JULY 2020
THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY
BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT MIND OVER METAL
SPEAKERS FEATURE
AUDIBLE ADVANCEMENTS
DIGITAL SIGNAGE
IMPORTANT MESSAGES
16x16 4K 18Gbps MATR IX SU P P OR TING
NEW C U S T O M P R O
The Custom Pro Matrix has been specifically designed to operate in challenging AV environments. Its robust housing and interlocking board configuration make both installation and maintenance a seamless experience. Advanced optional features include audio breakout, simultaneous HDBaseT™ / HDMI outputs, RS-232 pass through, and a web browser interface module for enhanced control and configuration.
PRO16HBT100CS
Custom Pro Matrix Hub featuring 16 x HDMI 2.0 inputs, 16 x HDBaseT™ outputs (4K 60Hz 4:4:4 to 70m, 1080p up to 100m) and 12 x simultaneous HDMI 2.0 outputs. J Supports 4K UHD video up to 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 (18Gbps) over HDBaseT™ using Colour Space Conversion up to 70m at 4K 60Hz 4:4:4, or up to 100m at 1080p J 16 x analogue L/R audio inputs which can be embedded onto corresponding HDMI / HDBaseT™ zone outputs J Audio breakout board with line-level volume control J 3rd Party drivers available for major commercial & residential control brands
Blustream_EI_MAY_2020.indd All Pages
4K HDR up to 40m
PRO88HBT70CS
Custom Pro 8x8 HDBaseT™ CSC Matrix (4K 60Hz 4:4:4 up to 40m) Supports 4K HDR, IP Control, PoH, 2-Way IR, 4 x Simultaneous HDMI outputs , Audio Breakout with volume control J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification over HDBaseT™ J Supports 4K resolutions including HDR (4K 60Hz 4:4:4) to a distance of 40m
J Smart Scale technology - automatic 4K to 1080p scaling
1080p up to 150m
HEX100CS-KIT
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100m HDBaseT™ Extender Set Supporting 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 (70m)
HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set Supporting HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 up to 100m (1080p up to 150m)
J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering CSC scaling with zero latency J Supports 4K UHD video up to 70m (3840x2160 @60Hz 4:4:4 and @60Hz 4:2:2 including HDR)
J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR support
M U L T I C A S T
IP200UHD-RX/TX Multicast 4K UHD Video Receiver / Transmitter J Supports up to 4K HDR UHD video sources (3840 x 2160 @30Hz 4:4:4, 4096 x 2160 @24Hz 4:4:4 and 4K @60Hz 4:2:0) J Advanced signal management for independent routing of IR, RS-232, USB/KVM, audio and video
C O N T R A C T O R
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C44-KIT Contractor 4x4 HDBaseT™ Matrix Kit J Includes 4 x HEX70B-RX HDBaseT™ Receivers
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Interactive Online Tutorials We have re-designed our regular interactive online tutorials, focused on providing convenient, bite sized insights into the latest Blustream solutions and the day to day challenges we all currently face in our rapidly evolving market. During these unprecedented times, we have increased both the content and frequency of the sessions we are hosting to bring you the most comprehensive range of interactive webinar content available in the UK.
Register now: www.blustream.co.uk/advanced-learning-portal J
Our UK Address: The Service Station,
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J Video over IP vs HDBaseT - which should you back?
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J Specifying a Custom Pro Matrix with 18Gbps support
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LE14 3QG United Kingdom.
27/05/2020 17:45
46 23 57 CONTENTS 5 FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR
July 2020 31 ESSENTIAL CEDIA
Areas of growth
Melanie Malcolm, CEDIA board member and co-founder of Bespoke Home Cinemas, takes a look at on-line success
7 ESSENTIAL NEWS
49 CASE STUDY: VILLA AFRICA
A fulsome info fix
Henri took on this luxury home project whose owner has a passion for audio and art
14 UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS
Dahua’s thermal and flow management tech could be just what you need, says Habitech’s Jonathan Pengilley
16 PULSE CINEMAS
True added value in installer support
18 INSTALL PIONEER: KICKIN IT WITH KALEIDESCAPE
Cheena Srinivasan, Founder and CEO of the high-performance content delivery platform
30 SMART THINKING
55 ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS Hardware hopes and dreams
SPEAKER FEATURE 23 CHOICES, CHOICES
Nadine Chaix- Aubriot, Waterfall Audio, examines the issues facing speaker selection
24 MONITOR YOUR AUDIO
Ai Pheng Yeap, Monitor Audio, examines some of the choices available to get maximum benefit from speaker options
Wire for a fatter-pipe future says Habitech’s Justin Martin-Lawrence
YOUR DISTRIBUTOR F www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk
27 14 18 35 27 LEVELLING THE LAND
Aaron Cattoir, Origin Acoustics, examines the growth in the exterior/garden speaker market
28 IN THE AIR
Neil Davidson looks at exterior speaker prospects
BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT FEATURE 35 SUPPORT REPORT
DIGITAL SIGNAGE FEATURE 43 WORK SMARTER
Tim Matthews, senior B2B product manager, Vestel, explains the workplace of the future
44 RISE UP
Taft Stricklin, Sales Team Manager at Just Add Power charts the rise and rise of digital signage
46 WHY, WHAT, WHERE
What’s new from Peerless AV
AGnVET Services Answers 10 Questions on Signagelive
39 STAYING STRONG
RGB Communication on delivering support
R FOR Smart Home www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk
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BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT MIND OVER METAL
SPEAKERS FEATURE
AUDIBLE ADVANCEMENTS
pages 14-15
JULY 2020
THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY
DIGITAL SIGNAGE
IMPORTANT MESSAGES
GETTING IN TOUCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Will a working from home revolution be good for installers?
JULY
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com
SALES DIRECTOR
Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com
GROUP AD MANAGER
Claire Talty, claire@allthingsmedialtd.com
PUBLISHER
David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Mark Weller, mark@allthingsmedialtd.com
ACCOUNTS
susan@allthingsmedialtd.com
BUSINESS SUPPORT ADMINISTRATOR carol@allthingsmedialtd.com
Essential Install magazine, Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Chatham, Kent ME5 8UD T: +44 (0)1634 673163 F: +44 (0)1634 673173 www.essentialinstall.com
SOCIALS /INSTALL_MAG /ESSENTIALINSTALL Whilst we make every effort that everything printed in Essential Install magazine is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur. All articles are copyright and remain the property of Essential Install magazine.
So, we have all had time to think hard about the negative impacts of the events of the last few months. Many people have suffered not just impacts on their working life, but also personal ones of the worst kind. Whilst we have struggled with these challenges as an industry and as a nation, we have also seen those in authority at the highest levels struggle to present a clear strategy. Whilst those in business always have to look to government to some degree regarding relevant guidelines,/legislation, these last few months have underlined the need also to be self-reliant and use our common sense and knowledge of our sector to find a way through. So EI thought it was high time for some positive reflection about where we go next. Some interesting thoughts on this from Habitech’s Justin Martin-Lawrence in our Smart Thinking column this month, so check it out on page 30. Martin’s direction of thought started EI thinking about what the long-term opportunities and trends might be for our industry. One that Martin touches on and seems very relevant, is that people will potentially be staying at home more as large companies realise the cost savings that a working from home revolution would deliver. There are many barriers to cross, people might not want or be able to do this and millions of jobs of course cannot be done form home. However, even taking this into account, it does seem likely that many, many more people will be doing either all of their work or at least some of it from home in the future. And what will those people need? Well a decent network
for a start, something that most homes are lacking as of right now and of course, if they are at home more, systems such as a multi-room music platforms become attractive because people are at home more and will want to enhance their breaks or work time. The lockdown has seen a surge in sales for items such as 4K TVs and other stand-alone AV products. Although this does not affect the install community directly as most of the sales have been via online ‘box em and deliver em’ retailers, will this higher level of ownership of at least one bit of event AV create a desire for more? It does seem reasonable to think so, especially as many people will have got their shiny new ‘4K’ TV home and released that without a good network and decent speakers to partner it, the amazing experience they were promised is less than what they were expecting. Who could they possibly turn to for advice? Who would be willing (restrictions permitted) to actually come to their home and give that advice as well as expertly install something that will live up their expectations? One final thought here, as lockdown has restricted movement and forced families and individuals to stay closer to their homes - have we seen a slight cultural shift in what is seen as fulfilling and important? Is there a move towards less hectic lives where the home becomes a hub of relaxed enjoyment instead of other entertainment experiences that involve more stress, more travel and ultimately less enjoyment? This type of shift is entirely possible and even if it is not true, it can be a powerful sales message. Why go to a poor commercial cinema when you can have the real thing right at home! Daniel J Sait Editor
JULY 2020 05
300 SERIES
A S O U R C E O F I N S P I R AT I O N . . .
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Add a new dimension to your music with the new 300 Series from Focal. This discreet, ingenious French design offers simple tool-free installation across a versatile range of high performance products for stereo, multi-channel and home cinema environments. Thanks to patented ‘Flax’ technology drivers and an adjustable aluminium/magnesium inverted dome tweeter, the 300 Series offers a unique and uncoloured listening experience that will give your home a whole new atmosphere.
S i m p l i f i e d i n te g rat i o n by exce l l e n ce Focal U.K. - Southampton Road, Salisbury, SP1 2LN - 01722 426600 www.focal.com/300series
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13/02/2018 10:07:03
NEWS
ESSENTIAL PEOPLE
SOME SAD NEWS IN THE AV INDUSTRY THIS MONTH Official statement from Sennheiser. It is with deep regret that we inform you that Paul Whiting passed away on the evening of Friday June 5. Paul was taken ill suddenly in early May and, although he came home for a short period, it was quickly apparent that he would not recover. The family were given the opportunity to visit Paul to say goodbye. On the Friday evening, Paul passed away peacefully in hospital. For those that did not have the privilege of knowing or working with Paul, he began his career at Sennheiser in 1990, after 15 years with former UK partner Hayden Laboratories as the head of its Professional Division as Sales and Marketing Manager. Paul was instrumental in establishing Sennheiser UK as a subsidiary and as Managing Director led the UK’s expansion. In 2007, Paul became President of Global Sales and joined the Sennheiser Executive Management Board, helping
to double Sennheiser’s turnover between 2006 and 2015. Paul spent his final year with Sennheiser as President of Strategic Collaborations, focusing on partnerships with artists, industry partners and organisations. As part of the management board for Sennheiser, Paul played an integral part in driving new business opportunities. Just some of these projects included establishing the Nordic subsidiaries, building and driving the business in the Middle East and the partnership with Sennheiser Communications. “Paul was the figurehead and driving force behind Sennheiser UK’s achievements during his time as Managing Director, and later a highly valued member of our management board,” said Sennheiser´s coCEOs, Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser. “He was admired and respected by his colleagues, both in the UK and throughout Sennheiser’s global community. We are thankful for his tireless efforts during his time with us. We will all miss him greatly.”
Statement from Peerless-AV Melinda Von Horvath, 1973 - 2020 The Peerless-AV Family and AV Industry Mourns the Passing of a True Matriarch With heavy hearts, the industry grieves the passing of Melinda Von Horvath, whose brief and brave battle with cancer ended on Tuesday May 12, 2020 at the age of 47 at her home in Amsterdam, surrounded by her closest family and friends. Melinda was laid to rest in a small and private funeral service for close relatives on Monday, May 18, 2020. Her family have advised that Melinda’s farewell is all about embracing and celebrating her life. The flower arrangements presented by family and friends were a vivid selection of happy, sunny, wildflowers, some selected from her own garden. In her all too brief time here with us, Melinda enriched the lives of so many and imprinted her unique character on so many. She was a self-confessed foodie and loved to travel. Her smile and playful humour was infectious. Her warmth for her family, friends, team and many others that knew
her was heartfelt. Her passion for rescuing animals was selfless and loving to the highest of heights. Melinda’s last four professional years were spent at Peerless-AV as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, EMEA. Her Peerless-AV family is devastated for the loss of a wonderfully beautiful individual who was a dear friend and mentor to so many. Her feisty, playful and caring approach will always be remembered fondly, and she will be greatly missed. Melinda’s network was impressively widespread on an international level having held senior positions at various major AV brands during her professional career. She loved the industry and was exceptionally passionate about building teams, encouraging personal development and giving talents room to shine. Her life achievements will be celebrated and our memories of her will be cherished. She was a renowned matriarch, inspirational leader and powerful woman in AV – always in our hearts.
JULY 2020 07
It’s official...
