Issue 195 / October 2016
AV INTEGRATION IN A NETWORKED WORLD
www.installation-international.com
Are we there yet? p20
We examine the AV over IP transition
Spreading the word p32 Houses of worship reach out Revolution in the head p36
Immersive audio at the V&A’s new exhibition
MISSION CONTROL Keeping on top of corporate projects p26 Master Station serves up to 24 remote stations
Connection of User Stations via LAN with PoE switches or via powered daisy chain lines Full color high-resolution displays 48 kHz / 16 bit uncompressed audio 4 Master Stations may be linked Remote Speaker Station
DIGITAL INTERCOM - CUE LIGHT CONTROL - GPO TRIGGER
Channels for Cue Light Control, GPO Trigger or Listen Only Full duplex intercom channels Program audio feeds over network
4-ch Master Speaker Station
2-ch Beltpack
FLEXUS is designed & manufactured by: ASL Intercom BV, Utrecht, The Netherlands www.asl-inter.com
WELCOME 03
www.installation-international.com
Subscriptions to Installation are free to qualified readers. Register online at www.installation-international.com/subscribe Circulation & subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1580 883848 Email: installation.subscriptions@c-cms.com Installation is published by NewBay, The Emerson Building, 4-8 Emerson Street, London SE1 9DU, England Editorial tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Please send press material to ukpressreleases@nbmedia.com Editor: Paddy Baker pbaker@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 7354 6034
Head of design: Jat Garcha jgarcha@nbmedia.com Designer: Tom Carpenter tcarpenter@nbmedia.com
Managing editor: Joanne Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 3829 2618
Content director: James McKeown
Senior staff writer: Duncan Proctor dproctor@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 7354 6037
Production manager: Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 3829 2617
Sales manager: Gurpreet Purewal gpurewal@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 7354 6029
Digital director: Diane Oliver doliver@nbmedia.com
Account manager: Ollie Smith osmith@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 7354 6026
Contributors: David Davies, Rob Lane, Ian McMurray, Steve Montgomery, David Rodgers
US sales – Executive vice president: Adam Goldstein agoldstein@nbmedia.com
Special thanks: Victoria Chernih, Sarah James, Megan Sweeting, Samantha Ward
© NewBay Media Europe Ltd 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Pensord Press, Wales
Print ISSN: 2050-6104
Online ISSN: 2052-2401
Cover image: Boardroom at OMERS, London – courtesy of Focus 21
A sister title to SCN
Guilty as charged
A
lerted by Twitter to an online article discussing exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices, I discovered recently that I may be a ‘removable battery fanboy’ when it comes to mobile phones. (I hadn’t realised that there were such people – but it seems the phenomenon is well documented, along with microSD card fanboys and IR blaster fanboys, apparently.) I’m pretty sure that whenever I’ve replaced my mobile, I’ve always chosen one with a removable battery – and there are two reasons for this. The first is that I’ve found that phone battery performance declines over time, even during the contract period – and buying a new battery (assuming you don’t accidentally acquire a fake) is Paddy Baker, Editor a relatively cheap way to remedy this. The second reason is that pbaker@nbmedia.com I don’t like buying products that have to be thrown away in their @install8ion entirety just because the battery can no longer hold its charge for an acceptable period. Of course providing a user-accessible battery compartment generally has a slightly increased manufacturing cost associated with it – but if there’s any noticeable impact on the final price, I generally don’t mind paying. The humble battery is something that we tend not to consider very deeply in these pages – we usually talk about rechargeability in terms of how many hours of use one can get out of an intercom beltpack or wireless microphone without giving much thought to the underlying power technology.
‘3D printing technology is being used for batteries, and the early results look encouraging’ But of course it’s developments in power storage technology that have enabled many products – not least phones – to become smaller and slimmer in recent years. And the Internet of Things depends on small, cheap sensors that, once deployed, run for several years with no facility for recharging. 3D printing technology is also being used for batteries, and the early results look encouraging – with materials such as magnesium and superconductive graphene set to outperform the more conventional lithium or nickel. Medical researchers are even looking into how ingestible batteries could be used as drug-delivery systems within the body. So, whether you favour removable or fixed, don’t overlook these wonders of packaged power. They’re set to become ever more important in many aspects of our lives. We have to say a farewell and a hello this month: Installation senior sales executive Nicola Pett is leaving us, to be replaced by account manager Ollie Smith. It’s goodbye and bon voyage to Nicola, who is going to travel in Asia; and a warm welcome to Ollie, who has just returned to the UK after a number of years in Australia. We have a very international outlook here, you know.
Installation is part of NewBay’s extensive portfolio of professional AV brands: TECH&LEARNING UK Technology for engaging minds To enquire about marketing opportunities in any of these brands, please contact Gurpreet Purewal – gpurewal@nbmedia.com, +44 20 7354 6029
04 CONTENTS
October 2016
News & Data 06 Analysis 4K UHD TV content and services to ramp up in coming years Survey predicts widespread changes in education technology usage 08 Regional Voices: Norway
People 10 Industry Moves 12 Opinion Rob Lane on avoiding a Brexit downturn Dave Rodgers explains why we should learn to love ambient light-rejecting screen materials 16 Interview Emma Bigg talks about life after SSE and how her new venture aims to help customers get the systems they really need
16
Features 20 Signal management David Davies explores have far along we are in the transition to AV over IP 26 Corporate AV While undoubtedly an exciting market, corporate AV can be a a challenge for integrators. Ian McMurray offers some advice 32 Houses of Worship Steve Montgomery looks at how technology is being used to spread the message far and wide
36 You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970, V&A, London Paddy Baker visits a new exhibition that brings the culture, politics and music of the late 1960s to life 40 Heathrow Airport, London A recent displays upgrade has led to a better customer experience and increased profitability 42 PwC Delta Room, Paris Initially intended only for experimental use by a niche group, this collaboration room has proved to have much wider appeal 44 Solutions in Brief Including RCF at an Italian health centre and AV Stumpfl chosen for Bayern Munich’s lounge
Picture Š Victoria & Albert Museum
Solutions
20
36
Technology 47 New Products Including BrightSign, Crestron, NEC and Roland
50 Showcase Intercoms and paging
52 Demo of the Month Bose ShowMatch DeltaQ
Also inside 18 Show review: IBC2016
52
Audipack ceiling lift systems Start your presentation in style.
Ceiling lift systems S Easy installation S Easy programming S Compatible with Extron control systems S Drivers available in Extron Control System Drivers Library
More information: www.audipack.com Industriestraat 2 - 2751 GT Moerkapelle - The Netherlands - Tel. +31 (079) 593 1671
06 ANALYSIS
October 2016
4K UHD TV content and services to ramp up over coming years By Steve Montgomery
G
lobal video providers around the world believe that consumers are ready to pay for 4K technology and services: 96% think that the majority of consumers will adopt 4K UHD TV by 2020 and that consumers will be prepared to pay for the upgrade. The primary viewing device will be the 4K connected TV, used mainly for live sports and early release movies. Concerns remain, however: device capabilities and available bandwidth are seen as having the highest impact on the success of 4K rollouts. The introduction of HDR is also causing confusion among consumers. Video service providers and content producers in Japan, Korea, France and the UK are already well underway with 4K services. Video service providers in the US and EMEA plan to launch 4K UHD services before they believe they will reach mass adoption. APAC-based operators, however, are trying to time their launch to match their expectations for mass adoption.
Primary device used to receive 4K TV (%) 60
50
40
30
20
10
0 Source: SNL Kagan
www.snl.com
4K TVs
Internet streaming boxes
Smartphones
Tablets
Gaming consoles
Pirate IPTV boxes
Voice control to become dominant in smart homes By Steve Montgomery
W
hile Siri and Google Now are wellestablished smartphone features, it is predicted the full potential of voice control systems in the smart home will be met in the coming years. ABI Research forecasts that more than 120 million voice-enabled devices will ship annually by 2021. Voice control, which combines speech recognition and natural language processing, is quickly becoming the key user interface within the smart home. New microphone-enhanced products will extend the ability to hear voice commands throughout a smart home environment. These will include TVs, refrigerators, plugs, cameras, doorbells, smart lighting and others. Vendors, including Google with Nest, are already expanding their products to support listening capabilities. However, tying multiple listening and voice controlled devices together into a coherent smart home system will require a shared voice platform. In the absence of standardisation, the primary
home voice platform providers, Apple, Amazon and Google, have their own approaches to extend and support their core businesses.
www.abiresearch.com
Smart home voice-enabled device shipments, worldwide forecast
2016
2021*
12.65 million
65.1% CAGR Smart home devices with microphones
54.6% CAGR
126.45 million
Voice control front end
Source: ABI Research
* = forecast
ANALYSIS
www.installation-international.com
07
Widespread changes predicted in edtech usage By Duncan Proctor
2015
70
2025*
Source: Polycom
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Hans Otto Theatre, Potsdam | Foto: Prof. Dieter Leistner
Kling & Freitag GmbH | www.kling-freitag.com
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Kling & Freitag balances passion with precision for uncompromising audio quality and „German engineering“. We are driven by a desire to provide and technically guarantee music and sound as a genuine sound experience. This is what each product by Kling & Freitag stands for - or, as we say, „Passion built in“.
* = forecast
60
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www.polycom.com
How do students engage with material today and how will they prefer to in the future?
Re co al-t lla im bo e ra vid tio eo n
T
he results from a recent education technology survey, conducted by Polycom, predict major changes in the deployment and usage of technology in and out of the classroom up to 2025. Education professionals believe that laptop use in classrooms will decline dramatically by 2025. Just under two-thirds of participants state that laptops are how students currently engage with content, but only 23% think this will be the case by 2025. More than half (54%) believe realtime video collaboration will be the primary way students engage by 2025. The survey findings also revealed that 72% of education professionals believe teachers are performing the leading role in education today, but only 40% think this will still be the case in 2025. And 36% of EMEA respondents feel funding is the biggest inhibitor to a more positive future for education.
08 REGIONAL VOICES
October 2016
NORWAY Our latest survey shows a market that is holding its own, but with some significant concerns down the line
A
ccording to the great authority that is Wikipedia, Norway’s most significant export partner is the UK, which buys just over a quarter of the Nordic country’s output. That’s clearly not the case with its AV industry, however, as respondents to our latest survey overwhelmingly declared their business unaffected by the Brexit vote.
2.5%
Annual GDP growth, Q2 2016 Source: Trading Economics
The majority of respondents to our survey said that they thought levels of confidence in the Norwegian installed AV industry were unchanged compared with six months ago. However – and this is something we’re fairly accustomed to seeing in these surveys – when asked to predict their own company’s financial performance over the next 12 months, the most popular response was an increase of up to 5%. So people are either banking on a yet-to-be-experienced market pick-up, or they feel their own company will outperform its peers. When we asked our respondents to predict trends in various verticals, there was a surprise in the results (see table): corporate came a long way down the list. To be fair, this sector is not as strong in Norway as in many other countries that we feature – it appeared in the halfway position when we last carried out a survey of this country
in our September 2015 issue – but we were surprised to see it drop still further. In common with their counterparts in other countries that we’ve featured recently, the business issue affecting their company that was most frequently selected was ‘clients going for lowest price rather than best value’, with ‘being undercut by competitors’ the second choice. One respondent commented: “Atea is destroying the Nordic market.” Atea is a Nordic IT infrastructure company which, presumably, is coming into traditional AV markets and undercutting the established players. Perhaps this accounts for the fall in the showing of the corporate sector? The rest of the survey strikes a rather gloomy note – belying the more upbeat assessments at the start. We asked whether the total number
8.74%
Trade surplus as share of GDP, 2014 Source: theglobaleconomy.com
of companies active in the marketplace was changing: the majority thought the number was increasing – because of “installers entering the AV market with low or less competence”, according to one. A different respondent called for “less cheap cowboys” when asked what one thing they would like to change about the industry, if they could. Finally, another expressed a desire to see “more focus on quality and competence under review”.
What will be the business trend in the following vertical markets?
INCREASE Education Digital signage Worship Retail Museums/visitor attractions Performing arts venues Corporate Bars, clubs, restaurants Sports venues DECREASE
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10 INDUSTRY MOVES
October 2016
Philips appoints new head of entertainment lighting Colin Kavanagh is tasked with growing the company’s presence in the entertainment market
www.communitypro.com www.tau.nl Monacor Iberia has taken over the exclusive distribution for German Light Products in Spain. The Spanish wholesaler will now offer a complete product range from the manufacturer’s impression X series. www.glp.de/en www.monacor-spain.biz
has been promoted to product manager for the Elan brand. He has been part of the team since 2007, most recently as training program manager, developing programmes to support new product and software launches. Prior to that he held the position of marketing content manager.
Handy AV
Max Jaeckel-Parker has joined the integrator as a business management executive. With a background in the real estate industry and technology consulting, Jaeckel-Parker is experienced in working with global businesses across multiple sectors and can boast a BSc (Hons) in International Management from the University of Manchester.
www.handyav.com Polycom
Mary McDowell has been named CEO, effective as of the closing of the acquisition of Polycom by affiliates of Siris Capital Group. McDowell is a technology executive who has led global multi-billion dollar businesses in the mobile, consumer and enterprise sectors. She is currently an executive partner at Siris Capital.
www.polycom.com Reflex www.lighting.philips.com
New Partners Community Professional Loudspeakers has a new distributor in the Netherlands. Tau Audio Solutions will add Community products to its established portfolio of audio brands, including Ashly, Clockaudio, Audix Microphones, Contacta and Baldwin Boxall Communications.
