Installation September 2014 digital edition

Issue 171 / September 2014

AV INTEGRATION IN A NETWORKED WORLD www.installation-international.com

Choose your focus ...to survive and thrive, warns industry veteran p18

Only connect The pressures on switchers and scalers p26

Move sound around Get a steer on directional audio p38

ALL TO PLAY FOR Sports and leisure – a lucrative market p32

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WELCOME 03

September 2014

Editor’s comment W Paddy Baker, Editor paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk

hat do you think about AV-IT convergence?

Is it just one of those buzzphrases that the media like to use, or is it something that truly affects you? And if the latter, do you see it as something on the horizon or something that you’ve dealt with and moved on from?

I ask because Paul Depperschmidt of Cisco talks eloquently on the subject in his interview on page 18.

He has a serious pedigree in AV – primarily in video communications – and was working for Tandberg when it was acquired by the networking giant. So he has seen at first hand the challenges, and the changes, that present themselves when moving to what we might call ‘the IT way of doing things’. He believes that integrators need to decide exactly how big a slice of the technology

‘Integrators need to decide exactly how big a slice of the technology pie they want’ pie they want – and if they want a bigger slice, they either need to learn new skills in new disciplines, or partner up with someone who already has these.

Someone who has already made this decision is Graham Fry, managing director of avsnet. He realigned his company two years ago from being a videoconferencing integrator to a unified communications company – and rebranded it in the process.

Recently he told me (http://bit.ly/1p0rvSS) how, when he revisited a project that two years ago had generated £150,000 on the AV side, he was able to supply almost £1 million worth of equipment and services when refreshing the technology: the pie hadn’t grown, but he could take a much bigger slice.

My suspicion is that unified communications is one of the sectors where the impact of AV-IT convergence has made itself felt most strongly, because of the importance of the network and the multiple uses it is put to; but there are, of course, plenty of others. If you’d like to hear more from integrators who have embraced the transition, come along to InstallMarket at London’s Business Design Centre on 4 September: Graham Fry will be one of four industry experts in a panel session devoted to this topic. The event is free to attend – turn to page 42 for more details.

I’d also welcome your thoughts about how AV-IT convergence has affected you. Please contact me via any of the usual channels.

Subscriptions to Installation are free to qualified readers. Register online at www.installation-international.com/subscribe Installation is published 12 times a year by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LR, England Editorial tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Please send press material to pressreleases@intentmedia.co.uk Circulation & subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1580 883848 Email: installation.subscriptions@c-cms.com Editor: Paddy Baker paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk

US sales – Executive vice president: Adam Goldstein agoldstein@nbmedia.com

Managing editor: Joanne Ruddock jo.ruddock@intentmedia.co.uk

Production manager: Jason Dowie jason.dowie@intentmedia.co.uk

Deputy editor: James McGrath james.mcgrath@intentmedia.co.uk

Digital content manager: Tim Frost tim.frost@intentmedia.co.uk

Designer: Tom Carpenter tom.carpenter@intentmedia.co.uk

Publisher: Steve Connolly

Account manager: Peter McCarthy peter.mccarthy@intentmedia.co.uk

Contributors: Simon Duff, Frank Hoehn, Rob Lane, Ian McMurray, Steve Montgomery Special thanks: Graham Fry, Bob Snyder

© Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

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Print ISSN: 2050-6104

Online ISSN: 2052-2401

Cover image: Barclays Center, Brooklyn (Bruce Damonte) – courtesy of TC Group

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04 CONTENTS September 2014

26

News & Data 06 11 20

24

Update Appointments Industry Data Spending on education technology grows Regional Voices: Belgium

People 12

18

Features

Opinion On the Horizon: Rob Lane On the Agenda: Ian McMurray On the Agenda: Frank Hoehn Interview Paul Depperschmidt, Cisco Systems

26

42

38

18 Solutions 58

Technology 47 52 54

60

New Products Demo of the Month Peerless-AV mounting solutions Showcase LED lighting

47

32

62

King’s Church, Amersham: A flexible venue-wide AV set-up offering consistent coverage was a must for this new-build church Carrières de Lumières, Les Baux-de-Provence: A former stone quarry is now home to an elaborate AV show utilising a wide range of projection technology AWE Headquarters, Epsom: The high-end distributor has invested in a new facility to showcase the latest in commercial and residential technology

Switching and scaling: An essential element of many installations Sports and leisure facilities: Opportunities abound for integrators in this wide-ranging sector Directional audio: Understanding a venue’s acoustics is crucial for a successful install

Show Previews 42

44

InstallMarket: More details of the speaker line-up, a new sponsor and more ahead of the 4 September show IBC2014: What to look out for in Amsterdam

58

www.dbaudio.com

The challenges remain consistent, but seldom appear independently. The d&b columns, however, are new and corrective; a unique combination of waveguides and damped ports create a cardioid pattern with a constant horizontal directivity of 90°, whilst the tight vertical dispersion tilts downwards in the low to mid range and is adjustable in the high frequencies. Handy for those who like to comprehend word for word in long, large, high, reverberant spaces with impediments to intelligibility. The d&b xC-Series: positions text clearly.

Parallel wall mounting

Extremely reverberant spaces Visual unobtrusiveness Large and high ceilings

+LJKO\ UHĂ HFWLYH VXUIDFHV Huge room volumes

06 UPDATE September 2014

Bikini Berlin wears Elation LEDs More than 1,000 Elation Professional LED luminaires have been installed in Bikini Berlin – a concept shopping centre located in a Grade II listed building in the German capital.

B+M Elektrobau of Berlin provided complete electrical planning and execution as part of a three-year renovation plan for the building. The project included lighting for the Bikinihaus hall – a historical 200m-long, open colonnade which is an architectural symbol of Berlin’s west cityscape.

Elation’s Opti Tri White fixtures are track-mounted in rows beneath the Bikinihaus ceiling, lighting the commercial retail and walking areas below.

Elsewhere, a number of Opti Tri RGB LED luminaires are located

on the ground floor and are used to add a touch of dynamic colour for holiday shopping seasons or special events.

From a sixth-floor position, projecting onto the second floor outer deck are Elation ELAR 180 Par WW luminaires.

Further ELAR 180 Par WW are used to light the forecourt of the Zoo Palast cinema, with additional fixtures used at the 25hours Hotel.

The entire system is controlled via five Elation Art SSC lighting controllers with expansion module ART IO units. www.elationlighting.com

UPDATE 07

September 2014

New Partners South Africa’s Tadco will now distribute the entire range of Clear-Com communications systems across the sub-Saharan African region. Tadco will also serve as Clear-Com’s dedicated live performance distribution partner in South Africa. www.clearcom.com www.tadco.co.za UK HDMI video distribution system manufacturer HDanywhere has signed an exclusive US distribution deal with WAVE Electronics. From the middle of this month, WAVE stores in the eastern and southern US will begin stocking HDanywhere HDBaseT products: modular 4K matrix series, pro HDMI extenders and HDMI signal managers. www.hdanywhere.co.uk www.wave-electronics.com

Orchestral manoeuvres The Boston Symphony Orchestra is using Haivision’s video streaming solutions to power an enhanced mobile viewing experience at Tanglewood, the outdoor summer home of the orchestra. Called Tanglewood Lawncast, this mobile pilot programme offers participating audience members access to exclusive digital media content – including programme notes, performer interviews and live camera feeds of the concert – via their iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. The Haivision solution delivers HD video to mobile audiences in well under one second.

Lawncast was designed and implemented by engineering, programming and installation AV company North American Theatrix using www.haivision.com Haivision video solutions.

TC Group has named TID as the exclusive distributor of Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake products in South Africa. The deal will see TID, located in Ranburg, become the primary contact for all three brands in the country, with exclusive access to Tannoy professional loudspeakers, as well as exclusive access to the extensive library of Lab.gruppen and Lake amplification and processing products. www.tcgroup.tc www.tidistribution.co.za Outboard has appointed SC Alliance as its new Japanese distributor for the TiMax2 SoundHub audio showcontrol matrix and TiMax Tracker performer tracking system. www.outboard.co.uk www.sc-a.jp

08 UPDATE September 2014

Spreading the Word An unprecedented 140-element Martin Audio OmniLine system has been installed into Australia’s oldest cathedral – St Andrew’s in Sydney.

Services here have unusual logistics: there is a 360º presentation from the pulpit, the centre transept area requires sound reinforcement, and the congregation can sit anywhere. Also, priests move through the nave on headset radio mics, with open mics for Q&A sessions.

The team at Wizard Projects identified a number of design hurdles: the long reverberation time, sub bass placement and beam steering. The solution: 140 OmniLine elements in 22 hangs, along with six AQ212 dual-12in sub bass cabinets. OmniLine is used in active arrays for the critical areas and passive hangs for spot fill, distributed across 60 channels of 200W-per-channel amps. In active mode, each array element is separately amplified and processed using FIR filters, to produce consistent frequency response throughout the listening area.

The sub bass system is floor mounted in two banks of three AQ212 with separate amplification and processing for each cabinet, which enables the low frequency to be electronically steered.

Another ingenious design feature enables the pulpit’s local OmniLine to be ramped

down, panned and re-EQed to its opposite partner array via the use of an under-carpet pressure mat whenever a priest uses a live mic in the pulpit. www.martinaudio.com

APPOINTMENTS 11

September 2014

NEC Display Solutions

Core Brands

Vertical market focus strengthened Manufacturer creates two new roles with Justin Bhatt covering the aviation sector and Craig McQueen focusing on retail

www.corebrands.com

A

s part of its aim to be a Total Display Solution Provider, NEC has reassigned Justin Bhatt (pictured, left) to focus on the aviation sector as Aviation Solutions Architect and promoted Craig McQueen to head up NEC’s Solutions Team.

Over the past four years, Bhatt has established himself as a technical expert in the UK audiovisual industry, having worked alongside NEC’s sales team providing pre-sales support while designing and delivering solutions across multiple industry sectors.

McQueen has been with NEC Display Solutions for two years with proven success in his sales role with a vertical

Scott Ashbaugh has been appointed director of CI distribution sales at Core Brands. His principal responsibility is to build channel sales for the Niles, Panamax and Xantech brands and he will report directly to senior vice president of sales Dave Keller.

DiGiCo/Allen & Heath/Calrec James Gordon has been named group CEO of a new proaudio entity established by DiGiCo, Allen & Heath and Calrec. He will be supported by Glenn Rogers, managing director of Allen & Heath, and Henry Goodman, Calrec’s sales and marketing director.

www.digico.biz focus on the retail sector. He will work to further develop NEC’s partnerships, firmly focused on customer needs.

“One of NEC’s great assets is the quality of its staff and I am delighted to see two of our valued members being recognised for their dedication,” said Simon Jackson, VP, NEC Display Solutions UK/BLX.

www.nec-display-solutions.com

Elation Professional Allan Bagger is Elation Professional’s new sales representative for Denmark. As one of the founders of Music Group Denmark, Bagger comes to the position with extensive experience and knowledge of the Danish lighting market. He will be based in Aarhus.

www.elationlighting.com

Martin Audio Revolabs

Meyer Sound

Sales team strengthened

Trio of new faces at manufacturer

New VP of global sales responsible for entire Revolabs portfolio

Constellation team expanded and German sales team enhanced

Jim Fairweather has been named executive vice president of global sales at Revolabs. As leader of the global sales team he will be responsible for the worldwide management and recruitment of the sales organisation as well as the growth and profitability of the entire portfolio of Revolabs products.

Fairweather has more than 30 years of experience in the high technology industry, having previously served as vice president of worldwide sales for Hewlett Packard Visual Collaboration Business Unit; and vice president, Americas and US sales at Polycom, PictureTel and MCI WorldCom. Prior to joining Revolabs he was vice president of worldwide channel sales for Vidyo.

Meyer Sound has strengthened its Constellation team with the addition of Mac Johnson and Melody Parker, while Markus Dehmer joins Meyer Sound Germany as sales manager, install.

Johnson, who was previously managing partner of a sound rental company in Charleston has been named Constellation project manager, while Parker, a former acoustical consultant and music analyst becomes associate acoustic engineer.

Dehmer is tasked with supporting theatre and studio customers throughout Germany.

He previously led the pro-audio department of Landau Electronic, where he was responsible for Meyer Sound installations in locations such as City Casino Basel and CongressForum Frankenthal.

www.revolabs.com

www.meyersound.com

Luke Ireland is now managing director at Martin Audio.

As an experienced business leader, Ireland is well versed in product development, manufacturing excellence, sales and marketing. His remit will be to develop reliable business structure and scalable process capabilities to enhance innovation and reliability of supply.

www.martin-audio.com

Peerless-AV Tracy Barrow has joined the UK team at Peerless-AV as national sales manager. She has been charged with managing and developing Peerless’ IT reseller relationships nationwide. She joins from distribution partner Exertis Micro-P.

www.peerless-av.com

Transformative Enginnering Jon Ralston has been appointed director of sales at Transformative Engineering. He has two decades of experience in commercial and residential installation management, and was most recently AV project manager for Boston Productions.

www.transformativeengineering.com

12 OPINION: ON THE HORIZON September 2014

Rob Lane Pepper’s Ghost: a new hope Just how effective are today’s versions of the ancient conjuring trick?

