IE November 2011 Issue

01 Cover1_QX9PBJR_FINAL.qxd_IE108_p01_Cover 27/10/2011 14:20 Page 1

INSTALLATION EUROPE

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New research endorses 3D in education

The move to all-in-one conference solutions

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03 IE137_News_FINAL.qxd_IE111_p03_News&Contents 27/10/2011 14:24 Page 3

News and Contents

3D goes to top of the class Major European study demonstrates pupils learn better with 3D Children’s attentiveness rose during and after 3D elements of lessons

www.installationeurope.com

3 News The latest news from the European installation market 8 Data IPTV take-up to grow across the EU27 15 Show Preview IS Russia 41 Product Choice Our pick of the latest new products 47 Sector Showcase Cabling and connectors

. VIEWS

By Paddy Baker The use of 3D in the classroom has a significant positive effect on children’s learning and attentiveness, according to the most extensive study carried out to date in Europe.

The study, headed by Prof Anne Bamford of the University of Arts, London and the International Research Agency, compared the experience of classes in schools in seven countries using 3D learning materials with classes in the same schools who were taught the same topics using traditional 2D methods – including whiteboards and books. Corresponding lessons were structured identically within each school, with the exception of the 3D material.

Children’s knowledge of the subject was tested before and after teaching. On average, 86% of pupils in the 3D classes registered an improvement between the pre- and post-test, compared with 52% of those in the 2D classes. The average improvement was higher also: those in the 3D classes improved by 17% on average, compared with 8% in the 2D class. In addition, attentiveness was measured during the classes at fiveminute intervals; in the 3D classes, 92% of children were attentive during the 3D classes, compared with 46% in 2D. Significantly, 3D pupils remained engaged through the rest of the lesson, after the 3D element had finished.

Bamford said: “Across all of the schools involved in the study, 3D shortened the time it took for students to learn concepts, increased their attention span and resulted in overall deeper thinking from the students. The

. NEWS & DATA

findings indicate that 3D projection should be considered now and into the future when looking for ways to improve students’ learning and engagement.”

Some children reported a change in the teacher’s demeanour during 3D classes – with a number saying that the teacher became “nicer”. One possible explanation for this is that using 3D projection allows the teacher to sit with the students rather than facing them at the front of the classroom.

A total of 740 students in 15 schools in seven countries – France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and the UK – took part in the study, which was supported by DLP. Care was taken to include a diverse mix of schools, including different levels of performance and different settings (urban and rural).

The subjects studied were science-related, and the study took place over a six- to eight-week period. The children involved, who were aged 10-13, had wide experience of technology: 90% had seen a 3D film and 85% owned at least one mobile phone. Teachers interviewed in the study acknowledged the importance of high-quality technology in the education of these ‘digital natives’, who are growing up immersed in technology and have positive attitudes towards it.

The results were presented at an event in London in late September, hosted by the Company of Educators, where Prof Bamford was joined by Kathryn Macaulay, deputy head, operations and communications at the Abbey School, Reading – one of the schools in the study. Macaulay made the point that any technology in a school environment should fit into a structured learning environment. She said: “Technology should not drive what we are doing… It is not about the fact we are using a technology; we are presenting content in a way that young people really understand, accept and are willing to move on with.”

A video shown during the event highlighted the very different results that can come from teaching with 3D versus 2D. After being taught the structure of a plant cell, pupils from one UK school were asked to make a model of a cell “as it would be in life”. Without exception, the 2D class made 2D models – generally sticking materials onto pieces of paper – while the 3D class made 3D models from materials such as modelling clay.

Turn to page 34 for an interview with Prof Anne Bamford. www.dlp.com/3d

11 Opinion: AV and IT The growing popularity of video is an opportunity for AV integrators 12 Opinion Architectural scale projection is a technology to get excited about 34 The IE Interview Prof Anne Bamford of the International Research Agency on how 3D can improve children’s learning 50 Q&A The Projection Studio’s Ross Ashton discusses his passion for science and art

. MARKETS 16 Digital Cinema The search is already on for the next big thing after 3D 23 Conference Venues Is there such a thing as an all-in-one solution?

27 Control via Internet The advantages of managing devices over the internet are many 32 Sports Stadiums A recessionproof sector?

. SOLUTIONS 36 Scheepvaartsmuseum, Amsterdam The Dutch Maritime Museum has reopened after a major renovation 38 National Cycling Centre, Manchester A new audio system matches the centre’s world-class sporting facilities 39 Tapiola Hall, Espoo Cultural Centre; Strijkizer Building, The Hague Cover image courtesy of Auro Technologies

IE November 2011 3

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News and Appointments

Appointments Martin Professional has appointed Frank Schiff as project sales manager for the northern EMEA region, overseeing activities in the southern German, Austrian and Swiss markets. Schiff has been working in and around the electrical industry for more than 20 years. www.martin.com

Scott Leslie has been appointed director of engineering for JBL Professional. He has an extensive background in acoustics and technology, most recently serving as CEO of software company Evidant Corporation. He is the son of Don Leslie, inventor of the Leslie speaker featured in the Hammond B3 organ. www.jblpro.com

Neets has appointed Michael Jarl Christensen as head of sales and marketing. Christensen has held positions with TC Electronic and Lab.gruppen. In addition, Lars B Jorgensen has re-joined Neets as European sales manager. www.neets.dk

Technology consultancy Visual Acuity has appointed Damian Andrews to the position of lead consultant, project development.

His project experience includes the roles of client user, owner, operator and integrator. “Damian will lead and champion our customers’ interests and provide advice and support to architects, building engineers, vendors and other service providers on each project,” said MD Blair Parkin. www.visual-acuity.com

4 IE November 2011

Major LED install at Ibiza club Europe’s biggest kinetic 3D LED installation 8,848 RGB pixels, 76 DMX universes, 2km of cables A regular fixture in polls of the top clubs in Ibiza, Amnesia is now home to Europe’s biggest kinetic 3D LED installation, consisting of 8,848 RGB pixels in 76 DMX universes controlled

by Madrix software.

With something different happening in the club every night, the brief was for something that was “functional and spectacular at the same time”.

The fixtures were customised for Amnesia by LEDsControl (Madrix’s Spanish distributor). Three hundred and fifty-four LED tubes, 1m long, contain 32 SMD RGB LEDs – a pair of LEDs being controlled as one pixel via

Picture: Amnesia Ibiza

DMX. The fixtures are attached in 45° zigzags and form a train of ‘diamonds’ that cover the ceiling, horizontal platforms (some of which are movable) and inclined roof.

In addition, 1m vertical fixtures are positioned below every intersection of horizontal tubes; four LEDs are controlled as one pixel via DMX to offer a 360° view. The 3D effect is delivered by 217 tubes in total.

The setup is controlled by Madrix LED control software, and includes special effects developed by LEDsControl for Amnesia.

Also present in the installation are videowalls, moving heads, and a grandMA2 console, which also controls Madrix remotely via DMX-in, and an AKAI APC-20 MIDI controller.

The installation consumes 10,000W of power and uses more than 2km of cables. www.madrix.com www.ledscontrol.com

Record dnp order for Paradigm Audio Visual EDUCATION VIDEO Paradigm Audio Visual has fulfilled an order for over 200 large-format front-projection display screens in the education sector – its biggest single order for this model.

The order, for dnp Supernova Core 16:10 screens, comes from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The screens, to be deployed within primary and secondary schools over the next few months, will be used in conjunction with an Optoma EW 536 singlechip XGA DLP projector and can take an HDMI feed.

Sheyne Lucock, education ICT strategy lead for the council, explained

that the desired solution was one that did not necessitate switching off lights and drawing blinds to get a bright image. “The aim all along has been to

liberate the architects – they want to get as much light into a building as possible, but of course light is the enemy of projection,” he said.

“It was our requirement that any screens should be able to function in high ambient light – and with Supernova we will be able to achieve this.

“We have a rolling programme of development over the next two years and will now standardise on the dnp Supernova Cores.”

The fit-outs will be carried out by various contractors in conjunction with RM Education, the Borough’s ICT partner. www.rearpro.com

www.installationeurope.com

full page_full page 13/10/2011 12:25 Page 50

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06 IE137_NewsComment_FINAL_IE113_p10_Comment&Diary 27/10/2011 16:27 Page 6

News and Comment

Editor’s Comment

For your diary

Teaching takes shape

International CES 10-13 January Las Vegas, US www.cesweb.org

Classroom 3D? We didn’t have that in my day – more’s the pity hat was your worst subject at school?

If we disregard anything sport-related, which thankfully the schools I attended never marked you on, I would say that I struggled most at geography. I don’t know what it’s like now but when I was a lad, it covered topics as diverse as weather and climate, glaciation, coastal erosion, farming, map-reading, transport and trading, and probably more that I’ve gladly forgotten now.

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A lot of the time, I think my difficulties arose out of not being properly able to visualise what the teacher was telling us about. Take mapreading, for instance: “If you were standing at this grid reference, what would you see?� I knew the answer wasn’t a contour line (I only made that mistake once), but I couldn’t work out which of the symbols near that particular spot would be visible from it, and which would be obscured by another mass of contour lines.

Or take glaciers: yes, they followed the paths of rivers, changing the valley from V-shaped to U-shaped in the process, but what did they actually look like? How big were they? How fast did they move? And anyway, how could such a large valley have been carved out by such a small river in the first place?

If only I’d had a better mental picture of these physical phenomena, I think I would have been much more confident in my geographical endeavours. That’s why Prof Anne Bamford’s research study (pages 3 and 34), which shows that stereoscopic 3D makes a real difference in schools, made me wish we’d had the technology a generation ago.

Schools taught the same material to different sets of pupils using 3D and traditional 2D materials. The lessons were structured (by each individual school) identically, apart from the 3D content. The results were stunning – it’s unusual to see such strongly convincing figures in a report like this.

Significantly higher levels of learning, and much better levels of attentiveness, were reported across the board by the 3D classes.

Because schools from seven countries took part, we can be fairly sure that cultural factors aren’t significant here. Indeed, the same software package – covering science topics in English only – was used throughout. You can’t help wondering if most countries would have done even better with learning materials in their native language.

It’s also gratifying to be able to point to an application for stereoscopic 3D that provides tangible real-world benefits rather than just a wow factor.

When people say to you, “3D’s just a fad, isn’t it?�, you can tell them that it most certainly is not.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to hunt down some 3D glacier footage. paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk Press info: ienews@ intentmedia.co.uk Twitter: iepaddyb

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Industry Data

IPTV take-up set to grow The number of IPTV subscriptions will reach 60 million in the EU by 2020, writes Steve Montgomery s the penetration of broadband networks to homes and businesses continues to expand, the number of services using these networks rises at ever-increasing rates. A report from Point Topic analyses the growth of IPTV; investigating subscriber numbers, costs, trends and factors that affect the take-up of services in countries throughout Europe. “We’re projecting just over 160 million broadband subscribers in the EU27 by 2020 and just over one in three will take an IPTV subscription,” says Oliver Johnson, CEO at Point Topic.

The report shows that IPTV take-up in Europe varies widely from country to country. The success of IPTV depends primarily on two factors: whether it is available on a broadband network at a price the consumer can afford; and whether the incumbent TV services are well entrenched, limiting the attractiveness of alternative services.

Many European markets, particularly in the east, have developed their own TV

A

8 IE November 2011

delivery systems over cable networks.

Often small, local and sometimes nonprofit, these organisations serve a particular community and while they do not have the same reach as the larger players they are proving to have a loyal subscriber base.

European breakdown France is by far the greatest user of IPTV, with a total of 18.1 million users, equivalent to 28% of the population.

Germany has 10.7 million subscribers, equivalent to 12%. Johnson explains: “A number of conditions exist which have made the diffusion of IPTV in some countries much easier and quicker than in others. France, with free internet, has clearer and more transparent tariffs for IPTV. That has earned consumers’ trust and allowed them to equate the value they derive from the services with the amount they pay. It’s a simple equation but not the natural approach we’ve become used to from operators. Often the price isn’t obvious for each bundle

Projected IPTV subscribers EU27, 2020 (millions)

20

15

10

5

0

The remaining 17 countries in the EU27 are forecast to have between 0.1 million and 0.8 million subscribers

constituent and the end result is that the consumer resists purchase far more than they might if they felt they had better information.”

Point Topic analysed over 2,000 standalone and bundled tariffs from around the world in 2011 and estimated how much extra ISPs generally charge to add IPTV to a subscription. “A consumer will pay an estimated $66 per month on average for a broadband plus IPTV service. If we split out the broadband charge we get revenues today of just over $5.3 billion a year for IPTV services rising to $14.8 billion in 2020 in the EU27,” says Johnson.

“In the future, the entrance of Google and Apple in particular into the internet TV market could be a game changer.

Along with services like Netflix, Hulu and offerings from other ‘over-the-top’ suppliers, we expect a significant increase in competition leading to greater clarity and lower prices.” IE

Source: Point Topic

www.point-topic.com

www.installationeurope.com

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Opinion: AV and IT

Bob Snyder

Build vertical expertise The growing market for video is a key opportunity for AV integrators who may be more aware of how to optimise content than their IT counterparts. However, thinking vertically is a must he proportion of network traffic generated by video has crossed the statistical Rubicon of 50% and will increase to more than 90% by 2013, according to the Visual Networking Index that Cisco oversees.

That means companies and organisations have to start treating video as an equal-choice option for users alongside voice and text, in mobile as well as office-based environments.

By building comprehensive video handling into their unified communications solution architecture, IT integrators hope to be in a stronger position and support demands for visual applications whenever and wherever required.

And there’s the rub... IT integrators generally see voice, data and video as equal, and value more the raw size of ‘the pipe’. As we all know, video is not a one-size-fits-all proposition from an infrastructure point of view. A fail-safe user experience – unlike voice and data – is essential. Video is different and vive la différence.

T

In the fast lane Many IT integrators suffer a common misconception that video is ‘just another digital load’ that requires no special handling, like voice or data.

However, the reality of video is that it has very different characteristics that give AV integrators a fast lane into the networking departments.

Video uses large ‘packets’ when it travels down the network highway, travelling more like a 16-wheeler truck than the two-seater car that carries data as a passenger. And video ‘surges’ – it tends to come and go all at once – in much the same way as you see a traffic jam happening.

It is also very sensitive to the highway pavement it travels over: video is prone to delays and dropouts.

In contrast with an IT www.installationeurope.com

to narrowcast to their visitors and integrator, an AV integrator should be customers, throughout their many able to identify how video will be used locations. Content for this external in an organisation, and prioritise the communication is increasingly traffic appropriately. including dynamic video instead Video is an end-to-end issue. State-ofof static content. Generally this the-art features (such as intelligent video is canned (do we now say codec selection, automatic transcoding ‘filed’ instead?) and played as a and transrating of media in flight, and programme... although real-time tuning of the network) extend interactivity and metricsall the way through to the endpoint. gathering can add new These features help ensure a high complexity. quality of service tuned to each user, better use of network resources, and can Security. IT and AV even provide added endpoint security, Increasing storage needs will overwhelm many customers for example, detection of an unapproved integrators are not the only integrators device being attached to a video selling video into surveillance system.

Most corporations or institutions will organisations. CCTV integrators who want to evolve use five main types of business video into digital video surveillance interaction: Communication. Executives talk to integrators see a thriving each other (or to customers and business as companies show a suppliers) over a high-definition growing fondness for video that’s the connection and equipment. In this case equal of most urban councillors’.

