Installation February 2014 digital edition

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Installation INTERNATIONAL AUDIO, VIDEO AND LIGHTING INTEGRATION

February 2014

Control the future O pportunities for integrators in smart buildings p44

InstallMarket – find out about Installation’s latest event p14

ISE 2014 – what to look out for when the doors open p16

Retail – using tech to builld personal engagement p36

WELCOME & CONTENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENT

What do you know?

‘It’s said that knowledge is power – but perhaps it would be more helpful to say that knowledge brings value’

HERE’S AN intriguing idea. When the world was younger, the overall knowledge base – particularly scientific knowledge – was much smaller than it is today. Certain polymaths could legitimately be said to know everything that there was to know. So, who was the last person to whom this applied?

Suggestions have included Aristotle (384-322 BC), Leonardo da Vinci (14521519) and Max Weber (1864-1920). If one strayed into fiction, one might suggest Sherlock Holmes’s brother Mycroft, of whom the detective once said: “All other men are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience.”

What’s pretty clear that it’s not possible for one person to know everything there is to know in today’s world. And generally speaking there’s no need (unless you’re doing a pub quiz): information on just about any subject can be found more easily than ever, online – if you know where to look.

On a similar tack, the increasing complexity of technology makes it ever harder for single companies to ‘know’ everything – that is, hold all the intellectual property – for any given solution. As distributor Ennio Prase says in his interview in this issue (see page 24), one effect of the internet revolution is that companies increasingly have to work together to grow together. Ploughing your own furrow is becoming less and less of an option.

He also bemoans the lack, in Italy, of consultants with a broad overview of audio, video and control technology – which, he says, often results in poor project specifications written by ill-equipped people. Incidentally, I do wonder how consultants anywhere will cope with the ever-increasing amount of technology that they need to be familiar with. Presumably breadth will have to be gained at the expense of depth.

Of course, systems integration has always been about pulling together different technologies and creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts. But as Ennio also says, many of his integrator customers make the mistake of not knowing enough about the products that they work with.

It’s said that knowledge is power – but perhaps it would be more helpful to say that knowledge brings value.

A COUPLE of parish notices for you: we announced the InstallAwards last month, and entries are now open. You only have a few weeks to enter your best work of the past year. Turn to page 28 for details of what we’re looking for, and how to apply. (There’s no entry fee, by the way.) The awards will be presented at a glittering evening event in June.

Also, I’m very pleased to announce another new event in the installation calendar: InstallMarket. This is a one-day conference and expo that takes place at the start of September. Full details are on page 14.

FINALLY, IF you’re going to ISE 2014, you might like to know that Installation is holding a drinks reception on Wednesday 5 February at 16:00 on stand 7E160. The full team will be there, and we’d love to see you. Please drop me an email if you’re planning to come along – just so we can cater accordingly.

Paddy Baker, Editor, Installation – paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk

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NEWS & DATA 4 News 8 Appointments 10 Expos and events 12 Industry data: Consumer content consumption trends are changing SHOW PREVIEWS Installation marketplace p14 ISE 2014 p16 PEOPLE 24 Interview: Ennio Prase on 20 years of Prase Engineering EVENT 28 InstallAwards: Entry now open for this major industry event FEATURES 32 Networking: How far down the road to media networking are we?

36 Smart building: Advances in technology present opportunities 44 Retail: Stores are ever-more inventive in their approach to targeting customers 50 Regional voices: France TECHNOLOGY 52 New products 56 Showcase: Residential audio SOLUTIONS 60 MUSE, Trento: Embracing interactivity 62 Collider: Science Museum, London: Step inside the Large Hadron Collider in this new exhibition 64 Palais des Sports, Dijon: Overcoming difficult acoustics 66 Aalen University of Applied Sciences: Audio enhances learning experience 68 AKD Luxury Cars Mall, Shenzhen

Cover image Siemens press picture

February 2014 3

NEWS EUROPE

NEWPARTNERS Sahara Presentation Systems is Vivitek’s new distributor in the UK. The company will have access to Vivitek’s Pocket, UltraPortable, Education, AV and single lamp LV product portfolios. Sahara joins existing partners AVM and Armour Home to give Vivitek reach into the systems integration, custom installation and office equipment markets. www.saharasystems.co.uk www.vivitek.eu

Flare Audio has appointed Orbital Sound as its exclusive UK and Ireland distributor.

Orbital will be focusing on introducing Flare Audio’s product range to a broad audience in the coming months. www.flareaudio.com www.orbitalsound.com

Engage Production has announced the distribution of Holo, a state-of-the-art development of the 400year-old Pepper’s Ghost illusion. Offering the biggest 360° floating optical experience on the market, and controlled by simple hand gestures, the 2.4m high diamond-shaped Holo was designed by Conran and devised by Beagle Media. www.beaglemedia.co.uk www.engageproduction.com

Prase Engineering is the new distributor for Shure/DIS in Italy. A long-time distributor of DIS conferencing products in the country, Prase Engineering will replace Sisme as Shure’s representative. www.prase.it www.shure.com

4 February 2014

Media Vision opens for business in Europe CONFERENCING supplier Media Vision has announced the opening of four new offices and warehouses across Europe. These will supply conferencing microphones and language interpretation solutions in France, Switzerland, the UK and Scandinavia.

The company, which has been a long-time partner of Taiden in North America, boasts high-profile references such as the UN Headquarters in New York. In North America, the company has offices in San Francisco, New York, Washington, DC and Toronto.

François Bestel, director of sales in Switzerland, was first to join the Geneva-based establishment in mid-2013. In November last year, Media

Vision opened its largest European facility: a 360sqm office, showroom and warehouse near Paris. Antoine Haller has been appointed as director of sales for the French company.

The Scandinavian office is to open in Copenhagen this month, with Sandra Kellermann as director of sales. She has 15 years’ experience working for a respected European manufacturer of conferencing systems. Beyond sales activities, the company is also investing in a large rental inventory that will be available to partner companies in need of digital microphones and simultaneous interpretation equipment for all size events.

Media Vision’s fourth

EUROPE

partner Taiden, always at the forefront of innovation thanks to our American roots with a business and service-oriented mindset, and finally bringing into this melting pot the European expertise in conferencing and interpretation systems.” www.media-vision.com

WORLD

VDC YouSpec cable configurator success VDC Trading has announced early success for its recently introduced YouSpec facility, a web-based configurator that enables customers to design their own bespoke Van Damme cabling solutions.

Niall Holden, VDC CEO, said: “Customers can specify the Van Damme cable, colour, exact length, connectors, boots, labelling and so on required and VDC will manufacture their design and ship it directly to them.”

Austria’s Prime Studios is one client to have used the service. Studio founder Gerhard Buchbauer said: “The YouSpec service is more than handy to easily choose the

European office, located in Brussels, will be dedicated to rentals.

“We are a truly international company now, combining the expertise that every region has to offer,” said Fardad Zabetian, CEO of Media Vision.

“We are strong thanks to our Chinese manufacturing

cable type needed. It is great to have the ability to choose pin wiring and to even completely customise the wiring for the cables online.”

At present designs can be built around audio solutions, with video and data options available imminently. The application will be extended to cater for fibre, mains and hi-fi solutions later in 2014. www.vdctrading.com

ASPEC merges with PLASA FOLLOWING an agreement made last month, ASPEC (Association of Studio and Production Equipment Companies) members are now operating under the umbrella of PLASA. ASPEC members will be full members of the trade organisation as well as acting as a special interest group that continues to focus on the needs of the film, television and broadcast community.

ASPEC will work closely with PLASA's Production Equipment Rental Group (PERG), its counterpart group in North America, discussing and sharing common rental issues which affect those involved in the sector.

ASPEC has operated in its present format since 1994, comprising many of the UK’s facilities companies in the film, television and broadcast industries. It will continue to be a central figure in the areas of training, qualifications, health & safety, security and legislation.

ASPEC’s chair, John Rendall, and secretary, Kate Furssedonn, will remain in their current positions. Rendall commented: “We look forward with enthusiasm to a very positive and constructive future within PLASA.” www.aspec-uk.com www.plasa.org

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NEWS GREECE

Last Cadac R-Type installed TELMACO SA has installed the last ever Cadac R-type console in the landmark Thessaloniki Concert Hall in Greece.

The R-type was installed by the Athens-based company in the main 500-seat Amphitheatron Hall, in the venue’s new M2 building, as part of a major turnkey project that included sound reinforcement, projection, conference and interpretation, video and audio relay, intercom and stage management systems.

The R-type equips the Amphitheatron Hall with a mix capability for a wide variety of performance and nonperformance applications, including large-scale conferencing and event production. The bespoke console is configured with 48 mono and three stereo input channels, 16 dual groups, one monitor group, 16 DC masters and one VCA master.

Many of Cadac’s longestserving engineers worked on

Recent highlights

the build of the console, including final test engineer Tony Waldren, for whom this was the final project before retiring after almost 30 years with the company.

Commenting on the delivery of the last R-type, Cadac brand development manager Richard Ferriday said: “Despite the market dominance of digital technology, and Cadac’s adoption of that technology, there are still applications for large-format

analogue consoles. These applications see limited value in the logistical advantages and convenience offered by digital consoles, and therefore require pure analogue solutions. From the legendary 256-input J-type, through the modular S-type to the latest compact LIVE1, Cadac continues to offer a full range of mixing solutions employing the latest in both analogue and digital technology.”

LOEWE SOLD TO PANTHERA INVESTMENT GROUP The German entertainment technology developer has had a significant percentage of its business acquired by investment company Panthera.

YAMAHA SHINES LIGHT ON HOME AUDIO The wireless- and Bluetoothcompatible Relit – a home audio device from Yamaha – can be operated via apps that can control music streaming as well as lighting settings.

CORE BRANDS EXPANDS ELAN G! FOR ISE 2014 Core Brands will introduce several new products to its ELAN g! Home Entertainment and Control System line at ISE 2014, including a new thermostat and HDMI switchers.

ISE 2014: BITWISE TO SHOWCASE AUTOMATED CONTROLLED LINE-UP Products on show will include the top-end BC1, which is capable of handling a multitude of automation tasks for residential or commercial applications.

To read these stories and the rest of our residential coverage, go to

www.installation-international.com/residential

www.cadac-sound.com

UK/EUROPE

European expansion as Leaf blossoms LEAF, a manufacturer of HD audio/video distribution and switching solutions, has opened a new regional office, Leaf Europe, in the United Kingdom. The facility will play a key role in growing Leaf's presence throughout Europe, extending the Leaf dealer channel, as well as shaping strategic

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relationships with area businesses.

“This is an exciting time for us and our brand’s expansion,” said Dean Vaughan, chief executive officer of Leaf. “Our heightened presence in the UK, with dedicated local resources, will grow and support our network of

specialty dealers.”

Hamish Neale has been named director of sales and marketing for Leaf Europe.

He brings 14 years of industry experience, specifically in the realm of sales, new business development and dealer expansion. Prior to joining Leaf, Neale served as the

EMEA territory sales manager for Control4 and serves on the CEDIA Region 1 board of directors.

“Hamish will be a critical piece in the successful cultivation of Leaf Europe, helping to increase distribution across Europe and uncover vital new business opportunities. We

are eager to see what else this year has to offer,” added Vaughan.

“Leaf continues to remain a key contender in the residential and pro-AV space because of our ability to hire the right people, with the right skill sets, and a strong passion for what we do.” www.leafeurope.com

February 2014 5

NEWS WORLD

Google announces move into smart buildings GLOBAL technology leader Google has entered into an agreement to buy home automation company Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash.

Nest’s mission is to reinvent “unloved but important” devices in the home such as thermostats and smoke alarms. Products including the Nest Learning Thermostat, which learns users’ schedules, programs itself and can be controlled from a phone, help households save energy and money.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said: “Nest’s founders, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, have built a tremendous team that we are excited to welcome into the Google family. They’re

already delivering amazing products you can buy right now – thermostats that save energy and smoke/CO alarms that can help keep your family safe. We are excited to bring great experiences to more homes in more countries and fulfill their dreams!”

In a blog on the Nest website, Fadell explained the move: “Google will help us fully realise our vision of the conscious home and allow us to change the world faster than we ever could if we continued to go it alone.

We’ve had great momentum, but this is a rocket ship.”

Nest will continue to operate under the leadership of Fadell and with its own distinct brand identity. As Fadell

explained: “Nest will continue to be Nest, with its own distinct brand identity. We will continue to reimagine and reinvent the unloved products that proliferate in our homes, just as we have since we started. We are simply going to get our products into the hands of people around the world – faster.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US. It is expected to close in the next few months. www.nest.com

SINGAPORE

New Asia-Pacific office for Robe ROBE Lighting has opened a new office in Singapore as part of its planned mediumterm expansion strategy.

The location will serve as a sales and distribution point for all customers and distributors of Robe and architectural lighting brand Anolis LED that are located in the geographical regions between India and Australia/ New Zealand on the Indian Ocean side, and China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea in the western Pacific.

The company says this will enable quicker and more streamlined communications between Robe’s sales and support network in the region. It is also intended to strengthen Anolis’s presence in the architectural segment.

Robe Asia Pacific (RAP) will be headed by Edwwerth Lai, sales director for Asia, and Desmond Kwan, technical

6 February 2014

operations director. Lai will oversee commercial operations, while Kwan will co-ordinate the service, technical and project support. The office will be managed by Dhora Shukor.

“Establishing Robe Asia Pacific is fundamental to our infrastructure and forward planning,” said Robe’s sales director, Harry von den Stemmen. “It will be an invaluable asset in sustaining existing business and boosting new growth in all these territories.”

Josef Valchar, CEO, Robe, stated: “We are fortunate to already have such a skilled team onboard already with Edwwerth, Desmond and Dhora, whom we welcome to the Robe family. We are all looking forward to a busy and positive 2014.”

Robe will continue to work with Lighting & Sound Distribution, represented by Louis Teo and Brenda Keung as preferred partners for Singapore. www.anolis.eu www.robe.cz

Recent highlights MK TARGETS ARCHITECTS WITH ELEMENTS RANGE Architects and designers can now specify wiring devices which deliver the same high aesthetic as signature materials such as fabrics and wall coverings.

ASHLAND UNIVERSITY AND VADDIO MAKE FASHION COURSE HIGH TECH Ashland University in Ohio has added online and hybrid components to its Fashion Merchandising Program, opening up the course to students who can’t attend in person.

GDS HELPS RESTORE EVENTIM APOLLO TO ITS FORMER ART DECO GLORY Its many guises include The Hammersmith Odeon, Apollo and The Gaumont Palace.

Now, restored to its former Art Deco glory, it will be known as the Eventim Apollo.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS – LIGHT TRANSMISSIVE CARPETS As Philips and Desso announce a partnership to develop light transmissive carpets, TFA looks at the technology and what it can offer architects.

To read these stories and the rest of our coverage for the architectural and interior design community, go to

www.installation-international.com/tfa

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APPOINTMENTS BARIX

New executive management team completed Following the appointment of Ronni Guggenheim as CEO, Johannes G Rietschel’s move to CTO and the promotion of Frank Frederiksen to COO, Barix continues to make high-level changes IN A move designed to strengthen Barix’s customer outreach and communications focus, long-time head of technical sales Domenico Gambino (pictured) has been promoted to vice president, sales, while Barbara HallerRietschel becomes vice president, marketing communications. Both report directly to CEO Ronni Guggenheim, and complete his new executive management team.

Gambino’s appointment will have an immediate effect on how Barix communicates with its customer base by merging channel sales, technical sales and technical support into a single organisation. This creates a singular structure for outreach across channel partners, OEMs and end users that is

ELECTROSONIC

intended to enhance communication between Barix and its customers. He will lead a large team with several managers reporting to him across channel, support, pre-sales and training operations.

Gambino will additionally focus on strengthening and expanding sales channels. In his previous role at Barix as head of technical sales, he developed a deep understanding of Barix customer requirements while working across its network of resellers and systems integrators.

“Barix has a reputable image and a strong presence, along with trusted technical competence and wellregarded product reliability,” he said. “It’s my goal to sharpen sales and support focus in the short term through our

current product offering, while developing a long-term roadmap in collaboration with our product marketing team to fulfil market expectations moving forward.”

Haller-Rietschel will make significant contributions in developing and executing the company’s new marketing strategy, which Barix will publicly unveil at ISE 2014 in Amsterdam, while also being focused on branding and both internal and external communications.

“We intend to change the face of Barix from a box manufacturer to an IP solutions provider,” said Haller-Rietschel, who previously oversaw marketing operations in the role of company president. “Barix has been in the audio over IP market for 10 years, and the market has matured significantly. We are refreshing our strategy to more effectively adapt to changing customer needs across the markets we serve.” www.barix.com

development of business growth within their respective verticals.

account manager. Lucy Baum is Imago’s new business development executive with a remit across the company’s full product portfolio, while Sam Miller and Bradley Johnson are south-east account managers.

www.psco.co.uk

www.imagogroupplc.com

Gregor Rimell has joined Electrosonic as account manager for the corporate solutions business in Scotland. He will be based at Electrosonic’s Edinburgh office and will be responsible for managing existing key accounts in Scotland. Rimell has nine years of experience within the audiovisual industry. Prior to joining Electrosonic, he was UK channel manager for AMX. www.electrosonic.com

IMAGO

Bogetvedt began his career in private lighting and audio rental and sales; he joined Martin Professional Scandinavia in 2009 as key account manager, Norway. www.martin.com

INVISION UK Distributor Invision UK has confirmed the appointment of Kelly Smailes to its product management team.

Taking the role of sales and marketing co-ordinator, she will be involved in product marketing and will support the sales team by developing a range of strategies and initiatives. www.invisionuk.com

A host of new faces have joined the sales team at Imago. Kate Saville (pictured) has taken on the role of sales team co-ordinator, and Henry Myers (pictured) is now an 8 February 2014

MARTIN PROFESSIONAL Harman’s Martin Professional has appointed Joachim Bogetvedt as sales manger, Nordic. Based in Kristiansand, Norway, he will lead sales and initiatives for Martin Professional across Northern Europe, reporting directly to Steen Matthiesen, vice president EMEA sales.

PSCO Richard Bovingdon has joined PSCo as sales director, heading up both the internal and external sales teams. He joins from Micro Peripherals, where he was head of education and AV solutions, and brings over 16 years of experience in the AV/IT channel having worked for distributors, manufacturers and resellers on the

RGB SPECTRUM Jason Tirado has joined RGB Spectrum as vice president of international sales. In this role he will be responsible for managing the company’s international sales, overseeing expansion into global markets and developing relationships with strategic partners. Tirado has nearly two decades of experience in sales management and joins from Crestron where he held roles including director of international sales and, most recently, executive director. www.rgb.com

TRILOGY COMMUNICATIONS Trilogy, a supplier of intercom solutions and master reference generators for the broadcast industry, has announced the appointment of Keith Norton as chief operating officer. Norton was most recently CEO of Paradigm Secure

Communications, a subsidiary of EADS Astrium, and has more than 30 years of experience at strategic, programme and operational levels across telecoms and government programmes. www.trilogycomms.com

VADDIO Tim Henry has been appointed director of North American sales at Vaddio.

He brings over 25 years of experience in video technology, with the past 15 as national sales manager for Sony Electronics. Prior to this he was the eastern regional sales manager for InterTest, a New Jersey-based rep firm and manufacturer of specialised cameras systems. www.vaddio.com

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EXPOS & EVENTS

SPOTLIGHT 12-15 March Prolight + Sound Frankfurt, Germany www.prolight-sound.com

For four days, this leading international trade fair becomes the meeting place for exhibitors, trade visitors, wholesalers, retailers and professional users from all over the world.