Eric Herdman
www.corebrands.com
P
hilips Lighting has announced the appointment of Colin Kavanagh as the company’s new head of its Entertainment lighting business. Kavanagh will relocate to Dallas, Texas, where he is charged with growing Philips Lighting’s presence in the entertainment sector – specifically with lighting for theatres, festivals, experiential retail outlets, theme parks, arts venues, exhibition spaces, leisure venues, holiday destinations and the night club industry. Kavanagh has a strong background in design for excellence (DfX), concurrent product development (CPD), lean manufacturing and voice of the customer (VoC) in fast-time-tomarket industries. “I am developing a sector-specific strategy that will greatly enhance how the Entertainment team works and take the business to the next level,” explained Kavanagh. “At Philips Lighting, we have an unparalleled degree of innovation, passion and technical expertise. My job is to put this at the forefront of everything we do, coupled with the VoC approach to best serve our customers.” Kavanagh joined Philips in 2013 as SVP of procurement engineering. Prior to this he was senior vice president of operations at Topcon Positioning Systems.
Core Brands
Dataton has announced the appointment of COMMTEC as its Premium Partner for Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia. COMM-TEC will be responsible for distribution, marketing, training and support of the Dataton product range in these countries. www.comm-tec.de/em www.dataton.com Audio Electronics Mattijsen (AEM) is now distributing Pliant Technologies’ products in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. AEM will further help Pliant support current customers and engage new clients in north-west Europe. www.aem.nl www.plianttechnologies.com
Crispin Piney is the latest name to join the senior management team, taking up the role of sales director. He has two decades of sales experience and has worked with numerous blue chip employers including end-user facing roles at Sony, Crestron and integrator Smartcomm.
www.reflex.co.uk TEECOM
Blair Parkin has joined international technology consultancy TEECOM as principal. Based in Brighton, he will lead the company’s services for the EMEA region, continuing its expanding business in Munich, Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam and London. Parkin’s career as a technologist has spanned more than 30 years in various sectors, including many years as MD of Visual Acuity.
www.teecom.com
35 Years G E LV 'LHWHU LV G E
'LHWHU /|˃HU LV 0DQDJLQJ 'LUHFWRU RI DYL V\V D G E SDUWQHU LQ *HUPDQ\ They’ve been on board since 2004. “d&b is reliably innovative. It’s like a big family that provides professional, excellent support.â€? In 35 years d&b has evolved from a small garage venture to a worldwide standard in professional sound systems. ,W¡V SHRSOH OLNH 'LHWHU ZKR PDNH WKLV VWRU\ SRVVLEOH DQG MXVW WKDW ELW GLË HUHQW IURP WKH UHVW
Welcome to System reality.
12
OPINION: ON THE AGENDA
October 2016
Rob Lane Pushing the boat out Investing to avoid a Brexit downturn
I
s it just me, or was it an unusually long, hot summer following the United Kingdom’s EU Referendum on 23 June? A lot has certainly changed since the shock result, and perhaps this, along with the sunshine, made summer 2016 feel particularly lengthy. A new Prime Minster with no Y chromosomes (and arguably no mandate?) has shaped a completely new Cabinet, ditched Cameronism and austerity, trailed a supposedly more inclusive future, while insisting (more than once) that “Brexit means Brexit” – whatever that means… What we do know, of course, is that a lot more change is on the horizon, and that it will undoubtedly affect UK businesses. Although it’s far too early to say whether the surprisingly buoyant response to the referendum result is the calm before the storm, The Good Ship UK will certainly be buffeted. So how is our industry faring? I approached some influential integrators, vendors and distributors to find out. Most preferred to stay off the record, but some were happy for us to give their names. Unsurprisingly almost everyone I spoke to said it was too early to say how the result would affect business – which backs up most economics experts’ viewpoint that the post-vote economic buoyancy is a red herring. The other key takeaway is that the widely held view among AV-focused companies is that those with mainly UK-centric businesses are going to be affected more than those whose concerns are more outward-looking. Tim Stone, vice president marketing EMEA, Polycom (UK), said: “I think it’s too soon to say. We are a global company and our business is generated across the Americas, APAC and EMEA.
While the UK is a very important market for us, we haven’t experienced the same impact in the short term that some UK-only businesses have felt.”
Exchange rates One immediate impact on AV distributors is the fluctuating exchange rates – something Stone sees as “short term”. The impact seems to have depended on how prepared (or otherwise) companies were ahead of the referendum vote: did they plan for both eventualities or, like Cameron and his Cabinet, only for a Remain outcome? Gordon Dutch, director of BBG and Peerless Industries Inc, commented: “The reality is that the dollar has strengthened significantly against the pound, and consequently a large amount of electronics and AV products will ultimately go up – even if you’ve hedged ahead as we have done; you can only buy the dollar so far forward. In the short term it’s going to make things very difficult.” Dutch expects a “very tough time” over the next three to six months, as a result of this and of the collapse of Hanjin Shipping (the container shipper filed for bankruptcy protection on 31 August, sending global sea freight into turmoil). In terms of the longer-term effects of Brexit, he reckons it’ll remain unclear for five to 10 years. Stone believes that those affected most keenly in the short term will be Polycom’s smaller UK partners, but he’s confident that there’ll be a corresponding and “probably greater” need for UK businesses to collaborate with their European colleagues, partners and customers. Of course, for those exporting, the weakening pound has had a positive effect. Holo-Gauze manufacturer Holotronica has experienced a
“very buoyant” summer with no ill effects, with its Holo-Gauze screens available outside the UK for 10% less than before. Stone’s assertion that “in business, every challenge is an opportunity” is an astute one, and perhaps the referendum decision – and the delay in Article 50 being invoked – has injected additional business urgency into the AV industry. During lean times the successful businesses are often those that reach out further, and maintain (or increase) marketing.
‘Perhaps the referendum decision – and the delay in Article 50 being invoked – has injected additional business urgency into the AV industry’
“Everyone needs to be proactive to ensure negative growth doesn’t happen,” says Steve Blyth, founder and group CEO of UK-headquartered integrator Engage Works. He expects a negative impact, but is confident that the industry will continue to flourish as long as everyone is “more aggressive”, while “casting the net further with increased spend on marketing and events”. It might be a case of all hands on deck as The Good Ship UK prepares for stormy waters, but – to over-egg the seafaring metaphor – for the AV industry it’s very much full steam ahead. Rob Lane is a tech/business journalist and founder/owner of Bigger Boat PR. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he lives by the sea.
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14 OPINION: ON SITE
October 2016
Dave Rodgers Ambient ambivalence How does an ‘ambient light-rejecting’ material actually ‘reject’ an indirect light source – and why should we love the concept?
T
he term ‘ambient light-rejecting’ describes a projection screen feature that prevents ambient light from washing out an image. Some AV purists hate the use of the word ‘rejecting’, and technically they are correct: ALR screens either absorb or divert ambient light away from the viewer’s field of vision. However, the term gives customers an easy mental image. To AV installers, ambient light is any atmospheric light that originates from an indirect source of luminance indoors or outdoors, naturally or artificially occurring. Basically, it’s any light source other than your projector that threatens to impair your image’s aesthetics. Also, light-coloured walls, ceilings and flooring can all contribute to ambient light problems and negatively affect video performance; so a room lined with white marble floors, alabaster walls and a whitewashed ceiling is far from ideal for getting the best out of your projector screen. So how do we ‘reject’ ambient light, particularly if we don’t have 100% control over environmental lighting? To some degree, a brighter projector does help to drown out a little more of the milky white glare of indirect room lighting, but it does bring a negative effect as well. As much as you want a bright, colourful image, you don’t want it too bright or the contrast suffers. An excessively bright screen can also cause eye discomfort.
Screen types Instead of thinking about a brighter projector, consider a speciality projection screen. Ambient light-rejecting screens come in two basic formats: retro-reflective or angular-reflective. According to the laws of reflection, the incident ray, the
reflected ray, and the normal to the surface of the mirror all lie in the same plane; and the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence. However, ALR surfaces may not perform exactly in this way because of how they are constructed, using either microstructures or multi-layered optical filters. A normal white projector screen has ‘diffusion uniformity’, scattering the projected light to provide uniform brightness over the full 180° of the projection angle. However, it scatters all light, not just the projected signal, so high levels of ambient light will wash out the image. Angular-reflective means that light reflects off the surface at precisely the opposite angle of incidence, exactly as the laws of reflection describe. This type of screen is the preferred model for commercial applications and also widely popular with residential applications. The material prevents full diffusion from occurring, to provide greater control over the washout effects of ambient light. The focused reflectivity rewards viewers with a bright projected image that achieves a superb level of colour temperature. At the same time, off-axis light is diverted away from the viewer’s range of visible perception. Its multiple layers of diffusion material further negate the washout effects of ambient light, while also enhancing black levels for sharp image clarity. Retro-reflective means that the material will reflect back the image direct to the light source. This limits the options of projector placement but its performance levels typically make it the favourite of home theatre aficionados.
CEILING (OFF-AXIS) LIGHT SOURCE AMBIENT LIGHT IS ABSORBED TED JEC T PROLIGH
REFLECTED LIGHT
the viewer’s field of vision. The screen does this by means of an active microstructure design, which reflects the projected image directly into the viewer’s field of vision while absorbing the majority of all other indirect light (see diagram). With retro-reflective materials, light coming from the projector must hit the material in direct alignment with the screen’s level centre without being off by more than a 5° angle. Any vertical off-axis angle of projection greater than that will be reflected off at so extreme an angle that it will not come into the viewer’s field of vision. And why should you love the concept of ALR? It enables the viewer to maximise the effects of optimal contrast and even ISF-certified colour temperature. It enhances brightness while filtering out ambient light. This creates a realistic image that allows 4K content to be appreciated in its full glory with the lights on or off. Colours look stronger, and the sharpness and image clarity of UHD/4K content are more defined. Dave Rodgers is marketing manager for Elite Screens.
Angular precision A retro-reflective ambient light-rejecting screen essentially absorbs ambient light away from
www.elite-screens.com
16 INTERVIEW: EMMA BIGG, OCTAVIUS RE
October 2016
Better by design
In April this year, Emma Bigg decided to end a long career with SSE and to branch out on her own, founding AV consultancy Octavius RE. Paddy Baker finds out about the path that brought her to that decision How did you get into the industry? I’d always been interested in theatre since I was at school, and when I went to Bradford University – where I studied for a degree in electronics, communications and computer engineering – I got involved with the theatre technical team there, and got to know all the guys who did the lighting and sound for the student union events. I was more on the lighting side when I started at university, but then I got converted to audio and I got really interested in live music, live sound and so on. I had a sandwich year, so I wrote to a number of companies and got some work experience with Wigwam. That led on to getting a job with Adlib Audio, where I worked for about six months.
During the summer, before I went back to university, I ended up working in the Mean Fiddler Festival office. It’s at that point I got to know the people at SSE because I was helping book all the production suppliers and co-ordinating band information. By now, I was absolutely determined that once I’d graduated, I wanted to work in the industry. I ended up writing to SSE and asking “Will you give me a job?” – and they gave me one. I became the hire sales assistant in 1999.
me to say they were going to buy a company in London and were going to set up an installationfocused business. They needed somebody to come in and manage the acquisition and then turn it around. I thought that sounded interesting. It was a bit of a baptism of fire: I knew about sound systems, but installation was a bit different. We had some good technical staff who came with the company and it was a case of building on that, and then looking at other opportunities.
When did you start working on installations rather than events? I worked for SSE for six or seven years before moving away for 18 months. But then SSE called
Is there anything that, with hindsight, you’d have done differently there – in terms of “I wish I’d known about…” ? I think in terms of the way we did things, it
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A brief biography Emma Bigg joined SSE Audio Group in 1999 as hire sales assistant, rising to hire director After 18 months as event production manager for a corporate event and experiential marketing agency, she rejoined SSE Audio in 2006 as London general manager, rising to installations director Since April 2016 she has worked for herself as an AV architect and strategist at Octavius RE would be hard to say we would have done anything differently. We didn’t have as much choice in how we did things at the time. I think it took us a long time to appreciate that we were actually pretty good – even as a newcomer in that environment. Because we came from a pro audio/touring background, where you’ve got to deliver an event in a high-risk environment, you get used to undertaking a high level of engineering to ensure the system will always deliver – and we applied that kind of engineering to installs. We probably offered a quality of install that a lot of people weren’t offering. But everything was a useful learning step. From that period, what was the standout project that you most remember? One of the most interesting ones we did was for Phillips, the auctioneers. They bought 30 Berkeley Square in London and wanted to set that up as their European flagship office. It was an opportunity to go somewhere we hadn’t gone before; we were presented with this fantastic project. They wanted multiple audio systems, they needed cameras because they needed to show a live feed of the auction itself, they needed to overlay that with lot and bid information. That all then had to be streamed to private boxes. We put something really quite cool in place. We also got to work on the London Astoria, a legendary music venue that we’d done events in for years as a hire company. We also worked on the Bloomsbury Ballroom for Vince Power, which was one of the first installs we did. To work in a building like that and do something that’s fairly complex and sympathetic was quite interesting.
And in 2015 you won an InstallAward for Quaglino’s. Quaglino’s was really interesting too. It had pretty poor audio, and D&D, the owners, decided they really wanted a more cabaret style with live music. The acoustics were very challenging, and it was really nice to do something that worked very well and to have
INTERVIEW: EMMA BIGG, OCTAVIUS RE the client on board with investing in something that would really do the job. With a venue like that, a lot of their business comes from hiring out the venue – and we helped put into place an infrastructure that meant you could do an event without everyone having to bring in everything. How would you say the industry has changed over your time in it in terms of the way women are treated? I’ve always had a very positive experience in this industry. When I was working in the London nightclub scene, it was quite challenging to get customers to buy into your concept, to believe you knew what you were doing – and that you wouldn’t be a pushover in terms of the business side of things. These days, it tends not to be like that. The focus is more on “do you know what you’re doing?” It helps that a lot of the work you get is through word of mouth recommendation, so you start from a position of people having more confidence in you. The biggest change is that there are more women in all aspects of the AV industry, which is really nice.