AV integrators can try to specialise in any single component, and there’s a lot to be said for specialisation. Yet, these scenarios do more than provide five reasons why an AV integrator can drive into networking and park in a reserved spot. They add up to a sixth reason which involves the integration the video traffic is bidirectional, realof these components, ensuring that all time, high-definition and critical. This can take place at the same time in the type of video traffic needs to be carefully same place without disrupting one prioritised to avoid dropouts and delays. another’s service.

While AV integrators contemplate Internal communication. Another their role, IT vendors begin to push IT case might be a product launch video integrators down a path of a different for new employees where the traffic may type of specialisation. Vendors (in ‘ITbe live or possibly an offline recording. speak’, this includes manufacturers and In this case the handling requirements software companies) want IT are less critical than videoconferencing integrators to align themselves and the IP traffic can be prioritised vertically in the marketplace. accordingly. There may be a need to Market specialists accommodate a wide range of audience In IT, vendors want the integrators to sizes, locations (national and move from product specialisation to international), and connection types vertical industry specialisation. In other (even mobile is common) – all without words, instead of an IT integrator disrupting the network for other users. certifying to specialise in storage Collaboration. In an age of products for a company like EMC, they distributed work teams, discussing a would have to demonstrate to EMC project or document involves a variety of their knowledge of a vertical market, so connections and device types. Traffic is storage for manufacturing, two-way and most likely involves shared broadcasters or retailers. desktop content as well as live camera The shift is significant as it elevates feeds of the participants who may be in the integrator from the role of advisor the office, at home or on the road. on buying storage to a business advisor Interactivity is the new ingredient here on how to use storage. It puts the and it involves video, data and voice. integrator into the boardroom, instead of the pencil-sharpening buying office.

Digital signage. More and more It’s not that the integrator can organisations need or want the ability know less about the product. They

‘Video is not a one-size-fits-all proposition’

still require that competence but today vendors add additional competence in industry sectors that integrators must demonstrate or else lose benefits and access.

IT vendors will now value more the skill the integrator shows in understanding how any one vertical industry thinks, how this vertical reacts to market change, and how their IT needs are met. Once you learn a vertical market to sell to one customer, you can easily serve most other companies in that vertical.

Watch closely the websites of IT integrators in your area and see how they will build and promote their vertical expertise.

To get ahead of the curve, because in many ways (although not in video) we trail the IT integrator who is forged in the crucible of competition, we also need to bring ourselves closer to the vertical markets. For the same reason, AV integrators need to understand the business models of the verticals they serve so they can sell solutions instead of hardware.

Those integrators who don’t adopt ‘verti-go’ will be gone. Ignore the trend to ‘vertical’, and you’ll end up being more horizontal, flat down and out. IE IE November 2011 11

12 IE137_opinion2_FINAL.qxd_IE 26/10/2011 15:44 Page 10

Opinion

Blair Parkin

Opportunity on a grand scale Unlike some new uses for technology, architectural scale projection is genuinely worth getting excited about

t last a truly 3D application for projection that does not require glasses. The 3D comes from projecting on non-flat or threedimensional objects ranging from buildings and archaeological sites to an Airstream trailer (see YouTube link in Further Reading).

New uses for professional audiovisual technologies come and go. Many are reported as entirely new markets or application areas. Mostly there seems little to get excited about, just a minor tweak to something that already exists or something a marketeer wants us to believe is really new when in fact it is not.

However, occasionally something comes along that gets me excited and shows the extended potential to become a growing business area with specially adapted products and with companies starting up or spinning out to service whatever the new need is. I believe that architectural scale projection or ‘projection mapping’ is one such area.

To be fair, it’s not a completely new idea. Architectural scale projection is a digital interpretation of a last century idea. In 1952 Paul Robert-Houdin, curator of the Château de Chambord in France, hosted the world’s first son et lumière combining light, sound and performance using architecture as the backdrop and stage. This application of staging technology has continued at archaeological sites from the Pyramids at Giza to the ancient sites of Greece.

Companies such as E\T\C have continued to specialise in this area initially with high-power slide and light projection. This is now going digital with the latest trend seeing a much larger number of small creative companies harness what is widely available technology in innovative ways.

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An evolution The ‘digital’ application has been evolving over the past four or five years as the DLP projectors from the usual suspects – Barco, Christie and Digital Projection – have got much brighter and more reliable. Projectors of over 18,000 ANSI lumens are the staple of this application. The projectors’ optics have got a wider range of lenses and these generally have a much greater depth of field allowing sharp focus on the bumps, curves and discontinuities of a building, monument or stage set.

The favourite projector of the architectural scale projection community is currently the Christie 20k Roadster, so much so that Christie 12 IE November 2011

Clockwise from top left: Radio City Music Hall, before, during mapping, and the result

Christie’s InfoComm booth with 20k Roadster

acknowledged the importance of this application area by making an example the centrepiece of its InfoComm booth.

In parallel with the improvements in high-power projection, three key European media server vendors started to distort and map image sources in 3D, adding the Z-axis to the traditional geometry of X and Y of a TV picture.

7th Sense of the UK, Coolux of Germany, and Dataton of Sweden are innovating and providing impressive server technology to support this application area. Additionally the content has to be blended across projection channels and colour-matched from one projection channel to another.

This is either carried out in the media server, the projector or an outboard image-processing box. So not only are we seeing a new international market, the majority of the enabling technology suppliers are European.

The creation of content for architectural scale projection is becoming an artform in its own right with new production techniques leading to new production companies. Mapping content can be complex, with two main approaches being taken. The first is to produce flat content and map it via the

that the public have not seen before will likely become more widespread. Clever graphics can make a 3D surface appear 2D, abstract or appear to peel back the layers and make a building transparent.

One of the best pieces I have seen so far was created for the launch of the new Alienware (Dell) PCs aimed at the gamer community in Australia. It’s amazing what you can create with 18 Panasonic projectors, Dataton Watchout, an Airstream trailer and some very talented creative people.

Other applications that will cross these pages in the coming weeks are a major national day in the Middle East and the New Zealand Rugby World Cup tournament. Keep watching a skyline near you… IE

server and projection combination; the second, to produce a ‘wire mesh’ of the 3D projection environment and produce the content on that mesh. To create the mesh either arbitrary measurements of the landscape to be projected on can be taken, a virtual model produced or a 3D point cloud scan of the place can be made. This forms the master shape for mapping the produced and projected pixels to. Different show types and applications call for different levels of production planning. Static graphics or high-resolution video are created and stored as compressed or uncompressed files and then played out synchronised with lighting, sound and often LED video screens into huge landscape scale experiences.

Demanding attention A key advantage of architectural scale projection is that it can be quick to deploy – guerrilla marketing through to short-term reactive marketing plans. I hear several London advertising agencies are considering such campaigns projected onto buildings around London during next year’s Olympics.

This use of the landscape to create breathtaking and fascinating spectacles

Further reading . Wikipedia search: Son et lumière . YouTube search: Alienware: Area 52 - Full Length Show

. www.7thsensedesign.com . www.coolux.de . www.dataton.com/watchout www.installationeurope.com

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14 IE137_full page 27/10/2011 10:20 Page 50

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15 IE137_ISR previewCBv2_FINAL_IE136 27/10/2011 12:31 Page 12

Show Preview: Integrated Systems Russia

ISR spreads to new venue We preview the Moscow show, which is moving to a new venue owing to pressure on exhibition space Sporting focus

he fifth Integrated Systems Russia show takes place on 810 November. Jointly organised

by MidExpo and Integrated Systems Events, the show is the leading event in Russia and the CIS countries for professional AV and electronics systems integration.

Increased demand for showfloor space has meant that the show will be held for the first time at Moscow’s Expocentre. The show has sold out Pavilion 1 at the venue.

Stein Ramsli, recently appointed regional director for Russia and the CIS for projectiondesign, is looking forward to the event. “The Expocentre is a very good location – it’s very central and easy to get to by public transport. People come there in big numbers,” he says.

The corporate AV market in the region, says Ramsli, is one of the biggest in the world. “The financial situation has improved in the past couple of years. Although the rouble is a little distressed currently, the corporate market is still investing,” he says. While public sector investment is

T

www.installationeurope.com

not as high as it was before the financial crisis a few years ago, it tends to be steadieryear to year than the corporate or commercial sectors.

Projectiondesign – which opened a Moscow office at the start of August – is in good company on the IS Russia showfloor, as projector and display manufacturers are well represented: Casio, Christie, LG, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, Panasonic and Samsung will have their own stands; other big exhibitor names include AMX, Crestron, Dataton, DIS, Extron, Kramer, Projecta, Sennheiser, SpinetiX and Televic Conference. Other major brands will be represented by distributors.

The show attracts a broad crosssection of visitors. Of the 8,154 who attended the 2010 event, just under a quarter (23%) were systems integrators, installers and AV rental companies, and just under a fifth (18%) were distributors or dealers. Other wellrepresented groups were architects and designers (12%), property developers, investors and contractors (10%) and IT specialists (8%).

A number of forthcoming sporting events in Russia and the CIS have given the AV market a significant boost.

These include the 2012 European football championship (Ukraine is co-hosting) the 2013 Summer Universiade – also known as the World Student Games (Kazan); the 2014 Winter Olympics (Sochi); and the 2018 football World Cup (Russia is host nation). Reflecting this increased interest in AV in a sporting context is the second Innovative Technologies for Sports Facilities forum, which takes pace at the President Hotel on 7 November, the day before the exhibition opens. Topics to be covered include: the Russian government’s strategy for the construction and renovation of facilities; the advantages of using innovative technologies; sports infrastructure case studies; and how the legacy of large sports events can be applied in Russia.

Two years ago, the only inclusion of digital signage in the IS Russia education programme was a single 40minute showfloor presentation. This year sees a full one-day conference, DISCo Russia, which also takes place at the President Hotel on 7 November.

Sessions will cover: a keynote presentation from OVAB Europe; using digital signage to manage consumer behaviour and promote products; cost savings and sales revenues; and case studies from Russia and beyond.

This year’s IS Russia will also feature a special focus on technology in education. On 8 November, an international conference will look at how AV and ICT have been adopted in higher education, science and culture within Russia. The conference will run

. Where?

Expocentre, Moscow

. When?

8 November, 11.00 - 18.00 9 November, 10.00 - 18.00 10 November, 10.00 - 18.00 (Conferences on 7 November at President Hotel)

from 11:30 to 14:00 in the Expocentre.

In addition, guided tours will be arranged to the stands of companies supplying the education market.

Once again, the ProIntegration Awards will be held during the show, highlighting the best installers and projects across Russia and the CIS. An international panel of judges, including IE’s Paddy Baker, has reviewed submissions across 10 award categories – covering installations in the corporate sector, education, digital signage, leisure, state bodies, sport, rental and staging, and the residential sector. The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of 8 November.

Integrated Systems Events partners CEDIA and InfoComm will once again have a presence, and will be organising education sessions during the show.

Also, as in previous years, IS Russia will be co-located with the Hi-Tech Building Show, which concentrates on building automation and home technologies. IE www.isrussia.ru/en/isrussia www.isrussia.ru/en/sport

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Markets: Digital Cinema

Developments in digital With 3D becoming established in mainstream cinemas, operators are looking for the next big thing to drive visitor numbers. Improved audio, alternative content and higher resolution projectors are all options, writes Adrian Pennington

Key points . The shift to digital is nearing completion and heads are turning towards the next big technical advance . Audio enhancements are firmly on exhibitors’ agenda

. Distribution standards need working out if alternative content is to become a serious revenue stream

. 4K is not universally better than 2K but the industry is headed towards higher fidelity . Higher than 24fps frame rates are being pushed for 3D content and it seems likely to take off – but not before the release of the Avatar sequels

CinemaxX screens in Copenhagen are equipped with Meyer Sound EXP systems

y 2015 the majority of the world’s 130,000 cinema screens will have converted to digital, causing the industry and its suppliers to cast ahead to the next big technical advance. Indeed, by the end of 2011 around 50% of all screens will be digitally equipped (Screen Digest) and the expectation is that, in major territories at least, the full inventory will be digital in three years, albeit with some outlying independents who don’t qualify for Virtual Print Fee (VPF) or who can’t club together to make the investment viable.

“The fact that US studios have said VPF will only be available for new customers until the end of 2012 may result in an increase in digitisation

B

during 2012,” says Mark Kendall, NEC’s business development, digital cinema, EMEA. “Despite this deadline exhibitors may still choose to sign VPF agreements and convert later.”

The move to digital marks the end of a 100-year history of using film. While we may see evolutionary improvements, it will be some time before we see another major shift.

“Exhibitors are always exploring how to improve the cinema experience, which may include installation of videowalls in the foyer, digital signage for way-finding and advertising or the latest technology for the cinema projector,” suggests Kendall.

“The cinema-supply industry is looking for the ‘what’s next?’ in order

to be able to maintain turnover,” notes Alcons Audio co-founder Tom Back.

“For ‘hiatus in development” read ‘lack of turnover’.”

Audio appeal Back is nonetheless pleased that audio seems to be top of the agenda of many exhibitors and points to Alcons’ proribbon speaker technology which addresses the need for an improved cinema experience. “The biggest competitor to cinema is the homeaudio sound system so cinemas need quite an effort to surpass that experience in a larger environment.”

“Interest in next-generation audio is growing,” agrees Matt Cuson, senior director of cinema, Dolby Laboratories.

“There are a number of companies trying to move their technology and speaker configurations into exhibition.”

Meyer Sound is also seeing more conversions in the US and Europe.

Steve Shurtz, technology director for Meyer Sound’s EXP cinema systems, says: “Sound and sight upgrade is inevitable as cinema exhibitors look to technology to differentiate themselves from competitors by offering audiences something better. Europe’s CinemaxX chain is a great example. Formats like 7.1 and beyond help motivate cinema owners to upgrade their equipment so that they can present filmmakers’ work in their full glory.”

Digital’s significantly improved audio experience stems from the fact that

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16 IE November 2011

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Markets: Digital Cinema

compressed DTS, SDDS and SRD audio formats are no longer used.

Cinemas are consequently less reliant on equipment to present audio in a way that matches the visual display.

“This also raises interest from cinema owners, however for multichannel processing a lot of extra speakers and amp channels are required, which keeps this technology interesting for only a limited group,” says Back. “Budgets need to be increased for exhibitors to invest in 5.1 and 7.1 systems to begin with and so a jump to even greater multichannels could be a leap too far.”

THX senior vice president Rick Dean points out that there is an economy to these types of improvements. “For example, if a 5.1 system can play back any current content, there is a lack of incentive to upgrade to a new system if the perceived increase in viewer experience is slight,” he says.

THX, for example, has the potential for 16 channels on a server in the digital environment. “There are talks of additional channels to provide more immersive sound, but each manufacturer has a different view of how to address this opportunity,” says Dean. “We will see a number of trials and errors, but ultimately the public will provide feedback on what is preferred.

“There is a need for an evolution in 3D sound particularly. The industry is working diligently to introduce new sound technologies (and continue to improve upon existing ones) that use current cinema systems to take advantage of new sound fields.”

One solution is Auro-3D, a sound production, distribution and reproduction system that is claimed to

Active in

Professional Installations ‘There is a need for an evolution in 3D sound particularly’ Rick Dean, THX

deliver a more immersive sound to keep pace with stereo 3D pictures.