Technologies on display are divided into product groups including audio technology, lighting technology,

tion Installa communications technology, theatre and stage technology, media and systems integration.

In addition to finding out about the latest technological developments, visitors can also enjoy a variety of information and training events at the Prolight + Sound Conference held in Hall 9.1 and the Cosmopolitan Lounge of Hall 9.T. The sessions will be subdivided into three main sections: event technology, media systems and VDT Academy.

EXUTLARTIA ON CIRC

EVENTS Your complete events calendar for the months ahead MARCH 2014 5 ISCEx Milton Keynes, UK www.isce.org.uk 10-14 CeBIT Hanover, Germany www.cebit.de/home 11-13 CABSAT 2014 Dubai, UAE www.cabsat.com 12-15 Prolight + Sound Frankfurt, Germany www.prolight-sound.com

APRIL 2014 9-11 InfoComm China Beijing, China www.infocommchina.com/en 15-17 PALME Middle East Dubai, UAE www.palme-middleeast.com 30-1 PLASA Focus Leeds, UK www.plasafocus.com MAY 2014 8-9 PLASA Focus Nashville, US www.plasafocus.com 13-14 Streaming Media East New York, US www.streamingmedia.com

30-4 April Light + Building Frankfurt, Germany light-building. messefrankfurt.com

10 February 2014

18 High End Munich, Germany www.highendsociety.de

18-20 The ARC Show London, UK www.thearcshow.com

17-19 IFSEC Birmingham, UK www.ifsec.co.uk

20–23 European Sign Expo Munich, Germany www.fespa.com/eurosignexpo

18-20 InfoComm 2014 Las Vegas, US www.infocommshow.org

26-29 Palm Expo Beijing, China www.palmexpo.net

AUGUST 2014 26 - 28 Integrate Expo 2014 Sydney, Australia www.cedia.com.au

JUNE 2014 11 ABTT Theatre Show London, UK www.abtttheatreshow.co.uk 16-19 CineEurope Barcelona, Spain www.cinemaexpo.com

12 InstallAwards London, UK www.installawards.com

SEPTEMBER 2014 3 Installation Marketplace London, UK www.installationinternational.com/events

5-10 IFA Berlin, Germany b2b.ifa-berlin.com/en/ 11-14 NAMM Musikmesse Russia Moscow, Russia www.musik.messefrankfurt.ru

EDITORIAL PLANNER MARCH Houses of worship AV in broadcast Lighting control Showcase: Large LCD/plasma displays News deadline: 17 February Distribution date: 4 March 2014 will see Installation launching Intent Media’s Technology Guides, a new series of publications dedicated to individual product sectors. The first one, Projectors, will be available in March.

APRIL Concert venues Unified communications High-resolution projectors Showcase: Cables & connectors Features submission deadline: 21 February News deadline: 27 March Distribution date: 11 April MAY Command & control Intercoms & paging Room control Showcase: Audio consoles Features submission deadline: 19 March News deadline: 25 April Distribution date: 13 May JUNE Stadium audio Theatre solutions Tiled displays Showcase: Videoconferencing equipment Features submission deadline: 16 April News deadline: 19 May Distribution date: 4 June

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INDUSTRY DATA

Rethinking television Tablets, delivery of content via the internet, and faster broadband will combine to make the TV unrecognisable in the coming years, writes Steve Montgomery frequently and will even lead to a growth in the number of households without a main TV screen; reversing a trend that was set half a century ago. TV viewing will no longer be a shared experience by dint of family members viewing programmes together. Increasingly the experience will be shared through social media.

However, at the same time, bespoke displays will evolve that will allow largescreen viewing and multiimage display. Rather than a single screen, the supply of which is fraught with yield problems and low resolution, composite display panels, probably of around 50in to 60in, will be used to enable simultaneous display of highdefinition images, sometimes at whole-wall sizes in bespoke installations.

Viewers will use their personal devices to control and navigate these large displays with internetdelivered content.

Simultaneous viewing of alternative camera angles and action replays on companion screens will allow personal choice without interrupting the flow on the big screen which was a major issue with red-button interactivity in the past.

OLED VERSUS LCD Rethink Technology Research expects OLED to succeed as the next major display technology, replacing LCD completely across devices of all sizes. Its quality and cost

GLOBAL SMART-CONNECTED DEVICE MARKET 3,000

2,500 Unit shipments (m)

RETHINK TECHNOLOGY Research has approached the analysis of the future TV and display market by focusing on the ways that consumer behaviour is changing rather than investigating suppliers’ understanding of the global marketplace. The company’s new report Requiem for the Television describes the future market shape and points to those who will lead it, finding that the traditional understanding of linear market progression in the video consumption industry is no longer valid.

“With major hurdles confronting the video distribution and consumption industry, the best thing affected players can do is to try to picture the shape of the market in the future and position themselves with the right product lines and cost structure for survival, and to reset the expectations of their shareholders around the new truths that dictate the new normal,” explains Peter White, CEO of Rethink Technologies.

The way that consumers view TV and video content is changing radically. By 2019 75% of TV will be viewed on mobile tablets, PCs or phones. TV viewing will go the same way as personal consumption of music, moving reproduction from a central system to a portable device for individual selection and consumption.

This phenomenon will decimate sales of traditional TVs as they are replaced less

2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2013

2017*

Tablet

Smartphone

Portable PC

Tablet shipments are predicted to increase by 79% between 2013 and 2017

Unit shipments (millions) 2013 2017* TV

226

Portable PC Tablet Smartphone

-25%

181

197

9%

227

407

79%

1,013

1,734

71%

Source: Rethink Technology Research

advantage as a display medium for Full HD content on mid-range screens (sizes below 80in) will potentially negate the demand for 4K LCD TVs with a relatively

small increase in quality.

Consumers will opt for ‘good enough at cheaper price’ offerings.

WiFi will become the ubiquitous content delivery

Telco Vectoring makes 4k OTT viable Tablet piracy rampant, new CPU-based DRMs introduced TV shipments to 170m

Demand for larger and larger TV sets in the US 2012

2013 US broadcasters agree to give spectrum to cellular

2014

20 15

Tablet shipments overtake PC sales including laptops TV shipments fall under 200m a year

12 February 2014

Top end super tablets down to $250

eMBMS video delivery common place 20 16

2017

2018

20 19

First-run movies go OTT

2020

75% of TV viewed on tablets, PCs or phones

120 million WiFi Homespots promote OTT video delivery Smart TV saturation prices fall

% change 2013-17

170

COLLAPSE OF TV INDUSTRY – TIMELINE US Pay TV operators introduce headless gateway spec for tablet TV

TV

Source: Rethink Technology Research

* = forecast

mechanism for live, ondemand and time-shifted content to tablets, phones and PCs. Some 75% of all video destined for personal devices will travel over WiFi for the last few metres and never touch the cellular network. Smart TVs will be adversely affected by a rapid expansion of attached devices, such as Google’s Android-based Chromecast dongle combined with content source libraries like Netflix, connected to basic displays and TVs. TV viewing is on the verge of the biggest sea change in its history. There is a big shift towards mobile viewing, wearable devices will appear and screens will converge to become multipurpose devices for a multitude of applications. www.rethinkresearch.biz

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SHOW PREVIEW: INSTALLMARKET

Remember September Put 4 September in your diary now – it’s the date of an exciting new event brought to you by Installation INSTALLMARKET is a completely new event for the AV integration industry.

Designed to bring the industry together, it’s a one-day conference and expo event that will educate and inform visitors in equal measure.

What’s more, it is free to register, free to attend (both the expo and the conference) and lunch is also provided free.

Held on 4 September 2014, InstallMarket is the only independent, dedicated UK event for AV systems integrators, installers and consultants.

In-house AV staff, facilities managers, AV end-user company staff and architects will also find it a rewarding visit.

The venue is the Business Design Centre in Islington, north London – conveniently situated just a couple of miles from Kings Cross St Pancras train and tube station, and just a short walk from Angel tube. On-site car parking is also available.

Exhibitors from across the worlds of audio, video, connectivity and control will be exhibiting their latest products.

There will also be break-out training sessions from key manufacturers.

The conference programme will explore emerging trends in key vertical market sectors: entertainment and hospitality, AV/broadcast convergence, education, transportation and retail. Each conference panel will be dedicated to a specific vertical and will consist of presentations by a moderator and three specialists. Time will be allowed for discussion among the panel and questions from the audience.

The final session will be of wide interest to a large section of the event audience: examining the future of AV networking.

“I’m very pleased to be able to announce the launch of InstallMarket,” said Installation editor Paddy Baker.

“This is the type of show that we believe the industry has been waiting for. In just a single day out of the office, visitors can hear engaging expert speakers discussing the latest trends in key verticals and also see at first hand the latest offerings from key manufacturers.

“Many free conference sessions consist of sales pitches, but we are taking care to ensure that the consultants, integrators and trade association representatives on our panels deliver real value to their audiences. And for those who want to learn more about specific products, manufacturers will be providing education and training sessions in break-out rooms.

“InstallMarket has been created to 14 February 2014

4th September 2014

Business Design Centre - London

INSTALLMARKET CONFERENCE PROGRAMME Not Your Father’s Classroom; Not Your Mother’s Campus As much disruption as we experience in technology, each and every tech wave rolls over into education where new learning tools are embraced – and rejected. What’s the state of UK education today, after the onslaught of iPads, mobile, video and audio-over-IP? Our InstallMarket panel will explore how technologies are changing education, especially the intersection between video and mobile and Cloud. Panel members will address lecture capture, BYOD and campus digital signage.

What Hotels Really Want As hotels commoditise and competition intensifies, hotel management turns to technology, not just for infrastructure but improving customer experience. From hotel TV systems the hotel market is moving towards BYOD, using displays, wireless, internet and apps to increase guest satisfaction.

Let’s not forget the outside of the building, as projection mapping offers a new opportunity to some.

AV & Broadcast Convergence: A Marriage in IP This panel will explore how IP technologies are bringing together broadcast integrators and AV integrators. While web-delivered content services and the second screen push forward the evolution of the professional broadcast market, it’s ubiquitous video of the YouTube era that's pulling for affordable broadcasting technology to supply the new needs of corporates, institutions and individuals. AV and

enable people from throughout the AV installation industry to come together and learn from each other. It fills a significant gap in the UK show calendar.”

Watch out for updates about InstallMarket in Installation magazine,

broadcast come together as broadcasting moves from the exclusive domain of big studios to the desktop and even countertop.

What Moves Transport Technology In this panel, we'll explore the new customer experience for transport including car, rail, air and underground. Of particular interest are displays, control room technologies and customer-facing digital signage.

Forces That Drive Retail Tech As an industry in transformation, retailers currently face major challenges, making it essential they have the correct technology in place to cope with this ever-changing industry. Retailers want to enhance their in-store customer experience while boosting data-gathering processes for customer buying patterns. This panel will discuss how retailers are harnessing mobile technology, digital signage, projection and display to build the retail stores of the future.

Whose Network is IT, Anyway?

IP has proven to be the Great Unifier, bringing together many diverse industries onto the network. Given the ramp-up of video usage and mobile delivery (including iPads, video streaming, digital signage, unified communications and videoconferencing), this panel brings together experts to discuss how AV and IT will share the network.

on our website and our Twitter and Facebook pages.

For information on registering for the event, contact sarah.harris@intentmedia.co.uk.

For sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities, contact Ian Graham on ian.graham@intentmedia.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 7354 6000

www.installation-international.com/events

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in Installation

SHOW PREVIEW: ISE 2014

Amsterdam awaits As the RAI opens its doors for ISE 2014, we use the next few pages to highlight the latest product announcements and innovations – starting with displays A NEW 28in 1920 x 358 LED stretched digital signage display is being announced by Advantech for use in transportation, elevators and public venues. The fanless DSD-5028 is pitched as a power-saving alternative to more conventional LED signage solutions used in limited spaces in these industries.

The panel – which can be deployed in both horizontal and vertical installations – includes LCD resizing technology and offers an aspect ratio of 16:3, brightness of 700 cd/sqm, and a contrast ratio of 3,000:1.

Billed as setting a new standard in LED screens for deployment in digital signage, television studios, concert halls and exhibition halls, the M Series LED Display is new from AOTO. Featuring a modular design, the M Series has dimensions of 480mm x 480mm x 77mm, and weighs 10kg/panel. Integral rigging is designed to allow the creation of an installation up to 25 panels high, while a TUVcertified tool-less fast lock system facilitates quick set-up.

There will be a whole host of new DLP projectors on the BenQ stand. The MW621ST is claimed to offer “the highest display flexibility

and uncompromised picture quality” for small-sized business settings. Its short-throw projection range can give a 55in display at 1m, and it can connect to a PC, Mac, iPhone or iPad via WiFi. The new SW916 has a 1.6x zoom for a range of throw distances, making it ideal as a replacement for older projectors without having to fit a new ceiling mount or projector setting.

For education the MW853UST offers interactive projection with multi-screen calibration. Two MW853USTs double the teaching space and include two PointWrite kits to work seamlessly with QWrite. Up to four PointWrite pens are supported, but adding a Laser Curtain module allows writing with up to four fingers or objects.

BrightSign is unveiling its 4K digital signage media player – the first to deliver a true end-to-end 4K solution that accepts H.265encoded content and delivers 60fps output via HDMI 2.0.

“There’s a great deal of excitement and anticipation around 4K, but unfortunately many of the purported 4K solutions currently available fall short and don’t deliver a true 4K experience,” says Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign. “However our

Sony showcases S-Series projector family Sony has expanded its S-Series line-up with the launch of nine new 3LCD short throw and ultra-short throw projectors. Aimed at broadening the company’s offering for the education market, the new models deliver up to 3,000 lumens and lamp life of up to 10,000 hours.

The line-up comprises four new short throw models and five ultra-short throw projectors, and is designed for smaller classrooms and meeting rooms. They can throw high-resolution images up to approximately 2m diagonal from distances as close as 44cm (XGA ultra-short throw) and 75cm (XGA short throw).

The VPL-SW630C and VPL-SW620C models come with enhanced interactivity, including dual pen and auto calibration, as well as additional rich education tools, making it easier for students and teachers to collaborate effectively in the classroom.

16 February 2014

BrightSign 4K player complies with the new standards to preserve video quality from encoding to output and support the complete 4K ecosystem, start to finish.”

Receiving its first major public showing since its launch in January, Christie’s Q Series is claimed to achieve best-inclass 1-chip DLP brightness. It comprises three models. The DWU951 features WUXGA resolution with brightness of 8,500 lumens; the DWX951 delivers the same level of brightness but with WXGA resolution; and the DXG1051 provides 10,000 lumens from an XGA resolution panel.

Following the launch of the FHD551-W 55in LCD weatherproof flatpanel with integrated waterproof speakers, Christie is also exhibiting the most recent members of its flatpanel family on the stand.

At 84in, the new 4K Transparent Display panel from Crystal Display Systems is said to be the world’s largest. The screen’s 3840 x 2160 resolution “means high-end graphics can be shown which were previously not available in transparent displays”.

It is based on a Sharp 4K panel and has USB, VGA and two HDMI inputs. A standard multitouch IR touchscreen is available with no development or tooling charge.

High-resolution LED modules with integrated image processing power are on show at the eyevis stand. The LED modules offer high-resolution (2mm pixel pitch and less), professional image processing and robust housing.

For the first time, eyevis is demonstrating the new displays with integrated image processing power. eyeCON Meta Wall enables an uncomplicated network architecture for signal distribution and content control.

Mitsubishi Electric is demonstrating its latest LED backlit LCD panel pitched at

The weatherproof Christie FHD551-W features integrated waterproof speakers

control room applications for the first time in Europe. Configured into two 5 x 2 vertical ‘towers’, the new 55in super narrow bezel L55P1 offers Full HD performance, LED backlighting and advanced features such as an Intel OPS slot and compatibility with AMX Device Discovery and Crestron RoomView systems.

Another European first is the new LED DLP replacement engine, which allows customers to upgrade legacy lamp-based Mitsubishi Display Wall systems to the latest high-brightness LED technology without replacing screens or cabinets. The RPE74U allows existing customers to extend the working life of their current display wall and to reduce its environmental impact and running costs.

In a departure from the business with which it is most closely associated – designing and manufacturing digital signage support structures for the DOOH industry – Mode-AL is showcasing its own customdesigned LED panels. This fusion enables the company to provide system integrators with a onestop shop for the purchase of digital signage systems.

Mode-AL is also introducing what it claims is the world’s first 3mm pitch LED panel with front access. It enables service of any size LED wall from the front, removing the requirement for large service ways or complex mechanisms to allow access to the rear of the tiles.

Three new digital signage products are forming part of a massive presentation from MMD,

the brand licence partner for Philips Signage Solutions, including Philips QLine displays, daisy-chained 55in videowalls and an Ultra HD prototype.

Equipped with SmartControl software, the new Q-Line models offer an HTML5 browser that has been adapted to digital signage use. Content from all Digital Living Network Alliance-compliant devices can easily be displayed on the large screens. An internal media player is capable of handling a range of video and audio codecs from USB sources.

Said to feature improved usability and embedded functionality, BIG PAD is the second generation of Sharp’s 70in and 60in LCD interactive displays.

Unveiled concurrently are two smaller interactive displays which expand Sharp’s line-up of commercial touch monitors.

BIG PAD provides recognition of up to 10 touch points at once and simultaneous writing by up to four people. It is claimed to be ready to use just five seconds after it is switched on, and includes a whiteboard feature, presentation mode and movie player without the need to connect to an external PC. Vivitek is showing three new large-venue projectors: the XGAresolution DX6831, the WUXGA DU6871 and the WXGA DW6851.

They are designed for large spaces where a high-brightness projector is required, with 8000 ANSI lumens for the XGA and 7,300 and 7,000 ANSI lumens respectively for the WUXGA and WXGA models. All models have a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 for deep blacks and rich colours. Seven lens options are available. www.installation-international.com

in Installation

SHOW PREVIEW: ISE 2014

Connectivity and processing THE LATEST generation of TriCaster multi-camera production systems from NewTek is a highlight of 3D Storm’s stand at ISE 2014. 3D Storm is the NewTek distributor for EMEA, Turkey, Russia and Pakistan.

The range now includes three new models – TriCaster 860, TriCaster 460 and TriCaster 410 – as well as major enhancements to the company’s flagship system, TriCaster 8000. All systems now offer four or eight full mix/effects (M/E) channels, thereby expanding the system’s switching performance. Producers can use these M/Es to generate layered and composited real-time video, produce sub-mixes in the main video programme, and output content as a secondary programme – all with complete switcher behaviours, transitions, overlays, multi-source layering and virtual sets.

Adder is adding to its extender range, as well as bringing further capabilities to AdderLink Infinity.

The AdderLink DV100 HDMI extender includes Adder’s Proof of Display technology, which enables the remote monitoring of all screens within a signage network over an IP link. This allows network owners to bill advertisers with the assurance that their content has been displayed.

For command and control use, the AdderLink DV120 DVI extender brings simplified operations to the visualiser or videowall and allows the computer hardware to be stored out of the room.

Also on show is the AdderLink XD522 dual-head, point-to-point DisplayPort extender, which can support dual screens or dual link screens up to 100m away with an

S/FTP CatX cable.

Saphyr is a new mixer/ seamless switcher with native matrix mode from Analog Way. Based on the company’s Midra platform, it features 10 seamless inputs and 16 input plugs including DVI-D, HDMI and 3G-SDI, as well as two outputs and a video output with digital and analogue connectivity.

In addition, the switcher provides a mosaic preview with two modes. EDID management is now standard for all computer sources.

Saphyr can be used as a mixer or as a matrix, and allows display of up to three layers on a frame background plus two logos per output. The quick frame function places a foreground frame over all other layers when necessary.

