EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Solution Delivers Best In-the-Field Game Coverage and Advertising Opportunity Ahead of 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs

ATLANTA — Dec. 10, 2019 — VITEC, a worldwide leader in advanced video encoding and streaming solutions, today announced that Minnesota United selected its award-winning EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Solution to control video feeds and signage to hundreds of screens installed throughout the new Allianz Field soccer stadium. As part of the new $250-million venue, EZ TV delivers a high-quality, low-latency live feed of the game and eye-catching digital signage, allowing fans to never miss a minute of action.

“We wanted to deliver the very best experience to our fans as well as our operators and advertising staff. The system can quickly, easily, and reliably distribute not only the game-day feed to every screen but also ensure that we are successfully deploying attention-grabbing and strategic campaigns with the signage content,” said Cole Mayer, production engineer, Minnesota United. “It’s a complex job, but VITEC’s solution integrates all these capabilities into one platform that exceeded our operational and technological vision. With the power of VITEC, Allianz Field is one of the best, most technologically advanced soccer stadiums in the world.”

Leveraging the power of EZ TV, Allianz Field’s staff can quickly and efficiently distribute, control, and maintain the more than 200 displays within the stadium. The cost-effective solution resolved the challenge of delivering a high-quality, broadcast-grade game-day feed to every screen with low-latency distribution and flawless synchronization between displays over its IP infrastructure. EZ TV’s built-in digital signage creation tools also enabled the organization to achieve a dynamic digital signage strategy where operators can easily distribute targeted content to specific displays throughout the venue. Integrated with Daktronics Show Control System, Minnesota United is able to trigger updates to signage for each screen during the games from the same Show Control System. The combined solution makes it effortless and simple for a single operator to change campaigns from pregame, to in-game, halftime, and post-show sponsorships during events.

More information on VITEC’s full line of products is available at http://www.vitec.com.

AVer Professional Auto Tracking and PTZ Live Streaming Cameras Now Integrate with Wirecast Video Platform Solution

Fremont, CA — December 10, 2019 — AVer Information Inc. USA, the award-winning provider of video collaboration solutions and education technology solutions, today announced the company has entered a technology partnership with global digital media solutions provider Telestream.

The technology integration with AVer Pro AV cameras and Telestream Wirecast software will allow Telestream customers to control AVer cameras and easily stream live feeds through their award-winning Wirecast software. AVer professional Auto Tracking and PTZ cameras have been thoroughly tested to meet the high standards that Telestream has established for their products. Telestream provides world-class live and on-demand digital video tools and workflow solutions that allow consumers and businesses to transform video on the desktop and across the enterprise.

“We are excited to have AVer Auto Tracking and PTZ Live Streaming cameras integrate with Wirecast,” said Lynn Elliott, Senior Product Manager, Telestream. “The collaboration gives our customers more choices with professional quality PTZ cameras and the unique tracking features offered by AVer.”

“Our partnership with Telestream allows AVer Pro AV camera customers to confidently live stream their content with one of the leading video platform providers in the industry,” said Andy Teoh, Director of Product Management, Pro AV, AVer Information Inc., Americas. “We are thrilled to be able to offer Telestream customers the opportunity to use our industry-leading auto tracking functionality and enjoy the ease of live streaming their content.”

To learn more about AVer’s partnerships, including Telestream, visit pro.averusa.com.

EZCast Pro continues to lead the way in creating the best multi-screen wireless display solutions for enterprise and education solutions.

The newest addition to the EZCast Pro family is EZCast Pro Box II, which combines with ProCast app to create an efficient way to broadcast wireless meetings and lectures.

Instead of using cumbersome, and sometimes expensive, HDMI and VGA cables to set up a multiple screen presentation setup, you can install an EZCast Pro Box II, to each monitor or projector, then use ProCast to stream wireless media to each screen in real-time.

This setup is best suited to large conference rooms, banquet halls and lecture rooms that need multiple monitors to accommodate all the attendees.
Not only does EZCast Pro Box II support 802.11ac 5 GHz WiFi, but it also adds LAN connectivity as an option to set up your network display.

The combination of 5 GHz WiFi and LAN allows IT professionals, more ways to set up multiple screens in the network and allows the presenter a more stable connection when making wireless presentations.

If you already use EZCast Pro II dongles in your setup, EZCast Pro Box II can work as a great extension to your existing network of displays.