The Auro-3D format offers an additional layer of loudspeakers for height information, elevated 30º above the main channels and leading up to 13.1. The obvious use for such an array is in the cinema, but the 9.1 Auro-3D solution is also applicable to home theatre, as the additional speakers are exactly above the existing ones (L+R front, L+R surround). A codec has also been developed that can fold down 9.1 to 5.1, or 5.1 to 2.0 purely in the PCM domain, with ultra-low latency decoding.

Another alternative content An increasingly important revenue stream for some exhibitors is opening up their screens to non-feature content ranging from US Metropolitan Opera and UK National Theatre productions

CASE STUDY

Excellent reliability and sound quality have enabled Genelec to become the leading loudspeaker brand among audio professionals.

These same qualities make the Genelec 4000 Series the best choice for commercial installations. These compact and powerful active loudspeakers with a wide range of installation accessories provide versatility to suit all installation scenarios. Learn more at www.genelec-install.com

UPI opts for Alcons Audio system Universal Pictures International’s (UPI) London headquarters has received new screening facilities featuring an Alcons Audio system.

“UPI deals with many foreign language dubs so being able to determine if, for example, a dialogue insert or edit is acceptable is difficult on all but the best systems,” explains audio consultant Laurence Claydon of Cinefilm. “Sometimes the only clue is a slight shift in background reverb on the track.” www.installationeurope.com

A system comprising three Alcons CR1 ultra-shallow (18cm deep) three-way cinema front system cabinets, a BF181i 1 x 18in subwoofer, six CCS8 two-way coaxial surround cabinets and two ALC2 amplified loudspeaker controllers (including analogue processing modules) was specified.

A Dolby CP750 audio processor, Doremi DCP2000 digital cinema replay server (with facility for additional replay servers) and an NEC NC800C 2K D-cinema projector round out the kit.

4000 SERIES FOR INSTALLATIONS

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Markets: Digital Cinema

Multiplex Giometti is the first cinema in Italy to feature a Sony 4K digital projector

to live sports and even mass gameplaying events.

For the most part, exhibitors have found success meeting content requirements through the use of ‘glue’ products – such as converters and adapters – that provide reliable conversions in the cinema setting to show alternative content. However, as content types continue to change, this strategy may prove ineffective. The main problem with alternative content delivery is a lack of standards required of distributors, although the European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) among others has a working group tackling this.

“At this time, manufacturers have not moved towards a one-size-fits-all solution, but we could see this when the market starts to mature,” suggests Dean. “A well-organised plan needs to address the adaptation of content like HD broadcasts for direct use in the cinema. Colourspace and sound format are just some of the effects altered by this unconventional use. One thing is for sure – with fewer movies coming out of Hollywood and a need to fill cinema auditoriums, we will continue to see cinemas explore new ways to attract audiences.”

VPF limitations The VPF agreement doesn’t include provision for 3D hardware or alternative content scalers or decoders so if an

exhibitor took a pure VPF offer they would have to buy additional equipment.

“Broadcast content will, of course, need a receiver/catcher system, typically a satellite receiver and a set-top box for playback,” notes Cuson. “Projectors offer a variety of video input types so configuring a theatre for alternative content isn’t particularly difficult or expensive. Broadcast audio is available in 5.1 surround format so most theatres are probably already set up for audio.”

However, Back observes that the majority of current audio systems are not capable of handling signals for alternative content. “Opera is one of the main examples, where the cinema sound system should be capable of faithfully reproducing the delicate vocal and instrumental sources,” he says.

Meyer Sound’s Shurtz concurs: “To transfer the energy from a live concert event to audiences sitting in a cinema requires a truly linear sound system with exceptional clarity and headroom.

Most traditional cinema systems are not designed to handle this capability.”

Towards ever higher resolutions Although Sony took the lead with the development of a 4K digital projector other DLP manufacturers have followed suit. Sony has 14,000 such units installed worldwide but rivals like Christie and Doremi don’t foresee more

than 10% of the market adopting 4K. “As it stands today, only 10-20% of screens will adopt 4K because of the cost premium,” states Hervé Baujard, senior D-cinema business development at Doremi.

“The market is debating whether a 4K projector showing 2K content is a better experience than a 2K projector showing 2K content,” says Dean.

“Some will say yes, but the question is, does this make a difference to the average consumer? Until that difference can be distinguished, we are not likely to see rapid adoption. Some exhibitors are using a conversion process to show 4K content on 2K projectors; however artists feel that this presents various risks for degradation of content. 4K will become the norm at some point, but only when the economies of the solution make sense.”

The benefit of 4K projection is most felt on large screens, or sitting up close to a screen so your eyes can see the pixel detail. Certainly on large screens 4K maintains the clarity of the image better than 2K. “4K allows us to be in a position where we are looking towards the future,” says Everyman Cinemas CEO Andrew Myers who recently oversaw the installation of 13 screens with SXRD 4K projection. “It gives us longevity in equipment and a chance to save on upgrades or having additional development costs in the move to new platforms. We have given

First Auro-3D install Barco and Nevafilm have installed an Auro Technologies Auro-3D sound system at Jam Hall cinema in St Petersburg, the first such installation in Europe.

“One of the main benefits of Auro-3D is that it can be used in combination with our existing infrastructure,” says Vadim Kondratenko, owner of Jam Hall.

“We do not need to redesign our auditoriums but can upgrade to Auro-3D

ourselves a future-proofed investment.”

According to NEC’s Kendall the market for 4K is growing, with many exhibitors believing it is necessary to have at least one 4K projector in a multiplex. NEC Display Solutions offers a 4K projector with two different lamp power supplies, allowing an exhibitor a choice of use for large or medium-sized screens. “There is continued discussion in the industry as to whether 4K or higher frame rates (HFR) will be the next generation of technology,” he adds.

From 24 to 48 and beyond For Christie that is a no-brainer. “HFR is the next big thing, more so than generic adoption of 4K projection systems,” says Richard Nye, Christie's European cinema sales director. “It is within the grasp of current exhibitors.”

Culson agrees: “Adding HFR to 2K is a much more dramatic improvement than moving from 2K to 4K. Some industry studies suggest that 8K resolution starts to really have a dramatic effect but HFR will be the most dramatic visual improvement the industry will see in the short term.”

Dean also feels that HFR display is a critical cinema upgrade because it differentiates the theatre experience from that available in the home.

“We are now focused on providing a premium experience instead of one that is ‘good enough’,” he says. “This is an experience for which consumers will most likely pay more. Content wise,

CASE STUDY

simply by adding height speakers. Auro3D sound processing is also compatible with our existing setup.”

The AMX

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18 IE November 2011

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16-20_cinemaIE137_FINAl_www.creatixdesign.co.uk 27/10/2011 11:40 Page 29

Markets: Digital Cinema

it is a game changer for quality of pictures.”

HFR are claimed to improve the image quality, particularly on fastmoving scenes and camera pans, by reducing motion blur artefacts. The effect is even more apparent on 3D features, due to the nature of the human eye and brain being more sensitive to such artefacts when separate left and right images are projected, and it is here that the impetus is focused.

Director Peter Jackson is shooting The Hobbit (3D) at 48fps while James Cameron is considering whether to shoot the Avatar sequels at 48fps or 60fps. While it is technically possible to project at those rates, the current Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) delivery standard does not support it. The original DCI specifications incorporated 48fps mainly for the purpose of 2 x 24fps playback for 3D, not 2 x 48fps.

Projector manufacturers are among those pushing for the DCI spec to be revised. Once it is, the required firmware upgrades will be made available.

Says Oliver Pasch, head of European digital cinema sales at Sony Professional: “Everyone’s focus has been on rolling out digital projection and then 3D which is why there has been no demand for HFR to date. As more and more pictures are shot at 4K the only way to improve the image further is on the timing base.”

Sony claims that 96fps HFR

‘The cinema-supply industry is looking for the ‘what’s next?’

Tom Back, Alcons Audio

capability is designed into its systems and that only a software upgrade is required to trigger the electronics. A wider rollout, however, necessitates a DCI-approved revision.

Owners of the most recent Series II projection and server equipment from DLP-based TI licensees Christie, Barco and NEC can support HFR provided they upgrade their software and integrate a video processor known as an Integrated Media Block (IMB) which overcomes the bandwidth limitations in the connection from server to projector.

One estimate puts the cost of this at less than $5,000, allowing exhibitors to avoid a full system replacement.

“Manufacturers are not expected to make a killing on HFR upgrades because all projectors sold today have the bandwidth to handle it, provided they have an IMB,” says Futuresource senior technology consultant Bill Foster. “There is more likely to be a revenue stream for manufacturers from the replacement cycle – not only the phasing out of the Series 1 projectors sold prior to 2010 but also Series 2s.”

In fact the brunt of the change to HFR will be borne by post production which is required to increase disk storage space and allocate more time to render special effects.

Speaking at IBC, Cameron explained: “The cost (to switch to HFR) is not at the camera, which is straightforward; the cost is not at the projectors, because it is a software upgrade. I could go out

now, shoot a movie at 60fps if it was all live action and project it, and have a stunning effect. What we have to work on is the effects workflow – primarily the render pipeline.”

The DCI specifies that films must be compressed using JPEG 2000 with a maximum bit-rate of 250Mbps. That would ramp up to 400-480Mbps for 48fps and 500-600Mbps for 60fps. The size of the Digital Cinema Package will also increase in similar proportions.

“My feeling is that HFR will happen on a worldwide basis but only with the impetus of a major release,” says Nye. Christie has signed a five-year marketing and technology development agreement with Cameron’s production company Lightstorm to promote HFR. “Just as Dolby Stereo was boosted by Star Wars (1977) and DTS sound was premiered by Jurassic Park (1993) so Avatar 2 (due end of 2014) will likely be the lift-off point for HFR.” IE

ONLINE EXTRAS: CASE STUDY . CinemaxX Germany and Denmark: The European cinema chain plans to equip 60 of its 300 screens throughout the two countries with Meyer Sound EXP cinema loudspeaker systems www.installationeurope.com

www.alconsaudio.com www.auro-3d.com www.christiedigital.com www.dolby.co.uk www.doremilabs.com www.futuresource-consulting.com www.meyersound.com www.nec.com www.sony.co.uk www.thx.com

Vari-directional Array Sound traveling in the right direction

Vari-directional Arrays by Bosch offer unmatched sound quality with a perfectly distributed sound output pattern. By simply entering room dimensions and speaker mounting height in the software tool, configuration of the arrays is remarkably easy and quick. The stylish, modular arrays are practical to stock, user-friendly to transport and straightforward to install. Wall- or flush-mounted, they are particularly suited to challenging environments such as railway stations, airports, places of worship and conference centers. For more information

visit our website or contact your nearest Bosch representative. www.boschsecurity.com

20 IE November 2011

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P8 architecten - © Liesbet Goetschalckx

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FOCUSED ON THE DETAILS In developing the CBT Series, JBL engineers focused on the requirements most critical to your project - Coverage, Consistency, Sound Quality, and Clarity. Designed from the ground up with a host of technical innovations you would expect from JBL, the passive CBT Series speakers achieve the performance of higher cost active systems. Easy to use and affordable, they're at the forefront of intelligent sound design solutions.

Models show without included grilles.

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Consistent Coverage One key to providing superb sound quality at every seat is consistent vertical coverage.

The CBT’s patented Constant Beamwidth Technology™ focuses more of the sound directly on the audience. Fewer out-ofcoverage reflections result in a higher direct-to-reverberant ratio and more direct sound at the listeners. And the consistent coverage within the listening area results in a consistent SPL and frequency response, without the hot spots typical of other systems.

Discover the details of Constant Beamwidth Technology at jblpro.com/cbt_technote or jblpro.com/cbt © 2011 Harman International Industries Incorporated

Consistent SPL Level Throughout the Room Asymmetrical Vertical Coverage of the CBT 70J-1's sends higher sound levels toward the back of the coverage area for more consistent overall SPL, further ensuring a great sound at every listening location. With JBL designed components for greater fidelity, the CBT Series speakers deliver clearer music and more intelligible speech.

Exceptional Versatility Their tall, slender design, variety of sizes and multiple mounting options, allow for inconspicuous installation into a wide range of architectural styles. Based on the application, you can choose Switchable Broad or Narrow Coverage Patterns.

Versatile in both sound and function, the CBT Series speakers provide remarkably high sound levels from speakers that are barely visible, making them the intelligent solution for sound reinforcement and permanent installation.

23-25 IE137 Markets Conference_FINAL.qxd_www.creatixdesign.co.uk 26/10/2011 17:29 Page 31

Markets: Conference Venues

Conventional wisdom What does a modern conference venue require – and is there such a thing as an all-in-one solution? Gez Kahan sits in on the debate hat do you look for in a conference system provider?

“To be a serious conference system supplier today, you need to have a complete product concept,” begins Thomas Frederiksen, general manager of Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS) – and it’s no surprise to find DIS has one. But that merely invites the question of what comprises a complete product concept.

The end goal – a talking shop where delegates can see, hear and understand presentations and arguments, contribute to them and vote on them – is simple enough to define. But where does it start? At the front desk, dealing with registration of domestic and international visitors? Or before that, with the need for individual congresses to issue invitations, agendas and reminders? And does that mean it has to tie in with building management and PA/VA, and with provision of

W

AMX offers unified solutions that automate and control all aspects of corporate communication, including conferencing

conference venues will have a wish list including lighting control, simultaneous translation, assistive listening, voting, plus the ability to split or combine areas quickly and efficiently. And, of course, most manufacturers want their fingers in as many of those pies as possible.

‘We’re using technology to deliver a real benefit’ Matt Nettlefold, Polar Audio

bespoke digital signage to ensure delegates can find their way quickly and easily to wherever the action is?

For now, let’s look at the rooms themselves – presentation theatres, council chambers, boardrooms, breakout rooms and so on.

It’s pretty obvious that along with desks, chairs, microphones, cameras, screens and speakers, most www.installationeurope.com

Coming together

“Increasingly over the years, the systems from different competitors have grown similar in terms of features and functionality,” offers Gerhard Bauer, product manager/marketing for Brähler ICS Konferenztechnik.

“Therefore the design becomes a strong factor during the decision process, as does the reliability of the system. Other factors include after-sales services, reputation of the manufacturer and, of course, price.”

But though the feature list might be common currency, manufacturers are also constantly seeking technological improvements to give them a competitive edge.

“We are always,” says Bauer, “in a process of refining our existing systems with all functions needed during conferences. For instance, our sophisticated CDSVAN system incorporates microphone, delegate identification via RFID or chipcard, channel selector, interpretation, five-key voting, messaging, HD recording, LAN-connection, remote control, multi-room control and automatic redundancy.

More and more are becoming automated, and the software

can be modified to include customer requests where these improve the system.”

Brähler is also, he says, developing new technologies within its conference systems.

“Our new wireless discussion system, DIGIMIC pro, has a proprietary communication protocol using the free frequency area of the 2.4GHz band, but not the WLAN technology. We work in a narrow band, frequency hopping with forward error correction, and using a dynamic frequency diversity

system. This makes it more reliable than WLAN, ensures co-existence with other WiFi units and avoids interference from cellular phones, Bluetooth etc.”

The company has recently installed a DIGIMIC with 400 wireless delegate units in a single conference room for the Qatar National Convention Centre. The system, Bauer adds, can be split for smaller conferences, allowing it to be used in five different conference rooms at the same time.