‘You don’t get the design right by just by getting three companies in and saying “this is what I want”’
What do you think should be done to increase that further? There’s a bigger issue there about getting women into technology in general. It’s about engaging people at a much younger age, when they’re thinking about a career path. It’s really about promoting role models, and spreading the word that this is a job for everybody, not just men. I think that’s probably the best thing you can do – to promote the role models out there, so that women can see there are people doing it and being very successful. Tell me about the move away from SSE into Octavius RE. It didn’t happen overnight. Part of it is that my son is three, and he’ll start school next year. Another part is that 10 years is a long time to be in one place. It just felt that this was a good time to do something for myself. I wanted to make a lifestyle change, and decided this would be a good time to do it.
17
One of my frustrations over the years was going to a customer and finding people who had spent a lot of money – and not got what they needed. They hadn’t skimped, but at best they’d got an adequate solution, rather than one that had been properly thought through. I really wanted to explore the idea of getting people to understand that getting the design right is an integral part of the success of the project – and you don’t do that just by getting three companies in and saying “this is what I want”. These companies need advice that’s going to dovetail with the business itself and actually add some commercial value, as opposed to just being a cost. I really felt confident that there was a market out there for that kind of help for people. How would you describe the consultancy services you are offering? It’s about AV design and strategy. The strategy comes from working with chains – large companies with multiple venues – and trying to get them to understand that they have to have an overall approach to AV, because that will actually save money and improve things operationally. When you move your management people around, for example, as large companies do, it can be the little things that make a big difference. If you install the same control interface in all your venues, then all your managers and staff will always know how to operate the system: that’s a time saving, it makes life simpler, and your staff aren’t distracted by non-core activities. It’s ideas like that: by thinking about strategy, you can improve things operationally and have a downstream benefit in terms of time saving and cost saving. What was the seminar session you were recently involved in at PLASA? It was about strategy in AV installation design. I did it in conjunction with James Gosney, who is head of sound at Stage Electrics. The idea of it was trying to get people to think about the overall design of an AV installation: it’s more than just having some speakers and a volume control, or a TV and a volume control. Do you have a strategy for your own company in terms of, for example, milestones you want to achieve? That’s a really difficult one to answer, not least because, having started up on my own, it’s opening avenues I hadn’t actually considered. That’s making the future a lot more interesting. It’ll be fascinating to see where it goes. But it’s early days.
www.octaviusre.com
18 SHOW REVIEW: IBC2016
October 2016
Best of Show winners Installation organised its Best of Show competition for IBC
of
exhibitors again this year. Our judges seleted three outstanding
2016
products new to this year’s show from among the entries we received.
Broader casting Once again, IBC proved an ideal place to find new technologies on the cusp of broadcast and AV. Paddy Baker and Duncan Proctor bring you the pick of what they saw at the Amsterdam RAI
Adder – AdderLInk XDIP
Taking advantage of the ubiquitous nature of IP networks, this plug-and-play KVM extender is a
AJA Video Systems announced a number of additions to its portfolio, including two miniconverters that support IP-based video and audio workflows. The IPR-1G-HDMI and IPR-1GSDI mini-converters decode VSF TR-01 and other JPEG 2000 streams, and format the data for output on a full size HDMI 1.4 interface or 3G-SDI BNC output. AJA also launched the ROI-SDI scanconverter, which offers flexible image scaling, region-of-interest and image rotation capabilities, with 3G-SDI input and simultaneous 3G-SDI and HDMI outputs. AV Stumpfl signed deals with Lang AG, loop light, and AOTO at IBC2016. Visual technology distributor Lang is expanding its media server inventory with AV Stumpfl’s Wings Engine Raw 8K media servers for customers requiring highresolution content for media-based installations. Multimedia experiential and production company loop light also signed a deal to invest in Wings Engine Raw 4K servers. Owner and founder Matt Finke has become a brand ambassador for AV Stumpfl, and has directed a new short film called Every Pixel Counts, screened at the show, about the process of making media servers. It was also announced that display manufacturer AOTO has bought Wings Engine Raw 8K media servers to showcase core content for production, event and immersive applications. Black Box believes it is the only KVM manufacturer to offer solutions for virtualised environments, in addition to IP-based and pointto-point solutions. “KVM doesn’t have a future if it can’t offer virtualisation,” said EMEA marketing director Winfried Schulz. The company’s new InvisaPC KVM-over-IP solution works over LAN or internet, enabling desktop extension from physical CPUs or virtual machines. New at the show was the Radian videowall processor, which enables the creation of
videowalls of up to 64 outputs that can be dragged, dropped and resized anywhere. These outputs can be selected from hundreds of video inputs. Also on show were the ControlBridge solution for control rooms and conference rooms, and the Coalesce wireless presentation system for conference rooms and classrooms. Blackmagic Design demonstrated Teranex AV – a broadcast-quality standards converter for AV professionals. Patrick Hussey, senior communications manager, described the launch as “the start of a more focused effort in the AV market” by the manufacturer. Teranex AV has specific features for live production use, such as low latency (as low as 67ms) and live freeze, plus the ability to convert between multiple formats up to 2160p60. Unlike its counterparts used in broadcast applications, it sports XLR inputs, and two-channel consumer hi-fi connections for connecting lapel mics and laptop computers. It also features 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0a inputs, outputs and loop through, and can convert from HDMI to SDI without additional hardware. An HDMI signal can be looped out to a big-screen projector and simultaneously converted and sent to decks and monitors. IBC product highlights from eyevis included LED walls, slim rear-projection cubes, LCD and TOLED touchscreens. The bezel-free ePANEL LED wall, comprised of modules of the new ePANELproduct family, was presented as a 4K videowall with a 0.9mm pixel pitch. The EYE-LCD-5000-QHD 50in display has been added to the 4K product range; this provides high contrast even in high levels of ambient light, as well as strong colour rendering and a large viewing angle. Also on show was the EYE-TOLED-5500TIGF40 – a transparent OLED display for presentations, with an optional touch version that utilises InGlass touch technology and 40
‘good enough’ solution for many customers who do not require a fuller feature set. The same box can act as transmitter or receiver, simplifying matters for manufacturer and customer. AV Stumpfl – Wings Vioso RX
This media server software includes a completely new multi-user workflow to enable users to control different aspects of a show at the same time and promote collaboration. Developed from scratch over four years, it is a highly original product that will not require regular updates, while retaining a familiar user interface. Bluefish444 – KRONOS
The versatility to meet current and forthcoming standards through simple firmware updates, combined with wide operational flexibility, will suit many types of user in content creation, delivery and playback applications. Its high performance capability ensures it will remain a valuable investment for an extended time period. Our congratulations to the winners. Additionally, all entrants will be featured in a Best of Show Digital Edition, sent out this month.
SHOW REVIEW: IBC2016
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simultaneous touch points. This, however, has a limited production lifespan following Samsung’s withdrawal from the transparent OLED market. Two interesting virtual reality developments were on show at the Fraunhofer HHI stand. To reduce the bandwidth requirement in immersive VR video streaming applications, HEVC Tiles provide the highest resolution only in the user’s direct field of view; the system responds quickly as the user moves their head. The technology aggregates separate HEVC-encoded videos into a single common HEVC bitstream, through the lightweight rewriting of header information. Also on show was Fraunhofer HHI’s 3D Human Body Reconstruction Technology, which uses multiple cameras simultaneously to capture moving images of real people and create naturally moving dynamic 3D models. The aim is to transmit a realistic moving image of a person into a virtual world. Guntermann & Drunck showed the ControlCenter-Compact digital KVM matrix switch series – a compact version of its ControlCenterDigital and the successor to the DVICenter series (although compatible with both of these). The matrix is available in five sizes, from 16 to 80 ports. All variants feature dynamic ports, which can be used either as input or output. The first
release uses Cat-cable ports; fibre and mixed variants will follow. Resolutions up to 4K/UHD at 60Hz are supported, and video interfaces include DisplayPort via HDMI, DVI and VGA. Used in combination with the company’s KVM MatrixGrid, many matrixes can be combined into one large installation. Merging Technologies showcased the latest version of Ovation for AV and event applications. Version 6 features an integrated 3D rendering engine, for use with both replayed sounds and live inputs. Also Ovation MassCore was on show, which is said to contain the most powerful audio engine in the world, able to process up to 768 I/O with latencies as low as 1.33ms. NewTek launched the NewTek IP Series, a modular video production system designed for video professionals or anyone carrying out large-format mixing and switching. The company believes this is the first large production system designed for IP video that is also compatible with SDI. The system is scalable and modular – it uses separate components for mixing and control, input, and output of sources. Video, audio and control signals from these components are transferred digitally using NewTek’s Network
From the publisher of Installation, AV Technology and SCN.
• • • • • •
Device Interface (NDI) technology – version 2 of which was also released at the show. Optocore exhibited alongside BroaMan and brought five new MADI switches as well as four solutions from its Intercom series. The new MADI switches include two optical and two coaxial switches for single channel routing and stream bridging as well as one model that can be networked and integrated with optical and network systems. At a busy press conference, Riedel CEO Thomas Riedel announced two acquisitions. The first was ASL Intercom, which he described as “a very traditional intercom manufacturer with a nice portfolio of analogue partyline products”. He added: “I said analogue partyline was dead 10 years ago – but I was wrong!” ASL’s brand identity is to be retained, and its founder and managing director Eric de Bruyn is staying in his current role. The other acquisition is intercom and communications system manufacturer DELEC, whose products include oratis intercoms, unito Dante interfaces and digital PA systems. The company is well established in broadcast, stage and live entertainment markets.
www.ibc.org
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19
20 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: SIGNAL MANAGEMENT
October 2016
A period of transition The abundance of networked systems at InfoComm 2016 suggested that AV over IP is finally coming of age – but how far along are we really in this hugely significant transition? David Davies finds out
A
V over IP takes centre stage’ at InfoComm, declared Installation in June 2016 at the close of this year’s InfoComm exhibition in Las Vegas. AV over IP products from Atlona, AptoVision, AMX and Crestron were among those highlighted – but they were just the tip of the iceberg of the next-generation solutions unveiled. The flexibility and scalability of networked AV systems are among the factors to be recommending them above traditional pointto-point configurations. Control rooms, conference centres and larger educational facilities are among the applications where the transition has arguably been most marked to date. But in an area where there has been some degree of hype exceeding expectation, it is essential to take a closer look and find out how quite far along we are to completing this historic transition. Installation therefore spoke to a number of leading vendors, discovering in the process that while significant progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all customers can feel confident about making the jump.
Progressive vs conservative With its NetworkHD 100-Series and 200-Series lines, WyreStorm offers an extensive range of AV over IP controllers, encoders and decoders using H.264 and JPEG2000 technologies. The company’s EMEA general manager, Adrian Ickeringill, is therefore well placed to offer a summary of the current state of play.
‘The transition for videobased products is really building, but still a little bit “wild west” with no standard approach yet chosen’ Justin Kennington, AptoVision
“The market can be said to be split into two – progressive and conservative – both of which have their own innate challenges to overcome when introducing new technologies, such as IP,” he says. “Progressive early adopters and
Key Points The story of networked AV can still be divided into ‘progressives’ and ‘conservatives’, but an increasing number of users – and applications – can be placed into the first grouping Cost-effective IP switches and the benefits for flexible routing and subsequent system adjustment or expansion are among the primary drivers of the transition 4K and the Internet of Things will place even-greater demands on networked AV systems in terms of bandwidth capacity and implementation/support Systems integrators are advised to prepare themselves to deal with the new system elements coming down the line – not to mention the stresses these will place on bandwidth providers of high-end solutions are always looking to the future, to offer the unique solutions they feel are ahead of the game, and thus are have been more open to IP-based AV distribution as an alternative to ‘accepted’ transmission technologies, such as HDBaseT. “On the flipside, the conservative side of the market resists a technology like AV over IP until
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it has had a chance to ‘bed in’, having already invested time and energy getting competent with the last new technology – in this case, HDBaseT – and has grown accustomed to its installation and stability, as well as the numerous matrix/extender/presentation switcher options available for HDBaseT solutions, which have become standard in recent years.” While this overview captures the fundamental split in the market, opinions vary on what share is to be found in each camp. “It is moving fast,” says Nicolas Jaud, product marketing manager, ATEN UK. “With the politics of all-fibre networks everywhere and high-bandwidth networks, it is now possible to send video at reasonable quality over IP.” Andy Whitehead, general manager, SVSi by Harman, contends that “we are still on the front end [of the transition] with most installations still proprietary non-IP-based. Some functions – like control – have mostly evolved to IP-based technology, but others – like non-blocking video matrix switches and presentation switchers – are mostly proprietary analogue or digital.” Meanwhile, Justin Kennington – strategic and technical marketing director at AptoVision – points up the difference between the progress of the ‘A’ and ‘V’ in ‘networked AV’. “The transition is starting to gain steam,” he says. “At InfoComm this year every major manufacturer – even some new to the video game – was showing off some type of video over IP solution. The transition for pure audio products seems nearly complete, driven by Dante. The transition for video-based products is really building, but still a little bit ‘wild west’ with no standard approach yet chosen.”
