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AV Intelligence

Tech Tips

  • Selecting the Right Projection Screen

     
  • Power Sequencing

    POWER SEQUENCING IS NEEDED WHEN various types of electronic equipment must be powered up or down in groups, rather than all simultaneously. In AV systems, sequenced powering is often necessary to allow turn-on transients from low-level amplifiers and processors to settle down before any power amps...

     

5-Minute Interview

  • 5-Minute Interview: Tom Young

    Staff engineer at Altel Systems in Brewster, N.Y., and owner of his own consulting business, Connecticut-based Electroacoustic Design Services. Young spent 10 years as a sound mixer in New York and toured with “A Chorus Line” in Europe.

     

AV Charrette

  • Urban Screens

    SCREEN MEDIA TECHNOLOGY IS BECOMING AN ELEMENT OF urban architecture through the combination of transparent building materials, digital light, and transmission technology. Architecture and media technology is melting into each other, and buildings are becoming media infrastructure. As with all...

     

Marketwatch

  • Vertical Markets

    ONE OF THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS of the pro AV industry is that the purpose of AV systems is to serve for their end-users the same, regardless of end-user type. So it's natural that AV professionals do business in multiple vertical markets. In this month's MarketWatch survey, we find that only...

     

First Person

Fascinating Facts

  • Fascinating Facts About Sound Waves

     
  • Fascinating Facts About Panel Plunge

    GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR CLIENTS THAT have to spend down their budgets by the end of the year: Large TFT-LCD and LCD TV panel suppliers will likely see an oversupply and drop prices throughout the fourth quarter of this year, according to the iSuppli Corp. report, “Large LCD Market to Shift to Oversupply...

     

Community Views

Parallax View

  • Behind the Acronym

    IN SEPTEMBER, I MANAGED TO SPEND A DAY AT THE International Broadcasting Conference (IBC), held at the sprawling and over-full RAI Center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In addition to the usual booths from the electronics giants — Sony, Cisco, and Philips to name a few —peddling cameras, editing...

     

Data Links

  • The Other Side of the Table

    As an AV guy, I probably have a different perspective than most. About four years ago, I joined Advanced AV, a design/build systems integration firm located in West Chester, Pa. My background is pure IT — I've been in computer sales, multimedia development, IT R&D, IT management, and enterprise IT...

     

Consultant's Connection

  • State of the Union

    ARE WE NEARING THE LONG HOPED FOR GRAND CONVERGENCE of technology? We've achieved a great deal over the past decades. Audio and video signals have been digitized. We've created and modified transport mechanisms so we can route signals and the information they carry. We use LAN technology to carry...

     

Viewpoint

  • Embracing the Community

    One of the more challenging conditions brought on by the ongoing convergence of technology-based industries is the blending of languages.

     

Features

  • When Less is More

    Despite a trend toward multifunctional AV devices, sometimes the best choice is a box that does just one thing. Here are the 10 best single-function audio and video devices you can't live without.

     
  • A Brighter Future

    THE PROJECTOR MARKET HAS CERTAINLY come a long way in the last 20 years. Back in the 1980s, “projection” meant three converged cathode-ray tubes (CRT) in a large, heavy chassis, barely lighting up a 100-inch screen in a darkened room. For more horsepower, a hybrid liquid-crystal light valve...

     

Install Solutions

Corporate Install

  • Digital Message Centers

    Improve corporate communications with employees, many of whom do not have easy access to e-mail or the company Intranet, in manufacturing facilities that spread across several sites.

     

Hospitality Install

  • Back to the Future

    Integrate a surround sound system in high-end hotel condominium units with secure technology poised for high-definition programming.

     
  • Creative Suites

    Install AV, voice, and data communications systems that encourage employees to work creatively and collaboratively.

     

ProAV's Guide to Doing Business

Other Articles

Tools & Tech

Feature

  • Beware Vaporware

    DESPITE THE IMPRESSION YOU MIGHT get from industry trade shows and some publications, let's be honest; wireless signal transmission for AV applications is really not yet ready for prime time. Sure, you can send low-fidelity audio over short distances and avoid having to deal with running and hiding...

     

Peer Review

  • Peer Review-Clear One Chat 50

    Clear One Chat 50; Price: $149 MSRP

     
  • Peer Review-TV One C2-1250

    Brad Weston is the President of Renewed Vision in Atlanta. Renewed Vision creates commercial and custom software for video projection, video walls, lyric projection, and virtual venue projection.

     

Bright Idea

  • Look Inside: Behind the Screen

    Watching high-definition programming from the comfort of a hotel room is easy for guests, but the technology that delivers that content is quite complicated. Hollywood was reluctant to allow its high-definition content to roam the wires and airwaves without security, so LG Electronics devised a...

     

What's Next

  • It's a Wireless World

    THERE'S A TERM THAT MAY BE FOREIGN to AV, but it's well known in both in telecom and IT engineering: wire speed. It describes the maximum data rate that a particular cable technology can support. But it's also shorthand for “very, very fast,” setting a high bar for wireless technologies to clear...