Key points . Products are increasingly designed as all-in-one solutions. However, the diversity of technologies required within conference centres means that control specialists continue to exist alongside AV equipment providers . Future trends suggest that the all-in-one solution may require companies to acquire additional expertise and lead to a series of alliances among manufacturers

. Although most products seek to address the needs primarily of the conference areas themselves, companies are looking at ways to integrate operational solutions with conference organisation and to network with entire building systems . Most companies offer a similar range of features. Differentiation is largely by product design, service, customer relationship management and price. However, technological innovation is still sought after as a means of generating a competitive advantage

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Markets: Conference Venues

The fully configurable TLP 710TV TouchLink touchpanel from Extron

“We are always open to new technologies,” says Frederiksen.

“DIS was first with standard Cat5 cables and the DC 6990P touchscreen unit, which has become one of our best sellers.

The standard streaming package which is fully integrated with our software is another example of our openness to new technologies.

We will continue to strive in this direction.”

He sees plenty of scope for development. “The integration of AVB in conferencing will be very interesting to follow in the coming years – especially for DIS, as we’re already working with networking on a small scale.

“The city council segment fits perfectly into the integrated streaming trend, and we have seen an increase in providing modern and fully integrated systems.

Some Scandinavian territories even make it a legal requirement to be able to stream city council meetings directly to the internet, but many other countries are seeing the advantage of an open system where the

citizens can follow the political process. I’d mention the Netherlands, France and Lithuania as places where this has really caught on.”

“Beyerdynamic,” says Matt Nettlefold, business development manager for the company’s UK distributor, Polar Audio, “has also explored the use of state-ofthe-art technology in its Revoluto system.” In this case, it has adapted line array principles for use in a microphone.

“Standard conference systems,” he says, “use gooseneck mics, and the speaker has to speak directly into them. But now we have Revoluto, shaped like a large bar of Toblerone, using 17 mic capsules in line array format.

This format, in a mirror image of line array speaker technology, picks up over a greater distance, and still picks up should the delegates turn to the left or right.”

That means more room on desks for papers and other reference material, and allows those speaking to turn to address different audience

members when making a point without going off-mic.

“We’re using technology to deliver a real benefit rather than just extra features for the sake of it,” Nettlefold says. There has already been a massive installation for the refurbishment of Edinburgh’s City Council Chambers, where the mics fit perfectly on the rear edge of the original sloping Davenport desks. Polar Audio has also just completed a smaller implementation for Bath and NE Somerset Council.

Invisible touch “With so many operating platforms, audio and video conference rooms are complex places,” says Jonathan Mangnall, sales director for AMX. “To get the most value from these systems, a comprehensive, easy to understand and user-friendly control and management system is essential.

“AMX’s unified solutions,” he says, “automate and control all the electronics and content needed for world-class corporate communication.

AMX treatment for Dutch teaching hospital Holland’s Medical Centre Alkmaar (MCA) is a teaching hospital offering everything from routine procedures to top-level emergency services. It also provides a broad range of training facilities for medical specialists.

One such facility is a conference room, used principally by the Radiology, Oncology, Hematology and Pathology departments to hold meetings and discuss medical cases, and equipped with the latest AV, videoconferencing and medical visualisation technology.

24 IE November 2011

An AMX Optima DVI 8 x 8 matrix switcher routes and distributes high-resolution imaging onto 70in NEC HD LCD displays, transmitting an uncompressed digital signal to maintain purity of image and allow informed, precision clinical judgement. Through networked communication, doctors can consult and communicate in real time, regardless of where they are located.

The integrator, Inter Visual Systems, has used touchpanel control to simplify the

From audiovisual equipment, media-driven presentation facilities and conferencing, right down to the in-room environment itself, our technology can ensure that a telecommunications setup is centrally managed and easily controlled, all at the touch of a button. Administrators can be given precise control over the various layers of the system, including resource allocation, signal management and routing, while participants enjoy a greatly simplified user experience, with a single interface to replace a number of often complicated VC and AV remotes.”

‘Our goal is to build products that do a lot but are very simple’ Rainer Dubiel, TLS Communications

A big part of that, naturally, comes with presets configured to trigger a series of orchestrated events. “At the press of a button,” Mangnall says, “the VC system and screens can be automatically switched on, the lights lowered to a pre-determined level and the audio adjusted accordingly.

“The size of the panel itself is important,” he continues.

“Our latest offering, the X

Series family of frameless, panoramic touchpanels, includes table-top models specifically designed to be very low profile, to minimise the possibility of the interface obstructing the user’s view across the boardroom table.

And our high-bandwidth AV switching and control systems distribute all signals to all areas, enabling video and audio conferencing to be set up remotely, if preferred, and routed to meeting rooms and overflow areas.”

Crestron’s touchpanels, similarly, have the ability to control room environments as well as AV systems via presets (see box, page 25). Extron, likewise, uses its Global Configurator and GUI Configurator software to provide its TLP 710CV – a 7in full-colour high-resolution flip-up touchscreen (making it, claims Extron, an industry first) – with ready-to-use templates. These, the company says, allow users to set up for single-display, dualdisplay and divisible rooms, along with multi-image systems and videoconference suites, quickly and easily, with no programming required.

But multi-featured touchpanels aren’t the only control solution being offered.

“Our goal is to build products that do a lot but are very simple for conferencegoers to use,” says Rainer Dubiel, marketing and new product manager for TLS Communications. “Our new Pathfinder A/D system uses one-button technology rather than touchscreens and is based on a signal-detecting technology. You have a room for 20-30 people and they plug in their notebooks – whether digital or analogue – to the table-top unit. That immediately detects not just

CASE STUDY

experience. A 10in Modero Widescreen touchpanel has been optimised with a range of presets, specifically programmed to meet the needs of the various medical disciplines that each use the room, its equipment and its sources in different ways. The videoconference preset, for example, automatically switches on both the VC system and the screens, while lights are set to a predetermined level and audio adjusted accordingly.

The result, says AMX, is just what the doctor ordered. www.installationeurope.com

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Markets: Conference Venues

CASE STUDY

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Markit Group’s cutting-edge conference facility Markit, a financial services company with 16 offices worldwide, recently moved to new headquarters in London.

Smartcomm was engaged to install new AV systems for 29 meeting spaces, three videoconferencing rooms, an enhanced videoconferencing room, team room, auditorium and boardroom.

Markit wanted its protechnology approach reflected throughout the new offices.

Smartcomm specified Crestron’s MPC-M10 for control

of each room’s audio, video and environmental elements. In addition, Crestron’s RoomView remote room management software tracks AV usage for each system, allowing for remote switch off of any unused aircon, lighting and AV kit to prolong equipment life, avoid screen burn and save energy.

The boardroom table has a control plate at each of its 28 seating positions with integrated, mutable microphones, and a selection of preset camera positions. Flush-

the presence but the type of signal, and along with connecting the notebook to the system, can also trigger automatic configuration of the room lighting, etc.�

Each delegate has a button, which will project his own notebook to the screen. “It is very simple to use,� says Dubiel, “but behind it is a lot of technology. You can have different formats with different configurations, and control not just one or two conference systems but even a whole building.�

And it’s not confined to being a one-button system. “We can also connect it to a load of touchpanels,� he adds. But not at the risk of forgetting the simple-to-use mantra: “People running a conference don’t want to waste half an hour learning how to use the controls. Our philosophy is that a conference system must be easy to use without detailed and lengthy instructions.�

He adds that systems must not just be easy to use, but also easy to set up. “We have observed the trend to flexible conference rooms. That means

the system must also be flexible, so even a housekeeper can change the space from a single room to a double and back again – quickly.�

Familiar faces A further way to ensure ease of control, of course, is to allow conference managers to use controllers with which they are already familiar.

There’s a growing trend for mobile applications that allow audience response from smartphones with voting apps, for example.

As for future directions in conferencing, Bauer points to several. “One trend is flexibility not just in rental but also for installed systems.

More and more decision makers and users don’t want to see cables, so they are looking for wireless conference systems – which also save on setup time. But they also want the flexibility to be able to use them as wired systems if that’s necessary to ensure entirely bug-free operation.�

Along with that, he notes the increasing need for integration with LAN or

mounted ceiling speakers are distributed throughout, while Lighting has also been installed, complete with scene settings for videoconferencing purposes.

This allows a preset for the lights to dim and blinds to close when a piece of VC equipment is engaged – all controlled from a Crestron TPMC8x touchpanel.

Most impressive, though, is that Smartcomm completed the installation – including a plasma screen customised to look like a giant iPad – in just 12 weeks.

audio networks, especially where the audio must be transported within buildings. “The software itself is also converging for use both for the technical and the organisational aspects of a conference – covering things like the booking, the automatic confirmation via email and the list of participants as well as control of the system during the actual discussion.�

All of which comes under the ‘complete product concept’ proposed by Frederiksen. But Bauer also notes how that will increasingly mean getting to grips with more technologies, some of which may be outside a single supplier’s area of expertise. “As new formats of video screen, such as HD or wide screens, come into play in conference rooms, this necessitates an investment which might only be achievable through alliances with specialist AV companies.�

Look for integration not only in solutions but in suppliers and providers, in other words. IE

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www.amx.com www.beyerdynamic.com www.braehler.com www.crestron.eu www.dis.cc www.extron.eu www.polaraudio.co.uk www.tls-gmbh.com www.installationeurope.com

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Markets: Control via Internet

The net widens The ability to control and manage devices over the internet has had a massive effect on the AV industry. Ease of use, simplified updates and remote control are just some of the advantages being enjoyed by many sectors of the market, writes Ian McMurray uring my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the internet,” US vice president Al Gore famously said in a 1999 interview. It is now widely agreed that what Gore meant was not that he invented the internet, but that he implemented a number of measures that would see the internet assume increasing importance in fields such as commerce and education.

Whether he could have foreseen exactly how pervasive it would become is unlikely.

Certainly, the internet has transformed the audiovisual industry. “We have certainly seen a change in the way in which AV equipment is controlled, from traditional RS-232 to devices that can also be controlled via the internet and IP,” says Lars Jørgensen, European sales manager at Danish control systems manufacturer Neets.

“Standardisation of device control is going towards TCP/IP. In the long run, it makes sense to standardise AV control on internet/IP as technicians and installers already know this technology, and have all the cables and tools to wire a meeting room.”

“At Neets, we typically make compact control systems that fit into a standard European back box,” he continues. “The biggest implication of that has been to design a network connection where both the connector and cable easily fit in the back box. Further, we have – in the software –

D

designed a device command converter that automatically changes RS-232 commands to run TCP/IP, and the possibility to control AV systems from an array of web browsers.”

Internet connectivity is ubiquitous. “All of our projectors and displays have an RJ45 connection, and we provide free software that allows the user to control them over the network,” says Jatin Bhatt, technical specialist at NEC Display Solutions.

Of course, that ubiquity wasn’t always the case: but for younger organisations such as digital signage company SpinetiX, there has never been any other way of doing things.

“Our HMP players have always been IP devices,” notes Serge Konter, marketing manager at SpinetiX. “They can be set up, controlled and maintained across the internet. We ensure that we implement a full set of internet protocols to make our products fully IP-capable.”

A brief history In fact, the history of IPconnected projectors and displays can probably be traced back to the year of Al Gore’s famous remark, when InFocus announced what it said was the industry’s first network projector. The LP755 shipped with LightPort software, enabling it to be managed across the web.

The 2011 equivalent of LightPort is represented by capabilities such as projectiondesign’s ProNet. “ProNet is a scalable network asset management software

solution for our projectors,” says the company’s marketing director, Anders Løkke. “It can control and monitor an unlimited number of projectors in a single site, or in multiple sites, using the ProNet.enterprise edition.

ProNet.calibrator is an add-on to ProNet which eases the task of calibration to standards – such as rec.709 or DCI – or colour and gain matching across multiple projectors in a wide array of applications.”

Neets’ Sierra system can control up to 10 devices thanks to IP technology

Extended controls Remote control of projectors and displays now includes not only the ability to perform simple tasks – such as power on/off – from a distant location, but the ability to undertake trouble-shooting and, as Løkke points out, manage corporate AV assets.

“When we talk about asset management, we are talking about the management of life cycle, consumables and maximising uptime,” continues Løkke. “It’s about the user being in control – something that’s especially important to IT and AV departments – it’s about reducing hassle and long-term cost of ownership.”

But if the ability to control and manage projectors and displays across the web has been significant in the evolution of those devices, it has been positively transformative in the case of AV

applications like digital signage.

“There can be little doubt that DOOH networks benefit from control over the internet,” nods Graham Smith, product specialist at Harris’s digital signage business. “Our entire InfoCaster Suite is IP-based, and is designed to allow maximum flexibility of both implementation and operation.

Our advertising campaign manager – Punctuate – is a web-based solution that can be operated by those responsible for selling advertising space from anywhere in the world.

This allows for campaigns to be accurately scheduled and targeted quickly and accurately across the network.”

The internet allows content to be deployed and instantaneously updated throughout a worldwide digital signage network, with content being addressed to targeted

devices. It allows on-screen content to be monitored and adjusted – and even for a faulty screen to be taken offline. It is the internet-enabled ability to deliver a stream of fresh, relevant content that differentiates digital signage from static billboards, and that is underpinning predictions that it will be a $4.5 billion business by 2016.

It’s not just the video world that’s seeing changes as a result of the increasingly ubiquitous availability of an internet connection. PA and VA systems too are leveraging the possibilities.

“Long-line public address for rail or other public transport networks is an obvious application where our systems are joined by a WAN or the internet,” notes Neil Voce, managing director of Ateïs UK. “IP-based microphone

Key points . Although it seems a more recent phenomenon, internet control of AV devices has been with us since 1999. Today, virtually every AV device ships with an RJ45 port

. Remote control of AV appliances is only one use to which the internet is being put. IP technology is allowing sophisticated asset management, has fuelled the growth of the digital signage market – and uniquely enables applications such as room management

. Command/control is perhaps the only AV application in which the internet – at least from an external control point of view – has made few inroads

. The expectation is that, as bandwidth availability increases, so too will the demands Evoko’s Room Manager uses Outlook to allow a conference room to be booked anywhere in the world

www.installationeurope.com

the AV industry places on it to make ever more innovative uses of IP technology

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Markets: Control via Internet

stations are proving very useful in giving venue operators easy deployment of paging microphones – simply using the IP network to connect temporary microphone points to the Ateïs PA or VA control equipment. The internet has certainly made it a lot easier to create larger linked systems compared to copper cables.”

“Internet control allows comprehensive opportunities for remote configuration changes, product update and so on,” he adds. “Since so much of our product has firmware and software embedded, the remote control features tend to focus on configuration, diagnostic assistance and updates rather than operation requiring audio feedback.”

The situation is similar for security systems. “Within security video systems, IP connectivity has been the major growing segment for some years now and it will be for years to come,” says Gerard Otterspeer, product marketing

Harrods’ digital signage system relies on the internet Iconic London store Harrods has unveiled a revamped escalator complete with digital screens following a multi-million pound redevelopment programme.

The redesign of Harrods escalator 10 features five giant high-definition videowalls, replacing the previous static poster sites and individual display screens.

Two 16-screen, 13ft-high videowalls are located at the foot of the escalator, with a

further three located at the lower ground, third and fifth floors. The screens are thin-bezel NEC LCD screens configured as videowalls and powered by Harris’s InfoCaster digital signage software. Harris has also upgraded Harrods’ existing storewide digital signage network with the InfoCaster system.

Some 150 digital screens have been installed throughout the Knightsbridge store and Harrods’ UK airport outlets.

For Harrods, the control of the

Make room for even more flexibility.