A simple button push allows return to the previous display.

The recently announced UltraStudio 4K with Thunderbolt 2 is on show at the Blackmagic Design stand. The new UltraStudio 4K model is described as the world’s first video solution to include rapid Thunderbolt 2 technology.

It is a rack-mount capture and playback device featuring a machined aluminium front panel with an integrated colour LCD as well as video and audio input buttons.

The 20GB/s speed of Thunderbolt 2 allows UltraStudio 4K to deliver more bandwidth to work with higher quality video and frame rates. Customers can capture and playback Ultra HD 4K YUV video at 60fps and Ultra HD 4K RGB video at 30fps via the 6GSDI video connections.

New from CYP UK is a versatile HDMI HDBaseT Modular Matrix with PoE range, with the

Martin Professional’s M6 is a powerful new lighting console

company making two models available initially: the 16 HDMI input x 16 HDBaseT output PU16HBT and the 8 x 16 PU8H16HBT. The units are able to send HDBaseT signals over lengths of up to 100m via Cat5e/6/7 cable infrastructure, and both models support two-way infrared, RS232 and Power over Ethernet.

Pre-configured to work with the CYP PU-507RX or PU507WPRX HDBaseT receivers, which are powered using PoE from the matrix, both models come with dual removable internal power supplies, allowing for easy inspection and maintenance with zero downtime.

The AViary Video Tools product range by Green Hippo is making its debut at ISE 2014 and will be introduced over the coming year and beyond. This new range of video playback and control devices is aimed specifically at

the professional video and installation markets. It’s built around Green Hippo’s video processing engine and a new codec, FlexRes. FlexRes facilitates ultra-high resolution media in non-standard aspect ratios or ‘4K+’, as the London-based firm refers to it. It delivers flexible colour depth settings and configurable parameters aimed at the challenges of real-time manipulation. It helps to pitch AViary products at installations requiring output mapping and unusual screen configurations.

The flagship player, Par4Keet, is a rack-mountable 2U server featuring touchpanel control, jog shuttle, swappable hard disk drives, four high-resolution outputs and an intuitive user interface.

Security is being tightened for the ControlCenter-Digital Modular KVM matrix switch from

Four Sommer Cable DVM 194 control, mixing, amp and routing modules

18 February 2014

Guntermann & Drunck (G&D). The system provides a large range of features and functions for users to operate up to 287 computers over a number of simultaneous consoles.

To protect rights management and configuration data, the ControlCenter-Digital mirrors their content on two independent, internal SSD storage media, with redundancy provided by a RAID1 array system. If necessary, storage media can be effortlessly replaced by IT administrators. All rights information and configuration management are also encoded by unique cryptographic keys.

Described as a state-of-the-art lighting console that functions as a highly advanced visual control surface, Martin Professional’s new M6 is designed to control everything from conventional and moving lights to the most advanced media server.

With features like a LiveBlender T-Bar, FastDial rotary encoders, Paired Playback buttons and sunlight readable, multi-touch BriteTouch display, Martin says that the M6 is its most advanced console design ever. It offers a total of 44 playbacks, including dual Main Go sections, 10 motorised faders and 12 additional faders, as well as a total of 17 encoders for parameter access.

Other features include two external DisplayPort touchscreens with up to 1920 x 1080 resolution per output, two FastTouch 3.5in touchscreens, eight FastBlend buttons and 10 PlayPairs buttons with LCD displays.

The new Linx Prime Matrix Switchers, which now feature audio de-embedding, HDBaseT and PoH capabilities, are on show www.installation-international.com

SHOW PREVIEW: ISE 2014 at the RGB Spectrum stand.

The switchers are pitched at complex audiovisual installations.

Offering users a mix of dualchannel modular input and output cards, they support a range of signal types over a variety of transmission media.

Designed to accommodate any mix of copper, fibre or twisted pair connections, Linx switchers

HDBaseT and two High Density Universal DVI ports into a compact 1RU frame.

It can control full-scale 3 x 3 videowalls with any screen arrangement without requiring a rack’s worth of discrete video components. Also debuting at ISE 2014 is the CORIOgrapher software for controlling the CORIOmaster and CORIOmaster

mini videowall processors. It is claimed to “revolutionise the speed and ease with which custom videowalls can be set up and deployed”. It manages collections of displays of diverse sizes, resolutions and orientation, and “makes the process of creating videowalls a creative pursuit with nearly unlimited freedom and flexibility.”

The NewTek TriCaster 8000 benefits from major enhancements

The Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 4K pioneers the use of Thunderbolt 2 technology for speed

are configured to accept digital and/or analogue signals and distribute them for display within rooms and across facilities and campuses.

Samsung’s large-format display product (LFD) line is being boosted by the introduction of a HDBaseT plug-in module, powered by the Valens chipset.

Select models of the line will receive the enhancement, which the company says will mean that LFD installations become simpler and less costly.

The HDBaseT Receiver on Samsung’s new ME75C Full HD display is being showcased on the HDBaseT Alliance stand throughout ISE 2014.

A modular, networked media control system that includes amplifier, mixers and more is being introduced by Sommer Cable. All devices in the Cardinal DVM 194 series are fully networkable via IP with built-in two-port 100 Base-T switch, and are based on the same controller platform.

The range includes: the DVM194-CON Media Controller, with four RS-232 interfaces for bidirectional communication with connected devices, plus 12 momentary switch interfaces and 12 programmable LED outputs.

The compact DVM-194-AMP Mini High-Performance Amplifier delivers two 100W channels into 4 ohms (50W @ 8 ohms) and produces almost no waste heat.

The DVM-194-AMIX Automatic Mix Machine offers “an unprecedented degree of automation”, with gain and level adjustable on all channels. The DVM-194-HDS Picture Source Selector can route up to four HDMI picture sources to two HDMI outputs and allows for total automation via the media controller.

The new CORIOmaster mini allin-one videowall processor from TV One is claimed to be the industry’s first videowall processor to fit up to 12 High Density Universal DVI or 10 www.installation-international.com

February 2014 19

in Installation

SHOW PREVIEW: ISE 2014

Unified communications ARTHUR HOLM has developed a new DynamicVision system that provides a motorised mechanism with a customisable protective screen, which can be used to hide and/or retract videoconferencing

cameras when they are not in use.

DynamicVision is compatible with all existing conferencing cameras on the market, being operated by open protocols such as AH-Net or RS-422. Both camera and DynamicVision can be controlled by a Sound Control Technologies system; only two Cat5 cables are required to complete its installation.

Ashton Bentley has added to its Connect range of integrated audiovisual room collaboration products with tablefor7 and tablefor9.

The tablefor7 is on show for the first time at ISE 2014 and comfortably seats up to seven people at a table designed to place occupants in the perfect position for videoconferencing and collaborative meeting applications.

It uses the same tool-less construction principles as the rest of the Ashton Bentley range so that it can be shipped anywhere and Arthur Holm’s DynamicVision opens to reveal the videoconference camera assembled in minutes.

Christie is highlighting its Brio presentation system. Christie Brio nodes can be connected via locally managed IP networks to form a multi-site meeting where all participants see the same content.

In addition to video and audio, all participants can use the interactive whiteboard to share and draw in real time, regardless of geographic location. The Brio displays uncompressed 1080p video sources within a meeting room or streams video between sites at up to 30fps.

The third generation of Televic Conference’s Confidea Wireless Conference solution is launching at ISE 2014. Confidea Wireless G3 has the latest wireless technology on-board, offering even more frequency bands in various countries. It comes in different models for various applications.

The basic discussion units have a simplified user interface and the more advanced models include voting functionality. The latter have an integrated RFID card

reader for identification and authentication.

Confidea G3 is also compatible with the new generation of Televic microphones, known from the uniCOS Multimedia Conference System. The Wireless Conference Access Point has an upgraded on-board webserver, which means a basic set-up does not require additional software to control the system.

Part of the Vaddio range, GroupSTATION is a meeting room solution that enables meeting room participants to use their personal applications on their own devices: tablets, laptops and network computers.

Employees can share PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, engage in highdefinition videoconferencing using Skype, Microsoft Lync,

WebEx or any other UC application. GroupSTATION is said to allow any application to be shared or collaborated in the meeting room. The standalone SIP-based speakerphone can also be used for audio conferencing calls.

GroupSTATION includes the necessary peripherals to create a multi-use room and group collaboration experience: an HD PTZ camera, loudspeakers, microphones and a control dock.

Users simply connect personal devices to the GroupSTATION via a USB, VGA or HDMI connection and begin using their favourite collaboration tools.

Televic’s Confidea G3 starts shipping in March

SHOW PREVIEW: ISE 2014

Residential solutions RTI’s new T3x and KX3 controllers and XP-4 processor

ARTSOUND WILL be showing a new series of water-resistant inwall loudspeakers. Based on the Finnish word for open/oxygen/ outdoors, the Happi range is based on the Xtended family.

Happi includes a filter to ensure adequate suppression of vibrations – making it ideally suited, says the company, for use in kitchens. With a frameless design and availability in four models – two circular, one square and one rectangular – it can be installed in bathrooms and on external walls.

The company is also showcasing a range of installation units made from high-density MDF which, it says, addresses the problem that can be encountered in a false ceiling, whereby the empty space behind the panelling

might be too big – with consequent adverse effect on the sound quality. These kits can accommodate both the basic inwall speakers as well as the more expensive Gold Series.

Control4 is demonstrating the Wireless Music Bridge – which can instantly and wirelessly send music stored on smartphones, tablets or computers to a Control4 system. Combining Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity technologies, and providing full support for streaming AirPlay, Bluetooth and DLNA, the Wireless Music Bridge, says the company, can allow everyone in the house to enjoy their personal music collection through the home’s audio system, in any audio zone.

After more than two years in

development, Earthquake Sound has unveiled the Titan Theia Centre Channel Speaker. It has a curved cabinet using an Acoustic Array System Design and includes four 4in Kevlar cones and two 1in silk dome tweeters positioned front and centre to produce maximum dispersion, advanced image stability and clear detailed audio. The unit has a frequency response of 20Hz35kHz, 300W power, nominal impedance of 8 ohms, sensitivity of 89dB ±3dB, and weighs 10kg.

The Cinema One system is designed to make Kaleidescape’s home cinema capabilities available at a more accessible price point and allow custom installers to reach a much broader set of buyers.

As well as being able to download movies from the Kaleidescape Store, Cinema One stores up to 600 DVD or 100 Bluray quality movies and, according to the company, goes from zero to the start of a feature film faster than any Blu-ray player in the world. Kaleidescape says that it is the only movie system to support Blu-ray quality movie downloads.

Primare is showing its NP30 integration into any installation, Network Player, which is said to while its dual RF platform be able to adapt any high-quality provides one-way control via music system for audiophile 433MHz RF or bidirectional streaming, internet radio and communication with RTI processors using 2.4-GHz ZigBee, gapless audio playback through the mesh networking standard. integration with UPnP devices The new KX3 in-wall controller such as PC/Mac/NAS, iPod, iPad, has a 3.5in LCD and five iPhone or USB thumb drive. customisable hard buttons, and According to Primare, it is a genuine 24/192 DAC including 3x combines the capabilities of a optical, 1x SP/DIF, USB-A, USB-B, touchscreen controller with an WLAN and LAN inputs advanced control processor in one cost-effective unit. (incorporating an asynchronous The latest XP processor is the master clock for low jitter), and XP-4, with HDMI video output and XLR, RCA, digital (192 kHz), IRout two inputs for an on-screen and TRIGout outputs.

RTI is launching a sleek new display control interface and wireless remote control and an switching. It allows the TV to advanced in-wall controller to become an integral part of the give users simpler, more elegant control system and provides control options. It has also added bidirectional communication with supported third-party electronics to its line of powerful XP control via ZigBee and two bidirectional processors.

RS-232 ports.

The T3x wireless remote combines a flushmount 3.5in LCD touchscreen and programmable hard buttons with improved functionality. It is designed for simple The Control4 Wireless Music Bridge

in Installation

SHOW PREVIEW: ISE 2014

Audio equipment The fully networked Xavtel Senator DSP System for conferencing, voting and simultaneous translation

TouchMix makes European debut

ALCONS AUDIO is showing its CRS8 surround high-fidelity full range of loudspeakers. Designed for the digital cinema market, the CRS8 is a two-way passivefiltered loudspeaker and features one proprietary-designed and multiple-patented RBN401 pro-ribbon driver for MHF and a vented reference-quality 8in mid-bass for LF reproduction.

A new range of power amplifiers has been introduced by Apart Audio. The REVAMP series comprises five products including the REVAMP2250 – a two-channel digital power amplifier (Hypexpowered) with 2 x 250W output @ 4 ohms, that is also bridgeable to 1 x 500W @ 8 ohms – and the REVAMP2600, which is also a twochannel amplifier and features 2 x 600W output @ 4 ohms.

ISE 2014 is hosting the European launch event for eight new models in the R-Series loudspeaker line from Community Professional. The company says that three new compact models, the R.15COAX, R.35COAX and

R.35-3896, offer improved music playback, additional coverage patterns and higher output. Five new R-MAX products (the R.566MAX, R.5-96MAX, R2-64MAX, R2-66MAX and R2-94MAX) provide the flattest musical response of premium loudspeakers offered in the RSeries, according to the company.

The DriveRack PA2 Loudspeaker Management System, which is said to enable a loudspeaker system to be quickly and accurately optimised for the best possible sound quality, is new from Harman’s dbx. The DriveRack PA2 can be set up and operated from a compatible tablet or smartphone. A new wizard utility makes set-up easier and faster, and users have access to a host of configuration menus on their mobile device. The DriveRack PA2 can also be operated via its front panel controls and display.

The StingRay 6 Hermetically Sealed Speaker is the latest and smallest addition to Stealth Acoustics’ StingRay outdoor

LYON roars ISE 2014 sees the trade show premiere of the self-powered LYON linear sound reinforcement system, the newest addition to the LEO family of linear loudspeaker products from Meyer Sound.

By incorporating the technology of the LEO Family in a lighter and more compact package, Meyer Sound believes that the LYON line array system extends the advantages of highly linear self-powered systems to a broader range of venues and applications.

LYON is available in two versions: the LYON-M main loudspeaker and the LYON-W wide-coverage loudspeaker.

Complemented by the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element and the Galileo Callisto www.installation-international.com

loudspeaker management system, the LYON-M main loudspeaker is designed to anchor a powerful system for installations in arenas and large auditoriums, as well as tours and festivals. The LYON-W can serve as downfills to augment a LYONbased system. Both versions can be used to provide supplemental coverage in a LEO system.

speakers. It has a 6in cone woofer coupled with a neodymium, highpower tweeter to create a two-way speaker that is claimed to evenly radiate hemi-spherically at all frequencies from 50Hz to 18kHz. A range of new digital audio and security products from TOA is being demonstrated throughout ISE 2014. Among other items, visitors can see the SR-D8 active line array speaker in action with embedded GUI-operated software working alongside it.

Other products on show with a digital spine include the M-864D and M-633D digital stereo mixers, which are being shown integrated into live systems.

A multichannel audio streaming solution that engages consumers on mobile devices in retail environments is showing on the Barix stand.

A free smartphone app called Barix Audio Point, which will be available in traditional app stores, prompts consumers to scan a QR Code for stream access, which provides relevant audio content in synchronisation with on-screen video.

Barix is also demonstrating a complete audio signage solution with screenFOOD, a dynamic instore merchandising company whose content management system automates audio and video delivery.

The latest version of Biamp Systems’ family of digital signal processor (DSP)-based media offerings is being launched. At the heart of Tesira 2.0 is TesiraFORTÉ, a new series of audio processors that extends Audio-Video Bridging to application-specific settings.

TesiraFORTÉ consists of eight preconfigured models (four AVB models and four non-AVB models) designed to bring greater simplicity and more options to conferencing, telephony and VoIP environments.

Soundweb London‘s BLU-806 and BLU-326 processors with

QSC is launching its digital mixer line in Europe at ISE 2014. The TouchMix Series offers live performance venues, musicians and production professionals the power and capability of a large-format console in a portable, fully integrated and easy-to-use product.

TouchMix Series specifications include four-band, fully parametric EQ with both variable hi- and lo-pass filters, as well as comprehensive dynamics processing on each input channel. Four mix busses feed four internal, professional, digital effects processors. Comprehensive dynamics, graphic EQ, hi-pass, lo-pass and notch filters and delay are available on both the main and aux outputs and there are eight DCA groups with mutes as well as eight mute groups. With four (TouchMix-8) or 10 (TouchMix-16) auxiliary output channels, TouchMix also has ample stage monitor mixing capability. Both models have the ability to drive multiple, wired stereo in-ear monitors directly.

support for Audinate’s Dante technology (now shipping) are on show. Both devices allow 64 incoming and 64 outgoing Dante channels. They offer configurable inputs and outputs, compatibility with all Soundweb London input and output card options, logic processing capability, the 256channel Soundweb London digital audio bus and GPIO. Incorporating an all-new design that is said to deliver extremely wide-angle coverage, the CWT128 loudspeaker from Harman’s JBL Professional features JBL’s CWT Crossfired Waveguide Technology, designed to provide seamless horizontal coverage across a full 160°.

The CWT128’s relatively compact size and small footprint (31.94in H x 10.22in W x 11.84in D) take up about a third of the footprint of two speakers arranged side by side.

Digital Feedback Reduction (DFR) is now available as part of a free firmware update to Shure’s SCM820 Digital IntelliMix Automatic Mixer. Features in the latest firmware update, which is supported by version 1.1.X or higher, include two channels of patented DFR that can be assigned to input channels and mix outputs, automatic feedback detection and filter deployment, and up to 18dB gain reduction per filter.

Solid State Logic’s SSL Live console is being showcased at ISE 2014 as the company makes its first appearance at the show.

Live is a flexible digital audio console designed to meet the demands of all aspects of live sound production. Based on SSL’s new Tempest processing platform, it has 976 inputs and

outputs and 192 full processing audio paths at 96kHz. A range of advanced digital audio conferencing and DSP processors is being introduced

by Xavtel. Part of the PAX ProAV Group and exhibiting with Ateïs in Hall 7, Xavtel is targeting the high-end professional AV and conference sectors.

The Senator system is a fully digital and networked DSP solution for conferencing, voting and simultaneous translation, based on Xavtel’s high-speed redundant network technology.

Up to 504 delegate units can be individually processed using one DSP processor, while still providing individual processing for each microphone.

Yamaha Commercial Audio’s MG series of compact mixing consoles is making its European debut. The 10-strong line-up features models with six, 10, 12, 16 or 20 inputs, all with Yamaha's discrete Class A D-PRE microphone preamps. As well as the standard versions, the MG10, MG12, MG16 and MG20 all have a counterpart XU model. These feature an upgraded version of Yamaha’s SPX effects processor, with a suite of 24 different effects (upgraded from 16 in the previous MG series), as well as a USB 2.0 audio interface capable of 24-bit/192kHz sound quality. www.iseurope.org Produced by Installation, thedaily is the official newspaper of Integrated Systems Europe. It is put together from an office just off the showfloor and distributed to attendees at hotels, on shuttle buses and on arrival at the event.

February 2014 23

INTERVIEW: ENNIO PRASE, PRASE ENGINEERING

On a mission for a market The Italian audio distributor celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Paddy Baker spoke to the company’s co-founder to discuss recent developments in the Italian installation market, and ways in which the industry is likely to develop in future

Ennio Prase – a brief biography Ennio Prase founded Prase Engineering in 1993 – along with his elder brother Alberto, who had a background in hi-fi manufacturing and contracting The company’s business was originally in reselling and integration, but it moved to distribution in 1997. Its first distributed brand was Community Professional, which it still handles today. The current distribution portfolio covers about 25 brands The company also manufactures niche audio solutions under the InOut brand

How has the market changed in Italy since the financial crisis?

