SIA OCT-NOV 2018 by Spinworkz Pte Ltd

Vol. 18 Issue 1 S Y S T E M S

Oct - Nov 2018

I N T E G R A T I O N

MCI (P) 023/04/2018 PPS 1669/08/2013(022992)

[COVER] STORY

A Grand AV 'Thei'sis Of a New Scale Campus

A S I A

* Special Feature: India's Mission Smart Cities * Australia: Stellar Tech Interfacing at Five Star Hotel * HDCP in the Field: A Survival Guide

Systems Integration Asia Vol. 18 Issue 1 ~ October - November 2018

InfoComm India: Cometh Game Changer

Celebration AV : On a Wider Platter

360 Theatrical Experience At Korean Museum

w w w. s y s t e m s i n t e g r a t i o n a s i a . c o m

CONTENTS Vol. 18 Issue 1 ~ Oct - Nov 2018

Stellar AV at Five Star Hotel

FIRST WORDS

Manâ&#x20AC;¦Machine & Matrix

INSTALLATIONS

REVIEW: Integrate Australia: Milestone No. 10

Learning with AV Sophistication

REVIEW: InfoComm India: Cometh Game-changer

Experiential AV at CA Establishment

Gwangju Museum Given 360 Theatre Experience

Monastic Engagement with Projected Images

Chinese Bank Tuned with Digital Conferencing

Sporting Audio at British School

NEWS

TRADESHOWS

EVENT

INTERVIEW

Turkish Town Hall Gets Right Audio

Stellar Tech Interfacing at Five Star Hotel

Heralding Technology Wave

87 58

VOICE BOX

TECK TALK

Celebration AV: on a Wider Platter

SOLUTIONS UPDATE 58 60

62 38

HDCP in the Field Importance of Audio Networking

SPECIAL FEATURE

SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHT

The New Zing Thing in Meetings

India's Mission Smart Cities

Displaying Competencies, Smart Ways

Re-imagining Future of Meeting Spaces

Training Imperative to Keep Pace with Changes

AI will Diversify Human Thinking

ON OUR WEB

FIRST WORDS

Man, Machine & Matrix Recently, I bumped into two interesting situations. What were just casual in the beginning, soon turned into serious soul searching. “however digital you go, your ear is still analog; it still needs to be analoged for you to be able to hear; so are our eyes (simply because they do not have a zoom lens in them)!

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Thomas Richard Prakasam thomas@spinworkz.com

So practically, you can neither see nor hear anything honestly digital; you begin with analog, and end up in analog. Then what the whole fun or fuss around you? Particularly when you are an Audio-Visual person! Well, that was a good intriguing question, I felt. However, the very AV identity that I’m tagged with, quickly responded: it is – perhaps – for the ‘e’-xtra experience that man had been pursuing constantly. ‘e’ is ‘d’ these days, the new language of technology, I said.

DANIEL NGIAM MEDIA Rep for Spinworkz Pte Ltd Tel: +65 84410258 ﬁrst_dm@hotmail.com

It’s not a case of reversal, we reconcile, but an enrichment of experience between origin and destination. The question is who does what enrichment to make the experience realistic. Don’t know if that was a satisfying response, but I leave it there- for you to dig-it-all. (read it fast!) The second situation is comparatively funny. Literate world some time ago used ask the illiterate their thumb impressions for authenticating critical things. Traversing time and tests, today, in the age of cutting-edge technology, the digital world is again asking people thumb impressions for authentication. The issue here, though, is not essentially the analog-digital debate. It’s about the increasing complexity of security parameters- which, in a way, speaks of the vulnerability of man’s technology- however fool-proof he may claim it to be. Seers Sophisticated may say ‘it is not vulnerability of technology; it is that of the mind.’ Whether or not it is, it is essentially a man-machine mind game. Historically, man has never been content and always tended to explore the machines he invented from time to time. That persistent pursuit – while expanding technology spectrum – gave in, to pixilation! Which is why, today, we have resolution race; pixel race; track race; or even rack-race! I do not want to add ratrace, though. Discretions differ. But I do want to air- are we making the Wachowskis’ fantasy Matrix real in some time?

ART / LAYOUT Shankar Venugopal

CREATIVE

CULT

PUBLISHED BY Spinworkz Pte Ltd 51 Bukit Batok Crescent #06-10 Unity Centre, Singapore 658077 Tel: (65) 6316 2716 Fax: (65) 63162715 www.spinworkz.com PRINTED BY Stamford Press Pte Ltd Disclaimer: Systems Integration Asia is published 6 times a year. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies. Please be informed that products and company names mentioned in this publication may be protected with tradenames, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Our non inclusion of such symbols is not an indication of us not recognising the copyright but rather to have a common look across our articles. Misuse of tradenames, trademarks or registered trademarks is strictly prohibited. It is the obligation of our readers to check if company names and products are protected with tradenames, trademarks or registered trademarks.

V © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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NEWS

Konftel Named Best in Class by Frost & Sullivan

GLOBAL: Swedish conferencing and audio solutions major Konftel has been recognized with the Customer Value Leadership Award 2018. This Best Practices Award is presented by the distinguished US analysis firm Frost & Sullivan. “We are, of course, extremely honoured to receive this award, which gives us an extra boost as we launch video in our conference solutions,” says Peter Renkel, CEO of Konftel. In explaining its choice for the 2018 Global Tabletop Audio Conferencing Endpoints Customer Value Leadership Award, Frost & Sullivan writes that Konftel has a broad and compelling solutions portfolio and a reputation for solid product quality. It also points out that the broad functionality offered by Konftel meets a clear customer need and predicts that Konftel is set to disrupt the whole market with its launch of video capability. “Konftel follows an innovation-led approach backed by significant R&D expertise and excellent design skills to address customers’ changing needs,” says Vaishno Devi Srinivasan, Industry Analyst, Unified Communications and Collaboration, at Frost & Sullivan. “Being named best in the industry is huge for us and confirms that after 30 years, we are still able to maintain the right pace of development without losing focus on the customer experience. We have received design awards before, but being acknowledged for our entire product portfolio and our top quality feels fantastic,” says Peter Renkel.

The Konftel Unite App, which makes it significantly easier for the user to start a distance meeting, and the Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) function, which assists with the installation of IP products, are both cited as strong reasons for the award. Other criteria that Frost & Sullivan takes into consideration are price, customer purchase experience, service, user experience, and the Konftel brand itself. Analysts also look at business criteria, such as the company’s efficiency and financial stability, not to mention Konftel’s growth potential. Best audio is imperative: Konftel’s drive to always offer exceptional sound quality through its proprietary audio technology, OmniSound, is another key factor highlighted by Frost & Sullivan. Today’s conference phones are increasingly used in small huddle rooms and other more ad-hoc meeting venues. This places tougher demands on the product’s sound optimization capabilities, since these spaces often lack noise absorbers or other acoustic features. “Konftel’s patented OmniSound technology provides significant audio intelligibility, which is the most essential ingredient for productive meetings. The incorporation of OmniSound technology across its product portfolio is a testament to Konftel’s rigorous understanding of customers’ audio quality expectations”, says Vaishno Devi Srinivasan. The analysis firm also singles out the wireless products Konftel 300Wx and Konftel 300Mx, praising their talk time (60 and 30 hours respectively) and usability, particularly when combined with the Konftel Unite app. Video launch will shake up the market: Frost & Sullivan concludes its analysis by looking forward and asserting that Konftel is set to disrupt the traditional conference phone market with the launch of its new audiovideo conference bundle. As a strong player with a focus on customer benefits and superb sound quality, Konftel is predicted to excel with this launch. www.konftel.com

K-array Announces New Partnership in India

INDIA: K-array is excited to welcome the newest member to the K-family, ISD India. The newly-formed network partner will be responsible for the sales and service of the K-array brand throughout the entire country. ISD (Italian Sound Design) is a specialized distribution chain of K-array and has been conceived with the aim of servicing major markets through an independent sales development approach. The launch of ISD India follows this new strategy that was put into motion earlier this year with the establishment of K-array China and ISD Japan. ISD India is run by Sawan Nichani, Sameer Nichani and Sidharth Dham and their dynamic team and offer easy access of K-array products and services to the pro audio industry. The newly-formed, but experienced group will aim to bring the K-array brand to the forefront in India. K-array has high expectations for their partner in this large, yet complex market. “I believe ISD India will quickly escalate K-array in the country as I can already feel the sector's enthusiasm and appetite for the high-end, unique audio solutions we provide,” says Marc Vincent, K-array’s Director of Sales - APAC. ISD India kicked off their representation by hosting an informative K-day on July 13 at Lutyens Resort Delhi where over 60 industry professionals gathered to learn about K-array. www.k-array.com

NEWS

Shure Opens India Office in Bengaluru INDIA: Shure Incorporated, widely recognized as the world’s leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics, opened a new Sales and Marketing office for India and South Asia in Bengaluru. Furthering the company’s presence in Asia, the office officially opened on August 1, 2018. The new location supports the company’s commitment to managing its sales channel in South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan. The location enables Shure to be closer to its customers and increases its accessibility and response time to market challenges and opportunities. While the new office will solidify Shure’s presence in the region, customers will still be directed to purchase products through established distributors and partners. “India has experienced exponential business growth during the past few years and has

become a hub for Fortune 500 companies and AV manufacturers alike,” said Mark Humrichouser, Vice-President of Global Sales at Shure. “The new office presents an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to this lucrative market and better understand the customer, which is imperative for longterm success.” Country Director Chicco Hiranandani will lead the new Bengaluru office. He will be joined by Market Development Manager Devraj Panicker, who will oversee corporate end-customer engagements with a focus on Integrated Systems solutions. Looking ahead, Hiranandani will be working closely with channel partners to instate a long-term, dedicated growth plan for South Asia to support the Company’s vertical market goals. “By opening the office in Bengaluru we now have a closer presence to our customers and partners,” said Hiranandani. “We look forward to building new relationships— and nurturing established ones—with this important region.” www.shure.com

Sennheiser ME Presents 3D Audio Thriller

Director Roxanne Benjamin shot FINAL STOP on just a smartphone and recorded most of the audio with Sennheiser’s Ambeo Smart Headset

MIDDLE EAST: The rustle of a newspaper, the sound of the bus engine far away, the steps of the stalker in the pitch-black night: The hairs on the back of every neck will stand up, thanks to the incredibly realistic

3D sound in Sennheiser’s short film FINAL STOP. Writer and director Roxanne Benjamin uses the soundscape to create a thrilling atmosphere, with stunning audio recorded

using Sennheiser’s Ambeo Smart Headset. The result is a gripping 3D audio thriller. In FINAL STOP, the protagonist played by Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin is on her way home from the city on a night bus. She soon notices a man in the back of the bus whose face is covered by a hood. The more people get off the bus, the closer he gets to her. Fearfully, she finally gets off the bus in an abandoned part of the city where she hopes to shake off her pursuer. But as soon as she leaves the bus she realizes she did not get off alone.

Less dialogue, more sound Even though director Roxanne Benjamin made FINAL STOP without any dialog, she created an astonishingly realistic and thrilling cinematic atmosphere. FINAL STOP was recorded in immersive 3D audio, using just a smartphone and recording most of the audio with Sennheiser’s Ambeo Smart Headset which was developed with A/D conversion specialist Apogee. The incredibly realistic 3D sound recorded by the headset makes horror and shocking moments appear more intense than ever before. One of the passengers rustles his newspaper in the front of the bus, a couple argues to the protagonist’s right while behind her, she senses someone watching her. These authentic sound experiences give the viewer the feeling of sitting in her seat. “Since we structured the short around the use of 3D audio, I kept the camera largely behind Phoebe, so that audiences really felt that fear of being followed,” said Director Roxanne Benjamin. “This was the element that struck me the most about the Ambeo Smart Headset when I was first testing it out – just how effective it could be in enhancing a narrative horror setting,” he explained. “The 3D element really brings you a whole lot closer to the action and feeling like you’re right there with Phoebe as she’s experiencing this fear. It’d be fascinating to see it being used for a full thriller or horror feature.” Uwe Cremering, Director-AMBEO Immersive Audio at Sennheiser, added: “we wanted to let viewers experience the remarkable

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emotional quality 3D audio can lend to any film and with FINAL STOP, Roxanne tapped the full potential of the AMBEO Smart Headset in providing a frighteningly lifelike audio experience.”

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At home in the genre: FINAL STOP director Roxanne Benjamin is rooted in the thriller and horror genre. As a producer, screenwriter and director, Benjamin has broken new ground and established her own understanding of horror with episodic films such as Southbound, XX and the V/H/S series. She is currently in post on the survival thriller Body at Brighton Rock, which she wrote and directed. S

Leading actress Phoebe Tonkin also has genre experience. In 2012, she appeared in the horror movie Bait 3D and joined the cast of The Vampire Diaries. The young Australian became known to a broad audience through her role in the series H2O: Just Add Water, in which she played one of the main characters, Cleo. For this role, Tonkin was nominated in the “Best Lead Actress in Television Drama” category at the prestigious Australian Film Institute Awards in 2008. www.sennheiser.com/finalstop

I A

Pro-AV Industry to Grow to $230 Billion by 2023

IfIfititwas was only only that that simple… simple…

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GLOBAL: professional audiovisual industry will grow from $186 billion in 2018 to $230 billion by 2023, according to updated forecasts in the new 2018 AV Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) Global Summary produced by AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association. This report examines the forces driving growth, from macroeconomic factors to technology trends to vertical market demands, on a global scale. “There are many shifting pieces within the AV industry; it’s important to pause and take the market’s temperature,” said Sean Wargo, Senior Director of Market Intelligence, AVIXA. “Based on our research, we’re expecting compound annual growth to be 4.3 percent from 2018 to 2023, which is in-line with our previous estimates. Regions around the world are growing, with Asia poised to take the lead as the largest market, capturing 36 per cent of the pro-AV market by 2023.” The IOTA report was produced for AVIXA by IHS Markit, a noted insights and intelligence firm. The research methodology was based on combining supply-side market sizing with demand-side market requirements, which were then aligned with macroeconomic factors and inputs.

Among the highlights from the 2018 AV Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis Global Summary: Macroeconomic Factors: While industries and economies are generally flourishing, trade policies and protectionist views are acting somewhat as headwinds. Uncertainties related to Brexit, as well as the outcome of Brazil’s upcoming election, low oil revenues, and fiscal deficit lead to declines for the pro-AV industry. Factors leading to growth include Europe’s real GDP increasing from 1.9 per cent in 2016 to 4 per cent in 2017, new manufacturing hubs emerging in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and improvement in the U.S. economy from fiscal stimulus and strengthening business investments. Technology Trends: The five technology trends rising to the top of the list as drivers of the growth are audio advances, future displays, IoT for smart buildings, IT and the cloud, and artificial intelligence. Asia-

NEWS Pacific and the Americas lead in technology advancements, but face similar challenges of commoditization, while Europe is less impacted by both trends. Solution Bundles: The integration of technologies is what differentiates the pro-AV industry from others because many of the technologies, products, and services for audio and video capture, processing, storage, and displays are similar across different applications. The top solutions include conferencing and collaboration, learning, live events, digital signage, security and surveillance, and performance and entertainment. Vertical Market Demands: Although the corporate market represents the lifeblood

of professional AV, smaller markets, many of which focus on the consumer experience, have the greatest growth potential. For example, from 2018 to 2023, the healthcare market will grow 10 percent CAGR, from $2.4 billion to $3.9 billion; hospitality will grow 7 per cent, from $7 billion to $9.4 billion. The 2018 AV Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) is published as a series of reports, including one global and three regional reports, plus a series of reports highlighting specific segments of the AV industry. The Global, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe reports are available now to purchase, with discounts for AVIXA members. For more information, visit www.avixa.org/IOTA S

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Primacoustic’s Pool Acoustics in Israeli Facility

MIDDLE EAST: In Modi’in, Israel where three quarters of the annual weather average is above 20 degrees Celsius (68 farenheit) and there is minimal rain to refresh, the municipal public pool provides a much-needed respite. The grand open-air facility beckons overheated folks with it’s glimmering water and impressive design. So what was keeping people away and causing several lifeguards to quit their jobs? The deterrent was in fact, unbearable resonance. Once the automated roof was closed at night (also closed throughout their few colder months), the reverberation in the facility caused highly uncomfortable resonance. All of the very necessary hard surfaces that make the facility so visually attractive unfortunately contributed to noise that was just too much for many.

The solution came when the management contacted A.B. Electronics (also in Modi’in, Israel) to have them come up with a solution. Assaf Tzur, A.B. Electronics’ acoustics specialist, formulated a plan to provide extensive treatment to reduce the nearly 5 seconds RT60 time in order to make the pool experience comfortable and enjoyable. To do this he selected products from Canadianbased manufacturer Primacoustic and enlisted integrator Elements 4D to perform the installation. The installation was divided into two stages. The first stage included just over 200 Primacoustic panels, some fixed to the wall surfaces (Broadway panels) and some baffles suspended from the ceiling (Saturnas). The first round was completed in about 5 days. A second stage in planned with the installation of 80 more Saturna baffles. Each of the panels is constructed of 6lb glass wool, fabric wrapped with resin hardened edges. The unique “open-air” design of the facility drastically reduces the humidity levels allowing for the installation of the acoustic panels.

Connectivity made simple For more information visit www.datapath.co.uk

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www.primacoustic.com © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

NEWS

‘Studio Care’ Sound at Chennai College Audi

INDIA: Chennai-based specialised audio solutions provider Studio Care recently installed a complete HARMAN Professional audio system in the Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Auditorium at Guru Nanak College. Inaugurated by India’s President Ram Nath Kovind on the school’s 42nd annual Convocation Day, the 7,200-square-foot auditorium houses 900 seats and is used for various student activities, cultural programs, convocation and other ceremonies. In order to deliver clear and even audio coverage throughout the facility, Studio Care deployed an end-to-end HARMAN Professional audio solution made up of JBL Professional speakers, Crown amplification, BSS signal processors, Soundcraft digital mixing consoles and AKG microphones. “This is a fairly large auditorium, and the client wanted a state-of-the-art audio system that could deliver clear and uniform coverage,” said Studio Care Proprietor S. Kangayan. “We chose HARMAN Professional Solutions for their prestigious brands, extensive service network, and the ability to create an end-to-end audio solution from a single manufacturer,” he explained. “We supplied, installed and programmed the entire solution with strong support from the HARMAN engineering team. The JBL loudspeakers have delivered exceptional sound quality and coverage, and the client is very satisfied with the installation.”

six EON612 self-powered loudspeakers for stage monitors. The loudspeakers are powered with two Crown DCi 4l1250N power amplifiers, the subwoofers are powered by a Crown DCi 4l2400N power amplifier, and the side fills are powered by a DCi 2l600N power amplifier. Audio is mixed on a Soundcraft Si Impact 32-channel digital mixing console, and AKG microphones provide exceptional clarity and intelligibility for cultural programs, lectures, demonstrations and other presentations. “Our installation at the Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Auditorium is an important milestone, and our expertise in the education market enabled us to deliver a world-class system in a very unique space,” said Prashant Govindan, Senior Director, India and SAARC, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “The Guru Nanak Education Society is a non-profit organization that is supported by 250 Sikh families residing in Chennai. Despite being a small community, their contribution in the field of education is commendable,” he elaborated. “During the project’s planning phase, the team at Guru Nanak College communicated that they wanted a high quality system with robust output, which helped deliver the right solution under a tight timeline. The entire project was completed in just two months—from planning to execution.” HARMAN’s wide product range, and their ability to provide end-to-end solution clinched the deal. - S Kangayan, Proprietor, Studio Care www.harman.com

The main audio system includes four JBL AM7315/95 loudspeakers and two ASB7128 subwoofers, as well as four AC18/26 loudspeakers for side fills and

Electrosonic EMEA Achieves APEx Distinction

MIDDLE EAST: Electrosonic EMEA announced that it has qualified as an AVIXA AV Provider of Excellence (APEx). AVIXA APEx is a marketing recognition programme for integration companies and AV design consulting firms dedicated to upholding industry excellence by providing quality service to customers. The rigorous APEx programme recognises companies based on the number of employees holding key industry qualifications, and a positive response to an independent customer survey. Fifteen percent of total employees must have attained AVIXA’s CTS certifications including the CTS for general expertise in AV, the CTS-D for specialisation in AV design and the CTS-I for specialisation in AV installation. APEx providers must also prove that they meet or exceed the requirements within two ANSI/INFOCOMM standards, the Standard Guide for Audiovisual Systems Design and Coordination Processes and the AV System Performance Verification Standard, to foster better communication between the AV provider and the client. “Achieving the APEx designation is very important to us as a measure of Electrosonic’s commitment to our clients, the AV industry and to our employee learning and development programmes,” says Sarah Joyce, Managing Director of Electrosonic EMEA. “Electrosonic prides itself on innovation, creativity and precision

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engineering while continually driving the AV industry forward. We are very proud to have exceeded the required number of CTScertified employees and to have had many of our clients provide positive feedback on their Electrosonic experiences.” “The APEx designation gives AV companies a mark of distinction in the marketplace,” says David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO of AVIXA. “Customers of APEx companies can be confident of the AV provider’s professionalism and commitment to ongoing training, customer service and dedication to excellence.”

worldwide. Employing a diverse team of talent with different backgrounds, cultures, ages and experiences, allows them to design, build and support innovative technology solutions all over the world. Electrosonic is an international audiovisual and technology services company that designs, builds, and supports innovative solutions creating lasting experiences where people live, work and play. Founded in 1964, Electrosonic has been recognized for its superior and unsurpassed technology master planning and system integration. www.electrosonic.com

Electrosonic is committed to the continual development and education of its staff

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Holistic AV at Holy Spirit College Auditorium shows, graduations, career expos, and much more.