CASE STUDY

network over the internet has been very important. It means that Harrods can operate and monitor all of its players over all of its estates, from one central location, even down to knowing exactly what is displaying on each screen and if the screen is switched on or not. Harrods’ support company is able to connect to the InfoCaster network at any time required, 24/7, to react to an automated status message that InfoCaster may have sent.

NuVo whole home audio systems are the most flexible of their kind – with Essentia®, Concerto® and Renovia® all compatible with the keypads of your choice. So now your customers can mix and match, and have lots of room to roam. Visit nuvotechnologies.com.

‘AV people can still be a little conservative about anything to do with networks’ Daniel Assarson, Evoko

manager for CCTV at Bosch Security Systems. “Not only does IP video provide multiple user benefits such as remote control, more intelligent cameras and the possibility of higher resolutions, but it also has major benefits with regard to system design and storage.”

“Applications for controlling security video systems over the internet are very broad,” he goes on, “and range from small shop owners checking their cameras via the smartphone to large-scale security systems being interconnected via the internet and controlled from one central location.”

The internet has brought a range of new opportunities and possibilities for AV www.installationeurope.com

Whole Home Audio

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Markets: Control via Internet

manufacturers and integrators.

“Until recently, Neets manufactured control systems for single rooms, and standalone schoolrooms,” notes Jørgensen. “With the new network possibility of connecting over the internet/IP, we now have access to a whole new application segment. With the new Sierra system, Neets has a costeffective control system that can be controlled both from touchpanels and buttons.”

Internet improvements Projectors and displays are examples of AV products that have been improved by being addressable over the internet.

The capability of audio, voice, security and control systems has been substantially improved by the ability to integrate them with, and control them over, the internet.

Digital signage is an example of an AV application that is being transformed by the internet; and then there are AV applications that would just not exist without the network.

Take Evoko’s Room Manager, for example. In just the same way as Microsoft Outlook can be used to ‘book’ participants in a meeting, so Evoko’s Room Manager uses Outlook to allow a conference room to be booked – anywhere in the world, from any location. The booking status is automatically updated on touchscreens outside each meeting room.

“The Evoko Room Manager is a brand new concept and we know we have hit a hot spot in the market,” says the company’s sales and marketing manager, Daniel Assarson.

“The AV channel is moving into IP products and networkbased solutions – but perhaps AV people are still a little conservative about anything to do with networks. But, although it’s an IP-based solution, we knew that the AV channel was a good channel to market it through. The question was how to make a complex product really easy to install and to integrate in the

existing network in order to get the AV channel to promote it?

Our solution is to deliver a product based on simplicity values – that requires no server install, no software install and no heavy programming. It turns out that we get the best of both worlds: the AV channel is comfortable with the product, and it’s much easier to get approval from the IT department.”

On the outskirts Boardrooms, education establishments, simulation, training, videoconferencing, visitor attractions, transportation, retail, public spaces, venues and auditoriums – all are benefiting from what the internet brings in terms of control, manageability, flexibility and functionality.

There is perhaps just one significant AV application that

NEC’s X551UN displays feature an RJ45 connection

internet for security reasons.

Our systems have a unique generic command protocol which can be translated into HTTP, allowing them to be controlled via a web-based interface – but the fact is, there’s really no need in the very large majority of applications. There’s no demand from our customers.”

“That said,” he adds, “our development department closely monitors developments in the market, and if a customer requested such a capability, there’s no reason why we couldn’t respond positively.”

In the cloud

‘Most digital signage companies are becoming Cloud-based’ Jatin Bhatt, NEC Display Solutions

remains, in some ways, on the margins of the web. That application is command/ control. “Our products aren’t specifically designed for control via the internet,” points out Max Winck, marketing manager at videowall company eyevis.

“That’s because, given the application, there’s no need – in fact, sometimes the systems are totally isolated from the

The pervasive availability of the internet is also giving rise to a new paradigm which has the potential to transform personal computing, business computing and the AV world.

That paradigm is, of course, the Cloud – a world in which nothing is local and everything, whether processing power, applications or data – is accessed remotely via the web.

“Most digital signage companies are becoming Cloud-based,” asserts NEC’s Bhatt, “which means that, from anywhere in the world – as long as there is an internet connection – they can change content, schedule new playlists and so on. Cloud computing is definitely going to be the future. More companies are moving to put resources onto the internet, so there will be

The drip of data that became a deluge In the early days of networkconnected AV devices, the requirement was only to send simple control strings – needing very little network bandwidth.

However, once the connection was established, it was inevitable that more www.installationeurope.com

applications would become possible. Projectors that came with inbuilt PowerPoint readers and required the user to insert a memory card now received those PowerPoint files across the network. Consumption of bandwidth rose – and IT

departments began to wonder where it would end. Transmitting full-motion video was the next step. From being a minor inconvenience, adding AV platforms to the network became a topic that IT managers needed to take seriously.

many developments when it comes to controlling products.”

“A clear trend is ‘video as a service’,” notes Otterspeer, “where all storage and management is done in the Cloud and the user pays a monthly fee for the service. We think more and more cameras will be controlled from central management stations, either private ones for large systems or by commercial monitoring stations.”

Discussion of the impact of Cloud-based computing, however, inevitably leads to a discussion about network security. That’s something that AV companies are being forced to take seriously – although the responsibility is very much shared between manufacturer, integrator and end-user.

“Communication between the various InfoCaster products is very secure,” says Smith, “not only with their own built-in security, but also the communication is designed in such a way that a client can implement their own strong IP security as well – firewalls, VPNs and so on. InfoCaster also has complete user permissions, so that each user login can be given the appropriate access for their role.”

“There are many technologies in place which help make access from the internet more secure, such as VPN, SSL links, AES encryption and so on,” adds Bhatt. “Our displays and projectors have a MAC [media access control] address, allowing IT management to establish MAC access lists.”

While it may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon, the history of interaction between AV devices and the

internet is now over a decade long. Does that mean that it has achieved maturity?

It seems not. Smith makes an excellent point. “As bandwidth becomes more accessible and available, the demand for functionality has also increased,” he says. “Harris continues to develop new features, including content triggering from other IP devices, and ‘moment of exclusivity’ where, for example, a football game stops at halftime, and every screen in the stadium immediately displays one advert simultaneously.”

“Ateïs has a series of little IP box devices called the Terra range,” says Voce. “These are opening the door from IP telephony systems into our world of audio through the SIP protocol. They have great potential to integrate everyday audio systems with the internet and IP, including telephony, AV and CCTV.” Others see the opportunity to use IP to control a wider range of attached devices, or to provide more opportunities for personalisation of displayed content using nearfield communications.

Once upon a time, AV systems existed as islands of technology, isolated from the rest of the information framework and tended by specialist gurus. The internet has changed all that: it has changed what AV technology is and does, and it has changed its role within the corporate infrastructure. The AV industry is taking advantage of everything the internet has to offer to make it even more vibrant, more relevant – and more successful. Al Gore would be proud. IE

www.ateis-europe.com www.boschsecurity.com www.evoko.se www.eyevis.de www.harris.com www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk www.neets.dk www.projectiondesign.com www.spinetix.com

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Markets: Sports Stadiums

This sporting life Satisfying the demands of major tournaments and loyal fans has always ensured a healthy turnover of AV installations in sports stadiums. With a dazzling array of new projects coming to fruition in recent months, this is one sector that appears to be somewhat recession-proof, as David Davies reports he perpetual need to satisfy loyal customers (and shareholders) and the additional demands of hosting major national and international tournaments are among the factors that have helped to make sports stadiums one of the most dependable contributors to pro-install income.

Constructing a stadium, or refurbishing an existing one, is inevitably a protracted process that may take years and involve countless contractors and consultants. The longterm nature of these projects can benefit installers and equipment suppliers, whose services will be required whatever the wider economic context.

Accordingly, major projects involving large venues used for sport have continued to come to light despite the prevailing mood of uncertainty. In the past six months alone, Installation Europe’s website has reported the completion of new or updated facilities in Bulgaria (Community R Series loudspeakers, Powersoft amplifiers at Arena Sofia), Italy (RCF Acustica speakers at the new Juventus Stadium), Greece (Electro-Voice speakers at the AEL FC Arena), Lithuania (31 Yamaha amplifiers at Žalgiris Arena), Switzerland (EAW line array at the Vaillant Arena), and the UK (Community speakers at Brighton & Hove’s Falmer Stadium) – to name just a few.

To the benefit of all manner of suppliers and contractors, the calendar of major sporting tournaments is impervious to global economic fluctuations. Such events are frequently an impetus to raising the technological

T

Market trends . The sports stadium sector is still attracting high levels of private and state investment

. The intensive calendar of sporting events ensures a fairly regular programme of upgrade and redevelopment work

. There is continued interest in high-end AV technologies such as networking and digital signage

bar: South Africa famously constructed multiple new stadiums and overhauled existing facilities ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while a futuristic design that minimises the use of steel is among the eco-friendly credentials highlighted on behalf of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

It stands to reason that high-quality AV is an integral component of any such venue project, and the continuing high levels of activity in this sector have yielded a generally positive portrait.

Moreover, the expectation that many stadiums will serve as national and international showcases means that the demand for cutting-edge technologies is particularly robust.

The Olympic Stadium in Berlin was recently upgraded with an XLC line-array system from Electro-Voice

Graph 1: Percentage of business derived from sports stadium projects (% of respondents in each group)

Graph 2: Predicted percentage change for participants’ own business in the sports stadium market – full year 2011 vs 2010 (% of respondents in each group)

Market data

Less than 10%: 35% Between 10% and 40%: 65% More than 40%: 0%

NEW DUAL-LINK DVI PRODUCTS:

To begin, survey participants were asked to determine the percentage of their business that is drawn from the sports stadium sector. Responses varied considerably – from as low as 5% to as high as 40% – but the average was 22% (Graph 1). Most respondents referred

Decline by 0-30%: 5% Stay approximately the same: 24% Increase by 0-30%: 71%

Distance will

Fiber optical extender pair, distribution amplifier, fiber optical matrix boards Long distance extension: Lightware Dual-Link optical products extend Dual-Link DVI signals over duplex multimode fiber cable for up to 2600 meters distance at the highest resolution.

60 + 60 Hz active 3D: All Lightware Dual-Link products support 120 Hz signals . In this application the 3D picture is made up from two 60 Hz signals (at 2K, WUXGA or 1080p resolution) and transmitted through a Dual-Link DVI interface.

Zero frame delay: No delay occurs in the signal during optical conversion, the video image is transported without any frame latency.

DVIDL-OPT-TX200 and DVIDL-OPT-RX100

32 IE November 2011

DA2DVI-DL

www.installationeurope.com

32_33 IE137 Markets survey stadiums_FINAL_www.creatixdesign.co.uk 26/10/2011 15:50 Page 37

Markets: Sports Stadiums

to the entire EMEA region in preparing their answers.

In the second area of enquiry, participants assessed the general level of confidence in the sports stadium business. Reflecting the healthy levels of activity, the average score was 3.6 on a rising scale of 1 to 5.

Rising standards in stadiums worldwide are among the factors cited in explaining the current high levels of confidence. While there is still “room for improvement”, RCF’s Kenneth Bremer remarked that during the past 10 years, “we have seen many new and complex building [projects] and a much better integration of audio systems”.

New builds linked to sporting tournaments and the fact that, as Community Professional Loudspeakers VP John T Wiggins observed, “major sports are seeing solid television rights income” were also said to be contributing to confidence levels.

The vast majority of contributors are predicting a rise in their own sports stadium business for full year 2011.

Once again, the expected increases varied considerably, but averaged out at a highly respectable +7%. A different breakdown of the data resulting from this question can be seen in Graph 2.

Next, participants ranked a list of factors in terms of the impact they are likely to have on their business in this sector. Overall economic situation, government spending/taxation and green issues all polled highly, with more affordable technology at the bottom of the field. The full breakdown can be seen in Graph 3.

Currency fluctuation was among several other market factors expected to inform developments in this sector as the year progresses.

In the penultimate area of enquiry, contributors pondered a series of technologies in terms of how their use in sports stadiums might change this year. Digital signage, lighting control, networked audio and touchpanels were among the technologies whose deployment is expected to increase significantly. Of all the technologies,

only projection was predicted to face a decline (albeit modest) by some respondents (Graph 4).

3D technologies and tablet computers/related applications were suggested as other factors likely to help shape this area of the market moving forwards.

Finally, participants ranked a series of factors in terms of their likely importance to sports stadium installation clients over the next couple of years. Reflecting the highspec expectations of this sector, networking capability emerged as the most important consideration, followed by futureproofing.

Maintenance contracts constituted the least important factor (Graph 5).

Several parties also highlighted issues spawned by the sports stadium market that might merit more extended coverage in the pages of IE. Integration of evacuation systems and other safety controls into stadium projects was one suggested topic, while Tannoy project leader Mark Copeland floated the suggestion of “a more detailed focus on the political and economic factors in the different regions or countries. The world is in a state of flux socially and economically, and some manufacturers may want to know how this will affect their business and trade opportunities.”

Graph 3: Current relative importance of various factors to business in the sports stadium market (1 = least impact, 6 = most impact)

Overall economic situation Government spending/taxation Green issues Competitor activity Legal/compliance issues More affordable technology 0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Graph 4: Predicted change in use of technologies in the sports stadium market (% of participants in each group) Networked audio Lighting control Digital signage Touchpanels Plasma/LCD displays Automation Projection 0

25%

50%

75%

100%

Much less A little less No change A little more Much more

Summary A steady turnover of new projects and a certain in-built resistance to economic fluctuations continues to make the sports stadium sector an important source of new pro-AV work. As the list of recent projects at the top of this feature illustrates, new stadiums are continuing to reach fruition throughout Europe. Installer confidence is high, and with another raft of major sporting events on the horizon there is no reason to suspect that this will subside in the near future. IE

www.communitypro.com www.electro-voice.com www.rcf.it www.tannoy.com

never tear us apart

Graph 5: Predicted relative importance of various requirements to installation clients in the sports stadium sector over the next 2-3 years (1 = least important, 5 = most important) Networking capability

Futureproofing

Keener pricing

Total cost of ownership

Maintenance contracts 0

1

2

3

4

5

DVIDL-OPT extender pair: Dual-Link DVI over 2 multimode fiber transmitter and receiver. 1/4 rack width, Advanced EDID Management (-TX200), TMDS Reclocking (-RX100). Zero frame delay.

Supports 120 Hz 3D signals. Neutrik OpticalCON connector.

DA2DVI-DL: 1 Input 2 Output Dual-Link DVI distribution amplifier; Rack mountable, Advanced EDID Management with USB control; Front panel controls. Zero frame delay. Supports 120 Hz 3D signals.

Complete Dual-Link switching solution: Create a Dual-Link matrix switch from 4x4 up to 40x40 with our hybrid modular matrix concept. Choose either direct connections with our DVI-DL Input/Output boards or, for remote sources/displays, utilize our new DVI-DL optical extension boards. These, coupled with our TX/RX converters, are combined with our flexible chassis options to provide a complete end to end solution for Dual-Link DVI connectivity.

MX-FR17 in a 8x8 Dual-Link matrix configuration

www.installationeurope.com

IE November 2011 33

34 IE137_Interview_FINAL.qxd_IE136 26/10/2011 17:07 Page 42

The IE Interview

Prof Anne Bamford

3D goes top of the class As we report in the news section (page 3), a major study across seven European countries has provided compelling evidence that using 3D in the classroom can improve children’s learning.