ProCast app can broadcast your laptop content to both EZCast Pro II dongles and EZCast Pro Box II units in the same network.

EZCast Pro app support continues to make EZCast Pro Box II a cross-platform wireless display receiver, meaning you can make wireless presentations with ease from any of Windows, macOS, Android, iOS smart devices.

EZCast Pro app’s split-screen and Host Control features keep your meetings on point and in control, while EZNote lets the attendees take more efficient meeting minutes to follow up later.

“The combination of EZCast Pro Box II and ProCast app is the next phase in improving presentation effectiveness in large venues,” said Stan Chen, EZCast Pro’s Head of Advanced Display and Collaboration Product Unit. “By streaming wireless media to multiple screens in real-time, you can significantly reduce the complexity and cost of a traditional wire-based multi-screen setup.”

The New Speakerphone with SoundCap Technology Cuts Ambient Noise from Meetings in Open, Busy Environments

SUDBURY, Mass. — Dec. 10, 2019 — Yamaha Unified Communications is now shipping the YVC-330 portable USB and Bluetooth® speakerphone. The latest addition to Yamaha’s portable speakerphone family, the YVC-330 virtual meeting solution features Yamaha’s new SoundCap technology. SoundCap is specifically engineered to convert background noise prevalent in open workspaces into a signal that makes the meeting sound as good as being in a quiet conference room. Now end-users can confidently hold spontaneous meetings anywhere, including environments that have traditionally deterred collaboration.

“Ask anyone who has tried to meet in an open environment, and they’ll tell you how difficult it is to be heard over the din in the room — from people talking to phones ringing and printers whirring — which isn’t conducive for clear, productive meetings and can be incredibly frustrating for all participants,” said Michael Fitch, vice president of global sales and marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications. “For those reasons, a good meeting experience has meant hunting down and reserving a quiet, unoccupied space, which may not be feasible for spontaneous meetings. The YVC-330’s SoundCap technology was designed to make any open space — even a cafe — a truly multipurpose powerhouse, regardless of the less-than-ideal noise that may be present.”

Thanks to its Far Field Noise Reduction (FFNR), Yamaha’s SoundCap technology zeros in and captures only the voices of speakers sitting around the meeting table. It effectively removes other noise, allowing participants at the other end of the call to focus on the conversation. To further enable a clear, superior conference call and prevent unnecessary sound from being transmitted, the YVC-330 also features an automatic mute function, which engages when participants are not speaking. This self-silencing feature enhances the performance of Yamaha’s Human Voice Activity Detection technology, which instantly distinguishes human voices from other sounds. In addition, the SoundCap technology offers an auto-speaker volume adjustment, which regulates the volume to ambient noise levels and is suited for maintaining speech privacy. With the self-volume balancer function, remote conferences can be conducted seamlessly without being intrusive to those in the vicinity.

Featuring USB, Bluetooth, NFC connections, and power through its USB cable, the YVC-330’s portable design makes it the ideal communications solution for setting up high-quality calls from any area of a workspace — all without the cost of dedicated equipment.

Image via Disney

Panasonic’s laser projectors are all over the place inside the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. And we want to show you! So, here’s the footage we took riding the ride earlier today — it includes story spoilers so, if you’re going to experience the ride totally for yourself, don’t watch! But, for those of you who want to see how Disney integrated nearly 80 4K DLP-based laser projectors along the path of the ride, watch!

“When we first began speaking with Disney about the size and scope of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, it became clear this was going to be a groundbreaking attraction,” said John Baisley, senior vice president of professional imaging and visual systems, Panasonic Systems Solutions Company of North America. “Working with Disney, we developed and designed a Panasonic 4K visual technology solution that helps Disney seamlessly integrate physical and visual elements throughout the entire experience.”

The ride, in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (the newest themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort in California), Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance brings guests into an epic battle against the First Order. That battle includes a plethora of 4K resolution laser projectors.

“Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the most ambitious, advanced and immersive experiences that we have ever created,” said Paul Bailey, technical director, Walt Disney Imagineering. “With the help of Panasonic laser projection technology, we were able to bring a First Order Star Destroyer and other visual details to life, pixel by pixel.”

Disney has used Panasonic technology to bring captivating fan experiences to life for more than 20 years. In addition to supporting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attractions Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Panasonic’s projection technology is part of experiences across Disney Parks.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is now open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It will open at Disneyland Resort in California on Jan. 17, 2020.