L

ast month I looked at self-funded tech, including Voxiebox, the ‘world’s first holographic gaming system’. A few days after I posted my copy, one of my clients, Engage Production, held a ‘holographic display showcase’ at its FLUX Innovation Lounge in London; while Voxiebox didn’t feature, a couple of the solutions on display pushed Star Wars buttons with attending journalists (‘Star Wars 3D hologram calls are not so far away,’ screamed one headline!). So is Pepper’s Ghost, a 400-yearold illusion that had its heyday in Victorian times, getting the same reboot treatment as a ’70s scifi movie? You be the judge.

Holo-Gauze, the brainchild of Stuart WarrenHill – a co-founder of the Big Chill music festival – came about because Stuart needed a new type of holographic display to tour his recently issued 3D album, Holotronica. It needed to be easy to tour and more affordable than other solutions.

Officially launching this autumn, Holo-Gauze is a highly transparent, lightweight metallic gauze the can be set up “in minutes”, according to Stuart. It is designed to be used with 3D polarised projection systems (using 3D anaglyph glasses) but can also be used to create lifelike 2D holograms of people.

Holo-Gauze isn’t expensive (£350 per metre) and is scalable to any size. But is it any good?

Well, clearly its effectiveness is dependent upon the quality of the 3D images beamed upon it, but Stuart’s FLUX demo certainly surprised a lot of people. It was possible to see just how effective the system would be in a nightclub or fronting a theatrical event – with or without the glasses.

And it isn’t difficult to imagine a projection of Princess Leia (“help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi”) if Stuart

Holotronica Holo-Gauze launches this autumn

were called upon to recreate the iconic hologram for the Star Wars: Episode VII premiere next year…

So what else is generating similar headlines?

Well, according to a California startup, mobile phones will soon boast 3D holographic projectors to allow us to speak to holograms of our friends and family in the palms of our hands. Ostendo Technologies has spent nine years developing QPI (quantum photonic imagers), 2D and 3D chips that, it is claimed, project images in mid-air.

It’s difficult to imagine how this could be possible, given that projectors require a screen of some description on which to project. However, given that Ostendo has raised $90 million from venture capitalists and reportedly received $58 million in US government research contracts, perhaps we should give it the benefit of the doubt.

And what about Holovision – a ‘life size hologram’? Currently suspended from Kickstarter due to an intellectual property dispute, Provision’s Holovision projector is claimed to produce 3D images via volumetric imaging, using an LCD screen and a concave mirror to create the illusion

of a floating 3D image. So far, so Pepper’s Ghost.

So how effective is it? It depends upon your expectations of course, and that is – at least according to this one VR expert’s blog entry (http://doc-ok.org/?p=686) – part of the problem. Holovision’s Kickstarter campaign was accompanied by a selection of exciting images and a video fronted by Provision founder Curt Thornton that made some bold claims and used CG images from blockbuster movies (including Star Wars) to augment Curt’s voice-over.

I’ll leave you to judge the motives behind the video, but in the race to create holograms worthy of a galaxy far, far away, it’s perhaps advisable to let the press make the Star Wars comparisons – as I’ve done here!

Rob Lane is founder/director of PR/marketing agency Bigger Boat PR Ltd and an old hack with a taste for Star Wars headlines. www.holotronica.com www.ostendo.com

14 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA September 2014

Ian McMurray Global market figures InfoComm’s latest global market research report is a source of high-quality data

I

n June, at its annual show and conference, InfoComm International previewed its 2014 Market Definition and Strategy Study: Global. Now complete, this latest market research is certainly an impressive piece of work in terms of length, running to over 80 pages. There’s in-depth coverage of the market by geographic region (with 11 individual country reports also available), by customer segment, and by equipment type, identifying market sizes and anticipated growth rates.

At first glance, it reveals few surprises.

Displays are the largest product segment.

Projector sales are slowing. Asia-Pacific is growing fast. Services are becoming increasingly important. Nothing new there.

Two real values But that doesn’t diminish the importance of the report. The two real values it brings are that it provides independent, objective confirmation of things we believe we know – and that it quantifies those things.

It turns out that displays are, in fact, 16% of the market and the displays market is forecast to grow at 14% – faster than the overall market growth of 11%.

Good market research – which this unquestionably is – can also raise as many questions as it answers. This report, for example, believes that the conferencing/ collaboration market will remain flat in the near term – but it doesn’t really explain why the researchers believe that’s the case, and what might change the market’s trajectory.

Another example: the report, in its section on trends, identifies Cloud computing as

a technology that will have a potentially significant impact on the AV market. “A point of concern is that the cloud will replace hardware sales,” say the authors, going on to note that “most pro AV integrators have not figured out how to make money from the cloud.” Readers might want more answers here – although the researchers could claim that this is beyond the intended scope of the report.

Thinking differently Where the research is helpful, however, is in how it can enable companies to think differently. The report confirms that “falling product margins lead to the growing importance of services” and notes “the difficulty of getting customers to pay for them”.

Again, no surprises there – but by going on to take the amorphous concept of ‘services’ and break it down into the practical realities of installation/integration, managed services, rental/staging, programming, design and so on, it adds valuable sharpness to strategic thinking.

A useful addition to the report might have been some analysis of potential disruptors – bumps in the road that might affect its forecasts. Perhaps correctly, for example, it sees 4K as being a significant driver of market growth – but supposing 4K doesn’t become as pervasive as it expects? What role do consumer acceptance and consumer products play in making 4K a reality in the professional world?

The report isn’t for every integrator or manufacturer – but for some, it will provide an invaluable tool. Any AV company seeking investment is likely to have to convince a

lender that this is a good market to be in – and the InfoComm report provides the necessary compelling data. For companies looking to grow – to diversify by product offering or market segment or geography – the report provides insight into where the best opportunities lie.

Support and illumination As David Ogilvy, the founder of one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, famously said: “I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgement; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post – for

‘Good market research – which this unquestionably is – can raise as many questions as it answers’

support, rather than for illumination.”

InfoComm 2014 Market Definition and Strategy Study: Global provides both support and illumination. It’s not indispensable – but for companies looking for a single source of highquality data about the AV market and where it’s heading, it offers unique value. InfoComm is to be commended for it.

The study can be purchased in its entirety or by regional or country report.

Ian McMurray is a freelance journalist.

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16 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA September 2014

Frank Hoehn Designing dynamic exterior lighting systems A challenging market for integrators but one with many rewards

N

ot surprisingly, the broader architectural community is following in the footsteps of its more elite members, many of whom have moved beyond mere buildings and now aspire to create ambitious artistic statements. For systems integrators, this slow gravitation towards performance art has created exciting opportunities for our industry to help bring the architects’ and lighting designers’ concepts to fruition in new and often breathtaking ways.

So far, the opportunities have materialised at the high end with the deployment of AV technology in some of the most progressive and exciting architectural projects of recent times. Millennium Park in Chicago, the Danish Industry Confederation’s headquarters in Copenhagen, and the Superdome in New Orleans are great examples of what’s possible when AV integrators, lighting designers and architects collaborate.

The advent of LED technology has given licence to systems integrators, lighting designers and architects to deploy lighting for wash effect, spots or video. With each LED essentially acting as a pixel, a large wall can be transformed into a very large canvas. Couple this advance with the creative use of dynamic lighting – not least moving heads – and the combined impact of architectural inspiration with lighting and AV is extremely exciting.

There are challenges, of course, the weather not the least among them. Imagine the pixelbased large canvas mentioned above, and then imagine the impact of just one light failing due to heat, cold, dust or windblown debris.

With the work of systems integrators

and lighting designers now on display 24/7, selecting lighting technology that is high performing, reliable and backed by comprehensive support is critical to garnering consistently good reviews.

Obviously, integrating lighting into an architectural design adds equipment and power costs. But many consider empowering the architect to use dynamic exterior lighting to add powerful impact with only limited structural changes.

This is particularly true for historically protected buildings or projects involving property where reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazardous materials, which are commonly called brownfield renovation.

It’s up to systems integrators and lighting designers to demonstrate the true value of lighting to partner architects: it significantly enhances their design, helping them achieve more with less. Ensuring lighting is thought of in this way also requires close collaboration with partners in the electrical trade. It’s here that the interaction between performance and construction professionals is most tactile, making relationships based on a mutual understanding of roles, rules and compliance critical to producing excellent work that everyone can be proud of.

In the same spirit, partnering with sustainability officers on the project’s consumption of power is essential to casting the creative execution in a positive light. In recent years, systems integrators and lighting designers have shown our community’s commitment to sustainable systems. Now, as dynamic lighting is being deployed to grand

effect on permanent installations, it’s important for sustainability to be an integral element of the architectural design. Co-locating solar cells to power the lighting is a good starting point.

Sustainability is also achieved by the use of low-energy systems like LED technology, appropriate control systems and the long-term maintenance of it – where system integrators also play a vital role.

Colour is another important factor. If we consider dynamic lighting to be an addition to the architect’s palette, then colour range, performance and output should be high on the list of priorities for integrators and designers alike. Working with a lighting manufacturer that recognises the importance of colour range and consistent performance is critical to ensuring that the overall visual impact of the work remains true to the original vision. This is as relevant for the main street store and suburban cinema as it is for the high-end gallery or national parliament building.

Like copper domes and glass spires, dynamic exterior lighting is not for every building.

Lighting offers the architectural community an opportunity to be more creative and effective.

And it’s our industry’s opportunity – if not our responsibility – to ensure that these buildings embody the same stunning level of quality and professionalism as our biggest and brightest performance shows.

Frank Hoehn is senior sales director, install at Martin Professional. www.martin.com

18 INTERVIEW: PAUL DEPPERSCHMIDT, CISCO September 2014

Decision time for integrators This industry veteran has strong views about how the landscape is changing for integrators as AV-IT convergence continues. He talks to Paddy Baker

P

aul Depperschmidt is well placed to comment on the effects of AV-IT convergence on the world of the integrator.

A 25-year industry veteran with a background in video communications, he spent eight years at Polycom before moving to Tandberg, the latter being acquired by Cisco in 2010. Much of his career has involved working with channel partners, although he has also spent time in sales and management for integration companies and manufacturers. So he’s seen the sales process from many sides, and watched it evolve.

He observes: “I think every manufacturer with a channel programme ought to have someone who worked at a partner for a little while – it’s just a different world on that side of it. If you have an appreciation of what they do every day it’s a lot easier to tailor your programmes around them.”

Drastic changes He describes the move to Cisco as “the biggest upheaval” of his career – and he has seen “drastic changes” in the role of the

AV integrator over the past three years.

“For as long as I had been in the industry, video codecs that we sold into integrated conference rooms were exclusively the realm of the AV integrator.”

So he would present codecs to integrators and, once they were convinced these were right for the project, the integrators would specify them. “The end user typically didn’t know or care what codec they were using.”

Now, when companies like Cisco or Microsoft are involved, “the integrator may be at the tail-end of the process, and not necessarily driving that decision any longer”.

Instead, large corporations may buy their Cisco endpoints from the Cisco partner that has also sold them their network infrastructure. “So it’s not just the technology that has changed over the last three years – it’s the go-to-market.”

While he obviously can’t speak for Microsoft, he believes that company is set to have a similar impact to Cisco on the AV space.

“They’re going at it from the computer and the desktop, while we’re going at it from

Paul Depperschmidt – a brief biography Paul Depperschmidt, CTS, is manager, collaboration market development at Cisco, and a member of the Cisco Collaboration go-to-market team responsible for voice, TelePresence, digital media, unified communications and web-social applications He has held numerous management positions with AV integrators and manufacturers, most recently with Tandberg (which was acquired by Cisco) and Polycom He served many years as chair of InfoComm International’s Professional Education and Training Committee, and also served on the InfoComm Commissioning Verification Standards Development Task Force

INTERVIEW: PAUL DEPPERSCHMIDT, CISCO 19

September 2014

the network standpoint. It’s going to be an interesting world – there are two behemoths going at each other here. Sometimes we work together, sometimes we compete, but it’s the nature of the world

been reversed – it’s now much more bottom-up”.

This has had at least three ramifications.

First, prices are falling.

For instance, ahead of InfoComm, Cisco introduced the SX10 Quick Set – an all-

‘You can provide the communications system to everyone, or you’re going to be a bit player, and just have a piece of the pie’

now that the underlying architecture everything runs on is the key.”

Cisco is migrating its video communication offerings from “the old Tandberg VCS world” into the collaboration world – with greater scalability and improved functionality in areas such as telephony, video, mobile, instant messaging and presence.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is pushing Lync as its underlying architecture.

“So the AV integrator is facing the battle of the behemoths; now you have two major players promoting their own versions.”

Bottom-up model That’s not all that has changed. In the “old world”, vendors employed a ‘topdown’ strategy: customers had large, dedicated room systems installed first, and the expectation was that “once the C-level guys saw video working they would love it so much that they would push it to the rest of the organisation”. In fact, because the market wasn’t ready, “it never got past the mid-level”. Today, driven by the use of video in our daily lives on PCs, smartphones and tablets at a very low cost, “the strategy has

in-one video codec solution that just needs the addition of a display to video-enable a small collaboration room – for less than $4,000 (retail), so integrators can fit out a room, with monitors, for around $5,000.

Second, the demand profile is moving downwards. “A large enterprise would be much more willing to put in 100 huddle rooms at $5,000 or $10,000 fully installed, than four or five $150,000 rooms,” he says. “It’s not that they won’t need the big rooms, but they’re going to do a lot more of the small rooms.”

