The New Paradigm for the AV Industry

We are no longer a cottage industry

In more than 25 years as a manufacturer’s representative in the AV industry, I have seen our market go from slide machines, to more complex display with control, to the present hybrid AV/IT systems our customers are currently demanding.  Those systems may begin as an AV project, but often demand some voice/data/network capabilities.  We are now playing in a much larger world, no longer a cottage industry, and we cannot act like it.

How can an integrator stay relevant in this new landscape?

• Utilize training. From manufacturers and their representatives to stay up with the latest products, and how they integrate into the larger ecosystem they will live – including networks, UC, cloud connections and videoconferencing.  Your manufacturer’s representative can train you on multiple synergistic lines of equipment, often on the cutting edge of new technology. Certify your people.  Variations of CTS are important, and videoconferencing and control companies offer a range of certifications.  The AV/IT courses at Infocomm this year are a perfect example, from basic networking and networked AV systems courses to a tough 3 day training and certification for network pro’s. 
• Verify your business.  The new ANSI/INFOCOMM 10-2013, Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification provides what InfoComm calls a comprehensive, systematic, and practical approach to verifying performance of AV systems.
• Inform yourself. When you begin to address a customer’s needs, are you aware of how they are using Collaboration?  Unified Communications?  Videoconferencing?  Cloud backup and storage?  Streaming video?   Talk to your rep, ask what they know.  All these items impact what customers want from their AV systems, and how future AV will be designed.  Some of the things we do every day will be obsolete in a few years, others we have never heard of will be our core business.

So, what will be your future model?  Stay in the boardroom?  Become a communication provider?  Both are acceptable choices, but taking a few minutes now to take focus on the future is better than just letting it happen.

We at the Enright Company can actually help there.  We are well trained in not only our products and their function, but in the market trends and systems with which they co-exist.  Among the products we carry are items that handle UC, voice/video, network and cloud streaming, wireless and networked collaboration, cloud based videoconferencing, and much more.  We are always happy to spend some time discussing how these  technologies will integrate into your future business.

GPO US’ Auto Condition Reporting (ACR)

Smart Controller keeps tabs on video walls in remote locations

Dead or unused space is never welcome on a video wall.  When a service issue arises, users often have no choice but to grin and bear it.  The interruption associated with failing screens is often exacerbated by the diagnostics process, as panels may need to be removed for further evaluation.  The invasion of service technicians into workspaces is never welcome but is a necessity when remote diagnostics (typically via phone or email) fail.

GPO US’, www.gpous.com, ACR (Auto Condition Reporting) program allows users to keep tabs on video walls in remote locations and greatly reduces the need for disruptive onsite diagnostics and troubleshooting.

The Enright Company represents GPO in our entire region including AZ now.

GPO US’ “Superior” video wall series features compatibility with our “Smart Controller” (SM100), which provides an LED status readout showing the condition of inputs, power supply, and panel on individual monitors.  Smart Controllers are connected to video walls via RS-232 daisy-chain, so only one Smart Controller is required per video wall.  The Smart Controller also features a LAN port, which may be connected to a router, offering remote monitoring of display status from anywhere in the world with internet connectivity.

This leads to a significantly reduced diagnostic turn-around time and all but eliminates the need to remove screens for troubleshooting.  If a customer grants GPO US access to their local network, GPO US’ remote server will gather usage data for a full history of each display, offering further insight into usage patterns and conditions leading up to a failure.  ACR is available with any of GPO US’ “Superior” video wall models- both 46” and 55” Ultra Narrow Bezel LCDs are included in this lineup.

Crimson Video Wall Mounting System with Push in – Pop out™ technology

Quick and easy servicing of individual displays

Introducing Crimson AV’s, www.crimsonav.com, innovative and elegant multi-display mount system that’s easy to specify, order and install.  It features Crimson’s proprietary Push in – Pop out™ functionality that enables quick and easy servicing of individual displays without disrupting the rest of the matrix. Simply push against the display’s bezel to release the lock and then pull the display outward.