AUSTRALIA: Established in 1983 as Emmanuel Catholic School, with classes ranging from year one to year seven, the Holy Spirit College went through a renewal process and changed its name to Emmanuel College in 1990. Then in 1995, a second renewal led to its discontinuation, but in its place two schools took shape: Emmanuel Catholic Primary School for students, year seven and under, and Holy Spirit College for students in years eight through twelve. As it works with so many schools, the sports hall at Holy Spirit holds more than just sports matches. The hall hosts numerous assemblies, from college band and choir performances to special ceremonies that include ANZAC Day, college mass, fashion

Explains Greg Duncan, business manager at Holy Spirit College, “each of these events have their own requirements but the common thread to all is the need for high-quality audio and video. So, when we decided to upgrade our audio and video systems, we wanted equipment to take us to the next level and stand the test of time.” Chosen for the task was Clair Brothers to execute the audio design upgrade, and Videopro for the refreshment of the video system’s functionality, quality and longevity. “The new systems are part of an integrated A/V installation and the Clair Brothers equipment is the showpiece of the audio component. These loudspeakers provide a ‘wow’ factor every time they’re used,” explains Martin Ridley of Videopro. “Historically, these types of rooms have limited or poorly designed audio reinforcement. This Clair Brothers system shows what can be achieved.” Overseeing the installation with an expert eye on Clair Brothers role in the audio

upgrade was Wayne Grosser, the Director of the company’s Australian office, whose approach to this particular venue system design was based on a long-term solution that would suit the multipurpose nature of the room. “The multipurpose hall always posed challenges because of its size and construction. It’s not necessarily set up to be a performance area, so setting up for different types of performances often proved frustrating,” Grosser points out. “Like any typical basketball hall the acoustics are very lively since the floors are hardwood and the walls are concrete. Plus, the stage is mobile and can vary in size depending on the event.” That the Holy Spirit College sports hall measures 36x16 meters, Grosser expertly recommended an array of three Clair Brothers kiT12s (60deg horizontal by 40-degrees vertical per cabinet) plus one CS218 subwoofer per side. “This gear and configuration provide even coverage of the large width and long throw depth. The truth is, this wasn’t really an application for a line array system. But it works incredibly well,” says Grosser. Duncan further says, “the audio/video solution designed by Clair Brothers and Videopro suit our applications perfectly! We’ve already had a number of events since the installation and the feedback from staff, students and guests has been super positive. We can’t wait for our next event!” www.clairbrothers.com

(FromL-R) Cameron McGuffie and Cal Buckingham, Videopro; Greg Duncan, Business Manager, Holy Spirit College; and Jordan Rieck, Videopro

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Adam Hall Asia 2nd Distributor Summit Scales High with Positive Vibes wet the appetite of the attendees. These product previews are targeted for release at Integrated Systems Europe 2019. In the region, the best sellers have been the MAUI, CURV and the STINGER series from the LD Systems portfolio. One innovation in particular caught the interest of the attendees: The MAUI P900 systems designed by Porsche Design Studio will finally be available on the market this Fall. Interesting to note is that the first order is bound to Asia. Delegates and the Adam Hall team

SINGAPORE: The 2nd Distributor Summit held at the Adam Hall Asia Pte Ltd Showroom in Singapore, saw larger participation compared to the first edition, amidst a positive vibe both from attendees and Adam Hall personnel.

A delegate giving the MAUI P900 a closer inspection

manager Viktor Wiesner then presented the top selling models for LD systems, which were then followed by product demonstrations. Viktor also previewed a few innovations still in the pipeline to

Vinod Kumar, product specialist, Adam Hall Asia, took over to present about the Cameo lighting solutions and took time to touch on the control of Cameo lighting fixtures through the iPad software, making it easy to control the fixtures on the fly. A lavish spread for lunch was followed by presentations from Robin Henlich, product manager, Adam Hall Group on Gravity and Palmer solutions. The evening ended with a motivational presentation on “Driving Greater Revenues via the Value Selling Framework” followed by cocktails and mingling. Lively interactions, sharing and discussions together with the product demonstrations ensured that the Summit not only helped

A casual get-together on the eve of the Summit

The day before the Summit, Adam Hall held a welcome dinner for the participants at the lusciously green Buzz by Myra’s restaurant at Phoenix Park. This hidden gem that blends nature with food and beverage and located close to the heart of the city made for a great evening of merriment. It certainly got a thumbs up by all present and was a great way to get ready for serious business the next day. Held on August 24th, the one-day Summit was attended by 60 participants from 21 companies representing 16 countries. The Summit kicked off with a brief introduction by Markus Jahnel, COO, Adam Hall Group followed by Chandan Mahtani, MD of Adam Hall Asia Pte Ltd. LD Systems’ product © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

Markus Jahnel, COO, Adam Hall Group addressing the delegates

H W IGH ITH P CA OWE RD R IO BA ID SS AR R RA EF UP Y P LEX AN TO RE PA D 8 SE S 13 00 TS UB 4 W DB R W OO MA MS FE X PO RS S W P AP L E R FO PL R ICA QU T IC ION K P FR R EQ ES UE ETS LD NC FO S YR R YST ES DI E PO ST M NS S OR D EC TIO YN ON N- X ® FR DS TO B EE P UR TE FO EM IN P E G R OP RF CH UN TI NO O M R IFO IZ MA LO RM ED NC GY CO HF E VE WA 3 RA VE FO 6 M G G E UI R M DE 0° DU OR AL 5° -TIL MO T P UN OL B TIN E R UL IRC G EC TR H P AN EP A LY GL TA RU C ES CL GG AB E ED INE PO T W LY IT UR H EA FIN ISH

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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM IN SINGAPORE Adam Hall Asia Pte Ltd · Singapore 737853

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NEWS

to communicate about Adam Hall Group solutions and future plans but it also built on a common Adam Hall Group family identity and belonging amongst those who attended. Adam Hall Group was obviously pleased with the effort put in by the distributors to attend the Summit. “It is nice to have our distributors come together. It is more than just sharing what we as a company are doing. The summit gives our distributors the opportunity to exchange ideas, learn and interact with each other and that is an integral part of our Summit. Having said that, participants also shared with us suggestions in relation to our solutions which helps us to look into possibly implementing those suggestions. They are on the ground interacting with clients and we value their feedback,” said Chandan Mahtani. It is no surprise that since the establishment of the Asian operations in Singapore, there has been steady growth with new markets opening for the Adam Hall Group. “Adam Hall was an unknown entity in Vietnam until three years ago. Now with our distributor in Vietnam, we are happy to share that our brands are not only accepted but also preferred,” said a pleased Chandan. Adam Hall Asia Pte Ltd has also appointed new distributors. For CAMEO lights, Lighting & Sound Distribution has been appointed as a distributor in Singapore. Also appointed recently were Pavostore Pte Ltd in Bangladesh, Key Components Pte Ltd in Fiji and Boodles Trading in Nepal for all the brands under the Adam Hall Group.

recently opened an Adam Hall Group showroom in Hanoi. “We have had a good response to our showroom which is about 100sqm in size. We also have an outdoor area at the back of the office that helps us demo the bigger speakers. The response has been very positive. The showroom allows our partners and clients to listen to the solutions before making their decision,” said Ms. Pham Phuong Anh who is responsible for marketing at DHT.

Adnan Nazir Chaudry, CEO of Brand Matrix

Another participant at the summit, Adnan Nazir Chaudry, CEO of Brand Matrix from Pakistan highlighted that the company based in Lahore has been representing the full range of Adam Hall Group solutions for two years. “We see a bright future. Adam Hall Group has a diverse range of solutions that enable to market their products to a range of segments. One thing we are most impressed with are the accessories that Adam Hall Group manufactures. They are made with ease of use in mind and I feel this is a big advantage for us.”

The Adam Hall international team with Chandan Mahtani, MD of Adam Hall Asia

Adam Hall Groups decision to set up Asian operations is certainly paying off. “Being in close proximity to our distributors and the region is certainly a plus point for us. We hope to sustain and continue our growth in the region. There are still plenty of opportunities and we believe our range of solutions, the quality of our solutions and the strong support provided will help us with our growth plans together with our partners,” said Chandan.

Pressed on which segments have been doing well, Adnan shares that the Installation and Live-Event segments have seen positive growth for the company in Pakistan.

www.adamhall.com www.ld-systems.com www.gravitystands.com www.cameolight.com

Nguyen Thi Thao, Nguyen Quang Luyen, Pham Phuong Anh of DHT Vietnam

DHT VietNam International Technology Company Ltd, is so confident of the Adam Hall Group solutions, that the company

Siam Music Yamaha also incidentally started to represent a selected range of the Adam Hall Group’s LD Systems speakers and Gravity solutions two years ago. “As Yamaha too has a range of speakers, we only represent certain range of the LD Systems speakers, which do not compete with Yamaha solutions. Yamaha also is in the Musical Instruments market and Gravity makes complete sense for us to represent,” said Ms. Suthinee Sutthintiwong who is responsible for Marketing.

Supachai Khanisirin and Suthinee Sutthintiwong of Siam Music Yamaha

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EVENT

Second Edition of SII Awards

Celebration AV Excellence Gets on to a Wider Platter

SIIA 2018 – the second edition of Systems Integration India Awards – held on the evening of 18 September (day one of InfoComm India 2018 exhibition), besides anything else, represented the immense potential the industry holds for excellence. While the inaugural event two years ago sought to set a benchmark for such events in the region, the second one just grew bigger and wider in more ways than one. In the process, it paved for bigger stakes for future editions. As the curtains went up for the evening on 18 September 2018, at the recently opened Hall-2A – renamed as the Grand Hall – bang opposite the Main Exhibition Hall (Hall-1A) at the Bombay Exhibition Grounds in Goregaon, Mumbai, the excitement that ranted the air explained the atmosphere surcharged with expectations heightened. With emcee walking up the stage to begin the process of the second Systems Integration India Awards (SIIA 2018), the excitement only appeared to take to new highs of anticipation. Quite understandable that- given the stupendous success that the inaugural edition two years ago registered, it was a sort of a crescendo of curiosity for the august audiences that included the high-profile ranks of AVIXA and InfoComm Asia, it was a sort of running the burden of expectation for Spinworkz, the organizers of the event. For, the inaugural edition had set a very aspirational benchmark, and one had only expected a bigger platter for the second outing of the prestigiously initiated SIIA. It did get to a wider platter- from inside the main exhibition venue of 2016 to the much larger, well furnished, and swanky Grand Hall. It had more number of entries for evaluation, higher number of projects from higher number of companies. It was a ratification of a conviction- of the potential the industry possessed; the competence © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

for AV excellence the SI and consulting community can bring to place; and more importantly, the imperative of coming together to demonstrate a collective cause.

•

It had brought to the fore a higher density cream of Indian AVSI industry- diverse manufacturers; dealer-distributors; partners

•

It had the top-notch systems integrators; consultants

•

It had the industry’s highest institutional body AVIXA’s topbrass, AND It had the most comprehensively structured evaluation process in the industry- the large number of projects notwithstanding.

•

It had two high profile end users gracing the event to present the awards.

While it was popular Mumbai-based singer Mihir Joshi’s scintillating musical tones that set the rhythm to the proceedings last time, it was the young and dynamically charged Nine Lives music brand that kept the evening moving with entertainment- and making way for Spinworkz’ Publisher and Editorial Director Thomas (Richard)

EVENT

SIIA 2016 vs 2018 • • • • • • •

No. of companies 15 vs 26 No. of projects: 26 vs 50 Projects Segments in competition: 4 vs 5 Categories in completion: 9 vs 16 Consultants Awards: 2 vs 4 Highly Commendable Projects 2 & 2 2 Winners for the second consecutive time

THE AWARDS, THUS THEY GOT: Award-1: Best AV Application in Infotainment : ₹1-5 Cr. - Modern Stage Service (Projects) Award-2: MSS(Projects) Project consultant Trikaya Consultants Award-3:Highly Commendable Project in Infotainment: > ₹ 10 Crore – Pan Intellecom

Prakasam to present the second SIIA edition in a nutshell- but with a clarity on what went into what- towards making the event. For a change, and as a mark of respect for the supporting Partners of the event, SIIA 2018 presentation programme began with Memento presentation to its four Platinum Partners – beyerdynamic India, Christie Digital India, Harman Professional India and Kramer Electronics India – followed by two Gold Partners- Epson India and Green Sources. The 50-minute Award presentation journey that followed thereafter not only meant recognizing and rewarding of some of the most ingenious AV projects in India but also the glory of appreciation they won by a Jury of global repute. “A high calibre of projects charactersized this year’s Systems Integration India Awards prpgramme. Many of the SIs apparently overcame difficult challenges to produce unique, innovative and high quality installations,” commended Shannon Brooks, CEO, Laservision Mega Media, one of the three Judges for the event. The other two Judges of SIIA 2018 were Jonathan Tulip, Principal Consultant VenAV Audio Visual Consultants, and Dan Fletcher, General Manager, Connected Vision Pty Ltd.

Award-4: Consultant Award for Pan Intellecom HCP – Design Habit Award-5: Best AV Application in Government : < ₹ 1 Cr. – A. V. Graphics Award-6: Best AV Application in Government : ₹ 1-5 Cr – VA InfoSolutions Award-7: Best AV Application in Government: ₹5-10 Cr – Bharat Radio Centre Award-8: Highly Commendable Project in Government : > ₹10 Cr – Pan Intellecom Award-9: Best AV Application in Corporate: < ₹1 Cr – AVILS Award-10: Best AV Application in Corporate: ₹1-5 Cr – ESCO Award-11: Best AV Application in Corporate : ₹5-10 Cr – Sigma AVIT Award-12: Sigma Project ConsultantSigma AVIT Award-13: Best AV Application in Corporate: > ₹10 Cr – Actis Technologies

The Winners League: Award-winning Systems Integrators with their trophies pose for a group photo. © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

EVENT

The evening had a total of 13 Awards and six ‘Appreciations’ to the Partners who unequivocally supported the cause- making it a measurably large contingent of 19 Awards. It was indeed a long journey through.

The Awards - To the Centrestage of Celebration AV Excellence The very first Award of the event/evening, the Best Application of AV in Infotainment with budget range of ₹<1-5 Cr went to Modern Stage Service (Projects) for its ingenious design and integration of sound and light expertise at Mayanagri World One Pvt Ltd. Harish A K, General Manager-Visual Instruments at Epson India presented the Award to Dawinder Wadhwa of MSS (Projects). That the project had an independent consultant – Trikaya Consultants – providing the AV design for the project, Harish did the honours of presenting the Consultant Award to Trikaya Representative Mandar Gupta. The Infotainment segment turned out to be an interesting segment in that it had a very unique project in the high-end Premium category with some very innovative technology play, but had no competition. The Judges felt it merited a recognition- based on the innovation and AV Excellence it rendered truly experiential. Pan Intellecom from Delhi was the proud winner of the Award in this category for its incredibly inspirational work at the Golden Plaza at Amritsar Golden Temple. Naveen Sridhar, Director-Sales & Marketing did the honours for Harbir Singh, Managing Director of Pan Intellecom. That the project had an independent consultant – Design Habit, contributing its expertise to make it stand out – it had the double honour. That Design Habit Director Amardeep Behl could not make it to the event, Harbir Singh received the Award on Amar’s behalf. Interestingly, the Delhi-based AVSI scored another double in a single go, as its another premium project in the budget range of > ₹ 10 Crore SITC project at Dr. B R Ambedkar Memorial Museum in Delhi also won the Highly Commendable Project Award. David McKinney, Vice-President of Hospitality CSU at Harman, did honours for the Award presentation to the Pan Intellecom chief. The next Award – ‘best application of AV in a government environment with a budget range of ₹ < 1 Cr – was won by A. V. Graphics Pvt Ltd, for the ingeniously done full turnkey production and installation of a Sound & Light Show at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Museum at Khatkar Kalan in Punjab. The judges, who were in a particular appreciation for this award noted: “from content creation, creating an App to ensuring sound, light and visual experience, the SI should be commended for a holistic experience.” © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

Swadesh Khetawat, Managing Director of Green Sources did the honours while Veenu Pasricha Director of A. V. Graphics received the Award. The next level Award in this category, with a budget range of ₹ 1-5 Cr, was won by VA InfoSolutions for its design-build of AV systems at the headquarters Punjab National Bank in Delhi. The system comprised embedded microphones, camera pickup, live audio and video streaming and sound reinforcement. Jonathan Seller, Senior Director of Development at AVIXA did the honours for this prestigious Award; however, that that SI concerned could not make it to the event, the award was received by one of the Organizer’s team member on the behalf of the SI. The next Award - ‘best application of AV in a government environment’ with a budget range of ₹ 5 Cr-10 Cr – was won by Bharat Radio Centre of Lucknow, for their prestigiously done install at Lucknow High Court, featuring many a high-end technologies of audio, and video-conferencing and streaming. For a change, the SIIA organizers, had the privilege of very high-end, and unique End Users gracing the occasion, and doing the honours of Award presentation. In this particular case, it was Rakesh Gupta, Deputy General Manager, (E&T) Western Off Shore Unit doing the honours of presenting the award to Vikram Sabharwal and team of BRC. The Corporate Segment- arguably had the widest participation, and had all the segments: Award with < ₹ 1 Cr category went to AVILs India for their work at SB Energy in Andhra Pradesh, with Gaurab Majumdar, Regional Director of AVIXA-IMEA doing the honours. Award with ₹1 Cr-5 Cr category went to ESCO systems(India) – for their work for a corporate client space. Shankar Jadhav, Managing Director, at BSE Investments Limited, and Head-Strategy, Bombay Stock Exchange doing the honours of presenting the Award to Sunil Mehan- Managing Director of ESCO. The ‘best AV application in corporate segment with ₹ 5 Cr-10 Cr budget range was won by Bengaluru-based Sigma AVIT Solutions who made a very innovative demonstration AV excellence with their work NASDAQ development centre in Bengaluru. That Sigma was also the consultant for the prestigious project, it had the rare honour of walking away with the Consultant Award too. Both the awards were presented to Raymond V Soans, VP of Sigma AVIT, sales and marketing, by Bharat Kumar Allur, Managing Director or Kramer India.

THE NEW REFERENCE POINT

w w w . r o b e . c z

EVENT

The final Award of the evening was the premium range of > ₹ 10 Crore project in Corporate environment. It was won by Actis Technologies of Mumbai; the Award was presented by Rishubh Nayyar, National Sales Manager of Christie Digital Systems India.

Design-Build Future: AVIXA Chief Commending the excellent works of AV brought to the SIIA platform, AVIXA Executive Director and CEO David Labuskes called upon the SI and Consulting community to visualsize the future growth areas of audio-visual industry and sharpen their expertise to design-build the future. “…When I think about how people interact with each other, I think about AV. Because that’s what AV is. It’s not about just enabling communications; it’s about elevating communications; it’s about experiences; excitement, emotions; and celebration. And, that’s what these Awards are all about. But it is also an opportunity for us to reflect,” he said. “Let’s think about the next time we have the Awards Ceremony, it is about the future. We need to look forward with these Awards to look to the future and invite those among ourselves; to win Awards, and help them invest in the past and present (to make our future experiences better).” The AVIXA Chief commended too efforts put in by Spinworkz to herald a demanding initiative like the SIIA, and vouched AVIXA’s full support to the future editions of SIIA. The next SIIA event will unfold in 2020. A perfect outing that it will be. www.siindiaawards.com

The grand and gala evening of SIIA 2018:

Partners of a great cause: SIIA’s supporting Partners pose for a group photo

(from top-bottom): Invitees picking up their Admission bands to the Awards Hall; dance and music performances enthralling the house; Housefull of Invitees; VIP invitees from AVIXA

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Extron’s ‘Most Intelligent’ Collaboration Gateway

Extron’s ShareLink Pro 1000 Wireless and Wired Collaboration Gateway enables anyone to present content from their computers, tablets, or smartphones onto a display for easy collaboration. ShareLink Pro supports simultaneous display of up to four devices including an HDMI-connected device, and dynamically updates the display layout as new content is shared or removed. The HDMI input supports wired connections from any connected source. To support a wide range of environments, ShareLink Pro has collaboration and moderator modes that facilitate both open and restrictive environments. When used with Extron GVE – GlobalViewer Enterprise software, multiple units can be managed across an enterprise or campus. The ShareLink Pro 1000 facilitates easy full-screen mirroring for all devices, including Mac and Windows computers and laptops, and Android and Apple tablets and smartphones, displaying the entire screen for more fluid and easy collaboration sessions. To improve enterprise wide deployments, it includes a fully-customizable welcome screen with multiple configuration options to assist users in quickly connecting their devices and sharing content. A suite of security protocols ensures safe and protected collaboration between user devices and the ShareLink Pro 1000. In addition, centralized management tools enable simultaneous configuration, firmware updates, management, monitoring, and control of multiple units from one central location. ShareLink Pro’s professional

capabilities provide easy integration of AV and mobile devices into meeting, huddle, collaboration, and presentation spaces. www.extron.com S

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Yamaha’s New YVC-200 Speakerphone Enables Anytime Conferencing

Yamaha Unified Communications is now shipping the Yamaha YVC-200 portable USB + Bluetooth speakerphone for conferencing anytime, anywhere. Available in select worldwide regions, the portable conferencing device is designed to provide users with ample, clear sound no matter where they work by leveraging Yamaha’s superior audio technology to boost productivity when meeting remotely. The YVC-200 speakerphone is the ultimate portable device for on-the-go communication. The compact device fits in

the palm of a user’s hand and is integrated with Yamaha’s leading sound processing technologies, including adaptive echo cancellation and Human Voice Activity Detection, which focuses on speech rather than background noise. The unit features an intelligent microphone and delivers fullduplex conversation without sound dropouts, even when multiple people are speaking at once. In addition, a powerful built-in speaker produces audio that sounds so natural, it feels as if every remote participant on the call is in the room. With the YVC-200, users can easily hear what’s being said and be heard, enabling highly productive team collaboration anywhere. To start a remote meeting, users simply connect the YVC-200 to their audio, video, or web conferencing client. Equipped with USB and Bluetooth, with fast pairing to NFCenabled devices, the YVC-200 can connect to a PC, smartphone, or tablet. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 10 hours of operation. It is software-agnostic and fully compatible with commonly used OSs and remote conferencing services, such as Skype for Business, Microsoft® Teams, Cisco Webex®, Zoom, Slack, and more. In addition, interactive touch-sensor buttons for easy and intuitive operation provide manual control of software functions, such as microphone mute and speaker volume. Users can start a meeting anytime, anywhere, including ad-hoc meetings in the office or a customer’s site, without missing inspired ideas or cues for making immediate decisions. Available in a choice of white or black, the YVC-200 blends into any home or corporate office. Its small, lightweight, and spacesaving design is perfect for portability and deployment at laptop or mobile terminals. A headset jack allows for private listening and the option to enjoy music through the unit between calls. https://uc.yamaha.com

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Atlona Adds Dolby Vision to OmniStream AV over IP

Atlona has announced a new feature to its OmniStream AV over IP platform that will enable distribution of 4K video with Dolby Vision dynamic HDR over standard, off-theshelf Gigabit Ethernet data networks. This capability, unique to Atlona, will soon be available as a licensed feature update to the OmniStream Pro and R-Type Series for commercial and residential networked AV applications, respectively. OmniStream is the only AV over IP platform capable of streaming and decoding ultra high-definition, Dolby Vision 12-bit HDR content at 60 frames per second over 1 Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

Dolby Vision is widely considered the industry leader in terms of its potential to deliver the best possible HDR viewing experience. However, extension and distribution of 4K video with Dolby Vision HDR has been a substantial challenge for AV integrators and manufacturers. AV over IP systems currently offer HDR10 or HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) compatibility but not Dolby Vision. Some HDBaseT systems include video compression for 4K HDR, and may be compatible with Dolby Vision, but only at 24 or 30 Hz.