Lyngdorf makes the world’s best surround processors “The Lyngdorf MP-50 processor and SDA-2400 amplifiers are now in a class of their own.” Widescreen Review “The Lyngdorf MP-60 delivers the best performance I’ve heard from any processor to date and I’ve heard them all.” AVForum “After living with the MP-60 for quite some time, I’ve come to the conclusion is the best processor money can buy.” Home Cinema Choice “With RoomPerfectTM, the MP-60 produces the best sound quality heard for the lowest cost so far. You get SOTA surround sound performance for much lower cost than with other top tier contenders.” Widescreen Review “I can categorically state that I have never heard such pristine home cinema audio outside the mixing suites at Skywalker Sound.” Home Theatre Forum “In my opinion the MP-60 exists in a class of its own with performance that is best described as perfect.” AVForum
Gecko Home Cinema • 01635 268114 • www.lyngdorf.com
NEWS
MERIDIAN AUDIO CO-FOUNDER ALLEN BOOTHROYD PASSES A statement issued by Meridian Audio. It is with great sadness that we announce that Allen Boothroyd died recently. Allen graduated from the Royal College of Art in the 1960s, when not many people knew what an industrial designer did. Allen was always at pains to explain that it was not just a question of the product’s appearance, it encompassed all the production engineering and mechanical stages to take a product from concept to market. He was a talented draftsman and for most of his professional life, Allen’s designs were produced by hand, with 3D visuals as well as detailed engineering drawings. He was a great admirer of the designers and architects of the Bauhaus, notably Walter Gropius who designed the Dessau Art School, and Mies van der Rohe whose adage, ‘less is more’, Allen adhered to and often quoted. On graduation, he joined Hulme Chadwick and Partners, an architectural and design practice. His work there included the design of a new corporate identity for Bass Charrington. Together with Bob Stuart, an award-winning electronics engineer, he designed a pre-amplifier and power amplifier for a new Hi-Fi company, Lecson Audio, which earned them a British Design Council Award in 1974 and are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the V&A in London. After three years, it was time to move on and he joined Cambridge Consultants Ltd in 1972 to set up their Industrial Design division. One of his designs was an electric bicycle, awarded to the winner of the Prince Philip Designers Prize. Meanwhile, Bob had also moved to Cambridge and together he and Allen founded Meridian Audio. They designed, manufactured, and sold the entire product range themselves, with very little investment.
Allen and Bob received their second Design Council Award for the company’s 100 Series in 1982. In 1986, a new line – the 200 Series – was launched and continued to be produced until 1993. It grew to include the whole range of domestic Hi-Fi, from CD players, radio tuners, pre-amplifiers, power amplifiers, digital-to-analogue converters, and a range of multi-room components, all designed by Bob and Allen. A series of active loudspeakers (with on-board amplifiers) was developed and brought to market in 1988. By this time, Meridian Audio had become known for its state-of-the-art electronics, distinctive design style and corporate identity. In 1988, Bob and Allen were presented with their third Design Council Award by the Duke of Edinburgh, becoming the first design team to win this award on three occasions. In 1991, Allen founded his own consultancy, Cambridge Product Design Ltd, offering onestop design solutions, which he ran from his home in Little Shelford. His designs included the BBC Microcomputer, Europe’s most successful educational computer of its time, a new class of loudspeaker for Canon, the first Patientline (providing a phone/ TV/Radio console for hospital patients), the Aga Masterchef range cooker, a coffee machine, timpani drums and different types of loudspeaker for KEF, Celestion, THX and Russound. He continued as Design Director of Meridian Audio. Diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2018, the first thing he did was to buy a Porsche and book a holiday to Australia. Allen and Judy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019. He is survived by Judy, their daughter Emily, and baby granddaughter, Edie.
JULY 2020 09
TREE CABLE FOR SYSTEM NOW IN STOCK FOR NEXT DAY DELIVERY Jumper wires also available in 3 colours
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NEWS
ESSENTIAL APPOINTMENTS Philips Professional Display Solutions appoints Sian Rees, to lead global partner software strategy for pro TVs and signage ranges taking the role of Global Product Manager. With a career spanning nearly 20 years, Sian brings a wealth of AV and B2B experience to the newly-created role, having overseen a series of successful product launches into healthcare, pro-AV, augmented reality and hospitality. Her responsibilities include further developing the company’s already successful software strategy, working with trusted partners across its Androidpowered signage displays and pro TV divisions. This includes enhancing and establishing new and existing partnerships to help bring even more breakthrough benefits and added value for customers across multiple verticals, including hospitality, corporate, healthcare, education and venues.
Legrand’s Shading and Residential Controls business has announced that Charlie Derk, Director of Product Marketing for the company’s QMotion and Vantage brands, has been appointed to the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) board of directors. CABA is an international, non-profit industry association dedicated to the advancement of connected home and intelligent building technologies. Derk has worked in lighting and shading controls for more than 20 years, with roles ranging from engineering and product management to marketing and sales. At Legrand, he is primarily responsible for guiding the company’s strategic direction for shading and residential controls.
SNAP PRO LIVE DUE IN AUTUMN SnapAV has announced plans to host an inaugural global partner event this autumn. Snap Pro Live will feature virtual and local in-store sessions that include keynotes on industry trends, new product introductions, partner breakouts, unique virtual training and pro networking opportunities to forge new relationships and strengthen existing ones. “Historically, our industry has relied upon in-person events to get hands-on with products, learn about new trends and connect with other pros,” says John Heyman, SnapAV CEO. “COVID-19 is challenging all of us to develop new and compelling ways to keep these interactions going strong and Snap Pro Live is our response to this challenge. It will be an energising event that empowers our partners and pros to connect, converse and collaborate on a local and global scale.”
Professionals will be able to interact live with the SnapAV product and leadership teams, as well as other professionals in the industry. “In many ways, human connection is what makes our pros so successful, and due to our current environment, this has become much more difficult,” adds Heyman. “We’ll have a number of interactive sessions for pros to talk with us, but also to meet and talk with others in the industry. And, the event will serve as a platform for launching exciting new products.” More information on Snap Pro Live can be found on the company website. SnapAV snapav.com
A global first for the company looking to build its profile beyond the U.S
JULY 2020 11
NEWS
SOUND UNITED ENTERS INTO A PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE BOWERS & WILKINS Sound United LLC, parent company to Denon, Polk Audio, Marantz, Definitive Technology, HEOS, Classé, and Boston Acoustics, has announced it has entered into a preliminary letter of intent to acquire Bowers & Wilkins, a UK-based designer and manufacturer of precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation products, wireless speakers and branded audio systems in the automotive and television markets. “Over the course of five decades, Bowers & Wilkins built one of the most prestigious brands in the global speaker market with industry-leading acoustical engineering, iconic design and marketing,” says Kevin Duffy, CEO at Sound United. “B&W is a transformative brand and we look forward to the opportunity to finalise the transaction. This reflects Sound United’s unwavering focus to achieve its mission of bringing joy to the world through sound.” The proposed transaction remains subject to ongoing discussions, confirmatory diligence, regulatory approvals, and other required consents. Sound United and Bowers & Wilkins will release further updates in relation to the status of the proposed transaction at the appropriate time. Sound United is a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC.
Sound United was founded in 2012 and now has one of the world’s largest portfolios of audio companies and is of course home to the well-known audio brands mentioned above. The company underlines that each brand boasts its own philosophy and unique approach to bringing home entertainment to life. So, some indication here that the Bowers & Wilkins brand we know will remain mostly unchanged should the transaction go through? Currently Bowers & Wilkins is owned by Eva Automation founded in 2014 by Gideon Yu, former Facebook chief financial officer and venture capitalist. Sound United soundunited.com Some t’s to cross and i’s to dot, but talks are well underway
HOUZZ LAUNCHES HOUZZ PRO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Houzz Inc., the platform for home renovation and design, has announced the launch of Houzz Pro, an allin-one software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that the company says empowers home renovation and design professionals to stand out, win more clients, increase profits and stay connected with their clients and teams. Houzz Pro brings together Houzz’s local marketing features with easy to use business software that enables construction pros to manage their entire project and client lifecycle in one place, says the company. With Houzz Pro software and the new, dedicated mobile app, pros can manage all of their business activities and client communication from anywhere, at any time. We know quite a few installers have used the site over the years, so were interested to find out more. “Now, more than ever, home building and renovation pros are asking for tools that will help them run profitably and efficiently, and deliver an amazing client experience,” says Alon Cohen, Houzz CoFounder and President. “Houzz Pro was born from listening to feedback from our pro community, and it is important to us that this powerful solution is both affordable and easy-to-use. We understand pros in our community are facing new challenges with COVID-19 and, given these unique demands, we are providing the software to all our existing pro subscribers as part of their subscription.” With Houzz Pro software, pros can now…. o Stay connected with clients: A built-in messaging tool supports and unifies real-time chat and email communication with clients. o Communicate proactively: Pros can share updates throughout the project via a built-in client dashboard. o Manage leads: An integrated lead management tool helps pros manage their client pipeline from
Houzz and any other source to stay top of mind and win more projects. o Create and send estimates, get online approval: The new estimate creation tool enables pros to build fast, accurate estimates with products, materials, and installation costs specific to the project. o Track change orders, schedule payments: Pros can create, send and track change orders, and also get client approval through a digital signature. A new, dedicated Houzz Pro app is also available on iOS and Android for Houzz Pro subscribers. Built by the team behind the Houzz mobile app, the Houzz Pro app has all the functionality of the desktop software. New marketing and advertising features, part of every subscription, include enhanced analytics, professional website building and hosting services, a company highlight video and the ability to feature a company’s favourite review. All client communications are automatically branded with the pro’s logo and company name, for a professional company image. Subscription packages are priced to fit a wide range of budgets. To help more pros get started, new subscriptions start from £49 per month. Houzz houzz.co.uk
New, more powerful software from Houzz
JULY 2020 13
ESSENTIAL HABITECH
From wall or floor stand Dahua’s contactless TMAC terminals can process images with 99% accuracy in just 0.2 seconds
UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS If you’re seeking a way to break the inertia of lockdown, Dahua’s new thermal and flow management tech could be just what you need, says Habitech MD, Jonathan Pengilley. Today, businesses and organisations everywhere are looking for answers. Desperate for a way out of lockdown, they’re reaching for the tech that can return their operations to some semblance of normality. Amid all the contagion and confusion, anything that helps to identify and isolate potential carriers of C-19 and manage access to shops and offices could be a life saver in every sense, metaphorical and literal. Dahua’s new three-strong range of thermal camera and flow-management platforms is exactly that, having the ability to rapidly scan workers and customers for abnormally high body temperatures and to control access to any space according to a pre-set head count. As lockdown eases, hospitality businesses, private and public sector organisations (including schools), travel terminals and retail environments are ready to embrace this capability in order to limit contagion, reduce public anxiety and restore confidence - the lack of which is arguably the biggest threat to our society and prosperity.
14 JULY 2020
DEMAND IS HOTTING UP Deployed most recently by large organisations like Amazon and Network Rail, Dahua’s Body Temperature Monitoring (BTM) solution comprises a thermal camera and companion ‘blackbody’ infrared detector hooked up to a Network Video Recorder through Dahua’s DSS Express software, which unifies device and database management through a real-time display. The system automatically scans up to 30 individuals simultaneously per camera to within 0.3°C (the critical, internationally accepted value) at a maximum 3m range in a safe and completely contactless way. Efficiency of this magnitude is the key to easing congestion while maintaining robust safety standards at high flow hotspots like airports and rail terminals ( just imagine how long it would take to test a similar number with a head thermometer). Up to 256 cameras per system equates to a potential scanning capacity of 7,680 individuals in the blink of an eye. A week after its installation at Shanghai International Airport, the system had clocked over 1.2 million travellers, identifying 101 high temperature targets and, after further investigation, 60 with COVID-19. No question that Dahua’s BTM system is, literally, a life saver. And even though Dahua’s thermal tech cannot diagnose the virus, it flags high temperature and high risk more accurately and quickly than any alternative.