Third, Depperschmidt is seeing a trend in which functionality is being traded for simplicity of operation. “You can walk into conference rooms – even here in Cisco – where you can’t figure out how to make them run. That should be scary to the AV space.

So we’re seeing customers saying, ‘I’ll take fewer features if it means it will work every time we walk in, and anyone anywhere can understand how this room works.’”

Mixed-margin work He appreciates that $5,000-room work of this kind is not especially

attractive to AV integrators, because of its ‘cookie-cutter’ nature with little potential – or time – for customisation.

But he urges integrators to take this work regardless because “if you’re not doing that work, someone else will. And while they’re doing that, the customer may say, ‘We have this big auditorium – can you do that?’ And what do you think that other company is going to say? ‘Of course we can.’ It doesn’t really matter if they can or not.”

So, he says, integrators have to figure out how to be able to carry out both kinds of projects – the small, low-value ones and the larger, highermargin ones.

And it’s not entirely a bad thing for integrators that someone other than themselves is selling the equipment – because partnering with those companies can open up new opportunities. In many cases, “multi-billiondollar Cisco partners” have reached out to Depperschmidt and asked him to put them in contact with good integrators.

“All the integrator loses, frankly, is the Cisco product, which could be as small as 10 or 15% of the entire project. The end customer may not care what equipment goes in the rest of the room – the control system, the sound, the lighting… Many integrators have started following the large Cisco partners and are being fed business on a regular basis – it’s a nice ecosystem, the way that it’s worked out.”

These don’t have to be the big-name integrators, they can sometimes be smaller operations; he does caution, though, that it’s possible for integrators

to “lose control of their destiny” if they become overly dependent on this kind of work.

Mid-market Turning to the mid-market, this is a less congested space as Cisco has not penetrated it very far, he says. There is a place here for integrators to make the full sale, rather than being a sub-contractor, if they can deliver an entire real-time communications system – voice, instant messaging, telepresence, recording, video, telephony and the associated infrastructure – in a package that they can sell. There’s a problem, though: “AV integrators are typically averse to talking about telephony.”

Meanwhile telephony companies are looking at adding video onto VOIP systems – something that requires minimal changes. “But they don’t understand the video part, the AV part – essentially the analogue world. So we’re seeing regional telephony inegrators teaming up with regional AV companies to make the perfect single company” – through partnerships or acquisitions.

“It’s a time of decision for AV integrators: who do I want to be, what do I want to do? I’ve told integrators: you can provide the communications system to everyone, or you’re going to be a bit player, and just have a piece of the pie… unless you step into the discussion of the entire deployment.” He stresses that AV integrators can still make money as niche players, but won’t have as much control over their destiny.

He reckons that for various reasons – inertia, not knowing how to seek

out this wider business or being too busy to learn – 90% will decide to remain as pure AV integrators. And while he sees that as a more uncertain future, it is by no means a bleak one.

“A lot of people think AV integrators won’t survive – I’m not one of them.

Because of the skillset they have, they’re going to be necessary – as long as they understand what that expertise is.” It’s not about products in a rack, he argues, it’s about making spaces that people can use. The last part of the signal path – from the display to the eye or from the speaker to the ear – will always be analogue, and IT or telephony companies “don’t know what they don’t know” about it.

While his experience is mainly in the corporate market, Depperschmidt sees the market developing along similar lines in many other sectors, such as digital signage and education; although in sports venues, for example, the traditional AV role is probably more protected because “you absolutely need someone who knows acoustics, someone who knows vision” and so on.

In summary, his advice for integrators can be condensed into a few sentences. Find a way to accentuate what you’re good at. Latch onto something to differentiate yourself from companies coming in from outside the industry. Start looking at what you want to be.

And finally, “look for that IT partner, that telephony partner – and say to them, ‘We’re more powerful together than apart.’”

www.cisco.com

20 INDUSTRY DATA September 2014

Furthering education Spending on education technology is increasing but schools need to consider how they invest, writes Steve Montgomery The global spend on education technology within classrooms reached $13 billion last year, up 11% on 2012, according to a new market study from Futuresource Consulting.

The study explores mobile PC devices, classroom displays and complementary devices to reveal that the market will continue to rise in value. It is expected to reach $19 billion by 2018, a CAGR of 8% from 2013 to 2018.

This increase has been primarily driven by the uplift in the mobile PC, now accounting for 62% of spend. Some 1.4 million displays and 1 million interactive whiteboards were sold in 2013. Interactive flatpanels experienced a four-fold increase.

It is very difficult for schools to make a five-year technology strategy, the report found – just a few years ago the decision was much easier. Now there is confusion with the plethora of choices vying for the same budgets. Schools need to ensure that decisions taken today will not be wasted money in a few years’ time.

Education technology spend 2013 1% 1%

1% 1%

Mobile PCs Interactive whiteboards Interactive flatpanel displays

19%

62%

Interactive projectors Projectors

3%

Attachment devices

5%

Visualisers

7%

Amplifiers Voting systems

$19 billion Expected global spend on education technology, 2018

www.futuresource-consulting.com

Annual sales value ($bn) 6 2008

2013

2018*

Complementary devices

0.09

0.06

0.03

3

Classroom displays

0.96

1.25

1.11

2

Mobile PCs

0.74

1.43

3.68

5 4

1 0

Source: Futuresource, Universe of Education Technology *=Forecast 2008

2013

2018*

INDUSTRY DATA 23

September 2014

Clear connections Internet connectivity speeds are rising around the world, with many countries offering 4K capability, explains Steve Montgomery

Top 10 countries average connection speed

countries/regions. Again, South Korea leads, with 60% of its connections at this rate.

“While there is room for improvement in high-speed broadband adoption in some areas of the world, the trend is very positive,” said David Belson, author of the report. “Steady growth suggests a strong, global foundation is being built for next-generation content and services like 4K video and that connectivity will continue to evolve to support the growing demands these emerging technologies will place on the internet.”

Global average internet connection speeds have grown over the past year by 24% to reach 3.9Mbps following a 1.6% increase in the first quarter of 2014. South Korea leads with an average of 23.6Mbps; six countries had speeds below 1Mbps, with Libya trailing at 0.5Mbps. This is the finding of Akamai’s State of the Internet Q1 2014 report.

A bandwidth of 15Mbps is required to deliver 4K (Ultra HD) adaptive bitrate streams. Eleven percent of connections reach this 4K ‘ready’ speed, spread across 47

0

5

Mbps 10 15 20 25

South Korea Japan Hong Kong Switzerland Netherlands Latvia Sweden 2014

Czech Republic

2013

Finland Ireland

www.akamai.com

24%

EMEA 4K readiness 25%

Annual growth in global average internet connection speeds

4K ready connections 20%

15%

10%

5%

UAE

South Africa

Turkey

Italy

Portugal

France

Spain

Hungary

Slovakia

Poland

Germany

Israel

Romania

Russia

Austria

Ireland

Belgium

United Kingdom

Denmark

Czech Republic

Finland

Norway

Sweden

Netherlands

Switzerland

0%

Source: Akamai State of the Internet Q1 2014

24 DATA: REGIONAL VOICES September 2014

BELGIUM How is the installation industry faring in the home of manufacturers such as Barco, Televic, Apart and PVS? Our latest survey finds out How do you think your company’s revenue will change over the next 12 months?

%:

an 5

Grow

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1%

14 h, Q2 20 t w o r g onomics al GDP

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46

14 ficit, 20 e d t e g erg Bud Bloomb Source:

To what extent do these challenges apply to your business?

Recruiting/retaining with the right level of skills

If you could change one thing about the way the installation market works in your country, what would it be?

Ensuring existing staff keep up-to-date with new technologies

‘In public tenders, AV should be kept out of the electrical installation.’

Maintaining a good project pipeline without under- or over-committing people

‘Professionalism is the most important factor.’

‘Avoid low-quality products installed by unexperienced people.’

Cost pressures

The need to expand into new vertical market sectors Managing complex projects Getting paid on time

‘Quality should prevail over price.’

0% Not at all

Slightly

Significantly

20% Greatly

40%

60%

80%

100%

26 BUSINESS FEATURE: SWITCHING/SCALING September 2014

An AMX Enova DGX 16 switcher scaler is at the heart of an innovative learning facility at The Forum, Southend-on-Sea

Making the connection Every AV installation is different, but the large majority of them have one thing in common: the switcher/scaler. Ian McMurray finds out why they’re everywhere

L

ook behind your TV and, there behind the mass of twisted cables, what do you see? One, two, three, perhaps even four HDMI ports? One or two or three USB ports? An RF and/or satellite socket, obviously.

Perhaps a VGA port and a SCART port for those so-called ‘legacy’ devices.

An Ethernet port. Digital audio? DVI? Stereo audio?

Component? Headphones?

Welcome to the connected world, in which we expect to be able to have any device talk to any other device – in its own language. And if we want to do it on a wide scale – well, enter the switcher/scaler, the heartbeat of many AV installations.

First things first, however. As Chris Charran, business development manager at integrator IVC Technologies, rightly points

out: switching and scaling are two very different functions. “A switcher is an electronic switching device that eliminates the need to make a manual, mechanical patch. Scalers convert video signals of one display resolution and/or aspect ratio to another.”

That may seem obvious – but the underlying point is that, as both functionalities are so often required, they are typically integrated

within the same box.

Switchers and scalers can, of course, be discrete devices.

Scalers, scalers everywhere Brian Davies, technology director at AMX Europe, explains how his company’s latest platforms work.

“AMX Enova switching products utilise scalers at every output as part of our SmartScale solution

Key Points There are alternatives to using a switcher/ scaler – but they should only be considered if budget is extremely tight

There is no ideal/ ’one size fits all’ switcher/ scaler – there is a vast choice, enabling the specific needs of almost any installation to be met

Integrated solutions are highly favoured, but for some environments, a more application-specific solution may work better Constant pushing of AV boundaries – for instance with 4K/Ultra HD – means that upgrading a switcher/scaler is typically a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’

FEATURE: SWITCHING/SCALING 27

September 2014

to achieve a ‘highest common resolution’ between displays with mismatched capabilities,” he says.

“SmartScale ensures that the source will always provide the highest possible image resolution with the individual scaler at each output, delivering an image at the preferred native resolution of the display. We believe that benefits of scalers are so compelling, in every application, that we include one at every point that an image is delivered to a display.”

Andy Fliss, director of marketing at TV One, is clear. “The range of applications is very wide and applications span all vertical markets,” he points out. “Switching and scaling are rarely options or luxuries; they are necessary functions in nearly every video display environment. Fit is determined by functional priority.” He notes that TV One offers “dozens” of switcher/scalers to enable ‘best fit’.

The question still has to be asked, though: is there an alternative?

“The alternative is to use the scaling within the display device, or within a product such as a PC,” says Tim Brooksbank, chairman of Calibre UK. “Whether this is acceptable depends on the picture quality, flexibility, connectivity and system reliability required.”

EDID inadequate

The MX Series from Lightware are described as future-proofed matrix backplanes and are able to switch to 12.8 gigabit per second data rates

“The switcher/scaler is a must to solve signal compatibility issues in inputs/outputs,” believes Franck Facon, marketing and communications director at Analog Way. “We could do without a scaler if working with standardised signals, which is far from being the case in our digital world. Without a scaler you are forced to play with EDID [extended display identification data], which is not an adequate alternative. The switcher/scaler remains the safe solution to provide signal processing within a fixed installation.”

“Many switcher/scalers also have the great advantage in that they will either seamlessly switch or will fade through black between different inputs,” points out Tim Parsons, project manager at integrator Audioworks. “Nothing can be more of a distraction then a projector going

to a blue screen while changing input in the middle of a meeting.”

So: there are alternatives – but at the cost of convenience, flexibility, reliability, quality and audience engagement. In other words: other than in the most budget-constrained environments, a switcher/scaler is all but mandatory.

Is there, then, such a thing as an ideal switcher/scaler?

“What is ‘ideal’ depends on the application and market sector,” says Brooksbank. “There are universal scaler-switchers available – such as Calibre’s LEDView530 – that can perform many functions such as drive LED videowalls, warp, blend and geometry-correct projectors, scale/switch/colour-correct images for display on many types of device, all with low video latency and great picture quality.

However, these types of product can be too costly for price-sensitive applications such as education, so more basic task-specific devices are commonplace too.”

Swiss Army knives “There are switchers and scalers that handle most applications,” adds Fliss, “but the wonderful colloquialism ‘jack of all trades, but master of none’ certainly applies. Just like a Swiss Army knife, a general-purpose scaler or switcher can provide a variety of solutions, but it probably will not excel with all. Higher-end applications require devices that are fit for purpose, so they will provide top performance with the most critical functions.”

David Jones, international sales manager at Lightware, is convinced of the need to prioritise the required functionality.

“Yes, it certainly depends on the application,” he smiles. “Sometimes, a switcher/matrix is required, sometimes not. Sometimes scaling is the best way to ensure a constant picture on screen – and sometimes not. That’s why our market is so interesting. There are some wonderful one-box solutions for presentation environments with scaling, switching, control and audio amplification already incorporated.

In the right applications, these would be the best fit. Conversely, a solution

28 FEATURE: SWITCHING/SCALING September 2014

like Lightware offers that is focused purely on switching, conversion and transmission, is often the perfect switcher in other applications.

No one product is ideal all the time.”

What kind of questions, then, does an integrator need to ask in order to determine ‘best fit’?

“I’d begin by identifying the source signals required and the displays to which those will be output,” says Charran. “Then, I’d be looking at connector types.