Atlona has developed an algorithm that enables full preservation of Dolby Vision HDR metadata while maintaining visually lossless image encoding and decoding, for full interoperability with Dolby Vision HDR streaming media players, Ultra HD Blu-ray devices, and displays. Atlona’s OmniStream AV over IP product line overcomes the limitation of typical video distribution systems over Gigabit Ethernet networks that eliminate the metadata necessary for Dolby Vision 12-bit at 60 frameper-second playback, or uncompressed distribution systems that are limited to only 30 frames per second. In addition to Dolby Vision, OmniStream offers license-free compatibility with HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) at 60 Hz. https://atlona.com/dolby-vision

UNITE THE PEOPLE DIGITAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

Wireless Microphone • Interpretation • Assistive Listening • Guided Tours

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Next-proaudio’s Matrix Series Ready for Shipping while Vocal mode adds a midrange presence to enhance speech intelligibility. NEXT MATRIX column arrays are able to focus the acoustical energy where it is needed, the listening area, leading to significant improvements to speech intelligibility and musical clarity even in critical acoustic environments. NEXT Matrix was presented on the last ISE Amsterdam, and it is now coming out from the production line and ready for delivery with large quantities available in stock. NEXT-proaudio has unveiled the Matrix Series of passive column arrays aimed at installed and small, portable applications. With a chassis of aluminium and wood, the cabinets are described as ‘stylish and yet sturdy’ and designed for architectural integration as well as portable solutions. The Matrix Series comprises two models: The Matrix M8 (8x3”) and the Matrix M3 (3x3”), which house eight and three 3-inch neodymium transducers respectively. Built to offer a ‘high intelligibility at high SPL’ and ‘wider frequency response while providing constant beam-width over a user selectable vertical coverage’, the Matrix columns provide beam control that reportedly extends up to 10kHz. In addition, to better control the lower frequencies, the Tuned Dipolar Technology was developed by NEXT-proaudio engineers to provide much more consistent low frequency pattern control than other similar size systems. This can be a very importante advantage to reduce the stimulation of resonant room modes at low frequencies. A user selectable Music / Vocal mode switch is incorporated to allow quick and easy system optimization. Music mode is intended to give a flat,balanced frequency response,

For even greater versatility, another choice presented to users is the ability to switch the vertical dispersion pattern between wide or narrow coverage. The internal processing board at the heart of the M3 and M8 column arrays reportedly handles array optimisation, allowing users to adjust the system behaviour to meet application requirements. Adding to the ease of set up is the 16mm cavity in the back of the cabinet, which conceals wiring, even when the speaker is mounted flat against a wall in architectural integrated installations, while a removable input screw connector simplifies the wiring process. This series can fit permanent installation, Bars, Clubs and Restaurants, Speech reinforcement, Transportation halls, Houses of worship, Critical environments Auditoriums as well as portable solutions.

analogue and digital systems without the complexity and expense of additional convertors and adaptors. Ideal for customers with analogue servers looking to maximise their investment, the ALIF100T VGA connects and transmits those video sources enabling them to be controlled from a single source. As a result, users can gradually migrate to digital without a major ‘rip and replace’ operation and continue to gain value from their existing technology investments. The ALIF100T range is available with DVI, Display Port and VGA connectivity. It comes in Zero U form factor which is a compelling offer where rack space is a premium. There is no need for power distribution units as it is Direct or USB powered and the ALIF100T range is highly scalable. “Contrary to popular belief, VGA connectivity is still widely used, particularly in control rooms”, said Jamie Adkin, VP EMEA, Adder. “So, although technology advances are driving the sector to upgrade their KVM solution this has been difficult without major expense and upheaval. We recognise the continuing importance of VGA and believe the unrivalled capabilities of ALIF100T range will put it at the top of the agenda for many customers looking for a way to retrofit high performance KVM into infrastructures designed around legacy equipment.”

www.next-proaudio.com/series/matrix

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Adder Accelerates Digital Connectivity for Analogue KVM Users Adder Technology has added a new VGA addition to its popular ADDERLink Infinity 100T (ALIF100T) range. Responding to increasing customer demand, the latest version enables connectivity between legacy

www.adder.com

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SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Congressify Opens New Meeting Perspectives With BYOD Solution bring their tablet to meetings, so that provides us with a perfect opportunity to use it for richer meetings. All they have to do is open their browser and navigate to Congressify. There’s no app or no installation necessary. And now they’ll have a wealth of extra information right on their own device.”

Televic conference, has released Congressify, a bring your own device solution for richer meetings. The new software gives participants a multitude of information right on their own tablet. The software is the perfect companion for more involved meetings, resulting in better informed participants.

Congressify is a software solution designed to bring meeting information closer to participants. Developed to work with Plixus, Televic’s versatile conference network, it brings information right to everyone’s fingertips. Ronan Dezyn, Televic Product Manager, says: “Today, people frequently

Delegates see who is speaking and who’s next, see their own speech timer, they can consult agenda topics or voting results, and they can also view documents. A chairperson even enjoys meeting controls such as microphone management, starting and stopping agenda topics, and starting or stopping voting sessions. www.televic.com

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THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE

CONNECTIVITY SOLUTION IN THE MARKET Real 4K over Fiber Solution Stretch & Control digital video audio standards º DVI / HDMI / DisplayPort / SDI Fiber Optic Extender º KVM Extender (Fiber Optic & IP base) º Multi Format Modular Matrix º Various Video Format Converters º Wireless Extender º IP Video Wall Controller

HDFC-200P:

HDMI 2.0 Active Optical Cable Supports HDMI 2.0 standards Extends up to 4K (4096x2160) at 60Hz (RGB&YCbCr : 4:4:4) Transmits HDMI 2.0 signal up to 100m(328feet) over hybrid cable Operated by HDMI source without external power Supports 3D contens transmission Complies with CEC, EDID, HDCP

OPTICIS OPTI OP TIC CIS H HQ Q 7F, 166, Jeongjail-ro Bundang-g B Bundang-gu, ang-gu, Sungnam-si, -si, Gyunggi-do, Gyu 13558 South Sout Korea Tel: Tell: +82 31 719-8033 Fax: F Fa +82 31 719-8032 E-mail: E-mai tosales@opticis.com tosales@opticis.c © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

VTRON Launches 16:9 ChipOnBoardPlus LED Display

QSC Launches Q-SYS Designer Asset Manager

strength. Delivering an excellent viewing experience with seamless screen quality are necessities in large venues such as control rooms, TV studio backdrops, corporate conference rooms, auditoriums, houses of worship, etc.

VTRON has launched its new generation of COB LED cabinet with 16:9 aspect ratio ChipOnBoardPlus (COB + ). In 2016, the first generation launched by VTRON shook the market and raised the level of competition to produce fine pitch LED displays. VTRON achieved 100+% growth in COB LED product sales turnover after the launch, riding on the overwhelming response to VTRON’s COB LED Products. COB display technology has been widely recognized by the market, attracting many competitors to follow in VTRON’s footsteps in 2018. COB LED Technology is becoming the mainstream. VTRON’s COB + LED has the advantage of the 1st generation COB LED which includes better surface protection of the LED light, easy maintenance, super low fault rate with performance 10 times better than the SMD LED, easy dust control, heavy-duty 7x24 hours operations and water-resistance. It is built with the latest patented surface material which enhances the durability, has no dust contamination, is fingerprint-resistant, and offers an improved visual experience. Patented Dark Carbon Matte Surface VTRON created a unique COB LED module with patented proprietary coating material, this unique dark matte coating offers softer images, reduces light radiation, moiré and glare, yet displays fine image details in unprecedented clarity with highly smooth finishes and a surface that has excellent

Ultra-Low Blue Light Display with TUV certified Studies show that blue light from the sunlight, computer monitors and fluorescent lamps may be very harmful to the eyes causing muscular degeneration and digital eye strain. As a specialist in indoor display systems, VTRON makes the health of users their priority. VTRON has designed the COB + products with low blue light which increases prolonged viewing comfort. VTRON is the first and the only provider of TUV certified ultralow blue light flicker-free COB LED Display technologies, helping users to avoid possible side effects while keeping their eyes healthy so as to increase productivity. Built with signal processing and windowing for image resizing and scaling. VTRON pioneered this latest generation of COB LED with signal processing functions. These are standard features on VTRON LED displays. In the past, many LED Wall customer are just having large images sowing over the whole LED display for advertising and signage purposes. With wider application of LED displays especially for indoor use, in conference rooms, control rooms, command centers, and even the backdrop solution for TV stations, customers required video processing functions for image resizing, rescaling with scrolling banner, individual windows naming, built-in clock, weather information, etc. All these features come standard in VTRON’s LED displays, which bring much added-value to customers. www.VTRON.com

QSC announces the addition of Q-SYS Designer Asset Manager as part of the latest release of Q-SYS Designer Software v7.1. This new cloud-based feature allows system designers to quickly and easily download and install new Q-SYS assets, including plugins for third-party device control, all without having to wait for new Q-SYS Designer Software releases. “One of the key strengths of the Q-SYS Platform is the ability to integrate nearly any IP-based third party device via its open API with custom scripting and plugins,” says Greg Mattson, Product Manager, Installed Systems, QSC. “The addition of the Asset Manager will empower QSC, as well as approved thirdparty manufacturers and independent Q-SYS programmers, to contribute to a growing Q-SYS asset library and ultimately expedite the delivery of these resources to system designers and administrators.” The Asset Manager currently features plugins from some of the most commonly used elements in today’s conference room, including devices from Microsoft, Global Cache, Attero Tech, Atlona, Clock Audio, Visionary Solutions, and more. Each plugin includes a detailed description, links to relevant product pages, imagery, and access to previous versions of the asset for when reversion is necessary within a system design. www.qsc.com

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Symetrix Launches Composer 7.0 Software core for signal processing tasks. Composer 7.0 adds Radius NX 4x4 and Radius NX 12x8 DSPs plus Single- and Dual-Core AEC Coprocessors to the Toolkit. Composer 7.0 also fully integrates with SymVue for Control Server. Now, virtually any HTML browser-enabled device on any platform can provide multi-touch control of Symetrix DSPs, as well as select third-party audio and video hardware.

High performance audio hardware and software manufacturer for installed sound market Symetrix released the latest version of its Composer programming software for Edge, Radius, Prism, and Solus NX DSPs. With Composer 7.0, integrators can programme a complete end-to-end DSP signal path using just one application.

Composer 7.0 integrates support for the next generation of Symetrix hardware, Radius NX, as well as full integration with SymVue for Control Server, a new Property Sheet feature, and support for Dante Domain Manager. Radius NX DSPs now host a Super Matrix, supporting a full 128x128 channel mixer in a single DSP core. This frees the entire second

Composer v7.0 for Windows natively configures the setup and routing of Symetrix Dante I/O expanders, along with select thirdparty Dante devices. In addition, Composer optionally synchronizes changes made to the system in Dante Controller with the Site File for archiving or for use as a new baseline configuration. www.symetrix.co

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SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Audio-Technica Launches New Hanging Microphone The ES954 Hanging Microphone Array features a permanently attached 1.2-meter (4-foot) cable with locking grommet enabling easy microphone height adjustment. UniGuard® RFI-shielding technology offers outstanding rejection of radio frequency interference (RFI). The package includes a Plenum-rated AT8554 Ceiling Mount with RJ45 connectors and push-type wire terminals for simple, secure installation. The ES954 connects to the mixer over a pair of standard Cat 5 cables. Two RJ45 breakout cables are provided to input the four channels, plus an LED tally, into the mixer. An integral, logic-controlled 360-degree red/ green LED ring provides clear indication of the array’s mute status.

Robin Ghose of Audio-Technica India and Hirotaka Yamazaki of Audio-Technica Japan

Audio-Technica launched its new ES954 Hanging Microphone Array, as part of its global launch. The new microphone array is an ideal, cost-effective solution for Huddle Rooms, Conference Rooms and other meeting spaces. When controlled by the Audio-Technica ATDM-0604 Digital SmartMixer, the four-capsule microphone array provides 360-degree coverage through virtual hypercardioid or cardioid outputs which can be steered horizontally and tilted vertically. Intended primarily for videoconferencing applications, the ES954 may be used singly or in multiples to capture every person speaking in a room, with the total number of channels restricted only by the capacity of the mixer or DSP device controlling the system. When using the ATDM-0604 Digital SmartMixer the intuitive graphic interface enables control of the width and orientation of each virtual polar pattern, which may be steered in 30-degree increments, with a tilt function accommodating differing ceiling heights or users that are sitting/standing.

A simple setup might include a single ES954 over the center of a conference table configured from the mixer to provide coverage via four identical quadrants. Used in conjunction with a gate on each microphone channel, the system could be configured to automatically follow anyone talking while moving around the space. Alternative seating arrangements in the room can be accommodated by re-orienting each of the four microphone patterns in the mixer’s software. Different seating configurations and associated coverage patterns can be saved as presets in the mixer for quick recall. In larger rooms, multiple ES954 microphone arrays could be installed — for instance, one at each end of a long conference table — and the polar patterns of the multiple microphone arrays steered and widened or narrowed accordingly. The ES954 Hanging Microphone Array will be available in India from November, 2018. www.audio-technica.com

Opticis Introduces Most Cost-effective HDMI 2.0 Active Optical Cable

Opticis has launched the most cost-effective HDMI 2.0 Active Optical Cable, HDFC-200P in the market. With Opticis leading-edge technology, HDFC-200P provides long distance 4K signal extension without using any external power supply. HDFC-200P, enables transmission of 4K (4096x2160) material at 60Hz signal up to 100m (328feet) over plenum graded & LSZH hybrid cable. It avoids any scaling or data compression for lessening a burden of data transmission. HDFC-200P is designed compact enough to be fitted into various installation environments with cutting edge technology performance. It offers slim, light, easy installation like a general copper HDMI cable. It can be operated by DDC 5V from HDMI port of HDMI source without any external DC power or USB power. HDFC-200P is compliant with HDMI standards features like CEC, EDID, and HDCP 2.2 for better installation flexibility and compatibility. www.opticis.com

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SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Dante Domain Manager Strengthened with New Version Release

Demonstrating its commitment to providing systems integrators and end-users with the strongest network technologies for secure, interoperable, high-performing AV systems, Audinate introduced an update to Dante Domain Manager. The new version provides advances in diagnostics and usability, extended auto discovery for legacy devices, and increased support for larger networks. Commenting on the update, Joshua Rush, TA-80_SI ASIA_210x140mm橫式.pdf 1 2018/7/20 下午 03:51:45

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Products, Audinate stated, “Since its introduction to the market earlier this year, Dante Domain Manager has been extremely well received by OEMs, integrators and end customers. These new enhancements make Dante Domain Manager that much more valuable by providing additional features that enhance the scalability and ease of use of the platform.”

The automatic device discovery service that customers have grown accustomed to with 4.0 firmware devices, has now been extended to legacy (pre-v4.0) devices. This makes it easier to for products with and without the 4.0 firmware to co-exist in Dante Domain Manager.

Dante Domain Manager Now Supports over 1,000 Devices

Available in the Network & Security settings, it is now just a single click to quickly establish if there are any fundamental configuration errors on the network. Customers can now rename Dante domains without having to delete and recreate them.

For larger Dante installations, customers can purchase expansion packs for the Platinum Edition to support up to 1,050 devices per instance of Dante Domain Manager.

Designed to accelerate setup, configuration and troubleshooting, the Network Diagnostics Report provides instant visibility of basic network configuration via connectivity, DHCP, DNS and Internet reachability tests.

www.audinate.com

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Crestron Launches Flex B100 Series Smart Soundbar

Crestron debuted Crestron Flex B100 Series, a front of room wall-mount UC smart soundbar that provides native Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business functionality in a stunning, practical design with world-class audio and video quality, plus unprecedented flexibility to transform traditional, more complicated meeting spaces into easy-to-use spaces free of table clutter. Crestron Flex solutions deliver a simple, consistent user experience in all the places people work, from individual workstations to boardrooms.

The ultimate in conference room flexibility: With powerful built-in speakers, the Crestron Flex B100 Series fills the largest meeting spaces with crystal-clear audio. Conversely, its beam-forming microphone array picks up voices in the furthest reaches of the largest spaces. The embedded Huddly IQ video conferencing camera provides cutting-edge technology, developed in partnership with Intel, that includes 4K digital auto-zoom, an undistorted ultra-wide viewing angle of all videoconference call participants, people counting, and lifelike image quality to deliver nothing less than the best possible video conferencing experience. The Crestron Flex B100 Series is as simple to set up as it is to use, with no configuration required. “The Crestron Flex Smart Soundbar delivers native Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business functionality aimed at creating a better meeting and collaboration experience for every room in a company’s office space – from small huddle rooms to

executive board rooms,” said Ted Colton, Vice President of Unified Communications at Crestron. “Our goal with our new Flex Unified Communication and Collaboration series is to make working and using technology a seamless experience, and not an additional hindrance for employees or a company’s IT department.” Centralized deployment and management: The Crestron Flex B100 Series benefit from zero-touch deployment via the Crestron XiO Cloud™ platform. With Crestron XiO Cloud, organizations can easily deploy, manage, monitor, and evolve thousands of Crestron Flex devices from a single dashboard, resolve technical issues remotely, and gather actionable space and device usage data, all without the need for programming. Organizations are seeing up to 90% reductions in installation time, improvements in device uptime, and less strain on support resources. www.crestron.com

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SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHT

ZiipRoom: The New Zing Thing to Meeting Challenges

The Latest Tech Solution Promises to Amazingly Simplify Remote Meetings minutes at the beginning of meetings was all too typical)

Video Conferencing, Telepresence, Huddle Rooms, and Collaboration…in between, ‘the Last Mile Access,’…AV world, in this age of AV over IP, has seen them all, and still there appears some hidden, persisting area of grey matter. Latency, loss of quality/clarity, and more! Addressing this grey matter has rendered many a head grey. However, here comes a promise, if not an apparent solution. An SIA exclusive.

Many tech companies approach the market brimming with pride over their new product. Their new offering represents possibly the cutting edge of technology harnessed with the most impressive engineering. But far too often, their new product is just that – a product. Even worse, their new product is really technology looking for a market, and not at all a solution to existing pain points customers are suffering from daily on the field. The situation could not be more appropriate for ZiipRoom. Born directly from acute end-user frustration, ZiipRoom was conceived on the field by suffering end users. Sometime in 2016, Martin Bodley, ZiipRoom CEO and Co-Founder (and former CEO/Founder of RevoLabs), was contacted by a colleague who was responsible for nearly 7,000 rooms globally for a Fortune 250 pharmaceutical company. Bodley’s colleague lamented over his challenges to properly enable his organization with the collaboration spaces and workflows they demanded. To that point, less than 250 of the 7,000 meeting spaces had been enabled with collaboration. Why? Because the efforts they hitherto put in just haven’t been successful. For each ‘thank you’ there was a much larger chorus of complaints and trouble tickets. Each of their pain points were shared with Bodley and read like the Seven Deadly Sins of contemporary collaboration:

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Initiating meetings was too slow and complex (losing 8-10

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Connecting BYO devices with correct cables or dongles was uncertain and sometimes difficult

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Deploying hardware for both VoIP and UC video created clutter, cost and confusion

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Supporting various BYO devices and multiple UC Apps was proving impossible

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Supporting guests for sharing presentations and initiating calls ‘off network’ was often a complete gap

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Eliminating wiring to the table to reduce build-out cost and tripping hazards needed attention

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Tracking, analyzing and reporting insights on room and system utilization was a mismatch collection from multiple sources with no complete, aggregate view

Bodley picked up the gauntlet and assembled a small core team of experts with well over 100 years of collaboration, wireless and mobility expertise between them. Eighteen months later, they annouced ZiipRoom, the only software purpose-built to connect people and technology to make every meeting experience consistent, simple, productive and free from vendor lock-in. ZiipRoom is a software subscription offering that complements what’s already in the room. With patented software on BYO devices (Android, iOS, Windows), in the meeting space, and in the cloud, ZiipRoom knows users, their locations and the devices they’re carrying. Within seconds, ZiipRoom’s intelligent software scansdd users’ calendars (and the calendar for the room) and shares click-to-join buttons to start any scheduled VoIP or UC Video meeting or share wireless presentations directly from their device of choice. While some solutions try to do a bit of everything – often at the expense of succeeding at anything – Bodley and the ZiipRoom team kept laser focused on addressing the core pain points and did not stray. While sharing their value proposition and presenting demonstrations of the ZiipRoom meeting experience, the team consistently highlights the real-world problems they have addressed that organizations are still looking to solve- just as Bodley’s colleague in pharma lamented over in 2016:

SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHT

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Speeding and simplifying meeting starts with one-click buttons on BYO devices

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Fed directly from meeting invites on users’ calendar(s) or via the room’s scheduled meetings

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Supporting multiple VoIP and UC Video platforms from meeting to meeting and user to user

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One consistent App that connects to all the platforms (VoIP or BJNS, GoToMtg, SfB, WebEx, Zoom, etc.)