Factors driving change But while assessments of its current status might vary, there is a general consensus on why the transition is occurring – and in particular why it is happening now. Primarily these include the ability of IP-based designs to assist flexibility in terms of routing video, and scalability with regard to expanding and enhancing systems as requirements change. The affordability of IP switches has been a vital enabler here, of course, but so too has been improved network bandwidth and more advanced compression technologies. Jamie Adkin, strategic sales manager of Adder Technology, comments: “The obvious benefits of moving to IP are increased flexibility and scalability – that is, the ability to quickly, easily and cost-effectively scale infrastructure in line with business growth. This is particularly true for large projects where a fixed install would have been incredibly complex. Here, IP and its standardised methodology makes it easy for it to be rolled out over large sites.” Kennington puts the change in the context of a trajectory that has seen similar developments
FEATURE: SIGNAL MANAGEMENT
21
ZeeVee: ‘AV over IP as a mass adoption thing? I think we are there already’ With an emphasis on delivering simplicity and reliability to installers working across a variety of applications, ZeeVee has been among the genuine trailblazers in the networked AV space. Today its offer includes such flagship solutions as ZyPer4K, which is able to use off-the-shelf 10Gb Ethernet switches to send uncompressed HD and UHD/4K video, audio and control data with zero latency. Thanks to its Management Platform the solution is practically plug and play, with a feature set that includes: the ability to distribute and control thousands of 4K sources and displays across a facility; adding new sources and displays without programming; no input/output restrictions; reduced installation footprint and operating costs; and creating and managing videowalls with up to 25 displays. Invited to consider how far along we are in terms of AV over IP becoming a mass adoption movement, ZeeVee UK EMEA sales director Robert Muddiman believes that “we are already there. Maybe if you went back two years or so, there was still a nervousness about some aspects of the technology, but I think we are beyond that now.” taking place in other areas of communications. “IP switching is a lot cheaper than circuit switching (what you find in matrix switchers),” he says. “This transition has happened in every single communications industry so far – telco, cable TV, etc. For pro AV, the application requirements demanded more than the IP networks could provide until now. Pro AV frequently demands zero latency and zero artifacts. This translates into a demand for a lot of bandwidth. Finally, 10Gb networks are priced realistically (and getting cheaper by the day), and these networks have the bandwidth necessary to transmit uncompressed video without latency – a job that used to be the domain of HDBaseT can now be usurped by Ethernet.” For WyreStorm’s Ickeringill, one significant factor would be “the advancement of the different video compression technologies to a level of quality and reliability suitable for commercial applications.” But future expansion in terms of adding new video sources and rooms – and the attendant installation and maintenance – should also be factored into the mix. “Markets such as bars and restaurants, shops and shopping malls, education, corporate, control
The flexibility of IP-based operation and the onset of 4K are among the factors to be driving the change, he suggests. As for applications, “we are getting a lot of enquiries from universities, government projects, corporates and so on – it’s really extensive”. But to help ensure that the message gets out there, ZeeVee has recently expanded the number and extent of its training and seminar efforts: “It’s really important that we demonstrate the solutions so that integrators, consultants and end-users are able to see how simple, flexible and cost-effective a welldesigned AV over IP solution can be.” rooms, courtrooms and transport – in short any medium to large multi-source to multi-screen commercial application – all benefit from the ability to add screens and integrate additional sources as required, and negate the need for a fixed matrix solution for significant cost savings on projects,” he says. “Further cost savings can be found [at the installation stage in terms of] reduced time and hardware, with reduced potential points of failure within a system that can impact on a whole project and easier identification and resolution of failure compared to standalone matrix systems – removing the need to swap a full matrix or spend a lengthy amount of time identifying problems on site.”
Primary applications While some areas of the discussion around networked AV have focused on its benefits for larger-scale applications at venues such as conference centres and universities, it is evident that word of its benefits is now spreading across applications and facilities of all sizes – even to those smaller sites that do not necessarily require expert installation or subsequent support.
22 FEATURE: SIGNAL MANAGEMENT “Our general feeling is that AV over IP should be considered for any commercial application of AV distribution above a 16 x 16 and supporting hundreds or even thousands of sources and screens, each 100m apart for virtually any size arrays,” says Ickeringill. “Some applications, such as sports bars, typically feature a disproportionate number of inputs to outputs (15 x 50), so rather than wasting HDBaseT matrix inputs that aren’t needed, an IP system can be easily and affordably created that offers that precise configuration – with the system able to be equally easily expanded (or reduced) just by adding or removing encoders and sources, and decoders and screens. Videowalls are also far easier to incorporate into systems, with systems such as WyreStorm’s NetworkHD 200-Series offering videowall integration; [these] can be installed alongside NetworkHD 100-Series for mixed individual screen/videowall systems.” Educational applications where content can be flexibly routed to multiple spaces, and control rooms “as purely videowall-focused applications, so the ability to switch any PC in a control room up to the main screen instantly is powerful” are among the other environments cited by Ickeringill. Adkin also pinpoints the increasingly broad base of enquiries regarding networked AV. “Previously it would have been the largest systems that would have seen the biggest benefits because of the standardised infrastructure,” he says. “Large proprietary systems require a complex install, with the manufacturer getting involved in the installation and set-up. Now however, Adder, for example, is shipping thousands of end-points to customers and they’re installing them without our support. This has larger benefits – because they are on the network, these devices can be maintained and supported by the same teams, in-house or thirdparty, that take care of a company’s network. “Looking at the benefits specifically, we’re finding that the great advantages for some applications are coming from a management perspective – the management and the flexibility of having a single architecture connecting everything, as opposed to having disparate systems that need interconnectivity and separate management.”
Future requirements With 4K/UHD and the Internet of Things (IoT) also increasingly entering the frame – and thus adding further complexity to public and private facility installations – the pull towards networked AV is bound to intensify. But accommodating these emerging requirements will necessitate a very careful approach to R&D to ensure that networks,
and the solutions that support them, remain manageable and user-friendly. For ATEN – whose products in this area include the KE69xx series for extending, sharing and controlling multiple computers from any location on a network – Jaud observes that “4K is the future, which means we will need the ability to send a large amount of data over IP. [And don’t forget that] HDMI 2.0 has set the target at 18Gbps, therefore the next steps might be higher. We will need the ability to cope with the bandwidth requirements for this type of highresolution application without the introduction of any latency.” Ickeringill agrees that UHD video formats will be a significant factor informing the next generation of networked AV systems. “Moving into 4K means higher-quality content with wider colour gamut and chroma subsampling rates requiring higher-bandwidth solutions,” he says. “When those solutions are introduced, the same flexibility, ease of installation, compatibility and scalability needs to be maintained.” Whitehead says that the transition to networked AV will continue apace, even extending to small “in-room presentation switchers […] as advancing technology and an increased number of vendors bring down acquisition costs.” But evermore extensive network configurations will require fulsome security provisions. “The biggest hurdle in the near future will be scoping out network security to ensure that the customer’s media is protected and delivered only to appropriate destinations,” observes Whitehead. “In this area, [Harman’s] AMX has a significant advantage based on almost a decade delivering networked AV solutions to the proAV market, and its commitment to investing
October 2016
resources in networked AV security at a time when most vendors and end-users don’t realise the potential impact of ignoring it. “Another hurdle is lack of streaming standards for LAN or in-room video transmission. WAN streaming protocols like RTP, RTSP, RTMP and HLS are widely acknowledged, but there are no comparable standards for local and LAN streaming. This has historically been because far fewer network appliances and clients touch or view the video stream but, as network usage for even short-range streaming becomes common, end-users will demand standards.” Adkin pinpoints the rise of IoT, noting that as it “hits the mainstream it will mean that the more devices on the network, the more data we have about the devices and how they’re being used. This can be used to maintain the devices themselves, predict failures and even influence the creation of disaster recovery plans. In turn, this will inform the management, security and monitoring of the devices.”
Skills and training All of this inevitably raises a few questions regarding the level of background knowledge among in-house AV staff, and the extent of readiness among the integrator community to implement and support increasingly complex network designs. In general, the answer appears to be that awareness and understanding are improving all the time – but much remains to be done. For AptoVision – which offers the BlueRiver NT chipset for incorporation into video over IP systems – Kennington advises integrators and others to “study up on the fundamentals as well as the cutting edge of network technology. This transition is a huge opportunity for new
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24 FEATURE: SIGNAL MANAGEMENT players, and smaller existing players, to enter the market of AV switching and distribution and displace the current leaders, who are so entrenched in the matrix switch approach that they won’t want to change.” Adder Technology continues to design and develop IP-based KVM solutions – with its flagship product, the AdderLink Infinity, providing lossless video, high-quality audio and USB extension and switching over a standard IP network – and Adkin suggests that integrators “should invest in network education for their installers and support teams. But they should also ensure that those people are educated by equipment so that they have the specific network knowledge needed to support those products. Overall, for manufacturers, installers and end-user companies, there needs to be a balance of networking and AV skills, because
October 2016
from a support point of view we’re finding that often it is the networking knowledge that is more important than AV skills.” WyreStorm is among the many manufacturers taking a hands-on approach to training, although easy-configuration solutions can certainly help to minimise the amount of education required. “How much ‘upskilling’ really does depend on the size of the project and the IP solution selected,” says Ickeringill. “Although NetworkHD was designed to be installed requiring just basic networking knowledge, our training provides a comprehensive overview of the settings required to configure a simple system and scale up to larger applications. With the requirement to enable multicast, IGMP snooping and PoE functionality,
NetworkHD can be up and running on a smaller single switch application in very little time. Larger, multi-switch installations take some additional skills in design to ensure the connectivity, PoE and switching capability can support the number of connected devices, but we support design with our distribution partners and their installers, to help with initial systems.” At this stage, it would be fair to say that the case for networked AV has been well and truly made, with few people, if any, contesting the benefits it brings in terms of adaptability and futureproofing. But as more and more obligations are placed on the network, and the support required to implement and maintain them becomes increasingly sophisticated, the onus will be on manufacturers and integrators to deliver networked solutions that are robust, flexible and – perhaps most crucially – user-friendly.
www.adder.com www.aptovision.com www.aten.com/gb/en/ www.svsiav.com www.wyrestorm.com
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26 BUSINESS FEATURE: CORPORATE AV
October 2016
Key Points
Money, money – money? The corporate AV market is an exciting opportunity for integrators – but it can be a challenging one in which to be profitable. Ian McMurray offers some pointers
S
ometimes, it’s easier to define what things are by what they’re not. That seems to apply with so-called ‘corporate AV’. It’s not digital signage. It’s not control centres. It’s not simulation. It’s not education. It’s not retail or hospitality or healthcare or visitor attractions or entertainment. It’s pretty much whatever’s left – but whatever’s left is a big space. As such, corporate AV has historically proved an attractive market for AV integrators – and, according to a recent InfoComm study, it represents nearly one-third of the overall market and has seen a CAGR of 13% over the past couple of years. “The corporate AV market is one of the industry’s biggest drivers,” says David Labuskes, executive director and CEO, InfoComm International. “The majority of integrators across the world identify corporate customers as an engine for growth. Unlike some other market segments, such as education and government, corporate customers are usually leaders in the adoption of technology – in this case AV technology – as a way to improve operations and business outcomes.” That growth is also seen by large screen displays market researcher PMA Research. “We believe the corporate market for large flatpanel displays looks very healthy,” reveals the company’s vice president, Linda Norton. “Our recent PMA Research survey of US pro-
AV dealers found that they expect their large format flatpanel sales to grow by 23% this year, and by 25% in 2017.”
Competitive market Being attractive, however, makes it competitive – and competitive markets are notoriously hard to make money in. That’s a challenge compounded by Labuskes’ point about leading the adoption of technology.
‘The majority of integrators across the world identify corporate customers as an engine for growth’ David Labuskes, InfoComm International
“It’s incredibly important to keep up to date with a whole range of AV products and be aware of new ones as they come on to the market,” notes Toni Barnett, managing director of integrator CDEC. “That’s a challenge as AV technology is changing constantly and the corporate sector demands innovation.”
The corporate market is the single largest sector of the AV market – and continues to grow Long-term customer relationships are fundamental to maximising opportunities Excellent relationships with manufacturers/distributors are key to integrator success Process skills are at least as important as technical skills in ensuring profitability The situation is, perhaps, exacerbated by the fact that corporate users have been in the vanguard of the so-called ‘IT-ification’ of AV applications. “The corporate space is highly competitive and needs integrators to be more IT-savvy than ever before,” notes Bryan Edwards, head of technical sales at integrator Reflex. “Technical teams must have a good knowledge of data network topologies and software applications, which can be running complex IP-connected devices. The integrator’s IT knowledge has to extend to collaborative platforms. If you want to compete in this market, a high level of technical expertise is essential. “Ownership of AV projects has changed,” adds Paul Childerhouse, managing director of integrator Pioneer Digital. “We are increasingly working with IT teams and within big corporate organisations and the intensely high levels of security can present challenges with remote access during the average working day.”
Complexity Terry Wilson, commercial director at integrator AVMI, sees even greater complexity. “We now see three distinct stakeholder groups,” he says. “Facilities management will own and manage the environment within which the AV is housed; IT is
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28 FEATURE: CORPORATE AV responsible for the technology infrastructure to which it is connected; and the end-users in the business require the efficiency and effectiveness of their meetings and so on to be enhanced. AV integrators and service providers must ensure that their offerings address the multi-faceted requirements of these stakeholder groups.” Oh, and from being ‘nice to have’, AV applications have become vitally important to major organisations. “The corporate market is unquestionably growing,” believes Owen Ellis, chairman of the AV User Group – which counts 500 AV enduser professionals among its members, and which has now expanded from its original UK base to Hong Kong and New York. “AV now provides communications tools that are key to many members’ businesses. AV applications are becoming increasingly mission-critical – a situation that is reinforced by the increasing globalisation of many companies.” No pressure on integrators there, then. Similarly, there’s no pressure on pricing. Or perhaps there is. “One challenge when working with global corporate brands arises when they have already arranged direct manufacturer global-supported pricing,” says Jim Harwood, managing director at integrator Focus 21. “A number of the screen and videoconferencing manufacturers do this, and it makes it very difficult for the integrator to make a decent margin.”