Following a presentation of the results of the DLP-supported study, Paddy Baker spoke to Prof Anne Bamford, director of the International Research Agency, who led the research team

Just to put this into context – I assume you’ve carried out similar studies, looking at the impact of other teaching methods or technologies?

Absolutely. The work I do is around large-scale educational evaluation. In the technology field, one of the largest studies I did was the visual literacy white paper, which looked at what happens to learning when children get involved in image creation and image manipulation with software.

That study is now more than a decade old, but it revolutionised what was covered in school curriculums around the world, because it showed the importance of visual literacy in children’s learning, and the interface between visual literacy and technology.

What were your expectations going into the 3D project?

I must admit I had a slightly negative expectation at the outset. Personally I don’t particularly like looking at 3D – I went to a 3D movie with my child and didn’t enjoy it much! But the results of the study were far better than I imagined – the technology made such a positive difference.

You mentioned that the percentage improvement in learning between the tests before and after a topic was studied was greatest when the 3D content was new to pupils. Isn’t that what one would expect?

What I meant there was, if for 34 IE November 2011

example the first time a child learned about the ear it was with 3D imaging, then the improvement was even greater than if they had previously been introduced to the ear without it being in 3D. In other words, if you want to get the most significant difference, it’s important that the first time a child is introduced to a new concept, that it is shown in 3D. When they saw it in 3D, that helped them significantly, no matter how they went on to see it; they had that image in their mind. If they’d started with a flat 2D drawing, however, they almost had to unlearn that to learn what it was really like.

I was very taken by the video, shot by one of the teachers, of the plant cell models made after the classes had been taught about its structure. Without exception, the 2D class made 2D models, and the 3D class 3D ones.

Also, the 2D class made almost the identical thing to what had been in the book, whereas the 3D class realised that there could be a whole lot of variations and it would still be a plant cell. The 2D class wrote very little by way of description, even though they’d been given the same task, but in the 3D class many of them wrote half a page to a page – so they knew a lot more.

It struck me that the comparisons might not be completely fair if the 2D class just did book learning, say, while the 3D class had a nice whizzy software package. Can you quantify the difference that stereoscopic 3D makes, compared with the same content on a flat screen?

It’s a good question, because this is one of the areas in which I’d like to do more research. After we completed this study, a new package of 3D content came out that can be viewed in 2D or 3D. It would be good to do an

experiment where you could use exactly the same content, animated, but without the 3D – then you could ‘isolate’ the 3D part.

In this study, we made the 2D and 3D lessons the same in all regards. The 2D wasn’t just book learning; if one class did an experiment, so did the other, and so on.

As well as understanding and attention during class improving, you reported that pupils’ ‘selfefficacy’ increased. What is that?

One thing you look for in changes in learning capacity is whether a student believes they will get better, because it’s quite a powerful force. If a child says, “I’m not very good at reading,” it causes them to get a statistically lower reading score than they’re actually capable of; they talk themselves down. In this project, the children talked themselves up – they felt that they would learn better with 3D. So that has an impact – you get one impact from them actually learning better and you get an additional

‘When they first saw something in 3D, that helped them significantly’ score because they believe they learn better, which increases their performance.

To play devil’s advocate for a moment: Is there any indication that there was a novelty effect that might wear off?

There was no evidence of it.

The children’s attention actually increased, even to a higher level, post the 3D: once it had stimulated their learning they went on to be even more interested than they were when the technology was being used. If it were just a novelty factor,

The Abbey School in Reading, UK was one of 15 schools that took part in the study

you’d tend to see a rise in attention during the activity, which then immediately starts to drop off; but we didn’t see that. Also, there was no evidence over the study period of six to eight weeks, that the children’s or the teacher’s interest in it levelled off – in fact they tended to become more excited about it because they could try many different things.

The study involved 740 students, 47 teachers and 15 schools. Presumably those are large enough numbers for the results to be statistically significant?

Yes, it’s well and truly robust.

Obviously it’s not one of those mega-studies with tens of thousands of people, but it represented a diverse sample across a number of countries.

That eliminates the chance of any experimental contamination – the schools in Turkey didn’t have any contact with those in the UK, and so on. When we saw such a high degree of consistency in the statistical findings, you can be fairly assured of their significance.

There are a few areas that need further investigation.

For example, 3D seems to have a good effect on children with behaviour disorders such as ADHD, but because we only have maybe 10 children in the whole sample population that fit into that category, one would have to be careful in making a grand statement about that.

Similarly, it seemed to have a good effect on children with autism-spectrum disorders, but we only had a couple of those children.

Presumably you’d agree with Kathryn Macaulay, the teacher who presented at the event, that it would be wrong to overuse 3D in the classroom?

Absolutely. One of my concerns – perhaps oddly – was that the results were so good that an unscrupulous teacher might say, “I’m not getting anywhere with these kids – I’ll stick some of this 3D stuff on and at least they’ll learn something.” I think if that happened it would be a terrible thing. 3D should always be seen as part of good quality teaching and learning – and as an addition to pedagogy, not as pedagogy. IE

http://tinyurl.com/DLP3DInEd www.installationeurope.com

PSNE_IE

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36_37 IE137Solutions1_FINAL_IE136 27/10/2011 13:59 Page 46

Solutions: Het Scheepvaartsmuseum, Amsterdam

A life on the ocean wave

INSTALL OF THE MONTH

Drawing large crowds in Amsterdam is the reopened Dutch Maritime Museum, which is using an array of video, audio, lighting and show control technology to bring its subject to life. Paddy Baker reports

One room in the Voyage At Sea exhibit uses 10 Sanyo projectors and Watchout multiscreen software to produce an immersive 360º environment

ast month saw the reopening of the Dutch Maritime Museum – Het Scheepvaartsmuseum – following major renovation. Located in central Amsterdam, the museum is housed in a storehouse for the Dutch war fleet dating from 1656 – one of the city’s largest 17th century buildings.

As well as hosting one of the world’s biggest collections of nautical art and artefacts, the museum explores the Netherlands’ connection with the sea. It contains several themed exhibitions, object exhibitions and interactive exhibits that not only celebrate the romance and adventure of seafaring, but also mark the darker aspects of the country’s nautical past, such as colonisation and oppression.

L

36 IE November 2011

Integrator Rapenburg Plaza has been responsible for the complete media and lighting control and the majority of the audiovisual installations in the museum: in three themed exhibitions, seven object exhibitions and the two interactive exhibits. There is a plethora of touchscreens and consoles, inviting the visitor to choose the areas that they want to find out more about.

About the installer . Based in Amsterdam, Rapenburg Plaza is a multimedia company with in-depth knowledge of lighting design, show control and AV solutions . Its work has spanned theatre, opera, film, museums, television, architecture, theme parks, exhibitions and large-scale events . It manufactures some of its own equipment, such as the Raapu MP3 players used at Het Scheepvaartsmuseum

Voyage at Sea For instance, for the Voyage at Sea exhibit, the company carried out the lighting design, the AV and system design and the entire technical execution. Voyage at Sea is a 20-minute show, spread across five rooms, which takes visitors on a journey through 500

years of Dutch maritime history.

This attraction uses a variety of projections – including, in one room, a Pepper’s Ghost illusion – to take visitors out of the building into the harbour, and then on to the sea and even into battle. They even see

themselves in a rowing boat on the ocean, having been video-recorded against a blue-screen background in the first room. The third room provides a fully immersive experience, using a Watchout system to control a total of 10 Sanyo projectors in an oval

www.installationeurope.com

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Solutions: Het Scheepvaartsmuseum, Amsterdam

Projections provide the illusion of looking out of the building to the harbour

Installed Video . Elo 19in, 22in and 26in touchscreens . Visual Planet touchfoil . NEC 42in MultiSync LCD displays . LG 55in LCD monitors . Eiki XSP2500, LC-XL200, LC-WUL100 and EIP-HDT20 projectors . projectiondesign F12SX and F22SX projectors . Sanyo PLC-ET30L, PLC-WXU300 and PLC-XU106 projectors . Canon XEED SX80 projectors . Dell 7609WU . BrightSign HD210 looping signage controllers . BrightSign HD1010 interactive signage controllers . SpinetiX HMP100 media players . Medialon Manager V6 Pro Server, V6 Lite Server and Backup Server . Rapenburg Navigator . Dataton Watchout Player V 4.3 . Dataton Watchout Production V4.3 . Dataton Watchout Player V5

Audio . Extron MPA152 and XPA1002 amplifiers . Audac Q4 4-channel 600W amplifiers . Audac DPA74 and DPA154 amplifiers . Ashly NE8250 8-channel 250W amplifiers . Behringer MA400 amplifiers . Panphonics 120 x 20 SoundShower speakers . JBL Control1 Pro speakers . Storz EH02 speakers . Visaton FRS8 and VC4.7 speakers . Seeburg Acoustic A1, A2 and A8 speakers . Richmond Sound Design SoundMan Server . MOTU 24I/O audio interface . Raapu 3d2 and 3d3 MP3 players

Lighting . e:cue Enterprise Server 3HE, Enterprise Server 2HE and Butler MicroServer . e:cue DMX2DALI converter . PLS Split7/RJ45 DMX splitter . PLS Split7/RDM DMX splitter . TTL Flatpack DMX dimmer

configuration to completely surround the audience. The projection is 15m in circumference and 3.4m high.

The story takes the audience on different types of ship, ending up in a sea battle.

Multichannel audio (12 Seeburg speakers plus two subs) enhance the experience by carrying the sounds of gunfire and other effects.

“This room was probably the hardest part of the whole installation,” comments Sierk Janszen, partner and technical director at Rapenburg Plaza.

“The walls of the building are not straight, and we were restricted in where we could position the projectors. Also, Watchout requires the same number of pixels in all the overlap areas between

projectors. We had to work around this by using theatrical foil to physically mask off parts of some images.”

via iPhone or iPad, or to manage and monitor the entire installation remotely.

Lighting control Beyond the museum One innovative attraction is ‘Mijn.Expo’, which extends the experience beyond the museum itself. Prior to coming to the museum, visitors can log on to an area of its website and design their own attraction.

Then, during their visit, they can call up the results of their work using a sort of giant iPad – an interactive table built especially for the exhibition.

The underside of the tabletop is covered with an interactive foil from UK company Visual Planet, and a projector fires up from under the table. Once the results are called up, they are displayed on a Watchoutcontrolled projection.

The entire museum is showcontrolled; there is a master control system, and each attraction has its own subsystem. Rapenburg Plaza designed, installed and programmed the show-control network using Medialon software, KissBox interfaces and industrial network hardware and software.

“Anything to do with AV had to be Ethernet controllable,” explains Janszen. As well as allowing museum personnel complete control over all lighting and AV equipment, this enables Rapenburg Plaza technicians to do on-site troubleshooting

The company was also partly responsible for the ingenious lighting control system. An open DMX infrastructure was fitted to low-voltage rails in all the museum’s rooms and showcases, providing data to more than 4,000 individually addressable spotlights. This not only applies to all LED fittings in the showcases but also to all tunable-white and RGB spotlights on the ceiling rails.

Overall, there is a huge array of technologies and brands in the museum. For instance, there are no fewer than five manufacturers’ projectors across the installation. Janszen explains: “We’re not an AV distributor or dealer, so we can be brand independent.

The projectors need to do different things: there are differences in resolution, in what they are showing and the way they’re mounted.”

The AV budget for the project – not including show control or lighting – was €800,000.

So far, says Janszen, the newly opened museum has proved very popular. The first two weekends (which were, admittedly, both rainy) saw 8,000 visitors through the doors by the middle of the day.

“We’ve only heard good stuff about it,” he smiles. IE

www.acoustic-line.de www.ashly.com www.audac.be www.behringer.com www.brightsign.biz www.canon.co.uk www.dataton.com www.ecue.com www.eiki.com www.elotouch.com www.extron.eu www.lgdisplay.com www.jblpro.com www.medialon.com www.motu.com www.nec-display-solutions.com www.panphonics.com www.pls.hu www.projectiondesign.com www.rapenburgplaza.nl www.richmondsounddesign.com www.sanyo.de www.spinetix.com www.storz.de www.theater-technisch-lab.nl www.visaton.de www.visualplanet.biz

www.installationeurope.com

IE November 2011 37

38 IE137_Solutions2 _FINAL.qxd_IE136 26/10/2011 15:54 Page 46

Solutions: National Cycling Centre, Manchester

Velodrome moves up a gear The centre for UK cycling finally has a permanent audio system to match its world-class sporting facilities, writes Paddy Baker

Hard surfaces, high ceilings and polished wood combined to create a challenging acoustic environment

uilt in 1994 as the centre for UK cycling, Manchester’s National Cycling Centre has seen numerous world records set on its velodrome track, including two by Chris Boardman.

However, the performance of the original audio installation in this 3,500-capacity arena fell somewhat below world class.

Adlib Audio’s rental division had supplied supplementary audio equipment at the venue, and when the opportunity arose for a new permanent solution, the company’s sales and installation division, headed by Roger Kirby and John Hughes, were keen to rise to the challenge.

“There had been talk of a new permanent solution for some time,” says Kirby.

“However, the turning point was the development of an indoor BMX track [the

B

Installed Audio . Coda Audio Airline LA8 and LA4 line array modules . BSS Soundweb London BLU-100 signal processor . BSS Soundweb London BLU-BOB output expander . BSS Soundweb London BLU-BIB input expander

38 IE November 2011

110,000sqft National Indoor BMX Centre] adjacent to the Velodrome – Adlib was contacted by the Cycling Centre to offer sound designs for both venue spaces.”

Kirby explains that the key acoustic challenge was to minimise reflections from the very high, flat ceiling and the profusion of hard surfaces, including the polished wood of the multi-use court space in the centre of the velodrome as well as the track itself.

Full coverage The brief was simple, at least in concept: to provide consistent full-range coverage for the entire venue. In addition, while all perimeter speakers – at the track ends and along the main stands, relayed the same source, the client wanted to avoid the practice of moving different speaker setups in and out to suit the requirements of the various types of sporting events that the venue hosts.

“The client had their own ideas about a point source. We could understand their thinking, but we knew we were looking for some kind of line element solution,” he explains.

With Adlib having made a substantial investment in

The 3,500-capacity arena boasts the UK’s first Coda LA4 and LA8 installation

Coda Audio products in the rental division, Hughes and Kirby were keen to make use of them on the install side of the business as well.

“We’re used to using Coda line arrays in large spaces with potential resonance problems,” says Kirby. “Having heard them ourselves, we were confident in putting them forward as a solution.” The project turned out to be the UK’s first installation of Coda’s LA8 (compact) and LA4 (ultracompact) line source enclosures.

Adlib used Coda’s Focus software to model the venue, and settled on a design centred around a north-south-eastwest LA8 cluster above the centre of the venue. This is supplemented by further hangs in the centre, firing at the main stands on either side, and hangs firing at each of the ‘D ends’. At one of these ends is the VIP area, while the opposite end houses the entrance ramp and the prerace holding area. In all there are five audio zones, including the central square cluster, and a total of 46 LA8 speakers (in 16 hangs) and 12 LA4 (in six hangs) have been deployed.

The proposed solution was brought into the venue and suspended on mechanical

About the installer . Founded in 1984, Adlib Solutions is a Liverpool-based provider of sound, visual and lighting solutions . It has divisions for rental, installation, and sales and manufacturing – Adlib produces its own range of loudspeakers . Recent high-profile projects include five O2 Academies for the Academy Music Group, Leeds University ‘Stylus’ Venue, The Spa Bridlington, and Band on the Wall

chain hoists, and listening tests were carried out with the client. “The modelling software was very accurate – we got a clean, flat response,” recalls Kirby. As well as full coverage, the system delivered great musicality and an excellent STI reading.