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One consistent experience that eliminates training and trouble tickets

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Eliminating frustrating cable connections and incompatibilities

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Use BYO devices for wireless presentations, joining calls, adjusting volume and controlling camera

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Providing secure presentation option for guests or off-network employees

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Easy URL access with security code and media relay in the cloud

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Deliver Wireless Presentation, VoIP and UC Video from shared A/V device(s)

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Providing a single data set for valuable analytics and insight

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Enables real-time monitoring, alerts and reports

Connects wirelessly to BYO device (Android, iOS and Windows) – no cables or dongles required

Reducing clutter, wiring and cost Includes SIP soft phone with dial-in/dial-out support and merging audio and video calls

Aggregates data from devices, calendars, VoIP/UC platforms and in-room A/V hardware Includes room utilization, participant counting and even learns behavioral trends about individuals to aid them over time

Since emerging from ‘stealth mode’ at InfoComm 2018 in Las Vegas in June, the ZiipRoom team has been busy finalizing software for release in Q4, executing pilots and demonstrations with future customers,

and even garnering a couple awards. The team has also been actively completing go-to-market plans and aligning reseller and distribution partners. Says Roshan Gupta, who had just recently came onboard ZiipRoom as its Regional Director for India, and interacted with the industry fraternity at the recent InfoComm India 2018: “The most common response was very simple yet very profound: ZiipRoom solves longsuffered problems for end users and uniquely fills a market gap.” According to him, ZiipRoom complements the solutions many vendors are selling for VoIP, UC Video and the A/V hardware in meeting spaces- monitors, cameras, speakerphones without competing against any of them. This allows resellers to easily add ZiipRoom software benefits without complicating room design or alienating existing solution providers. And, at just $299 per-room-per-year (Apps are free for as many users and devices as desired), ZiipRoom brings long-sought simplicity and consistency that’s the core driver of user adoption which, in turn, drives higher customer ROI. That said, the largest opportunity ZiipRoom brings for partners is the missing opportunity between the 250 rooms that have been deployed and the remainder of the 7,000 (like the challenge facing the global Pharma organization mentioned above). Frost & Sullivan’s top exec Roopam Jain’s recent blog, Huddle-room Collaboration – Looking Beyond the Hype, indicated there are currently over 32 million Huddle Rooms worldwide, but a mere 2 per cent of them are video enabled. More importantly, Ms Jain estimated that huddle room utilization for video calls would explode, growing exponentially from just 8.1 per cent of video calls today to 70 per cent of all video conferencing room meetings by 2022. The tantalizing question now is- if you’re an AV/IT reseller looking for business expansion, which market opportunities are anticipated to have such a promising CAGR? “Ensuring every meeting experience is simple, consistent and productive goes a long way in creating satisfied customers,” vouches Roshan. “Of course, it helps securing future orders for ZiipRoom software – and all the A/V gear in the rooms as well.” And, with the insightful data and analytics from the ZiipRoom cloud portal, channel partners can leverage ZiipRoom capabilities to provide enhanced services to the many collaboration spaces that were once just too costly to reach with high-end, white glove type services. A humble say: ZiipRoom may be a small start-up, but their impact looks to be much larger. www.ziiproom.com © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

TRADESHOW - REVIEW

Integrate Celebrates 10 Years of Exhibition Excellence by Natalie Chew

Organized in Association with CEDIA, Integrate Makes a Hit with Milestone Event

This year’s Integrate saw over 6800 visitors in three days, and boasted a 26% increase in total visitor numbers across a wide crosssection of disciplines and sectors from Core AV, Live Events, Specialist End Users from almost all vertical markets like Hospitality, Healthcare, Education, Corporate, and Enterprise, and, of course, Government. Held at ICC Sydney, the event also celebrated a lofty milestone of 10 years. The show floor was packed with visitors and exhibitors alike, all keen on finding out about the latest offerings and solutions for their diverse AV needs.

PROJECTORS the same robust, compact and lightweight chassis that makes them easy to integrate into existing infrastructure. They also feature support for HDR, 360-degree installation flexibility and a sealed light source and optical engine to protect from dust and smoke.

Stealing the show at Epson’s booth was their new EB-L12000QNL, a 12,000 lumen native 4K 3LCD laser projector, as well as the more compact EB-L20000UNL. The new EBL12000QNL and EB-L20000UNL models share

Also shown for the first time at the Integrate show was Epson’s new LightScene EV-100 Series, a new type of laser projector that expands the company’s presence in the signage and lighting sector. Created to blend into the background with a sleek, conventional lighting design available in black or white, the 2,000-lumen WXGA EV-100

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TRADESHOW - REVIEW (interactive), as well as LP-AW4001 and LPAW3001 (non-interactive). These projectors are ideal for producing up to 130” images in limited spaces and are specifically designed to meet the needs of businesspeople and educators. Some features unique to this range include:

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can work as either a projector or a spotlight without distracting viewers from the subject. The booth also featured the new laser L series, the L610U, with rich features and impressive imagery powered by a 6000-lumen laser light source in a compact size, well suited for medium and large rooms. There was also a handy chart displayed at the booth comparing different display sizes and viewing angles – aptly titled “Size Matters”.

Perfect Fit 2, which allows the user to adjust individual corners and sides independent of one another, to correct geometric distortions

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HDCR2, which now has auto colour enhancement along with auto tone enhancement – resulting in vivid and clear images even in bright rooms

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Aspect Zoom, which gives the maximum image size on the screen while maintaining the aspect of the original image

continuously measure colour and brightness, making adjustments as needed to produce a perfectly balanced image. What was also interesting was that Barco showed off its medical-grade monitors with a control room software setup, marking its foray into the medical industry. www.barco.com S

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Hitachi also expanded their solid state projector line with the new 5000 ANSI lumen, 3-chip LCD model LPEU5002. This new projector features 500,000:1 contrast ratio, resulting in super bright displays with image clarity and uniformity. It also offers approximately 20,000 hours of operation time, and is virtually maintenance-free. www.hitachi.com.sg S

www.epson.com.au

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Hitachi introduced to the Australian market their new 3LCD ultra-short-throw laser projectors: LP-TW4001 and LP-TW3001

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Barco brought their UDX and F series projectors out to wow visitors, also offering part of their booth as a free meeting space for Integrate visitors to use for meetings and business discussions – of course, this was for them to demonstrate the seamlessness of wePresent and ClickShare technologies coming together to improve communication and workflow. However, the highlight of their booth was undoubtedly the UniSee, comprised of the UniSee View, UniSee Mount and UniSee Connect to change up the LCD wall experience with features like the virtually seamless NoGap technology that prevents visual information loss, and the Sense X automatic calibration system that

Panasonic drew visitors’ eyes to the massive dome structure at its booth, using the ETD3LEF70 fisheye lens for seamless dome projection. Adapted for dome theatres and planetariums, the lens is also suited for VR and AR applications and simulation environments without the need for eyewear, and offers image-plane correction for focus uniformity across curved screen surfaces. New to the booth were the PT-RZ870, a 1-chip DLP solid shine laser projector

TRADESHOW - REVIEW

delivering images at 8800 lumens, the 1-chip DLP solid shine laser projector PT-RZ120 with 12500 lumens, and the 3-chip DLP solid shine laser projector PT-RQ22K with 4K+ imagery. The PT-RZ120 will be available from October this year. Last but not least, Panasonic introduced its EQ1 Series, a range of 4K UHD LCD displays that will be available from Autumn this year. Panel sizes range from 43” up to 86”, with high-visibility LCD panels and IPS panel for clear off-axis visibility. www.panasonic.com S

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SWITCHES

New additions to Lightware included the full 4K matrix switcher, comprising of the MX216x16-HDMI20. With 16 HDMI 2.0 inputs and 16 HDMI 2.0 outputs transmitting up to 4K at 60Hz in 4:4:4 format, it also supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as HDR 10, HDR12 and Dolby Vision. The MX2-16x16-HDMI20-Audio is an enhanced version of the same device, allowing analog audio embedding and de-embedding from the HDMI stream, and digital-to-analog conversion of stereo LPCM. The MX2-24x24-HDMI20 is a member of the MX2 standalone matrix switcher family, with 24 HDMI 2.0 inputs and 24 HDMI 2.0 outputs transmitting up to 4K at 60Hz in 4:4:4 format, it also supporting Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as HDR 10, HDR12 and Dolby Vision. The MX2-24x24-HDMI20-Audio is an enhanced version of the same device, allowing analog audio embedding and deembedding from the HDMI stream.

ATEN displayed its range of video matrix solutions, which included the Media Matrix Solution – a combination of a matrix switch, transmitters and receivers – and their standalone matrix switches available in both VGA and HDMI formats. The video matrix solutions offered by ATEN feature seamless switching, FPGA design benefits, 3D support, and EDID mode selection which allows users to choose an EDID recognition mode that optimises display resolutions for installations. www.aten.com

Lightware also showed how their devices enhanced with the built-in Event Manager control system and open API allowed for native control from CISCO Touch 10 touch panels. With this, users maintain network security and avoid needing to use dongles or cascaded processors, converters and switchers, instead relying on one single Lightware box for extensions. www.lightware.com

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iMAGsystems showed off its products ranging from LIGHTNING, their AV over IP system based on SDVoE technology to provide unprecedented image quality reproduction at 4K60 4:4:4 resolution. THUNDER employs JPEG2000 video compression, and leverages standard 1Gb networking technology to deliver audio and video, simplifying design and installation for users. RAIN utilises H.264 codec to deliver AV over IP over any exisiting network bandwidth, and can operate in both RTP and RTSP protocols, allowing software end-point decoding like VLC players. RAIN also has video wall capabilities, allowing configurations of up to 16x16 with advanced bezel compensation. AIR, their wireless presentation switcher, caters to mobile devices but also allows hard-wired VGA and HDMI connection for maximum flexibility. It also provides seamless wireless transmissions from laptops and mobile devices using Apple Airplay, Miracast and PC software for non-Miracast PCs. BREEZE is iMAGsystem’s next generation of wireless presentation devices allowing for quick and easy wireless connections. It has native Airplay for Apple devices to mirror content, and software for Windows plus an Android app that is available for download. www.imagsystems.com S

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TRADESHOW - REVIEW optimises light balance to emphasise faces and natural-looking skin tones even in dim or backlit conditions. Logitech’s SmartDock Flex simplifies cabling for the SmartDock by consolidating bulky AV, data and power cables into a single CAT6 cable. Users can simply connect the SmartDock base and extender box with a CAT6 cable before connecting AV, data and power cables to the extender box.

SERVERS

www.logitech.com

Exterity released its new AvediaServer, with support for the latest Samsung Tizen displays, meeting room elements that are integrated with Microsoft Exchange and Amadeus Delphi, and software enhancements. It also features a new Smart Control app, bringing control of key IP video system applications and end points, including non-Exterity products such as smart TVs into one central location. The new ArtioGuest allows users to customise any element in the portal for guests and hospitality services. With ArtioGuest, hoteliers can reinforce the hotel’s image and provide information about the various facilities available to guests, all with drag-and-drop ease, and the system is integrated with the Property Management System to allow guests to view personalised messages.

full-featured control protocol allows access to preset selection, window source selection and many other presentation options. Extron also designed SoundField pendant speakers, which enable speech reinforcement and music playback in open-ceiling applications. Architecturally discreet and integrator-friendly, the speakers include an Extron-exclusive speaker cable and a steel safety cable that is bundled inside for a secure installation. www.extron.com S

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COLLABORATION SYSTEMS Extron introduced TeamWork, their new concept in collaborative AV system design that can be integrated with any classroom or business furniture system, and is simple and operative. They also brought out Quantum Ultra, an ultra-high bandwidth 4K videowall processor. Features of Quantum Ultra include direct, full-featured control, as control systems can connect directly to the Quantum Ultra using RS-232 and Ethernet. A

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Logitech showed off its Rally Camera, with UHD imaging system, 15x HD zoom, 90º field of view and high video quality. The camera uses RightSight camera control to automatically move and adjust the camera to comfortably frame all participants in rooms of all shapes and sizes, while RightLight

Crestron showed visitors its AirMedia 2.0 presentation technology, allowing for people to sit or stand anywhere in the room or space and easily connect their laptops and smart devices to room display, regardless of OS. It also enables collaboration in flexible spaces, like cafeterias, hallways, and private offices. AirMedia 2.0 uses Crestron XiO Cloud provisioning for mass configuration and firmware upgrades. XiO Cloud allows users to update settings and firmware remotely, and implement security fixes quickly – resulting in reduced diagnostic time and increased uptime. Crestron worked with Teem to bring an interesting partnership to Integrate: Crestron enterprise-ready suite of hardware products integrated with intuitive Teem scheduling tools and workplace analytics. This showed how software and hardware combination helps employees easily find and book spaces, and also helps organizations understand how their space is being used. Teem also integrates with Crestron Occupancy Sensors, allowing organizations

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TRADESHOW - REVIEW

INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE One thing that many visitors to Integrate wanted to see was more interactive technology – and that was exactly what many brands brought to the proverbial table. CommBox took the chance to show off its Interactive Range, comprising of the Classic, Pulse, Kiosk, Short Table, and Tall Table. to better support impromptu meetings and understand their ad hoc utilization. And to make collaborating even simpler, Crestron Meeting Room Availability Signs and Light Bars allow employees to see the status of a Teem room at a glance – as displayed at the Integrate booth.

FIBBR showed visitors its High-Band optical cables, which boast features like being anti-bending, low in attenuation, thin, light, environmentally-friendly, and flameretarding, as well as full support for 4K UHD displays. FIBBR optical cables also have extremely low ground noise, which ensures a pure sound and brings superb audiovisual enjoyment to users.

www.crestron.com S

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Kramer brought out its Via Connect Plus, a simultaneous Wired and Wireless Presentation and Collaboration Solution. With all the benefits of VIA Connect PRO together with an HDMI input, meeting participants can display or stream full uninterrupted HD video (up to 1080p60), images and documents, or share any size file with any laptop or mobile device. Other features include: HDMI Wired Input, 60fps Streaming Multimedia, Wireless Connection for up to 254 Devices, Cloud– Based File Sharing, and Multilingual Support.

The CommBox Interactive Classic is suitable for classroom and corporate environments, utilising combined camera and infrared touch technologies to ensure that their touch screens are highly responsive. They also provide resolutions of 3840 x 2160 for 60”, 70”, 80”, 90” and 103” models from the range. The Interactive Pulse offers brighter, sharper images, and friction-less interactivity, using edge-to-edge glass that gives 4K resolution images. All CommBox touch screens use CommBox Glide technology to ensure that the panels are smooth to the touch, and also feature high-performance anti-glare properties. New to CommBox was the CommBox Panel 7, 7D and 10. As the brand’s latest control accessory, the panels can be wall or desk mounted, and are specifically designed to work alongside the CommBox Control Pro or Control Lite without programming needed. www.commbox.com.au

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www.fibbrtech.com S

Jands showed off its AV Conferencing solutions, acknowledging the uptake of video conferencing technologies and showing visitors the various visitors audio solutions from brands like Biamp and Shure for corporate AV conferencing needs in spaces like huddle rooms or board rooms. www.jands.com.au

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Samsung showed visitors 10 ways to use the Samsung Flip in business environments, including how to access frequently-used scenario templates and lock the screen to remove access for others to change the content presented. Other signage solutions presented ranged from their UHD, FHD, full-outdoor and window-facing solutions, to their stretch and videowall solutions.

Bose brought out its S1 Pro multi-position PA system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; designed for musicians, DJs and general PA use, the S1 Pro is the ultimate all-in-one PA, floor monitor and practice amplifier that also acts as a go-anywhere Bluetooth music system for nearly any occasion. The S1 Pro comes with a fullfeatured, 3-channel mixer with reverb and Bluetooth streaming.

www.samsung.com

www.bose.com

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Besides the exhibition, Integrate also played host to the AVIXA Oceania Awards, recognising outstanding achievements of individual professionals. The six categories were as follows: Oceania Young AV Professional of the Year, Oceania Women in AV, Oceania CTS Holder of the Year, Oceania Educator of the Year, Oceania Distinguished Achievement Awards, and Volunteer of the Year Award.

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A speaker at the AVIXA Flashtracks session setting up equipment for his talk

There was also the AVIXA Flashtracks sessions, designed for AV professionals of all ages and experience levels, and offered free of charge directly on the show floor, these 20-minute sessions focused on hot topics in the industry and included short excerpts from AVIXA courses with practical, applicable ideas and skills.

AVIXA also organised the first Tech Crew Challenge at Integrate, bringing young AV talents from schools in Australia together with Integrate exhibitors. Students were allowed to explore the various solutions and products and attend education seminars in a bid to encourage interest in the pro-AV industry. www.integrate-expo.com www.avixa.org

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The winners of the AVIXA Oceania Awards ÂŠ Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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InfoComm India 2018

Cometh Game-Changing Proposition

InfoComm India 2018 – the sixth edition of the annual ensemble of the country’s audio-visual and systems integration industry organized from 18-20 September at its regular home in Mumbai – was in short a game-changing proposition. Pretty much in tune with the anticipation of organizers, as well as expectations of exhibitors and their audiences! While playing strong with its regulars, the event also brought some fancied innovations that appeared to herald a game-changing technology domain. An SIA Report:

If not for anything else, InfoComm India 2018, the sixth edition of Indian AV’s annual congregation that happened from 18-20 September at the Bombay Exhibition Ground maintained its edge in charting new highs of its parameters. The most fascinating aspect, though, was the multitude of new, innovative technology show cases or updates from across the global industry spectra. © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

by Ram Bhavanashi

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9902 Visitors (21% rise over 2017)

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> 200 Brands

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>20 Countries

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84 New/Innovation Debuts

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2970 Summit Participants

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@ 60 Tech Sessions

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19 AVIXA Sessions

While the event visitor footfalls came tantalisingly close to the magical figure of 10,000 (closed at 9902 with a promising 21 per cent increase over that of 2017) indicating the widening awareness about the event amongst target communities, the attendances at tech sessions and those at AVIXA have been validating indices for the programmes churned out by the organizers.

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Hearteningly, the event’s theme Game-changing Technologies for Visionary Businesses came out visible in more ways than one. For, the show floor had not only a much stronger number of new, innovative technology showcases but also included global launches that appeared to have generated enough enthusiasm among the visitors. Some of the exciting solutions that merit the game-changing tag included:

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Four projection majors – Benq, Digital Projection, Epson, and Optoma – brought to show not just ‘new-to-market’ but what they believe will change the industry dynamic

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Benq joined the league with what it said the ‘true 4K UHD HDR Home Cinema projector with many a proprietary technology and AV spec

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Digital projection, showing up independently (from Delta), demonstrated the much fancied, world’s first commercially available 8K DLP Laser projector

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Epson sought to match it with a demonstration of a very unique convergence solution blending lighting and display technology

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Optoma Corporation debuting at the event, brought to show what is again fancied to be the world’s first Alexa-supported 4K home cinema projector

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Three display solutions majors – Delta, Leyard and Samsung – launched in India fascinating display solutions

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Delta brought to show what it called Xtra slim 4K Video wall; Leyard demonstrated what is claimed as ground-breaking 0.7mm ultra fine pixel pitch video wall; Samsung sought to score a point or two more with its now-famous Flip interactive digital display solution

While that represented the video/display segment, the audio segment too had its own surprises for the InfoComm India visitors.

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Audio-Technica showing up through their India partner Green Sources, launched their brand new hanging microphone, as part of their global launch

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Meyer Sound, coming along Sun Infonet, demonstrated thei Constellation speaker solutions, as a first time outing at a tradeshow in India

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Chinese video-conferencing solutions company YeaLink showed what it claimed as 4K VC solution with a 4X e-PTZ camera, and built-in beam-forming microphone

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AV majors such as beyerdynamic and Biamp as well as RTI took the show floor in their new mould. beyerdynamic – though maintained its conventional mode of booth set-up – highlighted its new-age conferencing and tour guide systems; Biamp, on the other hand, appeared to switching gears highlighting the products focused on volumes market; RTI exhibited solutions that are sought by Commercial/Professional AV markets, besides its traditional Residential segment

And, there was more variety too. The event had a good mix of regular biggies and new entrants with some truly fascinating solutions showcases greeting the seemingly inquisitive visitors. Continuing the trend from last edition, it had system integration companies as well as consulting firms, besides pure IT solutions majors showing up their AV prowess. Some of the interesting among new exhibitors included Aston Bentley, debuting along with ESCO Systems, CKR Consulting Engineers, S-Cube Consultancy Services, Manorama TV, Hyundai IT-Visual Display Solutions, Imagsystems, Prym Audio, and Unilumin. “Actually, this is the beauty of this show; people have been able to see almost every segment of the industry- which is why they want to come here every time,” said Himani Patel, an architectural consultant from Ahmedabad. “It is nice to see not just OEMS of audio-visual equipment but also design and integration firms; that helps us valueadd our ideations for what we want to do.” An enthusiast in Smart Cities dynamics, the young design professional says her coming to the show this time was to “explore what solutions the event is churning out.” Understandably, the exhibition had solutions addressing almost all applications- conferencing, Huddle Rooms, office or home

Busy show of people and products (left): beyerdynamic was just one among the many to get crowded with quality visitors; (right)Robin Ghose, and Hirotaka Yamazaki of Audio-Technica pose for snap . A-T made a global launch of their new hanging microphone array from IFI platform. © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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automation, Surveillance, Command Control and Network Operations Centre, and digital signage applications. For Prof. Venugopal Iyengar, Director at the International Organization for Trust Management (IOTM), the event mattered due to its competencies in Security solutions. “Security is one key aspect for any business. In current times of Cyber sensitivities, it is far more critical. We find this aspect has a very key role to play in audio-visual and systems integration domain since it is a channel of security as well,” he said. “We wanted to explore the areas of synergy between these two related domains. InfoComm events do provide an opportunity to explore this.” With Convergence synergising the AV and IT, security of information has become a big hot domain for both of them, which is why they are keen on events like this, he further elaborated. Prof. Iyengar’s view found a big endorsement in Sunil Srivastava, Advisor at Cyber Crime Help Line LLP. “We see a close connect between Professional AV domain and Cyber Security, which is why we are here- to explore the possibilities of spreading awareness.” Amardeep Behl, Director of Design Habit that designed many a premium Infotainment projects, feels InfoComm India event has been just the right platform of exposure. “The more exposure we give India, the better. We are the masters,” he vouches. “We just need to harness technology and understand how to deliver technology with quality. This platform is a great step towards that.” For him, the Show this time was even more thrilling, getting more dynamic with an even denser participation.

InfoComm India 2018 has been a great experience for exhibitors as well- both with the quality and quantity footfalls this time. Says Christian Liebenberg, Regional Manager, Bose Professional: “In short it has been a very positive and engaging exhibition for us. We met people we wanted to meet for example key people like consultants. Day Two was most hectic. The exhibition attracted the right audience. The highlight was the good end-customers whom we met.” According to Liebenberg, Bose’s engagement with the visitors was very positive, as they could meet people they haven’t met earlier. “The off show-floor events also provided us with good opportunities to network; we have certainly achieved our Christian Liebenberg (right) with Vibhor Khanna ROI,” says the visibly excited Liebenberg. “The experience has been positive and the organiser’s holistic approach is working well as the quality of the visitors speakers for itself.” Bose Professional, among other product ranges, highlighted their ControlSpace speakers and DSP solutions on their booth showcasing at the event. Says Vibhor Khanna, Country Manager (SAARC) Bose Professional: “our business in the market has also been positive. We are seeing double digit growth. Two segments are showing upward movement for us. Places of worship and the education segments.

There have been understandably good number of people like this who had apparently spent some quality time on the show floor, making both exploration and exposition simultaneously.

According to him, though they were late in the enterprise space, they are confident to make good by providing full suite of solutions from speakers to DSPs and controls. “The new solutions that we introduced have been giving us good traction; people are excited with our offering,” he said. “One example is our Control Space solutions where consultants, dealers and users are positive about them.”