More on the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride here.

There are any number of things that make big projects different from little projects. The first one that comes to mind, for me, anyway, is that while small projects are typically billed out at time and materials, large projects are more often subject to being quoted out, and that requires estimating what the job will cost and how long it will take.

Calculating and totaling all the inputs that make up an estimate isn’t always easy. As was once explained to me, you’ll only ever really know what the project will take once you’re done. But that sort of flippancy isn’t really helpful. The fact is that calculating estimates is just another process, although unlike straight-up technical processes (like terminating lines), estimating is often a mix of both science and art.

And it’s as essential a process as any others you bring to bear on the job site. Being way off the mark on your estimates is as costly a mistake as failing at anything else that you’re responsible for. Even more so, as inaccurate estimates cost time, money and, potentially, a lot of both.

When framed in that context, competent estimating is as crucial a skill as any other. Your estimates directly impact scheduling, budgeting, and ordering materiel. Running the timelines of the project depends on both expertise in project management and good Gantt chart software (shameless plug here for some of my other columns), but those things depend upon the quality of the inputs that came from the estimation. Without a solid estimate, you’re off to a bad start.

Today, I’m going to introduce some of the basic concepts that go into effective estimation, with an eye to expand upon them in upcoming columns.

The oldest method of estimating is depending upon past experience. Whether it’s your experience, or that of the people who work with you, having a sense of the time and materiel required often comes from the expertise of having done this a long time.

If you want to sound fancy, especially if you’ve gone to school for project management and want to use the terms you learned in class you can call depending upon past experience “comparative” or “analogous” estimation.
This makes sense when the project you’re quoting on is similar to ones you’ve completed in the past. Ideally, it’s similar to projects you completed successfully. Although past projects that weren’t may have taught you valuable lessons you can apply today.

Top-down and bottom-up estimating differ markedly, as you can guess from their names. Top-down is most appropriate for an initial once over, to determine the broad outline of what it will take to complete the job. Because it’s not in-depth it’s most often used to evaluate whether you want to tackle a project at all, before committing.

If you do commit, that’s where bottom-up estimating comes in. It’s much more detailed, and requires breaking the project down into all of its component tasks, calculating the time and materiel for each of them. The sum of all of that will comprise the total estimate for the project.

While bottom-up estimating is very detailed, it’s also a huge amount of work. A friend of mine who’s an electrician by trade, now working full-time as an estimator for a large contractor just completed a detailed estimate for a huge industrial project valued at a couple million dollars (just for the electrical), and it took him a couple of weeks of solid work.

Estimating using a parametric model takes estimating based on experience and goes a step further. Using software that’s been input with data from past projects, it calculates and produces detailed estimates. But like all software, it’s only as reliable as the data it’s working from.

Coming up, we’ll drill down into these in greater detail.

Enplug, a leading cloud-based digital signage software provider, today announced deployment of its digital signage platform in three separate organizations within the University of Southern California. USC is in the process of implementing technology throughout its campus to modernize outdated, legacy communications processes. Enplug’s ease-of-use, flexibility and robust automated & custom content options have made it the choice for dynamic digital signage at USC. With implementations at the Sol Price School of Public Policy, Credit Union and Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Enplug is taking a lead role in helping multiple organizations within USC to better connect with their staff, students and visitors.

Sol Price School of Public Policy – Creating a More Engaging Commencement Experience
Past commencement ceremonies at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy featured a pair of large screens flanking the stage that simply gave spectators a better view as the students crossed the stage to receive their diplomas. Utilizing the screens in such a way was not very interactive, therefore the university set out to create a more engaging commencement experience for the graduates, their families and their friends.

Using the Enplug platform to drive content to the existing screens, USC Price is now able to display fun, interactive content leading up to and following the commencement exercises. Using designated social media tags, students and spectators can submit pictures and messages to display on the screens. A key element of this solution is moderation, which enables USC personnel to review content before it’s displayed to ensure that all published content is appropriate for the occasion. And unlike most other content management solutions, the ability to preview content before it’s published is included with Enplug at no additional charge.

“Without Enplug, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve our goal of creating a more engaging commencement experience,” said Jonathan Schwartz, Senior Director New Media Strategy, USC Price. “No other platform is as versatile, robust and also offers the ability to moderate content for such an acceptable price.”