     

New Products

Audio

  • beyerdynamic: DT 60 PRO in-ear headphones

    beyerdynamic's new DT 60 PRO in-ear headphones are designed for use with in-ear monitoring systems. Direct coupling of the headphones' transducers help provide users with deep bass, balanced mids, and defined highs.

     
  • Riedel Communications: Performer digital intercoms

    Riedel Communications has expanded its Performer digital series of partyline intercoms with two- and four-channel master stations; rack-mount, wall-mount, and desktop speaker stations; call-light indicators; and two-channel beltpack headset stations.

     
  • Soundcraft: EtherSound interface card

    Soundcraft, in cooperation with Digigram, has developed an EtherSound interface card for its Vi4 and Vi6 digital live sound consoles.

     
  • L-Acoustics: SB28 subwoofer enclosure

    L-Acoustics' new SB28 subwoofer enclosure offers more powerful low-frequency impact and better bass articulation for tours, installations, and corporate productions, according to the company. The SB28 includes two front-loaded, 18-inch direct radiating transducers integrated into a...

     
  • Canton: Chrono loudspeakers

    Canton's new Chrono series of loudspeakers is based on its high-end Ergo line but is available at a lower price. Two floor-standing speakers (Chrono 509 DC, shown, and Chrono 507 DC), one compact two-way, a 2.5 way center channel, and a 150-watt subwoofer are included in the series.

     
  • Bowers & Wilkins: CCM818 in-ceiling loudspeaker

    The CCM818 in-ceiling loudspeaker from Bowers & Wilkins combines an 8-inch version of the company's woven-Kevlar cone bass/midrange driver with an offset 25 mm aluminum dome tweeter from its Nautilus series. The Blue Kevlar aims to eliminate reflections from projectors and other light sources.

     
  • AKG: MicroMic

    The MicroMic series from AKG includes five models of miniature microphones that provide a combination of top sound quality, flexibility, and reliability, according to the company. The C555 is a head-worn microphone specified for presenters or back-up vocalists.

     
  • A-Designs Audio: HAMMER

    A-Designs Audio introduces the HAMMER, a vacuum tube-equipped HM2EQ dual mono-channel, three-band, analog equalizer. A filtering system eliminates unwanted noise as it passes even harmonics through its 12AT Philips tubes.

     
  • Pragmatic Communication Systems: Preamplifier 9

    Pragmatic Communication Systems introduces the Preamplifier 9 for low-level audio sources, an addition to the company's HideAway Series of audio components. The Preamplifier 9 is meant for low-level music sources, such as CD players, MP3 players, and satellite radio receivers.

     
  • Canton: Vento Reference 9 DC

    Canton introduces the Vento Reference 9 DC, a two-way compact loudspeaker. The design is enclosed in a cabinet structure formed from six layers of acoustically inert, pressure-laminated fiberboard. The Vento Reference 9 DC uses a refined version of the company's ADT-25 dome tweeter, with a 1-inch...

     
  • APB-DynaSonics: ProRack-Monitor mixer

    APB-DynaSonics' ProRack-Monitor mixer features 16 mic/line input channels. The mixer combines minimum phase shift circuitry, expressive EQ, and several other quality-assurance features, such as separate illuminated mute and PFL switches and six-segment LED meters.

     
  • Sennheiser: Earphones

    Sennheiser's new ear-canal headphones block out distracting external noise, the company says. The CX 400, CX 500, CX 55 Street (shown), and CX 95 Style earphones are additions to the Street and Style lines.

     
  • Zaxcom: wireless recording systems

    Zaxcom's new wireless recording systems, the ZFR800 recorder (shown) and the TRX800 microphone, are handheld components designed for studio, theater, engineering, and other applications where quality and mobility share equal importance. The microphone offers internal recording with digital...

     
  • AKG: Wireless Monitoring System

    beyerdynamic in-ear headphones, Canton loudspeakers, Riedel Communications digital intercom ...

     
  • Avlex Corp.: MX8-1RM mic/line mixer

    The new MX8-1RM mic/line mixer from Avlex Corp. supports eight mic/line channels and was designed for small spaces such as boardrooms, small theaters, and churches; however, it can also be used as a submixer with a larger system.

     
  • Marshall Electronics: V67Q stereo microphone

    MXL Microphones, a division of Marshall Electronics, introduces the V67Q stereo microphone. Designed for live performances, the microphone can capture room sound or be used as an overhead performance mic.

     
  • Studer: Vista 5 SR desk

    The Vista 5 SR desk, a portable version of the Vista 5 console, has launched Studer into the touring sound market.

     
  • Avlex Corp.: Superlux R102 aluminum ribbon microphone

    Avlex Corp.'s new Superlux R102 aluminum ribbon microphone consists of two parts: the electro-magnetic transducer and the impedance converting circuit. The result is an extended frequency response (20Hz –15kHz) with high sensitivity, low distortion, and reduced self noise.