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For majors like Harman, it is equally excited. “We are excited to demonstrate here the combined power of HARMAN – Samsung solutions, with a complete audio, video, lighting and display experience” said Prashant Govindan, Senior Director for India and SAARC, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “We introduced new products by AMX, designed specifically for the emerging markets focused on converged technologies. Our entry into the audio conferencing space with BSS DCP - 555 processor for intuitive smart signal processing, is expected to be adopted as a new standard platform in the Industry.” The event’s biggies like Christie, Kramer, and Panasonic have all demonstrated their latest solutions at the event. Christie Digital debuted five new products to Indian market. The new products comprise three laser projectors – including one from its popular Crimson Series – and two video wall solutions. The other two models under projectors include the D20WU-HS, and 4K10-HS lasers

dynamic projection for experiential content to engage audiences in retail, hospitality, and event spces. From the audio front, Harman made a vast range of India introductions from its popular AMX, JBL, and DSS ranges. AMX is represented by the VPX Series Presentation Switchers VPX-1401 – a 4x1 Switcher – and the VPX-1701, the 7x1 switcher that includes 5 HDMI inputs and 2 VGA inputs. Also on show were the new video distribution solutions that included AMX Precis 4K60 Matrix Switcher, AMX DCE-1 4K60 In-Line Controller, AMX SCL-1 4K60 Scaler and the AMX DXLite Series 4K60 Distance Transport with HDR. From the BSS stable, it was the BSS DCP-555 Digital Conferencing Processor- an intelligent audio solution designed specifically for web and audio conferencing in meeting spaces. From JBL Professional, it was the VLA Compact Series line array solution, and the Pro SoundBar PSB-1.

while the video displays include Christie Velvet Apex Series LED video wall and the Christie Access Series LCD panels. Panasonic on the other hand demonstrated their latest Digital Signage, besides video wall solutions, that are developed with key Indian expertise going into their making. The solutions included the 4K UHD LCD signage solution that employs 4K picture quality for better customer experience. BenQ, on its part, demonstrated a host of Bar Type digital displays, besides its 4K UHD HDR home projector. But the Taiwanese visual solutions major also highlighted what it called the PDLC screen with LU95 IST- meaning any glass surface being able to be converted to digital signage; WDC 20 plug-and-play wireless full HD presentation solution, as also the 10,000 lumen laser projection system LU9915 and LSISD models. Epson made record of sorts when it brought to show the EV-105 digital signage solution which is a convergence of lighting and display technology. The system’s Integrated lighting and digital display offers © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

Kramer Electronics, continuing its assertion on AV over IP, demonstrated its competence with end-to-end AV over IP solution for 4K60 video wall applications scaling up to 256 screens and supporting an unlimited number of sources simultaneously. At the

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(Left to right) NEC, iMAGsystems, and Leyard Hong Kong demonstrated their unique product fare

core of the offering are the Kramer KDS encoders/decoders coupled with Kramer Network, an enterprise-grade management platform. Kramer Network enables simple and intuitive AV routing with quick and efficient device management for the IT administrator. Completing the solution is Kramer Control which provides simplified end user control of the video wall layout from any touch screen. The result is a dynamic and interactive video wall that can adjust to the needs of the end user with a single touch. The AV gear major’s product showcasing was also highlighted by its Brainwave-powered touch panels, besides the Network 2.0 From the Display front, the three big crowd pullers were clearly the Delta’s Xtra slim 4K Video wall, Leyard’s 0.7mm ultra-fine pixel pitch video wall, and Samsung Flip interactive digital display solution. Delta’s 260sqft 4K Laser DLP Video Wall is the third generation DVCS (Distributed Vision Control System)-powered Fine Pitch LED display solution which is also characterized by its Xtra narrow bezel with as low as 1.8mm bezel to bezel gap. The xtra slim form factor is complemented by 560mm-depth, an unmatched 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution and a high brightness of 4,000 lumens. Layard Hong Kong, on the other hand, made record of sorts by debuting industry’s smallest pixel pitch of 0.7mm DirectLight LED video wall solution. The company also highlighted its product showcasing with what it called the super safe TWS1.2-G and G3 MX46 video wall controller that comes with a swappable option. PHOTOS HERE: NEC & iMAGEsystems Japanese visual solutions major NEC, coming in with brand new Logo identity, brought its LIVE SERIES Business Solutions. NEC APAC Multi Media Platforms Business Unit recently launched the NEC LIVE SERIES that comprises seven sets of solutions; each is designed to be easy to use, easy to teach and easy to learn. Th seven solutions that make up NEC LIVE SERIES are LIVE Canvas, LIVE Commerce, LIVE Hub, Live Signage, Live Play, Live Tourch and Live Space. Melbourne-based AV over IP solution developer iMAGsystems debuted at InfoComm India with their latest wired and wireless presentation devices for distributing high resolution HDMI content.

Their showcasing essentially comprised three products- Lightning is the SDVoE uncompressed for uncompromising networked video delivery. Thunder is a JPEG2000 1g compressed solution and Rain is the H.264 1g highly compressed solution designed for enterprise deployment. “We are very pleased with the exhibition,” said iMAGsystems executive on the booth. “We have met many potential distributors and customers and hopefully this will turn into tangible benefits in the coming months. It has been a great experience.” A visibly pleased Richard Tan, Executive Director of the show organizer InfoComm Asia said: “We are delighted to note that InfoComm India continued to grow in participation numbers, breadth and depth of innovations and technological solutions displayed and explored.” Commending the efforts of supporting organizations, Richard said “we are even more gratified to note that an increasing number of key industry and public sector leaders have recognized the value that InfoComm India is contributing to India’s road to digital revolution. We are confident that with the continued support of industry and government, the show will grow in tandem with India’s progress.” Understandably, providing InfoComm India the edge as the premier show in Pro-AV and Integrated Experience solutions is partnership with trade and industry associations. This year, InfoComm India partnered with All India Institute of Local Self Government, Computer Society of India (Mumbai Chapter), Digital Signage Multimedia Alliance, ICT Academy, and Institute of Indian Interior Designers, Mumbai Regional Chapter. These associations brought to the show the latest in technologies that drive their industries and cross fertilization of ideas at the Summit greatly enriched the experiences of delegates. Interestingly, next year, the event will be held exactly on the same dates as this year, i.e. 18-20 September, 2019, at the same venue. S

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INTERVIEW

INDIA

Nataraju Upputuri, Director, Aurora Multimedia India

Heralding the New Technology Wave AV and IP technologies major Aurora Multimedia has been a distinct player in an arguably technologically stereotypical market place, globally. Having made its own carved impact on diverse geographies, the Morganville, New Jersey-headquartered AV major set up its direct India operations in early 2017, wanting to pursue its India impact. SIA spoke to Auora Multimedia India head Nataraju Upputuri to know the impact. Excerpts:

SIAsia: It’s about seven quarters now Aurora India has come into operations. How do you look at the buzz Aurora India has been able to create?

Corporates in India have started to take another look at how they do business and re-align their internal strategies to make use of the opportunities AV over IP will provide them with.

NATARAJU: Aurora Multimedia established its presence in India in June 2017, with a strong desire and objective to bring its globally trusted strengths and technology expertise the country’s fast growing AV industry. Within a short span of time, we have been able to create an impressive impact among the AV fraternity and Customers in India. The impact has been such that many other established OEMs followed the trend and tried to copy us both in technology and the way of our approach. Some OEMs introduced AV over IP-based products and solutions relatively late, but Aurora being the pioneer in this technology globally, gave us the opportunity to hit the right chord among the End Users in India. We have been very successful in breaking the barrier of traditional methodology of AV deployments in India. The enormity of possibilities we can achieve with AV over IP are being realized now and appreciated. Our competence and domain expertise allows us to dream of applications which could not have existed in the past, but now are becoming possible that too with high economization.

SIAsia: What particular impact have you been able to bring about? NATARAJU: Aurora Multimedia has its genesis in a very passionate quest, a zealous effort to try and do something unique, something special and different from everyone else. Aurora, being pioneer has been ahead of all other existing AV brands as we always have been first to bring the change into the market- whether it’s introducing of Industry’s first Transceivers or becoming world’s first company to incorporate Dante as audio standard or evolving AV over IP 10Gbps solutions - IPX Series which is the world’s first 10Gbps IPBaseT transceiver capable of 4K60Hz 4:4:4 with extremely low 1.3:1 real time compression and zero frame latency with DANTE digital audio support. SIAsia: How do you look at the technology perceptions of Indian customer? NATARAJU: India’s AV market is the fastest growing in the Asia Pacific. Today’s intelligent enterprises focus on increasing productivity and streamlining operations for the sake of higher efficiency. We have noticed that the way traditional work areas are a concept of yesterday and lots of new conceptual ideas being implemeneted towards engagement of employess by recreating work spaces with more inutuitive amenties. As a result, Many Enterprises are working towards newer ways of collaborating and communicating with employees and their clients, where merging of AV with IT Playing a critical role.

Aurora’s transceivers’ showcasing at the InfoComm India 2018 tradeshow

So, companies are looking at newer ideas of tranportation of Audio Video across floors, buildings and campuses with a very low latency which traditional methods cannot achieve and even cost of ownership is high. Thanks to newer AV over IP concepts introduced by pioneers

INTERVIEW like Aurora Multimedia which made it possible at affordable costs. Today, not only they prefer premium brands but also look to make a cost effective AV set-up with high-end solution. India being a very tech savvy country, we have a strong culture of pursuing engineering and technology and people are accepting the fact that AV over IP is the future. From the client side, most local and global companies have been demanding AV over IP solutions. Here, Aurora is playing a significant role as Aurora develops cuttingedge products for markets looking for the most bang-for-the-buck, and our offerings are both competitive and innovative. And we will continue to do the same. SIAsia: How about the 10G vs 1G debate? Knowing the pricesensitive nature of Indian market, how is it taken here? NATARAJU: Some established OEMs felt the heat and tried to create a false impression by claiming that the 1G is better or equal to the 10G solution. This is actually not true. A 1Gbps network simply cannot transport 4K 60 4:4:4 content without loss of quality. 1G solutions utilize a very high 20:1 compression leading to image quality issues, frame stuttering, and higher latencies of 32ms and more. Which inturn can cause significant and noticeable delays.. 10G at 4K60 4:4:4 is with zero compression or a low 1.3:1 lossless compression with a maximum latency of 0.1 milliseconds. When the bandwidth is 4K60 4:2:0 or below, SDVoE over 10G Ethernet has no compression and only 0.022 milliseconds of latency. Medical, broadcast, and high-quality usage will have issues with the 1G results which will be unpredictable when it occurs. Even HDR can be affected if the original content is altered. 1G solutions are very cost-effective and can provide a high-quality image provided it is not 4K60 4:4:4. Aurora’s VLX Series is a 1G solution with thousands of units installed in restaurants, casinos, churches, conference rooms, classrooms and more. It delivers 4K60 4:2:0 and 4K30 4:4:4 at more than half the cost of a 1G 4K60 4:4:4

solution and uses only 5.8 watts of power almost cool to the touch and no fans. The need of high quality video distribution or 4K60 4:4:4 is all about 10G with the Aurora IPX Series beating the 1G 4K60 4:4:4 solutions in all areas of image quality, latency, features, cost, ecosystem, and future proofing. Aurora currently has the world’s largest 10G solution for command and control at 710 units and the facility has over 1200 10G IPX units. 1G unfortunately makes no sense at 4K60 4:4:4 with a high 20:1 compression, frame-dropping, power, and no future upgrade path. 10G price-per-port has been continually dropping and is now as low as $100 per port. 1G currently is a lower cost switch provided it is standard PoE or PoE+. At PoE++ the cost-per- port becomes more than a 10G solution for the 1G 4K60 4:4:4 solutions. SIAsia: What particular markets have been promising for Aurora India? and what have been challenging? Why? NATARAJU: With rapid economic growth and development happening in India, the demand for Aurora products in India is growing steadily. Specifically, we foresee that VLX series and IPX series, streaming solutions and distribution over IP will be our major growth areas. Particularly, growth in the Education, Government, Hospitality and Residential markets are also promising. Government is most challenging due to the loopholes in the system. But, there has been some very positive growth, with a good number of projects in the pipeline. With initiatives like e-governance and Smart governance spreading rapidly across the country we see AV and video distribution becoming basic requirement of most institutions; we also have huge opportunity in AV control systems. We just need to keep working hard and explain the benefits of technology to people. www.aurora-in.com

Aurora Multimedia India office in Bengaluru boasts a fully functional Experience Centre, and a Meeting Room focused on Customer interaction © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

TECH TALK

HDCP in the Field: A Survival Guide

By Martin M Bonsair

There’s an old joke that tells the story of an engineer charging $10,000 for repairing a complex machine with a single tap of his hammer. The customer challenges the excessive bill since the man only had to tap the machine once to make repairs. The engineer explains his bill thusly: “I only charged you $100 for the labour. The rest of the bill was for my knowledge of where to hit.” The anecdote resonates with me because in the world of AV integration, the hardest part often seems to be knowing where to look. One such case is when no image is displayed on the screens. What could have gone wrong? There are many reasons why a display may fail to, er… display an image, some of them are very simple, like whether the display is plugged in and turned on, or if the proper input channel has been selected. But one of the most baffling situations to troubleshoot is when the root cause is an issue with the HDCP “handshake” between devices in the signal chain. Hopefully some understanding of the underlying processes may help us look in the right places when things aren’t working as expected.

TECH TALK

symptoms can vary widely, ranging from screens displaying snow (white noise), error messages, unstable or flickering images, or nothing at all. What Did I Do Wrong Now? DISPLAY 1

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Pleased to Meet You High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection is intended to prevent the unauthorised copying of digital audio and video. To do so, it introduces a few measures:

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Before the source starts transmission of protected content, it performs a check that the receiving device is authorised to display the copyrighted material. This is done through an exchange of unique identifiers, often known as keys, between the Source (transmitting) and the Sink (receiving) device. This mutual sharing of keys allows both units to authenticate each other. This key exchange occurs at every interface between HDCP devices in the signal path.

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There are a number of probable causes of HDCP handshake failure: There are additional facets involved in the success or failure of the “handshake”: • Locality restrictions are enforced (an Ultra Blu-Ray DVD purchased locally may not work overseas) • The protected content stream is encrypted • The communication between each Source and Sink includes session management • The key authentication process is re-verified periodically, to ensure there have not been any changes to the signal chain • There is a maximum cap on HDCP devices and levels that cannot be exceeded (these values vary between HDCP versions) And when one or more of the handshake aspects fail, the resulting © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

Many devices in the market only support HDCP 1.x, and when mixing them with HDCP 2.x devices, the reality is that interoperability is not guaranteed (although HDCP 2.x is supposed to be backwards compliant…). Additionally, most movies and television shows (“type 1” content in HDCP terminology) simply won’t allow transmission to devices that cannot verify they are fully HDCP 2.2 compliant. Of course, there is also an enormous number of devices out there – both legacy and brand new – that simply do not support HDCP at all. With those units in the system, failure to (legally) display protected content is guaranteed. A somewhat different, but particularly exasperating source of

TECH TALK problems are products that do not comply with, or implement, HDCP correctly. These products may exhibit peculiar behaviour in one or more aspects of the handshake mentioned previously. For example, it’s not unheard of for transmitters to encrypt all content even if it is unprotected. Three’s a Crowd Whilst I explained the HDCP handshake process as an exchange of information between the Source and Sink devices, the vast majority of commercial AV systems include more devices than that. Media sources are usually connected to the various screens through splitters, matrices, converters, adapters, processors, extenders, and more. These units could be announcing themselves as an HDCP Repeater (and thus fully participating in the HDCP handshake), or play dumb and hope it can be transparent to the handshake requirements. A Repeater plays a specific role in HDCP. They perform tasks like decrypting content received, processing it as needed (separating the audio from the video signal, for example),

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and re-encrypting it to forward to one or more devices down the chain. As fully-fledged members of the HDCP handshake process, it is always worth checking that problems aren’t occurring at the inputs or outputs of each Repeater. It is also worth noting that not all Sources support Repeaters. So even if the Repeater is complying with HDCP rules to the letter, a Source that supports HDCP may refuse to serve content and not give any indication as to why. Equally, just because some devices in the chain aren’t Repeaters, it doesn’t exempt them from disrupting the HDCP handshake in some way. For example, some splitters, extenders or adapters may fail or refuse to pass HDCP information up the chain, preventing a stream from being displayed. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t Sometimes the symptoms may be intermittent. A screen that was displaying an image or video beautifully for a while, now refuses to do so. Nothing’s apparently changed. Or has it?

Whilst it’s tempting to think of the HDCP handshake as a “one-off” process that occurs when the equipment is first connected, we ought to consider it as an ongoing procedure that requires continuous management. Existing handshakes are renewed regularly to maintain protection even if the same Source is feeding the same material to the same Sink. Additionally, dynamic changes to the routing like switching between sources or turning displays on or off trigger new authentications. At times, those changes can occur faster than the devices can handle. This is particularly true when sources may be hot-pluggable (a laptop connecting to the presentation system via an HDMI cable), with devices coming on/off the handshake process before the previous status was fully processed by all other devices involved. Depending on the circumstances and robustness of the equipment involved, it could be necessary to reconnect or even power-cycle some or all units to allow for the entire HDCP chain to start a fresh, clean handshake process.

“A somewhat different, but particularly exasperating source of problems are products that do not comply with, or implement, HDCP correctly.”

What a Pain I agree. The truth is that the majority of installations supporting HDCP function without problem, and by paying attention to the specifications of the devices during the design stage, many headaches are easily avoided. But next time something doesn’t look right, knowing where to check may prove the difference. And if everything fails, it may be worth trying a hammer.

Martin M. Bonsoir, MInstSCE, is the International Applications Engineering Manager at Biamp Systems, overseeing technical operations globally outside of the Americas. With more than 23 years of industry experience, Martin’s passion for people and all things audiovisual continues to add richness and insight to his work every day. S

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TECH TALK

The Importance of Audio Networking By Brad Price, Senior Product Manager, Audinate Background

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Many people without experience, believe audio networking is a replacement for the cables and methods previously used, and often overlook the profound changes that networking brings. Here, we look to clarify what audio networking is and does, and explain where it is heading.

Applications

Full, native integration with computers for control and audio processing

Audio networking is transforming the way audio gets done in many sectors:

Where we were: point-to-point connections Systems Integration Legacy audio systems are connected “point to point,” meaning each device has inputs and outputs, and signals flow over dedicated connections and cables. This simple approach has a physical wiring diagram, explaining the signal paths. However, issues with this approach include:

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Difficult to scale Difficult to change connections Noisy, ground loops Many heavy cables Channel count is limited by devices and connectors

Integrators are adopting audio networking, improving customer satisfaction and bottom lines. Networked systems are quick and easy to install, with lightweight CAT5/6 cables and no ground issues. Users do not need to access cables buried in walls to make changes. Instead, routing is done with software, decreasing maintenance cost and increasing speed. Audio networking is a natural fit for computer-driven installations, providing direct connectivity to computer-based control panels, audio sources and audio processing. In many settings, existing network infrastructure is used.

Where networks take us: connect anything Live Sound Audio networks are computer networks, with real-time audio being the primary data. In a network, all devices are connected to a common fabric, so signals are sent from any point to any other point using software. The benefits of networks include:

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Ability to scale to hundreds of devices, each with many channels Connection changes are very simple Immunity to hum, noise and ground loop issues Lightweight, inexpensive CAT5/6 cable carries all channels at once

Live sound was one of the first areas to be advanced by audio networking, replacing bulky and unreliable analog snakes with CAT5/6. Networked systems cover greater distances than analog, easily covering large venues. And, precisely-timed line arrays benefit from networking with the tight synchronization of endpoints. Recording Audio networking is revolutionizing live event recording with the ability to connect any computer to the network to capture audio. Products are on the market now to deliver channels of pristine digital signal directly to recording applications. Dante Dante is the most popular audio networking solution available, with over 400 manufacturers producing thousands of Dante-enabled products. Dante is a “full stack” system developed by Audinate and sold to OEMs. Audinate provides features, tools and functionality, such as Dante Controller for managing networks, Dante Virtual Soundcard for recording on PCs and Dante Domain Manager for securing large installations.

TECH TALK

Dante features automatic discovery of devices, one-click signal routing and low latency. It supports up to 512 channels per device, with fixed While different protocols may evolve, the audio industry is keen latency that is typically 1ms for a large system. Dante doesn’t require to improving interoperability, such as AES67 (a bridge standard for any special network gear and works with off-the-shelf switches and passing audio between different systems). Ultimately, any solution inexpensive CAT5E cables. Compatible with existing network must provide the best experience for installers, engineers infrastructure already installed, Dante saves time and and the audiences alike. Digital lowers costs. audio itself was To learn more about Dante, please visit www. a revolution, and And, all Dante-enabled devices are guaranteed to audinate.com. networking solutions work together, making Dante the logical choice for are a logical extension of managing large, complex, multi-brand systems. (Brad Price is the Senior Product Manager at the changes wrought by Audinate and has an extensive background in audio computing technology in The Future of Audio Networking engineering, music performance, and software recent decades. product development. He works with the development team to create software for Dante Audio Networking Digital audio itself was a revolution, and networking that brings value to audio professionals across a wide range of solutions are a logical extension of the changes wrought by industry categories.) computing technology in recent decades. As audio increasingly moves to purely digital realms, the benefits with flexibility, scale, quality and S I A cost are obvious. Networking is here to stay.

Audinate Announces New Dante Adapter Module Family Audinate has announced the availability of Dante Adapter Modules, designed for the production of cost-effective, compact, manufacturer-branded Dante audio adapters and low-channel count audio devices. Dante Adapter Modules are pre-programmed and are easily integrated into larger host devices to provide Dante network support without the need for PCB design and manufacturing, component procurement and programming, significantly reducing time-to-market. The Dante Adapter Modules family contains 6 models – single and dual-channel analog input, single and dual-channel analog output, 2 in / 2 out AES3, and 2 in / 2 out USB. These modules can be used to create custom-featured adapters or incorporated directly into low-channel count endpoint products such as powered speakers, direct boxes and more. Using the same high-quality field-tested components as the Dante AVIO adapter family, Dante Adapter Modules enable fast development of professional audio products with proven components. The modules are designed for overmolding, clamshell enclosures or mounting on a baseboard, enabling manufacturers to design products with their own physical enclosures, branding, and connectors.