Developing relationships And if those weren’t enough challenges…
‘The corporate space is highly competitive and needs integrators to be more IT-savvy than ever before’ Bryan Edwards, Reflex
“Integrators need to keep in mind that when a corporate customer is seeking an AV solution, that customer knows a lot more about AV solutions than he or she did 10 years ago,” points out Labuskes, “and may already be most of the way to a buying decision.” It is, however, rare that a customer comes to a buying decision wholly uninfluenced – and Ellis is quick to identify one of the keys to securing profitable business in the corporate market. “Account management is key,” he claims. “Integrators need to develop a relationship with end-users to develop an understanding of their business objectives and strategies. They shouldn’t
October 2016
Case Study
Reflex undertakes significant installation TWI is an independent international research and technology organisation, delivering advice and advances in materials and joining technologies. Based at Granta Park, Cambridge, TWI turned to Reflex to handle the audiovisual requirements for 20 new training rooms, nine meeting rooms, two lecture theatres and a boardroom within the complex. Equipment deployed by Reflex included Sony large-format displays and laser projectors, a dnp Supernova One screen, Extron switching and lecture recording via a Diamond HD PTZ camera, and a Matrox Monarch HD streaming device. just be waiting for the next bid opportunity. Regular meetings, even when there’s no apparent imminent business, are vital. Integrators can bring real value in terms of knowledge, experience, perspective – share experiences from other projects. It’s a two-way street.” Those long-term integrator/customer relationships inevitably have a significant effect on the requests for proposals that pop out. Ellis also has caustic views on the subject of integrators who try to ‘buy’ a contract by bidding low and hoping to make their profit on specification creep or change notices, and points out that, in terms of long-term support, it’s no less in the end-user’s interests that an integrator is profitable. He is not alone in having views as to how integrators can develop profitable business in the corporate AV sector. Edwards picks up on the theme of the value an integrator can bring. “Getting involved early and accurately identifying the client’s outcomes is key,” he believes. “Beyond this, we use plenty of demonstrations with pilots or proof-of-concept stages to set expectations and iron out issues early on – including technology barriers. We find this helps the client to understand the value offered by the integrator, which leads to less margin shaving on the project costs.”
Setting expectations Childerhouse sees things similarly. “Setting expectations right at the beginning of a project about exactly what your team will be delivering is essential,” he claims. “Otherwise, you get in a situation with the client asking ‘Can you just…?’ and a project quickly loses its profitability.” “It is essential that both parties understand exactly what is required and quoted for,” adds
Barnett. “The key to profitable engagement is understanding each client’s individual needs and ensuring that project expectations are managed – and, ideally, exceeded.” AV User Group’s Ellis is also a firm believer that an integrator’s process skills are at least as important as his technical skills – and Wilson sees things the same way. “Sound project management practices to effectively manage the engagement are fundamental,” he says. “Projects rarely run exactly as initially planned. The flexibility to make changes during the project is vital, but likewise the capability to manage and communicate these changes throughout the project is essential.” He identifies the key elements of a good project management regime as including the principles on which decisions will be made, the tools that monitor the status of a project – and the processes that are applied. “Projects succeed or fail by the skill and experience of the people and the processes and methodology that they follow,” he continues. “It is critical to have a clear end-toend process for project delivery.”
Supplier relationships And, despite Harwood’s reservations about pricing agreements, having the right supplier relationships in place can also make a substantial contribution to a project’s profitability. “A strong, visible and trusted supply chain and partner network is so important in successfully delivering an on-cost, on-budget deployment with an integrator,” says Matt Keen, corporate sales manager at Maverick UK. “A case in point is Maverick’s 801-room magistrates’ court project rollout that AVMI successfully won and deployed. Because of the close working relationship we
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30 FEATURE: CORPORATE AV were able to develop with them, we helped to create logistical and technical savings to make the project more profitable.” That understanding of the requirement is no less applicable to manufacturers. “The ability for any brand to be able to demonstrate clear understanding of the customers’ needs is key,” notes Lewis Clifford, senior account manager at iiyama UK. “iiyama recognises this through continually listening to our customers’ needs and making the products they want.” Edwards sees many reasons that having those relationships is critical to success in a crowded market. “Having good distributor/ manufacturer working relationships allows integrators to get the best pricing structures in place on big projects,” he says. “This helps keep margins healthy and maximises profit. Product demonstration support early on in the process is a great help. Corporate clients like to remove as much risk as possible and the manufacturer/ distributor is invaluable when underwriting a new technology. Certifications and accreditations always give confidence to the corporate sector: they show that integrators have been trained and have a good level of knowledge.” The latter point is reinforced by Harwood. “We believe strongly in education at all stages of a
October 2016
person’s career, as this is an industry that is moving so quickly,” he explains. “We encourage everyone to take the InfoComm ANSI-accredited career track qualifications. It takes a lot of investment but 26 of our 82 people currently hold at least one.” “Securing project pricing through great manufacturer relationships can really make a difference,” adds Childerhouse. “We always aim to bring our key manufacturers in right from the start of a project so they bid alongside us and we win the work together.” “We work alongside manufacturers to get them involved in projects right from the beginning and our transparency with them has helped us secure great pricing over the years, the benefits of which we pass on to our clients,” says Harwood. “Distributors can also add value to this chain by being solution-focused, helping us to buy all elements from them which equates to great value.”
outcomes,” says Labuskes. “We’ll also develop more research and market intelligence, including about the corporate market, and we plan to raise enterprise decision makers’ awareness of AV’s business value.” For those looking to enter the corporate market, advice from the industry is plentiful. “Do your research,” says Barnett. “Focus on what you’re good at,” believes Wilson. “Understand the vertical sector, and understand its challenges,” adds Edwards. “Focus on the value-add,” says Harwood. The last word goes to Maverick’s Keen. “The corporate AV market is vibrant, and growing, so it presents really exciting opportunities to integrators who are ready for a challenge,” he smiles. The corporate AV market is, indeed, a big space. It may not be for the agoraphobic – but for many integrators, it continues to represent the prospect of profitable business.
Solutions As ever, though, much comes down to the fact that the customer is looking for a solution to a business problem – and that’s something of which InfoComm is very aware. “In the coming years, InfoComm will support our entire industry with investments in realigning our programmes to focus on solutions, experiences and
www.avmi.com www.avusergroup.com www.cdec.co.uk www.focus21.co.uk www.iiyama-monitors.co.uk www.infocomm.org www.tdmaverick.co.uk www.pioneergroup.co.uk www.pmaresearch.com www.reflex.co.uk
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32 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: HOUSES OF WORSHIP
October 2016
Reaching out Key Points Many houses of worship do much more than hold services in a single space. Increasingly, they are using technology to spread the message around their premises and out into the wider world. Steve Montgomery reports
A
V technology is reaching into every aspect of our lives, and despite their ancient traditions, religious institutions are no exception. Technology is being embraced by all faiths in all corners of the world. Nowadays even the smallest house of worship has a projector replacing printed books and pamphlets, with hymns and prayers beamed onto screens. The largest have full-blown video production and transmission systems. Many are capable of simultaneously showing services in separate rooms and buildings and can stream live and recorded services to the web. “We’re definitely seeing a greater level of interest in our AV solutions from houses of worship,” says Luke Mahler-Hausen, AV and live business development manager, Blackmagic Design. “Whether it’s bringing a congregation together, or spreading the message beyond four walls, more and more of them now understand the importance of good-quality AV systems. Depending on the size and scale of the organisation, systems can range from small live production units to full staging set-ups, with theatrical lighting and
projection systems complementing traditional audio and video elements.”
Megachurches This is a global trend, he says: “The ‘megachurch’ market is by no means limited to the US. In fact, we are seeing more and more churches and mosques investing in state-of-the-art purposebuilt facilities, and good AV systems are a key element. Many houses of worship, particularly those that have built their own bespoke facilities, want the ability to present video in several areas simultaneously; for example, some of the congregation may be taking part in services from family rooms, while the rest of the group worship in the main auditorium. Live streaming and producing shorter clips from a service for online audiences is certainly becoming more popular. “A good example is LINC Church in Salt Rock, South Africa, which uses video extensively in its services. As well as producing live content for the main auditorium, the AV team also extracts the pastor’s sermon and cuts together a programme incorporating sermon notes and prayer text that
Services and events are regularly presented in several areas simultaneously Streaming of services on the internet enables housebound worshippers to participate Relaying external broadcasts around houses of worship can also be a requirement The variety of services to be managed demands easy-to-use equipment they then stream. A volunteer team uses ATEM Production Studio 4K and Smart Videohub 20x20 to record live video, insert pre-recorded content and distribute to community and campus rooms around the campus.” Simon Wilkes, media director, LINC Church, comments: “Video has always been an important medium for us, even in the church’s beginning, when we realised producing video for our website got our message across far more easily than written articles.” As well as capturing the pastor’s sermon, the team of volunteers adds prerecorded content, including weekly notices and an immersive video which prepares the congregation for communal prayer. He adds: “Not only has [our AV solution] brought our congregation closer together during services, it has also given us a
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34 FEATURE: HOUSES OF WORSHIP global profile, and that has led to us sharing our insights with other churches.” John Ellis, regional sales manager of the systems group at Shure Distribution, agrees: “While US churches are getting larger and installing ever-more fantastic systems, elsewhere, especially in Europe and the Far East, satellite churches receive webcast services for local presentation.” This is, he says, not without problems: “Transmission often requires good network access which is not always the case. So some houses of worship resort to recording services and replaying them one week later.”
Volunteer efforts One of the major problems in operating sophisticated AV equipment lies in the lack of dedicated staff. Most churches have a team of volunteers that manages and operates equipment. While enthusiastic, most have limited technical expertise and training, which limits the effectiveness of the systems. Ellis comments: “There may be several services on the main worship days and volunteer teams will double up, handling more than one service each. This can be effective, and even more so if presets are set up on digital desks. However the equipment also has to be used for services, such as funerals, for which the team is unavailable. It must, therefore be simple to operate and be suitable for smaller, irregular occasions.”
‘Especially in Europe and the Far East, satellite churches receive webcast services for local presentation’ John Ellis, Shure Distribution
All religions use a similar set of core devices within the main area, particularly radio microphones and steerable speakers. In many cases the driving factor for AV implementation comes from the leadership, sometimes with guidance from the church hierarchy. However technical understanding and vision of what is possible is often missing. As Mahler-Hausen points out: “It’s the leaders themselves who instigate a move to install or upgrade AV systems. People may have seen equipment in use when they visit other houses of worship and will take advice from those. They may take their steer from a larger house of worship with more extensive AV systems.” Technical advice is crucial in this sector, if houses of worship are to avoid expensive mistakes, however in many cases opinions
October 2016
Case Study
Mosque brings in satellite TV feeds RG Jones Sound Engineering recently designed and installed a distributed AV system for a new-build house of worship in Leicester. It chose a complete Yamaha solution for Baitul Ikram Mosque, the new home for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community (AMA) in the UK's East Midlands. In addition to the main prayer hall, the complex also includes a multipurpose hall, meeting room, office, crèche, library, kitchen and entrance/foyer area. As well as relaying sermons from the mosque’s main prayer hall, a key requirement of the zoned system was incoming and outgoing broadcast feeds. “The incoming satellite feeds are from the AMA’s own Sky TV station, MTA International,” explains RG Jones project engineer Jeff Woodward. “On Fridays the main weekly sermon given by their spiritual leader, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifatul Masih V, is transmitted from their main mosque in Morden, south London. There are two audio channels, one for English and one for Urdu. The Urdu feed is played out over the PA system in the mosque, with the English feed broadcast via a wireless translation earpiece system.” are sought internally, rather than from knowledgeable consultants and system integrators. And, of course, cost is an issue. These have often led to delays and setbacks. Says Ellis: “Unfortunately, those responsible for buying equipment will act on advice gleaned internally first, then be ‘sold to’ by external salespeople before finally turning to professional installers who can design a system to meet their needs; which can be an expensive procedure. The skill in specifying a system that extends a service beyond four walls is something that specialists and consultants offer, but is rarely found in small religious groups.”