Enplug has revolutionized the way USC Price celebrates commencement. Introducing the element of dynamic, socially fed content displayed in real time created a much more engaging experience. The ability to submit content for display is not limited to people in attendance – it’s also simple for anyone viewing the commencement ceremony remotely to submit content to display on the screens, as well. This form of global engagement creates a commencement experience that connects graduates and their loved ones in a way that simply wasn’t possible prior to Enplug.

USC Credit Union: Bringing Social Media Engagement In-branch
Traditionally the USC Credit Union utilized a variety of traditional print-based marketing tactics, including brochures, flyers and posters. Legacy hardcopy collateral was expensive and time-consuming to produce, and the ever-changing nature of the credit union world meant that many of these hardcopy documents required frequent updating. Consequently, the credit union turned to Enplug to modernize its in-branch marketing efforts.

The USC Credit Union installed a single display in its lobby to promote much of the content it previously provided in hardcopy form. Credit union personnel use several of Enplug’s apps, including the Graphics and Video App, to author and post content to display. Additionally, the credit union uses social features to incorporate content from sources such as YouTube, Instagram and Yelp. The Enplug YouTube App is particularly useful in the credit union, as it enables silent video playback with subtitles, delivering a complete viewing experience even when the audio is muted.

“Enplug enables us to leverage our social media content beyond our customers’ phones and computers, and brings that engagement into the branch,” said Sydney Holt, Marketing, USC Credit Union. “This pulls people in further and connects them more deeply to our message in a way that wasn’t possible until now.”

Displaying digital content with Enplug gives the USC Credit Union a fun, creative and immediate way to connect with its patrons from the minute they step into the lobby. Hardcopy waste is greatly reduced, and the ability to easily update content on the fly ensures that only the most current information is displayed. The ability to integrate content from various social platforms further enriches the in-branch experience with timely content that’s both relevant and entertaining.

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry: Personalizing Communication for Students and Patients
The Ostrow School of Dentistry needed a better way of facilitating communication among its faculty and students. It wanted to move away from the unsightly and ineffective practices of posting flyers to alert students to upcoming events, classes and activities. School administrators also saw an opportunity to improve the waiting room experience for arriving patients, giving them a more engaging alternative to flipping through outdated magazines and scrolling through their phones as they waited for their appointments.

USC installed a pair of screens in the dental school – one in the student lobby and another in the patient lobby. Both screens display social content from various USC Facebook and Instagram accounts, while the screen in the student lobby also features student-oriented announcements about special classes and other campus activities.

“People now expect striking visuals and dynamic, scrolling content,” said Kim Eeles, Director, Student Life & Events, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. “Students and faculty simply send me information about events they’d like to promote and I load that into the Enplug dashboard. It’s easy to customize playback with complete control over when content is displayed.”

The dental school now has an easy way to broadcast personalized content to students, as well as patients. Enplug’s dynamic signage enables easy and elegant display of important information about campus events, building awareness and increasing participation in school fundraisers, club meetings and other activities.

For more information about Enplug and its full portfolio of digital signage software solutions, visit http://www.enplug.com. Follow Enplug on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the company’s latest news.

Clear, natural sound with minimal ambient pickup characteristics prove indispensable

Santa Cruz, CA – December 2019… The Art & Science of Sound Recording Master Class Training Sessions offer audio professionals and aspiring professionals alike the opportunity to gain hands-on sound recording tips and tricks from two of the industry’s best known icons. Created by audio engineer, songwriter, musician, and record producer Alan Parsons and keyboardist, producer, author, and music technology journalist Julian Colbeck, the program offers three class levels and enables attendees to participate in a recording or mixing session in a professional recording studio. With a combination of live performance and instruction, the need for highly articulate speech intelligibility is paramount to the success of each program, and that’s precisely why Parsons and Colbeck rely on E6 Earset and H6 Headset microphones from Menlo Park, CA-based Countryman Associates.

According to Colbeck, who serves as the event producer and coordinates both the artists and musicians being recorded and all of the details of the program, “Alan conducts the sessions exactly as he does when he is working on a normal project, except that he will comment on what he is doing at various points throughout the day and also answer questions. The purpose is to give attendees an inside look into a genuine recording/mixing event. Many sessions have gone on to have commercial releases and many attendees have gone on to develop new careers, including some now working for Alan Parsons!”