I see some similarities with other countries in the Mediterranean region – notably Spain. The government market is getting more difficult every day because our public administration does not pay its suppliers reliably. Most of the institutional market has gone or is temporarily frozen, and most of our contractors are quite sceptical of supplying it because they know that there will be issues over payment.

There are some projects that contractors do buy into when the conditions are sufficiently convincing – mainly in schools and institutions related to government ministries. One area that is definitely progressing a little bit better,

although not as much as before the crash, is the transport market. It is reasonably active, mainly due to Italy’s expanding high-speed train infrastructure. We believe that this will continue to generate business for the next few years.

Last year Prase Engineering celebrated its 20th anniversary. What has changed for the company in recent years?

A couple of things have been really crucial. Key customers now are IT integrators – a new kind of people for us. The procedures and the rules that they have implemented over many years were quite new to us, but they were the procedures that we’d always dreamed about. One example

is giving more value to their own professionalism. We always told conventional AV dealers, ‘Make sure you sell yourself better and qualify yourself because margins on product will shrink; the huge amount of information available will make it way more difficult to make money only from product. You need to differentiate yourself from that with quality service, by providing your customers with a proper maintenance contract and by selling yourself at a proper value.’ The IT operators’ hourly labour cost is at least double what our industry has typically charged.

Some contractors did reinvent themselves, but we gained a lot more new customers coming from the IT industry with a different

approach. If you want them to come onsite they start from €80, not €45. They talk about a proper maintenance contract because it’s a live system that requires inspection and maintenance. These are the customers that we support the most, not because we discriminate but because they stay alive.

Another thing that came along was the internet revolution. It’s building completely different, more structured techniques. It’s a different approach that tells people ‘let’s grow together’.

This is encouraging because we see new trends and possibilities. As a product distributor you might say where’s the deal, then, if margins on products will shrink? Even if we do sell those services they are a major differentiation in front of the contractors.

This is why Prase is still investing in additional services, and still growing in terms of specialists. Out of a team of 30 people, we have 11 masterclass specialists – technical staff. We are an expensive operation to run but it pays back because we add

lots of value to the product.

What is the added value?

It’s training alongside support.

For example, always getting an answer on our hotline. We do have a system that means within proper limits we will try to support and satisfy them.

The hardware piece is only one part of the whole picture.

At the end of the day we are on a mission for a system integration market. On projects there are many unknowns and there must be someone providing the answers. I’m not saying that we are replacing the consultants – although Italy is still way behind the UK and Germany. The audio-videocontrol consultant is not even contemplated yet. There is no more than a handful of fully qualified people.

So do most consultants not cover the whole of the AV spectrum?

Correct. The whole demand has got way wider than before.

For a project like a theatre or a multipurpose venue, it’s quite difficult to find a fully qualified person who can handle the full package. We would like to handle it even more granularly.

12th June 2014 • Hilton London Wembley

Entry now open Download the entry form and find out more at www.installawards.com For sponsorship opportunities contact Ian Graham: Ian.graham@intentmedia.co.uk +44 (0)20 7354 6000 24 February 2014

www.installation-international.com

INTERVIEW: ENNIO PRASE, PRASE ENGINEERING There might be a specialist for each single market segment but I believe the best option is to have someone at the top of the pyramid being sufficiently competent across all three verticals.

The sadness is that we don’t even have enough consultants for video only or audio only. It’s a cultural thing. We do it wrong from the very beginning. I’ve seen tenders for public projects written by architects that don’t make any sense. It’s supposed to be written by a specialist, but when you tell them they look at you in a very strange way and say ‘What the hell is he saying?’

ISE is coming up – what is your approach to the show?

It’s a great networking opportunity. The way we operate at the show is simple but efficient. All of our partners and product manufacturers are there with their latest models, and Prase has a booth, which is a convergence point. We host most of the Italian visitors, a good number of whom are our customers. We have scrolling displays giving people the bullet points about what’s new at the show and what they

26 February 2014

should be following. Then we take them to see their specific interest – technologies, brands and so on.

For a European distributor ISE is even more important than InfoComm, because it incorporates CEDIA as well under the same roof.

How will Prase Engineering be different in the next five to ten years?

I believe our strategy will change a lot. A new Prase will become, in addition a distributor of products, a service company. Technology is getting more sophisticated every day and the mistake that most of our customers have been making is not coping with the level of knowledge that this evolution requires. We will definitely invest more in training and whatever is necessary for the products or the technology.

We hope that the consultants will grow in number. In order for them to be efficient in the market they’ve got to know what certain technologies can do.

But they also need to play around with products and get confident with them so that

there will be an even higher demand for what we call added value.

And as everything is converging so much, Prase will not stop at the audio vertical.

Our plan is to go into video and control as well. If we sell to the same customer it’s only a lost business opportunity at the moment.

Are the boundaries between the different disciplines there anymore?

They are not. You move black boxes that could be anything.

We’ve got to approach it the other way around, we have to be mentally wired to see it as a package service according to what the market demands.

When you approach a project you shouldn’t limit yourself to a specific offering of products, brands or model numbers. You should do the best job you can to meet the demand exactly.

On the other hand we said many times to our customers in the past 20 years, ‘Sorry, we don’t have it. We have something similar, but you’d better buy something else.’ A professional should be in a position to say ‘no’.

What we’ve been doing over

Prase Engineering marked its 20th anniversary last year with a lavish party for customers and friends at a castle in the Prosecco hills

the past 20 years is to build a proper audio portfolio so our customers don’t often have to look around somewhere else, and that’s what we would like to do in the future for all of the market segments.

But you want to be in a position where you don’t say ‘we can’t do it’ very often.

That’s the goal – but if you want to be 300% certain that you have an answer for every single question, you’d better give up at the start because you won’t be able to achieve it.

Our philosophy has been whenever you’re not sure you can succeed, you’d better say

no in advance. It’s better than making an easy sale today and then disappointing the customer forever.

Do you have any closing thoughts?

The past 20 years have gone by in a flash. Although we also have made lots of sacrifices – long days, crazy hours – my brother and I have a comfortable feeling about the business. It’s so nice to be able to say that we have a proper set-up and many people trusting us, just because of that very famous ‘no’! www.prase.it

www.installation-international.com

INSTALLAWARDS

12th June 2014 • Hilton London Wembley

Entry now open This June sees the first InstallAwards – a major event in the industry calendar, and a chance to come together and celebrate excellence across a broad range of installation projects ENTRIES for the InstallAwards are now open. We’re looking to recognise the best AV integration projects in the following categories: Public display/retail Education Sports and performing arts Corporate and industrial Residential To reflect the multifaceted nature of installation projects, we will be making three awards in each of these categories.

BEST PROJECT AWARD We'll be looking for evidence of as many of the following as possible: Technical innovation Elegant design – technical or aesthetic Meeting or exceeding the client brief Expansion capability/ futureproofing TEAMWORK AWARD This award is designed to acknowledge the importance of collaboration and teamwork in the delivery of successful installation projects. Any size of team, from two people upwards, may be nominated, and we will be looking for: How team inputs shaped one or more aspects of the project How one or more team members went beyond the call of duty to deliver an element of the project How the individual skills and specialities of the team members combined to give an exceptional outcome STAR PRODUCT AWARD This award focuses in on a single part of an installation – a product that performs a key role in the overall system design. We’re especially interested in products that provide a new solution for an existing issue.

We’ll want to know: Why this particular product was chosen, rather than a competitive product How the system design, and/or the end-user experience, would have been different if an 28 February 2014

alternative product had been used instead.

Any permanent or semi-permanent installation may be entered for the InstallAwards, provided it was handed over to the client between 1 March 2013 and 28 February 2014.

There is no fee to enter, and any company or individual can submit up to three entries – either in the same category or across multiple categories.

To enter, go to www.installawards.com and download the entry form. To streamline the entry process, each project may be entered for Best Project, Teamwork and Star Product Awards (if desired), and you only need to complete a single form.

You only have a few weeks to get your entries in – the closing date is Friday 14 March.

The awards will be judged by a large panel of independent experts from across the industry, drawn from as wide a range of backgrounds as possible. If you would like to offer your services as a judge, please send an email to paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk.

FIFTEEN-YEAR AWARDS There will be two further awards, judged by the Installation team. To coincide with the brand’s 15th anniversary this year, we will present the 15 Years of Excellence Award.

This will be won by a company or organisation that has made a major contribution to the AV installation world – which could be through technology, industry education or leadership.

In addition, we will be awarding the 15 Years of Achievement Award.

This will be presented to an individual who, during the lifetime of Installation, has built up a major body of work that has left a lasting impression on the industry.

There is no formal nomination process for these two awards, but we welcome suggestions for deserving companies or individuals via email or social media.

THE EVENING The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Hilton London Wembley on the evening of 12 June 2014.

Tickets for the awards are now available, price £175 (or £1,495 for a table of 10). The ticket price includes: Pre-dinner drinks reception Entry to the awards Three-course meal Entry to after-party and much more besides.

“The InstallAwards are an exciting new event in the AV installation calendar,” said Installation editor Paddy Baker. “Our unique awards methodology provides a means to recognise the different elements that make projects successful: system design and integration expertise, teamwork, and of course the selection of the right product to fulfil important functions.

“It also enables smaller projects to

compete against larger ones in a meaningful way.

“It may seem like a long time until the middle of March, but don’t leave it to the last minute – start thinking about your entries now and get the best chance of having your work recognised in front of an audience of your peers.”

SPONSORSHIP A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, including sponsorship of award categories and various branding opportunities at the InstallAwards and in the run-up to the event.

For details, please contact Ian Graham – ian.graham@intentmedia.co.uk, +44 (0)20 7354 6000.

TICKETS Contact Sarah Harris – sarah.harris@intentmedia.co.uk for more details or visit www.installawards.com www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: NETWORKING Arup chose a Biamp Tesira networked audio system for its Chicago SoundLab

Media studies

[KEY POINTS] Audinate’s Dante media networking technology is among those to be marketed as more than audio-only

Advantages of media networking include the ability to implement a one-cable/fibre infrastructure, thereby reducing costs

With audio networking adoption still sporadic, media networking probably won’t be a default for at least three or four years

Are the days of the audio-only network numbered as more and more system developers cite the benefits of all-encompassing ‘media networks’?

As David Davies reports, the multifunction trend is undeniable – but it’s probably best not to hang out the flags and bunting just yet…

FROM THE proprietary principle of the 1990s to the migration towards universal standards during the 2000s, the spread of full-blown networking has defined a sizeable chunk of pro-audio debate over the past 20 years. But with the emergence of AVB (Audio/Video Bridging) and the related AVnu Alliance movement in 2009, discussion has shifted decisively in favour of the practicality of implementing so-called media networks that also include video, control, data and more.

The purpose of this feature is to ascertain how far down the road we are towards media networking as a daily default. As we shall see, opinions differ markedly as to how much meaningful progress has been made, although there is a general consensus that legacy technical issues and a shortfall in end-user knowledge mean we are looking at a reasonably 32 February 2014

extended timescale.

But first, an important disclaimer: throughout this article we are talking about real-time media networking – “not point-to-point copy-andrepeat systems that some label as networks”, as Aviom president and CEO Carl Bader puts it. With that in mind, defined below are six steps to be taken along the way to the next stage of the networking revolution.

1. CONVEYING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM ‘MEDIA NETWORKING’ IS PIVOTAL At this relatively early stage of proceedings, spreading awareness of the possibilities of media networking is in no small part a question of language and perception: in other words, finding the right language to explain the issue clearly and succinctly, and conveying the sense of a development that has the capacity to solve multiple problems simultaneously.

‘The benefit of convergence is a more flexible, lower-cost system to install and maintain’ Lee Ellison, Audinate Utilised correctly, then, media networking as a term “begins to create a larger vision of a solution to a general problem rather than a specific technological

element”, says Bosch Communications Systems platform strategist Ethan Wetzell. “I think the term is best used when it refers to all of the key elements that go into a true solution: the distribution of content is key, of course, but there are additional elements that need to be addressed, such as control, discovery and configuration.”

2. MEDIA NETWORKING – AS OPPOSED TO AUDIO-ONLY NETWORKING – COULD HERALD TREMENDOUS COST SAVINGS First and foremost, these include the ability to employ one infrastructure and one single cable-or-fibre backbone to convey multiple data types around a facility: audio, video, command and communications. All these data types would be “available on one backbone and a user can just pick off what is needed wherever it is needed throughout the network. […] If

you have access to the network, you have access to everything; everything is everywhere,” says Bader.

Drilling down into the more specific benefits, Biamp Systems AV product manager Justin O’Connor remarks: “Economy of scale and sharing of hardware and ancillary resources are some of the biggest advantages. If all of the structured networking cable and switches in facility are media-ready, deploying, expanding and repurposing systems becomes a simple and affordable exercise in endpoints. Another advantage is a single point of connection for accessing the system, centralising control of the system and remote management.”

Cost savings generated by using only one network also afford “the means for further redundancy in the network.

This makes the network more reliable,” says Richard Zwiebel, vice president systems strategy, QSC.

www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: NETWORKING 3. PROPERLY DEPLOYED, MEDIA NETWORKS CAN BE SCALABLE, FLEXIBLE AND HIGHLY INTEROPERABLE “Interoperability between video, signage, audio, lighting and other technologies is a huge advantage,” says Zwiebel. “For example, in [an installation at the Sports Authority Stadium in Denver, Colorado], when the TV channel in a private suite is switched, the audio follows it.

If there is an emergency announcement, the control signal will put the correct message on the screen, duck the audio system, and input the correct emergency announcement to the correct zones.”

This flexibility of purpose is mirrored by a versatility of design. “One of the largest advantages is the fact that a designer or user has extreme flexibility to centralise and integrate features, functions and infrastructure – if they so choose,” says Wetzell.

Lawo’s Wolfgang Huber, meanwhile, highlights a gain in scalability “which is inherent using IP infrastructure. With IP the cabling is not anymore a point-to-point on a physical

level; each device taking part of signal and media contribution and distribution simply needs to be connected to the ‘IP Cloud’. Once that is done, ‘virtual cabling’ with software-operated systems enables the same workflow known from traditional cabling but with the huge advantage of quick changes, reproduction via software and many more.”

“The benefit of convergence is a more flexible, lower-cost system to install and maintain,” sums up Lee Ellison, CEO of Dante digital media networking technology developer Audinate. “Ten years ago, there were questions about whether voice and data could be used on a common network, but today 100MB networks and Gigabit networks are the norm and this is no longer questioned.”

4. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG… Delivering all data forms on one backbone is all fine and dandy when every component is functioning effectively. But Bader isn’t alone in identifying the fact that more complex systems can equal more complex problem-solving.

“Troubleshooting a media system can be significantly more complex, and if you lose your network you lose everything,” he says. “The more you have on your network, the more complex the troubleshooting and the more debilitating an outage.”

Solving these problems may also require members of different building teams to

A master card brings Ravenna to Lawo’s mc² consoles and Nova73 HD routers

34 February 2014

CASE STUDY

OMNEO AT THE ‘FORE’-FRONT OF NETWORKING FOR BROADCAST An ambitious deployment at the Muirfield links in East Lothian for the British Open Championship yielded a powerful networking solution for the transmission of audio and data via a standard Ethernet connection based around Bosch’s OMNEO technology.

Coverage of the event was produced by ESPN, working in close conjunction with IMG and CTV Outside Broadcasts. For this year’s Open, CTV deployed around 10 OB vehicles and, for the first time, OMNEO networking technology.

“We were extremely impressed by the RTS + OMNEO combination,” says CTV director of engineering Hamish Greig. “It provides a

networking technology ideal for events like the Open Championship, offering as it does not only programme transport but also system control at the same time, and it gave us the further advantage of being able to operate the keypanels in a remote session.”

The nerve centre of the CTV outside broadcasts communications system at Muirfield was an ADAM fullsized modular matrix intercom in a 128 configuration.

Equipped with redundant power supplies and controllers, the integrated MCII-e controller allowed the simultaneous operation of up to 32 parallel AZEdit clients via Ethernet and/or RS-485. The keypanels

work together – not always as straightforward as it may seem. “In [facilities of this size], where full media networks will likely first gain traction – and to some extent even in smaller, more everyday kinds of installations you see all over the world – the audio expert is separate from the video expert, who is separate from the IT expert,” says Bader. “These different areas of expertise are naturally melded together in full media network management, and hence so is the natural workflow, maintenance and troubleshooting of the system.” This collaboration, cautions Bader, “may not be a natural or easy blending until we see the next generation of media network engineers”.

despite some reservations about the current momentum of the AVB project (see box item, page 35), its ‘video side’ is said to be progressing (AVnu Alliance president and chair Rick Kreifeldt recently said that the organisation expects certification for “likely pro video devices to open in the coming year”).

Simultaneously, individual audio manufacturers are gradually moving towards greater support of video across IP-based networks.

Lawo is among them. In addition to its support for the Ravenna audio-over-IP technology, Lawo is a (relative) newcomer to the video market with the V_link4 product for video contribution over IP, “which allows the transport of 3G/HD-SDI signals compressed or uncompressed over IP network technology. So IP-based infrastructure has become a production reality,” says Huber.

As for Dante, its formidable market position shows no

5. BIT BY BIT, THE ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR MEDIA NETWORKING ARE FALLING INTO PLACE Audinate’s Dante is marketed unequivocally as a media networking technology, while

from RTS were linked using OMNEO network technology.

Communication between the matrix and the keypanels was implemented using an RTS OMI card in the ADAM matrix as well as six RTS OKI cards in the keypanels.

The integration of an additional ADAM matrix via a TBX card allowed the creation of a unified but elaborate system with many and varied technical options. Two Cronus matrices onboard OB1 were also integrated into the ADAM network using an analogue connection.

“The added flexibility and configuration options that OMNEO contributed were of decisive importance during this event,” adds Greig.

‘Many of the standards and technologies that allow us to provide audio networking are ready for video – when video is ready for them’ Ethan Wetzell, Bosch www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: NETWORKING signs of dimming. In excess of 125 manufacturers had adopted Dante by the end of 2013, with EAW, Solid State Logic and several Harman brands among those recently launching Dante-supporting products. Ellison remarks: “Dante provides the most interoperable network signal distribution solution on the market today with the most products from the largest group of manufacturers.”

6. BUT… WE ARE STILL SOME YEARS AWAY FROM FULLMEDIA NETWORKING AS A COMMON CHOICE The ultimate inevitability of media networking isn’t really contested. But for now, this area of the market is fluid and uncertain – not least because different aspects of the technology will surely develop at contrasting speeds.

“It’s important to understand that different areas of the market do not always evolve in the same way,” confirms Wetzell. “The question of how video and audio are evolving is an interesting one because I think it highlights some technology, application and historical differences between the two worlds. For example, there are a lot of different flavours of audio and video. VoIP and broadcast-quality applications both have audio components, but the applications and technological demands are very different.”

But Wetzell is resolutely upbeat, observing: “Many of

The Center for the Arts at Cuyahoga Community College adopted Aviom's A-Net digital audio networking platform to help ease installation and setup while minimising cable runs

the standards and technologies that allow us to provide audio networking are ready for video – when video is ready for them.”

The sense that, in the grand scheme of things, we are still at a fairly early stage of the networking revolution can be difficult to dispel.

Consecutive surveys by Installation sister title

NOT THERE YET – AND HOW WILL WE GET THERE? ONE CONSULTANT’S VIEWPOINT “In terms of media networking replacing audio-only networking, we are not there yet,” states Roland Hemming of RH Consulting.