Service streams Streamit has developed a lucrative product and market for streaming church services within the Netherlands, but has little success selling it elsewhere. “Dedicated transmitters and receivers allow the elderly and housebound to receive live services in their homes via broadband or dial-up connections,” explains Johan van der Stoel, business development manager. “Here,
the church subsidises the cost of the receiver, but in other countries this is not the case. Personal computers connected to the internet can be used but these are not always available to, or simple enough to operate by, the older generation. Other mechanisms of streaming church services via video are also problematic as the cost and complexity of supporting a stream that peaks at a particular time on a particular day can be too much for many churches.” While congregations readily accept AV in houses of worship, and many organisations are coping with the specification, installation and operation of it, there is still some way to go in reducing the complexity and cost while improving simplicity and knowledge among decision-makers to make it as successful in the large majority of small to mid-sized facilities around the world.
www.blackmagicdesign.com www.rgjones.co.uk www.shuredistribution.co.uk www.streamit.eu www.yamahaproaudio.com
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36 SOLUTIONS: YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION?, LONDON
October 2016
UNITED KINGDOM
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Turn on, tune in The late Sixties saw great upheavals in numerous aspects of society – and music played a central role in articulating the mood of the times. Paddy Baker donned bell-bottoms and tie-dye shirt to visit a new exhibition that brings this era back to life
T
he latest exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum looks at the huge, multifaceted societal changes that took place at the end of the Sixties – and helped to shape the world of today. You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970 consists of six galleries, each dedicated to a different environment where these changes took place: fashion, youth culture and identity; clubs and counterculture; political revolution and street protests; the rise of consumerism; festivals and gatherings; and the alternative communities on the west coast of the USA, and their interplay with the rise of modern computing. Music plays an important part in the exhibition, just as it did in giving voice to many of the new ideas that were in circulation in the Sixties, and playing a major role in the developing culture. With this musical connection, it’s not surprising that the event has a number of similarities with the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition of 2013: it has the same curators – Geoffrey Marsh and Victoria Broackes; it features a musical backdrop
delivered by Sennheiser, the brainchild of system designer Norbert Hilbich; and the AV integration was carried out by Sysco AV. “Music was the key form of communication in the period, and it’s at the heart of the exhibition, with a soundtrack guiding you through the space,” says Broackes. As in the Bowie exhibition, Sennheiser’s guidePORT technology is used to create an immersive environment, delivering music and audio to visitors. When a visitor’s bodypack comes within range of a guidePORT identifier, audio relevant to that area starts playing in their headphones – streamed wirelessly from media players via guidePORT cell transmitters and antennas. There’s a difference, though. In the Bowie show, guidePORT was mainly used to play audio that was synced to videos that were playing. Here, while there are a handful of videos for which guidePORT provides synced music, for the most part music is used to provide extra context to the visuals, be they videos or artifacts. “It’s an additional layer – even if you’re not
Installed Audio Sennheiser guidePORT system: receivers, headphones, charges, cell transmitters, active antenna units, identifiers and Installation Manager software Neumann KH310 and KH420 loudspeakers Neumann KH870 subwoofers Merging Ovation media servers Merging Hapi audio interfaces listening to every word of the lyrics, it’s giving you a sense of what you might have been hearing if you had been there,” says Elisa Bailey, curatorial assistant. “For example, a lot the people that we spoke to for this exhibition had recollections of the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper album being the backing track to everything they were doing – walking down the Kings Road or Carnaby Street, it would be blaring out of the boutiques, or being played as the Monterey Festival was being built.”
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38 SOLUTIONS: YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION?, LONDON
October 2016
Pink Floyd – and then…? Sennheiser guidePORT will return to the V&A in May 2017, with a new exhibition about seminal English band Pink Floyd. However, says Robert Genereux, that will use up the remaining stock of guidePORT units, so it could only be used for further shows after the Bowie exhibition has stopped touring. Production of the system has been discontinued, as Daniel Sennheiser explains: “The original technology that is in there is moving so fast that we cannot source the chips any more – so there would have to be a full new development. Given all the different developments we have right now, we have had to make some hard choices: right now we would rather invest in AMBEO immersive audio, including recording, processing and playback, rather than a successor to the guidePORT system. Having said that, we also have systems such as MobileConnect and CinemaConnect which allow similar applications – without the location-based service, that’s a software-based feature that we can implement in the future as well.”
Authentic crackle Music used in the exhibition has been taken as far as possible from original LPs, sometimes with authentic crackle – “so they sound like they sounded at that time”, comments Robert Genereux, business director for system design, who project-managed Sennheiser’s contribution to the exhibition and was closely involved with the guidePORT installation. Each room has its own separate soundtrack, so as you move from one room to another, the music gently fades away, before the next soundtrack fades in. “The music playlists are long, so if someone comes back, they’ll most likely have a completely different experience,” says Genereux. The exhibition uses just as many guidePORT trigger points as the Bowie show, even though there are fewer music cues. “Because the spaces are bigger, sometimes we need three points that trigger the same thing. So this show is as complicated as the previous one for us,” he points out. As the team discovered during the set-up of the Bowie show, the wooden floor tiles in the exhibition space have metal underneath them, “so we cannot use the floor to create zones”. Instead, guidePORT identifiers are used – some in plain sight, some hidden away. Genereux is full of praise for Sysco’s role in the installation. “They did a great job – we had great
people and it went really, really well.” Additionally, there is background audio playing in most of the rooms, created by sound designer Carolyn Downing from ‘found sounds’ from sources such as film soundtracks; for instance, a 1960s Roberts radio plays songs that appear in the iconic 1966 film Blow-Up; elsewhere, the sound of a cow mooing, taken from the Woodstock soundtrack, helps conjure up the atmosphere of Yasgur’s Farm, where the legendary festival was staged.
Immersive upmixes The exhibition features two Sennheiser immersive audio installations – using a set of technologies that it now markets under the AMBEO name. Woodstock features in one of these, where songs taken from the film soundtrack have been upmixed to 14.1. “Actually it’s a 14.0 system,” says Sennheiser international recording application manager Gregor Zielinsky, “although we’re using five subwoofers. We’re using bass management – rather than having a separate LFE channel, we are taking everything below 80Hz and sending it through the subwoofers.” The main speakers are positioned on two levels to bring a vertical element to the immersion. There is no overhead ‘voice of God’ channel; as Zielinsky explains, this is more appropriate for applications such as films
with aeroplanes passing overhead than for recreations of outdoor concerts. The festivals room also houses the show’s largest visual installation – four Epson projectors that beam 6m-high images over three walls. The other AMBEO environment is an 8.1 set-up in the third room, which explores civil unrest and protest. CEO Daniel Sennheiser believes that, for the listener, making the move to immersive audio “is as revolutionary as going from mono to stereo”. The technology has wide applications: not just in live and recorded music, but also in sports broadcasts – where listeners can pick their listening position in the stadium and the commentator they want to listen to – and cinemas. He also believes that the technology will soon become widespread: “Not tomorrow, but in five to ten years’ time – especially with the rise of virtual reality and augmented reality, that need is there; we’re going to become more accustomed to immersive audio formats. It will take some time, but once the step up is made, there’s no way back.” Now there’s another revolution for you.
www.merging.com www.neumann.com www.sennheiser.com www.syscoav.co.uk www.vam.ac.uk
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40 SOLUTIONS: HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON
October 2016
UNITED KINGDOM
A better travelling experience A recent upgrade of displays at Heathrow has ensured that the airport provides an efficient information service to its passengers, with displays that are profitable and attractive. Tom Bradbury reports
M
illions of passengers pass through Heathrow Airport every year on their way to more than 180 destinations across the globe. With two runways and four terminals (2, 3, 4 and 5) serving 80 airlines, Heathrow is Europe’s largest hub airport, and also the world’s sixth-largest airport based on passenger numbers. With an average of around 200,000 passengers arriving and departing every day, the airport must ensure every customer is kept informed about their flights. With the displays in Terminals 3, 4 and 5 approaching end of life, issues with quality were becoming more frequent. Customer satisfaction was also suffering. As Bhupinder Kahlon, infrastructure architect for the IT service delivery team at Heathrow Airport Holdings, explains: “Public flight information displays are a key element of the passenger experience. If customer satisfaction with these displays dips below a certain threshold, we have to pay compensation to the airlines.” In addition to the public flight information displays, Heathrow identified the need to refresh their small form factor digital media displays. “The digital advertising displays help to bring in revenue from advertisers. If the quality isn’t up to scratch, then they won’t advertise,” he continues. In order to improve the operational efficiency of Europe’s busiest airport, which is run at 98% capacity, Heathrow also needed to provide a
new centralised facility that allowed multiple stakeholders to visualise and share operational data. This would be used in conjunction with mobile information displays deployed in-terminal, to more efficiently manage disruptions at the airport.
Three more terminals Following a successful deployment in 2014 of over 1,000 flight information displays and 150 digital advertising displays in Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 (which opened in June 2014), the airport again partnered with NEC to upgrade more than 1,500 public flight information displays and a further 300 digital advertising displays across Terminals 3, 4 and 5. Following a comprehensive tender process, NEC was selected as the preferred display partner, outperforming all technical and environmental criteria. “As part of our commitment to reducing environmental impacts, we wanted to install displays with a lower carbon and energy footprint,” says Kahlon. Heathrow sourced a range of NEC display sizes, including 32in, 40in, 55in and 70in displays to fulfi l the need for both the public flight information and digital advertising displays. The NEC large-format displays have an NEC OPS slot-in embedded Windows PC. Each OPS PC was pre-loaded with Heathrow’s image and inserted inside the display in NEC’s own configuration centre before being shipped to Heathrow’s installation partner, Computacenter.
Installed Video NEC 19in, 24in desktop displays NEC 3V323-2 32in displays NEC X401S 40in, X462S 46in, X552S 55in 24/7 displays NEC P403 40in, P463 46in, P553 55in, P703 70in displays NEC X-UN series 46in, 55in videowall displays NEC OPS slot-in embedded PCs NEC IP54 outdoor cabinets Christie videowall controller “Imaging the devices in advance helps to streamline the deployment process and ensures the displays are functioning correctly before they are delivered to site. The displays have to be deployed during a very short overnight window to minimise disruption to airport operations,” explains Kahlon. “Providing long-term reliability, low energy usage and consistent image quality are at the heart of our display system product development,” states Richard Wilks, NEC’s aviation business development manager. With their 700-nit backlight engines and automated thermal management system, the displays “deliver uninterrupted information display in ultimate clarity even in the high ambient lighting conditions of an airport environment”, he says. The new flight information displays help Heathrow provide a consistent passenger experience across its terminals. As Kahlon confirms: “The clarity of the information and the quality of the displays is now the same, which means passengers are always informed about their journey as well as the shopping opportunities at the airport.” In modernising its public flight information and digital advertising displays, customer satisfaction ratings have increased, which means it no longer has to pay compensation to the airlines. The new displays consume less power, which will help reduce operational expenditure, and have a longer life expectancy.
SOLUTIONS: HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON
www.installation-international.com
41
About the installer Â&#x201E; Computacenter describes itself as Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services Â&#x201E; The company operates infrastructure operations centres and group service desks across Europe, South Africa and Asia, with user support provided in 18 languages Â&#x201E; Computacenter has provided solutions at Heathrow Airport since October 2012. Its 35-strong onsite team has worked on more than 300 projects, and installed more than 110km of cabling Being energy efficient and reliable greatly improves cost control and reduces the risk of passenger disruption. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new displays are viewed by more than 74 million people every year at Heathrow. By working with NEC, we were able to maximise and futureproof our investment in the new displays, and minimise the risks to airport operations,â&#x20AC;? says Kahlon. Chris Crauford, head of digital media at Heathrow Airport, concurs: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The recent refresh of all our small-format digital media displays has not only helped protect a crucial part of our media income but grow it too. The quality and sharpness makes the content jump out at you, and this is precisely what brands are looking for.â&#x20AC;?
Coming together Opened in 2014, Heathrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Airport Operations Centre (APOC) supports frontline operational teams, with the goal of bringing together the operational planning, monitoring and oversight of an airport in one place. The APOC features
over 60 NEC ultra-narrow bezel 55in videowall modules, colour calibrated and connected to form a single videowall spanning three walls of the centre. Personnel from airlines, NATS, Border Force, the Metropolitan Police and the Highways Agency view data on their NEC EA Series desktop displays and then can share key data onto the
Stephen Garner, passenger services manager for departures in Terminal 5, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new MDUs are perfect for providing quick up-to-date information and support to a large number of passengers, particularly when time is of the essence and situations change rapidly.â&#x20AC;? Overall, the investment in new display
videowall, in order to make informed decisions. To supplement the operational readiness that APOC provides, NEC worked with Heathrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in-house innovation team, and manufacturer Parity Aviation, to design new mobile display units (MDUs) that have now been deployed throughout Terminal 5. These units provide live up-to-date information to passengers during peak times â&#x20AC;&#x201C; announcing any disruption to service, at any time and any place within the terminal. The MDUs have a permanent look but are easily moveable, and connect to the airportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central management system by WiFi. The MDUsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; multi-purpose display is battery powered, allowing up to 35 hoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; operation between charges.
systems for ďŹ&#x201A;ight information, digital advertising, operational data visualisation and mobile passenger communication has had signiďŹ cant beneďŹ ts for passengers and Heathrow operational staff alike, as well as reducing Heathrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operational costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For tens of millions of people each year, Heathrow is their ďŹ rst impression of the UK, which is why it is so important itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a positive one,â&#x20AC;? Wilks concludes.
www.christiedigital.com www.computacenter.com www.heathrow.com/company www.nec-display-solutions.com www.parityaviation.com
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42 SOLUTIONS: PWC DELTA ROOM, PARIS
October 2016
FRANCE
Installed Video
Connect and collaborate Initially intended only for experimental use by a niche group, this collaboration room has proved extremely popular with employees and visitors. Christopher James reports
G
lobal auditing and consulting group PwC required a next-generation meeting space to address digital needs for team discussions and client presentations at its Paris offices. The result was the dynamic and engaging collaborative workspace called the Delta Room, which has Oblong Industries’ Mezzanine immersive visual collaboration system at its core. The room also benefits from specially designed furniture, and a layout that takes into account how users move around the room when using the different technological elements. The room accelerates decision-making, encourages idea generation and creates a user experience that has gone far beyond PwC’s original brief. In this connected workspace, every screen in the room forms part of the environment, so at the most basic level there is more visual space to work. This means users can take in more simultaneous information from more devices, or use a bigger canvas to look at a single piece of data in more detail. Additionally, they can rearrange live or static content on the fly. Three Sony 65in 4K displays form the main presentation area in the Delta Room. On an adjacent wall are three SMART touchscreens, two of which are Kapp iQ 4K models. These are primarily used as digital ‘corkboards’, on which documents and other information sources can be stored ready for use in the meeting, and parked after discussion.