Are both audio and video switching required? How many inputs and outputs are there in total? And do I need to be able to control the display?”

Parsons would ask similar questions – and add more. “I would want to know whether external

control of the switcher would be required – via an AMX control panel, for example, or a smartphone app. If I’m looking to upscale a live video source to a live screen where there might be lip sync issues, I’d want to know about latency. I’d find out what the customer’s warranty expectations are.”

“And,” he laughs, “last but not least – I’d need to know the budget.”

Around the corner So much for today – but what about tomorrow? With 4K/Ultra HD just around the corner – how far around the corner depends on who you speak to – it’s inevitable that many end users are looking to ‘future-proof’ their installations. Can the switcher/scaler help?

Davies notes the value

Case Study College install from Audioworks Hymers College is an independent school in Hull, England with a history dating back to 1893. The college approached Audioworks to design, supply and install a new AV system for the assembly hall. The brief was that the system should be capable of accepting various inputs from different sources, should be easy to operate and should provide a clear image to all seats in the hall.

The video system that Audioworks designed to fulfil this purpose featured a Kramer VP-729 switcher/scaler, allowing UXGA and HDMI sources to be scaled and switched by an operator. A Kramer HDMI over Cat6 distribution system takes the signal from the switcher/scaler to an NEC PA series projector and various NEC screens. Control of the switcher/scaler is by both an AMX control panel fitted within the rack to the side of the stage, and via Kramer’s VP-729 control app running on a smartphone/ tablet. Audio from Sennheiser radio microphones is delivered via a Yamaha LS9 digital mixing console to Martin Audio speakers installed down the length of the hall.

of modularity in terms of providing some ability to respond to future

developments.

“Modular-based switching solutions address

the question of futureproofing by ensuring that the chassis/switching

30 FEATURE: SWITCHING/SCALING September 2014

backplane can handle the bandwidth requirements of full 4K today, ready for the introduction of input and output cards with 4K scalers in the future,” he notes. “Should a customer need to upgrade to support full 4K, they will only need to change the individual card and not the entire switching solution.”

But beyond 4K? “As with every product, the switcher/scaler will become obsolete as technology evolves,” believes Facon. “A quality product usually offers a three- to six-year lifecycle – it’s hard to predict technology evolutions beyond five years. Renewing a product periodically remains economically more appropriate than betting on the future. It is widely accepted that

8K will be the dominant resolution for 2020-25.

However, no-one is ready to design such a product right now as it would be very expensive, without immediate applications, and not address other possible current and future issues.”

echoes Jones. “For example, many manufacturers have only just released products supporting around 12Gbps.

Today, this is a pretty standard bandwidth to support – HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.1 require 10.2 and 10.8Gbps – but

‘Switching and scaling are rarely options or luxuries; they are necessary functions in nearly every video display environment’ Andy Fliss, TV One

Difficult, not impossible “Our market tends to move forward extremely quickly and this makes it difficult – but not impossible – to create products designed for real future-proofing,”

the biggest buzz in the industry today is 4K@60Hz. DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 are newly released formats that support these high resolutions, but they need 18/21.6Gbps to be

switched. These newly released products will almost become obsolete just months after their release – and this is the problem professional manufacturers face. We are in a very lucky position whereby we’ve just released an architecture that’s capable of handling these high-bandwidth HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.2 signals.”

As Jones implies, scaler/ switcher manufacturers are under considerable pressure. Greater resolutions, proliferating interconnect standards, higher bandwidths, soaring user expectations – all challenges they must (perhaps uniquely) respond to. For integrators, the challenge is no less tough in staying abreast of what’s out there as well as what the future holds

so that they can offer optimum scaling/switching solutions.

“When designing any solution for an AV environment,” says Charran, “the design team must always take into consideration the applications it is being used for and the evolution of technology to ensure that scalability is taken into consideration.”

Suddenly, that collection of cables behind the TV seems less daunting.

www.amx.com www.audioworks.co.uk www.analogway.com www.calibreuk.com www.ivctechnologies.co.uk www.kramerelectronics.com www.lightware.eu www.tvone.com

32 BUSINESS FEATURE: SPORTS AND LEISURE FACILITIES September 2014

Play to win The sports and leisure facilities sector encompasses much more than just large stadium developments.

Steve Montgomery looks at the opportunities available for integrators across the wider industry

T

here is a huge range of opportunities for integrators in the sports and leisure facilities market. At one end of the spectrum, there are new stadium builds, often driving by events such as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup; at the other end are public participation spaces such as gyms, leisure centres and even betting shops. All of these have a requirement for audio, video, lighting and – increasingly – new datadriven technologies.

The prospect of installing a large AV or lighting system in a major new stadium appeals to many system integrators. Aside from the overall magnitude of the project, the prestige of being involved in the development of a state-ofthe art sporting facility is immensely valuable.

Massive new sports stadium construction

projects are infrequent and the process from initial concept to final integration usually takes several years.

Paul Fletcher, who has consulted on many stadium construction and sports club projects worldwide, points out that there are often problems in long-

integrator has completed a lot of work. It is always the last stage of a fit-out and equipment is sometimes seen as a luxury.”

There are ways to counter this, though: “AV integrators and consultants need to get in early, even before the architects are

‘Sports fans enjoy highquality entertainment systems at home, so they appreciate good sound and expect top quality when they attend a live event’ Gareth Collyer, Nexo

term programmes that can entrap integrators and equipment suppliers: “The IT and AV infrastructure is at risk of being trimmed during the final stages of construction if budgets overrun, even after an

briefed,” he adds. “AV and IT should be considered as an integrated and fundamental element within the initial requirements specification; an element that cannot be discarded, so that this situation is avoided.”

“Large sporting venues can provide an AV system that meets the basic needs of the venue, displays limited information and makes barely audible emergency announcements; or they can provide a superior design that better engages the crowd as well as encouraging other lucrative opportunities such as advertising,” says Gareth Collyer, sales manager UK and Ireland at Nexo.

“Sports fans enjoy highquality entertainment systems at home, so they appreciate good sound and expect top quality when they attend a live event.

Concert-standard audio systems naturally cost more than basic systems but they extend the services on offer.

At the Stade de France, for example, the sound system is often used by music and opera producers to augment the concert PA brought in for the event.”

Key Points Large stadium builds are long-term capital projects and may be subject to last-minute budget cuts

Data analytics is being used to track and promote services and products at venues to maximise spend-per-fan during each visit

Horseracing is currently experiencing a successful period and reinvesting in AV technology to further increase spectator attendance High-street betting shops are enhancing their image with large displays and interactive technology following legislative change and to counter the online threat Local sports clubs, gyms and leisure centres offer potential to AV integrators with established technology and new concepts such as scoreboards and content management systems

ADI operates a full broadcast and production package for all screens throughout Goodison Park with live content, match statistics and advertising on matchdays

The attitude to, and take-up of, higher-performance systems varies around Europe: in more prosperous countries such as France, Germany and the UK, national stadiums are being constructed or refurbished with superior displays, sound systems and internal content distribution networks to serve additional events, with larger budgets, higher expectations and more creativity in application.

This is less so in less prosperous countries. Pekason’s Serge Ravera comments: “The construction of major new facilities depends to a great extent on global tournaments. We are involved in new facilities under construction in Bordeaux and Lyon for Euro 2016. However elsewhere there are not many major projects in progress. At a lower level, though, smaller sports clubs and local amenities are being refurbished widely to meet EU regulations and because the buildings are old: it is far cheaper than a new building.”

Legislation in the European market including energy saving initiatives, safety guidelines (the Green Guide) and the demand for EN54 certification is affecting the

market. “Open public standards offer new options to combine audio with video to create added value for individual customers,” explains Oliver Sahm, technical support director at ProAudio EMEA. “With the Electro-Voice and Dynacord brands, Bosch is the first supplier in the world to offer EN54-certified ProSound audio and voice alarm and fire detection systems in a single solution for the installation segment.”

Mixed use The ever-increasing need for return on investment and revenue generation is pushing every stadium operator to encourage fans to spend as much as possible during each visit. Techniques of data analysis, refreshment promotions linked to stock control systems, and direct-to-spectator incentive programmes are all deployed, sometimes linked to fan identification and movement tracking within a concourse that can assess people’s preferences and respond accordingly.

To generate further revenue, venues are widely used for alternative events outside their core operation: football stadiums

34 FEATURE: SPORTS AND LEISURE FACILITIES September 2014

Health club members and gym goers are natural targets for digital signage and advertising-funded specialist TV channels

host concerts, racetracks have conference and exhibition facilities, even a local leisure centre may host corporate events.

Both strategies are good news for AV integrators familiar with managing corporate events and presentations and for the hire companies supplying equipment. A successful model is operated by Aztec as the venue partner for the Emirates stadium and Oval cricket grounds, with a role of providing complete AV services to visiting organisations using the clubs’ facilities outside match days: these services include equipment hire, consultancy and event design, production and management.

AV and IT The convergence of AV and IT is occurring naturally as sporting venues of all sizes deploy network delivery of video and audio content.

Around large stadiums IPTV is a common feature for all concourse displays

and to feed the main pitch and perimeter screens. The demands of supporters for continuous WiFi access means that these data network services are essential, not luxury items.

According to Sports Business Group, 20-30% of spectators in Europe, America and Australasia use an internet-enabled device when attending live professional events, rising to 50% and above in the Far East and IndoChina. Consequently AV integrators need strong IT skills, and vice versa.

“We collaborate with an AV partner to fulfil installations of all sizes and types, from small sports halls to large stadiums,” explains Andy Yeo, managing director of IT specialist CCOMMIT. “In addition, manufacturers like Cisco offer large-venue support which is essential for channel planning and to achieve total site coverage.”

IT and AV integrators excited by the potential of operating within the

sports industry are likely to need to invest in longterm relationship building and developing industry knowledge. “We have been involved in the sports sector for many years, building a position of trust and expertise,” says James Keen of Tripleplay. “It is an industry of relationships and partnerships where making a favourable impression on one project often leads to others. This occurs throughout the industry, across Europe; from large stadiums down to school and college sports facilities. Our role as technology developer is to create the solutions and the high-level partnerships with large organisations like HP for networking technology and with screen manufacturers.

We also identify and develop opportunities with customers, bringing in local integrators to provide services and lead the project through tender and design stages leading to installation.”

Bordering on broadcast A convergence between AV systems and broadcast is also occurring, again enabled by data networks.

“Since LED screens were introduced in the late 1990s, every major European football club and many cricket and rugby grounds have them, often integrated with perimeter LED advertising,” says Geraint Williams, CEO at ADI TV. “This is a massive business, driven by the demand from commercial partners to reach the global sports TV audience which exceeds 200 million people. Displays within the stadium are becoming more integrated with other media such as TV. For example, we have seen live odds broadcast on LED perimeter displays for the benefit of the television audience. There is currently a great deal of interest in associating social media with displays in an attempt to create conversations within and beyond the venue. ”

A similar situation is apparent at racecourses, fuelled by healthy global attendances at live meetings. “Race meetings compete with all other leisure activities, not just sports events, so it is crucial that they should appeal to spectators of all ages and demographics.

This stimulates considerable investment in infrastructure, of which audiovisual services and interaction with social media are a fundamental constituent,” explains Catherine Pullan, business development consultant for technical facilities company Racetech.

“Course owners throughout Europe, whether they are the large groups or independent tracks, know and understand their target markets and follow established techniques of developing solutions that will draw in crowds.

At the venue itself this is a combination of the highest possible quality AV systems

36 FEATURE: BUSINESSSPORTS FEATURE: AND SPORTS LEISURE AND FACILITIES LEISURE FACILITIES September 2014

combined with personalised services, including network access and social media interaction, although these may be constrained to certain areas of the course. In this industry there has always been an expectation of broadcastquality output and this is even more pertinent now as Racecourse TV is created and distributed to TV broadcasters and offcourse gambling services throughout the world.”

Racecourses are unique locations within the sports world: they are very widely spread, making networked, zonal audio delivery ideal for commentary transmission.

High-quality video is essential for people to see what is happening beyond

their immediate vision.

Courses are situated partly indoors and partly outdoors, calling for a wide variety of display technologies, and cater for a cross section of the race-going public. In addition, there may be tens of thousands of spectators on a course for a prestige meeting, such as Royal Ascot, followed by just a few thousand the following week at the same track for a smaller meeting, so the acoustic characteristic changes dramatically and areas of the course may be closed at times.

“These all put heavy and specific demands on the skills of service providers which means that they have to be dedicated and knowledgeable in the field.

Pullan continues: “It is our role and that of the system integrator to advise and steer course owners in the selection of technology and deliver reliable and effective solutions through the consultancy, tendering, installation and support process. When you consider that the new stand being built at Cheltenham requires a capital investment of over £50 million there is clearly an expectation for the highest-quality AV and IT installations and a demand to get it right.”

Sure bet While large capital projects are infrequent, there is a considerable requirement for installation of AV technology throughout the

Case Study Displays and LED lighting for Poland’s largest arena

The Krakow Arena offers world championship sporting and entertainment events and exhibitions, providing multifunction capability with a maximum capacity of up to 16,000 spectators.

Inside the arena Colosseo’s full HD 360º video cube and circular Space Ring present scores and video material, controlled by a third-generation 16-channel Director HD with Colosseo’s content design, game timing and scoreboard software.