SAFE ACCESS FAST
More relevant still to your future business is the Temperature Monitoring Access Control (TMAC) platform, already set for deployment at Sky, BBC and energy firm EDF. It’s the one we believe has the most potential for UK shops, office buildings, schools, manufacturing, pubs and restaurants. Similarly contactless but far more integrated than the BTM system, it combines brilliant design and functionality for managing the lockdown and beyond. For this turnkey solution, the camera, temperature and facial recognition tech, along with a 7in touch-screen display are built into a single ‘terminal’, which can be wall mounted or housed in a beautifully merchandisable custom floor or turnstile stand – a desk stand follows. Developed for rapid deployment in multiple reception/exit areas within the same building, Dahua’s TMAC terminals can process facial images with 99% accuracy and measure temperature to 0.3°C resolution in as little as 0.2 seconds, cutting waiting time almost to zero. Data from each terminal is fed via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, DSS Express and NVR to a local reference database, and your customer chooses the rules of access. TMAC’s multi-layer authentication allows them to make temperature the single access test, bolt on facemask detection, add a customer flow limiting feature, or for added security, check facial ID or ID card criteria. What’s more, TMAC can be integrated with in-house video displays to notify security staff of anyone tripping the system.
ESSENTIAL HABITECH Customer Flow Management Cluster sml
The Customer Flow Management solution combines AI counting cameras and displays at multiple entry/exit points to maintain safety regs automatically
Dahua’s ‘fast-gate’ modular turnstile design is more accurate, efficient and competitive than rival systems
For all its functionality the TMAC platform is inexpensive (around £2K trade per stand) and easy to install. When integrated with thirdparty turnstile/barrier operation, for example, virtually instantaneous multi-layer authentication scanning becomes part of a single automated access system for any building or venue. New installs might opt for the peerless TMAC efficiency built into Dahua’s proprietary ‘fastgate’ turnstile design (which we’ll be selling as well). It’s a very durable solution, featuring brushless servo motors (tested beyond 5 million operations) and a diamond-polished 304 stainless-steel structure with clear acrylic barriers. Dahua’s fast-gate is modular in lane number and width (600 or 1000mm) and via TMAC, more accurate and efficient than rival systems ( just check the specs). At around £6K trade per lane it’s much better value as well.
NOT JUST FOR COVID
Leaving aside the obvious safety advantages in lockdown, imagine the applications for a safer world beyond. TMAC could be deployed for automatic school registration and pupil ID for instance, or to identify workers and visitors within a building in the event of an emergency. Almost certainly, the post COVID order will be demanding this quality of scrutiny to restore day-to-day confidence in society and return to profitability.
RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT
Dahua’s third new surveillance option is a Customer Flow Management platform, which combines AI cameras and displays running on DSS Express with NVR backup for a smarter way to control entry to retail outlets such as supermarkets and banks. Supported by a 98% counting accuracy, a flow analysis module built into the software can manage multiple entrances/ exits according to a pre-set capacity, governed by social distancing regs. When full capacity
is reached, the traffic light display turns red, preventing further access and maintaining safety on a one-in, one-out basis. The solution reduces manpower costs while delivering AI machine accuracy and contactless efficiency in response to the clear and present safety challenge.
FACE THE FUTURE
And if your customer raises GDPR in relation to face recognition, point to TMAC’s flexible authentication control options and also ‘The Surveillance Camera Code of Practice’ governing local authorities and the police, which clearly establishes ‘the protection of health’ as ‘a legitimate aim and a pressing need’ for the tech solutions that Dahua can deliver. Folks, with the appropriate checks and balances, Facial ID is here to stay. Quite apart from its enormous implications for future health and safety compliance, the advantages are far too profitable to be ignored. It will, for instance, be managing admission, express access and hotel check-in at the Universal Beijing Resort opening next year. According to Universal Parks and Resorts’ Michael Silver, facial recognition will be “the one stop for everything we do in the park”. So pick your target. Whether your potential new customer is seeking a large-scale BTM solution, TMAC for shops, schools and offices, or simply to manage numbers in any space to comply with distancing guidelines, Dahua’s new surveillance product platform is the turnkey toolkit that could help speed us all back to a recognisable normality. Custom-developed for today’s unprecedented challenges and the new world beyond, it may well be the easiest proposition you’ll ever make. Please get in touch for more information or to arrange a ‘virtual’ demo.
Developed for rapid deployment, TMAC wall or stand-mounted terminals integrate camera, temperature and facial recognition tech with a 7-inch display in a single turnkey solution for lockdown and beyond
Habitech habitech.co.uk
JULY 2020 15
ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS
PROMOTIONAL ADDED VALUE
Image courtesy of Prestige Audio, case study featured on the Pulse Cinemas websit
Pulse Cinemas MD, Mike Beatty, explains how added value for installers working with the company does not just mean great products, technical support and training, it means increased exposure too as the distributor builds a new platform to promote the expertise of its installation partners. During the recent COVID-19 situation, we as an industry and a nation have learned the true value of supporting each other to deliver a desired goal. True, none of these ideas are new, and at Pulse Cinemas we have always placed huge importance on supporting our brands and our dealers to deliver the results we all want; great projects, happy customers and strong business. However, the last few months have underlined that we can always do more and together we are stronger, no matter what the desired end result is. At Pulse Cinemas we have always tried to deliver true added value by finding and supplying the best brands in the market, delivering top-class training and building a world-class demonstration facility. At the time it was unprecedented in the UK and it was a serious undertaking not just in terms of time, but investment too. Spin forward to the now and our ambitious company HQ has completely paid off, our demonstration areas show potential customers what can be done and allow installers and our own staff to inspire customers to demand and want more from their projects. Not content with supplying these platforms, we are now creating a new initiative to assist dealers in inspiring and enthusing customers old and new, but this time in the digital world.
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PROMOTING YOU AND YOUR WORK
We have just rebuilt the entire backend of our website to make it fit for the 21st century and offer more functionality and a better platform for our dealers and their work. One of the main things we wanted to achieve with this new initiative was to create a way that dealers could build a profile and gain exposure on the site by featuring their news and, most importantly, their projects. Our Case Study section has been created solely for this purpose, so installers who are predominantly using Pulse Cinemas ‘ingredients’ in their projects, can have a place to publicise their work and get the benefit of the resources we are putting into this part of our support. So, you still have to create your own case studies to get on the site right? No, we have a team of professional writers and social media operatives to create your case studies, publish them on our website and promote via social media. We will even come and photograph them for you, so they look at their very best. Once the case study is created, it’s yours to use as you see fit. Publish it on your own site, with a link back to the Pulse website, or create physical versions of them for flyers or brochures for leaflet drops or handing out at events. Our connections in the world of consumer publishing also mean that there is often a good chance of projects being picked up for publication by respected titles such as Home Cinema Choice. Our ability to support dealers does not end with case studies - our lively and regularly updated news section is standing ready to
publish stories and news about our dealers. Have you been to a particularly successful event? Tell us about it. Have you company news to share, new recruits? A new showroom that has just been completed? Anything that adds to your story, we want to hear about. The same team of writers and online professionals will create the story for you and promote it via the new Pulse Cinemas website. The more a dealer gets involved, the more their profile will grow on the site and the more publicity they will receive. That awareness is also being worked on in other ways. In addition to creating stories and promoting them, the Pulse team has been on a major drive growing the organic SEO of our site by increasing the collaboration we achieve with our partner brands. Sharing content, linking back to each other’s sites and sharing ideas to create new types of content will deliver huge benefits for everyone involved. At Pulse Cinemas, our job is to support you, the dealer, and we are constantly striving to find new ways to do that. Our website is just the latest platform that stands ready to help you promote your work and gain more projects into the bargain! Get in touch and find out how we collaborate and create better projects together. Pulse Cinemas pulsecinemas.com
T EX E N SU IS
Smart Lighting Control & Wireless Audio • Wiring Accessories •
Easy Listening... FROM THE CEILING ON THE BOOKSHELF THROUGH THE HI-FI
PROJECTORS AND SCREENS
NEW
Also in this issue…
Hamilton’s NEW Wi-Fi Audio Range player
CONNECT STREAM PLAY
Installing audio shouldn’t be difficult. With Hamilton’s new wireless audio range it couldn’t be easier! Just connect power to your chosen device, download the Hamilton Player App, go to Wi-Fi settings, select your device and stream away…you’re done! Designed to a very high spec, the range comprises: • Wireless streaming 2x 50W amplifier plus 80W ceiling speakers • Wireless 20W multi-room active speaker • Wireless audio receiver for existing hi-fi system
Cables and connections
Assisted Living
A perfectly pitched solution for the smarter home, restaurants/bars and shops.
Ask for more information at your local wholesaler.
Scan to view NEW 2020/21 Catalogue.
To get involved, contact Claire or Ian on 01634 673163/ claire@allthingsmedialtd.com ian@allthingsmedialtd.com
Essential INSTALL MAGAZINE
www.hamilton-litestat.com +44 (0)1747 860088 info@hamilton-litestat.com
BRITISH MANUFACTURER
INSTALL PIONEERS
KICKIN IT WITH KALEIDESCAPE
This month’s Install Pioneer is Cheena Srinivasan, Founder and CEO of the high-performance content delivery platform, Kaleidescape.
Kaleidescape is nearly 20 years old. How did you first get the idea for the concept and what have been the major changes over the years? The inspiration for the Kaleidescape Premiere system came from the desire to address the needs of CEDIA dealers solving problems for their customers, who were investing in home theatres. We learned that these passionate home theatre dealers and their clients had many frustrations with their movie source product. At the time, our founder and chairman, Michael Malcom, was experiencing similar needs while setting up his own home theatre in Aspen, Colorado. Back then, DVDs and Blu-ray discs provided a way to store and play high-bandwidth, high-fidelity content. These formats created the closest available reproduction of a movie directors’ intent in the home. Kaleidescape’s focus has always been on offering products that retain that vision – great movies to be enjoyed in
18 JULY 2020
the highest fidelity, nothing less. As the physical media evolved from stereo to 5.1 to Dolby Atmos audio and from 480 to 720 to 1080p video, the Kaleidescape Premiere system improved to provide lossless versions, enabling movies and music to be enjoyed at the highest quality, exactly as the artist intended. We recognised that a cinematic experience extended beyond just playing back a movie. It involves the magical feelings you get when the lights dim automatically as a feature film begins and in gradual raising of the lights as the end credits roll. We’re so passionate about these details that we even have a technical brief on different lighting conditions for a movie night. Other automation tasks include precise screen mask adjustments, projector and audio format settings, as well as soundtrack and subtitle settings. Kaleidescape was able to recreate this magic through our integration with leading control system platforms such as Crestron, Savant, and Control4 with our control protocol API, so dealers can deliver a truly cinematic experience for home theatres and media rooms. There are other subtle benefits that the Kaleidescape experience offers our customers, like facilitating interaction in a social setting so that the group can have fun picking the movie to watch with Kaleidescape’s intuitive and refined onscreen interface. Our products have evolved over the years from physical discs to internet delivery. We’re the only company that meets or surpasses the superb quality of a shiny disc with the convenience of internet delivery, along with the largest collection of highest-fidelity content available for our customers.
Online delivery is now mainstream. What advantages has the company gained by being an early adopter of this approach? Online delivery of content is often enabled by any of the vast number of apps and inexpensive streaming devices that promote cost, convenience and ubiquitous access. Kaleidescape’s focus has always been on delivering cinematic experiences that are far superior to what these apps and devices can provide. We work closely with other brands who contribute to reproduce the home cinema experience, including high-end brands that offer 4K HDR projectors, audio processors, speakers, screens, control systems, and other products such as acoustic treatment, comfortable cinema seating, etc., that work together to create a luxury home cinema. In a way, Kaleidescape is the conductor that makes the various home cinema products perform in the orchestra. Content drives the experience. Kaleidescape provides the highoctane content to power the luxury home cinema. In the era before streaming existed, the Kaleidescape Premiere system redefined the meaning of instant gratification. Pressing play starts the movie—not menus, trailers, and FBI warnings. In the current streaming era, pressing play for a movie purchased from Kaleidescape’s Movie Store starts the movie and delivers a pristine 4K Blu-ray quality playback experience. With Kaleidescape, the customer can instantly watch a movie, a trailer, or an episode of their favourite television series. The system also makes it easy to watch our most memorable scenes from popular movies, and the ability for the customer to create their own favourite scenes.
INSTALL PIONEERS
Some changes have been introduced to the hardware line up, with some products coming to the end of their cycle. Can you explain what the changes are? Initially, the company leaned on ready access to the extensive list of great titles available on shiny discs that our customers had purchased for their movie library so that they can enjoy a great home cinema experience. We’ve come to the end of the selling cycle of the Premiere products that supported shiny discs.