By pointing the Mezzanine wand device at the screen, users and introduce new content, rearrange information, interact with live devices or capture key points. The interface enables a wide variety of information sources – such as documents, drawings, videos and videoconference feeds – to be accessed, interacted with and manipulated concurrently. On the wall on the other side of the main display area is an Epson Brightlink Pro interactive display; content created on this projector-based solution can be brought into the Mezzanine system by an IP camera mounted above it.
Devices and participants The Mezzanine system can connect up to 10 live devices: these can be connected via a cable in the room or shared by remote participants, through the inbuilt network sharing capability. The Delta Room can connect up to 40 remote participants through web, iOS or Android clients, who can view any of the screens, live sources or static content being used in the room. They can take full screen previews of any content, annotate items for upload and sharing with those in the room. The Delta Room was planned for a companywide release in January 2016, but such was the buzz created by its initial pilot release to small group of users it saw over 75% utilisation in its first three months of availability between
Oblong Mezzanine collaboration software Oblong Mezzanine gesture UI tracking hardware Sony 65in 4K displays SMART Kapp iQ 65in 4K tactile displays SMART 65in 4k digital whiteboard Arecont IP camera Cisco C60 telepresence camera Epson Brightlink Pro interactive projector
Audio Revolabs wireless microphones
September and December 2015. On release to the entire PwC Partner base in January, this utilisation grew beyond 90% in its second quarter of availability. Customers have been very impressed by the space, with 99% of them taking videos and photographs to show colleagues. The room has also proved a success commercially: PwC has quantified a contribution of over €10m in services from meetings which took place in the Delta Room. Originally viewed as an experiment for a niche group of users, the Delta Room has proved so successful that PwC is considering plans to roll out the room to additional offices in the region. PwC associate Anne-Christine Marie comments: “After a few minutes of surprise, our clients rapidly get used to our unconventional layout and better appreciate its intuitive interface. It gives us a new approach to sharing, going beyond the technology and allowing us to contextualise visual data quickly in co-creating innovative strategies.”
www.arecontvision.com www.cisco.com www.epson.eu www.oblong.com www.pwc.com www.revolabs.com www.smarttech.com http://pro.sony.eu
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Celebrating the success stories in the production, management, and delivery of media content
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Peter McCarthy, Sales Manager +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Email: pmccarthy@nbmedia.com
Richard Carr, Account Manager +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Email: rcarr@nbmedia.com
www.tvb-awards.com
TICKET SALES Becky Hancock, Head of Events Marketing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Europe +44 (0)203 871 7378 Email: bhancock@nbmedia.com
44 SOLUTIONS IN BRIEF
October 2016
ITALY
Health centre fitted with RCF voice alarm system SIELT has installed an RCF evacuation and background music transmission system at the J Medical health centre in Turin. RCF’s DXT 9000 is a distributed system where each component, including the speakers, has its own address and can be monitored according to EN54 standards. The multizone system at J Medical is managed by the MX 9504 master unit, linked to the UP 9504 amplifier. This configuration allows the system to be expanded to create eight zones of 125W each. Also installed are three BM 9804 multi-zone paging microphones (one for each reception desk), equipped with BE 9808 additional selective call paging microphones.
www.rcf.it
USA
Atrium’s spectacular eight-storey videowall columns Designed by Manhattan-based experiential design firm ESI Design, five 26m floor-to-ceiling LED columns with six times full HD resolution have been installed in the atrium of the Wells Fargo Center in Denver, Colorado. The nature-themed content consists of a mixture of pre-produced and generative media. For instance, a flock of 3,600 birds is animated in real time; their behaviour determined by an algorithm so they can fly for hours without their pattern ever repeating. Floor-to-ceiling waterfalls, built in 3D, move across the wall in different paths depending on the direction of the wind outside. Also shown are Colorado mountainscapes that are actually mosaics of thousands of Instagram photos.
www.esidesign.com
GERMANY
AV Stumpfl in control at Bayern Munich lounge A control system from AV Stumpfl is running the show at the Säbener Lounge, which can host up to 500 guests at FC Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena. Bespoke furniture houses large-scale LED videowalls, high-definition TVs, LED video signage, a background music system and lighting controls. The control system was designed and implemented by Wilhelm & Wilhalm – event technology in partnership with the Austrian company. Staff can operate the system using a single
interface. AV Stumpfl Avio (Audio Visual Input Output) brings all system devices on to the same communication layer, and the company’s Wings Touch acts as an iPad user interface. Wings IObox modules interface to DMX and RS232 and conduct the system’s logical operations. The IObox hardware can switch inputs, outputs and serial devices and make them accessible 24/7 from control devices and media servers. Additionally, the built-in IObox webserver hosts touch interfaces for tablets and smartphones.
www.avstumpfl.com
Connect with the key players from the professional audio industry Over 60% of ISE visitors are responsible for purchasing audio systems
The presence of professional audio at ISE represents a success story within the wider context of the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s year-on-year growth. ISE is now the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest AV systems integration show, with over 65,000 visitors participating. It is a key destination for those interested in the latest audio technologies, audio training and education opportunities.
Find out more: www.iseurope.org Organised by
Integra ated Sy ystems Events A joint venture partnership of
u need. Al the connections yo
The global resource portal for media technology content
White papers, webinars, opinions, blogs, case studies, tutorials and more. 5L^)H` *VUULJ[ UV^ VɈ LYZ L]LU ^PKLY JVU[LU[ MVY P[Z YLNPZ[LYLK \ZLYZ PZ LHZPLY [V UH]PNH[L HUK WYV]PKLZ \ZLYZ ^P[O KLKPJH[LK ^LLRS` UL^ZSL[[LYZ VɈ LYPUN H KPNLZ[ VM [OL SH[LZ[ JVU[LU[ HUK JHYLM\SS` selected content from its themes of the month. Why join NewBay Connect? Free and easy to use: stay informed with the latest industry white papers, opinion pieces, ^LI ZLTPUHYZ HUK JHZL Z[\KPLZ [OH[ HɈ LJ[ `V\Y business and your career. Categorised content All material is organised into clearly referenced, specialist areas. Customised search @V\ JHU X\PJRS` SVJH[L [OL PUMVYTH[PVU YLSL]HU[ [V your business or area of interest. Tailored email alerts 5V[PÄ JH[PVUZ ZLU[ [V `V\ ^OLUL]LY [OLYL PZ HU update within your chosen areas. Dedicated weekly newsletters Visit www.newbayconnect.com to register, browse and download content for free today.
Content Director: James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com +44 (0) 20 7354 6002
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Sales Manager: Peter McCarthy pmccarthy@nbmedia.com +44 (0)207 354 6000
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TECHNOLOGY
Kit you need to know about
PRODUCT OF BrightSign THE MONTH LS, HD, XD and XT signage player families
It’s… a complete refresh of the manufacturer’s range of digital signage players. What’s new? Features such as HTML5, H.265 decoding and high dynamic range (HDR) have been rolled out across the whole range, to cater for the increased popularity of networked solutions. There are also new features that assist in managing large deployments. Details: The range is still divided into four product families, now called LS, HD, XD and XT. Apart from the entry-level LS, all families feature two models, with standard and expanded I/O packages. All models have an M.2 slot, which can be used to house a WiFi antenna. Additionally, the XD and XT ranges can utilise M.2 solid-state storage interface cards.
All models support HTML5 and H.265 encoding is now offered across the board. “We expect a big trend in the industry to adopt the H.265 codec, as it improves image quality at dramatically lower bitrates. You save about 60-70% on the file size, and as you get more and more data moving around the network, that makes a big difference,” said BrightSign CEO Jeff Hastings. All players also support the CEA’s HDR 10 standard, which enables the latest models to display higher contrast and also make use of smoother, richer 10-bit colour. IP video streaming is supported in the top three lines. The XT also has the ability to encode HDMI data and stream it over the network. The HD, XD and XT players support BrightAuthor’s Mosaic Mode. This enables a number of lower-resolution videos to be played
in multiple zones – with a total resolution of full HD or 4K, depending on model. 4K is supported by the top two lines. B-Deploy is a powerful new feature that allows customers to set up and deploy multiple players – “from tens to thousands,” according to Hastings – all at once. It can be used with the BrightSign Network, a BrightSign partner CMS, or an on-premise secure corporate LAN with internet access. BrightSign Network, including the new B-Deploy feature, now supports media and player tagging for highly targeted content distribution to large networks of players.
Available: Now www.brightsign.biz
48 TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS Dexon DIMAX4K Intelligent Matrix
Switcher Family
Crestron DMF-CI-8 2RU, DMCF-TX-4K-SFP, DMCF-RX-4K-SFP, DMF-TX-4K-SFP, DMF-RMC-4K-SFP
Dexon Systems has deployed the industry’s first DIMAX4K Intelligent Matrix Switcher Family offering 4K input and output signal handling with seamless switching and quality scaling. The matrices can be integrated using 16 x 16, 32 x 32 or 64 x 64 frames and four-port input and output boards. All industry standard I/O signal formats and resolutions up to 4K are supported. www.dexonsystems.com
What’s new? The 4K/60 fibre transmitter and receiver endpoints deliver full DM 4K/60 support, end-to-end HDCP 2.2 support, and local HDMI switching for added flexibility.
eyevis EYE-LED-MODULE-BOARD-O
Details: The DMF-CI-8 2RU DigitalMedia Fibre
These new LED modules mark the entry of eyevis into the area of platform displays and information systems at airports and public spaces. Two modules are available: with a brightness of 2,500cd/sqm the eye-LED-MODULE-BOARD-O-B is designed for interior use, whereas the eye-LED-MODULE-BOARD-O-W has a brightness level of 6,000cd/sqm and is designed for use outdoors and in bright buildings. www.eyevis.de Roland V1-SDI 3G The V1-SDI is said to be a flexible and versatile video switcher that makes it easy to connect and switch professional 3G SDI cameras and playback sources along with HDMI sources including cameras, smartphones, computers, tablets and Blu-ray players. With support for 3G-SDI, the V1-SDI can operate at full 1080p resolution and can take advantage of the longer cable distance of SDI, making this compact solution suitable for events and applications even in large spaces. proav.roland.com Christie Phoenix EP Described as a compact, highly scalable solution for managing content on single or multiple panels, the Phoenix EP installs directly into compatible Christie displays – which also provide power – and connects to a network using CatX cable. One Phoenix EP processes networked sources, decodes and manages audiovisual and data sources on up to two Christie flat panels. The system is suitable for videowalls, digital signage displays and AV distribution systems and will be available in November 2016. www.christiedigitalcom
October 2016
It’s… a range of 4K/60 fibre solutions for the DigitalMedia product line.
Card Chassis accommodates up to eight of the new 4K/60 fibre cards and serves as a power supply and consolidation point. It can be used with any DM solution, from the smallest HDMI switcher to an 8 x 8 or even a 128 x 128 to extend 4K/60 over fibre. The DMCF-TX-4K-SFP DigitalMedia Fibre Transmitter Card and DMCF-RX-4K-SFP DigitalMedia Fibre Receiver Card are independent and rely on the chassis for power only. Any combination of transmitter or receiver card
can be loaded into the chassis to make custom configurations possible. The DMF-TX-4K-SFP DigitalMedia Fibre Transmitter and companion DMF-RMC-4K-SFP DigitalMedia Fibre Receiver are endpoints that can be connected to each other on a one-toone basis for simple extender applications, or deployed as endpoints connected to cards in the chassis.
Available: This month www.crestron.eu
Sony BRAVIA FWD-100ZD9501 It’s… a 100in 4K display and the latest model in the BRAVIA range.
What’s new? The FWD-100ZD9501 is the largest model in Sony’s Professional line-up, offering more depth and texture due to a newly developed 4K image processor, the 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme, and Backlight Master Drive. Details: Its slate design provides enhanced viewing experiences in corporate environments such as meeting rooms, boardrooms and entrance halls and includes a back panel grid that keeps all the cables hidden. The new 4K image processor is 40% more powerful than its predecessor to upgrade picture quality, while the new backlight technology delivers greater dynamic range.
This model has been upgraded to a 16GB storage memory and also features 17-hour operation time. The enhanced user controls enable quicker set-up and configuration, including the ability for presenters to remotely control the display with IP and a built-in RS232 jack input. Additional features include landscape/portrait options and integrated digital signage and media players.
Available: This month www.pro.sony.eu
TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS 49
www.installation-international.com
Atlona
Audio Performance MX Series
AT-CENT-301-CEA
The compact, multipurpose MX Series loudspeaker system is said to deliver a complete sound reinforcement solution to fulfil the highest demands of audio professionals in both the fixed installation and rental production markets. The series has been designed for use with the AP5000 amplified controller. A wide variety of presets are available across the entire MX range, which consists of the MX08, MX12 (pictured) and MX15. Applications include use in theatres, clubs, concert halls, broadcast and multipurpose facilities. www.audio-performance.com
It’s… an HDR compatible video extender pair from Atlona’s Centum Series.
What’s new? It’s the industry’s first HDR video extension solution for HDBaseT. Details: The latest addition to Atlona’s line of HDBaseT extenders is suited to applications requiring the latest generation of 4K/UHD and HDR sources and displays, and is compatible with all video resolutions, audio formats and colour space formats supported in the HDMI 2.0a specification. In addition, it has the ability to pass metadata for HDR content. The AT-CENT-301-CEA is HDCP 2.2 compliant and provides HDMI transmission up to 100m over category cable with embedded multi-channel audio. HDR and 4K/60 4:4:4 video extension are made possible through the use of visually lossless VESA Display Stream Compression (DSC). This extender also supports Ethernet
Extron Quantum Ultra
pass-through, RS-232 and IR control, and power over Ethernet, as the receiver is powered by the extender. EDID management features ensure proper audio formats and video resolutions are provided to the AV system.