The same system controls one of Europe’s largest media façades on the 18,000sqm circular lattice over the exterior of the building: 5,200sqm of LED strip lighting, chosen to preserve transparency and create a unique design. A 54m x 10m LED video screen is located directly over the main entrance to the arena within the lattice.

The arena also includes Colosseo’s ticketing, turnstile and face recognition security modules in an integrated stadium solution.

sporting sector, from refits and upgrades of existing venues, to smaller sports stadiums, local clubs, through local authority leisure centres, gyms and even in sports-related leisure venues like betting shops, sports-themed bars and casinos.

The popularity of racing, combined with a change in gambling laws in the UK, has led to an upsurge in popularity and a rejuvenation of high street betting shops and casinos. Allowing more than one betting shop on a road without local planning permission has increased competition between operators. At the same time, casinos have developed into venues that offer entertainment facilities in addition to gambling. They can show global games across all sports and covering all events, bringing them into line with European and American ‘sportsbook’ models. Countries such as Spain have even more relaxed rules, allowing interactive betting kiosks to be placed in locations including bars, so that customers need not leave the building to place a bet. As a result, betting shop operators search for attractive and value-added services to offer their clients, again benefitting AV suppliers and manufacturers. This is partly an attempt to ward off the threat from online gambling.

Ladbrokes, a leading betting shop owner with 2,700 shops operating in the UK, Ireland, Belgium and Spain, is seeking to provide a differentiated product offering, centred around improving the experience of customers with an emphasis on

excitement. This has led to the upgrading of displays within shops, many of which now include multiscreen videowalls, and the introduction of 1,400 interactive and touchenabled, self-service betting machines including Sky TV and WiFi within their retail estate. However, with many old-style high street betting shops still retaining old CRT TVs, there is considerable scope to upgrade and update across the industry.

Healthy market In public participation sports taking place in venues such as private sports clubs, leisure centres, gyms, bowling alleys and swimming pools, the scope for delivery of audiovisual and lighting technology is enormous.

“Local sports clubs and centres that host club or county tournaments should abide by the CIBSE guidelines for sports lighting which requires a good knowledge of lighting design,” says Jonathan Young of lighting company Chalmor. “Designs must meet particular levels of illuminance across the playing surface, which is dependent upon the type of sport and the level of the tournament. New lighting equipment based on LED technology is much more energy efficient and delivers energy savings that enable rapid payback, generally in the order of three to five years.”

With a ‘captive’ audience that exhibits a widespread propensity to exercise regularly, health clubs and gyms are natural targets for digital signage and advertising-funded specialist TV channels.

There are three categories of gyms: public facilities,

FEATURE: SPORTS AND LEISURE FACILITIES 37

September 2014

ADI’s digiBoard and digiRibbon are in use at Cardiff FC’s home ground

low-cost operators such as Easygym and Puregym, and private sector health clubs including Fitness First, LA fitness and David Lloyd; the latter groups often having international facilities or links to other chains.

Each caters for different customer demographics with differing requirements.

Zoom Media offers a fullservice content creation, distribution and equipment installation service to all three categories and currently supports over

600 locations and 4,000 screens in the UK with targeted advertising, news and information, local interest and experiential advertising. “We deliver bespoke content services tailored to the gym chain, hotel spa or independent club operator that delivers benefit and generates advertising revenue,” explains Sophie Burke, head of marketing. “National advertising can be delivered to personal and public area screens and combined with

regional content and club messaging created by local staff or by our content creation team. Our services are based on the delivery of linear TV and advertising and we are now also into interactive services that can offer personalised training sessions and advice on health and technique using touchscreens in gyms and the screens on individual machines.

“We support the content delivery system and on-site servers ourselves; however,

equipment installation is carried out by preferred installers and we are always interested in contractors who can provide local services.”

Once an AV integrator is involved with a sporting venue, further opportunities regularly arise to deliver ancillary equipment. For instance, the Colosseo range of presentation, timing and scoring interfaces can be installed across the whole range of facilities and incorporated into digital signage and general display systems.

Stramatel’s electronic scoreboards can be used as standalone displays or interfaced through accessible data protocols that can also interface with other display systems networks.

The sport and leisure

venue sector is massive and wide ranging. It is one in which established AV integrators have the necessary fundamental skills and can actively participate to create business and revenue, and one that warrants serious consideration for future growth.

www.adi.tv www.aztecuk.com www.ccommit.com www.chalmor.co.uk www.colosseoeas.com www.electrovoice.com www.ladbrokes.co.uk www.nexo.fr www.pekason.com www.racetech.co.uk www.roland.com www.sportbusiness.com www.tannoy.com www.tripleplay-services.com www.zoommedia.com

38 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: DIRECTIONAL AUDIO September 2014

Key Points The challenge for successful system design is to understand the acoustics of the venue and then come up with a complement of loudspeakers

System design should achieve the same frequency response and best possible quality for every listener. The importance of controlling the directionality of lower frequencies should not be forgotten

Column speakers and steerable column loudspeakers can be unobtrusive and can throw sound for surprisingly long distances

A Tannoy QFlex system has been installed at Edinburgh Waverley railway station in Scotland

The right direction From ceiling loudspeakers and electrostatic sound bars to state-of-the art steerable columns, directional audio is an important concern, giving both manufacturers and integrators the chance to gain competitive edge.

Simon Duff talked to leading companies about technique, innovative design and an optimistic outlook

T

here are many approaches to accomplish directional audio, including waveguides, passive arrays and actively steered arrays.

Even a single direct radiator becomes directional at frequencies above its piston band. The directional behaviour of these different approaches is typically effective over a limited frequency range.

“There is a risk of overgeneralising by saying that a certain approach fits a certain vertical market,” says Bob Rieder, product marketing manager, installed audio solutions Electro-Voice and Bosch Products, Bosch Security Systems. “The real challenge for successful system design is to understand the acoustics of the venue and then come up with a complement of

loudspeakers that will meet the requirements of the installation.”

Reverberation control For many years it has been possible to control the directivity of mid and high frequencies through the use of hornloaded loudspeakers.

However sometimes the importance of controlling the directionality of lower frequencies can be

forgotten. Audiences have all heard the destructive effects on speech intelligibility in rooms that are reverberant at low frequencies, when the lower registers of speech and music appear to roll around a venue in an unpleasant, illdefined hum.

“The major point of directional control is to achieve the same frequency response and best possible quality for every listener

If using a low-cost unit that has not been specifically designed to have a wide coverage area, integrators need to account for this by increasing the number of devices used The dramatic reduction of the cost of digital signal processing and Class D amplifier modules is driving progress in any given environment,” notes Robin Dibble, Martin Audio applications engineer.

“Our ethos in this is to unite the audience, be that a church congregation, in an airport concourse or stadium.”

Column speakers, and especially steerable column speakers, are useful tools in these types of situations.

They can be unobtrusive and can throw sound for surprisingly long distances.

FEATURE: DIRECTIONAL AUDIO 39

September 2014

company. “Active Audio has equipped over 250 train stations in France and counting, and several airports and transportation hubs in Asia and Australia.

For us, the growth potential is definitely in the export markets. Many integrators now understand the benefit of directivity control in terms of intelligibility and acoustical comfort.”

Meyer Sound also reports

‘Many integrators now understand the benefit of directivity control in terms of intelligibility and acoustical comfort’ Eric Dubouays, Active Audio

In transport applications integrators are often faced with either a large open area or with reflective surfaces. So here they need to focus sound where passengers are likely to congregate while waiting.

Active Audio’s main market is the PA sector for large and reverberant spaces dedicated to speech and background music, such as railway stations, airports, houses of worship and shopping malls.

“We’ve seen a growing number of very large mosque projects in the past couple of years, especially in the Gulf countries,” says Eric Dubouays, international marketing manager at the

success at the high end of the market place. Its CAL vertical beam shaping range allows users to increase or decrease the vertical coverage and change the coverage angle without moving the loudspeaker.

Michael Creason, design services manager at Meyer Sound, adds: “In installations where aesthetics and control of reverberation are of concern, CAL can be a perfect fit as the loudspeaker does not necessarily need to ‘point’ where the energy needs to be focused.”

Tannoy’s QFlex is another system having an impact across the market sectors.

The company has had major success with QFlex in the house of worship market across the world, especially in the US, but in the past few years it has found a home in the transportation market, with major hubs like Edinburgh Waverley train station and Newark Airport all benefitting from the steerable audio technology.

Graham Hendry, VP

of Tannoy’s application engineering support division, says: “QFlex is a modular system that can be adapted to suit any space. In Edinburgh Waverley, for instance, we used direct feedback from the field to design and develop the QFlex 64.”

DJW has recently completed several installations where directional sound is involved, including Hengistbury Head, Christchurch, Dorset and Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth.

David Willrich from DJW explains: “In both cases the usage is successful as they are in environments with a dense use of audio, the downside being that they have to be turned well down to reduce any risk of reflections so they do give a very one-to-one experience.

“Given the choice, we tend to work with the Bose range across the board as it nicely integrates as a system. It integrates nicely with our approach to show control in terms of the parameters we can give via show control to the end client. In addition we use Tannoy and Fohhn products as they tend to produce speakers for museum applications with a narrower field; furthermore with Fohhn you can use their active columns and narrow the field without sacrificing audio quality. The commercial value that we can add is producing the design in the first place.”

Small-scale installations With the advent of line array technology in the 1990s an ever-increasing number of brands have been using this concept, and low-cost products are now available. This is partly due to the dramatic reduction in the cost of digital signal

processing and Class D amplifier modules. But accurate directivity control of line arrays can also be performed by traditional passive filtering, yielding highly affordable solutions, claims Dubouays.

Dibble explains that the Martin Audio H3 is an all horn-loaded loudspeaker system which maintains good directional control down to low midrange frequencies through the use of a properly designed midrange horn. He says: “This allows defined directional control over the entire speech range

lower midrange registers is down to the inherent characteristics of the size of the low-frequency driver, until you reach the frequency point at which the high-frequency horn becomes operational.”

Warwick Audio Technologies’ ZonarSound electrostatic loudspeaker and sound bar range are seeing significant take-up in the conference room, office, hotel, visitor attraction and retail sectors. “Our products use a 90º sound wave that enables listeners to directly hear audio under our panels, then if

and beyond. This is an advantage over a simple two-way system, where the controlling factor over

they take one step away from that panel the sound completely disappears,” says Andrew Samalions,

Meyer Sound’s CAL vertical beam shaping range allows users to increase or decrease the vertical coverage and change the coverage angle without moving the loudspeaker

40 FEATURE: DIRECTIONAL AUDIO September 2014

‘Basically, it’s a matter of common sense and deploying the right product in the right places’ Robin Dibble, Martin Audio

international sales manager for ZonarSound. “The sound waves travel in a straight line from the panel, creating a sound tunnel which doesn’t interfere with surrounding areas.”

There are applications for which certain types of directional audio solutions are not appropriate. For example, an installation would not benefit from the use of ceiling speakers with narrow coverage angles in

a low ceiling. Whereas they could be of huge advantage in many larger spaces where it is desirable to have some control over where the sound is going.

Says Dibble: “Basically, it’s a matter of common sense and deploying the right product in the right places.

When using products designed to cover a given area, make sure that area is where your listeners are; in other words, point the

speakers at the audience. It sounds stupid, but so often I see installations where this simple fact has not been thought of.”

Cost effective Directionality should be a fundamental element of any system design, be that by using products that give users a particular coverage pattern or taking into account the directionality of lower-cost products and incorporating that as part of the design.

Dibble adds: “You may choose to use a high-quality ceiling loudspeaker that you know to have a very wide dispersion across its entire frequency band, enabling the use of fewer loudspeakers. By using a lower-cost unit that has

not been designed to have a wide coverage area, you need to account for this by increasing the number of devices used. A quick glance at a polar plot will tell you all you need to know about the high-frequency dispersion of a loudspeaker.

If you spend a little more on the system, and use speakers able to give some control of directionality at low frequencies, better perceived quality of sound can be provided to the listener by being able to extend the low-frequency response further.”

Looking to the future, manufacturers are not resting on their laurels.

Dubouays has the final word: “We will continue our efforts on the development of original DSP algorithms

bringing solutions for these difficult acoustical environments. But of course a fully satisfactory result is achieved only if the loudspeaker prescription and the installation tuning are carefully realised by competent technicians. This is why we put emphasis on helping the prescribers and installers by providing them with tools and methods. We think there is still a lot to do in this field.”

www.activeaudio.fr www.boschcommunications. com www.djwillrich.com www.martin-audio.com www.meyersound.com www.tcgroup.tc www.zonarsound.co.uk

42 SHOW PREVIEW: INSTALLMARKET September 2014

Conference line-up – Thursday 4 September

Come and learn from our stellar line-up

10:15

Registration

10:45

Forces That Drive Retail Tech Nick Gale, Realisation (Moderator) Adam Wilson, Intevi Paul O’Reilly, Vivid Steve Blyth, Engage Production

11:30

Keynote Ross Ashton, The Projection Studio

12:15

AV & Broadcast Convergence: A Marriage in IP James Raby, venture capitalist and Sainsbury Management Fellow (Moderator) Carmelo Amenta, Metro Broadcast Dave Raymen, Saville Audio Visual Nevil Bounds, Torpedo Factory Group

14:00

Not Your Father’s Classroom; Not Your Mother’s Campus Colin Messenger, Futuresource (Moderator) Alan Marshall, Pure AV Andy Duckworth, CDEC Daryl Clarke, Digital Message

14:45

What Hospitality and Entertainment Venues Really Want John Grew, Spartan Comms (Moderator) Peter Hall, Future Projections Other panellists to be confirmed

15:30

What Moves Transport Technology Charlie Henderson, PA Consulting (Moderator) Daniel Borg, Electrosonic Paul Brooks, AVI-SPL Peter Fell, Feltech

16:15

Whose Network is IT, Anyway?