Kaleidescape famously fought many legal battles over the use of content. What are your main memories of that experience? Kaleidescape has always had tremendous respect for the intellectual property (IP) of content owners. We care about other companies’ IP as much as we care about our own. We tried to forge content licenses for internet delivery back in 2002, but it was a different world then: the Napster lawsuit was harming the record labels, internet bandwidth was much smaller, and DVDs represented the prevailing format for anyone interested in movies. Purchasing movies was easier and simpler than a trip to the local video rental store. Consumers were collecting discs even if they never viewed themselves as collectors. They simply wanted a cache of movies that they wanted to enjoy in the company of family and friends in their home cinema. Kaleidescape found a way to bring tremendous value for such customers. However, it was always our intent to have strong relationships with the content owners. We’re glad to have a customer base who are also great customers for the content owners, and one which cares about
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experiencing movies just as the director intended. This has helped Kaleidescape license content in the highest fidelity, for customers who own a luxury home cinema. Our vision when we founded the company was to deliver a home entertainment experience with content delivered over the internet and to reproduce a cinema experience unlike any other source. We remain committed to that vision which we are executing on today.
What are some of your favourite titles on the Kaleidescape Store right now?
Has the success of services like Netflix, Disney+, etc affected the way Kaleidescape operates?
What is the strongest selling point of the system right now?
Yes. It has led customers to invest more in media rooms and home theatres. Now is the golden era of home entertainment. The abundance of great content from a variety of sources offers customers access to more content than they could have ever imagined. On the other hand, when it comes to watching movies the way the director intended, Kaleidescape is the only company that has offered products and services to achieve this. Consumers are investing more in their home entertainment space, leading to greater opportunity for Kaleidescape because we’re complementary to the streaming services; and for the residential systems integrators, we offer a way to showcase the high-end home cinema experience with all the other fine brands that they typically include in their projects.
There was some talk a few years ago about producing an ‘entry level’ system to widen appeal - is this still an ambition? We have only invited trouble when discussing futures, so we don’t comment on our plans.
My movie interests are varied. I like Gladiator, The Dark Knight, Forrest Gump, The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption, The Departed, Black Hawk Down, The King’s Speech, Moneyball and spectacularly produced documentaries like Planet Earth and Planet Earth II.
Kaleidescape was the first product to deliver a cinematic experience for the home. Everything synonymous with an ideal home cinema features the Kaleidescape system for the content source. From dazzling, interactive cover art displays that enable the search for titles and movies that start immediately, to reference-quality audio and video and the magical experiences enabled through our metadata to control home cinema automation it all comes together to bring home a cinematic experience like never before. And we’re still the only company that can captivate a home theatre audience with sensory connection to a film.
What are your interests away from work? In addition to watching movies, I like to read a lot – again, my tastes vary quite a bit. I enjoy reading about things that makes me a better person, leader, colleague and a business partner. I work out as often possible, meditate, and enjoy gardening.
Hi-Fi sound quality in a CI package. Multi-award-winning, High-Resolution 24bit/192kHz audio processing with MQA decoder built-in Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster Amazon and Spotify streaming. Control 4, Crestron, Lutron, ELAN, RTI, URC, Push, and Roon integration Works with BluOS App, Amazon Alexa and AirPlay 2 Simple control and system expansion Multi-Room Streaming with CI features
50 years of pedigree
Powerful AV Receivers, Streamers, & Amplifiers
Powered by BluOS
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020 8977 8633 info@anatech.co.uk anatech.co.uk Unit 4, Heathlands Estate, Twickenham, TW1 4BP
MERIDIAN HAS ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT HOW YOU EXPERIENCE SOUND
WE ARE THE PIONEERS OF HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO meridian-audio.com
ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS
19” RACK SPECIALISTS! Homeowners strive to fill their homes with beautiful objects - but do enough of them know how aesthetic speakers can be?
CHOICES, CHOICES Nadine Chaix- Aubriot, Export Manager for Waterfall Audio, examines the issues facing speaker selection for today’s installation market. It is a fact that the ‘standalone’ category is not a big hit amongst installers as they often have to follow what designers or architects recommend; ‘to see nothing, have everything invisible etc’. This in turn often means the customer has not been made aware of the different design choices of speakers with amazing performance when compared to invisible or in wall speakers which often are not real high-end speakers. This means that the installer has to cleverly introduce another design solution and there is an opportunity for a real upselling and enhancement of the whole audio experience. It is also possible to introduce the idea of attractive design statement speakers, that can make an impact in a gorgeous room with other high-quality items. If you consider products like our own Waterfall Audio, part of DbM’s portfolio for the UK and Ireland, with their stunning glass speakers and timeless design, you can deliver total pleasure for the customer’s ears and eyes. They are unique dramatic enclosures, individually handcrafted in the South of France, producing the visual effect of drivers that seem to float invisibly in the room, producing real high end audiophile sonic performances and capable of handling a real cinema experience as well as twochannel audio. These are the only speakers in the world that allow you to enjoy your view and listen to your favourite music. The market is definitely ready for design oriented speakers that stand out from the crowd and add significantly to any project proposal whilst not compromising the high end sound quality.
WHEN INTEGRATION IS KEY There are a plethora of in wall / in ceiling speakers on the market at various prices, but many do not have a proper back box to create a speaker enclosure to guarantee a correct bass response. With a proper back-box the audio system becomes a real audio high-end system. In the integrated category, it is however still possible to add to the look of the room, whilst delivering the type of speaker needed for the project. For example, by adding a white or black glass frame around our Hurricane in-wall, the speaker can perfectly match the large screen TV the speakers are partnering. These are special in-walls from Waterfall because, let’s face it, just a grill showing on a wall is also not so aesthetically pleasing. In its copy call this month, EI asked makers and industry stakeholders if sometimes 2.1 was a better option for media room type installs. Regarding a good 2.1 versus a multi-channel approach, many companies propose multi-channel because their 2.1 might not be as powerful, detailed, precise and punchy. The subwoofer is the key to a good 2.1 system and we also produce a great in-wall subwoofer. We have a winning 2.1 solution with our sleek Elora Evo + Subwoofer and this, powered with the right electronics from Meridian’s 251 amplifier, gives us the crossover for perfect integration between Elora and the HF2-250S, making a very compact and compelling system. The impact this kind of set-up can have was proved on our booth at ISE earlier in the year with visitors really impressed with what an awesome combination the products were. The other advantage of a 2.1 system is that you do not sacrifice the ‘music-only- listening session’ and for the cinema session, with a little effort in listening position and optimum room set up, the experience will be fantastic.
Part of the Infrastructure range from
FIFTEEN YEARS AND COUNTING! Available from the experts at
rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on
01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY
Distributor of the Year Finalist
JULY 2020 23
ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS: MONITOR AUDIO
MONITOR YOUR AUDIO Ai Pheng Yeap, Global Marketing Manager at Monitor Audio, examines some of the choices available to get maximum benefit from the different speaker options available. In the EI copy call this month, the magazine asked about options away from the integrated in-ceiling and in-wall varieties. Many of our installations involve mounting speakers to the wall. This is a great solution for those who want to have a great sounding system without having to install in-ceiling/in-wall speakers – which can sometimes be a more intrusive and more expensive project. As you can particularly imagine, wall-mounted speakers are extremely popular in restaurants and cafés. Monitor Audio has created a special solution for this – our MASM mount and recently launched FIX-M speaker mount allow our speakers to be quickly and securely fixed. They can even be used with other speaker brands that have the same thread insert. In terms of improving our performance across the board, the Monitor Audio research and development team is continually improving our technology to deliver even better sound. When designing a new product, the team looks at every individual part to ensure that we are using the best and most appropriate component available. Our quest to deliver the perfect listening experience ensures that we always build upon our rich heritage of awardwinning loudspeaker design.
Part of EI’s copy call this month concerned the pro and cons of 2.1 systems versus the perhaps more often specified multi-channel approach for home cinema/media room applications. We do not sell too much multi-channel or too little 2 or 2.1. Our partners look at each customer’s specific requirements and then develop a bespoke system especially for them. A multi-channel or stereo system is dependent on multiple factors – room size, room function and client requirements. For example, the requirements of a kitchen will differ from a living room where the family gather to watch movies, or a dedicated music room. In a home, some rooms will be sufficient with mono, some with stereo and some would benefit from multichannel. We trust that our carefully selected and valued partners will design a system to exceed the expectations of Monitor Audio customers. Another question this month was looking at the potential of the outdoor speaker market. People continue to spend more on their outdoor spaces where they can relax and entertain. The prohibitive cost of moving home has led to many people staying put and investing in their property. In addition, we are seeing warmer weather throughout the year which is encouraging people to spend more time in their gardens. Exterior design is the new interior design. As climates become more favourable, consumers are looking to use their gardens more and to treat them like another room in the house.
Outdoor audio still sees seasonal growth, usually in projects to be finished in spring and early summer. Naturally, outdoor speakers are more popular in areas with warmer climates. Small, hidden speakers are the current product trend, but the goal is always to choose the perfect speaker for each location to guarantee fantastic sound. It is vitally important to ensure our speakers will stand the test of time and climate. Our outdoor speakers are all IP rated and have gone through vigorous testing to ensure weather resistance and durability. Our products all have comprehensive warranty policies. When positioning our speakers outside, there are usually many available listening locations including seating areas, pools, bar areas and pathways, and a choice of speaker heights. To achieve a full and balanced sound, many speakers may be required to properly cover an area and so the installer needs to take detailed care when planning the installation. If this initial planning work is not correctly completed, then it will not be possible to experience the true performance of the speaker. Another challenging aspect for exterior audio is bass, as outdoors there is no room reinforcement. So, to prevent loss of bass, the designer must carefully position the speakers especially the subwoofers.
Wall mounting options are a good option to keep in mind
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Ultra-discreet loudspeakers for any location British loudspeaker designer, Monitor Audio, has a range of Custom Install speakers for every situation. Their ultra-discreet In-ceiling and In-wall speakers deliver a stunning audio performance whilst protecting the room’s décor. For more extreme environments, such as outdoor terraces or pool rooms, they offer a choice of speaker ranges, all of which deliver Monitor Audio’s award-winning sound.
monitoraudio.com/install
MA CI Essential Install Mar20 Ad.indd 1
21/02/2020 11:07
ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS: ORIGIN ACOUSTICS
THE LIE OF THE LANDSCAPE Aaron Cattoir, Director of Marketing Origin Acoustics and Ambisonic Systems, examines the growth in the exterior/garden speaker market. In their modern form, landscape loudspeakers have been around at least since 1972, when Jeff Coombs (currently of Ambisonic Systems) first gutted a garden bullet light and put a hand-coated 3in driver into it. Flashforward, we have the most significant growth sector in custom integrated loudspeakers, with dozens of companies fighting for a piece of the pie, most of them very recently. How did the demand for this service so quickly ramp up? It’s because of the internet. Ten years ago, Spotify was not available in the United States, and the best system for portable digital music was still the iPod Classic. Whilst our industry did an outstanding job integrating that product into systems, ultimately faster internet speeds and cellular phones ended Apple’s reign as the music provider. This shift in the paradigm has changed more than just the source of our music. The new and given expectation is that a listener can, and shall, have their music anywhere and everywhere. The boom in landscape audio, Bluetooth speakers, and high-end headphones all stem from the same root. Bluetooth-only speakers grew from 235 million in gross sales to 2.1 billion between 2013-2018 and will reach 10 billion by 2025. With these projections, the global Bluetooth speaker market would realise an absolute growth of 90%, a leap of more than $5 billion revenue between 2019 and 2025. So, while the ‘music everywhere’ market grows on the bottom end with consumer listening devices, the top end of the market started to demand solutions that fit their calibre of home and status. A portable speaker certainly sticks out when the rest of your home has full integration. As a result, we have begun to see more and more CI companies producing outdoor loudspeakers, almost all of them based upon the original designs of Jeff Coombs. The excellent news for all of us is that this emerging market is substantial and still growing.