Available: March 2017 www.atlona.com
NEC Display Solutions MultiPresenter Stick MP10RX It’s… a wireless presenting solution for use with NEC’s projectors and largeformat displays.
What’s new? The MultiPresenter supports workplace BYOD initiatives and allows users to simultaneously collaborate and deliver wireless presentations from their personal devices, without the need for bespoke cabling.
TeamMate VariHite This electrically height-adjustable stand for VESA compatible flat screen displays, including the Microsoft Surface Hub and SMART interactive displays, is now available across the UK and Ireland from Midwich. The stand, which has a maximum lifting weight of 135kg, can be mounted to the wall or made fully mobile, allowing it to be deployed and moved between various places. www.midwich.com dnp projector cabinet
Details: The solution plugs directly into an HDMI port, adding wireless presentation capabilities to compatible displays and projectors. The stick is also compatible for use with non-NEC products. Users can connect any personal Windows, OS X, Android or iOS device running the companion sender app to the MultiPresenter wirelessly. The app is free and available for download via the App Store or Google Play Store. Users pair securely via a PIN in the
Extron’s modular 4K videowall processor offers high-performance scaling and windowing technology for a wide range of applications. It features the Extron Vector 4K 4:4:4 scaling engine and 400Gbps HyperLane video bus capable of carrying a multitude of high-resolution sources. A single processor can support multiple videowalls with mixed resolutions and screen orientations, providing flexible system design with minimal complexity and cost. www.extron.com
app to present and share content with other participants. The solution also allows users to connect several mobile devices at once to one MultiPresenter as well as to connect to several displays from one device.
Available: Now www.nec-display-solutions.com
dnp has teamed up with a Danish furniture company to create a projector cabinet for the dnp LaserPanel. The cabinet has an electric door for easy operation and with the push of a button, the projector slides into projection mode. The cabinet can be used with side cabinets, which are half the height of the projector cabinet, making two side cabinets stacked on top of each other, perfectly aligned with the new cabinet. www.dnp-screens.com
50 TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE
October 2016
Intercom and paging Manufacturers are delivering flexible real-time communications that cater to a variety of environments. Duncan Proctor takes a look at some of the latest offerings
Pliant delivers dependable RF coverage The CrewCom line of intercom products from Pliant Technologies offers the smallest full-duplex wireless radio packs with flexible network-based multi-conference communications. CrewNet, which is CrewCom’s network backbone, is frequency agnostic and can operate on multiple simultaneous frequency bands providing dependable radio frequency (RF) coverage even in large and diverse production environments. The CrewCom platform combines the intercom of a matrix system with the ease of a partyline system in a wireless package. It also uses advanced RF technology that facilitates higher user counts and reliable wireless communication. Another benefit is the ability to talk to customised groups of wireless users, and audio routing allows all parties to choose who they speak to. Communication efficiency is aided by a simple
user interface and effective RF coverage to even the remotest areas. CrewCom can use Cat5e, copper or SM fibre, which simplifies connectivity. There is also less total infrastructure required, due to its distributed, decentralised approach. Furthermore, it is adaptable to a wide range of wireless intercom applications with its scalability and globalfriendly RF deployment.
www.plianttechnologies.com
Balanced audio with Barix solution
The Annuncicom 1000 is a professional audio over IP intercom/paging device for security applications. It includes balanced audio interfaces, contact closure input supervision and switchable microphone input. With balanced audio and supervised I/O, it can serve as a gateway between IP paging, VoIP and intercom systems. Supporting high-quality music, voice codecs and a large number of protocols, the Annuncicom 1000, which also includes redundant power and network connections, can be used for both surveillance and VoIP applications.
www.barix.com
VoIP telephony from Trilogy Comms
Mercury is a real-time intercom communications platform that enables multichannel full-duplex one-to-one, group and conference communications over LAN, WAN and internet connections. It combines VoIP telephony with a conventional digital matrix intercoms system to create a scalable communications network. Mercury also delivers interoperability with other voice communications systems to maximise ROI. Each system is comprised of one or more Mercury PCI cards, Mini-Mercury Units (MMU), Mercury USB adapters or Mercury Interface Units
(MIU). These devices, known as Mercury hosts, are equipped with eight to 32 IP audio channels. IP audio channels are allocated to support two-way communications over an IP network, and multiple IP channels can be used simultaneously to conduct communications with any combination of other Mercury hosts. Additionally, multicast conferencing can be deployed, which makes it possible for hundreds of users to communicate using available bandwidth efficiently – which helps to reduce capacity issues.
www.trilogycomms.com
Riedel’s fully networked platform The TNG-200, part of the Tango networked intercom platform, is Riedel’s first fully networked platform based on AVB and Ravenna/AES67 standards. With its own dedicated intercom application, it can be turned into a flexible solution for a variety of communications scenarios. It offers powerful processing capabilities, two integrated Riedel digital partylines, two Ravenna/AES67 and AVB compatible ports, two Ethernet ports and redundant power supplies. Tango TNG-200 is 1.5RU high and features a low mounting depth and a low noise design, suited to small and mid-sized installations. The sunlight readable, high-resolution TFT display extends the range of possible applications and provides ease of use.
www.riedel.net
TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE
www.installation-international.com
51
Biamp guards against obsolescence with CobraNet Vocia is a scalable networked voice solution that can be used as anything from a simple paging system up to a multi-building emergency communication system. It is flexible enough to fit into stadiums and arenas while providing the required sound quality and efficiency, and is EN54 and RINA certified. It also meets the needs of many sectors including healthcare, transportation and hospitality. Vocia leverages IT infrastructure via CobraNet, so no special cabling is required, and the decentralised networked architecture means that if a hardware device fails, the system continues to operate as normal with no interruption. This infrastructure also protects
against obsolescence as further hardware can be added for additional paging zones, floors and buildings. Vocia also integrates with third-party systems like airport flight information display systems and nurse call solutions. Additionally the built-in automation and intelligence of the system addresses many of the latest standards in emergency communications.
www.biamp.com
Complete system in compact package from ASL
The FLEXUS system from ASL Intercom includes a four-channel master speaker station, two-channel beltpack and remote speaker station. It is designed primarily for use in theatres, opera houses and sports arenas. The FL 2400 master station is the command and communications centre for the system. Housed in a compact 1RU cabinet, it includes four full duplex intercom channels, the multifunction channel section and master section. The rear panel of the master station supplies full connectivity for any size of intercom system. The Ethernet connectivity can be used for linking to remote stations and/or beltpacks, as well as for gigabit Ethernet connection to as many as three other master stations for extended system
capabilities. A master station can also be paired with the FL EP4 or FL EP8 Extension Panels to expand a system to eight or 12 intercom channels respectively. FLEXUS remote speaker stations are available in three versions to accommodate four, eight or 12 intercom channels, and are powered via 48V DC from a daisy chain line, by PoE if on a LAN, or by local mains using a power adapter. The BP 390 beltpack is designed to offer flexibility and features in a compact and lightweight package. It offers a vibration mode that can be selected as an alternative to the call buzzer.
www.asl-inter.com
RTS provides backward compatibility The FMI-4 and FMI-8 multiplexers from RTS integrate analogue keypanels into fibre optic networks with reduced cabling. User keypanels and interfaces from RTS can also connect up to eight analogue devices to a matrix over fibre network. The multiplexers support redundancy at network and node level, and provide flexibility, scalability and backward compatibility. The complete system can be expanded at any time with the latest or legacy interfaces and features silent operation and low power consumption. The FMI-4 and FMI-8 are said to be particularly suited to broadcasters with studios in multiple locations and a large number of both analogue and digital keypanels in use. The units enable easy network configuration via software routing and provide full redundancy in a double fibre configuration.
www.rtsintercoms.com
52 TECHNOLOGY: DEMO OF THE MONTH
October 2016
Demo music The basic demo system set-up consisted of two arrays of seven ShowMatch DeltaQ modules: three SM5 and four SM10 each side. Demonstrations included a recording of Nessun
Bose ShowMatch DeltaQ Paddy Baker gets a preview of Bose Professional’s new line array, which promises ‘great sound in every seat’
L
ast month, Bose Professional hosted a demonstration of its new new ShowMatch DeltaQ line array system at Millennium Studios in Bedford. The product takes its name from the fact that directivity (Q) can be varied across each module in an array, to provide even coverage across the audience, and “great sound in every seat”. The product is aimed at both the installation and rental markets, although within the latter Bose is thinking more in terms of corporate events than concert tours. Fuat Koro, director, global sales and marketing at Bose Professional, set the scene by calling ShowMatch DeltaQ “a category defining product line”. Senior field engineer Jörgen Allén then emphasised the faithful vocal reproduction that the speakers offer. “If a system doesn’t have vocal clarity, it won’t work as a sound system,” he stated. According to Allén, “the single component most responsible for vocal clarity” is Bose’s EMB2S HF compression driver, four of which are present in each of the three cabinet models (together with two Bose 8in SM5 woofers). The HF driver allows the array modules to have a crossover point outside the main vocal range; it also produces 4dB more output than its predecessor. (Peak SPL for the cabinets is 145dB.)
Vertical and horizontal The range’s variable directivity – which, says Bose, ensures that the sound can be targeted
directly to the audience, avoiding reflections – has both vertical and horizontal aspects. The three cabinet models, the SM5, SM10 and SM20, feature vertical coverage angles of 5º, 10º and 20º respectively. On the SM5 only, the coverage overlap between adjacent cabinets can be varied from 0º to 5º in increments of 1º. This means that the ShowMatch can be used to form standard J-shaped arrays; DeltaQ arrays, where directivity varies among the modules; and constantcurvature arrays, replicating a point source. The cabinets are smaller and lighter than their counterparts in the Bose RoomMatch range. The three speaker modules come with field-replaceable waveguides that, depending on model, can vary the horizontal dispersion between 55º and 120º. “For fixed installation, this is a really big advantage,” said sales engineer Pascal Vierdeel. “People can shape the sound to the size and shape of the room.” It’s possible to mix different angles in the same cabinet for asymmetrical coverage patterns. The system can be augmented with the addition of the ShowMatch SMS118 subwoofer. This can be flown as part of the array or groundstacked: ‘reversed box’ configurations for cardioid coverage patterns are facilitated by the range’s bracketry and by the provision of a connector on the front grille. The subs’ performance was amply demonstrated with an EDM track.
Dorma, sung by a female vocalist. The vocals were warm and natural. This was followed by a jazz number, with male and female vocals, which was notable for the strong, but proportionate, presence of the acoustic bass. Mark Payne, technical director of SFL Group, the rental company running the event, later confided to me that, on hearing this track play, he had to doublecheck that it was only running through the arrays and not the subs as well. Later on, a five-piece band took to the stage to play a couple of classic soul numbers. Again, the vocals (female) were extremely clear: I could hear every single word – to the extent that I could tell when the singer departed slightly from the original lyrics at one point. We were invited to walk around the demonstration area, and the coverage was indeed pretty even, not just within the 100-andsomething seats set out for the audience, but beyond as well. I asked Koro what he thought other manufacturers will make of ShowMatch DeltaQ. “This is a new approach to array technology – that’s why we like to think of it as the next generation,” he replied. “So I’m sure they will look at our value proposition and recognise it as something that’s truly valuable to our industry.” The range will be rolled out globally in November, which is also the planned release date for the latest version (6.9) of Bose’s Modeler software, which can be used to design and optimise ShowMatch (and RoomMatch) system configurations to specific room dimensions. This can model a virtual array at any point in space, and either automatically select the modules or allow the user to add these manually – with or without subs. The software also quantifies the efficiency of the system as the Q of different modules is varied, and the smoothness of the transition between adjacent modules. It’s also planned to have the facility to export a GLL file into EASE acoustic modelling software. As well as the acoustic performance, the software also looks at the mechanical performance – checking that the selected rigging is within safe working limits, as well as giving the total weight, indicating the point(s) from which the array should be hung to give the desired angle, and showing the centre of gravity. Once the design has been finalised, Modeler produces a kit list of all the elements used.
http://pro.bose.com
Save the Date IBC2017 Conference 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18 September 2017 Exhibition 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 19 September 2017 RAI, Amsterdam
Where the entertainment, media and technology industry does business
IBC.org
PLANYOUR MONTH AHEAD
Our pick of what to see, do and discover in the coming weeks, including Smart Buildings in Birmingham, AV tech in Moscow and a video guide to business longevity
PICK OF THE MONTH
Smart Buildings 2016 READ
conference technology and virtual workplaces. Other topics up for discussion in the Smart Buildings Hub include security, virtual working environments and connected lighting. www.ukconstructionweek.com
VISIT
Institute of Architectural Technologists. New for 2016 is a dedicated Workplace Zone, which will showcase leading companies catering for the smart technology market in commercial applications such as connected furniture, security, AV systems,
WATCH
Part of UK Construction Week, Smart Buildings runs from 18 to 26 October at the NEC in Birmingham. Billed as the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading event for integrated building technology, it is supported by the leading bodies including KNX Association and the Chartered
How to build a business that lasts 100 years
Integrated Systems Russia
Technology and the Virtues
The 10th edition of IS Russia runs from 1 to 3 November at Expocenter Forum No 1 in Moscow. Key topics for this year include digital signage and education, with the conference programme reflecting these themes. Confirmed exhibitors include Absen, Mitsubishi Electric and Yamaha.
By Shannon Vallor The 21st century offers a dizzying array of new technological developments that are reshaping our habits, practices and environments. Vallor considers how our future can be protected in such challenging conditions and looks at how the human family can live well into the 21st century and beyond.
In this TEDTalk, strategist Martin Reeves suggests that if you want to build a business that lasts, there may be no better place to look for inspiration than your own immune system. www.ted.com
www.isrussia.ru
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Learn more at meyersound.com/believeit