Moderator: Keith Humphreys, euroLAN Research (Moderator) Graham Fry, avsnet Mike Brooman, Vanti Rich Denham, FitzPro

17:00

FREE networking drinks

InstallMarket is just a few days away. Here is why you should attend

W

e have assembled an extremely strong line-up of panellists and moderators for InstallMarket, which takes place on 4 September in London. Session moderators are consultants or analysts with a specific knowledge of the relevant vertical sector: they will begin their session with a short overview of the key issues affecting that market, and the technologies of interest. They will then hand over to three panellists, who are all integrators. They will examine specific aspects of the market in more detail, with reference to case studies that they have been involved with.

“One might expect to pay handsomely to attend a conference with this calibre of speakers, but you can see them at no charge at InstallMarket,” says Paddy Baker, editor of Installation. “I think we have nine managing directors, along with commercial, regional and other directors, consultants, project managers and more.”

The keynote address will be given by Ross Ashton, creative director of The Projection Studio.

Platinum Sponsor

A well-known name in the world of projection mapping and large-scale projection, Ashton will be talking about some of his most aweinspiring projects, discussing the technological and financial issues behind them.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Ross Ashton’s keynote,” added Baker. “He’s something of a star of the AV industry, and I’m sure that the session will be fascinating and informative.”

InstallMarket is designed to appeal to a wide cross-section of the industry: installers, system integrators, consultants, manufacturers, service providers, distributors, resellers, architects, facilities managers, IT consultants, AV specialists and end-users.

The day will be rounded off by a FREE networking drinks reception, which begins at 17:00.

New sponsor The latest addition to the line-up of sponsors displaying their wares at InstallMarket is Sennheiser.

The company will be showing communications systems for corporate businesses as well as discreet speaker solutions.

Gold Sponsors

InstallMarket visitors will get a sneak peak of the soon-to-belaunched MobileConnect multiple audio channel streaming product.

Similar to CinemaConnect (see our June issue), MobileConnect enhances the experience of audience members who have visual or auditory impairments; it streams audio to mobile phones in sync with what is happening on stage. Also on show will be Sennheiser audio conferencing systems, including TeamConnect, and K-array slimline speakers.

Nick Pemberton, market development manager at Sennheiser UK, commented: “We’re proud to be a part of this new event, and look forward to bringing our technology to this marketplace.”

InstallMarket is FREE to attend.

It takes place at the Business Design Centre in Islington on Thursday 4 September. To register, go to www.install-market.com and you’ll be entered into a draw to win one of 20 pairs of AudioTechnica headphones.

www.install-market.com

Don’t miss your chance to join the AV community at our free-to-attend event – register at www.install-market.com/registration Sponsor Limited sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are still available. For details contact Peter McCarthy: peter.mccarthy@intentmedia.co.uk, +44 20 7354 6000

44 SHOW PREVIEW: IBC September 2014

Stop by the Lawo stand for a world premiere

High-resolution LED modules from eyevis

Putting on a show With the growing convergence of AV and broadcast, there is much of interest for the pro-AV installer at this year’s event Video Visitors to the Blackmagic Design stand will be able to view the full range of ATEM production switchers, including the ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K, the world’s most advanced live production switcher with 20 6G-SDI inputs.

Technical teams will be demonstrating the company’s Smart Videohubs and their innovative visual routing features, which enable technicians to view router connections as video. coolux will present its new Pandoras Box Software Version 5.7, in addition to a variety of hardware products. One highlight of the new software is Venue Sites, which are used to visualise complete stage, installation and show setups in real time, using 3D models. Media content can be pre-programmed per output and can then be routed to different 3D models. A real-time compositing environment can be used as a complete whole to simulate video projectors virtually, Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II system

using a light projection approach.

Exterity is launching a new range of AvediaStream TVgateways, which enable organisations to receive and securely distribute multiple video streams simultaneously. The TVgateways can ingest broadcast streams from eight multiplexers via eight tuners in one blade, saving rack space and reducing power consumption. eyevis’ new 85in Ultra HD-LC display, with 60Hz and Ultra HD resolution, is a Genlock-compatible display with a 60Hz image frequency that can be adjusted to conventional studio frequencies. The display is also suitable for signage applications in bright ambient light.

Also on show will be the manufacturer’s highresolution LED modules with pixel pitches of only 1.5mm, 2mm and 2.5mm. Finally, the new Slim rear-projection cubes, just 455mm deep, can be used in areas that were previously not large enough for rear-pro cubes.

Matrox Video will showcase streaming and recording appliances, live production streaming systems, 4K video monitoring cards, multiviewers, scan converters, editing devices and developer products.

The Matrox Monarch HD is a small H.264 encoder which encodes video at bitrates suitable for live streaming and simultaneously records a high-quality MP4 or MOV file. It will be demonstrated at IBC integrated with a Crestron controller.

Audio Clear-Com is set to launch FreeSpeak II wireless intercom system, an enhanced DECT-based offering that operates in multiple licence-free bands. FreeSpeak II delivers improved roaming capability for reliable wireless connections and superior digital sound for clear intelligibility.

A highlight on the Lawo stand will be the world premiere of its new audio mixer. The new addition is said to boast high performance and a new face, with an advanced feature set based on proven Lawo technology. Also on show will be the mc256 and mc266 audio consoles in

different frame sizes.

Debuting on the Riedel stand will be Tango, an entirely new intercom solution, while MediorNet 2.0 will be showing for the first time in Europe. This firmware update provides video router functionality and high-speed rerouting.

Connectivity Adder will demonstrate its latest IP-based high-performance KVM technology, the AdderLink Infinity range, offering lossless 60fps HD video, network redundancy and multilingual functionality.

The range is also said to be the first of its kind to allow multicasting across a network.

Guntermann & Drunck will be showing the latest developments to its KVM product range. DL-Vision, the multichannel variant of the KVM extender, easily handles video in 4K or Ultra HD as well as transmitting keyboard, mouse, RS-232 and USB 2.0 signals. The

KVM extender transmits resolutions up to 4096 x 2160 or 3840 x 2160 pixels at the full frame rate of 60Hz and with a colour depth of 24 bits. In addition, G&D’s digital KVM matrix, the ControlCenter-Digital (CCD), will be on show.

Sommer Cable will show its cables, connectors and signal management products. Of particular interest is the Glandmaster splice adapter, which is suitable for voltage distributors of three-phase supply lines to singlephase loads, for a flexible speaker signal management with a maximum of eight loudspeaker channels or for splicing up all kinds of hybrid lines (fibre, HD-SDI, signal, power). The new HDBaseT signal series from CARDINAL-DVM, with matrixes, extenders and signal adapters – nearly all of which are 4K-capable – will also be in Amsterdam.

www.ibc.org

Venue: Amsterdam RAI Dates: 11-15 September (conference) 12-16 September (exhibition) Exhibition opens: 10:30 on 12 Sept, 09:30 other days Exhibition closes: 18:00, except 16 Sept (16:00)

TECHNOLOGY Kit you need to know about

This Month

Pixel Projects

New Products p47

Demo of the Month: Peerless mounts

Chromebox for meetings It’s… An affordable and simple solution from Google, with the aim of making VC for business accessible to all.

What’s different? Chromebox for meetings is designed to bridge the gap between consumer video products and high-end videoconferencing solutions. Meetings can include up to 15 participants or locations, which need not have a Chromebox – each can participate via laptops, tablets or smartphones using a Gmail account and Google Hangouts. Google Apps users can integrate their Google Calendar, chat and live documents onto the Chromebox, creating a collaborative environment. Alternatively, the system can connect to rooms that have traditional VC by means of Vidyo.

Details: Chromebox for meetings includes the Intel Core i7 Chromebox, HD camera, combined microphone and speaker unit, remote control and management services.

p52

All of the hardware, software and services required are included; all that is needed is a display.

The Pixel Projects Chromebox packages can provide a choice of display monitors as well as the option for installation services to include discreet wiring with the option of completely concealed cables for a professional finish. Pixel is also able to offer integrated control for offices and a number of additional solutions to enhance collaboration. Scheduled preventative maintenance, system repairs and ongoing technical support are also available.

Paddy O’Brien, managing director of Pixel Projects, comments: “We believe this more accessible product offering will provide an opportunity to upgrade existing facilities for many of our SME clients for whom before the Chromebox, their budgets would allow for videoconference in a maximum of one room.”

Showcase: LED lighting p54

Available: Now

f o t c u Prod nth o the m

www.pixelprojectsav.com

48 TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS September 2014

Extron SMP 351 and FlexOS It’s… An H.264 streaming media processor for capturing and distributing live AV sources and presentations.

What’s different?

With its comprehensive AV integration features and the FlexOS platform, the SMP 351 can be adapted to many system requirements. Applications can be uploaded to the SMP 351 to automate system operation using control ports.

There are no licensing fees and it is billed as a cost-effective solution for delivering presentations to a larger audience.

Details: The SMP 351 can stream and record simultaneously and can stream concurrently at two different resolutions and bitrates using a range of transport protocols and session management options. The SMP 351 creates MP4 media files that are directly compatible with virtually any software media player and popular content management system. MP4 recorded media can be saved to the internal solid state drive, a USB thumb drive, or a network storage directory to meet different application requirements.

Available: Now www.extron.com

Atlona AT-UHD-SYNC The AT-UHD-SYNC is the industry’s first 4K-capable device for testing and resolving HDMI signal pass problems between sources and displays in the field.

It can also regenerate the signal from an HDMI 1.2 source, typically a cable set-top box, enabling it to be used with components and displays equipped with newer HDMI 1.3 or 1.4 technology, including Ultra HDTVs. According to the company, it is the only device on the market to provide this adaptive technology for UHD displays.

Available now. www.atlona.com

B-Tech BT8311 The latest mounting solution from B-Tech can mount screens in landscape or portrait format for any number of applications.

It is compatible with the company’s modular collar and pole system, allowing it to be used to create polemounted videowall structures in a variety of configurations.

Additionally, the BT8311 can be used to create perfectly aligned banks of information screens or menu boards.

Available now. www.btechavmounts.com

Kramer VS-62H

Pakedge WAP MAP and Visual Site Survey

It’s… The first 4K router from Kramer Electronics.

What’s different? With a total data rate capability of 8.91Gbps (2.97Gbps per channel) the VS-62H can handle Ultra HD and UHD 4K signals. The VS-62H uses Kramer’s I-EDIDPro Intelligent EDID processing algorithm, which ensures plug-and-play operation for HDMI-based systems.

Details: The small desktop form-factor VS-62H features an embedded webpage control that allows full configuration of the system, in addition to the traditional Kramer P3000 protocol and front panel controls. The system features three levels of automation per output (Last Connection, Priority and Manual Override). These modes allow for a controller-free operation, which makes the VS-62H suitable for environments such as meeting rooms, classrooms and entertainment venues.

The video detection for automation is based on actual video clock signal recognition.

Available: Now www.kramerelectronics.com

Part of a new suite of software visualisation tools, WAP MAP is an interactive web-based ‘heat map’ planning tool that lets installers estimate the number of wireless access points (WAPs) they need. The second visualisation feature, Visual Site Survey, is implemented in the latest firmware version of the Pakedge C36 WAP controller. This displays the results of the radio frequency environment site survey in the form of a visual chart, showing nearby RF sources, its signal strength, and what channels within the frequency band they are occupying. Available now. www.pakedge.com

50 TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

September 2014

andersDX/TinyGreenPC Raspberry Pi Media Player It’s… A new low-cost digital signage media player.

What’s different? The unit is hosted on a low-cost Raspberry Pi computer.

Details: The Pi Media Player offers a hardware platform supporting Signagelive, INSM and Open Splash content management systems for below £300. It is available fully cased

as a standalone media player or as an OPS media player. Both can receive content via Ethernet or (optional) WiFi and render it to an attached screen of up to 1920 x 1080p resolution. The standalone player is equipped with HDMI, RS-232, Ethernet, GPIO and USB 2.0 interfaces. The OPS player is based on Intel’s specification and comes with the appropriate 80-pin connector.