“There is simply too much divergence [in the market] and we have yet to reach the stage where we can put video elegantly through an IT network at the ever-increasing quality people are demanding with a realistic delay… especially with conversation now turning towards [new Ultra-HD format] 4K. Making the shift in favour of 10Gb networks will be a great help, but that requires a huge change in infrastructure.”

More imminently, Hemming has very real concerns about the long-term viability of AVB, which is still regarded in some quarters as the networking panacea. “Where is the product?” he enquires, rhetorically. “As things stand, there are only 11 [AVBcompliant] switches available. Also, AVB is Layer 2 when people these days are generally expecting Layer 3 technology, such as Ravenna.”

Ravenna is embodied in the newly ratified AES 67, and it is this standard that Hemming expects to be the most powerful rallying cry for networking over the next few years. As for AVB, he remains “astonished that [companies who support it] have not engaged more fully with the market, especially when you consider how many of them are experts at marketing! But everything about the process seems to be taking an age, and the reality is that the numbers just don’t stack up.” www.installation-international.com

PSNEurope’s annual live industry supplement PSNLive have highlighted a surprising reluctance towards audio networking in some quarters.

So to add video and other elements to the mix at this stage, well…

“I don’t think real-time full media networking will be a daily default in three years,” says Bader. “I think audio networking with true interoperability between a critical-mass number of manufacturers could be the daily default in three years.

There are audio networking solutions available today, but networking is still not the default and the options available have some practical limitations. We’re getting there on the audio side, but we’re not there yet.”

The smart money, then, suggests that while this is undoubtedly a trend to keep an eye on, the change of mindset involved is so profound that transferring to full media networking will be the work not of months, but of several years. www.audinate.com www.aviom.com www.biamp.com www.boschcommunications.com www.lawo.de www.qscaudio.com www.rhconsulting.eu

February 2014 35

FEATURE: RETAIL [KEY POINTS] Brands and retailers are no longer content to talk at consumers – they want to engage with them

Key technologies used in engaging consumers include QR codes, NFC, RFID, Bluetooth, motion sensors, facial recognition, touch and gesture, contact closure

Smart brands and retailers see their high street presence as an extension and reinforcement of their digital presence – and vice versa

The quest to deliver highly targeted messaging is raising (as of today, largely unfounded) concerns about potential invasion of privacy

Holovis designed a videowall with a bespoke control system for Coca-Cola’s installation at Madison Square Garden in New York, combining live sports action with brand engagement

It’s getting personal It’s estimated that, in the UK alone, online Christmas shopping last year totalled some €13 billion – up 15% from 2012. But despite the burgeoning significance of web-based retailing, major stores and brands continue to invest heavily in the ‘real world’. Ian McMurray uncovers the increasingly inventive ways in which they’re trying to persuade us to buy more THE HISTORY of inducing consumers to buy a product can be summarised as a progression from broadcasting to narrowcasting – and, increasingly, towards unicasting. Companies once had little alternative but to target the masses.

Progressively, they moved towards targeting specific demographics, based on the growing availability of personal data. Now, they’re able to target the individual. Loyalty cards, for example, mean that your supermarket knows exactly what you buy – enabling it to make a highly informed guess about what you are likely to buy, given the right offer. Ask any direct marketing expert, and he or she will almost certainly tell 36 February 2014

you that the secret to success is “the offer”. Make the right offer to the right person at the right time, and the chances of success are significantly higher.

And when could be a better time to make an offer than when that consumer is actually in-store, almost certainly in a purchasing frame of mind? The challenge is to try to deliver a unique, personal experience that engages the consumer and that enhances brand perception, becoming the basis of a relationship – and AV technology has a role to play in facilitating that.

IT STARTS WITH A SCREEN At the heart of that engagement is, inevitably, a

screen – or screens. “To help combat the rise of online shopping, retailers have had to up their game,” says Joe Graziano, market development manager, MicroTiles, EMEA at Christie. “They have started to deploy engaging visual

technology, fit for purpose in its longevity and reliability, that offers the all-important wow factor such as vibrant and creative displays that engage and speak directly to the audience that they are marketing to.”

INTERACTION IN ACTION

‘To help combat the rise of online shopping, retailers have had to up their game’ Joe Graziano, Christie

RFID at Burberry’s London store enables a selected garment to initiate a video giving more information about it (‘showrooming’) At the American Eagle store in New York, shoppers are encouraged to have their picture taken. This then appears on a massive billboard in Times Square for ‘five minutes of fame’ Tesco has rolled out eye-scanning technology at its 450 UK petrol stations to deliver gender-based advertising At Santa’s Grotto in London’s Westfield shopping centre, pictures of visitors taken on the way in are integrated into a 3D video that is shown once they are inside

www.installation-international.com

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FEATURE: RETAIL But, increasingly, screens themselves are no longer enough. The challenge lies in creating a personal, engaging, interactive experience. There are numerous technologies out there to allow this: QR codes, NFC, RFID, Bluetooth, motion sensors, facial recognition, touch and gesture, contact closure – in which picking up an item causes information about it to be displayed – are just some of them.

“These technologies are not yet widely implemented, but the most modern and eyecatching installs certainly make use of them,” notes Bas van Heek, product manager at Barco LiveDots. “The power of this technology is enormous.

For advertisers, they are a fantastic way to get better return on investment – and for the audience, it is a great advantage to get relevant information at the right time and place and in the right format. The shopper doesn’t see the advertisement as a threat, but as a benefit that helps them to make their choices easier, without them being annoyed by irrelevant ‘spam-like’ advertising.”

NFC is regularly mentioned as a technology with a bright future, with important advantages over Bluetooth: it does not, for example, require the user to identify himself/ herself, something which makes potential users reticent. Making users comfortable with interaction is key to success.

“CBS, which launched the NFC pods at the Westfield shopping Centre in London, is doing a great job of this,” believes Nick Dew, managing director of production agency Really Creative Media, “with signage on each station telling people how to activate. Once they have accessed the system, the ‘Tap To Play’, ‘Tap To Win’ and ‘Tap to Cook’ campaigns easily show brands how they can get involved and share content that people want to see.”

However, as long as Apple refuses to acknowledge its existence, the ability of NFC to become the dominant interactive technology in retail will remain limited.

CASE STUDY

RETAIL COMPLEX IS A DIGITAL DESTINATION Trinity Leeds is a 120-outlet retail centre said to be the largest project of its type in Europe. Brands and retailers in the mall include Apple, Hollister, Mango, Superdry, Marks & Spencer, Next, River Island and Topshop.

In order to lure customers from their homes, it was created as a digital destination that would offer ‘special moments’ and a ‘fun factor’.

Seven NEC videowalls, located in key areas across the mall, display information about events, live travel updates, centrebranded messages, movie trailers, special offers, news and city guides. Crucially for the retailers, a percentage of the air time is dedicated to advertising and promotions specific to the neighbouring store owner. With cameras located above a number of the videowalls collecting spatial information about its environment, passers-by can interact with the screen without having to touch it. Through an interactive application, visitors are engaging with the content to enjoy a personalised experience.

At Trinity Leeds, the digital dimension enhances the customer experience and provides retailers with the tools to reach their audience with the right message at the right time – drawing consumers back again and again.

40 February 2014

PARIS MALL REINVENTS CONSUMER EXPERIENCE

CASE STUDY

How can shopping malls compete with the growing presence of online shopping? Unibail-Rodamco, a leading European commercial property group, wanted to reinvent the customer experience and develop exceptional places where brands can connect with consumers.

Les Quatre Temps mall in Paris, which welcomes 46 million visitors each year, reflects this ambition with 1,527 Barco C7 LED tiles in a three-storey high, 250sqm curved videowall controlled

by Barco’s DX-700 image processor. The display is said to be the largest indoor high-resolution LED display in Europe to date. Unibail-Rodamco plans to implement a similar digital strategy in its other retail properties over time.

LINKING DIFFERENT WORLDS QR codes are, it seems, well understood by consumers. “At the moment, I think QR codes are the most widely implemented of all customer engagement technologies,” claims Laila Hede Jensen, director of sales for Europe, Russia and Africa at Prysm.

“They’re a way of furthering the shopping experience by combining the online space with the physical.”

Others, however, believe that their time may be almost past, claiming that they represent a temporary bridge between print and digital. The importance of linking the bricks-and-mortar space to the online space – not just to the corporate website, but also to social media – is, however, a recurring theme when it comes to looking at what brands and retailers are trying to achieve with AV technology.

Another recurring theme is retailers looking at what’s going on elsewhere. “The retail industry is learning lessons from the corporate environment and a new trend that we are seeing is the desire for displays that are collaborative,” continues Hede Jensen. “A screen must be able to be used for more than one purpose to maximise the investment. We are seeing a move from displays that are simply digital signage platforms to ones that can incorporate gesture and touch, visualisation and streaming live feeds.”

And then there’s the world of visitor centres and theme

parks. “RFID tracking technologies are a system that we have been exploring for our virtual CAVE and dome environments and one that we think could work effectively in retail,” says Stuart Hetherington, CEO of Holovis, “creating virtual scenarios for customers that are compelling, interactive and intuitive.”

“Natural human interface through gesture recognition and sensor systems are key applications that we work with through our immersive and interactive solutions,” he continues. “These have seen significant development in the last few years in terms of their accuracy and are becoming more accessible and affordable for delivering scalable impact. As a business we have already identified the need to bring together all the elements of pop-up, immersive, experiential solutions to enhance in-store media and connect data seamlessly online. The experience needs to be looked at as one process.”

STAYING LONGER, SPENDING MORE The importance of audio in creating an environment conducive to purchasing – the ultimate aim of any AV technology in retail – should not be underestimated, either, a point made by Bence Galambos, business development manager at Dension In-store Digital Systems. “In-store music is proven to be a means of customer engagement,” he

‘Integrators are the key to any successful project’ Craig McQueen, NEC Display Solutions

says. “Good music makes shoppers stay longer and spend more money.”

Dension also uses our inherent vanity with its Smart Mirror technology, which transforms a mirror into a digital signage screen. “We use different triggering methods such as closing elevator doors, pulling away curtains and so on,” he continues. “What’s common to all those methods is that they are all initiated by the target audience themselves.”

Galambos implicitly raises a key point: interaction is, with many technologies, actively initiated by the shopper. But what about when a personalised experience is delivered as a result of passive initiation? www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: RETAIL “NEC has recently released Field Analyst, an analytical software tool which determines the age, gender and dwell time of the consumer, and a middleware software tool, Leaf Engine, which takes that data and triggers appropriate content on the digital signage platform,” says Craig McQueen, corporate account manager at NEC Display Solutions. “These tools help to increase user engagement through personalisation, and to achieve audience measurement for auditable proof of the impact of a digital signage installation.”

That’s music to the ears of advertisers: in a relatively fledgling industry like digital signage, measuring effectiveness and ROI continues to be a focus of attention and a challenge. But

is it not also, potentially, an invasion of privacy – in effect, capturing consumer data without consent?

MAKING A DISTINCTION McQueen is well aware of the potential issue. “It’s important to make a clear distinction.

Our Field Analyst solution could be mistaken for facial recognition software that could be capable of identifying an individual – but, in fact, it is no more than a tool that identifies age, gender and dwell time – data which can be used to improve the consumer experience by tailoring advertising.”

Bas van Heek agrees.

“There is a big difference between identifying an anonymous individual, and identifying someone as an individual with a name and other personal information,”

New store openings, such as this one by David's Bridal at Westfield, provide opportunities for AV technology – here, provided by Really Creative Media

he says. “This is a step-bystep process – but it is definitely the future.”

And even where personal data is willingly shared, care needs to be taken. “When we have completed installations that use tablet technology, we implement a strict caching policy, making sure every 30 seconds that people are automatically logged off applications such as Facebook and that all surface data about them has been removed, to ensure an extra level of protection,” notes Dew. Unsurprisingly, given that engaging consumers sees the bringing together of multiple technologies, the role of the integrator is seen as vital.

“Integrators and solution providers can play an essential role in getting the right balance between technologies to help brands and retailers while also enhancing the shopper experience,” notes Hetherington. “They also have a responsibility to know what is coming around the corner with regard to user experience, influenced by consumer electronics, theme parks, films and technology innovations that will keep the stores up to date for future years.”

“Integrators are the key to any successful project,” echoes McQueen. “They can support the client in getting the best out of the solution.”

“Companies like Barco can provide a wide range of enabling technologies,” adds Bas van Heek. “But what’s required is to take those technologies and turn them into solutions. That’s where integrators come in – not just at the point of installation, but on a continuing basis.”

42 February 2014

TECHNOLOGY-SAVVY, TECHNOLOGY-WEARY Technology-savvy consumers are no longer impressed by the simple presence of large screens delivering eye candy.

At the same time, brands and retailers are looking to create closer relationships with those technology-weary consumers. Delivering engaging retail experiences that create not just brand awareness, but also brand preference – and, ultimately, purchasing decisions – is the way forward.

There is, inevitably, disquiet about how we, as consumers, are being targeted in increasingly specific, increasingly personal ways.

On the other hand, if that targeting delivers us only retail experiences and offers that are relevant and of interest – and, just as importantly, eliminates or minimises offers that aren’t (think junk mail) – and if it does not overstep the boundary between conscious engagement and unknowing intrusion, it can easily be seen as a positive development. Indeed, it is helping to reduce the information overload that Alvin Toffler saw as the root of many of society’s problems in Future Shock – back in 1970. From that point of view, the role AV technology is playing in the retail market is to be very much welcomed. www.barco.com www.christiedigital.com/emea www.dension.com www.holovis.com www.nec-display-solutions.com www.prysm.com www.reallycreativemedia.co.uk

www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: SMART BUILDING [KEY POINTS] Applied science, technology and innovation are about to have a profound effect on more people than ever before

Smart building management systems are evolving rapidly

AV system integrators with IP networking skills are in a strong position to seize opportunities and must become involved in building management technology

Building management employs a mixture of centralised and local controllers on a network

All intelligent devices will be connected to the internet and data will be shared widely

Cloud-based ‘Big Data analytics’ will generate significant energy efficiencies and cost savings in the future

Savant offers a suite of hardware and software solutions that address control, automation, telephony, digital display, lighting and more

Taking control As advancements in technology show no signs of slowing, AV integrators can use their knowledge of control systems to dig deeper into the world of building automation, writes Steve Montgomery WE HAVE seen the way that audiovisual technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years as discrete analogue content storage and playback devices have been replaced by their digital equivalents. These have, in turn, begun to be displaced by network-connected and remotely managed devices.

Along with each new technology has come enhanced usability, access to ever-expanding amounts of data, and features that were not realistically possible with previous systems.

The latest round of advances is no exception and is potentially the most profound metamorphosis we have ever encountered. “We are at a period of history when applied science, technology and innovation will have a profound effect on more of us on the planet than ever 44 February 2014

before,” points out James Manyika, director at global management consulting firm McKinsey Global Institute.

“Breakthrough technologies that will touch the largest number of people, companies and economies are those that show rapid advancement in cost and performance. Chief among these is IT and how we use it; which encompasses mobile internet, Cloud technology and the Internet of Things.”

These are precisely the elements that are affecting the way that building services are monitored, managed and controlled.

Systems are available that automatically handle all the environmental, lighting and internal services for a complete building and can be accessed remotely as part of a managed global estate.

These advances present

significant opportunity to the AV industry. For manufacturers there is the potential to develop control products that reach deeper into the building automation world. For integrators, who are already generally conversant with IP-enabled systems, new areas of application are opening up. It is critical that both parties embrace and master smart building automation technology and its application for fear of being ousted by eager competitors from other fields.

Bob Snyder, moderator of the Smart Building Conference, held in London in October and returning to ISE this month, warns: “A massive transformation is taking place in the smart building control industry which has risen from nothing to several billion dollars in value over a handful of years. In addition to the

traditional energy management and control manufacturers, such as Honeywell, Siemens, Johnson Controls and General Electric, the largest computing corporations in the world are becoming active: companies like IBM, Cisco and HP, which can add their own value through data management and analytics. As with any sea change, those who embrace it will flourish, others will perish.

Every pro-AV organisation should study the technology and put a plan in place to address it.”

SKILL SET The division between the activities of AV integrators and electrical trades is something that Guy Simmonds, sales director at Lutron, is also keenly aware of: “Lutron controllers are often installed by AV

integrators in the boardroom and conference rooms of a building and at the same time by general electrical contractors for the main lighting systems. It doesn’t need to be that way. There is ample opportunity for AV specialists to provide professional services for the whole building – system design, project management, programming, integration with BMS, HVAC and maintenance – if they take time to acquire the skills themselves.”

Many of the main AV system manufacturers are already extending the scope of AV control equipment to reach into these areas. “The building automation and controls system market is growing at a CAGR of 11.2% and is projected to reach $49.5 billion by 2018,” explains Phillip Pini of www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: SMART BUILDING Crestron. “Crestron provides both the technology and the know-how to help integrators capitalise on this huge opportunity. AV control technology is moving from individual meeting rooms towards total building integration and beyond, to manage several buildings within an enterprise.

“A complete Enterprise Building Management solution combines control of AV, room scheduling, BMS, voice and data, HVAC, security, lighting and energy management.

Crestron 3-Series networkgrade appliances integrate these technologies and systems on the same platform to work together as a single system. It is the only way to centrally control the enterprise and relies on complete visibility and collection of data. Crestron Fusion software adds intelligence and transforms the integrated building into a smart building. It provides a dashboard to monitor, manage and control technology in all rooms and in all buildings across a campus or global enterprise. Detailed usage data is collected and reported, enabling more

informed decision making about staffing, scheduling, purchasing and workspace design.”

Automated systems enable buildings to be managed according to predetermined rules that are followed during peak consumption to cut down energy usage by automatically adjusting heating and cooling set points, detecting and limiting the maximum brightness of lighting levels. Rooms can be readied for use just before meetings are scheduled to start. If a meeting is cancelled, its unoccupied state is detected and the room returned to the vacated state.

Other features ensure that climate control is maintained in real time and according to ambient and seasonal temperatures. As location history is established, the information can be used as a basis for environmental adjustments, enabling finetuning and greater efficiencies in energy management. These are features that are widely incorporated into the latest generations of AV controllers.

Kevin Morrison, managing director and vice president, AMX Europe, says: “While

www.installation-international.com

CASE STUDY

REPUBLIC BANK HARVESTS DAYLIGHT TO SAVE ENERGY Republic Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in the Eastern Caribbean, where energy costs can be up to four times higher than in the US. The organisation sought energy-saving solutions to drastically reduce operating costs and improve lighting levels to enhance comfort.

Custom AV Designs (CAVD) designed and implemented Lutron Quantum Total Light Management systems in 11 bank branches.

Placing a Quantum server in each branch office was cost prohibitive. Instead, CAVD designed a virtual local area network to run on the client’s existing multinational network, without compromising security or performance.

The whole network required just three

country-based Quantum servers. As each branch was commissioned it was connected to the appropriate Quantum server.

“Quantum offered scalability, the capacity to combine multiple lighting control strategies under a single protocol and the flexibility to meet budget constraints,” says Rudolph McClean, business security officer, Republic Bank, Barbados. “Taking advantage of natural daylight to reduce dependence on electric lighting and sensor-controlled switching of lights achieved savings of between 60% and 90%. Thanks to the installation of the Lutron Quantum systems we can see the lights come on when needed and go off when there is no movement in a room.”

February 2014 45

FEATURE: SMART BUILDING control technology may have originated from the desire to control audiovisual devices, the latest generation of systems controls much more, integrating widely with MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] systems and BMS systems to offer unprecedented levels of fullfacility management. Control can be achieved on a multitude of levels: by device, by room, by floor or by building, either by taking a direct approach, or by providing over-arching management through the integration of disparate systems and subsystems. A building with automation features may be deemed an ‘intelligent’ building but it is only when these standalone, disparate systems become fully integrated as a cohesive and unified whole that true building intelligence is realised; where intelligence, connectivity and automation converge.