At Origin Acoustics, we launched the Acoustic Landscape System in 2016, and have seen first-hand the growth of this category. It’s been truly stunning to hear of the success that our partners have had outdoors. At Origin, we believe in obsoleting ourselves, so today, we are offering the latest advancements in outdoor audio loudspeakers, both in performance and aesthetics. We’ve brought Ambisonic Systems into our family and are proud to be the sole source for the next big thing in outdoor speakers, the Landscape Ribbon Six. This innovative design features a next-generation, fully weatherised magnetic planar tweeter with ultra-premium woofers to match. Two years ago, Origin Acoustics also introduced the world to the Bollard Loudspeaker, changing again the expectations of how an outdoor audio system could look and sound. All Bollard loudspeakers feature sleek, high-quality aluminium sleeves with a modern, elegant design that places Bollard in a unique position. We’ve pushed the envelope of both performance and look in this category to help differentiate our partners. In a world of look-alike products, your firm needs an edge. A novel look, top-tier performance, flexible installation methods, and fantastic well-documented plans. This is how you stand out in a market that continues to become more crowded. It would be best if you also had an experienced, reliable, and high-quality partner to ensure consistent results. If you are looking to add outdoor audio to your repertoire, the first thing to do is buy a shovel, since all the action happens underground. There is always a chance you can work with a landscaper as well, so keep an eye out. The most important concept to understand is how 100v speaker systems function. Once you have that, your skills as an integrator will carry right over. Of course, we can also help you get started. As your landscape audio partner, we offer full design services gratis to complement our comprehensive line of solutions that scale from a simple garden to a massive Manor-house with ease and style.
What has happened to the exterior speaker market in recent years?
JULY 2020 27
ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS
GARDENER’S QUESTION TIME
Exterior speakers are definitely growing in popularity
Neil Davidson, Managing Director, Genesis Technologies, takes a look outside for install options. Outdoor audio has long been a growing category but with so many people spending so much time at home and with cancelled holidays freeing up some discretionary budget, demand is booming. As with any busy market, there are numerous brands offering solutions, speakers that look like rocks or like lights or like a little plastic spaceship from war of the worlds. You have speakers that are designed to stand out boldly and make a statement and then you have ones which simply disappear altogether. The outdoor space in the home is now really becoming an extension of the indoor space and with that you have carefully designed spaces which really support the aesthetic goals of the client. In many ways, heavily planted spaces make integration of the speakers into the space easier as a form of camouflage, but it is still possible to integrate great sound into the most clinical of garden designs. As well as appearance, great care must be taken to choose a product that can handle the best of British summertime – wind, rain, hail and even the occasional bit of sunshine. This is a functional requirement but for many customers, their outdoor audio system will be looked at as a long term investment and rusty grilles or flaking paint can be just as big an issue long term than the sound quality. It is also important to consider the sound that you can achieve with outdoor audio. It is easy to do a simple stereo system, but many
28 JULY 2020
suppliers recommend a larger distributed array of speakers throughout the space. When you have a large number of speakers it is possible to consider uses beyond just music. Ambient soundscapes, calming water noises and even noise-based sound masking are all amazing effects that can be achieved with outdoor audio. Carefully chosen they can transform your client’s enjoyment of their garden especially if there are other noises such as road noise that are disturbing them when outside.
INNOVATION
One of the more novel outdoor speaker solutions is the Stealth Acoustics Stingray series. These speakers are IP68 rated against any form of water or dust ingress which ensures that they will continue to look and perform like new for years to come. The Stingray operates similarly to Stealth Acoustics line of invisible speakers, a high-power cone woofer and a 30mm
Music is not the only possibility, creating pleasing soundscapes is another option
25W neodymium directly coupled tweeter. Together, they energise the speaker’s unique FidelityGlass solid-front radiating surface to create a surprising bass response and a smooth hi-frequency output. As well as high performance and immunity to the elements, the Stingray series offers a multitude of installation options. They can be easily mounted at ground level on spikes, wall mounted on dedicated brackets or even hidden under the eaves using the handy new soffit mounting kit. Additionally, the Stingray is available in white, black or an array of custom finishes from brushed metal to textured stone to vinyl wrapped to match a wall behind. The Stealth Acoustics Stingray can solve all of your outdoor audio challenges with outstanding performance, durability and install options.
With variable acoustic lenses and easy to bury subwoofers, the Bollard Loudspeaker transforms any environment with smooth, even sound and completely unique loudspeaker aesthetics.
Contact the Invision Sales Team for more information
01359 270280 | sales@invisionuk.com
SMART THINKING
BE PRACTICAL, THINK QUALITY, FIT ‘FAST’. Wire for a fatter-pipe future, says Habitech’s Justin Martin-Lawrence. You don’t need to be a ‘Nostradamus’ to see the big data future. Streaming toward your videobinging customers from the likes of Netflix, Sky and Disney+ is an expanding banquet of content, feeding the fastest growing and biggest grossing media platform on the planet. It helped Netflix leap 169 places up the Forbes Global 2000 ranking of public companies in 2019 - the year that saw US audiences spend more money on digital entertainment than at movie theatres for the first time. And 4K movie content won’t be the only draw on bandwidth. It’s possible that within five to ten years, many millions of employees will be working from home. In May, Facebook announced that as many as half of its 45,000 staff are likely to leave HQs in Silicon Valley and London for high tech home hubs. Last month, Twitter and Spotify identified home-working as the ‘default’ status for the majority of their workers as the boom in video conferencing apps lays down a marker for things to come. Underpinning this vision is the presumption of network support because the plan collapses at the merest whiff of latency. But with so many aspirations riding on it, the provision of reliable ultra-fast home networks is where the money is. By putting rocket thrusters under bandwidth consumption, the rise in online entertainment and the predicted boom in home working will not only keep your customers at home, they’ll be
30 JULY 2020
placing a high value on their network. Factor in the growing awareness of the Wi-Fi 6 protocol, with 10G capability already supported by a bunch of compatible phones and tablets, and the need for speed is bound to accelerate. And we say ‘bring it on’, because this augurs well for business. Not since the days of the first in-wall speaker have your skills been quite so marketable and valuable. The big takeaway from our network design courses is to ensure that every element of your design is 10G-ready; that means routers, switches, plugs, patches, and of course cable – perhaps the most critical decision of all, because it isn’t easy to change after the final fix. For me the golden rule is not to treat the wires as an afterthought. They are integral to the success of your network, so be creative in your choice in order to squeeze the best performance from your budget. To hit 10G over distance in IP and HDBT it’s Hobson’s choice: you must use CAT6A. Back in the day, integrators could get away with using CAT5 and CAT6 for HDBT while the bandwidth for 1080p hovered around 5 Gigs; but 4K HDR distribution brings the bandwidth to 18Gbps, compressed down to HDBT’s 9.8Gbps headroom. That’s a headache for CAT 6, which runs out of 10G juice at around 50m. What’s more, HDBT is absolutely intolerant to errors. They will show up as snow at best, but more
likely, dropouts and fails, which is why the HDBT alliance has quietly changed its ‘runs on CAT5 message’ to ‘shielded CAT6a is recommended’. Shielding is less important when used in 10Gbe networking, where the whole concept of TCP/IP allows for error correction and re-transmission. So, while shielded CAT6A is a must for HDBT, the best unshielded CAT6A cable is good for 10Gbe networking outside ‘dirty’ high crosstalk scenarios. And choose the best construction because CAT quality is notoriously inconsistent. To give you an example, SCP’s HNC CAT 6 is specified at 550MHz (beyond the CAT6A 500MHz standard), and its HNC 6A can handle 600MHz. Although the relationship between MHz and Mbps is a bit complex, the basic rule is that higher frequencies are necessary to carry more bits of data, so it follows that, especially for 10Gbe, the best unshielded 6A cable running at higher frequencies could exceed the performance of a shielded design, as well as being slimmer, more flexible, easier to terminate and cost-effective. And always offer your customers the option of pulling fibre alongside, in these speed-aware times there’s a good chance that most will agree. As I am keen to point out in the training, please make sure you match connector quality with the cables you’re using. To pass the connection integrity test, properly terminated CAT6A is essential, so budget for professional CAT6A field terminable plugs. There’s always a cost/capability balance to be struck for every project, but it’s your job to be innovative to achieve long-term performance and reliability. And be responsible as well. When the world is gearing up for a CAT/switch bandwidth of at least 10G coupled with high PoE budgets, 1Gbe infrastructure just won’t cut it. To ensure long-term ultra-fast integrity be sure to integrate 10G capable routers, switches and matrixes, and pick the right cables, especially when you know they’ll be in the wall for years after you’ve upgraded the electronics. Assuming you want happy customers for at least that long, be practical, think quality, fit ‘fast’.
ESSENTIAL CEDIA
YOUR DIGITAL PRESENCE: THE KEY TO BUILDING BUSINESS…IF YOU’RE WILLING TO WORK AT IT
Melanie Malcolm, CEDIA board member and co-founder of Bespoke Home Cinemas, takes a look at how installers can build success online. If I told you the place to find about half of your leads was not only easily accessible, but it was also virtually free, you might not believe me. I’m going to let you in on the secret, and with a good deal of commitment and dedication, you should be able to fine-tune that lead-generation engine. Ready? It’s your company’s social media channels. Surprised? Don’t be. Let’s be clear before we go any further: I feel for my fellow integrators. Between the work we do, the businesses we’re trying to maintain, and the family life we’re trying to manage, the idea of posting on Facebook, Instagram, Houzz, LinkedIn, Twitter, your own website and more seems daunting. It can be daunting, but my company, Bespoke Home Cinemas, is proof that the hard work pays off. Your social media existence is only one part of your overall digital presence, which also includes facets like your website and any email marketing you might send. Together, they make up what I like to think of as a shop window for your business that can be accessed by clients and potential partners any time you like.
as well. Keeping the content updated on your website and social media channels helps the customer see how active your company is, so it builds trust. I often go on integrators’ websites and the first thing I look at is the news feed or blog. If that content is not fresh and updated, what does that say about the rest of the company? Even if it’s an update on your latest showroom openings or closings, an upcoming event, or news about the industry, customers will see that you are engaged. The bonus for refreshing your digital content is a higher likelihood you’ll appear where you want to appear in Google searches.
something on social media that can’t be found on the website and vice-versa. • Camaraderie is king – interact with, follow, and comment on posts from your suppliers, partners, and CEDIA. It’s a big boost to receive a ‘like’ from another integrator. • Image is everything – use your own pictures of your own work, not stock photos, to showcase your capabilities for your clients. • Mobile-friendly is necessary – if your site isn’t responsive to the customer’s screen size, you might be giving them a diminished user experience.
TOP TIPS
Your biggest hurdle will be time, but if you can carve out enough of it to solidify your digital footprint, big rewards are waiting.
To get your digital presence moving in the right direction, I recommend the following bits of advice: • Patience is a must – Our social media presence started more than a decade ago and only in the last 2-3 years is it bearing substantial leads. • What’s known is the unknown – We recently secured a job — well, three jobs — from a client who followed our work for 18 months on social media before deciding to partner. • Brevity is big – If your messaging isn’t bite-sized or it’s too technical, your audience could miss it. • Cohesion is critical – All channels must work together so the customer isn’t seeing
FINAL THOUGHT
I recommend you have a look at the new CEDIA.net. In addition to a refreshed look and user experience, CEDIA.net combines five previously-separate sites, includes features tailored to your place in the industry, and it houses CEDIA Academy, the home of our upgraded online learning platform. Bespoke Home Cinemas bespokehomecinemas.co.uk
EACH PIECE MUST PLAY WELL TOGETHER
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JULY 2020 31
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BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT
RETAIL SUPPORT RELEVANCE In recent years retail has been one of the fastest growth areas for AV and associated support products. EI takes a look at a project that includes Peerless AV products helping to create a unique Samsung KX experience space which includes a 10-metre-wide custom curved LED screen. Samsung KX is a new showcase that has been created to redefine the future of retail. The site is designed to bring together culture, community and cutting-edge technology in a dynamic environment alongside local partners. Samsung says the space represents the future of retail, designed to give guests the ultimate immersive brand experience where they can discover, be inspired and learn through a range of stimulating events, workshops and performances.
Opened in July 2019, Samsung KX is located in London’s new Coal Drop’s Yard shopping district created as a landmark destination for culture, innovation, community. The 20,000 sq ft venue is open seven days a week under normal conditions inviting guests to walk around, feel relaxed and unrestricted in the space. The site is split into different zones for a mix of live events, workshops, performances and technology experiences including a connected kitchen, living area, sound lounge, flexible working space, Samsung personalisation area and an in-house café. The key USP of Samsung KX is having everything in the Samsung portfolio under one roof and showcasing the full capabilities of connected living to help make lives easier.