Crimson AV Push In-Pop Out™ mounts allow easy access

VW4600G2 mounts provide a full 10.75” of extension for easy wiring and maintenance access. Lateral shift, plumb and vertical leveling features simplify precision positioning and eliminate gaps between the displays, while a dual-keyed system deters theft.

The VW4600G2 carries a 10-year warranty and is backed by a team of industry-specific designers who can assist in the specification process.

Delivering professional grade solutions that are at once simplified and superior, every product in Crimson’s comprehensive assortment is manufactured to rigorous standards and sells for a fraction of the price of other competitive solutions.

Vaddio Extends Live Technical Support Hours to Better Serve Customers

Get your questions addressed quickly and efficiently

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Vaddio has extended its availability for live technical support from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. (CST) beginning October 1st, 2013. It’s not always possible to get in touch with a live person for technical support during an early morning video call or late night live event.

Vaddio Tech Support gang

“Good support, provided directly from the manufacturer, is critical to keeping systems running successfully,” explained Vaddio CEO and President, Rob Sheeley. “Vaddio stands by providing the right information, tools and solutions to get questions addressed quickly and efficiently. Plus, customers get a single point-of-contact to help diagnose and troubleshoot concerns.”

The Vaddio technical support team is comprised of veteran AV professionals and engineers who have extensive experience with not only Vaddio products, but also Vaddio integrated AV solutions – regardless of the vendor. The Vaddio support team can be reached directly at (763) 971-4428.  Additional install guides, technical support documents and support tools are available through Vaddio’s Technical Support Center at support.vaddio.com.

Vaddio’s innovative products and partner-focused practices provide opportunity for integrators and resellers to win business and increase profitability. With industry-leading warranties, one-year advance replacement, and expert technical support, customers have the entire Vaddio team standing behind every project.

About Vaddio:
Vaddio is the premier global manufacturer of PTZ cameras, specialty camera control systems and professional USB peripherals for the audiovisual, videoconference and broadcast marketplaces. In applications ranging from distance learning to corporate conferencing and television production, Vaddio products bring class-leading capabilities, convenience and flexibility to you and your customers alike—elevating the science of communication with the Art of Easy. To learn more or to become a dealer, contact Vaddio at www.vaddio.com or by phone at 1 (800) 572-2011.

Vidyo Receives Top Ranking for Technology Partners in Independent Research Report on Desktop Videoconferencing

Ranked as a Strong Performer, Cited as Having “Best Overall Video Quality and Performance”

Vidyo, Inc., represented by the Enright Company under the distributor DAS, www.directaccessinc.com, has been cited as having the “the best overall video quality and performance” by Forrester Research, Inc. The company also received top ranking for its technology partners among all vendors in addition to being ranked as a “Strong Performer,” overall. Forrester invited 10 vendors to participate in its September 2013 report, The Forrester Wave™: Desktop Videoconferencing, Q3 2013. A complimentary copy of the report is available here.

According to the report, “Vidyo’s routing architecture shifts the heavy media-processing power from bridges to the endpoints, significantly reducing the cost per port to deploy video conferencing.” Additionally, “In our demo, Vidyo clearly delivered the best overall video quality, even with a large number of participants. Vidyo is foremost a provider of desktop video conferencing but also sells room systems based on the same software and routing architecture. Its ability to deliver solutions from the desktop to the conference room put it more squarely in competition with room-based vendors…” The report also states, “In contrast to our 2012 evaluation of Vidyo, during the 2013 Forrester Wave, it provided impressive enterprise customer references, each using its technology on a large scale.”

“It’s an honor for us to be recognized as a strong performer in Forrester’s report for desktop video conferencing,” said Ofer Shapiro, CEO and co-founder, Vidyo. “We strive to advance the industry and develop the best video solutions for our customers and partners. Our collaboration with Google to bring Vidyo’s SVC technology to WebRTC and our work in standardizing H.265 SVC provide proof points that Vidyo’s architecture is both standards agnostic and future proof as we continue to lead innovation in this field.”