Dante Adapter Modules feature excellent audio performance, sample rates up to 96 kHz (except USB), user-configurable signal levels (for the analog models), Power over Ethernet, and support for AES67 RTP audio transport. They are fully-functional Dante devices which can provide a hardware master clock for a Dante network, and are also Dante Domain Manager ready. The USB Adapter Module can also be powered by USB and offers class-compliant audio enabling it to work without additional software drivers on most popular operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux and iOS and Android. “Dante Adapter Modules give OEMs the opportunity to create audio network adapters using their own custom branding and features,” says Bob Ehlers, Vice President of Product Management for Audinate. “Adapters can quickly be designed into nearly any form factor and can use different enclosures and connectors as desired to suit customer demand.” www.audinate.com/modules S

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SPECIAL FEATURE

SMART CITIES

India’s Ambitious Mission Opening Unprecedented Opportunities for ICT Industry

Smart Cities: A Whole Big World for AV Intelligence

Perhaps one of the biggest and most exciting buzzwords for most in the technology world in recent times in Asia, if not beyond, is India’s Smart Cities Mission. Launched amidst much pride and pomp, a little over three years ago, by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mega initiative practically opened many things for many people- thought leaders, academia, institutions, techno-communities, town planners and developers, and OEMs alike. The world of AV/ICT has, therefore, been having its own tryst with its most ambitiously large domain of opportunities, Writes RAM BHAVANASHI. Yes, it is ambitiously big. The very ‘preamble’ of the initiative – as an excited ICT consultant put it some time back – unfolds a large landscape of opportunities dotted with domains of technology play areas, both for the community and the individual, with unprecedentedly large budgets and schemes. Consider this:

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100 Smart Cities 500 Smaller cities rejuvenation US$21 billion (approx.) total outlay at conception Five-year term (2017-2022) for first batch Full realization of 100 Smart Cities by 2050 Full realization by 2050

A recent media report mentioned the total outlay for the mission as ₹2.03 lakh crore (approx. US$ 31 billion), meaning raising stakes in the whole initiative. Announced on 25 June, 2015, the flagship project of the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government envisages a complete transformation of India’s urban living into a technology-powered ‘smart living’ in a very holistic sense. While it essentially constituted building a high-tech infrastructural network, it also has the add-ons of smart governance as well- meaning a total paradigm shift in people’s living style. Sophisticated public transport with new-age aviation and metro rails; extensive surveillance; automated utility services with biometrics; leisure-entertainment options with artificial, augmented, virtual and mixed reality tech exploits, and more are only some areas of the mega initiative, and that directly connect with audio-visual industry opportunities. Even as this was being ideated, the country had already began shaping up an even bigger initiative- the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

Corridor (DMIC), as one of the world’s largest infrastructure projects with a jaw-dropping budget of US$ 100 billion project outlay. The highlight of this project is building what is being acclaimed as India’s first and largest Smart City- Dholera (see box: Dholera Smart City). The DMIC project has actually envisaged creation of seven more Smart Cities across six States, stretching as many as 1500 sqkm, two international airports, two mass rapid train systems, two logistical hubs, five power projects, and as many as 24 industrial zones. The whole project, assuming galactic proportions in investments and technical collaborations with global OEMs as well as national/ international solutions providers, seeks to present an ultra-modern face of India to the world. With huge stakes for a substantial number of players from the AV world, the DMIC is taken to be a single largest hot marketplace for all of them together. Actually, the DMIC project preceded the main Smart Cities initiative by a good 5-6 years, gaining in form and format following the suggestions made by then Japanese Ambassador to India on the lines of Tokyo-Osaka Corridor. Apparently extending the cues from Dholera, and realizing the imperatives of bracing up with the ‘Smart World’s trends of living, Government of India launched the Smart Cities Mission with – perhaps – the most ambitious development plan ever initiated in the country’s modern history. “The objective of the Smart Cities Mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of

SMART CITIES ‘Smart’ Solutions,” so runs the Mission Statement of the initiative. “Accordingly, the purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially technology that leads to Smart outcomes”.

LIST OF SMART CITIES IN INDIA

Andaman & Nicobar 1 Andhra 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1 Asom 1 Bihar 3 Chandigarh 1 Chattisgarh 2 Daman & Diu 1 This is exactly where the whole big world Dadra & Nagar Haveli 1 of opportunities open for AV/ICT industry. Delhi 1 Three of eight major features as broadly Goa 1 outlined by the Mission particularly speak Gujarat 6 of the AV/ICT industry participation in the Haryana 2 Smart Cities projects: Himachal 1 Jharkhand 1 • Promoting a variety of transport 6 options - Transit Oriented Development Karnataka Kerala 1 (TOD), public transport and last mile Lakshadwee 1 para-transport connectivity Madhya Pradesh 7 Maharashtra 10 • Making governance citizen-friendly Manipur 1 and cost effective - increasingly rely Meghalaya 1 on online services to bring about Mizoram 1 accountability and transparency, Nagaland 1 especially using mobile hand phones Odisha 2 to reduce cost of services and Puducherry 1 providing services without having Punjab 3 to go to municipal offices. Forming Rajasthan 4 e-groups to listen to people and obtain Sikkim 1 feedback and use online monitoring of Tamil Nadu 12 programmes and activities with the aid Telangana 2 of cyber tour of worksites Tripura 1 Uttar Pradesh* 12 • Applying Smart Solutions to Uttarakhand 1 infrastructure and services in area West Bengal 4 based development in order to make Jammu & Kashmir 1 them better. For example, creating a functional mechanism that helps avert *Uttar Pradesh was allotted total 13 Smart disasters, using fewer resources, and City projects. One is yet to be declared. technology tools

SPECIAL FEATURE

The Smart Cities Mission created a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the mega initiative across the country. The SPV will plan, appraise, approve, fund, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the Smart City development projects. Each smart city has an SPV headed by a full time CEO and nominees from Central and State Governments and an urban local body (ULB) on its Board. The execution of projects may be done through joint ventures, subsidiaries, public-private partnership (PPP), turnkey contracts, etc.

Mission Smart Cities – For AV World The very word ‘smart’ brings in an element of technology play. For the simple fact that one needs to apply a tech byte or two to make an application smart. As discussed above, there is a sea of opportunities- like command and control centre, security, surveillance, network, conferencing, switching and streaming, civic utility management, financial services, and more. In terms of pure technology traits, domains such as e-Governance; m-health; e-education; open data initiatives; cloud computing, blockchain; Big Data; drones; Internet of Things; augmented, virtual and mixed reality; artificial intelligence open a huge landscape for the respective solution providers. The first and foremost area of the Smart Cities Implementation programme is the setting up on a Central Control and Command Centre, and Surveillance system set-up across the designated urban region to monitor various processes initiated as part of the Mission. Understandably, India’s Smart Cities progress till now hovering around setting up these two essential elements. While some 30+plus big and small cities have already implemented the Surveillance system set-ups – most of them

SPECIAL FEATURE

SMART CITIES

even before the Smart City tag could add to them – about 20 cities administrations have set-up Central Command Centres to monitor various information tracts relating to the respective cities. While the launch of the Initiative has resulted in a very high degree of excitement all over the AV market place, it did appear to slow down in the middle but now appears to be getting back on speedy tracks. That the first phase of the Mission implementation, constituting 20 top cities, is time-framed for completion by 2022 – which is half way through – the coming times appear to offer exciting developments from across the market geography for various applications.

Academic Thrust on Smart Cities Expertise The ambitious launch of Smart Cities Mission (SMC) generated a high energy not just among industry peers and media sections across the board; as the initiative gathered momentum and larger grounds across media landscapes, it also sensitized an important segment of society- the academia. The first institution to respond to the call of SMC imperatives was the CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) University in Ahmedabad- India’s premier architecture, planning and design institute. The University has come up with a course on ‘Smart Cities’ – the first such academic exploit in India – to understand the concept, global scenario and its practical application. The course was to be initially offered as an elective to the Masters degree level students of architecture, planning, technology and management. It was intended to later extend the course to larger sections like government officials involved in city planning.

Dholera Smart City – New India’s First Take The Dholera Smart City – an urban township in Ahmedabad – on completion spreads across 920 sqkm which is one and half times the size of Greater Mumbai. Set to be completed by 2019, the project is to be characterized by cutting-edge ICT features like an integrated Command and Control Centre to manage transport systems in real time; a Smart Grid connecting every home to electricity, gas, water and Wi-Fi in a Japanese township model; an international airport and high-speed metro rail. Set to be completed by 2019, the project’s ICT infrastructure is being designed and deployed by CISCO and IBM, while the town planning is being done by two British companies Halcrow and Burt Hill. Other technology collaborators include Mitsubishi and Hitachi. Promoted as part of the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), Government of India had sanctioned ₹ 3000 crore (a little over US$ 500 million then) as initial funding towards creating necessary infrastructure.

The measure reportedly met with instant response that over 120 students from the University chose the elective. It was devised with a mix of interactive class room sessions, review of case studies, short talks and movies and participatory exploration, with the faculty coming from across the world. The objective was to expose the aspiring professionals to global and regional discourses, policies and practices of ‘Smart Cities.’ Closely following the direction, the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) devised an exhaustive academic programme under its specially created Graduate School of Smart Cities Development. It has as many as 10 different courses addressing the dynamic requirements of diverse aspects making Smart Cities. Not wanting to stay aloof, and be ahead of the curve, the fancied and up-market Indian School of Business (ISB) too launched its Smart Cities Planning Labs that would assist city leadership in developing a vision and identifying a broad framework of what they need to do to achieve vision for 100 Smart Cities. The framework would become the basis for more detailed work by consultants and technical experts. Several other high-profile institutions followed suit to devise their ideations and iterations towards value-adding the Mission Implementation. Prominent among them was the India Chapter of the Reston, Virginia-headquartered Smart Cities Council – the global body with Smart City reps from across the world – beginning its own courses as well in four disciplines of Smart Cities development. The buzz has been so much that India today has an exclusively devised annual tradeshow and convention on Smart Cities. It is ideated to bring together diverse technologies and solution providers, besides thought leaders onto common platform to herald a successful journey to Smart Cities.

SMART CITIES

SPECIAL FEATURE

Delta - A Force to Reckon with, in Smart Cities Delta Displays, a very dominant player in the domain of Smart Cities has understandably established its leadership in the space. Having clinched a majority of the projects in the domain till now, the company has already executed some of them, while others are under implementation stage. A highly commended achievement for the company has been its setting up of Asia’s largest digital display network in Rajasthan where almost 330 OOH digital screens have been installed all across the State. Some of the company’s Command Control Centre installs in a nutshell:

Surat Smart City Centre

Smart City Jaipur

In collaboration with channel partner Alpha Digital, Delta delivered an advanced video wall solution for Surat Smart City Centre in Gujarat. A project of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), the solution monitors over 30 different operations for city management. The operators monitor all the activities within the city on a large video wall comprising 4x4 LED-lit 70-inch DLP video walls. Data feeds from various sources including transport, city planning, water supply, property tax, disease surveillance, CCTV, health, GIS, traffic signals, illegal constructions, and others, are monitored by control room operators. The sharp image quality of Delta’s Full HD Video Walls gives operators a high level of attention to detail.The 20-feet wide screen comprising of 16 Delta 70-inch DLP video walls also help keep an eye on different development projects of Surat city. This centre is also linked with the Safe City Surat Project of Surat police department which also has Delta’s video walls installed in the control room.

Delta, installed a state-of-the-art video wall at the Network Operations Centre (NOC) of the Smart City project in Jaipur, Rajasthan. An initiative of Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), the install enables JDA officials to check on all the activities in the city on one large screen. Equipped with Delta’s Full HD Video wall, the NOC integrates all recently developed digital infrastructure such as intelligent kiosks, wireless broadband, sensor-based dust bins, smart streetlights, parking and app, among others.JDA, the nodal agency of the government of Rajasthan, is tasked with transforming the city into a smart hub with 24/7 surveillance and facilitate on-line access to wideranging information about the city at the click of a button. Pink City suddenly became the first in the country and in South Asia to monitor and operate smart city infrastructure using a single network.

GIFT Smart City Delta, in collaboration with its channel partner Alpha Digital, has set up video wall at the Control and Command Centre of Gujarat International Finance Tec- City(GIFT City). Operators are able to monitor real-time data and improve the availability, safety and efficiency of services.

Being India’s first smart city that has been constructed from scratch, GIFT is included in the Smart City Mission Statement with its futuristic infrastructure. It’s an under-construction central business district, located between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in the Indian state of Gujarat.

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SMART CITIES

Displaying Competencies, Smart Ways Since the emergence of the fancied Smart Cities Mission – initiated by the Government of India – one name that is more prominent than anyone in the spectrum of solution providers has been the Delta Displays. Riding on the strengths of their Display solutions and aggressive men at work, the company has been able to dominate the domain like none in the industry. SIA interacted with Hemant Agarwal, Vice President, Display Solutions Business at Delta Electronics India Pvt. Ltd.. Excerpts:

Delta India’s focus on Smart Cities domain…

How does it make a difference…

The main focus for Delta India in the Smart Cities domain is what we call the ICCC- Integrated Command and Control Centre. This is the place where information from the entire city is supposed to come in, get integrated, and presented on a large screen, which is also called a video wall.

Delta provides a lot of flexibility in terms of product offered- for instance, our video wall controllers. We have different controllers suiting every application and requirement. One being network-based controller, i.e. fully IP-based Network Controller which can actually connect 10,000 sources in about 1000 displays- the biggest in the world. Delta is the only company to offer such flexible and scalable video wall controllers.

Proudly, we have been able to do majority of the CCCs in various Smart City projects till now executed in the country; the number close to 15 now. Going by Government of India’s mission of building 100 Smart Cities, there are many more to come; we hope to do a large majority of those coming up. That makes simply that huge a potential and opportunity for us. What makes Delta so successful… Delta has always been dedicated in innovation, and systematically developing new technologies and products making it a leader in its domain- the latest being 4K (UHD) laser video wall for the smart city and surveillance market. Delta 4K laser video wall offers four times higher canvas than a standard Full HD Video wall. With 8 Mega pixel display, the UHD laser video wall gives remarkable content clarity, ideal for real and expanding requirements for large scale visualization systems. This is just one component of Delta’s extensive line of products which includes solutions for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Adding to this competence, Delta, having its own manufacturing hub in India, offers turnkey solutions to its customers which today no other competitor can. Our other important focus area is the quality that we deliver in our products. The biggest differentiating factor is the service and after- sales support that Delta offers to its customers. We strongly believe these are some of the factors and capabilities which help Delta dominate in most Control Rooms. We have been able stand ahead of the competition purely based on our product and solution competence and flexibility. When you say product diversity, what exactly it is… Delta has diversified solutions for indoor as well as outdoor application and control room & non-control room applications. Apart from video walls for Central Command Centres, we also have displays for outside spaces. One application is Billboards on smart poles. Smart poles are individual access to information while billboards are for community messaging and advertising.

Delta in Rajasthan: (Left) One of the Outdoor Digital Boards in Jaipur; (right) A part of the Police Command Control Room in Jaipur. © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

SMART CITIES

Apart from that, we also have digital billboards. This is for a similar purpose but with a much bigger and wider application with much more deeper and holistic information. It is employed for large scale social messaging and advertisement for people at large, but managed from a centralized location. Talking about Delta, we recently worked on one of Asia’s largest digital display network in Rajasthan where almost 330 digital billboards have been installed all across the state.

SPECIAL FEATURE

India. The very concept of Smart Cities was a big paradigm change in the thought processes of the government. So, a lot of ideations, and debates go into devising the modalities, choosing the right cities with right parameters, then a mechanism of channelizing processes. Implementation at the city level is carried out by special purpose vehicles to oversee the development process. It is responsible to plan, appraise, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the Smart City development projects. Any little aberration at any level can delay the development work, which may be taken as slow movement. But given the thrust and focus of the government, we believe the initiative will gather momentum as we proceed.

Is Delta into other associated areas of Smart City other than video wall display? Delta’s Display Division is purely focussed on displays, that too large scale professional display systems. Our other divisions are focussing on EV Charging, Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions, Solar Inverters and Industrial Power Systems for smart cities as well.

Having fancied cutting-edge technology is one thing, and getting them taken by the respective promoters is the other. How do you do that?

We have seen DLP LED video walls, and we are seeing the DLP Laser video wall. How about Delta’s take on the same?

To a large extent, this depends upon the Project Management Consultants of respective projects. It is they who visualize and value add the thought processes of the clients, and specify the set of solutions to the vendors. So, it is essential that the PMCs are abreast with technology, as also clear about what they want do at a particular project; then they will need to explain the bureaucratic ranks how they want to implement the project, and then tell the vendors what needs to be provided. That makes devising the solution easier and application of technology as well.

DLP video walls started off with what is called DLP UHP lampbased video walls, and then progressed to LED video walls which are currently running. We have just begun with the DLP Laser video walls which we feel would run for at least 10 years from now. It is interesting to see that most Smart City video wall project managements today prefer Laser video walls- because of its apparent advantages. They are brighter than LEDs, maintenance-free, long life and shall be supported for a longer time. The much publicised Smart Cities Mission of building 100 Smart Cities doesn’t look going with the same pace as intended. Your take?

What is Delta’s immediate priority right now in the domain? Penetration and leadership in Smart city domain. Simultaneously, making our technology, and the wide stable of solutions seen, experienced, appreciated and spread to higher levels.

Smart City Mission is an innovative initiative by the Government to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people of

www.deltadisplays.com

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BIS: Standardizing Tech Play Almost on every occasion, differing standards pose the biggest hindrance in implanting a particular ICT solution- for a simple reason that while situations in most cities would be more or less similar, the perceptions of the SPV Board concerned would cause the difference in solution deployment. With a view to addressing this challenge, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s national standards body, began working closely with lawmakers, consumer associations and industry experts to formulate ICT standards that promise to ensure consumers’ data security and privacy, while also ensuring the best customer experience possible. BIS is actually said to be in the process of devising a national standard to serve as a ‘unified, secure and resilient ICT backbone for Smart Cities.’ The objective is clear: to optimise the ICT infrastructure while reducing the TCO. SIA, in its next issue, will present an Exclusive feature massive ICT/AV initiatives made by India’s NW State Rajasthan. Look out for the issue. © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

INSTALLATION

HONG KONG

BAP Meets Tight Deadline Schedule at THEI’s New Campus at Chai Wan

Enhancing Learning Experience with AV Sophistication

Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (Thei) was set up in 2012 by the Vocational Training Council (VTC) of Hong Kong to offer degree programmes with a difference. They are innovative as many are in niche areas, combining areas of study not often found in Hong Kong but much needed by it. They are vocationally and professionally oriented and developed with significant industry input, with the ‘learn and do’ approach enabling students to apply specialised knowledge and skills to real-world issues. All programmes include meaningful industry attachments with international and local firms in Hong Kong and overseas to provide students with first-hand experience of working in the real world. BAP Technology Consultants Limited took responsibility to integrate the audiovisual facilities at Thei’s new campus in Chai Wan. The project was completed in January 2018. A total of 39 systems within 38 rooms were installed and integrated with AV solutions. These included:

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Lecture theatres x3 Classrooms x14 Tutorial rooms x11

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Laboratories x7 Meeting rooms x3 Movable system x1

System installed included:

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Audiovisual system Broadcast & recording system Central control system via touch panel Conference system Central control conference system (dcn conference solutions) Dimming and blind control system Display system Projection system Signal matrix system Wireless microphone system

Thei is the first VTC campus that uses audiovisual control system, to integrate audio & video and IT systems for teaching environment. Other VTC campuses are currently using manual audiovisual control system.

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or tablet on a display, transforming any meeting room into a collaboration space. ShareLink technology supports simultaneous display of slides, documents, graphs, and photos from up to four devices without needing a cable. It is compatible with Windows and OS X computers as well as Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. It also includes a moderator mode to ensure only approved content is displayed. In spaces with sight line concerns, slides can be viewed on a personal device via a web browser. The professional capabilities of the ShareLink 250 Series provide easy integration of mobile devices into meeting and huddle rooms, interactive collaborative spaces, and larger presentation environments.

Easy management and user-friendliness BAP ensured that the solutions integrated had to be user-friendly and easy to manage. For instance one of the criteria was to ensure that the AV systems can be easily managed by Thei’s IT department. This is achieved by ensuring that the IT department can fully remote control the AV system,via IP addresses. This enables IT staff to remotely power on / off systems which saves time. The other was to ensure that users can easily control the AV equipment within the space. This is made possible via Extron tabletop touchpanels TLP Pro 520M and TLP Pro 720T. The compact, capacitive screen touchpanel with flexible mounting options and a fully customizable interface enables the user to control the projector, screen, visualizer and microphone with a simple touch.

A new way of learning Teachers and professors are always stretched thin, and they need every advantage they can get to teach their students and ensure their lessons make an impact. AV solutions can go a long way to making that happen, transforming the way educators approach their goals. And they can help with everything from lesson planning to evaluating students’ work. Some of the stand-out classroom technologies at Thei include:

Applications and devices that allow for collaboration Educators are beginning to take advantage of collaborative technology. Schools are increasingly becoming open to students bringing their own devices to the classroom, and some classes, like art classes, rely heavily on these devices. Linking these devices to a shared network allows teachers to display student work on larger screens. Some applications are designed to track multiple students at a time. With collaboration and content sharing technology, teachers can show off student work for instruction and comparison, and students can work together in groups to accomplish lesson goals. Thei uses Extron – ShareLink 200N Wireless Collaboration Gateway that enables anyone to present content from a laptop, smartphone,

Lecture capture and streaming applications The rise of AV technology has coincided with the rise of distance education as well as options for students to catch up on lectures they have missed by viewing a recording. With lecture capture and streaming capabilities, teachers can deliver lessons complete with video and audio anytime, anywhere. It’s an extremely convenient option for students. Thei uses Reach - BEE 9 system. It integrates auto-tracking, autoswitching and recording functions, and can auto track teacher’s movements, detect the signal source changes and auto-switch the images between teacher’s close-up, platform full-view, students’ fullview as well as the presentation. Bee9 can record both movie mode and resource mode file and provide a variety of playback experience. Bee9 can also work with video conference systems, to achieve distance learning. It is specialized for classroom’s recording solution in worldwide market.

Latest conference system BAP has also integrated a central conference system at Thei. The preferred choice is the Bosch Digital Congress Network (DCN) that brings the benefits of innovative digital technology to discussion and conference systems. As an entirely digital system DCN offers versatility, high audio quality and data transmission while providing complete control over conference proceedings. The DCN system at Thei offers: © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

INSTALLATION building structure is trapezoidal in shape with glass walls. We are all well aware that trapezoidal structures with glass walls are not good for audiovisual system design as it offers bad acoustic absorption and acoustic echo issues. Glass walls are not good material for acoustic absorption and they create sound delays and overlaps. Plus glass walls increase echo effects which has negative impact on acoustic performance. BAP went about resolving this issue by getting their certified engineers to accurately measure installation angles of speakers with calibrated equipment, so as to minimize echo effect by adjacent speakers.