Hitting the heights It fell to Adlib to decommission the old system and install the new one. One installation challenge was the great height of the venue, as Kirby explains: “There’s a suspended lighting grid about 14m up, while the ceiling height is around 25m.

We put in a lot of cabling at the higher level and dropped the speakers down to the lower level.”

Signal processing is carried out by a Soundweb London

BLU-100 system. A separate audio system – linked to the fire alarm – is used for evacuation messages; when this kicks in, the Adlib system is automatically muted.

Jarl Walsh, general manager at the venue, says: “I am delighted with new PA system provided by Adlib. It now means we are able to offer our spectators excellent sound quality for the many events hosted at the National Cycling Centre. Thanks to the close working relationship developed with Adlib, we have a system which has built-in flexibility and enables us to adapt to the varying needs of our clients.” IE

www.adlibsolutions.co.uk www.bssaudio.com www.codaaudio.com

www.installationeurope.com

39 IE137_Solutions3CB_FINAl.qxd_IE136 27/10/2011 14:36 Page 46

Solutions: Tapiola Hall, Espoo/Strijkizer Building, The Hague

On the right note Versatility was key for this music hall’s new audio system Installed Video All Meyer Sound . M’elodie line array loudspeakers . 500-HP subwoofers . UPA-1P loudspeakers . UPM-1P loudspeakers . Galileo 616 processors . 700-HP subwoofers

Twelve M’elodie loudspeakers are flown each side of the stage

he Espoo Cultural Centre is the main venue for performing arts in the Finnish city of Espoo. Within it, the 800-seat Tapiola Hall (Tapiolasali) regularly hosts musicians from around the world for dance, opera, conferences and more.

When it came to installing a new audio system, versatility was an important consideration. Finnish installer Studiotec opted for a Meyer Sound M’elodie line array system consisting of left-right arrays of 12 M’elodie line array loudspeakers on each side, with three 500-HP subwoofers flown

T

behind each of the arrays.

“The sound reinforcement system has to be very sensitive and very powerful, while the clarity must remain the same for every performance,” says Tuomo Matikka, sound designer at the venue. “Because the installation is in a concert hall, the system must also be discreet. The M’elodie setup has exceeded our expectation on all of these counts.”

Also installed are two UPA1P loudspeakers, which serve as front fill; another six UPM-1P loudspeakers are placed at the stage lip depending on the configuration of the orchestra

pit. A Galileo loudspeaker management system, comprising two Galileo 616 processors, provides equalisation and time alignment, with presets tailored to the hall’s different configurations. For occasional events that require supplementary low-end support, two high-power 700HP subwoofers are available.

“The feedback has been great,” says Matikka. “It is much easier to host the performances that come to the venue now. The drastic sonic improvement is welcome by audiences, musicians, and visiting sound engineers.” IE

www.meyersound.com www.studiotec.fi

A striking display A giant display is providing community information for the people of The Hague – 30 floors above ground level giant LED media façade, measuring more than 19m wide x 14m high, has been installed 80m above ground on a building in The Hague.

Designed and manufactured by façade specialists VMLTechnologies, the installation, mounted on the Strijkizer building, covers an area of 11 windows wide and six windows high and can be seen from up to 2km away.

This display consists of 1,716 Lattice S-14054L LED strips, which seamlessly integrate into the building façade with no cables or equipment visible. It is used as a community information board, featuring a mix of local news, information, events and advertising. It is also planned to allow local people to interact with it via social

A

www.installationeurope.com

The 19m wide x 14m high display has been installed 80m above ground Picture: Jeromeo

networking, uploading messages, pictures and video.

The display gives off 6,000 nits of brightness, ensuring its visibility during the sunniest of daytimes; however, it is 70% transparent, so occupants of the building can

still see out. When turned off, it becomes virtually invisible.

Using the VM Lattice Picture Box Controller, the LED strips are controlled in such a way that the whole picture is pasted across the grid of window frames and remains perfectly visible.

“VML-Technologies was the only company which could demonstrate that it had the skills and expertise required to execute this complex and highly customised solution,” says Aad Bouwhuis, director of building owner Housing Association Vestia Den Haag Zuid-Oost. “We are very happy with the level of co-operation we received from VML, and we are extremely proud of the end result.” IE

www.vml-technologies.com IE November 2011 39

Solution does it all Crestron DigitalMedia 8G+TM

complete engineered solution Crestron DM 8G+ is not just a switcher, an extender or a wire. It’s a complete source-to-display end-toend engineered solution.

Digital AV is not simple, but we make it easy. Over the past few years, DM has connected hundreds of thousands of devices, and every one of them functions differently. Because of our unmatched experience, we know how to make it all work together seamlessly and reliably. And with every new installation, the power and intelligence of DM grows stronger every day. When you have Crestron DigitalMedia, you have the strength of thousands supporting you.

DM 8G+ also manages all the control and communication data that’s transmitted through HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort. Now, you never have to worry about HDCP keys, EDID resolution management or CEC. DM 8G+ also makes it easier than ever by connecting your entire digital AV infrastructure using just one IP address. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

wire, any wire, does it all Now, with DM8G+, we make system installation even quicker and easier than ever. You can use standard CAT5e wire or our award-winning DM 8G Cable. Either way, DM 8G+ delivers the easiest, most reliable solution for today’s digital systems.

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27/05/11 16:09

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Product Choice

New this month We present our choice of new products for the installation market

BenQ

SmartEco

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

www.benq.com www.steljes.com

It’s… A new lamp technology for BenQ projectors offering up to 50% reduced power consumption, better image quality and longer usable lamp life.

Details: Designed to enhance imaging performance and reduce the operating and maintenance cost of projectors, SmartEco offers an energy-efficient way of adjusting to different brightness

settings. It allows the projector to compensate for this process with an internal software solution designed to maintain the ideal colour spectrum and provide an improved contrast ratio. When the projected content contains scenes with dark elements, the lamp dims accordingly without any loss of visible brightness for the viewer.

This is said to prolong lamp life by up to 80% and reduce energy

consumption by up to 50%.

And also: Using SmartEco, when the projector detects no signal, it automatically switches back to using only 30% lamp power.

Revolabs

Audac

FLX

CMP30

www.revolabs.com

www.audac.eu

It’s… An all-in-one digital audio source combining CD and MP3 player and tuner.

Details: The CMP30 has three separate outputs on the rear panel – two of these fixed and dedicated to the CD/MP3 player and tuner, the third switchable between CD or MP3 player with a

separate volume control. The unit is housed in a 1U rack cabinet and used in applications where multiple sources would otherwise be needed.

The front panel of the CMP30 contains a clear LCD screen together with all the necessary control and function selection buttons. Through these, CD audio,

as well as MP3 files, can be played and selected from a CD slot, USB slot or an SD memory card slot.

designed to minimise installation and maintenance.

The OLS series offers a standard 16:9 aspect ratio and Full HD resolution. To create 3D images, the stereoscopic input signal is displayed on the videowall as a 120Hz image sequence. Active shutter glasses – synchronised by

an IR emitter – filter the left and right signals to create smooth, artefact-free stereoscopic effects.

And also: Added flexibility comes in the form of a built-in RS-232 control port, which makes external control using home automation systems possible.

Barco

OLS series www.barco.com

It’s… A wireless phone designed for small to mid-sized conference rooms, executive offices and small office environments.

Details: FLX combines wireless operation, high-quality wideband audio, 128-bit encryption, integrated Bluetooth plus support for analogue and IP. Unlike the single-component design of previous solutions, Revolabs FLX refines the conference phone into several distinct components said to offer greater freedom in terms of placement and accessibility of the speaker, microphones and dial pad. The unit is suitable for use with an individual lapel microphone, an omnidirectional tabletop microphone for six to ten www.installationeurope.com

participants or a directional tabletop microphone for use by two to three people.

FLX can also serve as the audio interface for virtually any major brand of videoconferencing equipment, and because the FLX dialer operates like a telephone for handset calls and enables the setup of conference calls, there is no need for a separate desk and conference phone.

And also: FLX’s integrated Bluetooth technology provides a single collaboration device irrespective of the communication channel being used, allowing users to connect the speaker and microphones to Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones or computers.

It’s… A range of LED videowall modules combining the benefits of the OL series with 3D stereo operation.

Details: The OLS series is designed to offer a flexible, cost-effective and scalable solution for displaying stereoscopic images on videowalls. Barco’s latest LED rear-projection technology is said to optimise image quality, while Sense6 auto-calibration guarantees colour and brightness uniformity over the entire wall. A liquid cooling system ensures more than five years of 24/7 operation while additional features – including LED redundancy and fully motorised adjustments – are

And also: OLS modules have a narrow footprint (less than 450mm for the 50in version) making them suitable for use in smaller rooms.

IE November 2011 41

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Product Choice Crestron

NEC Display Solutions

AMP Series

PH1000U

www.crestron.eu

www.nec-display-solutions.com

It’s… A range of Energy Starqualified amplifiers for high-power commercial installations.

Details: AMP Series amps are designed to help meet energy savings objectives without sacrificing audio performance. The five AMP models feature a highefficiency, convection-cooled design that consumes less power than traditional commercial amps;

they are said to be ideal for commercial environments where many speakers need to be run from one amplifier.

The design offers low-noise, low-distortion performance and provides more headroom for powering larger rooms. Each channel is selectable for 210W/4 ohms or 120W/8 ohms operation as well as isolated 120W/70V or 100V use. The exception is the

AMP-2210HT model which offers 210W at 70V and is suitable for larger buildings such as hotels, malls and public spaces.

And also: Other AMP power-saving features include an auto powerdown mode which shuts down amps after 30 minutes of no signal; and an auto power-on function which turns the amp back on when a signal is detected.

Powersoft

M Series DSP+ETH www.powersoft-audio.com

It’s… A range of two- and fourchannel amplifiers said to bring enhanced functionality and control to the M Series amplifier platform.

Technology for you

Details: The M Series DSP+ETH models are available in three twochannel (M30D DSP+ETH, M20D DSP+ETH, M14D DSP+ETH) and two four-channel (M50Q

DSP+ETH, M28Q DSP+ETH) versions. Both the two-channel and four-channel designs include two or four inputs and outputs, respectively, with each channel offering five bi-quad filters for system equalisation, two crossovers, eight bi-quad filters, plus RMS and peak limiters to eliminate the need for outboard equalisers.

The four-channel models provide up to 1,250W per channel into 4-ohm loads, while the twochannel versions offer a maximum output of 1,500W per channel into 4 ohms.

And also: M Series DSP+ETH units can store up to four presets and recall them via a pushbutton on the rear panel.

It’s… A heavyduty projector designed for rental and staging applications, fixed installations in conference halls and higher educational environments or events.

Details: The PH1000U is said to combine ultra-high brightness image precision with high reliability and performance.

Powered by a three-chip DLP system, it’s an 11,000 ANSI lumen WUXGA resolution design incorporating a dual-lamp system for added redundancy.

Equipped with the Integrated Device Technology HQV highperformance 10-bit signal processing and scaling system as well as edge blending and stacking, the projector is said to produce superior video

processing. It does this using pixel-based, motion-adaptive deinterlacing to remove undesirable motion artefacts. The PH1000U also offers greater flexibility through its incorporation of STv2 standard level extension modules based on the Open Pluggable Specification (OPS).

And also: The PH1000U is the second model in NEC’s projector line-up to include OPS support which offers a range of extension modules, including an HD/SD-SDI and single board computer.

GlobalControl IP The web based control system for conference, building and industrial technology. Anywhere, for anyone, at any time.

Configuration & control over web browser (incl. smart phones and tablet PCs) Open system (for any device) Operating system independent Flexible & modular system

www.installationeurope.com

www.tls-gmbh.com Phone: +49 (0) 2103 / 5006 - 0 IE November 2011 43

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Product Choice Atlona

Extron

AT-HSDI-VGA

MPA 152

www.atlona.com

www.extron.eu

It’s… An SDI to PC/HD scaler with audio, designed for integrating SDI sources into standard AV environments.

It’s… An Energy Star-qualified, integrated mini power amplifier.

Details: The AT-HSDI-VGA converts SD, HD and 3G SDI signals to component or VGA formats. The unit’s re-clocking technology allows SDI signals to be extended up to 1,000ft with no signal degradation. In commercial applications where it’s necessary to connect to a non-HD-SDI

device, the AT-HSDI-VGA allows SD, HD and 3G SDI signals to be converted to 1080p component or 1920 x 1200 VGA video formats.

For larger applications, the unit’s built-in equalised ports allow SDI signals to be extended up to 330ft with 3G, 660ft with HD, and 1,000ft with SD. The design allows simultaneous use on a SDI display and a component

or VGA display while the built-in loop-out port makes it ideal for side-by-side comparisons and other applications.

And also: For the full AV experience, the unit’s built-in audio de-embedding function allows digital (S/PDIF) or twochannel analogue audio to be passed through to an amp.

Details: The MPA 152 provides stereo amplification for speaker systems in classrooms and other applications requiring compact, economical audio solutions.

The Energy Star-qualified design features advanced Class D circuitry and Extron’s patented CDRS – Class-D Ripple Suppression – technology said to provide a ‘smooth, clean’ audio waveform and an improvement in

signal fidelity over conventional Class D designs. This allows the amplifier to be fanless and operate in environments with little or no ventilation.

And also: The MPA 152 consumes 3W of power when idle and less than 1W in standby mode.

d&b audiotechnik

E4 and E5 www.dbaudio.com

GO THE DISTANCE WITH KRAMER

It’s… A pair of speakers in d&b’s E Series suitable for nearfield operation in speech and music applications in theatres, conferences and presentations.

TM Details: E4 and E5 enclosures are described as highly compact and visually discreet yet ‘audibly impressive’ for such small speakers. The lightweight enclosures are two-way passive designs housing 4in and 5in lowfrequency drivers (respectively) and a coaxially mounted widedispersion dome tweeter. Both offer wide symmetrical dispersion patterns in the horizontal and vertical plane in cabinets that may be mounted in either attitude.

Frequency response extends from 130Hz to 20kHz on the E4 and 85Hz to 20kHz on the E5, which produce maximum SPLs of 115dB and 117dB respectively. The enclosures are coated with an impact-resistant black paint finish.

And also: E4 and E5 speakers can be powered by either the d&b D6 or D12 amplifiers; up to four cabinets may be driven by each channel of either amplifier.

Cable quality can be the killer in any long distance HDMI run. Kramer’s BC -DGKat623 cable wi th i t s indi v iduall y shielded pair s is caref ull y matched with Kramer’s HDMI twisted pair transmitters and receivers such as, the PT-571 and PT-572+, to improve performance and significantly increase the range.

F o r dis t anc e spe c i f ic a t ions and mo r e in f o r ma t ion on all K r a m e r p r o d u c t s v i s i t w w w.k ramer ele c t r oni c s.c o.uk

KRAMER ELECTRONICS UK, Ltd. Tel: + 44 1296 330011 Fax: + 44 1296 330055 E-mail: info@kramerelectronics.co.uk

HDMI and High Definition Multi-media Interface are regsitered trademarks of HDMI Licensing Inc. © Copyright 2011, Kramer Electronics, all rights reserved.