“It used to be the case that each system would have its own proprietary reporting procedures. Nowadays, with unifying management systems such as Resource Management Suite (RMS),

46 February 2014

Control4 building automation solutions facilitate control of lighting, HVAC, security systems etc that are both centralised and distributed

reporting can be consolidated, greatly simplifying the process by which useful information and data from all subsets of a system can be extracted and analysed for a holistic overview. RMS’s detailed reporting capabilities facilitate web-based analysis of a wide range of data, including help requests and room, system and device usage. This affords an unrivalled understanding of

equipment, resource and energy usage, right down to device level. IT and AV managers can centralise the monitoring and management of AV devices and building systems across a building, a campus or global facilities.

RMS gives our integrators the ability to offer an outsourced, remote monitoring and maintenance service to their clients.”

COMPLEX STANDARDS One of the complexities inherent in integrating systems is the range of internal communication standards. “Many subsystems are now either IP based or at least have an option to be controlled via IP. The most common examples are probably lighting control and HVAC systems,” says David Webster, chief technology

officer, RGB Communications.

“However, not all manufacturers have realised the importance of external control but concentrate on the internal performance of their own products rather than support external communication protocols.

Consequently there are numerous third-party interface products appearing that talk natively to HVAC or BMS systems. From the controller point of view, it is unlikely that heating or lighting systems will have the necessary processing power or interfacing capability to talk to other subsystems, so it is either the AV system, or a central control system, that is better suited to global control.

As with all AV control systems the secret of success is to choose components that you know can be controlled.

Savant combines a powerful native, scalable IP control system and revolutionary Blueprint software platform.

This allows users to rapidly configure installations without low-level programming requirements, to address the control, automation, audio/ video, telephony, digital display, energy management

www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: SMART BUILDING

‘AV control technology is moving from individual meeting rooms towards total building integration and beyond, to manage several buildings within an enterprise’ Phillip Pini, Crestron and media integration needs of today’s complex environments.”

While totally centralised management is an attractive goal, it is not currently the preferred method of system implementation. There are so many technologies and operating platforms in the

48 February 2014

corporate space that truly centralised control can sometimes be difficult to achieve. Systems are often built around a central point of control but with distributed decision making. Control4 provides elements for both variants.

Paul Williams, VP of communications and security products at the company, says: “Our building automation solutions facilitate control of lighting, HVAC, audiovisual equipment, IP cameras and security systems that are both centralised and distributed.

Our primary controllers are typically centralised while secondary controllers are distributed around the locations close to the devices they are controlling.”

Interoperability between components and localised control are characteristic of the KNX standard. “KNX employs a decentralised approach, but allows devices that centralise certain building functions, for example user touchpanels and displays on a PC or smart device,” explains Joost Demarest, CTO of the KNX Association. “It allows integration of devices from different manufacturers in a system while enabling intercommunication and co-operation based on data flow. This will enhance and promote the increased use of wireless devices within control systems.”

The Cloud is already affecting smart building control systems; not just in

the sense of simply providing software as a service (SaaS), but more in the way that data can be shared and amalgamated for off-site processing. As the Internet of Things becomes more prevalent it will create solutions and opportunities that we are only just beginning to consider. The Internet of Things refers to the use of sensors, actuators and data communications technology built into physical objects, anything from roads and bridges to pacemakers and products undergoing manufacture, that enable those objects to be tracked, co-ordinated or controlled across a data network or the internet. Intel has released an intelligent gateway that will operate on new devices, as well as the countless legacy systems, to capture and share their data in the Cloud.

“Using this gateway, Daikin Applied has demonstrated how real-time data from smart equipment in commercial rooftop HVAC equipment can be captured. It is then transmitted directly to the Cloud using 3G networks back to base for ‘Big Data analytics’ that matches actual equipment operation to building owners’ operational criteria and interacts with the building to control the equipment accordingly,” explains Kevin Facinelli, Daikin Applied executive VP. “Daikin Applied can then focus on rapidly deploying differentiated value-added services such as real-time

The New York Times installed the Lutron Quantum Total Light Management system in its 52-storey headquarters

HVAC unit performance, remote diagnostics, monitoring and control, advanced energy management, and third-party content integration services to its customers.”

According to the research carried out by McKinsey Global Institute and featured in the report Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy: “More than nine billion devices around the world are currently connected to the internet, including computers and smartphones. That number is expected to increase dramatically within the next decade, with

estimates ranging from quintupling to 50 billion devices to reaching one trillion and with the potential to create economic impact of $2.7 trillion to $6.2 trillion annually by 2025. It will have a profound impact and economic consequences on business models that are yet to be invented.” www.amx.com www.control4.com www.crestron.com www.daikinapplied.com www.intel.com www.knx.org www.lutron.com www.mckinsey.com www.rgbcomms.co.uk www.savantsystems.com

www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: REGIONAL VOICES

France Our survey of the French installation world reveals a fragmented picture, with a few areas of activity enlivening a generally flat market

0.2% 4.1%

Annual GDP growth, Q3 2013 Source: tradingeconomics.com

STATE OF THE

Budget deficit, 2013 (as share of GDP)

MARKET

EXTERNAL FACTORS

Do you think general levels of confidence in the French installation sector are higher or lower than six months ago?

HOW INFLUENTIAL (EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY) ARE THE FOLLOWING FACTORS ON YOUR BUSINESS?

MOST INFLUENTIAL National economic situation More affordable technology Higher – 28% Lower – 19% The same – 53% ‘Only the large population centres – Paris, Lyon, Monaco, Toulouse, Bordeaux – are functioning normally.

Elsewhere, projects come case by case, and randomly’ ‘It is a highly fragmented sector: few large companies with large multi-domain expertise and a multitude of small ones!’

‘There are some really good integrators specialising in new technologies, who are passionate about their craft.

But many others have worked with the same products for 20 years and are unable to go digital or use the most interesting products’ ‘We work with an affluent clientele not touched by the crisis; many of our clients have left France’ 50 February 2014

(approx)

Source: France24.com

DESIRED CHANGES IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE FRENCH INSTALLATION MARKET, WHAT WOULD IT BE? ‘We need more training in particular aspects of AV convergence and IP’

Legislation/regulations

‘The formation of more complete integrators’

Competitor activity

‘Too few professional enthusiasts in the audiovisual world’

Energy efficiency/ green technologies

LEAST INFLUENTIAL

‘It is a very complicated market, with many variations.

Only the known and recognised “haute couture” companies retain a reputation. Making dreams a reality requires a lot of listening to the desires of customers’

DO YOU AGREE WITH THESE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?

The majority of French integrators specialise in a single sector, such as corporate, education or sport facilities

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither There are no significant skills gaps in the French installation sector

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

In general, French installers are comfortable with the increasing amount of IT networking in AV installations

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100% www.installation-international.com

TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

Install ation

What’s new

PROD UCT OF TH MONT E H

Our selection of the latest products for the installation market

DIGITAL PROJECTION M-VISION 930

IT’S… ‘The world’s brightest single chip DLP projector.’

DETAILS: With a contrast ratio of up to 5,000:1 and fully active 3D with up to 144Hz refresh rate, the MVision 930 is said to offer features normally associated with high-end three-chip systems at a single-chip price point.

The 0.96in DarkChip DMD, six-segment colour wheel and dual 465W high-intensity discharge lamps produce a high level of image quality and brightness – 12,000 ANSI lumens. Meanwhile dual HDMI 1.4, DVI and 3G-SDI inputs provide high-speed video delivery. To complement this, HDBaseT connectivity allows for the transmission of uncompressed high-definition video over a Cat5e/6 LAN cable.

For versatility, Edge Blend and Geometric Correction are standard features of the M-Vision 930 WUXGA, including the ability to blend stereoscopic images.

A complete suite of professional lenses offer throw ratios from 0.84:1 to 4.00:1 and all projector models feature motorised shift and zoom.

showing at ISE 2014 alongside the HIGHLite Laser 12k laser projector.

AND ALSO: The M-Vision 930 will have its first public

www.digitalprojection.co.uk

D&B AUDIOTECHNIK XC-SERIES

IT’S… The first column loudspeaker from d&b and the latest addition to the White range.

DETAILS: The xC-Series comprises three loudspeakers, the 16C, 24C and 24C-E, all designed for integration into difficult acoustic and aesthetic environments, from houses of worship to conference halls, auditoriums and public spaces.

The xC-Series utilises high vertical directivity control to focus output on listeners and reduce energy radiating into the reverberant field.

The passive bandpass design also achieves pattern control in the horizontal plane down to low frequencies, increasing gain before feedback and minimising unwanted reflections from behind the loudspeaker. The HF array in the two-way passive 24C has a nominal vertical dispersion of 20°; the main axis can be mechanically adjusted continuously between 0° and -14°.

This is combined with an LF section comprising six 4in drivers producing a beam with a fixed downward tilt of 5° and a 90° horizontal dispersion maintained down to 370Hz. The 24C-E extension, with a further six 4in drivers, can be attached directly to the 24C, increasing pattern control down to 190Hz, without any additional

52 February 2014

amplification or processing. The smaller 16C houses four 4in drivers and a 0.75in compression driver mounted on a CD horn, producing a nominal dispersion of 90° x 40° (h x v).

AND ALSO: All xC-Series loudspeakers and available accessories can be colour matched to interior requirements.

AVAILABLE: Now www.dbaudio.com

AVAILABLE: Now

GEFEN

WIRELESS FOR HDMI 60 GHZ IT’S… A new wireless extender for HDMI 60GHz.

DETAILS: Designed for any in-room transmission of high-quality, 1080p Full HD video up to 33ft (10m), the extender delivers 3DTV, is plug-andplay and supports all audio formats including the new lossless High Bit Rate (HBR) 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

This extender uses the latest technology for a high-quality method of wireless extension that takes advantage of the WirelessHD specification, which is based on the 60GHz EHF (Extremely High Frequency) radio band.

This method of extension eliminates the need to run cables, making it a great solution for retrofits or any environment that wants to

streamline cabling.

Due to its in-room transmission and use of the uncluttered 60GHz frequency band, it can perform seamlessly alongside other wireless devices in adjacent rooms with zero interference. It is said to be easy to install, requiring a connection of the video source to the sender and of the display or projector to the receiver. Content is transported wirelessly at 4Gbps from source to display.

AND ALSO: The device boasts a small footprint and comes with a risk-free warranty.

AVAILABLE: Now www.gefen.eu

www.installation-international.com

TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

ALCONS AUDIO RR12

ATLONA AT-PS-POCC

IT’S… A mid-span power supply.

DETAILS: Designed to power PoCc-

IT’S… A modular pro-ribbon point source array.

DETAILS: The RR12 has been developed as a ‘building block’ to create tightly packed arrays for controlled sound coverage in a wide variety of audience areas.

It combines a linear, noncompressed, clear response from the lowest to the highest SPLs with a wide dynamic power output ratio.

The distortion is on average only one-tenth of that of traditional compressionbased systems.

The system features Alcons’ proprietary RBN602rsr 6in pro-ribbon driver and a customdesigned 12in woofer with 4in voice coil and dualspider suspension with forced venting. Both transducers have neodymium motor structures, and the RR12 has a high performance-toweight ratio.

compatible HDBaseT transmitters and/or receivers without requiring the related Atlona power source device, the AT-PSPOCC can send power to a compatible transmitter, receiver, or both using the same category cable as the HDBaseT signal.

The AT-PS-POCC is a 24V DC bidirectional power supply ideal for any AV environment in which neither the transmitters nor receivers can receive power from a powered transmitter or switch. The system is also useful in installations that would be unduly cluttered with additional power supply wiring. A switch allows the AT-PSPOCC to provide power between the

transmitter and receiver, in either direction or both directions simultaneously, and a single power supply can power multiple AT-PS-POCC devices.

The solution can be used to enable and disable PoCc devices for easy power routing, and its captive screw design ensures a secure and reliable connection.

AND ALSO: The AT-PS-POCC fully supports pass-through of resolutions up to 4K x 2K or 1920 x 1200 as well as full 3D pass-through. Supporting PoCc-powered transmitters or receivers as well as non-PoCc power source equipment, the device also supports lossy and lossless

multichannel audio formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

AVAILABLE: Now www.atlona.com

AND ALSO: The trapezoidal cabinet is fitted with integrated mounting hardware, enabling array assembly with just a single operation from the rear of the cabinet.

AVAILABLE: Now www.alconsaudio.com

www.installation-international.com

February 2014 53

TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

EXTRON SMD 101

IT’S… A compact H.264 streaming media decoder used with Extron SME 100 encoders to provide complete end-to-end AV streaming systems.

DETAILS: The SMD 101 is designed for use in professional AV applications to decode live streamed content from SME 100 encoders or play back AV media files accessible from network shares. It accepts streaming resolutions up to 1080p/60 and outputs a variety of resolutions, from 640 x 480 up to 1920 x 1200.

Fill/Follow/Fit aspect ratio controls manage disparities between the streaming video and display format. This compact, energy-efficient decoder is an ideal counterpart to the SME 100 encoder to deploy in simple overflow and monitoring applications or multichannel

streaming systems and high-resolution signage set-ups.

AND ALSO: The SMD 101 supports use of both push and pull streaming configurations, making it adaptable to a variety of network conditions and streaming requirements. Stereo analogue audio and HDMI-embedded audio signals are both supported, providing compatibility with embedded display speakers or existing audio systems.

AVAILABLE: Now www.extron.com

PR LIGHTING XR 1000

IT’S… Spot and beam versions of the XR 1000 moving head.

DETAILS: Housed in an IP20, high temperature engineered plastic chassis, the fixture is brighter than a conventional 1,200W discharge lamp; however it boasts a weight of just 31kg.

Highlights of the XR 1000 include seven rotating gobos and seven fixed gobos; a threefact prism, soft frost and fire effect wheel, and a linear zoom with range of 9°-47°.

Other features include: 2800K-6500K linearly adjustable colour temperature; smooth CYM colour mixing system, plus CTO with macro; and colour wheel with seven colours (plus white) and vari-speed bidirectional rainbow effect. Also of note is step/linear colour changing; DMX linear focusing and zooming; and 0-100% linearly adjustable dimming and 5100% linearly adjustable iris (with macro).

AND ALSO: The adjustable head movement itself offers 540° of pan and 270° of tilt. www.pr-lighting.com

AVAILABLE: March 2014

BARCO

CLICKSHARE INSIDE IT’S… A combination of a ClickShare wireless presentation system and Present projector.

DETAILS: As part of Barco’s ‘Intelligence Inside’ concept, ClickShare Inside is the first in a line of optional modules to integrate future-proof and simple collaboration technology.

After integrating the ClickShare Inside option under the hood of a Present projector, users can wirelessly share their content on-screen.

ClickShare Inside consists of a CSM Base Unit and an integration kit containing a bracket and three cables – HDMI, USB to RS-232, and a power cable – and can be integrated and neatly hidden under the hood of the projector.

Featuring a fully wireless connection, the ClickShare functionality is automatically activated once the projector is switched on.

Meeting participants can then share their content on-screen by means of a ClickShare Button, or by installing the ClickShare 54 February 2014

Presenter app on their Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.

AND ALSO: Users can also download an update to the Button Manager software to pair their ClickShare Buttons via their laptop as well as via the Base Unit’s USB port.

AVAILABLE: Q2 2014 www.barco.com

www.installation-international.com

TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

PEERLESS-AV HDS200

IT’S… A solution for installing HD TVs and other displays with the potential to stream Full HD 1080p 60Hz video and 5.1 channel digital audio anywhere in the home or office, as well as in commercial settings and public areas.

DETAILS: The HD Flow Wireless Multimedia Kit (HDS200) effectively negates the need for long and expensive cable runs and the potential channelling into walls for a neat appearance. It allows AV equipment to be quickly moved between locations, without restriction to cable connection points. It also functions in corporate and commercial settings as a BYOD hub for meetings and presentations.

Featuring simple plug-and-play setup, HD Flow has five inputs for multiple devices. Full HD content can be instantly multicasted in realtime to up to four receivers, including HDTVs, digital TVs, projectors and monitors.

Operating in the open 5GHz band, HD Flow creates an interference-resistant private network over a 40m (131ft) range, with the

ability to penetrate walls, ceilings and floors.

AND ALSO: Other features include the ability to connect up to four distinct source devices, easily switch between sources using the remote control unit, and transfer to a second WiFi channel in the unlikely event of interference or to run two HD Flow systems simultaneously.

AVAILABLE: Now www.peerless-av.com

PLANAR

CLARITY MARTIX WITH G2 ARCHITECTURE IT’S… The next-generation Clarity Matrix LCD videowall system.

DETAILS: The Clarity Matrix with G2 Architecture is said to combine the industry’s thinnest profile ultra-narrow bezel LED LCD videowall with improvements in design, installation and service. In addition, a new 55in Clarity Matrix model features a tiled bezel width as small as 3.7mm (0.15in), simplified installation and maintenance, and 24x7 mission-critical reliability.

The Clarity Matrix with G2 Architecture comes with Planar’s EasyAxis mounting system, which provides an installed depth of just 3.6in for ‘perfect panel-to-panel alignment’.

AND ALSO: The Clarity Matrix with G2 Architecture offers 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) input capability and 10-bit colour processing. Planar’s Big Picture Plus processing is built into the system, allowing content to be scaled across the entire videowall or sections of the videowall.

AVAILABLE: Q1 2014 www.planar.com

TV ONE C2-2855

IT’S… The newest Corio2 scaler from TV One. DETAILS: The C2-2855 is the first in a new generation of high-performance scalers providing best-in-class video scaling and format conversion along with intuitive user interface tools.

The device is said to have more input/output flexibility than any other TV One scaler. It can be set up and managed using a new front panel or via a computer-based control panel that allows set-up in less than one-third of the time of the previous generation.

The front panel helps with set-up time through colour modulated soft-buttons;

intuitive, categorised menus; and recall of up to 12 presets with two button-presses.

The C2-2855 provides high-quality bidirectional conversion between a variety of analogue and digital video formats. Inputs and outputs can be SD/HD/3G-SDI, HDMI, DVI, Composite Video, YC, YUV, YPbPr or RGB. An included key feature allows an image to be keyed over another and faded in and out due to the 4:4:4 sampling format for RGB sources, which means precise keying at the pixel level can be achieved. Five full-frame still images can be stored and switched along with five logos.

AND ALSO: Control software is available for the C2-2855 on several Windows PC OS platforms and interfaces directly with the C2-2855.

AVAILABLE: Now www.tvone.com

www.installation-international.com

February 2014 55

TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

Residential audio When installing audio technology into homes, installers must be conscious of both the usability of the system and its aesthetic value, writes James McGrath

{ Audac’s CELO adds finishing touch } Belgium-based Audac has always maintained a cost-conscious approach to the design of its medium to large commercial speaker ranges by ensuring cost-effective components are chosen and the speakers are simple to install.

But when the company gave itself free rein to design a speaker for smaller residential applications, it opted to create a range with a high-end feel by using the best quality components available rather than constraining itself to a certain budget.

The CELO range of in-ceiling loudspeakers, which was designed using the company’s prior knowledge of in-ceiling devices for larger commercial installs, offers three

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Elora’s Porsche connection

Waterfall Audio has a heritage of producing glass loudspeakers that can provide a centrepiece to a room as well as offer quality audio – and its new Elora range continues this tradition.