Optimized structure and efficiency in meetings

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Up to 31 interpretation channels, plus floor Full range of voting facilities Flexible interfacing with 3rd party devices Easy system expansion with wired and wireless units

Challenges BAP faced a couple of challenges in the project. One of which was a very tight schedule. For this large scale project, normally 3 – 4 months is required to install, test and commission 38 rooms, 39 systems and 1,462 units of equipment. BAP had just 2 months to get all the systems installed, integrated and working.

BAP also implemented acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) via Extron DSP Digital Martrix Processor DMP 128 Plus C AT. AEC is essential for effective remote room-to-room conversations, ensuring clear, natural communication for all participants. These models include eight independent channels of high performance AEC, as well as selectable So how did the BAP team solve the time schedule? Well it was good noise cancellation. AEC processing can be challenged by conditions old common sense, team work and proper planning and execution. such as double-talk, when talkers from both ends are speaking simultaneously, and when near end talkers use wireless microphones. BAP team had earlier provided the campus with professional Extron AEC features advanced algorithms that deliver fast echo and practical advice and adapted themselves to the changing canceller convergence for optimal intelligibility, even in challenging circumstance affecting the project. This also allowed the campus conditions. The DSP Configurator Software simplifies AEC and noise team to follow seamlessly what BAP was handling. “We ensured cancellation setup with a user-friendly interface that provides realthat we had a good communication channel with our clients and time metering for ERL - Echo Return Loss, ERLE - Echo Return Loss ensured regular reporting to keep Enhancement, and TER - Total Echo them in the loop” said Finson Lam, Reduction levels. Guided alerts appear The end result was a Managing Director, BAP. The BAP team whenever ERL is outside of the optimal also demonstrated a high degree of range for echo cancellation. Optional pleased client whose objectives flexibility in coping with the needs and settings include fine adjustments for NLP were fully met and kept requirements of the campus which Non-Linear Processing to maximize AEC within schedule. helped move the project efficiently. performance in acoustic environments “The team was full hands on deck. with significant sonic reflections or They responded quickly to fast reverberation. changing conditions and environments and showed a high level of www.bap.com.hk team spirit throughout the project period,” concluded Finson. The other challenge was more structural. The lectern theatres © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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INDIA

INSTALLATION

BT Convergence Technologies Weaves in a True Convergence Environment

CA Establishment has an Experiential AV Infrastructure

CA Technologies – one of the world’s largest IT management software solutions developers – recently upgraded its establishment in Hyderabad with latest audio-visual technology deployment to create an experiential video distribution environment. Hyderabad-based systems integrator BT Convergence Technologies took the honours of weaving in the solution that transformed the old ordinary set-up into a truly rich and experiential AV environment. Playing a central role in the prestigious transformation is Aurora Multimedia, and its VLX Transceivers, while sharing the honours is a big bastion of AV majors comprising Epson, Panasonic, Samsung, Elite, Biamp, TOA, Audio-Technica and Crestron. SIA proudly presents an account: Project Name: CA Technologies Project Location: Hyderabad Project Segment: Corporate (IT) Project AV Design Consultant: BT Convergence Technologies Project AV Systems Integrator: BT Convergence Technologies Project Commencement Date: Feb 2018

Ca Technologies – the New York-headquartered, US$13 billion IT behemoth – is one of those giant IT multinationals that have huge stakes in India- sharing a crucial role of defining the country’s digital /knowledge economy. That the company has huge campuses in as many as five locations – Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai – explains the IT giant’s focus on the region. The development centres in these cities contribute their might to the company’s global competence.

Project Commissioning Date: March 2018 Project AV Cost: ₹ 1 Crore Project Requirement: Creating new ‘Agile’ work spaces with AV Video distribution; Upgrading of AV systems in Auditorium and Town Hall (large designated area) for video distribution over IP Project’s Defining Systems: Aurora Multimedia Transceivers; Epson Projectors

Playing its part among the five is the Hyderabad campus, which the company wanted to upgrade with advanced audio-visual systems integration to help it more effectively address its increasing clients’ requirements. The company’s search for a competent solutions provider, followed by due diligence led to the Hyderabad-based systems integrator BT © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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Convergence Technologies landing the project that comprised two auditoriums (one large and one small), an Agile Work Space, and a large Town Hall facility. Though the project was a rebuild of an existing set-up, it comprised the full length of design, build-integrate, test and commissioning, and a regulation challenge, all this had to be done in a quick span of time. “We had roughly over a month’s time to execute this,” recalls Yateendra Kumar, Director of BT Convergence. “We were able to accomplish it- by sheer perseverance of our teams, and of course with the wonderful support from our technology partners.” According to him, the existing setup was limited to a finite number of inputs and outputs which was a big hindrance for the company in meeting the current generation requirements that are essentially characterized by the ability to distribute data and video distribution from multiple sources to multiple destinations. “The sources included multiple numbers of video-conferencing cameras feeding to the VC codecs and to the Streaming capturing units, and then adding the third party signage players etc.,” explains the SI. “All these input sources are to be shared amongst different Meeting Rooms, connected to the network.”

Simply said, the client brief meant creation of flexible and expandable enterprise video distribution across the IP network; it should no longer be limited to AV signals being confined within the room. Another important spec of the client brief was to create an Agile Working Area- a very flexible and productive work environment. The employees have to have complete freedom and flexibility to work anywhere they want – within the designated area – and whenever they want. So, the SI needed to design and build a set of distinct work areas that facilitates such flexibility and stimulation to the employees to be more productive. BT Convergence quickly worked out the design as per the specifications laid out by the client, and following its ratification, went ahead with the deployment of technology. The systems integration in the large auditorium comprised as many as six VLX-TC1-C Transceivers (4K IP 1GPBS) and three VLX-TCW2VC AV distribution Wall Plates from Aurora Multimedia handling the AV distribution tasks. Two TC1-C Streaming Transceivers each are tasked for video conference codecs, stage promoters, and content sharing for Media site; while one each for projector, and wireless presentation gateway. These six Transceivers are augmented by three TCW2VC Wall Platestwo are entrusted with handling the podium location while one is configured for interacting with Media site.

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The deployment here of course features two Samsung 55-inch LED displays for video prompt functions; one Biamp TesiraForte VT DSPfixed I/O server, one Tesira HD-1 dialar for table top interface; and one Crestron HD-E Scalar, besides four System 10 Pro rack-mount digital wireless systems from Audio-Technica (two each of ATW-1312 & 1322 units) For the small auditorium, the AV deployment comprised four units of VLX-TC1-C Transceivers where two are tasked to handle stage promoters, while one is meant for wireless presentation gateway. Augmenting the system further is one VLX-TCW2VC AV distribution Wall Plate configured to handle the podium location.

The audio component is here is characterized by as many as 16 BS1030B Box speakers from TOA for whom the integrator had again to custom design and install ceiling mounting kits. These speakers are powered by a pair of A-2240 power amplifiers from TOA, as also a pair of AT-1312 System 10 rack-mount Pro digital wireless units from Audio Technica. Chipping in, to further augmenting the solution is one Biamp TesiraForte AVB VT unit, and another Tesira HD Dailer for table top interfacing. Control automation is entrusted to an AV-3 unit as well as a 7-inch wall-mount touch screen from Crestron. Aurora at the Centre of it all

The other components are more or less much the same as the large auditorium facility. Agile Work Area – Truly Transformational The central idea of this large and spacious work area was to make it so much flexible that the employees feel complete freedom and stimulating to work from any location within the designated Work Area environment- hence the name Agile Work Area.

Handling it all seamlessly and effortlessly from the centre of the while big AV is again Aurora Multimedia, and its VLX Transceivers. As many as 19 VLX-TC1-C transceivers are roped in to handle the video feeds between projector and screens. Further augmenting the AV distribution set up are seven VLX-TCW2VC Wall Plate units weaved in to the system set-up at trainer location while two TC1-C units have been configured to handle the video codecs. “The project is by far the largest for us,” explains Nataraju Upputuri, Director, Aurora Multimedia India. “We are happy that we had such a prestigious client as our first large install, and doubly glad that we lived up to the clients expectations,” he said. “Despite the challenges, BT Convergence made it look so easy and simple; kudos to them.”

A very ambitious audio-visual set-up was conceptualised for the space in a fashion that it met the specs to its meticulous best. Expansive as the space is, it required as big an AV solution that facilitates the ideations comprehensively. The video/display component of hall here features as many as 11 Epson W29 3000-lumen WXGA projectors mounted on the ceiling all over the space. Displaying the video feed from these 11 projectors are as many screens from Elite Screens- the 85-inch, 16:10 Spectrum Series Electric85x motorised models hung all over the space facing the Epson projectors. The challenge here was that the integrator to handle the Baffle ceiling environment. Integrator had to custom design and build the mounting kits for projectors, as well as hanging mechanism for projection screens to be hung from the ceiling. A massive exercise indeed!

www.aurora-in.com www.epson.co.in www.elitescreens.com www.panasonic.com/in S

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SOUTH KOREA

Datapath Wall Controller Solution Delivers Stunning Picture Quality Cost Effectively

Gwangju Museum Given 360 Theater Experience

Using the power and flexibility of Datapath’s award-winning Fx4, the Gwangju National Science Museum hosts South Korea’s first spherical projection theater – Space 360.

highest possible resolution and brightness of projection, high energy efficiency and cost effectiveness. Engineering Challenges

This spherical projection theatre – 12 meters in diameter - can be considered a true VR theater of the future. When visitors step inside, they find themselves on a transparent glass observation bridge, which crosses the sphere’s interior. A crisp 360 video projection around, above, and below the viewers fully immerses them as they stand and watch. They literally dive into a virtual world without having to use VR headsets The concept Full spherical projection theaters can be considered movie theaters of the future. However, most of them are experimental one-of-a-kind installations utilizing technologies that are already outdated. The aim of specialist AV integrator Front Pictures was to create a projection sphere of the next generation by accumulating the world’s best practices and implementing the newest technologies. To be sustainable the future, the system also needed to have the © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

Front Pictures has vast experience in engineering fulldome theaters and planetariums. By the mid 2017, the company has delivered around 150 fulldome systems to many countries around the world.

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But when designing the projection system for Space 360, the company’s team had to come up with unique technological and engineering solutions.

and brightness. The task of creating a seamless picture with uniform brightness becomes even more challenging when the projected images overlap with each other in this way.

Unlike in a conventional digital planetarium, where projectors are located along the dome’s perimeter, the options for placing thеm in a full sphere are substantially limited. One of the challenges was to devise a layout that would avoid shadows being cast by the observation bridge, minimize openings for the projectors, while, at the same time, maximizing the resolution and brightness of the projection. It was also important to position the projectors in a way that would prevent them from shining light into the viewers’ eyes.

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Taking all the factors into account, Front Pictures team decided to use 12 projectors and locate them around two entrance doors. Our engineers devised a dozen types of projection layouts. We were considering models from four different vendors. Front Pictures used precise 3D models of the venue and calculated each projector position and tilt taking into account its aspect ratio, resolution, and available lenses. The projector size was taken into consideration as well, because of the limited space behind the spherical screen where the projectors had to be located. Price constraints were also important for meeting the budget. After doing research, Front Pictures opted to use Barco PGWU-62L WUXGA projectors with a laser phosphor light source.

The previous generation of multi-projector systems were built around the “one computer per one projector” paradigm. But this approach has significant drawbacks such as a relatively big budget for computer hardware, more possible points of failure, difficulties with implementing proper failover solution, as well as higher electricity consumption. Another downside of the cluster systems is a discrepancy in video playback speed on different computers, which can result in rough, jerky video playback. An alternative to the multi-server system is a single server approach. In 2010, Front Pictures developed a video engine which can use every single bit of power of the media-server hardware and process extremely high resolution media in real-time. Thanks to efficient render engine, we can handle many more displays per single machine than most other solutions available. This technology, called Screenberry, can smoothly playback 8x8K video on up to 72 output devices, all the while connected to just one computer. With a trio of Datapath Fx4 splitting the single GPU input into 12WUXGA outputs, the project not only delivered stunning picture quality, but by using this unique approach also proved highly cost effective.

Image calibration The spherical screen creates significant geometrical distortions of the projected image. The distortions become even larger due to the fact that in a full projection sphere, it is impossible to place projectors along the perimeter, as a sphere has no edge. They need to be located around the entrance doors on the opposite sides of the sphere. This scheme has many advantages, but positioned this way, projectors create uneven and elongated spots of light with uneven pixel density

“The spherical projection theater creates new possibilities for education and entertainment. It can ‘teleport’ viewers to any place on Earth or in the Universe with its unbelievable immersive effect. It was a great pleasure for us to be a part of this futuristic project, which truly embodies the innovative spirit of South Korea. We also believe it is a significant step towards the future of cinematography,” said a pleased Front Pictures CEO Yuri Kostenko. www.datapath.co.uk S

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SINGAPORE

Epson Projectors Provide Sharpness Despite Challenging Environment

BW Monstery Engages Members with Projected Images

Lim Jue Meng, chief executive officer of BW Monastery, and his colleagues chose the EB-L1505U for its bright and sharp image quality.

Since 1994, BW Monastery has been reaching out to people from all walks of life, through its focus on Buddhism studies, cultural education, community care and compassionate service. As its membership increased over the years, the society – previously known as the Bliss and Wisdom Society – found itself outgrowing its rented premises in Geylang, prompting the society to embark on a mission to build its own building. In 2014, the society found a plot of land to build a four-storey monastery in Woodlands Drive 16. Besides classrooms, the monastery was designed to contain two halls to host large crowds for events, assemblies, and seminars. Lim Jue Meng, chief operating officer of BW Monastery, and his colleagues began a search for projectors that would be used in the two halls — the shrine hall on the first level, and multi-purpose hall on the fourth level.

The team already had experience using lamp projectors with up to 5,000 lumens brightness in classrooms at the Geylang premises. The two halls in the up-and-coming building, however, would impose higher technical demands. For a start, Lim’s team knew that the halls would require projectors of at least 7,000 to 10,000 lumens brightness. Furthermore, the projectors would have to remain bright and sharp under the halls’ challenging lighting environment – a combination of filtered daylight and artificial lights. “Laser projectors are more suitable for the halls’ environment, compared to lamp projectors,” notes Lim. Epson’s 12,000 lumens WUXGA 3LCD high brightness laser projector, literally outshined other contending projectors in side-by-side comparisons during the proof-of-concept stage of the tender.

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“It was quite clear that Epson’s image quality was better than the rest,” says Lim, who added that the team holistically considered factors including price and after sales support and warranty in awarding the tender. The EB-L1505U checks the boxes in many ways. Epson’s 3LCD technology ensures equally high white and colour light output, not to mention that colours remain rich and vivid. With the EB-L1505U’s 4K enhancement technology, images remain sharp even when projected to a total of four 200-inch screens installed in the two halls. The shrine hall is installed with two screens flanking three brightlylit sculptures. During prayer events and seminars, slides containing text and graphics are projected on the screens to guide chanting and learning. The monastery’s audio-visual team, which also consists of volunteers besides staff, can seamlessly switch the EB-L1505Us’ content feeds via a control system. The content feeds include stationary camera as well as roving camera video streams, such as of close-ups on the lecturing Abbot or first-person iPhone camera viewpoints from crew blending into the congregation. Even latecomers, who may have to stand behind a shoulder-toshoulder congregation numbering in the hundreds, are able to follow the real-time action easily and remain engaged in the proceedings. The shrine hall typically fills to capacity during regular weekend sessions, not to mention special religious occasions such as Vesak Day. The fourth level multi-purpose hall is utilised to accommodate overflowing visitorship. The two 12k lumens projectors are installed in the multi-purpose hall. Here, the throw distance is 25m, doubling that of the shrine hall. The projectors can stream content feeds from the shrine hall, so crowds in the multi-purpose hall can remain connected to proceedings downstairs. The multi-purpose hall is also used for events such as concerts, moviescreenings and enrichment camps. The projection screens in the multi-purpose hall are installed in a vertical configuration. Despite mounting space constraints, the projectors are flexibly positioned in a horizontal configuration, thanks to the EB-L1505U’s new range of motorised lenses. This allows the projectors to be flexibly positioned practically anywhere, without loss of brightness or distortion of image.

The horizontal projector mounting configuration will also ease any maintenance work access, compared to positioning the projectors one atop the other. Maintenance may be the least of worries, as the EB-L1505U’s laser technology can last up to 20,000 hours, without degradation of brightness and sharpness. The monastery opened in August 2017. The EB-L1505U projectors have been used regularly up to five days weekly. The team has not encountered problems using the projectors so far. “The EB-L1505U meets the monastery’s needs and requirements,” says Lim. “It has worked well especially with the big crowds we receive, allowing people to learn and participate better in our events.” The Epson projectors at BW Monastery were installed with the support of Acesian Systems, a Singapore-based info-communications technology and solutions company. Acesian was instrumental in integrating all audio and visual systems, from conceptualisation to customisation, to meet the monastery’s requirements. www.epson.com.sg S

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CHINA

Shure Table Array Microphones Blend with Biamp DSPs to Define User Experience

Chinese Bank Tuned with Digital Conferencing

For many financial institutions, the foundation for stable development and market competitiveness is to manage risks and approach work in a strict, rigorous, and highly efficient manner. For one of the ‘Big Four’ state-owned banks in China, ensuring such work efficiency recently required an upgrade of the conferencing technology used in the 42seat boardroom at the Bank’s global headquarters in Beijing. System Integrator Yongtianzhengyou (用天正友) together with the support from Shure, designed a new digital audio solution, consisting of Shure MXA310 Table Array Microphones and Biamp Digital Signal Processor, to replace the ageing analogue system.

The Bank had been using the same conference system in its boardroom since the room was first set up over 10 years ago. In recent years, users have increasingly been plagued by problems such as poor sound reinforcement and speech intelligibility, which greatly affected the quality of meetings held in the room. After an initial site visit, the Shure Applications Engineering team quickly discovered acoustical challenges as well as technology limitations that needed to be addressed. The challenges The boardroom stretches over 25m with a 4m high ceiling. Floorto-ceiling windows along the room cause strong reflection of sound and the long reverberation time makes it harder to distinguish words, making conversations more difficult. On the technology side, the existing analogue microphones had a relatively short pick-up range. Conference attendees had to lean forward and maintain an uncomfortable posture when talking into the microphone. Only 4 microphones could be activated at a time, which further limited discussions among participants. Moreover, in important confidential meetings, technicians are not allowed in the room, which created additional problems for the conference leader to manage the system. The solutions Following several site visits and field tests, Shure and the system integrator designed a new digital audio solution to overcome the acoustical and technology challenges. The existing 42 analogue

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microphones were replaced by 20 Shure MXA310 Table Array Microphones. Mounted on top of the circular ridge along the conference table, the Table Arrays can each utilize up to 4 audio channels to capture talkers. Which halved the total number of microphones needed compared to the old system. The MXA310 microphones were configured using a total of 32 channels to cover all seats. The integrated Steerable Coverage technology was used to make individual adjustments of pick-up pattern, direction and gain for each channel. This now allows conference attendees to remain comfortable in their seats while speaking and doesn’t require any direct interaction with the microphone – an improvement in user experience which has been unanimously recognized by the Bank’s leaders. Through Dante digital audio networking, all 32 audio channels from the 20 MXA310 microphones are routed over the network to the new DSP which replaced the old analogue mixer. The processor mixes audio from the MXA310s and provides output control for the connected ceiling speaker system. The 12 legacy analogue ceiling speakers have been redesigned into a zoned speaker system with 3 speaker groups to allow more flexibility in sound reinforcement. Integrated automatic mixing functionality within the microphones automatically activates the best channel for each talker. Paired with the output control matrix of the DSP, the ceiling speakers now reinforce sound in grouped areas, depending on which microphone channel is activated. The result is more evenly distributed sound throughout the large room, and conference participants have clearly noticed a significant improvement of speech clarity. The verdict Following a period of trial and after final completion of the system overhaul, the Bank’s Technical Director reviewed the project, “The

acoustical conditions in our building are very harsh, and we have to support very important meetings with a large number of users. It was a difficult task to find a suitable replacement for our conferencing system and we demanded a lot from our future system. Especially in our industry, an audio solution for an application like this needs to be reliable, well established, and safe to operate. We looked at the best solutions available in the market to provide us the top-notch scale and skill that we required.” www.shure.com/asia

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INDONESIA

CSA Indonesia Integrates World-Class Sporting Audio with Harman Pro Solutions

British School Elevates Students’ Athletic Experience

CSA Indonesia recently outfitted British School Jakarta’s massive multi-use Sports Centre with end-to-end HARMAN Professional Solutions audio systems. British School Jakarta is a world-renowned institution serving over 1,400 students aged three to 18 from Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and around the world. BSJ’s Sports Center is one of the best-equipped in Indonesia, with three multi-use basketball courts, a fitness center, dance studio, a rock climbing wall, five tennis courts, extensive outdoor playing fields and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The school needed a comprehensive audio solution to provide sound reinforcement for a variety of matches, tournaments and classes across the different facilities. BSJ hired CSA Indonesia to outfit the complex with an end-to-end HARMAN Professional audio solution comprised of JBL Professional speakers, Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft mixers, dbx signal processors and AKG wireless microphone systems. © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

“To foster a lively environment for the students of the British School Jakarta, the school management decided to implement an endto-end audio solution for the contemporary Sports Center in the facility,” said Setiawan Winarto, CEO, CSA Indonesia. “HARMAN is the technology leader in audio equipment, and their marketleading solutions were perfectly suitable for the requirements of the project, based on the type of venue and budget. However, the major challenge was the size of the Sports Center and the customer’s unique requirement of the design and installment process. It was important to create a consolidated design that would provide the richness and depth of audio during announcements and performances. HARMAN’s scalable audio solutions made it possible to deliver the desired results.” Due to the multitude of different sports and facilities at BSJ, each field, court and gym required a different system configuration. CSA

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deployed versatile SRX812 loudspeakers and 818S subwoofers in the multi-use basketball courts. The outdoor football and rugby fields needed a durable weatherproof audio solution, which the JBL AWC 129 all-weather loudspeakers were perfectly suited for. The fitness center called for high-fidelity speakers without a large footprint, so CSA installed compact JBL Control 25AV speakers and SB2210 subwoofers. In the yoga/aerobics facility, JBL 8128 in-ceiling speakers provide high-fidelity audio in a cost-effective package.

equipment,” said Daniel Silman – Head of Marketing and Admissions, British School Jakarta. “Our facilities required clear amplification of speech and music with consistent coverage for a variety of sporting events in different venues. We also needed a solution that was modern, efficient, and straightforward to operate. With HARMAN’s state-of-the-art equipment, CSA was able to deliver several comprehensive audio systems that went above and beyond our expectations.”