Vidyo offers great solutions in videoconferencing

Vidyo believes the report supports key trends that are core to its value proposition:

• The shift from hardware room systems to software endpoints
• The importance of a strong mobile solution
• The proliferation of WebRTC
• Scalable video coding (SVC) based architecture that Vidyo pioneered allowing the best video quality among all participants

The VidyoWorks™ communication and collaboration platform is software-based, highly flexible and can be easily customized for individual enterprise and vertical market video conferencing needs. The VidyoRouter™ is based on the company’s patented Adaptive Video Layering architecture and leverages the standard based Scalable Video Coding (SVC) technology. It eliminates the MCU and offers unprecedented error resiliency, loow latency and rate matching enabling natural, affordable, high quality video to work over the Internet, LTE, 3G and 4G networks. Vidyo has been active driving H.264 SVC, HEVC and SIP video conferencing interoperability in various standards bodies since 2005 and most recently announced it will collaborate with Google to enhance video quality within WebRTC by developing a scalable video extension for the VP9 codec as part of the WebRTC client open source project.

About Vidyo, Inc.
Vidyo, Inc. pioneered Personal Telepresence enabling natural, HD multi-point videoconferences on tablets, smart phones, PCs, Macs, room systems and telepresence installations that interoperate with legacy H.323 and SIP endpoints. Vidyo’s infrastructure makes it a leading provider of affordable cloud-based video conferencing technology. The VidyoWorks™ platform allows solution providers to integrate high quality visual communications into their applications, leveraging Scalable Video Coding (SVC) and Vidyo’s patented VidyoRouter™ technology. Learn more at www.vidyo.com, on the Blog or follow Vidyo on Twitter @vidyo and on Facebook.

DAS (Direct Access Systems)¸www.directaccessinc.com, has been active in distribution in the conferencing market for decades. Based in Southern California, they service and stock Vidyo, Polycom and many other key manufacturers products in conferencing.
w latency and rate matching enabling natural, affordable, high quality video to work over the Internet, LTE, 3G and 4G networks. Vidyo has been active driving H.264 SVC, HEVC and SIP video conferencing interoperability in various standards bodies since 2005 and most recently announced it will collaborate with Google to enhance video quality within WebRTC by developing a scalable video extension for the VP9 codec as part of the WebRTC client open source project.

AV and IT Converging in Judicial and Law Enforcement Arenas

Add judicial and law enforcement facilities to the growing list of places where AV and IT are converging. And like their counterparts in general enterprise and other sectors, legal technology professionals face a variety of challenges, from security concerns to usability.

Enterprise IT managers often balk at allowing AV traffic such as video to run over their networks for reasons such as security and bandwidth. There and in the legal sector, that resistance is starting to wane, partly because technology has evolved to address their concerns. Case in point: the use of video for applications such as remote arraignment and testimony.

“In early 2005, we saw an early adoption of videoconferencing over IP,” said Adam Lofredo, ExhibitOne strategic account manager. “This was an IT nightmare since video consumed a lot of bandwidth! Eventually the videoconferencing manufacturers co-created the H.264 video standard, which was a compression algorithm that allowed decent videoconferencing calls at much lower bandwidth: typically 384 kbps. “At the same time, the IT industry started making investments in the 10/100 MB switches. This combination allowed us to see most videoconferencing today run over IP.”

HDbaseT and Audio Video Bridging (AVB) are two other technologies increasingly used in courthouses and other facilities so audio and video can share the same Cat cabling. The next step is to have AV and IT share that and other infrastructure.

“We are currently not seeing the AV systems run over an existing network because of the network demands that AV requires,” Lofredo said. “However, the IT and AV networks are being run in parallel and cohabit in the same backbone pathways and server rooms. Over the next few years, as IT departments deploy gigabit backbone systems, we will most likely see a harmonic convergence where AV and IT are all run on the same network.”

It’s important to ensure that sharing infrastructure doesn’t make AV vulnerable to eavesdropping or create a back door into IT systems.

“It is critical to keep data secure, whether it’s streaming video or sensitive data that is on the courthouse’s network,” said AJ Shelat, Hall Research vice president of sales. “As AV has evolved, so has IT, and they each have the tools to share the physical space and keep sensitive data secure.”

