramer-us.com. Booth 2943.
EQUIPMENT RACKS
Middle Atlantic Products new BGR Series equip-
ment racks include the companys patent-pending
LeverLock interior management system, which
makes it easier to mount small devices along the
interior sides of the rack. The LeverLock system
comprises a series of tool-free vertical and hori-
zontal lacing bars and device mounting plates that
enable fast, exible installation and servicing, ac-
cording to the company. LeverLock can reported-
ly save more than four rackspaces per enclosure in
typical installations. The BGR Series racks come
in high-static and UL-listed weight capacities and
are certied for use in areas of high seismic ac-
tivity. 800-266-7225. www.middleatlantic.com.
Booth 3414.
NEW AT
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PARALLAX VIEW
,
trade show takes place in Orlando, Fla. InfoComm runs
the week of June 13 and, by all indications, its going to
be chock-full of must-see products and vendors, not to
mention the usual top-notch course offerings, pavilions,
and special events. There is lots of stuff to pack into three
days (or ve days, if you add in Super Tuesday sessions
and the Projection Summit).
Having seen whats coming down the pike at the
Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Hollywood Post
Alliance (HPA) Tech Retreat, and the National Asso-
ciation of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, I have a good
idea of the display trends youll want to monitor at the
Orange County Convention Center.
A big trend this year, and one that keeps gaining
steam, will be IPTVstreaming video, over-the-top
video, or whatever you want to call it. You will see
ample quantities of digital video encoders, decoders,
and integrated receiver/decoders (IRDs) from com-
panies such as Haivision, VBrick, Evertz, and Harris.
IPTV was a big part of the NAB Show, and not just for
traditional media distribution. Weve clearly stepped
beyond the era of wiring distributed video systems
with analog cabling. These days, converting everything
to digital and installing pipes that are large enough
to move high-denition les is where its at. The most
obvious applications would be digital signage and
videoconferencing, but you can think of plenty more
digital distribution scenarios that would apply in
retail, education, telemedicine, entertainment, and
hospitality.
The most popular codec format will be MPEG-4
AVC (H.264), which is becoming a bedrock format for
IPTV networks. It is also the basis of most Internet TV
streaming services, such as Netix, and is the codec of
choice for Blu-ray discs. If this all sounds like Greek
to you, I will once again be teaching my digital video
course on Thursday, June 16, to help get you started
(course IS058, beginning at 8 a.m.).
Another trend that is slowly trickling into our
market is wireless video and audio connectivity. No,
Im not talking about Netix streaming over WiFi, al-
though that certainly qualies. What you need to keep
an eye on is high-bandwidth connectivitystreaming
at full HDMI data rates (at least 8 Gbps) to and from
wirelessly connected media players, TVs, computer
and video monitors, multichannel audio receivers, and
other HDMI- and DisplayPort-equipped devices. (It
just so happens, Ill be teaching a class on this topic,
too, with a couple of live demos. Its course IS011 on
Wednesday, June 15, starting at 8 a.m.).
In the world of display technology, were start-
ing to see installs switching from front projection to
large LCD and plasma monitors. Its still too soon to
call this a clear trend, but the writing is on the wall,
as larger and larger LCD glass cuts start shipping to
North America. Sharp launched a 70-inch 1080p LCD
TV for the consumer channel in April and Samsung
showed a 75-inch LCD at CES. Dont be surprised to
see at least prototypes of each for the pro AV market
in Orlando, along with Panasonics 65-inch, 85-inch,
and 103-inch pro plasmas.
For a couple months now, Ive been soliciting com-
ments on the use of at panels versus projectors on
P AVs LinkedIn group, and the consensus is that
front projection is still the way to gofor now. Once
LCD manufacturers address backlight aging and move
exclusively to using LEDs, I think we will see the pen-
dulum start to swing the other way.
Large LCD monitors are quickly becoming main-