44 IE November 2011

www.installationeurope.com

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46 IE137_full page 27/10/2011 10:47 Page 50

CALM

Tel. +45 33 85 40 40 info@dis.cc · www.dis.cc

They were nervous at first but then everyone relaxed. Touchscreen Conferencing™ had taken the edge off the meeting. Participants felt able to speak up, though no one felt the need to shout.

The agenda progressed without a hitch and even the really difficult issues seemed less divisive.

They shook hands and went home.

Touchscreen Conferencing ™

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Sector Showcase

Cabling and connectors Cables and connectors not only need to perform to the required standard, but also need to withstand the physical characteristics of the environment where they’re installed. And of course, if they’re quick and easy to install, that’s always good. Here’s a selection of some recent product offerings in this area HDMI v1.4 cables are part of VDC’s product expansion

New from VDC Trading are two Van Damme HDMI v1.4 cable assemblies. These are among the first wave of a massive expansion in its product range that the AV specialist says will number hundreds of new items over the coming weeks.

The Van Damme HDMI v1.4 high-speed assemblies (pictured) have been manufactured and tested in accordance with the v1.4 HDMI high-speed specification for 1080p, WUXGA, and 4K and 2K digital cinema resolutions (4096 x 2160 @ 24Hz, 3840 x 2160 @ 24Hz, 25Hz and 30Hz); additionally they support a comprehensive range of 3D TV formats.

They are available in lengths up to 7.5m –

the maximum recommended passive transmission length for higher resolutions.

For less demanding applications, the VDC Contractor HDMI v1.4 stand-speed cable assemblies will be the more cost-effective choice. These have been manufactured and tested in accordance with the v1.4 HDMI standard-speed specification, and optimised for 720p/1080i resolutions. They are available in lengths up to 20m. VDC says that shorter lengths, typically up to 3m, will support 1080p.

Both ranges are described as ‘precision flexible’; the cables feature gold-flashed overmoulded metal shell connectors for durability. They offer expanded support for Colour Spaces, such as sYCC601, for accurate reproduction of digital camera images, and feature an audio return channel to send audio from, for example, a TV to an AV receiver. However, they do not contain an HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC). VDC says that it may introduce HEC-type cables once HEC-enabled devices are readily available.

For both ranges, the 0.5m, 1m and 2m cables are 30AWG conductor size, the 3m and 5m are 28AWG and the 7.5m (and over, for the standard-speed range) are 24AWG. www.vdctrading.com

Klotz multicore is easy to work with

Klotz Cables describes the OmniFIX OX22AY as a very reasonable and easy-to-process multicore cable for fixed installations, stages and studios.

This 0.22sqmm cable is suitable for analogue and digital audio, and is available in various configurations, from two up to 24 pairs. The OX22AY is especially suited to fixed installation due to its overall foil shielding and flame retardant PVC outer jacket (designed according to IEC 60332-12). The consecutively numbered pair jackets, together with colour-coding in groups of eight, make assembly easier and remove the need for on-site labelling. Foil pair shields bonded to the pair jackets enable simplified and rapid processing. Another time-saving

feature is that the stranded signal and screen wires are tinned.

Stated performance is impressive. The OmniFIX OX22AY delivers low attenuation for digital signals (only 4.3dB per 100m at 3MHz) and jitter performance is described as ‘outstanding’. This makes the cable highly suited to very long cable runs.

In analogue signal transmission, the cable offers extremely low capacitance (47pF/m).

It thus meets the requirements for German public broadcasting cabling (ARD and ZDF – functional specification 3/3).

The OX22AY is available in two-, four-, six, eight-, 12-, 16- and 24-pair models. www.klotz-ais.com

Sommer system carries multiple fibre cables

Lindy’s swivel-head HDMI cables take the strain The move from SCART to HDMI cables may have resulted in a more compact connector, but issues regarding the connector staying in place have not gone away. The standard HDMI cable does not have thumb screws, and so can easily work loose if it is placed under any strain. A tight angle can also cause damage to HDMI ports over time.

In addition, an HDMI connector that is under strain from the angle of the connection can result in display issues. This is because the Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) pin – which carries information about source type and resolution to the screen or monitor – is slightly recessed from the other pins inside the connector.

As a result it may not be fully connected, even when the HDMI connector looks to be in place.

Lindy Electronics says that the adjustable connector on its latest HDMI cable helps to overcome these issues. The Lindy 180 Degree Rotating High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet features an adjustable HDMI connector at either end that can swivel and rotate 180º in either www.installationeurope.com

direction, making it highly suited to tight or unusual angles. The cable has 24K goldplated connector hoods, and full shielding that provides additional strain relief. It is HDMI ATC (Authorised Test Centre) certified for High Speed Category 2 compliance, and supports HDMI 1.4, HDCP HEC, ARC and CEC compliant devices.

Available in 1m, 2m, 3m and 5m lengths, theLindy 180 Degree Rotating High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet comes with a 10-year warranty. www.lindy.co.uk www.lindy.ie

Sommer Cable’s HICON HI-FIBER connection system is a simple, rugged, compact field connection system for optical transmissions. It is based on four LC fibre-optic lines that are protected by a rugged, compact metal housing technology.

It consists of a cable plug and a panel jack in the compact D-flange format, which may also be used as a universal cable connector socket for extending and cascading purposes.

The jack can be linked with up to four conventional LC cables (or two LC duplex lines); alternatively, it can be linked with the HI-FIBER4-MC cable plug and easily connected to existing LC systems, which represents the big modular advantage of the system.

The cable plug can be linked with up to four LC connectors; these are finished

after inserting the cable and plugged into the fourfold assembly cross. The protective cap and a spring-loaded protective sleeve protect the fibre system from pollution (to IP68) and damage. The cable plug is simply attached onto the socket in the marked direction and locked by pushing the locking ring forward.

For strain relief and cable sleeve support, Sommer Cable uses standard cable fittings with spiral bending protection, which easily take all common quad-fibre cable diameters from 5mm to 9mm. Polyethylene and low-smoke zero halogen quad-fibre cables – a requirement in certain installations – are also available from Sommer. www.sommercable.com IE November 2011 47

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Sector Showcase

TLS has a solution for lost cables

Belden offers choice of high-def BNC coax connectors

OK, it’s a cabling accessory rather than a cable or a connector, but we like it. TLS’s TAM 201 Standard III table installation module is designed to eliminate undignified scrambling around under desks and tables to find the right cable for connecting to a device.

Any commercially available cables can be fitted into the module and pulled out up to 1m in length, quickly and easily, for plugging into the output device.

After use, the cables retract automatically and without damage into the table installation module, where they remain out of sight, ready for the next use.

The cables are fixed on the rear side of the TAM 201 Standard III and thus secure against loss.

Changing cables is an easy process, says TLS.

Belden Brilliance high-definition BNC broadcast connectors are designed for use with Belden Brilliance precision video coaxial cables, and are said to offer true 75-ohm performance and rocksolid reliability. They also provide better than -20dB return loss performance up to 4.5GHz, exceeding the SMPTE specification requirements.

Integrators may choose from three connector platforms: threepiece crimp connectors, one-piece compression connectors, and one-piece locking compression connectors – described by Belden as ‘good, better, best’ respectively.

The three-piece BNC crimp connector features a traditional pin, collar and connector design.

The design of the one-piece compression connector eliminates the pin, collar and connector as

The table installation module is aluminium anodised and equipped with a protective brush strip, so it’s possible to close the cover plate and use the complete table surface even when cables are plugged in. www.technology-for-you.com

separate components, making installation faster and easier. In addition, the device provides excellent holding strength thanks to internal 360º compression rings, and offers weather resistance for increased reliability.

A non-blind entry ensures that the centre conductor is properly inserted into the centre pin.

The locking one-piece compression connector features an optional patented screw-on locking collar that securely aligns the connector and locks the bayonet nut in place, delivering an unparalleled level of electrical performance, according to Belden. www.beldenemea.com

Liberty HDMI cables combine copper and fibre for long-distance transmission Earlier this year, Liberty AV unveiled new active, optical HDMI high-speed cable assemblies.

Built with the support of US company Hitachi Cable Manchester, the cables are said to offer premium quality and performance at distances of up to 100m, without the need for conversion or additional power if the HDMI sink consumes 15mA or less. They draw power directly from any HDMI port.

Available in various lengths up to 100m, the high-speed cable assemblies use both fibre optic and copper cabling in a UL-listed plenum configuration. Their

design relies upon the ultraminiaturisation of the optical-toelectrical conversion process within the footprint of the HDMI connector. www.libertycable.com

Vision’s wallmount faceplates offer modularity, flexibility and speed Vision’s Techconnect2 TC2-LT Lite Wallmount Faceplate package is suitable for corporate and home-cinema applications. It consists of an attractive architectural front surround, plus clip-in modules which provide flexibility and speedy installation – as well as seamless integration of connectivity, audio and control.

Modules feature plug-in connectors on the rear. Cables come pre-terminated with male connectors, which plug into the rear of the module. Shortening or pulling a cable just requires the phoenix connector to be unscrewed.

Space for cables behind each module has increased compared with previous models thanks to 48 IE November 2011

the use of multi-layer printed circuit boards.

The Techconnect packages come with a surface-mounted backbox and a surround, which the modules clip into. The range includes flush and surface mounting backboxes, designed with convenient easy-push-out sections for trunking. They are made from non-brittle ABS plastic. www.visionaudiovisual.com www.installationeurope.com

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Q&A

Ross Ashton, The Projection Studio

Bridging the divide How has The Projection Studio changed since 1994?

With more than a decade of experience in architectural projection art, the company’s creative director discusses how science and art can be combined to create compelling experiences How did you get into the projection business?

I really enjoyed biology at school, and thought that might be my future. I went on to study it to degree level, but it became apparent that, unless you became a research scientist, being a laboratory technician was as much as I could hope for. That didn’t appeal, so I baled out.

I’ve always been interested in sciences and I’ve also enjoyed being creative. To me, photography was an ideal combination of the two: you have the science of working with chemistry, but also the ability to create something. I decided to study photography, and found myself working for a projection company in the medical field in London.

After that, I went to France for four years to work for E\T\C, who make the PIGI projector, before returning to London to set up a British operation for E\T\C. After eighteen years, I bought it out – and that was the beginning of The Projection Studio.

The Projection Studio is now three of us, and we’re working on a wider range of projects than we’ve ever done before – which is possible now we’re no longer tied to a single manufacturer. A recent highlight was being asked to be projection consultant for the World Cup in South Africa. I spent three weeks out there, and had a great time. I had a watching brief over the projection company, helping them to deliver the best solution and the best value, liaising with the creative people, giving them advice – and managing the expectations of the producers.

What is your favourite project that you’ve ever been involved in?

Like many people who do what I do, I think of myself as a building collector, and I’ve worked with some fantastic buildings over the years. However, probably my most significant project was the one that really brought The Projection Studio to the attention of a lot more people. It was the Queen’s

‘I think of myself as a building collector – I’ve worked with some fantastic ones’ Jubilee, and we’d been asked to supply the projectors for a son et lumière that was planned to happen on the façade of Buckingham Palace. I asked them who was doing the creative side of it – and they said they didn’t have anyone lined up. Of course, I volunteered! What we produced ended up being seen by a million people in The Mall – and many millions more when it was broadcast around the world.

We’ve now worked on Buckingham Palace three times – we did the commemoration of the end of the Second World War, and Bob Geldof’s Brightening Up London campaign.

From a creative point of view, my favourite project was probably one we

Advertisers index Active Audio

26

Alcons Audio

30

AMX

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ASL

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did for the Royal British Legion, when we projected images of falling poppies onto all four sides of the Wellington Arch. It’s not often you get to project on all four sides of a building. The images were very simple, very effective – and, I think, very moving.

Audipack

8

Is there a product that you’ve come to look on as ‘an old favourite’?

Dexon Doremi

30

I guess that has to be the E\T\C PIGI slide projectors, because they’re what I’ve used for perhaps 90% of my work.

They’re so powerful and flexible. You can achieve some wonderful effects with them – rotate images and so on – and their accuracy means that edge blending is no problem. Now, I’m a big fan of Christie’s Roadster projectors and I see them as the future.

DIS

46

Black Magic

13

Bosch

20

Braehler

26

Clear-Com

4

Community Professional Crestron

15

Front cover, 40 3

EAW

28

eyevis

46

Genelec

17

Integrated Systems Europe

49

JBL

22

Kramer

44

Lab.gruppen

6

Lightware

5, 32-33

Meyer Sound

What do you think a manufacturer wants from a distributor – and what does a reseller want?

Usually a manufacturer knows the major key accounts all over the world that can generate reasonable turnover, but they are always afflicted by a pretty high dropout risk. What manufacturers typically don’t know are the second-tier customers, which collectively can provide a stable and significant turnover for decades. There, a distributor can help.

Resellers want support and consistency, a stable and market-driven product design and, of course, margin.

Usually the margin is the initial driving force for resellers to think about their portfolio. I think it is as simple as that.

Is there a recent product that’s caught your eye that you think will be very useful in your business?

I suppose the products that I see transforming the industry are media servers: there seems to be a new one out every day. Which one is the best really depends on the application or the event that you are designing for. For me there is no one-stop shop for design – they all have their strengths and weaknesses. IE

. Ross Ashton was speaking to Ian McMurray

www.projecting.co.uk

9

Mipro

14

Mitsubishi

19

Niko

21

Nuvo

29

Opticis

45

Prase Engineering

14

projectiondesign

10

QSC Audio

2

Rane

42

Renkus-Heinz RGB Spectrum

37, 39 48

SmartMetals

7

Sommer Cable Tag

25 36

Taiden

Inside back cover

Teracue

26

TLS

43

TOA

19

Vity Technology

45

Vogel’s

Outside back cover

ONLINE EXTRAS . Ross Ashton discusses his awardwinning project The Love of Delhi http://tinyurl/IERossAshton Visit www.installationeurope.com or type the tinyurl into your browser

Subscriptions to Installation Europe are free to qualified readers. Register online at www.subscription.co.uk/cc/ie/mag1 Installation Europe is published 12 times a year by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LR, England Circulation and subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1858 438786 Fax +44 (0)1858 434958 Intent Media 2011, Tower House, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, Leics LE16 9EF, UK Editorial tel +44 (0)20 7226 7246 Sales tel +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Editor Paddy Baker paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk Managing editor Joanne Ruddock jo.ruddock@intentmedia.co.uk Designer Claire Brocklesby claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk Sales manager Yolanda Ayora yolanda.ayora@intentmedia.co.uk Sales executive Les Wood les.wood@intentmedia.co.uk US sales representative Michael Mitchell +1 631 673 3199 mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv Senior production executive Alistair Taylor alistair.taylor@intentmedia.co.uk Production executive Florence Beaumont florence.beaumont@intentmedia.co.uk Digital content manager Tim Frost Intent Media is tim.frost@intentmedia.co.uk Publisher Steve Connolly steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk Managing director Stuart Dinsey Contributors David Davies, Gez Kahan, Nigel Lord, Ian McMurray, Steve Montgomery, Blair Parkin, Adrian Pennington, Bob Snyder Special thanks this issue Joe Hosken, a member of Louise Stickland, Jorinde Wiegel © Intent Media 2011. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the Periodical Publishers Association prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Headley Brothers, UK 50 IE November 2011

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PSNE_IE

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4/7/11

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Page 24

Solution.

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For more information call +31 (0)40 2647400 or email salesprof@vogels.com

Mounting solutions for displays and projectors

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25-10-2010 10:59:48