“While the AV systems may be managed and maintained by someone who is highly trained and experienced, depending on budgets, it is often likely that the user of the system will have only basic training to use the system efficiently in order to get the job done,” said Hall Research’s Shelat. “Whether it is the bailiff or someone else, the responsible person in the room already has a core job, and controlling the AV routing is just an added responsibility they are charged with."

One reason for limited training is money. “In a world where everyone is trying to cut their budgets, there are an increasing number of those responsible for these systems that have not been properly trained in AV,” said Patrick Herlihy, Media Vision USA senior product manager.! “This makes it incumbent upon us as AV professionals to ensure that the technology we bring to the table is designed and integrated to be as user-friendly and intuitive as possible.”

When comparing vendors and integrators for an AV or IT project, another thing to look for is their ability to train staff on newly installed systems.

“Proper training for basic features and operation should be a major consideration,” Shelat said. “We have seen the knowledge level vary considerably from one facility to another, but also from one bailiff to another. It is the job of the dealer and/or installer to provide adequate documentation and training for each installation.”

“Judges have told us that trials that would have taken a week or longer now only take days due to the ability to share evidence with the jury, judge, witness, and counsel simultaneously or selectively," said AJ Shelat, Hall Research vice president of sales. “For example, before there were highresolution document cameras and monitors in front of the jurors, they would spend a lot of time just passing evidence material between the jurors, not to mention everyone else involved.

Reducing the time in which trials can take place has a huge impact on the average per-trial cost and should be taken into account when assessing the ROI.”

George Washington University's School of Business Presents the Latest Video Wall Technology

The George Washington University enhanced its School of Business with a new state-of-the-art audio visual system. The plan was to create an impressive showpiece in the facility's atrium lobby. Supported by GWU Associate Craig Linebaugh and the Academic Technologies Department's Assistance Vice President, PB Garrett, Robert Hines, Manager for AT Support Services explained, "The Business School atrium is a collaborative environment, a common area for students as well as the passing public. The university wanted a high impact display system that would engage students and passersby in the University venue."

The George Washington University School of Business showpiece lobby captivates students and public viewers with its two multi-screen video walls powered by RGB Spectrum's MediaWall® processors.

To devise a captivating display system, the University enlisted the services of audio/video technology integration specialists, The Whitlock Group, in Alexandria, Virginia. According to Randy Stewart, Director of Engineering for The Whitlock Group, "The objective was to create a versatile display medium that could present an extensive variety of live and pre-recorded video as well as computer-generated visuals. The design team conceived of two video walls comprised of 2 x 2 displays. RGB Spectrum's MediaWall controller was selected as the video wall processor. The MediaWall was an easy choice. It delivers the full capability and real time performance the project required at a lower cost than other systems."

Content on the two video walls is dynamic and varied, designed to be informative and entertaining. Viewers can watch television news, sporting events, financial information, closed circuit university broadcasts, pre-recorded videos, and information on University curriculum, events, activities, and programs.

The MediaWall processors support up to six video and six computer sources. Video sources include high definition and standard video over-the-air television broadcasts, HD DVD players, and VCRs. Computer inputs include PowerPoint presentations, digital signage, and video teleconferencing.

Each MediaWall controller merges the visuals and outputs them to four Clarity Margay 50-inch rear-projection displays at their native 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. Up to twelve separate images can be displayed on each video wall simultaneously. Any image can also be displayed across the entire wall.

Operators use an AMX touch screen controller to remotely select content for viewing and display configurations. The MediaWall provides limitless display alternatives, giving operators complete flexibility to create any arrangement desired. Pre-programmed display arrangements can be implemented at the touch of a button. The MediaWall processors allow operators to choose image sources, resize, move, zoom, and pan images with click and drag simplicity. Features include custom borders, window titling, on-screen digital clock, and colored and shaded backgrounds.

Stewart concluded, "The MediaWall system operates 24/7. It is a rock solid, reliable product. Its combination of exceptional performance, signal versatility, expandability, ease of use, and low price point make MediaWall the best value in the video wall market."

Hines commented, "The MediaWall system is indeed impressive. The system has received rave reviews from visitors and students. Image quality is superb."