The loudspeakers are handmade at the company’s facility in France using a combination of two thick glass plates and two pieces of solid aluminium layered on top of one another to produce a stacked effect. The metal – supplied from the same factory that Porsche uses for its car components – creates a high-end airy look and feel to the 8cm-thick loudspeakers.

Aside from the visual benefits these speakers offer, one innovative feature is their patented Heatstream technology: the aluminium

56 February 2014

body acts as a heat sink to cool the devices and enhance power handling. The speakers can create 400W peak power (without clipping).

The Elora can be used as a centre speaker when horizontally positioned, or left/right when placed vertically, making it suitable for 5.1 or 7.1 home cinema systems.

For mounting, two options are available to installers – on shelf or on wall. For shelf mounting, the loudspeakers

variants in the range: the CELO 5, CELO 6 and CELO 8. Each number represents the size of the model in inches and each of the devices offers 50W RMS power with a maximum power of 100W. The company says the speakers use the highest-quality materials and incorporate Audac’s aluminium membranes, which is why the devices have been recommended for high-end applications.

They feature a slim grille with a 1mm thin border that will only protrude 3.2mm from the surface of the ceiling once installed, providing a slick option for installs. The grille itself is held in place by powerful neodymium magnets to ease assembly and disassembly and offer

}{

are supplied with shelf stands, while a VESA mounting bracket allows the speakers to be fixed to the wall horizontally or vertically. In addition, there are optional magnetic grilles in white and black. www.waterfallaudio.com

a secure attachment with the shell of the speaker.

A 1in aluminium cone tweeter is held in place by an acoustically optimised arm in front of a 5in aluminium cone woofer. Together with the crossover network, this is said to produce true to nature sound reproduction for a warm and detailed sound.

Ceiling mounting the loudspeaker can be done by a quick-fixing mechanism, which involves tightening four screws and then applying the front grille. The company says this design enables the loudspeakers to be installed almost anywhere, and that the sound quality produced post installation is similar to that of a very expensive hi-fi system. www.audac.be

Amina excites its invisible speaker range

Amina Technologies has upgraded its flagship plasterover two-way AIW750E invisible loudspeaker with the first use of the new Excelsior exciter class vibrational sound excitation device.

The Excelsior is a very highpower neodymium magnetic engine featuring innovative magnetic flux control and power handling. The efficient technology is the first in a new generation of proprietary designs from Amina that create vibrational drive engines that are tailored to excite specific frequency ranges in flatpanel audio solutions.

The exciter is designed specifically for highfrequency operation.

Amina used advanced computer modelling to create a focused concentration of flux density in the 25mm magnetic coil. This enables more acoustic output from a given amount of neodymium magnet material.

The technology comes into its own with Amina’s

}

Evolution Series of invisible loudspeakers, which are installed into walls then rendered invisible by a final skim of plaster or equivalent.

The speakers use vibrational panel technology (VPT) and have been tuned to work best behind 2mm of plaster or similar. www.amina.co.uk

www.installation-international.com

TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

{Al fresco listening from StingRay } More and more homeowners are seeking the next level of entertainment experience by taking their lifestyle outdoors – and seeking the same quality around their patios and pools as in the distributed audio systems or home theatres inside their homes. This is precisely why Stealth Acoustics has created the StingRay 8 outdoor loudspeaker range.

Each speaker in the range is hermetically sealed for outdoor uses with a certified Ingress Protection rating of IP68. The weatherised design – which doesn’t incorporate the

vulnerability of a grille – has been tested to withstand temperatures from -18 to +65ºC, with 170º coverage across all frequencies.

Stealth Acoustics has designed the series with flexible mounting in mind: because sound coverage is symmetrical in the horizontal and vertical planes, either orientation is feasible without affecting the coverage pattern.

During installation, the speakers are attached via pre-drilled aluminium wall plates – secured using stainless steel screws (supplied with the

loudspeakers). They can be positioned flush to the wall or at a 30º angle. The wall mount plate also serves as a kickstand for placing the speaker on the floor.

Optional extras include a ‘ground stake’ mount that can be embedded into the ground and then easily attached to the speaker; a fullarticulating gimbal for aiming flexibility; and a range of fixed mounting brackets built from noncorrosive materials to attach the speaker to yacht ceilings, bulkheads or boat superstructures.

StingRay is offered in both low impedance and constant voltage versions to match an integrator’s preferred amplification system. The device is said to be very warm and natural sounding for foreground music and home theatres out of doors. www.stealthacoustics.com

{NuVo offers wireless multi-room audio } Multi-room audio expert NuVo Technologies has developed its IP-based Wireless Audio System to offer residential installers a modular way of filling a home with zonal audio. The networked system is extendable to up to 16 zones.

With four NuVo player options – the wireless P100 and P200 and the professional-grade P3100 and P3500 – the system offers a limitless variety of audio distributed in high quality

58 February 2014

from numerous sources, including the internet, a personal iTunes library, or a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone.

The new P3500 can deliver three different audio sources to three independent zones (200W per zone), while the P3100 offers three zones at 40W each. The P100 and P200, on the other hand, each control single zones at 40W and 120W respectively. All feature an energyefficient Class D amplifier.

When expanding systems, the units can be connected over IP by a Gateway device, which enables different playlists and sources to be played in different zones or synchronised when in party mode.

The system can be controlled via a free NuVo app for Apple and Android mobile devices or the integrated controller from NuVo’s home automation system. www.nuvotechnologies.com

www.installation-international.com

TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

{

Basalte’s Asano is KNX ready

Relatively young Belgian company Basalte is better known for developing design switchers and room control solutions based on advanced touch technology. More recent times, however, have seen the company delve into the multi-room residential audio product category with the release of Asano – an advanced multi-room audio system designed to seamlessly integrate with KNX control solutions.

The CobraNet-based networked system allows users to freely locate sources and amplifiers anywhere in the building. CobraNet transports uncompressed 24bit, 48kHz digital audio in real time over a dedicated Ethernet network using a standard Ethernet switch.

Any input can be dynamically routed to any amplifier, providing flexibility and creating a decentralised music system: there is no master unit to which all sources have to be

www.installation-international.com

connected. This means sources and amplifiers can be freely located anywhere in the house, reducing cable runs to speakers and sources.

Each system is made up of a mixture of four main components: the P1 Zone amplifier, P4 Zone amplifier, N1 networking node and the MMS link.

The system integrates neatly with KNX systems – so much so that none of the devices are equipped with a means of configuring the system, such as controls or keypads located on panels.

Instead the different devices are programmed directly into KNX’s ETS software. This allows control of the system with all KNX commands through the Sentido touch key or Deseo room controller, for instance.

The system is powered with Bang & Olufsen ICE power Class D amplifiers.

With internal advanced DSP control, Asano also offers the opportunity to fine-tune the

}

sound in every room.

Integrated scene functionality allows users to set music zones to specific sources at specific volume by the use of scene commands.

An override function will also ensure that the system switches to more urgent sources such as alarms or intercom messages, fading back to the previous audio afterwards.

In addition, automatic input signal sensing allows the triggering of KNX commands when a source starts playing.

For example, when an input is connected to a network audio player like the Apple Airport Express, the amplifier starts playing when music is sent to the device. Signal sensing can also trigger other commands via KNX, like calling up a specific scene.

What’s more, integrated party mode allows for all selected rooms to play in perfect sync, as it if was one large single system. www.basalte.be

{

}

Apart addresses resi market with VINCI

For over 20 years Apart Audio has manufactured and supplied audio solutions for the commercial installation market. Before starting the transition into the realms of residential audio, the company saw a higher proportion of its commercial products going into residential installs, such was the crossover of technology.

This prompted Apart to take a more head-on approach to the market with the VINCI range.

A further driving factor was that the company was seeing a higher number of commercial applications requiring residential audio products for hi-fi quality.

The VINCI Series consists of three hi-fi loudspeakers, VINCI4, VINCI5 and VINCI7, and a high-class integrated amplifier, the VINCI2125.

The loudspeakers, which are made from high-quality components, have been designed for a wide range of installation applications: from classrooms and boardrooms to high-end restaurants and residential projects.

The brains behind the system is the slim VINCI2125 high-fidelity music control centre. The unit works in tandem with the VINCI5 and/or VINCI7 loudspeakers through a minimalistic design: it

functions with two buttons, enabling the user to switch the unit on or off, choose the sound source and control the volume.

The set-up integrates a high-class amplifier with four digital stereo inputs, three analogue stereo inputs and one high-class phono (cartridge) input. The rated output power per channel is 80W at 8 ohms or 125W at 4 ohms.

A notable feature of the device is the ‘fade-in after restart’ function. This slowly increases the volume range after it is switched on, limiting the volume to +20dB, or to the previous level, whichever is lower. The system also comes with an aluminium infrared control. www.apart-audio.com

February 2014 59

SOLUTIONS: MUSE, TRENTO tion Installa

ITALY

Four Panasonic DLP PT-DZ570 projectors create the first Science on a Sphere in Italy

OF THE MONTH

[INSTALLED]

MUSE news Floating animals, glacial walks and a trip through time are all made possible thanks to the latest in AV technology, writes Mike Clark FRESH FROM the success of The Shard in London, architect Renzo Piano followed up with the MUSE (Museum of Science) in his native Italy. The museum, which sits at the heart of a new urban park complete with residential and entertainment zones in the northern Italian city of Trento, has jagged, futuristic forms, seen as a tribute to the surrounding mountains.

Opened in July 2013, MUSE features many ways of interacting with the public: multimedia exhibits, interactive games and hands-on experiments.

The seven-storey building has six floors of permanent exhibition space overlooking a huge ‘Big Void’ at the centre of the building, populated by models of animals floating in mid-air.

Piano designed the artistic layout of MUSE with a ‘zero gravity’ leitmotif, so tables, shelves, displays and exhibits are also apparently suspended in the air.

The tender for the realisation and equipment of the museum’s 3,700sqm of exhibition space (for a value of over €4.6 million) was won by a group formed by Turin AV expert and system integrator Acuson, exhibition case manufacturer Goppion and Asteria Multimedia for video content.

The floors are organised according to altitude, as are the animals floating in the Big Void. After the rooftop terrace, with its breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains, the fourth floor – the Glacial Experience – 60 February 2014

begins with a walk alongside a mountainside complete with a glacier front. The ice is real, but the rock face is an extremely realistic resin reconstruction by Plastikart Studio of Cesena, which applied techniques normally used on cinema projects, making moulds on-site of three different types of rocks with silicone rubber suitably modified for use at low temperatures.

HIGH ALTITUDE The adventure on the high peaks then begins, with a multivision tunnel where visitors have an extremely realistic impression of flying over the Alps, are able to take breath-taking runs down extreme-grade slopes and experience the drama of an avalanche. The experience, created by a series of eight Mitsubishi WD390U high-resolution DLP video projectors, is increased by mist, DMX controlled nozzles blowing cold wind on visitors and sound effects played back through four three-way Audac LX503 active loudspeaker enclosures.

Loudspeakers elsewhere in MUSE are Panphonics 60 x 20 flatpanel models.

On Floor 3, the Biodiversity Labyrinth is a trip along a winding mountain trail through 26 seamlessly blended environments combining stuffed animals and audiovisual content screened on numerous monitors (a combination of LG models and Sharp LL-S201A multitouch LCD

units), triggered by a series of sensors. Audio content is played out through Mini Boxes by BrightSign AU320 players, video is via XD230s and AV content via XD1030 units.

On Floor 1, the Time Machine is a trip through time, from Neanderthal hunters to the shaman of the nearby Riparo Dalmeri archaeological site. The winding entrance and exit and the machine itself were built by Goppion with over 12 tons of glass (covered inside with projection fabric). Five more Mitsubishi projectors project scenes around the walls and a Casio XJ-A141 with a BrightSign XD230 player projects on a floor-installed screen. When visitors leave the Time Machine, they are met by an incredibly realistic primitive family recreated by Dutch twin brothers Alfons and Adrie Kennis and French paleoartist Élisabeth Daynès.

This floor also hosts the first ‘Science on a Sphere’ in Italy – a huge globe featuring video projections (via four Panasonic DLP PT-DZ570) depicting atmospheric and oceanic dynamics. This is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration network, whose researchers have designed software to illustrate Earth system science with animated images.

Extensive use is made throughout of LG WS5OMS Full HD widescreen LED monitors (in 42in format), some of which, used as visitor information

VIDEO I HoloPro glass projection screens I Visual Planet SIV16 multitouch foils I Elotouch ET2244L LCD monitors I LG 32WL30 (LCD), 42WS50MS and 55WS10 (LED) monitors I LG 47WV30MS seamless LED monitors I LG M4214T multitouch LCD monitors I Panasonic TH-80LF50 LCD monitors I Samsung SM-DE40A LED monitors I Sharp LL-S201A multitouch LCD monitors I Mitsubishi WD390U video projectors I Panasonic PT-DZ680, PT-DZ570 and PT-VX500EJ video projectors I Panasonic PT-RW330 laser video projectors I Casio XJ-A141 video projector I Sanyo PLC-XK3010 video projector I BrightSign XD1030, XD230 players I Spinetix HMP200 HD video players I Dataton Watchpax DAT-3360 media players I Axis M3014 IP video cameras I Calibre HQVIEW 320 scaler/warp processor I PTN MTX matrix switcher I Intel i3 PCs I Intel I7 media servers I Arduino processors AUDIO I Audac LX503MKII/W loudspeakers I Panphonics 60 x 20 loudspeakers I Electro-Voice EVIS 6.2 loudspeaker enclosures I Electro-Voice EVID 12.1 subwoofers I FBT GS 20/T outdoor loudspeakers I BrightSign AU320 players I Proel AMIX9 preamp I IMG StageLine STA-500 amp LIGHTING I iGuzzini fixtures I Helvar DIGIM DALI controller

points, are combined with SpinetiX HMP200 digital signage players.

Others are interactive 42in dual touchscreen LCD HD models, each installed with an Intel NUC-DC3217iye mini (4in x 4in) PC with solid state www.installation-international.com

SOLUTIONS: MUSE, TRENTO memory (about 80 of these small computers are used).

In the MUSE FabLab, which is in direct contact with other Labs in Italy and abroad, visitors can design and print their 3D inventions, as well as trying their hand with laser cutters, vinyl plotters and an array of Arduino processors.

Floor 1’s Tropical Mountain Greenhouse recreates the environment in which the museum’s researchers work in Tanzania and features sensors that trigger rainforest sounds (frogs, insects, birds, etc), played back through a series of FBT GS 20/T IP55 outdoor loudspeakers.

Manens-Tifs of Verona designed the general electrical system, Siemens fire detection, gas detection and anti-intrusion alarm systems, a 62-camera Zucchetti Axess TVCC video surveillance system and the lighting set-up (with 1,830 iGuzzini fixtures, 1,700m of electrified lighting track and a Helvar Digim DALI controller, also used to control the blackout curtains on the large amount of glazing). The company also handled the Paso EVAC system, which features 340 recessed, column and horn speakers installed throughout the venue, and the MUSE conference room’s AV set-up. This features six Electro-Voice EVIS 6.2 speakers, four EVID 12.1 subwoofers, a Proel AMIX9 preamp, an IMG StageLine STA-500 amp, PTN MTX matrix switcher and a Sanyo PLCXK3010 video projector. All this material was installed by Elettromeccanica Galli Italo, which was also responsible for the electrical system installation.

GOLD IN GREEN Renzo Piano’s special attention to environmental impact and energy saving enabled the museum to achieve prestigious Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for sustainable design and construction, issued by the Green Building Institute.

Acuson company director Angelo Nicolosi, who was in charge of the firm’s MUSE work, states: “From a technical point of view, the aspects that distinguish this installation from other similar projects we have done in the past are definitely the LED/laser video projectors, HoloPro Amiran glass 16:9 rigid transparent projection screens, numerous multitouch monitors and Dataton Watchpax media players.”

MUSE IT manager Vittorio Cozzio adds: “Our control systems were designed for utmost flexibility. Acuson developed a software enabling us to schedule and control all the exhibits’ PCs, video projectors and multimedia players from the main control room.

This enables us, for example, to mute the audio in a particular area if necessary. Remote monitoring, diagnostics and software update facilities are available from any PC with appropriate access and, as far as updating multimedia content is www.installation-international.com

[ABOUT THE INSTALLER]

A multivision tunnel gives visitors a realistic impression of being in the Alps Picture: Claudia Corrent

concerned, with the BrightSign players, this is done via the units’ BrightAuthor software. Siemens’ Desigo building automation system automatically controls the slats and sunshades on the museum’s roof and façade glazing according to exposure to the sun and, in the event of excessive wind, retracts them.”

Roberto Cena of Asteria Multimedia explains that the content produced was of various types: “We produced a scenographic installation with the projection of computer graphics films, a combination of 360º video footage and photos creating an immersive projection, a Full HD video production with cinema-quality shooting and editing, three interactive virtual torrents, video footage shot in a cave, a video reconstruction in computer graphics of the formation of the earth and a video game in computer graphics for youngsters.”

Cozzio concludes: “We are currently testing a prototype of eXplora, a multimedia guide app for iPads and similar devices, which will feature high-resolution photo galleries, in-depth video and interactive 360° images, enabling visitors to view exhibits from angles that would not be physically possible.”

www.imgstageline.com www.intel.eu www.kenniskennis.com www.lg.com www.manens-tifs.it www.mitsubishielectric.com www.muse.it www.panasonic.net www.panphonics.com www.paso.it

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Based in Turin, Acuson has worked in the pro-AV and event management sector since 1978

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It specialises in the design, realisation, supply and installation of integrated AV communication and advanced multimedia systems

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The company has lengthy experience in the museum, exhibition, conference and exhibition fields, and offers complete turnkey solutions with long-term after-sales facilities

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Recent projects include Turin Museum of Natural Science, Barolo Wine and National Cinema Museums, Turin and Genoa chambers of commerce, and theatres in Turin and Bologna; corporate clients include Telecom Italia, L’Oreal Italia and Armando Testa

www.plastikart.it www.proel.com www.ptn-electronics.com www.rpbw.com www.panasonic.net/sanyo www.samsung.com www.sharp-world.com www.siemens.com www.spinetix.com www.visualplanet.biz

www.acuson.it www.arduino.cc www.asteria.it www.audac.be www.axesstmc.com www.axis.com www.brightsign.biz www.calibreuk.com www.casio-projectors.eu www.dataton.com www.daynes.com www.elettromeccanicagalli.it www.electrovoice.com www.elotouch.com www.fbt.it www.goppion.com www.helvar.com www.holopro.com www.iguzzini.com

February 2014 61

SOLUTIONS: COLLIDER, SCIENCE MUSEUM, LONDON

The world’s greatest experiment [INSTALLED]

A new exhibition at London’s Science Museum is taking visitors on an immersive journey inside the Large Hadron Collider, writes James Christopher THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the detection of the Higgs boson in March last year was one of the proudest achievements made by scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

Experiments to study the basic constituents of matter are being conducted using the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

It was an opportune moment for a new exhibition, depicting scientific history in the making, to be mounted at the Science Museum in London. ‘Collider’ is a journey inside the LHC, blending theatre, video and sound art with real artefacts from CERN; including part of one of the 15m magnets that steer the particle beam and elements from each of the LHC’s four giant detectors. It dramatically tells the story of the scientists who work there, of their endeavours, emotions and thoughts on the moment of discovery.

This immersive exhibition takes visitors on a virtual journey to explore the world’s greatest scientific experiment, and provides a behind-thescenes look at how scientists have uncovered and proven the existence of the mysterious Higgs boson: one of nature’s 62 February 2014

most elusive particles.