Available: Now

www.andersdx.com www.tinygreenpc.com

TV One C2-2000 The C2-2000 universal scaler series encompasses the C2-2855 universal scaler, the C2-2755 video scaler and the C2-2655 scan converter. This series provides flexibility to the user, as the C2-2855 features the ability to up/down/cross convert, the C2-2755 to up/cross convert, and the C2-2655 to down convert. The series also enables flexible audio embedding and de-embedding for both HDMI and 3G/HD/SDI inputs and outputs, along with Integral Stereo Audio 4 x 1 audio routing switcher with four unbalanced inputs that can follow the video input selection. A rear panel terminal block and a 3.5mm jack-socket provide access. Available now. www.tvone.com

Crestron TSCW-730 The TSCW-730 touchscreen control system is a space-saving control solution in one wall-mount device. Featuring an integrated 3-Series control system to enhance ease of design and install, the TSCW-730 is designed for modern decors and environments with limited space such as conference rooms and hotel rooms. The control system delivers HD graphics and ultra-bright, ultra-responsive capacitive display. The 7in colour touchscreen takes advantage of Crestron Smart Graphics to deliver a dynamic, engaging user experience. Available now. www.crestron.eu

Vision 4K HDMI Cable Now shipping from Vision is the Category 2 highspeed HDMI cable which has gold-plated connectors and is 4K ready. It is available in lengths from 0.5m patch cables to 15m long cables. The HDMI cables up to 5m long use 28 AWG wire cores, while the 10m use thicker 26 AWG wire, and the 15m use even thicker 24 AWG. A difference of six AWG represents a doubling of the thickness so the conductors in Vision’s 15m cable are twice as thick as those in most consumer-class products. www.visionaudiovisual.com

52 TECHNOLOGY: DEMO OF THE MONTH September 2014

Customisable mounts Peerless welcomes guests into its HQ with an array of mounting solutions, but that’s only scratching the surface, writes James McGrath

I

t goes without saying that companies that adapt to change are the ones that build success on success. Take our publication, which has followed the digital transition to ensure it keeps up with changes in reader behaviour: a print magazine alone no longer cuts it.

BBG-Peerless is known for its work in the arena of AV attachments and peripherals, with recent prestigious installs including Mercedes-Benz World, UK (see Installation August).

“To be honest with you, a lot of integrators see mounting solutions as an afterthought,” commented

Paul Dawes, director of marketing, Peerless AV Europe. There’s no denying that mounts and furniture aren’t at the top of most installers’ inventory lists. But this doesn’t stop Peerless from continuing to innovate its solutions to meet installers’ needs. Additionally, the company is quick to point out that it isn’t satisfied with just providing practical frames to mount display hardware, and it is prepared to depart from its traditional product

and their projects. They often come to us with feedback. For instance when we launched our new customisable mounting solutions, some of our customers said, ‘Great, but how do we get the signals to the screen once it’s in the enclosure?’”

In response, Peerless developed the HD Flow Wireless Multimedia Kit,

range in its endeavours to support its customers (and their AV equipment) in every way it can.

“We not only want to provide for installers, but to support them

which was produced by the company’s emerging technology division – “a reactive division of the company”, according to Dawes. The system was launched at this year’s ISE show and consists of a transmitter which streams 1080p HD content as well as passive 3D signals up to 40m. It has five inputs with the ability to multicast to up to four displays.

The simple, compact solution is in use in the company’s reception area, where three of the four displays are running content wirelessly. The screens are housed in the company’s new customisable

On entering the building, visitors to Peerless’s European HQ are met with the KIL546 Wayfinding kiosk. The company offers customisable options such as vinyl logos, personalised colours and designs

The On-Wall Portrait Information Kiosk (KIP642)

display solutions, which were developed in response to a retail market that is heading more and more towards interactive display technology and visual experiences.

Retail installs are now warranting the use of touchscreens and engaging content, with new interactive technologies such as touch and gesture, dynamic media and mobile devices replacing traditional static information points.

The new range offers installers and their clients the opportunity to personalise kiosks with anything from a company logo to a bespoke vinyl wrap, so that retailers and brands can make the most of what would otherwise be disused space on the enclosure. Peerless AV Europe uses a local car paint and vinyl specialist to realise designs that clients draw up and send over – a case in point of how it is using new resources to keep up with changing markets.

The company has a strong pipeline of future solutions that will be integral to the company’s operations. Dawes advises that, in particular, one exciting solution is soon to be launched: you are advised to watch this space (maybe there’s an opportunity to customise it with a logo in the meantime).

www.peerless-av.com

All Images courtesy of the Business Design Centre

4th September 2014

Business Design Centre - London

Register

NOW at

www.install-market.com Learn from expert integrators and consultants about the latest trends and developments in key verticals

Keynote address by world-renowned projection artist Ross Ashton

All pre-registered attendees will be entered into a draw to win one of 20 pairs of Audio-Technica headphones

A new FREE one-day conference and networking event brought to you by

Education

Retail

Entertainment and hospitality

Transportation

AV/broadcast convergence

AV/IT Networking

For further information and sponsorship opportunities contact: Peter McCarthy - Account Manager - peter.mccarthy@intentmedia.co.uk or Tel: +44 (0)207 354 6000

54 TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

September 2014

LED lighting LED lighting continues to reach new heights, not only in terms of energy efficiency, but in integrated building-wide solutions and entertainment applications.

James McGrath lights up your world with the latest from the market

Robe MiniMe has integrated HMDI port As the need to create more immersive, colourful spaces, packed with different kinds of media, takes its grip on bar, club and retail lighting environments, the requirement for ‘more than just a light source’ grows ever stronger.

Robe’s MiniMe is a new generation hybrid LED light source that incorporates the traditional features of entertainment lighting along with a little extra. Colours, gobos and beam shapes are all digitally generated by the onboard micro media server. The added extra is that this product can also project custom artwork, still photographs and video. How? Well, Robe has incorporated an HDMI input into the fixture.

The versatile fixture brings new possibilities to the field of image/video projection thanks to its full movement and unlimited content.

Robe has also designed the product with user-friendly control so that the operator

doesn’t have to be a lighting or AV expert or use a sophisticated console. This makes the fixture relevant to multiple applications and users.

The small, neat, fast-moving LED light is driven with a 20,000-hour lifetime lightsource.

Its attributes make it suitable for effects lighting as well as digital signage in many environments such as clubs, bars, retail environments, shops and showrooms.

Robe says the product is the only one of its kind on the market, and the HDMI input can also be used for live video/camera streaming.

Moreover, there is almost no noise, so the MiniMe can be used in galleries and at events where silent equipment is required – including all sorts of presentations. www.robe.cz

Martin’s powerful daylight beam Harman’s lighting division, Martin Professional, is always enhancing its lighting technology – especially in the case of LED lighting. The MAC Quantum Wash follows on the MAC Aura series as a case in point of this continuous development.

The fixture incorporates what the company calls a Colorganics system, which means the light uses all the coloured LEDs in the fixture to mix a powerful 6500K daylight beam. By mixing the LED lights to produce a daylight colour instead of using solely the white LEDs like a standard RGBW system, the fixture does not lose brightness when displaying white light.

All in all, the fixture boasts 750W of power, ensuring the 1:5 zoom operates with maximum output and superior performance. In basic mode, the light runs 13 channels, but this can be extended to 33 channels to deliver maximum effects.

Crestron condenses its CLED range Early 2013 saw Creston move into the luminaire market. The company launched an extensive range of LED fixtures called the CLED series: this is able to replicate the attributes of halogen fixtures, offering smooth diming curves, colour temperatures and similar lumen outputs of halogen – all from a 70,000-hour lamp.

The feedback from conversations with dealers has resulted in the company simplifying the CLED range – condensing it so that dealers find it easier to select the right fixtures for specific projects.

Now down to six in total, the LED fixtures are all fire-rated and have an ingress protection rating of IP65. The CLED range is designed in accordance with Crestron’s product-wide ethos, Integrated By Design, which means the LEDs complement the company’s wider portfolio of lighting control modules, dimmers and switches. The components are all scalable to wider building management systems, including AV, IT, HVAC and more. Crestron believes that when the LED fixtures are integrated into these building-wide systems, the control and automation has the potential to render huge energy savings – beyond those achievable through implementing an autonomous LED lighting system.

The range comprises LED fittings for a variety of applications including fixed, tilt and rotate, square and, for discreet installation, a subtle surface mount option.

www.martin.com www.crestron.eu

56 TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE September 2014

ETC lighting improves brightness levels

The introduction of ETC’s Source Four LED Lustr+ Series 2 saw the company once again follow its mantra of continuous evolution of lighting design. The fixture is up to twice as bright as its predecessor and produces a wider range of enhanced colours. This includes colours in the centre of the spectrum. thanks to the addition of lime green emitters.

Using a 19° EDLT lens tube at 9m throw/3m beam diameter, the Source Four LED Lustr+ Series 2 produces 5,340 field lumens and an efficacy of 31.4 lumens per watt (with a maximum fixture power consumption of 171W).

At the other end of the size scale, meanwhile, is the tiny yet powerful Source Four Mini LED, which comes in portable, ceiling mount and three-circuit track mount versions.

Architectural and theatrical LEDs from Philips Selecon The PL range from Philips Selecon comprises seven LED fixtures for architectural and theatrical applications, ranging from the long-throw PLPROFILE4 to the PLFRESNEL1.

Philips Selecon LED technology reduces the need for filters for colour changing and makes controlling beams more straightforward.

Additionally, both the PLPROFILE1 and PLPROFILE4 LED luminaires have an easy-touse interface: this opens usage up to younger generations, for instance, which is especially useful in theatre environments.

The PLFRESNEL1 works by using a combination of LED source technology and a traditional fresnel lens, delivering enhanced quality without the compromising performance of spreader lenses.

The luminaire is suited to the theatre environment, producing an adjustable cone of light with a soft edge which is easily blended with adjacent beams to provide even illumination.

Another fixture from the range, the PLCYC1 LED luminaire, combines the use

of LED source technology with a properly shaped asymmetrical reflector to deliver consistent light distribution. The LED fixture has the ability to match the output of a traditional four-colour, 1000W per circuit, cyc luminaire.

The PL range all use the same LED engine and user interfaces, making the fixtures straightforward to use. www.seleconlight.com

www.etcconnect.com

Cooper LS makes for quick installs As the demand for LED solutions increases, companies like Eaton’s Cooper Lighting and Safety business are striving to develop LED versions of popular lighting fixtures. This is why the company opted to launch an LED version of its most successful fluorescent mains lighting.

The Crompack LED is designed to meet demand for long-lasting, low-maintenance lighting in spaces such as factories, warehouses and hospitals. The launch incorporates a comprehensive range of linear luminaires, featuring the widest range of lumen options on the market. The longer lifespan of the LED luminaires reduces the requirement for regular lamp changes and associated maintenance costs.

The products feature a simple two-part housing, facilitating quick and simple installation. Additionally, optical control and performance is highly effective and ECA compliant, providing users with affordable and efficient products. www.cooper-ls.com

SGM’s all-weather LED hits the sweet spot The G-Spot from SGM is an IP65-rated LED moving head, meaning it can be used to withstand all weathers. Moreover, because the G-Spot is water-, dirt- and sand-proof, the fixture doesn’t accumulate dust or other external material that negatively impact the optics, gobos or lamp unit. This reduces time and costs that would normally be incurred by cleaning and maintenance procedures.

The fixture has been designed to deliver far more light output and colour saturation than other LED moving heads on the market. For example, the company says the blue registers 20% brighter, the red is 400% brighter while the green matches the best in class. It’s factors like that that enable the G-Spot to outperform most 1,500W discharge lamps in terms of output, while providing a broad colour palette.

The 850W high-power RGBY LED light source also boasts other important features and patent-pending solutions, including a framing system (with beam-shaping attributes) that is said to be unique, two

independent bidirectional gobo wheels and effects wheels.

Another patent-pending feature is the Gore-Tex membrane fitted to equalise the air pressure. This allows air to pass through while humidity cannot. Air humidity is maintained at a constant level by an electrolytic process which eliminates humidity by extracting hydrogen – creating the ideal environment for electronic circuits to function. www.sgmlight.com

58 SOLUTIONS: KING’S CHURCH, AMERSHAM September 2014

of the Month

The new system had to be able to handle lively services

Installed Video Christie LX700 full HD projectors Sony EVID H100 HD remote cameras Datavideo SE2000 HD vision mixer Datavideo HDR70HD hard disk visual recorder TV One 8000 series switching scaler LG LA Series Smart LED displays Eiki WB200 projectors SMART interactive whiteboard SMART UF70 projector

UNITED KINGDOM

Fit for a king A multi-use new-build church needed a similarly flexible AV set-up to ensure consistent, high-quality coverage throughout the venue, writes Tom Bradbury

I

n 2010 – after a search of over 30 years for an affordable location – the local parish chose to construct a new King’s Church, Amersham on a site that had become available. Completed in February 2014, the £4 million church now provides counselling and youth rooms as well as offices.

Its 1,500sqm space also boasts a main auditorium for 600 people where services, christenings, weddings and other church events can take place.

The task of specifying and installing the audiovisual

system was entrusted to Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS). “The parish contacted us when they were purchasing the land for their new site,” recalls Rob Alvis, CAVS’s sales director.

The biggest challenge, Alvis remembers, was the main auditorium.

“The church worship is quite lively with very modern dynamic music. They therefore wanted a system that not only delivers high speech intelligibility but also great full-range acoustic coverage – while at the same time not compromising the church’s budget.”

The system also had to be capable of effective audio playback when showing films. Visually, a full HD set-up was requested.

Consistent coverage To provide powerful and even coverage in the main auditorium, CAVS opted for an Electro-Voice system based on loudspeakers from the EV Innovation series.

Two Electro-Voice EVA line arrays are flown away from the walls and above the front platform. Based on simulations of different locations and dispersion angles, the ideal speakers

Lighting Zero 88 Jester lighting desk for the task proved to be three EVA 2082S elements per side. Each of the installed EVA 2082/1220 and EVA 2082/126 speakers contains dual 8in woofers and four 1.25in titanium diaphragm HF drivers with a dispersion angle of 120º x 20º and 120º x 6º respectively.