THE CHALLENGE
Tasked with delivering the technology for this experience space was integrator Snelling Business Systems. Snelling worked with consultants Hoare Lea Intelligent Buildings throughout the project, which has lasted just over a year, to deliver the AV and IT infrastructure in line with the Samsung KX vision. For the centrepiece of the venue, Samsung KX wanted a creative and digital playground to attract and inspire, but also to showcase the latest technology innovation. The concept of ‘Screenmax’, a giant curved LED videowall that would be the first Samsung LED implementation globally of such a size, was to be made a reality. The technology selected to deliver the Samsung KX vision is an impressive 10.08m
JULY 2020 35
BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT
wide x 4.32m high, vertical concave curved Samsung LED screen weighing 975kg and consisting of 168 cabinets and a total of 1,008 LED modules. A custom mounting system was required that would provide the necessary structural and precision engineering capabilities to support the overhanging weight of the screen and ensure a safe and visually pleasing result. PeerlessAV was entrusted as the chosen supplier to develop this custom mounting solution under tight timescales. “Samsung have a great existing relationship with Peerless-AV for mounting solutions for LFD screens so it made complete sense to go to them for LED mounting solutions on this prestigious installation. They have demonstrated many times over, their ability to make light work of even the most challenging and complex of installations.” says Damon Crowhurst, Head of Display, Samsung Business UK. “The custom mounting system they delivered was an essential component in achieving the vision of the hugely impressive curved LED screen at Samsung KX.” Peerless-AV was tasked with delivering a huge custom mounting structure for the venue and, in cooperation with the Samsung KX technical team, Snelling and other third parties, assisted in the product design and specification process to deliver the best LED mounting solution for the application environment - the biggest European install for Peerless-AV’s LED mounting system to date. As part of the agreement, a unique, all-inclusive SEAMLESS by Peerless-AV design consultancy support offering was provided from start to finish. This encompassed full CAD drawings and structural integrity reporting, FEA reports on stress, load and deflection testing, and on-site support from Peerless-AV’s expert LED team.
THE LED PARTNERSHIP
Samsung KX ‘Screenmax’ LED wall features 21 wide x 8 high IFH015 LED panels in a vertical concave curve. The 1.5 pixel pitch LED panels leverage a compact, lightweight design and offer superior picture quality, uniform brightness and intuitive usability. Paired with Peerless-AV’s LED mounting system, the cabinets can be accessed by the front or rear to service and maintain components. Cable management is integrated into the mounting frame, which sits on a custom steel structure surrounding a complex cooling system for the building. Each arc cross section had height and depth adjustment built in to remove any irregularities in the steel structure to create a consistent foundation to mount the cabinets on. Not only was the Peerless-AV custom mounting system quick and easy to install,
36 JULY 2020
but its quality assured modularity made it straightforward to transport to the venue and prevent any damage. Precision engineered with display specific adaptors and mounting patterns, the mounting system has an aluminium frame which helped to minimise wall load. Predetermined adaptor rail locations helped speed up assembly, while tight tolerances and spacers ensured the LED cabinets were positioned correctly. Adjustment on the X, Y, and Z axis assisted with any wall imperfections, aligned pixels and smoothed any installation irregularities. On general market trends, Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV, adds, “Innovation continues in the world of mounting with new developments that offer versatility in a wide range of applications. For example, where wall mounting is not an option in an indoor setting such as stadiums, arenas, shopping
malls, food courts, hotel receptions and more, column mounts are available that are ideal for attaching digital signage displays around pillars. Displays can be supported in landscape or portrait orientation and installation is safe and easy using cut to length straps that are tightened with one bolt and a perfect fit is achieved using self-adjusting brackets. “For in-window retail environments where front access is required for window area maintenance and cleaning but the retailer wants a high bright LED display to attract passers by, floor track systems are available that allow smooth, straightforward movement of the display backwards and forwards. Alternatively, floor to ceiling cable mounts are an option for flat panel displays in window fronts, providing a neat, dependable, unobtrusive solution and an easy install.”
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part of Adept Group Plc Communications Ltd Pattrick Brothers Communications partLtd of Adept Group Plc Pattrick Brothers Communications Ltd part of Adept Group Plc apattrick@aol.com Gregg.swallow@adept.co.uk l.com Gregg.swallow@adept.co.uk also available... Pattrick Brothers Communications of Adept Pattrick Brothers Communications Ltd part ofpart Adept Group Group Plc Plc apattrick@aol.com Gregg.swallow@adept.co.uk www.kauden.co.uk www.commsgroup.com
co.uk www.commsgroup.com CAT5E, CAT6, CAT6A apattrick@aol.com Gregg.swallow@adept.co.uk apattrick@aol.com Gregg.swallow@adept.co.uk www.kauden.co.uk www.commsgroup.com Patch PDUs January 2020 : All Copyright ,KAUDEN Trade MarkPanels, and Design rights are the Ltd property of Pattrick Bros. Communications Ltd All Copyright ,KAUDEN Trade Mark and Design rights are the property of Pattrick Bros. Communications www.kauden.co.uk www.commsgroup.com www.kauden.co.uk www.commsgroup.com
the convertible wall-floor mounting data cabinet one enclosure – two applications
January 2020 : All Copyright ,KAUDEN Trade Mark and Design rights are the property of Pattrick Bros. Communications Ltd
January 2020 : All Copyright ,KAUDEN Trade Mark and Design rights are the property of Pattrick Bros. Communications Ltd All Copyright , KAUDEN/Convicab Trade Marks and Design Rights are the property of Pattrick Bros. Communications Ltd
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BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT
BACKING THE RACK Andy Atwell, Sales Director at RGB Communications, examines the recent developments in the world of product support. The 19” rack has always been a key element to any installation. Its primary goal is to house products securely and centrally, making it the ideal location to pull all cables back to. However, over the years, as the electronics have become more sophisticated, so have the racks themselves and it is not unusual to see racks that easily pull out of cabinets and swivel, allowing the engineer to access the rear of the housed products for maintenance. As office space evolves, so have the electronics and, therefore, the housing requirements. In many small offices, the need for large racks of equipment have been largely eradicated, making way for singleroom interfaces, where compatibility with the single display and fitted audio system is the primary objective. Audio amplification has also reduced significantly in both physical size and heat radiation, allowing it to be housed in substantially smaller enclousures than ever before. To this end, the racking, or rather the housing, of the electronics can now be far more stealth-like and be in the room without taking up anywhere near as much space as before. This has led to a dramatic development of localised electronics housings, including products such as the Middle Atlantic C3 Credenza Series. These subtle yet effective units hang on a wall with only a 10 inch depth, so are ideal for small spaces, walkways and even under wall-mounted displays. By mounting the
electronics vertically, a whole-room system can be housed in a centralised location. Although boardrooms have long featured connected technology, recent developments have seen the mounting of the electronics in the actual table itself! Reducing wiring to a minimum whilst offering table-top interface solutions, these dedicated boardroom solutions have seen significant interest recently. But if the table cannot be changed, we have also seen a lot of interest in hanging structures, whereby the equipment is housed in a more traditional 19” rack, which is then ‘hidden’ in the ceiling and that can be pulled down for maintenance. If any of the above options are not practical, there has also been significant interest in cheaper solutions, whereby only the very basic of construction is required. A clever example is with Lande’s Set & Stack system, which is totally universal depending on what the requirements are. Either wall, ceiling or under desk mountable, the system can be easily added too or reduced, depending on the demands of the client. For installers, one of the most critical requirements when choosing how to mount electronics is the access for maintenance. Clearly, the idea here is to install the most reliable electronics but no product is 100% reliable. Therefore, access to the rack or equipment housing is required so that an engineer can visit the site and service the relevant products. However, this is expensive and would be avoided if at all possible. In my view, one of the biggest innovations in rack design is not just the carcass itself but also the power management hidden within.
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The range of 19" rack products includes a wide-range of solutions including stand-alone, open tower, wall-mount The range ofof19" products includes and wood enclousures as well as a The range 19" rack rack products includes a wide-range including huge rangeof rack accessories, a wide-range of solutions solutions including including drawers, doors and stand-alone, open tower,wall-mount wall-mount stand-alone, open shelves, tower, cooling systems. and wood enclousures as well asas a a and wood enclousures as well huge range of rack accessories, hugeAvailable range of rack from the accessories, experts at includingdrawers, drawers, shelves, and including shelves,doors doors and cooling systems.
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JULY 2020 39
BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT
In the good old days, power was supplied to a rack by way of a standard power distribution block, either featuring 13 Amp sockets or, for those that were more sophisticated, C13 IEC sockets. Latterly, each outlet is individually switched, allowing the engineer to either power down a single device or remove/replace a device without having to power down the whole rack. One of the recent innovations to rack power has been the implementation of IP control. Remote IP switching and access reduces time on site, as the rack can be powered down and back up again safely and without causing a surge. Sensitive electronics are not harmed and a system can be pre-programmed to power up or down at certain times, saving money through not using power when the equipment is not in use. Crucially for installers, it also allows for remote diagnostics, saving significant time on engineers visiting a site to, in many cases, re-boot a product.
As the size and weight of AV equipment has changed, the types of support approaches needed have also evolved
40 JULY 2020
But there is more to IP power diagnostics than just switching a product off and on. The latest range from SurgeX, for example, also offers sophisticated monitoring and surge protection and warns the controller when it detects that a product is either unstable and/ or if there has been a blackout in the middle of the night, which might mean the equipment requires a re-boot. Another very useful innovation has been thermal detection linked with heat dissipation. Using internal sensors to monitor the general heat of either the whole rack or an individual piece of electronics, when a certain temperature is reached, the ECU automatically turns on noiseless fans for the required amount of time to reduce heat, reducing the stress on the housed electronics, which ultimately leads to increased reliability. This gives both the client and the installer long-term peace of mind for the housed electronics.
So there is a lot to think about when it comes to rack design, from the look and functionality of the rack itself through to the environment it is in and the power and thermal management of the electronics within. Essentially, the best thing is to garner as much knowledge as you can to determine what the most important factors are and seek out the right solution for the application.
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ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SIGNAGE
WORK SMARTER Tim Matthews, senior B2B product manager at Vestel, explains how digital signage and interactive screens will shape the workplace of the future. For many businesses, technology solutions have historically taken a backseat. In fact, a 2019 study by Insight found UK office workers on average lost 2.4 hours a week - amounting to 1.8 billion working hours a year - using inadequate technology. Additionally, 80% of workers claimed they do not have the appropriate technology to do their jobs properly. One consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak is that mass remote working has accelerated technology adoption. Now that software and cloud storage services - such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and AWS - have permeated the world of work, businesses may be more inclined to replicate a tech-enabled way of working once employees return to the office. Particularly as some technology solutions may also help to reduce human touch points and enforce social distancing measures. Below are some examples of what we might expect to see in the workplace of the future.
DIGITAL SIGNAGE AND VIDEO WALLS
Introducing digital signage solutions and video walls within the workplace can have a multitude of benefits, particularly as lockdown has meant consumers are more exposed to digital products than ever before. Video walls, for example, ‘upgrade’ the office to promote a techforward environment, attract new customers and talent, showcase work and create a nicer aesthetic compared to traditional paper displays. Digital signage solutions can have the same impact, but they may also help to serve
a more practical function. Screens can be used to inform employees of social distancing measures, highlight company policies such as cleaning and hygiene practices, as well as to showcase the latest information and updates from the Government or wider industry. They may also provide employees with routing information, including live updates to re-route if crowding is detected, or even in the case of a fire evacuation. These digital signage solutions can be updated easily and managed remotely, which reduces human touch points and contamination.
INTERACTIVE SCREENS
Interactive screens, when connected with software, could also play an important role within the office of the future. Not only do they help to digitise traditional meetings and training sessions - satisfying the trend towards virtual meetings and remote working - but they also improve efficiency and learning through engagement and collaboration. The screens can act as meeting hubs that support mass remote working, meaning employees can attend anywhere and anytime. For example, workers can dial into a meeting hosted in the office and collaborate on the interactive screen. All parties may then receive the notes from the whiteboard via email after the session has ended. Similarly, with training sessions, interactive screens serve as a useful tool to educate and inform in an engaging way, while also allowing remote workers to join via video calls and split screens. For those unable
to attend, sessions can also be recorded through platforms like Zoom, meaning employees never have to miss a session again.
TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT
Another trend driven by the COVID-19 outbreak is that employers are likely to be more forthcoming with upgrading employee technology equipment. For example, the surge in interactive display usage could increase the need for integration with near-field and far-field microphones as well as web cameras, enabling seamless connection for video calls without a standalone PC, laptop, or similar device. Other measures include upgrading wireless printing facilities, laptops and mobiles to support remote working and software that enables, for example, virtual building tours and measurements. For the AV industry in particular, this can support the use of AR and video to help measure and fit tailored screens and displays - reducing human touch points and helping employees adhere to social distancing policies.