“The Large Hadron Collider is a challenging subject for a museum exhibition,” says Alison Boyle, curator at the Science Museum. “The particle accelerator is a massive 27km circular tunnel buried deep under the border between Switzerland and France. Some of the detector caverns within the LHC are larger than the Science Museum itself, while the particles they are trying to detect are invisible. It took a great deal of creativity from the exhibition team to give visitors a sense of these extremes of scale in an exhibition setting.

“It’s not quite an exhibition, but it’s not quite a piece of theatre. It is something that blends both. To create the visual sequences we worked with theatrical designers; people who transport you to other worlds, and were guided by the scientists from CERN.” To deliver a sense of reality in a confined space within the Science Museum, the exhibition relies heavily on the effective use of immersive audiovisual technology. “There is a tremendous amount of interest in society about the universe and how everything started, which we are trying to satisfy by tours of CERN and

exhibitions like Collider,” said CERN DG Rolf Heuer. “I particularly like the fresh, theatrical approach the museum is taking to bringing the drama and excitement of cutting-edge science to the public.”

MAKING A BREAKTHROUGH The scene is set on entry to the exhibition by a 180º display that combines static images of scientists with animated ‘talking heads’ set within the backdrop of the lecture theatre in which the original announcement of the discovery was made. A projected life-size presenter relays the discovery and is co-ordinated with projected and spoken audience questions. While the images are of actors, the context is accurate and serves to explain the background of the experiment and just how monumental the discovery is.

The visitor carries on to a circular tunnel depicting the inside of the collider tunnel, illustrated by rear-projected images of scientists explaining its internal structure and glimpses of the accelerator tubes and technology that operate it. Again life-size rear-projected images are encountered as visitors

VIDEO I AG Neovo LW-27 LCD monitor I Panasonic PT-DZ690 6,000-lumen projectors I Panasonic ET-DLE080 4,000-lumen projectors I Optoma EH505 5,000-lumen short-throw projectors I Dataton Watchout Pro System AUDIO I Audica Microdot, Micropoint loudspeakers I Adastra 952 237 loudspeaker I EM Acoustics EMS 51, 61, 112, 118 loudspeakers I Lab.gruppen C20:8X amplifiers I Apple Mac mini I Echo AudioFire 12 FireWire audio interfaces CONTROL AND DISTRIBUTION I Medialon Showmaster ST show controller I Wyrestorm EX-1UTP-IR-100 HDBaseT CatX Extenders

wander through the maze of cables, tubes and magnets.

The effect is as though one has just engaged a scientist in conversation. Exhibits of items from CERN and the Science Museum’s own stock are reinforced by explanatory audio soundtracks, in some cases played through modified vintage radios and desktop PCs. Branching from the side of the tunnel visitors pass through a simulated corridor, complete with populated noticeboards and enter a fullsize reconstruction of the laboratory offices of the scientist who finally made the discovery. The office is kitted out with artefacts from CERN and one full wall is formed by a rear-projected image, which shows the scientist herself working, sleeping and pacing the floors as actually happened during the weeks leading up to the discovery.

The next stage of the

exhibition is its centrepoint: a 360º fully immersive projection display that explains and visually depicts the path of particles as they accelerate in opposing directions around the ring before being steered into collision and annihilation, resulting in the creation of a multitude of new and diverse particles according to the rigid laws of physics. It vividly explains what the LHC is designed to do.

Immersive projection is by means of four 6,000-lumen projectors, precisely mounted and aligned to create a single image that flows around the exhibit, encompassing the visitor and delivering an awe-inspiring theatrical presentation that goes some way to explain the mindboggling complexity of the technology employed at CERN. Multichannel sound focuses viewers’ attention on the path of particles as they flash around the ring and illustrates www.installation-international.com

All pictures: Nick Rochowski for Science Museum

A 360º fully immersive projection display is a highlight of the exhibition

UNITED KINGDOM

SOLUTIONS: SCIENCE MUSEUM, LONDON the objectives of the experiment.

The exhibition is further backed up by an audiovisual display blending with wall-mounted graphics to depict the discovery timeline, reaching back to the original experiments on subatomic particles by British physicist JJ Thomson. Again projected images co-ordinate with audio.

Design, configuration and installation of the AV equipment in the exhibition was undertaken by Sysco, which worked closely with Science Museum curators, exhibition architects Nissen Richards Studio, graphic designer Northover & Brown, lighting designer studioZNA and several independent video, sound and costume designers and producers.

“As AV technology provider our role was to advise on the ‘art of the possible’ and allow the creative teams to produce their audiovisual effects as freely as they could,” explains Hugo Roche, MD of Sysco. “The collaboration between all parties and the contribution made by each has contributed greatly to the overall impact of the show and the effectiveness of delivering an understanding of an extremely complex issue to a wide range of audience ages and backgrounds.”

All the media storage, playback, audio generation and control equipment is housed in three 20U, 19in flight cases within a control room inside the exhibition space. These, along with the displays and five tons of artefacts and exhibits, will be packed up and transported to the next museum venue as it embarks on a global museum tour later this year.

Roche adds: “The AV equipment has been integrated with a view to easy shipping and reinstallation at international venues. It was essential to provide a simple solution with full documentation that will allow local AV teams to rebuild the exhibition with as little set-up and specialised support as possible.”

It is hard not to be amazed by what is being done at CERN and depicted by this exhibition, and initial reviews of the exhibition certainly seem to support this. The Independent newspaper described Collider as: "One of the most ambitious exhibitions in the Science Museum’s

[ABOUT THE INSTALLER] I

Sysco was formed in 1998, to provide creative, leading-edge audiovisual solutions to museums, cultural and entertainment facilities

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The company is dedicated to enhancing the visitor experience and attendance, through appealing displays and superior support

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It specialises in multimedia design and installation services to major permanent and temporary exhibitions including: the O2, V&A Museum, Historic Royal Palaces and the British Museum

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Multi-skilled and multidisciplinary in-house teams include audio and video specialists and museum experts

150-year history... a perfectly pocket-sized introduction to the world of big science”.

The LHC was built to answer a lot of fundamental questions and will carry on making exciting discoveries for another 20 years; the Higgs boson is just the beginning, one major milestone in our knowledge about the universe, but 95% is still unknown. Whether this is the most important discovery to come from the greatest experimental endeavour in science is still to be seen. www.adastra.avsl.com uk.agneovo.com www.apple.com www.audica.co.uk www.dataton.com www.echoaudio.com www.emacoustics.co.uk www.labgruppen.com www.medialon.com www.nissenrichardsstudio.com www.northoverbrown.com www.optoma.co.uk www.panasonic.com www.syscoav.co.uk www.studiozna.com www.wyrestorm.com

The collider ring with rear-projection of scientist at work

www.installation-international.com

February 2014 63

SOLUTIONS: PALAIS DES SPORTS, DIJON FRANCE

Cutting the mustard A difficult acoustic space is tamed thanks to an innovative audio installation, writes Tom Bradbury

The system is based around four eight-channel Powersoft Ottocanali amplifiers

The venue is home to the Jeanne d’Arc Dijon Bourgogne basketball team

THE PALAIS des Sports in the French city of Dijon enjoys a reputation for hosting a wide range of sporting activities in its 4,628-capacity arena.

Named after local international handball star Jean-Michel Geoffroy, the venue is home to the Jeanne d’Arc Dijon Bourgogne basketball team, which is its primary function.

However, the ageing public address system left a lot to be desired, lacking in sound pressure level, and as a result, a lack of speech intelligibility, so the Palais des Sports launched a tender offer to refurbish the sound system.

Based in Châtenoy-leRoyal, IRELEM responded successfully to the tender for an upgrade, prepared by consultant and acoustician Acoustique France, and soon designed and specified an ultra-efficient system in conjunction with Powersoft’s French distributor Axente.

The new set-up is based around four of the Italian manufacturer’s new eightchannel Ottocanali amplifiers.

With limited capacity available in the production/ control room, situated in the top tiers, the new Powersoft Ottocanali 12K4 and 4K4 met the criteria for high efficiency with an excellent power-to-space ratio, and were specified for the first 64 February 2014

time in France since their introduction.

Occupying just 2RU each, these products offer a wide range of system control and monitoring functions as well as sound-shaping options.

The 12K4 offers a total of up to 12,000W output power over eight channels for lo-Z or distributed line systems, while the 4K4 delivers a total of 4,000W output over eight channels.

Both Ottocanali models also offer low power consumption and heat Twelve EAW QX300 series speakers cover the playing area, main public stands and VIP enclosures

dissipation, dramatically reducing costs from the AC mains supply and air conditioning/cooling systems – not to mention the environmental benefits.

Moreover, the dual power supply ensures that the maximum output is available across all channels, as well as providing redundancy.

With three 12K4s (for mid and low) and one 4K4 (for the highs) driving 4 ohms into a new EAW loudspeaker system (12 QX300 series), the system is fully optimised

across the entire playing area, main public stands and VIP enclosures. In the words of Axente’s Alain Hercman: “There has been a great improvement in intelligibility and a gain of 12dB in sound pressure level.”

Powersoft had been chosen for its reputation in producing highly reliable amplifiers – backed by a four-year warranty which Axente say was very reassuring to the customer.

In fact, says Hercman, the client has already reported a significant intelligibility improvement – and this despite the difficult room acoustics.

The PA system is fed from typical mic and line sources on match days via a Yamaha mixer and EAW processors.

The new installation will help maintain the versatility of a venue that also hosts handball and a variety of sports, and includes gymnasiums among its facilities. www.acoustique-france.fr www.axente.fr www.eaw.com www.irelem.com www.yamahaproaudio.com

[INSTALLED] AUDIO I Powersoft Ottocanali 12K4 and 4K4 amplifiers I EAW QX300 series loudspeakers I Yamaha mixer

[ABOUT THE INSTALLER] I

IRELEM was formed in 1973 and has a technical team of 10 people

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The company offers videoconferencing, audio, digital signage and IPTV solutions for meeting or council chambers, amphitheatres, auditoriums, theatres and receptions

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Customers include corporates, universities, schools, churches and places of worship

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The company has offices in Châtenoy-leRoyal, Dijon, Fleurieusur-Saône and Besançon

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SOLUTIONS: AALEN UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES GERMANY

[INSTALLED]

The system was replicated in classrooms and auditoriums throughout the facility

AUDIO I Lab.gruppen LUCIA 120/2M amplifiers I Tannoy VX 5.2 loudspeakers I m-connect-s modular audio input system

[ABOUT THE INSTALLER]

Hard science

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Klartext installs professional AV solutions in facilities such as churches, conference centres, schools and corporate environments

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Along with trade partners it also offers digital signage solutions

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The company, which has operated as a GmbH & Co. KG since 1 April 2009, now has nine employees

An investment in audio is benefitting both students and lecturers, writes James Christopher IN THE world of education, the benefit of high-quality sound reinforcement or media technology is often still neglected, be it due to budget shortages or a lack of good advice.

The Aalen University of Applied Sciences in Germany knows better. The clearer the sound of a presentation or a lecture, the easier the mind will follow. So, unhampered understanding and pleasurable sound quality are vital factors for conceiving and memorising content. Thus, investing in a good sound system would instantly benefit students.

In 2013, when some of the university’s auditoriums needed audio systems, Klartext-Gruppe installed a technically advanced system design, well within budget, that utilised Lab.gruppen’s new LUCIA amps to great effect.

The two-channel LUCIA (Localized Utility Compact Intelligent Amplification) is a compact and versatile Energy Star-compliant Class D platform, designed for lowcost, low-hassle installations.

The LUCIA M model variants include ADLC (Automatic Dynamic Loudness Contouring), which is said to provide a ‘fuller’ and more comfortable listening experience – especially at low 66 February 2014

perceived levels. Dynamic processing automatically eases off at higher SPL so that the system maintains a consistent full bandwidth sound with full impact at all levels. M models also benefit from additional DSP functionality and 4 x 4 mix matrix.

Jörg Mitschele, manager of Klartext, says: “LUCIA was chosen for a number of reasons.

It’s compact, but doesn’t compromise in sound quality, and the built-in DSP feature is a wonderful tool to have during set-up. Since we didn’t need a lot of power, the LUCIA 120/2M was ideal as it offers a robust 2 × 60W out of a small unit, its DSP possibilities providing equalisation as well. The small unit is mounted behind a blind cover so the user cannot reach its controls (and does not need to).”

EASE OF USE But, of course, the quality of a media system is measured by the willingness to use it, and for lecturers and teachers at Aalen University, things couldn’t be simpler. Their mics and audio sources are hooked to the system by bespoke modular units called mconnect-s. These small pieces of hardware allow installers to tailor to the needs of the

Ease of use for teachers and lecturers was a key consideration during the project

application, adding mic inputs (phantom powered), RCA and jack connectors for laptops, MP3 players or smartphones as they wish. Finally each line needs a master module (volume and bass/treble controls) providing input signal for LUCIA, which can then be mounted out of sight and range of inexperienced users.

The sound is provided by two Tannoy VX 5.2 loudspeakers which are mounted at the top of the front wall. Since Lab.gruppen and Tannoy are part of the TC Group, LUCIA offers optimised performance for all Tannoy loudspeakers, meaning the

system delivers quality sound from first to last row.

The Klartext team was able to replicate the system in the other classrooms and auditoriums. With seven rooms all featuring the same combination of kit, it’s a job that Mitschele is able to reflect upon with a certain pride.

“The combination of LUCIA amplifiers and Tannoy loudspeakers is great, but in my opinion, the kind of foolproof operation demanded by the customer would not have been possible without mconnect-s audio input and mixing systems,” he says. “It’s good LUCIA is not designed as

a multi-input unit but concentrates on delivering outstanding sound quality. On the other hand, m-connect-s links the utmost comfortable, flexible, expandable and easyto-use input interface to LUCIA – a more ‘professional’ mixing system would become hard to use for nontechnicians. That’s why I think Lucia and m-connect-s not only get on well together but make a perfect team for a vast field of sound reinforcement applications.” www.klartextgruppe.de www.labgruppen.com www.tannoypro.com

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SOLUTIONS: AKD LUXURY CARS MALL, SHENZHEN CHINA

Motoring ahead The largest car showroom in China is investing in a video solution as sophisticated as the vehicles it sells OPENED IN 2013, the 120,000sqm AKD Luxury Cars Mall accommodates 3,000 luxury vehicles and is a magnet for car enthusiasts among China’s fast growing affluent professional community. It specialises in high-end used cars, including exclusive marques like Bentley and Lamborghini as well as luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Lexus, Land Rover and Audi.

William Ng of AKD Luxury Cars Mall says: “Our clients are highly fashion conscious and AKD caters for them by providing a first-class car buying environment that

68 February 2014

compares favourably with an exclusive shopping mall. For our new premises, we specified 700 display screens delivering synchronised video across each of five floors. As one of the world’s best known independent dealers in highend used cars, we welcome visits and inspections from vehicle manufacturers including BMW, MercedesBenz, Volkswagen and Toyota. They expect to see their vehicles presented in an environment that does full justice to their high-quality engineering.”

AKD Luxury Cars approached the CAS Group, a leading Chinese digital

Seven hundred 42in displays have been fitted throughout the showroom

signage specialist, for support in implementing this vision.

Anson Ng, managing director of the CAS Group, says: “AKD wanted to create a real impression with the screens in its showroom, so it was absolutely essential that every screen works perfectly all day every day. With over 100 screens on each floor, a single screen that is blank or isn’t perfectly synchronised with the neighbouring displays looks really bad. We recommended BrightSign HD220 players because they are totally reliable. It was straightforward to set up the synchronisation through the file networking provided by

the supporting BrightAuthor content management software. Content is stored on an SD card on the player and regularly refreshed from the central server via the showroom’s intranet. AKD sources content from the manufacturers of the vehicles it sells, and also creates its own content.”

The 700 42in displays have been fitted to the front and back of each pillar on every floor of the showroom. The screens are powered by 350 BrightSign players, each driving two screens via a 1 x 2 HDMI splitter. Each floor plays its own content, which is identical on each screen on

[INSTALLED] DISPLAY I BrightSign HD220 networked player I BrightAuthor content management software

that floor. Every screen shows the same video at exactly the same time, and is controlled and synchronised through the showroom intranet and BrightAuthor software. The CAS Group provided the players, programmed the players and tested the installation to ensure that it was working flawlessly. www.brightsign.biz www.the-casgroup.com

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ADVERTISERS

Rants and ramblings GOOGLE Glass certainly seems to be capturing the popular imagination at the moment.

Something like it even featured in the most recent episode of Sherlock (we’d better not say more if you haven’t seen the episode in question…).

However, a recent survey has suggested that Google Glass will have some acceptance issues to overcome when it launches – reportedly in a couple of months’ time. Shopping website lovemyvouchers.co.uk found that 53% of people surveyed thought the reported price ($600) was too high; 61% thought they wouldn’t have a use for the technology; 64% wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to someone wearing it; and 68% said they wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it themselves. (The survey size was well into four figures, although it wasn’t revealed how the sample was chosen.) These are quite high numbers, but they do still potentially leave a substantial minority who are well disposed to the technology.

And, of course, attitudes can change quickly – in either direction. Two pieces of news appeared after these survey results were announced, both with the potential to affect these figures dramatically. In one, a man wearing Google Glass was hauled out of a cinema in Columbus, Ohio by US Homeland Security staff, who thought he was recording the film to pirate it. In the other, it was reported that some software developers have developed an app to, and we quote, “make sex more awesome with Google Glass”. We can’t help thinking that Glass will be making a lot more headlines in the weeks to come…

INDEX

Bits and pieces from the editorial cutting-room floor

Adder Technology.............11 Analog Way .........................19 Ateis ......................................57 Audac ....................................26 Audio-Technica .....................6

The Twitterati share ideas

Barco..............................15, 47 BenQ.....................Front cover Blackmagic Design...............9 Bosch.............................33, 58 Community Professional 37 Control4................................25 d&b audiotechnik...............29 Datapath .......................30-31 Faital......................................61 Gefen.....................................46 Gonsin ...................................63 Guntermann & Drunck .....22 Hetec.....................................45 Hitachi ...................................13 InstallAwards ......................24 InstallMarket ................38-39 ISE...........................................67 Kramer ..................................41 Lectrosonics........................42 Lightware................................2

RECENTLY, the presenters of BBC Radio 5 Live’s film show invited their listeners to think of examples of film directors whose names rhyme with their movies: this was suggested by American Hustle, directed by David O Russell. A few real-life examples were suggested – such as John Woo with Mission: Impossible II, but the contributions soon turned to fantasy pairings instead – such as Martin Scorsese’s Driving Miss Daisy, or Ben Stiller’s Driller Killer.

Why do we mention this here? Only because we were reminded of it when we heard about a professional video equipment manufacturer by the name of Blonder Tongue, which has appointed a new business development manager by the name of Donald Young. Is this an isolated incident, or are there other examples in the AV world of people whose names rhyme with their companies’? Do let us know if you come across any.

Matrox...................................43 Meyer Sound ............................ ................Outside back cover Mitsubishi.............................17 Mode-AL ..................................4 Nebula......................................3 Nuvo ......................................53 Opticis ...................................68 Peavey ..................................69 QSC ........................................59 Rane.......................................65 Shure ................20-21, 54-55

WHAT do you think this is? A bizarre health and safety demonstration? A cruel and unusual punishment? A protest about police brutality?

It’s actually a scene from an outdoor production of The Great World Theatre, a religious allegorical play by Spanish poet and playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Staged by 300 of the local populace in the Swiss monastery town of Einsiedeln, it featured Timax vocal localisation technology from Out Board.

Sommer Cable ....................35 Sony .........................................7 Taiden ......Inside back cover Tag............................................5 Tannoy ..................................48 TOA ........................................51 TV One ..................................27 Vaddio ...................................49 Vogel’s ..................................22

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70 February 2014

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