Two additional EVF frontloaded 12in speakers provide coverage to the sides; two TourX 2181 dual 18in subwoofers assume responsibility for the low frequencies, with EVID FM6.2 flush-mounted in-wall speakers rounding off the

Audio EV EVA 2082S, EVA 2082/1220 and EVA 2082/126 array modules EV TourX 2181 dual 18in subwoofers EV EVID FM6.2 flush-mounted in-wall speakers EV EVID6.2 ceiling speakers JBL Control Contractor speakers EV NetMax N8000 system controller EV CPS 4.5, CPS 2.12 and PA1250T amplifiers EV PA2450l amplifiers Australian Monitor AMC mixer amplifiers Yamaha LS9 digital mixer Aviom in-ear monitoring system

SOLUTIONS: KING’S CHURCH, AMERSHAM 59

September 2014

About the installer CAVS supplies and installs AV, sound and IT systems into churches, schools, corporate venues and homes The company specialises in new-build projects where integrated audio, visual, network and lighting systems are required Other clients include St Andrews, Walton-on-Thames; Eden Church, Edenbridge; and Reigate Park Church

EVA loudspeakers from Electro-Voice meet the dual challenge of high speech intelligibility and even coverage

loudspeaker installation into the foyer area.

Alvis explains: “The EVFs are phenomenal in terms of output, projection and power. They are costeffective, easy to install and have a great sound quality. For me, they are the standout part of the Electro-Voice installation.”

The system is driven by two CPS 4.5, one CPS 2.12 and one PA1250T amplifier and controlled by a NetMax N8000 system controller via IRIS-Net software.

Visual service In the main auditorium two Christie projectors provide centrepiece visual content overhead for the congregation. Sources, picture-in-picture content and other visual data are handled by a TV One 8000 Series switching scaler.

The room’s lighting system comprises 16 1,000W stage lights on a central lighting bar with control from a Zero 88 Jester desk.

King’s Church also wanted to be able to relay information

into every room that has an AV capability, as well as allowing these spaces to be used independently for meetings, rehearsals and events.

CAVS networked the whole building with Cat6 for the internet/computer network and the telephone system, applying 100 RJ45 points into patch panels.

This enables visual solutions to run throughout the building. In the foyer and café area, 55in LG LA Series Smart LED displays relay video streams from the service, and also carry Freeview HD TV channels. A mixture of

70in, 50in and 32in LA Series displays deliver content to a total of 10 other ancillary rooms, including a crèche, youth room and office.

Elsewhere, the two main meeting rooms are equipped with smaller projection systems courtesy of Eiki WB200 projectors.

The response from the parish team and the congregation has been enthusiastic, says Alvis.

King’s Church Amersham project leader Mike Peters comments: “Despite being in town planning for over 34 years, I have never been involved in anything that has

produced the quality we have now at King’s Church Amersham.”

www.aviom.com www.australianmonitor. com.au www.cavsolutions.co.uk www.christieemea.com www.datavideo.info www.eiki.com www.electrovoice.com www.harman.com www.lg.com http://pro.sony.eu www.samsung.com www.smarttech.com www.tvone.com www.yamahaproaudio.com www.zero88.com

60 SOLUTIONS: CARRIÈRES DE LUMIÈRES, LES BAUX-DE-PROVENCE September 2014

Images are projected on to the walls, ceiling and even the ground

Installed FRANCE

All Optoma ZW212ST LED+ projectors EX785/EW775 projectors EW610ST projectors EH505 projectors EH7500 projector (with short-throw lens)

State of the art

Flexibility and reliability were major concerns when creating an AV show in a huge disused stone quarry, writes James Christopher

S

ince 1977, the once-disused quarry of Carrières du Val d’Enfer has provided large-scale audiovisual displays and shows. In 2011, Culturespaces was commissioned to take over the site and renamed it Carrières de Lumières.

Culturespaces took over management of the AV shows and now also runs a series of live shows, concerts and lectures. It aims to become a cultural hub for multiple events and will be creating one major new show every year profiling the greatest names in the history of art – work by Viennese artists including Klimt are currently being featured.

Carrières de Lumières is a huge space with irregular natural and manmade rock formations.

Each area of the Carrières invites visitors on an

extraordinary audiovisual journey made possible by methods developed

by Culturespaces and its multimedia partners, including numerous video projectors and 3D audio adapted to the specific characteristics of the site.

The cavern is more than 6m high in places so the installation required the projectors and lenses used within them to be extremely flexible. As

a result, a variety of projectors and lenses were needed. Long-throw lenses were needed for images to reach the roof, while shortthrow lenses were used within small nooks.

The projectors also had to be visually unobtrusive, bright, able to project highquality video images in both landscape and portrait orientation and be capable of running 10 hours a day for seven days a week.

Major artists are profiled in the show, which changes every year

Projection partnership Optoma’s partnership with Culturespaces started towards the end of 2012, when a series of the manufacturers’ projectors were first installed at Carrières de Lumières.

Culturespaces went on to install over 60 Optoma projectors.

Among the units installed was the Optoma ProScene EH7500 and WT1 lens – chosen for the project due to its ability to produce a high-quality large image from a short throw distance. A number of Optoma ProScene EH505s were also chosen due to the projector’s wide lens shift range and off-axis short-throw lens option; essential for projecting around obstacles formed by the irregular space.

The Optoma ZW212ST was decided on to handle the audiovisual show

because of its flexibility both in terms of projection capabilities and installation.

Over 30 ZW212ST projectors were fitted in the former quarry – some in portrait mode to project onto the floor. The units feature LED+ technology and offer consistent brightness and colour performance, with minimal degradation. Additionally, a number of other models were installed, including the EX785, EW775, W505 and EW610ST.

Immersive art The impressive show opened to the public last year. Carrieres de Lumières has been transformed into a backdrop for a stunning audiovisual experience. The show comprises thousands of digitised images of works of art that are projected onto all the former quarry’s surfaces, moving to the rhythm of a musical

SOLUTIONS: CARRIÈRES DE LUMIÈRES, LES BAUX-DE-PROVENCE 61

September 2014

soundtrack. Fully immersed in image and sound, visitors can enjoy the sensory experience as they explore the image-rich universes of major painters in the history of art.

Carrières de Lumières runs its AV show 10 hours a day, every day for 10 months a year. Multiple surfaces are used in the show to give a sense of depth, while spectators are immersed in the projected images. The walls, ceiling and even the ground are completely covered, becoming a vast carpet of images.

As Sebastien Chapuis, technical manager at Carrières de Lumières, explains, there were other challenges to overcome other than the unusual projection surfaces: “The

air in the quarry is heavily charged with dust and humidity. To face these difficult conditions, we needed robust and reliable products and also efficient customer service – and that’s what we get from Optoma. For example, we specifically needed products that could project vertically, without overusing the lamp (the EX785, EW775, EH505 and W505 can do this). Another very useful feature is the ability to control the units via network, using almost all available protocols (Crestron, PJ-Link…).

Optoma projectors have all kinds of useful features.”

He concludes: “Carrières de Lumières is a very special project – you can’t just do what you have in mind, you have to adapt

to the venue. Installing a whole projection system within this former quarry, in a very humid and dusty environment, was a real challenge. Now that the project is up and running, we try to make it even better both artistically and technically, and we have to make sure everything goes smoothly throughout the season.”

Over 370,000 visitors enjoyed this innovative approach to art during 2013. With its crossdisciplinary approach, the Carrières de Lumières is now established as a cultural entertainment site, the programming of which brings together major names in the history of art and multimedia.

www.optoma.eu

62 SOLUTIONS: AWE HEADQUARTERS, EPSOM September 2014

KEF speakers and screens from Panasonic, Samsung and LG feature in the show apartment

Installed Control UNITED KINGDOM

A clear premise Integrating the latest commercial and residential technology is boosting staff efficiency as well as proving an impressive showcase, writes Tom Bradbury

D

istributor AWE has recently moved into its new headquarters in Epsom, Surrey. Alexander House represents a completely integrated convergence of commercial and residential technology – working in harmony to wow visitors, increase staff productivity and drive sales.

By utilising integrated technology throughout the facility, AWE has created working residential and

commercial environments, including a show apartment, training suite, offices and product showroom. The refurbishment was carried out by AWE’s product specialists and integrators.

In addition to improving company efficiency, Alexander House provides a well-equipped education and training space, enabling products to be demonstrated in situ to increase sales, and provides outreach to design professionals and end users.

Integrated infrastructure Multi-room audio, LED light dimming, video distribution and security are a few standout of the building infrastructure. The heart of the automation originates in the communications room with a collection point for some 800+ cable runs, and huge amounts of technology mounted in three 48U racks.

The whole building is automated by a URC Total Control system, working across 23 zones of

URC Total Control System

URC MRX-10 controller URC MFS-POE8 network switch URC TKP-7000 touchscreens URC TRC-1280 and TRC-1080 remote controls URC MRX-4IR IP-to-IR WiFi/ LAN base station URC SEN-CCLS contact closure sensor

Video Just Add Power 2G and 2G+ rackmount transmitters Just Add Power 2G+ enhanced receivers Just Add Power 2G remote transmitter

HD Anywhere modular 4 x 4 Matrix with HD BaseT Lite Remote HDBaseT input Cisco SG300 switch Roku streaming player Dune HD media player Panasonic WJ-NV200 network video recorder Panasonic IP cameras

Audio URC DMS-1200 multi-zone amp

URC DMS-AV theatre processor URC Sonos Connect Extra Vegetables URC Total Control Module for Sonos

Lighting All Philips MasterLED GU10s 8W MasterLED 50W halogen replacements 5.5W MasterLED lamp 20W LuxSpace LED Compact DALI addressable fittings 24W PowerBalance LED Dali addressable 600 x 600 fittings 35W Dynalite Lighting Control

DDBC320-DALI ballast controller

DDMC802-GL controller DDRC810-GL relay controller DDNG485 DMX network gateway DDLEDC605-GL controller DDBC120-DALI multi master controller DDRC1220FR managing the emergency lighting circuits Dynalite Motion, Lux and IR sensors (DUS804C)

Antumbra button keypads Revolution keypad

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64 SOLUTIONS: AWE HEADQUARTERS, EPSOM September 2014

uncompressed audio and 18 zones of 4K-capable video.

“We’ve integrated a single control system into a residential and commercial space,” comments Mal Fisher, URC product manager at AWE. “The system performs equally well in both environments, with all security camera feeds, music system and video source control available at the touch of a button.”

A Philips Dynalite system has also been incorporated into the building. As one enters the reception area, a chain reaction is triggered, automating the lighting controls for the building. This is achieved by using a DUS804C ceiling motion sensor, illuminating the reception area, the showroom, lobby circuit, ground floor toilets and warehouse corridor.

A secondary DUS804C located upstairs in the main office controls lighting for the first floor. Emergency lighting is connected to the Philips Dynalite control system, allowing emergency

The communications room is the collection point for some 800+ cable runs, and huge amounts of technology mounted in three 48U racks

testing to be performed from a laptop or smartphone.

Seventy-five LED luminaires from Philips have been installed in the office area, with further Philips MasterLED lamps fitted elsewhere in the building, including the reception and show apartment. All front of house areas are controlled

A Philips Dynalite lighting control system has been incorporated into the building

via Philips Dynalite Antumbra keypads.

Craig Thorne, Philips Dynalite product manager at AWE, explains: “With independent control of fixtures, along with daylight harvesting and sensordriven illumination levels, the building requires far less energy to run than before.”

Show apartment The ‘show apartment’ is the centrepiece of the AWE facility, effectively showing a seven-room apartment incorporating multi-room audio, video, lighting, security, energy monitoring and window shading. It is controlled via URC Total Control and

Philips Dynalite, with onetouch modes automating all products. These include speakers from KEF, screens from Panasonic, Samsung and LG, and HD video distribution via HDanywhere.

AWE’s dedicated training facility, along with the upstairs office shows the commercial integration of simple AV control, LED lighting, automated window shading and video projection.

Finally, the product showroom highlights the latest products in more of a display environment.

www.awe-europe.com www.cisco.com www.dune-hd.com www.extravegetables.com www.hdanywhere.co.uk www.justaddpower.com www.lighting.philips.com business.panasonic.eu www.roku.com www.universalremote.com

PLANYOUR MONTH AHEAD

Our pick of what to see, do and discover in the weeks ahead, including PLASA’s return to ExCeL and a brand new awards scheme

f Pick onth o the m

PLASA London community, while Cooper Controls, SGM and ETC are just a few of the manufacturers from the lighting sector.

To arrange a meeting with the Installation team at PLASA, contact us (see page 3 for contact information).

Celebrate

sector, along with a corresponding conference and seminar programme.

Companies including Bose, Neutrik and Stage Technologies will be representing the pro-audio

Visit

Read

With pre-registrations up 10% year on year, preparations are well underway for PLASA’s annual London event.

Running from 5 to 8 October, the show will feature exhibitors from across the entertainment technology

How We Got to Now

Technopop

TVB Awards

By Steven Johnson How We Got to Now is the story of collaborative networks building the modern world. Johnson explores the history of innovation over centuries and looks at the unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated fields.

8 October-2 November Fancy getting the next generation excited about technology? Visit Technopop, a pop-up festival for 6-19 year olds in TIQ Stratford City. The Tech and Digital zone will demo technologies shaping future work and play, while the Built Environment zone will look at innovation in architecture and smart cities.

23 October Sister title TVBEurope is holding its first awards event next month at the Hilton London Wembley, in association with TV Technology Europe.

To find out how you can get involved, visit www.tvb-awards.com.