CSA installed Crown XTi and XLS Series amplifiers to power the different speaker systems throughout the complex. All facilities feature Soundcraft mixers, including the intuitive Si Expression 1, the reliable and cost-effective EPM 8, and the remote-controlled UI12 which allows staff to mix from mobile devices. dbx Driverack PA2 loudspeaker management systems optimize audio and help protect the equipment with features like dbx limiting, AutoEQ, and Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS). CSA selected AKG wireless microphone systems with SR470 receivers for all facilities. Referees and instructors use hands-free C544 L headsets with PT470 bodypack transmitters, while D5 microphones provide greater clarity for announcers and commentators.

“We are privileged to be the brand of choice for the prestigious British School Jakarta,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. Elevating sporting experiences with high-end audio solutions enhances performance among the students and elevates the experience for spectators. Delivering a customized audio solution in a sporting arena is always a unique challenge, and CSA Indonesia’s team executed the project flawlessly with their indepth knowledge, close coordination with the school and support from HARMAN Professional Solutions.”

“As a leading international institution with world-class sports facilities, and we needed nothing less than best-in-class audio

https://pro.harman.com/

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TURKEY

Renkus-Heinz Serves Up Perfect Sound System with Digitally Steered Line Array

Üsküdar Town Hall Sounds Right with New Audio Solution

If the name of Istanbul itself excites a historic appreciation of ancient Greeko-Roman society, the name Üsküdar further value-adds with its antiquity. However, here is a modern embellishment to the nearly 3000-year-old urban establishment- the new Üsküdar Town Hall. The facility has recently been equipped with advanced sound system to meet its new-gen audio requirement.

Istanbul’s large, densely populated Üsküdar municipal district was founded in the 7th century BC and is one of the capital city’s oldest residential areas. Situated on the Anatolian shore of the Bosporus Strait, the area is known for its high concentration of historic buildings and religious sites. Üsküdar’s Town Hall, however, is new and entirely modern. The complex, which serves as a multipurpose community center, includes two auditoriums, a multi-purpose hall, a cocktail hall, and a basketball arena. All of these spaces are served by sound systems based on Renkus-Heinz digitally steered line arrays. The two pizza-slice-shaped auditoriums, dubbed Red Hall and Blue Hall, each seat 442 people, although the Blue Hall is slightly larger. Each features a 7 meter (23 foot) ceiling and a balcony without seats that wraps around the room from one side of the stage to the other. The mostly plasterboard ceiling includes four metal acoustic panels in the middle, and the walls are half wooden panels and half fabriccovered acoustic panels.

The Red and Blue Hall sound systems each use a pair of Renkus-Heinz IC Live Gen5-series IC-F-RN arrays, mounted to the outer face of the balcony, left and right of the stage. A pair of Renkus-Heinz PN61R self-powered two-way Complex Conic loudspeakers serves as front fills, and two Renkus-Heinz CF121M-2 powered two-way Complex

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Conic loudspeakers provide stage monitoring. Two PN212-SUB dual12-inch subwoofers deliver plenty of natural sounding low end. In each auditorium, a Roland M-200i 32-channel digital console handles mixing and routing duties.

The indoor basketball arena seats 800, including bleacher-type lower seating and balconies on both sides. With ceilings that vary from 12.65 to 15.95 meters (41.5 to 52.3 feet) and painted plaster walls, intelligibility and high reverberation times were major issues. For this more challenging space, the Eramita team chose a pair of Renkus“With Renkus-Heinz’ steerable beam technology, we were able Heinz ICONYX Gen5-series IC32-RN digitally steerable arrays, each to cover the Red Hall and Blue Hall with the best sound, using the which enables up to 16 beams to be individually shaped and aimed. minimum number of loudspeakers,” explains Burcin Cakin of AV These main arrays are mounted to the left and right of the court, at systems integrator Eramita, which designed and installed the AV the end of the seating areas. A pair of ICONYX IC8-RD arrays, each systems for the entire Town Hall facility. “The beams deliver the of which can deliver up to four steerable beams, series serves the sound to the seats and keep it off the walls and the face of the entrance area. “Given the intelligibility and reverberation issues balcony. The IC Live Gen5 series is suitable for a wide variety of in the arena, Renkus-Heinz ICONYX loudspeakers were music and other programming, especially when paired the only possible solution,” observes Cakin. “The with PN-series subwoofers, which made it the right “Given the acoustics here could only be properly addressed choice for these halls.” with precision beam steering. The client was intelligibility and very impressed by the results.” The elegant Cocktail Hall, which is also reverberation issues in pizza-slice-shaped, is replete with rich, the arena, Renkus-Heinz Two Renkus-Heinz CF121-2 powered twored drapery and has a sloped ceiling that way Complex Conic loudspeakers serve as rises from 4.5 to 4.7 meters (14.8 to 15.4 ICONYX loudspeakers fills for the left and right balconies. The feet). Here, too, the main system features were the only possible CF121-2 is similar to the CF121M-2 but the a pair of Renkus-Heinz IC-F-RN arrays, solution,”. latter is primarily used for stage wedges and which match the wall color between sets -Brucin Cakin foldback systems, while the CF121-2 is more of drapery so well one barely notices them. often employed as unobtrusive mains or as fills Neither subwoofers nor fills are needed but in a larger system, as in the Üsküdar basketball the wide, low stage is served by two Renkus-Heinz arena. CF121M-2 stage monitors. The Roland M-200i console in this space is conveniently rack-mounted. Although sound quality and digital beam steering were paramount reasons for choosing Renkus-Heinz arrays, they were by no means the Beautifully set up for banquets and other events, the rectangular only benefits. “The Renkus-Heinz arrays blend in very well visually, Multi-Purpose Hall features extensive glass façades covered with which is important in all of these spaces,” Cakin points out. “In royal blue curtains. The sound system in this space again employs addition, with Renkus-Heinz, we did not face any problem in terms of two Renkus-Heinz IC-F-RN arrays, two Renkus-Heinz CF121M-2 stage logistics or scheduling. Finally, by choosing Renkus-Hein z, we were monitors, and a rack-mounted M-200i console. “In the Multi-Purpose able to meet each room’s audio needs with the minimum number of Hall and the Cocktail Hall, Renkus-Heinz beam steering enables loudspeakers, while staying within the budget, which made us and the us to provide intelligible, very high quality sound for both speech client very happy.” and music throughout the room, without overpowering any area,” Cakin asserts. “Patrons enjoy clear, accurate sound without feeling overwhelmed. Yet the system easily has all the power we need.” S I A © Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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AUSTRALIA

Stokes Technologies Transforms Former Fire Station HQ Site into Hospitality Ensemble

Attero Tech Performs Stellar at Five-Star Westin Perth

Westin Perth – the newest addition to the skyline of Western Australia’s capital city, lining the Swan River on southwest coast of Continental nation – is a distinct statement in its own right. Built on a former fire-station headquarter of the State, and with a substantial financial assistance from the Government with an objective of creating enough luxury hospitality amenities as also boosting tourism attractions, the hotel ups the ante of the brand’s signature embellishments. Playing a key role in the ensemble’s audio-visual system set-up – integrated by Melbourne-based AVSCI Stokes Technologies – is Attero Tech interfacing expertise. A snapshot:

Perth’s newest five-star hotel, the 26-story Westin Perth features high ceilings, lots of natural light in the public spaces, and a 2,000-piece collection of Australian art. In addition to 368 guest rooms and suites and a lovely lobby decorated in natural, neutral tones, it offers a lounge, day spa, infinity pool, outdoor pool, gym and fitness studio. Levels 1 and 2 feature nine flexible event spaces, some of which can be combined, including the three-segment, 800 square meter (8,611 square foot) Grand Ballroom.

To serve audio and video to the hotel’s many public spaces and back-of-house areas, AV and communications systems firm Stokes Technologies designed and installed an extensive, sophisticated AV network that relies on Attero Tech Dante-networked audio interfaces and wall plates. “It’s a complete AV-over-IP solution, with more than 700 channels of audio, of which 300 channels flow through Attero Tech encoders and decoders,” recounts Stokes Technologies systems engineer Aaron Mitchell, who designed the system. “Mood music players provide background music through Attero Tech unD41-L

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flange-mount interfaces, and the network uses several types of Attero Tech encoders and decoders to route audio to and from virtually all public spaces.” The system spans the area from below ground to Level 5, connected with fiber and managed with three Q-SYS Core 510i DSPs mounted in the central racks on Level 2. “We divide the DSPs and switches to serve different floor locations so if one were to go down, it wouldn’t take the whole system out,” notes Mitchell. Switches are configured in three stacks to match the three DSPs, with each stack operating as a single logical switch. The stacks are linked, and audio flows between the DSPs via AES67 on a separate VLAN, so video and audio can be routed to and from all endpoints in the network. Except for some Crestron speakers in the higher ceilings and K-array speakers in a few very narrow spaces, most of the speakers and power amplifiers are QSC, so the DSPs send audio to the amplifiers using Q-LAN.

All other network audio is Dante, routed to and from Attero Tech interfaces. “One of the things we really like about Attero Tech is the integration with Q-SYS,” Mitchell relates. “Attero Tech have plug-ins for Q-SYS, so I can see and control the Attero Tech device’s status, input gain, and phantom power in my Q-SYS file. I don’t have to run both Q-SYS software and Attero Tech software and then send specific UPD commands to the endpoints; the controls of each Attero Tech endpoint are natively in the Q-SYS software.” Five projectors provide video in the Grand Ballroom. An Attero Tech unDIO2X2+ flange-mount, 2-in, 2-out Dante-networked audio interface at each projector location takes audio from the projector and puts it back on the network so it’s always in sync with the picture. Each projector’s unDIO2X2+ also provides two audio channels to the in-room IR emitter: one channel for hearing augmentation and one channel for international interpretation. The interpreter channel can

INSTALLATION

be routed from one of the room’s Attero Tech unDX2IO+ Dante audio wall plates. Each of the unDX2IO+ wall plates in the ballroom and meeting rooms provides two front-panel balanced XLR mic/line inputs and outputs, plus two balanced line inputs on the side of the unit for use with an expansion plate. Some spaces have Attero Tech unD3IO wall plates, which provide XLR, RCA, and 3.5 mm stereo input and output. These wall panels enable local audio to be patched to the network and played over the sound system. “The main sources of control are 10 iPads,” offers Mitchell. “A few are on wall docks, and others are issued as needed. Each can be assigned to control AV on a specific floor or room, so a hotel technician can walk from one room to another and set it up completely, including choosing video and audio streams.” Our biggest issues in designing and configuring the system were channel count and bandwidth. “The system has 10 Huawei

5720-series network switches, all of them connected together,” Mitchell observes. “With 700 audio channels flying around, and video in the mix as well, we really had to keep an eye on bandwidth and calculate how much goes through every port.” Bandwidth considerations were minor compared with the advantages of routing everything over an IP network and accessing audio with Attero Tech panels, however. “Compared to analog cables, we can fit many more audio channels, video channels, and control into one cable,” Mitchell explains. “We don’t have much space in the AV room, and our main comms come into that room in a one-meter-wide cable tray that’s almost entirely filled with CAT cable. If we had to do that with analog cable, it would have been a lot messier, and we couldn’t have offered as many services. Dante audio through Attero Tech interfaces is a much more flexible and efficient solution. For the size of the job, installation came along extremely quickly, and the Attero Tech products have been very reliable. They have been excellent.” Using Dante audio with Attero Tech interfaces also helped the Stokes Technologies team expand the system on short notice. “An additional room was added to the job partway through, as happens, and we hadn’t even run cables there,” recalls Mitchell. “We were able to just run CAT cables from the client LAN into this new room, put in Attero Tech endpoints, and the room was on the network. We were extremely pleased.” www.sks.com.au www.atterotech.com S

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Re-imagining the Future of Meeting Spaces by Tony Ang, General Manager, Southeast Asia, Crestron Electronics Gone are the days when we had to report to a fixed location for work, go through the mundane process of setting up electronic devices and struggle to get them to operate. Thanks to new integrated technology solutions, we can finally bid farewell to the long and tedious processes required to operate the traditional office space. By implementing these in the workplace, enterprises will be able to communicate and collaborate seamlessly, without the complexity that comes with deploying, tracking and managing IoT devices. This change comes with the rise of the out-of-office generation, who is looking for more flexible working arrangements rather than the normal 9-to-5 reporting at a fixed location everyday. In the last couple of years, we have also seen more co-working spaces appearing which was once only popular with start-ups due to its low cost and functionality, is now popular with many companies who are seen relocating into these shared spaces as well. In small cities like Singapore, space is considered a luxury. Instead of companies being limited to traditional meeting rooms, they now have the option of meeting spaces, which offer more possibilities including the ability to discuss, learn, and solve problems together without physically being in one location. This increases efficiency and allows enterprises to work beyond the space constraint of a traditional meeting room, with many collaborators in one meeting space at a time. Besides the lack of space, more millennials entering the workforce are also a contributing factor to the rise of co-working spaces and the growing need for high-tech meeting spaces. Moving towards a digital workplace facilitates a smoother workflow and allows these digital natives to work comfortably with minimum hassle that usually comes with a traditional office. New technologies like IoT-based provisioning and management solutions enable meetings and discussions to

happen seamlessly. It creates opportunities for collaborators to expand their ideas and take them much further, beyond the meeting room. Additionally, such meeting spaces provide the flexibility of working from anywhere, without the trouble of travelling to a fixed location for a meeting, cutting down the travelling time which can be better spent working on other projects. Research has also shown that flexible working arrangements promote work-life balance, increasing employee engagement and better work performances. Meeting spaces donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only apply to enterprises, it also applies to educational institutions. Technology enables schools to create smart, collaborative learning and simulation spaces that are highly engaging and interactive to enhance learning and teaching experiences. As an example, concept of Flipped Classrooms are getting popular and will not be possible without the integration of technology in such spaces that enable students to work from their own devices, while academics display work from these students onto a lecture screen for comparison and analysis. Learning experience become more engaging and productive for both teachers and students, empowering them to do more and learn more within a shorter period of time. By introducing smart integrated solutions into enterprises, schools, and hospitals, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to fully utilize space, be more productive, communicate and collaborate seamlessly, without the complexity that comes with deploying, tracking and managing IoT devices. www.crestron.com S

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ÂŠ Systems Integration Asia | VOL. 18 ISSUE - 1 ~ Oct- Nov 2018

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How do Aspiring Professionals Stay Ahead in AV Industry?

Training is Imperative to Keep Pace with Changes The AV market continues to expand, and the technology ecosystem is getting more complex and sophisticated. AV professionals find themselves facing the reality of technical evolution, including the analog-to-digital shift, the growing popularity of cloud and virtualized solutions, and move to IP networks. The close relationship of AV with IT has also resulted in a rising demand for AV design and system integration services. Legacy and new AV systems now must integrate into IT networks, infrastructure, and workflows. According to the 2017 AVIXA AV Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis, the market for AV design and system integration services is expected to double by 2022. A large portion of this demand will be coming from the corporate market, which has already grown to be the biggest of all verticals in the pro-AV industry.

individuals, teams, and entire organizations with deep knowledge and practical skills on general technical, sales, and Shure product solutions in the systems integration market. Serving as an industry-leading source for audio and AV professionals, Shure’s Integrated Systems Certification Program consists of two levels:

Continuing education is a major part of successfully doing business in this changing environment. Earning customer loyalty and trust requires sophisticated, ongoing training that enables AV professionals to solve new audio challenges and effectively handle every client situation they face. It is now more critical than ever to acquire the latest technical skills and knowledge, and to understand the products and technology on hand. Certification has become the industry standard and prerequisite for many end customers looking for the right partner to support their projects. But it’s not only about being product and technology savvy. It’s also about being able to talk to customers in their language, to understand their pain points, and to confidently answer their questions.

Level 2 delivers education for experienced AV integrators, installers, and technicalfocused professionals who understand the challenges of system design, setup, and configuration. It includes the Shure Wireless Master Course: Wireless Best Practices and Techniques, Networking for AV Professionals - Part 2 (Merging with the IT Workd), Conference Room Design Basics, and Dante level 1 and 2 certification administered by Audinate.

Shure Incorporated understands that success in this evolving industry doesn’t only depend on quality products. It also calls for a consistent, world-class level of service and support to partners and end users alike. Under the umbrella of Shure’s global training and education platform, the Shure Audio Institute (SAI), Shure has now launched its new Integrated Systems Certification Program. The program provides

For more information on the training opportunities offered by the Shure Audio Institute, visit asia.shure-sia.com

Level 1 is designed for customer-facing individuals, from salesfocused to technical professionals, who provide their clients comprehensive product information and application best practices. Courses include Audio Basics for Meetings and Conferences, Wireless Basics, Networking for AV Professionals - Part 1 (The Basics), Best Practices for Interacting with IT Professionals, and Shure’s Integrated Systems Portfolio Overview.

The Shure Integrated Systems Certification Program is delivered virtually to accommodate self-paced learning and can be taken by anyone wishing to expand their knowledge. Selected advanced courses will also be delivered through in-person seminars. Shure is also a proud AVIXA Education sponsor and each of the courses provides AVIXA CTS, CTS-D, and CTS-I Renewable Units.

www.shureasia.com/systems S

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AI will Diversify Human Thinking, Not Replace it In addition to the survey of 120 leading executives, the study included 15 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs, executives and thought-leaders, as well as discussion forums that brought together internationally renowned experts from the fields of AI, machine learning, design, art, government, politics, ethics, entrepreneurship, behavioural economics, journalism, engineering and human resources. Other key findings include: Tata Communications released a new study based on input from 120 global business leaders that envisions a positive impact of AI in the future workplace. Shifting the conversation from dystopian fears toward human collaboration and cognitive diversity, the study identifies how AI can diversify human thinking rather than replace it. The study identifies opportunities for businesses and employees based on insights from leaders such as Tony Blair, Executive Chair of the Institute of Global Change and former UK Prime Minister, who predicts that “AI will allow us to do what it is that we are uniquely meant to do: focus on high-level thinking, strategy, and paving the way for innovation.”

AI can enhance cognitive diversity within groups There is growing consensus that diversity of thinking on projects yields better outputs. Business executives believe that AI could help create and maintain working groups that optimise this cognitive diversity. AI can help workers become more agile, curious, and nimble

Key findings of the new study include:

Almost all (93%) business leaders agree that AI can enhance employee engagement. AI has potential to assess each employee’s skills and innovation priorities, and suggest activities to spark creative thinking throughout the organisational hierarchy. This can democratise the creative process and increase engagement of all workers.

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Nine in ten (90%) leaders agree that cognitive diversity is important for management.

AI can enhance human collaboration

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Three in four (75%) respondents expect AI to create new roles for their employees.

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Over 90 per cent (93%) believe that AI will enhance decision making.

Business is increasingly multicultural, but a lack of understanding of languages and cultures can be a barrier to collaboration. Most (80%) of leaders surveyed agree that AI could facilitate team composition, organisation and communications, especially for global teams.

Ken Goldberg, UC Berkeley professor and co-author of the report, notes that “the prevalent narrative around AI has focussed on a ‘Singularity’ – a hypothetical time when artificial intelligence will surpass humans. But there is a growing interest in ‘Multiplicity’, where AI helps groups of machines and humans collaborate to innovate and solve problems. This survey of leading executives reveals that Multiplicity, the positive and inclusive vision of AI, is gaining traction.” Co-author Vinod Kumar, CEO and Managing Director at Tata Communications, points out that, “AI is now being viewed as a new category of intelligence that can complement existing categories of emotional, social, spatial, and creative intelligence. What is transformational about Multiplicity is that it can enhance cognitive diversity, combining categories of intelligence in new ways to benefit all workers and businesses.”

The structure of work will change and require greater agility and flexibility Most (75%) executives envision AI creating new roles in their businesses. AI has potential to free employees from tedious repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus much more on communication and innovation. Work will move from being task-based to strategic, enabling workers to enhance their curiosity and creative thinking. The new study was a focus of a panel session during DISRUPT SF 2018 that was held on September 7th in the afternoon. To know more you are invited to download the full study here. www.tatacommunications.com S

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Here are articles you might have missed from our web and eNewsletter coverage

NAV from Extron: Not Just AV Over IP Extron might have come late to the game but they certainly have put much thought for their AV Over IP solutions. Extron has introduced the NAV Series, the no-compromise Pro AV over IP platform that distributes and switches ultra-low latency, pixel perfect video, audio, and USB 2.0 signals over Ethernet networks.

Single Out the Right Mount with B-Tech’s latest Online Tool B-Tech AV Mounts have made specification of screen install kit even easier with the release of a new online Mount Finder. Complimenting their popular online configurator for videowalls, B-Tech’s latest tool allows customers to quickly find a solution for any single screen mounting requirement.

LG Electronics and Luxoft Partner to Bring webOS to New Vertical Markets Luxoft Holding, Inc, a global IT service provider, has partnered with LG Electronics Inc., a multinational electronics company, to help create the next generation webOS as part of a strategy to extend its capabilities and ecosystem into the automotive, robotics and smart home vertical markets.

ZeeVee Introduces SIGNAL Global Channel Partner Program To further recognize and support its growing sales network of pro AV and IT integrators, ZeeVee, Inc., has introduced SIGNAL, a comprehensive global channel partner program. SIGNAL is an innovative, value-based program designed to support current and future channel partners via a broad platform that delivers the dependable partnership, technical enablement, business development and financial resources essential for success in the AV market.

Williams Sound and Pointmaker Form New Corporate Identity illiams Sound and Pointmaker, global manufacturers of wireless communication, video annotation and presentation technologies, have announced the launch of their new brand and corporate identity Williams AV. Accompanying this official announcement are the company’s new logo design and new domain name WilliamsAV. com.

ETC Conducts Architectural Lighting System Seminar Held at The Star, ETC’s recent Architectural Lighting System seminar had keynote speakers Karl Haas, Architectural National Sales Manager for ETC, and Field Service Engineer II Scott O’Donnell speaking to the audience. Topics covered during the seminar included theme park application and system product sharing. The speakers also engaged in a discussion of stadium application product sharing, using different case studies as examples.

Hewshott Achieves ISO9001:2015 Certification Hewshott was first assessed under ISO9001:2000 in 2005 and passed first time. Since then the company has maintained the ISO9001 registration as the standards have been refined over the years. The company has passed the rigorous assessments that are undertaken to achieve the 2008 standard, and in September 2018, the stringent 2015 assessment was undertaken.

L-Acoustics Serves All at Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham With its massive glass doors and smooth tile interior, the Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham ashram in Muddenahalli, India, is an awe-inspiring place of devotion. These very same features also make the edifice a highly reflective – and therefore acoustically challenging – space. Find out how the L-Acoustics Kara speakers helped ensure sound reproduction intelligibility.

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