THE FUTURE OFFICE
There is still great uncertainty around when the world will return to ‘normal’. However, as companies begin to realise the true benefits of tech-enabled working, the traditional workplace will be transformed indefinitely. So, whether working remotely or in the office, we can be sure that the workplace of the future will utilise tech solutions to drive engagement and become more connected than ever before.
JULY 2020 43
ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SIGNAGE
FUTURE FACING SIGNAGE
Taft Stricklin, Sales Team Manager at Just Add Power, charts the rise and rise of digital signage. There are a couple of technologies that really kicked off the digital signage revolution. The first is flat panel displays and their proliferation through every commercial space, from bars and restaurants to casinos, hotels and airports. The second is high-speed internet and the cloud-based connectivity it has enabled, which simplifies content creation and management. A good example of this is in fast food franchises with digital menu boards. Previously, each restaurant would have to populate their own boards with content, which made it difficult to create a consistent experience across all locations. Furthermore, content would have to be manually changed at certain times of the day,
44 JULY 2020
such as when the breakfast menu switched to lunch. Now, content playout can be scheduled across all players and any changes can be made at a central computer and instantaneously applied to all screens across the network. I think data will play a big role in the future, with screens playing out targeted content based on the people standing in front of them. This is already happening to an extent with interactive displays, but I see it becoming more widespread. Companies already have an enormous amount of data on all of us, and with facial recognition software and cameras incorporated into digital signage displays, they will be capable of delivering an extremely curated experience. Whether that will be welcomed by the public or viewed as an intrusion will be interesting to see.
WHERE’S THE GROWTH?
The main sectors for growth are casinos, restaurants, and retail. With the COVID-19 pandemic, retail in particular has seen an uptick. Screens are being incorporated into front windows more, so people who can’t come inside can see items that aren’t in view. In addition, they are being used for curbside pick-up to announce when people’s orders are ready and to suggest possible add-on items that they can’t see through the front window.
As mentioned above, cloud-based connectivity has really simplified content management. Playout can be scheduled and automated across all players in a network and any changes can be instantaneously applied to all screens. It’s effortless. And the actual process of creation is now much simpler than it used to be. In the early days, people were primarily creating content in PowerPoint, saving it as a JPEG or a screenshot, and using that. Now, digital signage software offers templates that make content much easier to create and update as needed.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Early on, we were involved in several large-scale projects in casinos, airports, and entertainment complexes where we gave people the ability to have video walls featuring any type of displays, or to have content adjust to screens in a portrait orientation. This was really important in grabbing the attention of viewers. Now we’ve taken it even further with our Warp Engine, which can rotate HDMI sources in 0.1-° increments in real time. So now, displays can be turned 10°, 17°, 180°, or anything in between, and we’re starting to see some really cool stuff with digital signage happen with that.
ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SIGNAGE
AGnVET SERVICES ANSWERS 10 QUESTIONS ON SIGNAGELIVE How were these objectives being met previously?
Typically, signage would be sent to a printer, then the printed promotional materials would be sent to the branch network for inclusion in merchandise displays.
How did you build a business case internally for Signagelive? AGnVET Services Group has recently completed a project powered by Signagelive; the new solution has updated physical posters for merchandising to a digital signage network, to over 40 retail locations, enhancing its customer’s experience. AGnVET Services Group is an independently owned Australian agribusiness, with specialist locally branded businesses located throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
Tell us a little about how you are using Signagelive?
We currently have Signagelive screens installed in 43 retail locations delivering marketing content to our end clients. This is a mix of 49in LG Digital Signs for locations with larger POS areas and 22.5in IAdea Screens for mounting on countertops in smaller locations.
There are other SaaS-based digital signage options out there, why did you choose Signagelive?
We reviewed four other SaaS digital marketing content solutions and Signagelive seemed to be both best fit for purpose and had a high usability option for the non-technical marketing department.
What were the reasons for implementing a digital signage network?
We could not ensure the consistency of our marketing messages to our end clients, physical posters would not be put up, or we had no control over where they were placed.
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We needed to address the issue of marketing content and new initiatives not reaching end clients/customers.
What is the best thing about Signagelive, in your opinion?
Set up is easy and it just works. I can easily see the status of devices to determine if they have been turned off or used for other purposes.
What is your favourite feature?
Players checking in and device status. We also have a very widespread customer base with different wants and needs due to location, so the ability to customise content via multiple playlist and tags has meant we are able to customise content at a granular level.
Did you face any challenges during any part of your project implementation? How were these resolved?
I think the biggest challenge was getting past the hurdle of our branch staff not really understanding what the purpose of digital signage screens were. Once they saw them
in action, they did a complete 180° turn and changed their view.
How has business improved since using Signagelive?
The digital signage definitely provides visual cues, both conscious and subconscious. I have witnessed a customer remembering to buy something when he saw an advertisement for a product. Lol, he denied he was influenced. We also had a digital sign in the window of a store we were in the process of opening and it generated sales before the shop even opened.
What advantages does Signagelive offer?
It is easy to use, very robust and a reliable system for the delivery of marketing and company messages. “Having worked in IT for over 25 years, I feel like overall, this project was, put simply – fun!” says Jay Wilkinson, Business Systems Analyst, AGnVET Services. “We covered about 7,000kms rolling out the screens, so to keep the project within budget, you need to minimise time spent at each location. Due to the fact this system just works, from unboxing a screen to installing the player, we were able to move on quite quickly. Quite often installing in four to five locations a day.” “It was a pleasure to have been given the opportunity to propose the Signagelive platform to Jay and the AGnVET Services Team. We were able to meet and exceed their expectations on many levels. The two main ones being the content management features, and choice of hardware to suit their specific needs,” adds Nick Curulli, Business Development Manager, Australia – New Zealand, Signagelive.
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VILLA AFRICA SAFARI Henri took on this high-concept luxury home project for an owner who is passionate about audio, automation and elephants. EI took the tour. Michael Sherman, Managing Director, Henri, explains, “The customer found and wanted us because he knew about our expertise in integrating technologies into luxury houses and bespoke interior design. “We know how to communicate with an interior designer, how to offer tech products that can be hidden, how to design a solution according to the client’s demands, but also the architect’s and our requirements to make it work smoothly. For this project, we were lucky to have room enough to centralise all our equipment in three racks in the basement of the house.” The owner was a true audiophile and as such, requested the very best sound quality. In addition to integrating a specific music server with McIntosh amplification in one specific room, the team had to find products for the rest of the villa that could be both integrated into the interior design, but also deliver high-end audio. The property has on display many works of art, and so as well as fitting in with the general interiors theme, the project had to take this important aspect of the home into account as well.
A lot of attention to detail was needed, such as installing flush-mounted integrated touchscreens, specific ‘profiled’ speakers, furniture-integrated subwoofers and specific finishing for biometric access. For the lighting side, the client wanted an attractive bespoke designed scheme, but also wanted the option to adjust and create scenes of his own, and save them easily. The install team created just that, so the client has complete control. The client also wanted high-level security systems, which explains the high number of cameras for this project, in addition to the access control using biometrics modules. The client also wanted to be reassured by being able to display at any time on any user interface the status of each contact opening feedback of the windows. The team also achieved impressive control over the home’s hammam (steam room). Michael explains, “At first we were just supposed to turn the hammam on and off via the automation system, as it was a completely different and independent system - however, the client requested we go further. By getting deeper information about the system, we were able to use Modbus RS485 to achieve a complete bi-directional communication with the system offering temperature settings and length of scene.
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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY: HENRI
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Michael explains, “For this project, we chose to do a full Crestron installation for lighting and shade control, audio distribution and video distribution, because we know the products are reliable and allow us to design a bespoke installation and user interfaces.” Six 7in touchscreens, four 5in touchscreens, six remote controls with integrated 3in touchscreen, one waterproof remote control, six iPad minis integrated in LaunchPort docking stations and seven iPhone apps allow the users to easily control their system.
A Crestron AV3 processor manages the whole installation communicating with the lighting, shades, temperature, music, video, home-cinema, door stations and portals, CCTV, intrusion alarm, pool coloured lighting and hammam control. A complete active LAN and wireless solution from Pakedge - composed of an RK-1 router, six managed gigabit switches, 11 indoor/outdoor wireless access points and an NK-1 Wi-Fi controller for roaming management - keeps the home fully connected. Four different VLANs have been created to optimise the network management on site. There are also two 2N IP Verso stations installed at the villa’s entrances. A dedicated SIP server has been installed to manage the communications between those stations and the indoor touchscreens, remote controls and iPad/iPhone apps. In addition, there are two electronic door locks to access the wine cave and the swimming pool. Those doors can be unlocked typing a specific code on the wall touchscreens. A total of 16 cameras, Samsung for outdoors, Axis discreet ones for indoor, keep watch over the villa. A Nuuo rack mounted NVR with a large hard-drive allows the users to check the live stream from the touchscreens of the villa and recorded video from an iPad app or computer. For the swimming pool area, a nice touch is the DMX interface that allows the control of the water colour. The pool’s covering can also be controlled as part of the system. A Domotz system monitors the installation so remote maintenance is possible. There is also a workstation installed in a specific room allowing the management of the system and the access to the cameras on site.
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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY: HENRI
As for what makes the project stand out? Michael says, “Firstly, we have beautifully integrated all of the technologies to make them disappear into the finest décor, the famous interior designer Christian Liaigre, has imagined on this project. “Secondly, this project is a brand-new construction that required a complete low voltage installation from us. We had to take care of the audio and video distribution, three home cinemas, the integration control, network, phone system, intercom, lighting and amp, shades control, video surveillance, access door, perimetric and fire alarms, HVAC control, pool security and hamman control.” “Thirdly, the owners can easily control everything from bespoke interfaces we created according to his requirements – Creston touchscreens and remotes, iPad and iPhone apps. “Finally, the project went smoothly with a very good atmosphere between the client and the companies. The collaboration with the interior designer was pleasant and productive.” Michael concludes, “The result is an installation we can be very proud of. The client was extremely pleased with Henri’s level of service and performance. We kept very good relations with him and we are now working on his vacation home in the south of France which is an even bigger project. He frequently allows us to tour his villa with other high-profile clients in order to show them what we can do. He seems very proud to show them around and does not forget to mention our exceptional service at each visit.” EI is also very pleased to announce that this project has been shortlisted in the Best Whole House category at this year’s Smart Building Awards. There is still time to enter, so get along to smartbuildingawards.com to find out more. Henri henri.fr
Essential Kit List APPLE TV x 5 Oppo UDP-203 x 3 Lecteur Blu-ray Crestron DM-TX-4K-100-C-1G x 4 Art and technology combine effortlessly in this home
Crestron DM-MD16X16 1 Crestron DMC-4KZ-HD-DSP x 11 Crestron DMC-4K-C-DSP-HDCP2 x 4 Crestron DMC-4KZ-CO-HD x 4 Crestron DM-PSU-16 1 Crestron DM-RMC-4KZ-100-C x 6 Récepteur Digital Media Sony TV FW-43BZ35F/T 1 Sony TV FW-49BZ35F/T x 2 Sony TV FW-75BZ35F/T 1 Sony TV FW-85BZ35F/T x 2 Lode Audio LA-4D x 2 Denon AVR-X4400H x 2 Bowers & Wilkins SA250 x 2 Bowers & Wilkins CCM663 x 2 Bowers & Wilkins CCM682 x 4 Sonance VP65R-SST-XT 1 Sonance IS4-SST x 2 Bowers & Wilkins CWM7.3 x 2 Bowers & Wilkins CCM7.4 x 2 Bowers & Wilkins CWM CINEMA 7 x 5 Bowers & Wilkins ISW3 x 2 Crestron TSR-302 x 5 Crestron WPR-48 1 Crestron TSW-560 x 4 Crestron TSW-760 x 6 iPORT Luxeport x 6 Pakedge RK-1 1 Pakedge SX-24 x 3 Pakedge SX-24P x 3 Pakedge NK1-CP-CG1 1 Pakedge WK-1-O 1 Luxul XRM-DTZ1 1 2N IP VARIO x 2 2N 916019 x 3
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The lighting in the pool can change colour to suit any mood
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COMPACT AND MIGHTY: VELODYNE MICROVEE MKII Now available in the UK, Velodyne says this popular sub has evolved to offer a next generation level of convenience, performance and pleasure. Available in the UK from Redline Distribution, the unit was first introduced into the market in 2006, but has now received significant updates. Listeners will notice a tighter and cleaner bass delivery, but with lots of control and speed. MicroVee MKII is not meant to shake the earth, the unit is for MDU’s and smaller residences where huge amounts of bass extension are not needed and where loud noise can also cause problems with neighbours. Made for smaller living spaces, MicroVee MKII is described as a genuine ‘plop and play’ product. Versatile in its placement options (dimensions 22.9 x 22.9 x 24.4 cm) it is designed to deliver a balanced and cohesive performance (passive radiator assisted) that belies its size; yet is versatile enough to offer high-performance across media, music and gaming. The product has few bells and whistles but has no need for them. As a result, MicroVee MKII is easy to set up and can be up and running in just a few minutes. Input wise, there are LFE, speaker level or mini-jack.