stays for data and videowalls, and there will be plenty
of those at the show. Command and control remains
a big market for tiled displays in general, but the
question is, when will this market move more aggres-
sively away from DLP rear-projection cubes to LCDs?
Samsung, Barco, Christie, Orion, and Mitsubishi are
all active players in this space, as is Prysm with its
laser-powered phosphor displays.
Maybe well even get lucky and see Samsungs 3D
wall, or a stripped-down version of Sonys 92-foot
passive stereoscopic wall that the company demon-
strated at CES. Christie also showed a 3D tiled display
at NABexpect that to pop up at InfoComm. LED/
DLP projection cubes, such as Christies Entero, will
also be an area for growth as display manufacturers
try to extend the mean time between failure (MTBF)
for these products.
Sony got everyones attention with a new line of
organic light-emitting diode (OLED) broadcast moni-
tors at the HPA Tech Retreat and followed up with
professional versions at NAB. There are currently two
sizes17 and 25 inchesand they produce beautiful
images. Theyll cost you a pretty penny, too, but the
pro versions are about one-quarter the price of the
broadcast ($4,100 and $6,100 respectively).
Panasonic also showed a 42-inch reference plasma
monitor at NAB, the rst its ever manufactured.
Hopefully it will make an appearance in Orlando,
even though the product wont ship until the fall.
Theres a 50-inch version in the works as well.
Short-throw projectors are all the rage, espe-
cially in classrooms. Hitachi has a new 2,500-lumen
short-throw (iPJ-AW250N) wide XGA projector that
made an appearance in Las Vegas and can be coupled
with a touchscreen sensor. Short of moving to large
at-screen displays, these projectors make sense for
classrooms and conference rooms that need a more
compact installation prole. Sanyo and Epson are also
heavyweights in short-throw.
Connecting everything together is another story,
and one trend you should denitely check out is the
HDBaseT standard. HDBaseT has been adopted
by AMX, Atlona, Kramer, Crestron, Extron, and
Gefen, with more manufacturers waiting in the wings.
HDBaseT can carry HDMI, RS-232, IR control, and
symmetrical 100BaseT Ethernet over Cat-5e cables
up to a maximum of 330 feet. Think about that: An
HDBaseT router also becomes an Ethernet router.
This means that existing structured-wire pulls can
be upgraded to multimedia ports. If youve installed
older UTP transmitters and receivers for applications
as mundane as moving RGBHV video and plenum
audio around, you now have an easy and quick path
to full 1080p/60 HD video and digital audio.
Oh, and did I mention? Ill touch on HDBaseT
briey during my Super Tuesday Display Technol-
ogy Trends session, at (thats right) 8 a.m. on June 14,
along with some other cool products and trends from
CES and NAB. When it comes to the emerging tech-
nologies that impact pro AV, the early bird gets the
worm. See you in Orlando.
InfoComm 2011 Trends:
Theres a Course for That
The AV industrys biggest trade show will not disappoint. And if you havent brushed up on important
technology trends such as IPTV, wireless streaming, and HDMI-over-Cat-5, nows the time.
Pete Putman is P AVs
senior contributing editor
and former InfoComm
Educator of the year. His
new P AV e-newsletter,
Wake-Up Call, covers all
things digital video.
Maybe well get lucky and see Samsungs 3D wall or a
stripped-down version of Sonys 92-foot stereoscopic wall.
Visit us at InfoComm 2011. Booth #2262.

New products. New initiatives. A whole new phase.
See the new face of projectiondesign.
projectiondesign | Teterboro, NJ | 1-888-588-1024 | sales@projectiondesign.com | www.projectiondesign.com
Because a picture is worth a thousand words.
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Da-Lite xed frame value means big audiences get big screens without having
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on the directors and producers creative vision. A result so immersive, it must
be experienced. A result that can only be achieved using large scale xed frame
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ALSO INSIDE: ANNOTATED INSTALLS | 2011 BRAND LEADERS | DOING BUSINESS IN MUSEUM AV MAY/JUNE 2011

28 MAY/JUNE 2011 | proavmagazine.com

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