     
  • Extron Electronics: HPA 502 and HPA 1001-70V width power amplifiers

    Extron Electronics introduces the HPA 502 and HPA 1001-70V half-rack width power amplifiers. Both 100-watt amps are Energy Star qualified and feature patented Class D Ripple Suppression (CDRS) technology, which reduces EMI emissions and wireless interference.

     

Video

  • Chief Manufacturing: flat-panel surge protector

    Chief Manufacturing now offers PACPC1, a new power conditioner designed to fit with Chief-brand flat-panel wall mounts, extension columns, and in-wall accessories. The power conditioner protects flat-panel displays from surges up to 1,890 joules and features overvoltage shutoff and noise filtering.

     
  • PLUS Vision Corp. of America: CaptureBoard

    PLUS Vision Corp. of America offers a new tool for professional presentations. The CaptureBoard allows users to project an image and write on the board's surface, which “captures” the writing and saves it and the image into a single digital file.

     
  • Gefen: Personal video recorders

    Gefen introduces two personal video recorders with standard definition (SD PVR) or high definition (HD PVR) capabilities. Both include complete playback controls, the ability to switch sources, and the capability to download programming, images, and sound onto a USB storage device (SD PVR), flash...

     
  • Media Décor: Q-Lift

    Media Décor introduces its latest design for concealing and viewing flat-panel displays. The Q-Lift series gently lifts and lowers 32- to 62-inch displays into custom-built furniture.

     
  • Toshiba: TDP-EW25U

    Toshiba's digital products division introduces the TDP-EW25U, a BrilliantColor widescreen projector with wireless networking capabilities and “extreme short projection” technology. The technology allows the projector to produce a 60-inch image of 2,600 ANSI lumens from 2.4 feet away, making it...

     
  • Hitachi Software: interactive whiteboard

    The StarBoard FX Duo from Hitachi Software is an interactive, multitouch whiteboard. Educators and corporate presenters can control the StarBoard through multitouch hand gestures, a finger, an electronic pen, or any other object on a durable whiteboard surface.

     

Signal Management

  • Gefen: Wireless USB extender

    The new Wireless USB extender from Gefen can transmit USB 2.0 signals up to 100 feet without the use of cables. The sender/receiver was designed as a plug-and-pay method of removing USB devices from computer stations.

     
  • Echolab: Opera 16 x 16 production switcher

    The Opera 16 x 16 production switcher from Echolab is encased in a 16-input chassis that provides simultaneous outputs of 16 SDI, eight composite analog, and four component analog signal channels.

     
  • Aviom: MH10f data streaming hub

    Aviom introduces MH10f, a fiber merger hub that is designed to merge and distribute A-Net data streams. It aims to ease the setup for audio networking with Pro64 Series products in a variety of professional environments, according to the company.

     
  • Wireworks: AESX digital cable assemblies

    Wireworks recently announced a new line of digital cable assemblies. The AESX Series includes both single-pair and eight-pair multicables, allowing for 16 digital signal paths with XLR fanouts on each end.

     
  • Extron Electronics: SW DVI A Switchers

    The SW DVI A Series from Extron Electronics includes two- and four-input DVI switchers that allow multiple DVI sources to be switched to one compatible display. Both the SW2 DVI A and the SW4 DVI A (shown) support DVI-D signals up to 1920x1200 at 60 Hz, which includes HDTV 1080p.

     
  • Globalstor Data Corp.: ExtremeStor-Capella data storage solution

    Globalstor Data Corp. introduces the ExtremeStor-Capella, a 4GB Fibre Channel Host data storage solution made to contain uncompressed audio and video for both direct attached and SAN implementations.

     
  • Neutrik: OpticalCon

    OpticalCon, the fiber-optic connector system from Neutrik, has been upgraded for dust and water jet protection. The newly sealed system is more prepared for outdoor capabilities, such as weatherproof extensions.

     
  • ATON: Digi5 Products

    ATON's new distributed audio system of routers, touchpads, and accessories will now leverage Digi5 technology, offering an alternative to Cat5 wiring.

     
  • Wireworks: AV2000 MultiMedia Cabling system

    The AV2000 MultiMedia Cabling system from Wireworks connects multimedia systems through a single reliable plug-in, intended as a time- and cost-efficient solution for both installer and end-user.

     
  • Adder Corp.: AV200 Digital Signage Extenders

    Adder Corp. recently announced that its AV200 series of multimedia extenders for managing digital signage and media streaming applications are now available. This new solution allows users to communicate with up to 64 screens individually or collectively from a single RS232 interface.

     
  • Kramer Electronics: HDMI/DVI Format Converters

    Kramer Electronics introduces two new format converters. The FC-47 (shown) accepts an HDMI signal and outputs a digital DVI signal on a DVI-I connector and an S/PDIF audio signal on an RCA connector. The FC-48 outputs an HDMI signal by combining a digital DVI signal on a DVI-I connector with an...

     

Cheat Sheet

  • Preparing AV Drawings

    In the early stages of most AV projects, submittals are critical deliverables that must be prepared carefully. A key part of the submittal package is AV documentation.

     
 

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