MicroVee MKII also enjoys a significant upgrade, increasing its power to 1200W RMS (2000W Peak) with new and precise DSP profiling. As well as more ‘slam’ than its predecessors, MicroVee MKII offers more control and less distortion. Other features include the single active 6.5in driver (5in piston diameter) and two 6.5in passive radiators (5in piston diameter). The machine also gets all the benefits of Velodyne’s Patented Energy Recovery System amplifier (2000W Dynamic Power) as well as enjoying strong heat dissipation and structural rigidity thanks to the ribbed extruded aluminium cabinet. There is also speaker level pass through with 120Hz crossover.
PRATGLAD (meaning ‘chatty’ in Swedish) by ProKNX is described as a world-first offline voice control system for smart homes that performs all the actions of more familiar home automation assistants without compromising privacy. PRATGLAD is billed by the company as the first voice controlled smart home assistant that uses machine learning and ‘Natural Language Understanding’ to understand and respond to a
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variety of commands said in thousands of different ways. This allows it to work offline. PRATGLAD has been designed to be an easily set up, inexpensive plug-and-play device that fans of IKEA’s Trådfri products will be able to use to control all their smart lights and blinds by voice alone with no need for a remote control, app, or tablet. But what about the pro install market? The company argues that the ease and cost-effectiveness of offering a holistic installation of a PRATGLAD system with Tradfri products makes it an interesting prospect. PRATGLAD for Trådfri is available now initially online equipped to understand English, with German or French on request. Jens Kastensson, the company’s CTO, tells EI that PRATGLAD in general could be a great income source for professional installers, as the cost of the product is low and the installation process short, so the margins they could make for offering a flat fee install could be very lucrative. On top of that, says Jens, there are many opportunities for up-sales from satellite devices, to custom scenes, to yearly maintenance service offers and so forth. ProKNX has more than 10 years of experience in developing smart home devices for the KNX Home Automation sector working in collaboration with Jung and Sonos to produce devices for the home and office. ProKNX proknx.com/en/home
Lande Set & Stack The Lande Set & Stack system is a beautifully simple and unique range of assembled floor and wall-mounts. Cleverly designed for easy stocking, transportation, construction, one-person installation and future expansion. Available from the experts at
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X MARKS THE SPOT? Denon has announced the industry’s first 8K-ready AV receivers. Building on its line of X-Series AVRs, the Denon AVC-X6700H, AVCX4700H, AVC-X3700H, and AVR-X2700H usher in the next generation of its AVR offering. The machines allow users to enjoy impressive picture quality thanks to a dedicated 8K HDMI input enabling 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through, HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR, and a new HDMI feature called Quick Media Switching (QMS), which allows a source to instantly switch the resolution or frame rate to eliminate screen blackout. The X-Series still supports HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
and Dolby Vision, as well as 4:4:4 Pure Color subsampling and BT.2020 pass-through. Several new features are included to give gamers an edge, including sharp motion clarity with 4K/120Hz pass through and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to reduce frame tearing and improve overall precision. Also included is Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Quick Frame Transport (QFT), each designed to reduce lag and improve stats. The X-Series can also upscale existing HD and 4K content to 8K so more people can experience the power of 8K resolution. However, here obviously you have to have an
8K compatible TV. With eARC and the latest HDMI connectivity up to 8K Ultra HD, the new X-Series AV receivers provide connections with the latest 8K TVs, streaming devices, gaming consoles and other source players. Support for virtually all 3D audio formats is available with the Denon AVC-X6700H and AVC-X4700H, including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X, IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D. The AVCX6700H will also support DTS:X Pro.
detection, add a customer flow limiting feature, or - for added security - check facial ID or ID card criteria. In addition, TMAC can be integrated with in-house video displays to notify security staff of anyone tripping the system. Habitech says that for all its functionality the TMAC platform is inexpensive (around £2K trade per stand) and easy to install. When integrated with third-party turnstile/barrier operation, for example, virtually instantaneous
multi-layer authentication scanning becomes part of a single automated access system for any building or venue. New installs might opt for TMAC efficiency built into Dahua’s proprietary ‘fast-gate’ turnstile design, a modular and durable solution offering market leading accuracy and efficiency, says its supplier.
Denon denon.com/en-GB
The X-Series also includes HEOS built-in and Roon compatibility
SAFETY IN (SMALL) NUMBERS As businesses and organisations look for the tech that can return their operations to normality, Dahua’s Temperature Monitoring Access Control (TMAC) solution could be the answer, having the capability to rapidly scan workers and customers for abnormally high body temperatures and to control access to any space according to a preset head count. Available from Habitech, TMAC is a contactless system which offers a turnkey solution delivering camera, temperature and facial recognition tech, along with a 7in touch-screen display built into a single ‘terminal’, which can be wall mounted or housed in a merchandisable custom floor or turnstile stand - a desk stand follows. Developed for rapid deployment in multiple reception/exit areas within the same building, Dahua’s TMAC terminals can process facial images with 99% accuracy and measure temperature to 0.3°C resolution in as little as 0.2 seconds, cutting waiting time almost to zero. Data from each terminal is fed via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, Dahua’s DSS Express software and NVR to a local reference database, and the customer chooses the rules of access. TMAC’s multi-layer authentication allows them to make temperature the single access test, bolt on facemask
Habitech habitech.co.uk
In addition to the safety advantages in lockdown, TMAC can be deployed for automatic school registration and pupil ID, or identify workers and visitors
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PRODUCTS
X MARKS THE SPOT? The new Magico M9 begins shipping in Q4 2020. UK RRP is officially ‘price on application’ but is expected to be in the region of £840,000 inc. VAT per pair. Each speaker stands over two metres tall and weighs 454kg and naturally is rammed full of the very highest tech components and materials. A summation of what the company describes as a no-holds-barred assault on the limits of dynamic loudspeaker design, the new Magico M9 has been created to establish new benchmarks in musicality, transparency and fidelity. This four-way, six-driver floor standing system features the world’s first loudspeaker enclosure to combine inner and outer skins of carbon fibre with a revolutionary aluminium honeycomb core. Included with the M9 is a state-of-the-art analogue outboard active crossover, the MXO. Designed in-house, this unit handles bass/midbass frequency separation. In addition, the M9 benefits from the latest generation of Nano-Tec speaker cones, featuring aluminium honeycomb cores. The result is described as a revelation, a loudspeaker that can present intense crescendos with unconstrained
power, yet reproduce the most delicate musical passages with transparency and stunning ‘microdynamic’ detail. The carbon fibre inner and outer skins over an aluminium honeycomb core reduces overall weight yet doubles the structural stiffness. The enclosure also incorporates the latest application of constrained layer damping using aerospace composites, plus familiar features of Magico construction including a baffle board of 6061 T6 aircraft aluminium and front-to-back tensioning rods. Through many rounds of Finite Element Analysis modelling, the company fine-tuned the enclosure design to suppress resonances and any possibility of stored energy. The design team also calibrated the organic shape of the enclosure and machined the front baffle to reduce diffraction effects to near zero. Its maker says the resulting sound field replicates that of the recording space. There is loads more detail on this on our sister website essentialinstall.com. Magico magicoaudio.com Even though the M9 has a commanding physical presence, in sonic terms, it has been created to completely vanish
SONOS GETS SET FOR SUMMER Just in time for summer, Sonos Move, the brand’s portable smart speaker, is now available in a new colour, an ultra-light grey called Lunar White. Billed as Sonos’ most versatile speaker yet, the company says Move has quickly become a customer favourite and was one of the top selling products in April for sound indoors, in the garden and whilst out and about. The Lunar White Sonos Move is available for pre-order on sonos. com for £399. Availability in Canada, US, Mexico, and China starts June 30. Europe, Australia, and Japan availability starts July 7.
Move has been designed to deliver smart, adaptable sound with surprisingly deep bass and a powerful wide soundscape that can fill outdoor spaces like patios and gardens. Move also has an extra hour of battery life, now up to 11 hours of continuous play via a recent software update. Move gains its power from its own charging base. Move is completely wireless, so users can listen on Wi-Fi when at home, or switch to Bluetooth when listening on-the-go. The product has been described as durable and if reported drop tests out the in the field are anything to go by, some planned, some not, it
does pretty well in this department. The unit also has an IP56 rating, so should be able to handle drops, sandy beaches and sweat. Its Lunar White and Shadow Black colours are UV-resistant, so should avoid overheating and protect the look of the product long term. The updated Move joins the recently launched Arc smart sound bar. Sonos sonos.com
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PRODUCTS
CONVICAB – THE CONVERTIBLE WALL-FLOOR MOUNTING DATA CABINET Pattrick Brothers Communications has been involved in the manufacture and distribution of data, AV and telecommunications equipment since 1987. Its cabinet ranges are marketed under the KAUDEN and convicab brands, as well as OEM branding for other distributors. The convicab concept is, in a nutshell, ‘convertible convenience’. The company has taken its standard wall mounted cabinet and re-engineered it for quick conversion to a floor standing version when required. It was discovered that around a third of customers who buy standard wall cabinets actually want to mount them on the floor. Recalibrated for strength, the floor section has been made suitable to accept four castors along with a range of accessories that are specially designed to accommodate both wall and floor scenarios. There are six models available in 9U, 12 and 15U and either 450 or 600mm depth. An economic solution for a floor mount cabinet. One enclosure with two applications means convenient convertibility and thus no need to stock two ranges. Lockable side and front doors are provided for security and the glass door panel is tempered to BS EN12150. Added options include wider knockouts, rear knockouts and the option to attach brush plates.
All convicabs have knockouts on the top, bottom and rear. The 9U has one rear knockout in the centre and the 12 and 15U both have two near the top and bottom. The size of the knockouts has been designed to enable a CAT5e or CAT6 patch panel removed from another device to be pulled through. The top mounted surface 5mm deep Brush Plate has been designed with the back edge open so that it can be attached after the cables have been pulled through the knockout. The back-mount surface brush plate incorporates a smooth ledge so that the cables are not resting on the cabinet edge, reducing possible damage to the cabling when floor mounting, hence the 10mm depth of the plate. The floor has been re-enforced with extra steel plates and can accept four screw mounting castors which can quickly be attached and are sold separately. KAUDEN kauden.co.uk
THE LIGHTING DESIGNER SOFTWARE LAUNCHES The Lighting Designer (TLD) software has launched – a new cloud-based design and specification tool that aims to revolutionise the lighting design industry and increase business profitability by producing technically correct and compliant designs in a matter of minutes. Created by the team behind The CEDIA Designer software (formerly known as The Cinema Designer), TLD brings together electrical design, lighting control systems and lighting fixture specification. Lighting design tends to require input from designers, electrical contractors, M&E engineers and technology integrators. While lighting designers focus on fixtures, colour temperature and colour rendering indexes, electrical
contractors and M&E engineers understand the mathematics and the requirements for electrically correct and safe electrical systems. Meanwhile, technology integrators deal with lighting control systems, installation and specific lighting control systems. TLD has been created to pull these three disciplines together, reportedly making it the only software available that covers every element of a lighting design. To start a new project, users have the option of importing their lighting system programmes or manually inputting the information into the software. From here, the user works through an easy step-by-step process of selecting fixtures, drivers and cable lengths. TLD has developed a
large catalogue of fixtures, however, there is the opportunity for users to build their own library of fixtures by adding new additions to the software. Once all information has been entered, TLD works out how many modules are required and the panel locations, and automatically designs CAD drawings. TLD’s PDF output includes everything from load schedules to photometric data, specification cut sheets to CAD drawings, a bill of materials and much more. It pulls in the manufacturer information of the panels, drivers, ballasts, interfaces and modules – creating a presentable document that’s full of data and panel diagrams in only a few seconds. The PDF can be shared with the lighting designer, electrical contractor and M&E engineer so that everyone working on the lighting project has access to the same information. The Lighting Designer thelightingdesigner.com
The Lighting Designer plans to do for lighting what TCD does for cinemas
60 JULY 2020
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