Colbeck reports that the Countryman microphones are presently being used exclusively for speech, in other words, the instruction portion of each seminar. “At this point, we use one E6 and one H6,” Colbeck reports. “At the most recent master class, we conducted the entire program using just the E6. We have the two Countryman mics interfaced with Sennheiser Evolution Wireless G4 systems and, together, they make a great combination.”

When queried about those attributes that make the Countryman E6 and H6 microphones so well suited for use during the master classes, Colbeck offered the following thoughts, “There are three primary aspects of the mics that we like: (1) These mics are unobtrusive to both wearer and viewer—to the point of effective invisibility,” he explained. “Almost immediately after putting either the E6 or H6 on, no one notices it’s there. (2) The sound quality is ultra high and very natural sounding, while the pickup range is ideal for acquiring the wearer’s voice and very little else. (3) These mics deliver plenty of gain before feedback, making it easy to get the right amount of level.”

“The nature of our events is that Alan—at various points during the program—may be facing directly into the loudspeakers or may be thirty feet away in the live room,” Colbeck continued. “At no time during two intense days of recording and mixing did we encounter feedback or any technical issues whatsoever. This is very impressive!”

Given the challenges of administering and conducting the Master Class Training Sessions, the ability to get responsive, capable support should it be necessary is crucial to the ongoing success of their program. In this regard, Colbeck has been very impressed with Countryman’s customer support services. “Countryman is highly efficient, knowledgeable, and helpful. They’ve been very supportive of our endeavor and are a pleasure to work with.”

While Parsons and Colbeck have only been using the Countryman E6 Earset and H6 Headset microphones for just a few weeks on recent training seminars, they had also worked with the microphones earlier this year during Winter NAMM. Summing up their experience with the Countryman mics, Colbeck offered these parting comments, “We’ve been delighted by the whole Countryman experience—the people and the products! We also look forward to using the Countrymans on upcoming video projects in 2020 and to experimenting with the different ‘caps’. Thus far, we haven’t needed to use the supplied pop shield, as we didn’t encounter any conditions that required them. We did, however, use one for photos, as the mic itself is so small and unobtrusive!”

To learn more about the Art & Science of Sound Recording Master Class Training Sessions, go to https://www.artandscienceofsound.com/.

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 10, 2019 – When SpongeBob SquarePants, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends (and one squirrel) decided to come up to the surface for the national tour of The SpongeBob Musical, fans rejoiced. The challenging task of bringing the magical sounds of Bikini Bottom to audiences across the country fell squarely on the capable shoulders of Sound Designer Walter Trarbach. Trarbach in turn, relied on Masque Sound to deliver a custom audio equipment package capable of capturing the essence of the show and its original pop- and rock-infused songs.

Based on the popular Nickelodeon animated television series, SpongeBob SquarePants, stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world in this touring musical extravaganza. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage.

The primary goal and number one priority for Trarbach was putting together a good functional sound system that could be installed quickly due to the show’s eight-hour load schedule. “The show itself is pretty complex in that there’s a live band on stage, a foley operator on stage and about 10,000 sound effects,” says Trarbach. “There’s just a lot of facets to the sound of the show so making sure we had the right equipment was very important. When you do a tour, especially with a short load in, you need to be very cognizant of keeping it streamlined and workable for your touring engineers. Masque Sound was wonderful in working within our budget parameters to provide us with the audio equipment we needed to be successful.”

Trarbach also had to consider truck space when designing the sound for the tour. “We selected the DiGiCo SD7 for FOH console and the DiGiCo SD10 for the monitor console,” says Trarbach. “We went with DiGiCo not only because they make great theatrical consoles (and we used them for the show’s Broadway run), but also because we could share the pre-amp’s between the two consoles, which take up less space on the truck.”

In keeping with the streamlined, size-conscious approach, Masque Sound supplied a Meyer Sound speaker rig that fit nicely into the allotted truck space. “We decided to go with a Meyer PA system because they are a high-quality sounding speaker but also because we would not need amplifier racks and could have a powered sound system,” adds Trarbach. “We primarily used a combination of Meyer LEOPARDS and LINA’s. The LINA’s are the smaller speaker boxes, which worked out very well for the balcony. We put speaker towers on each side of the stage and a center cluster position and some front fills. In addition, we utilized L-Acoustics 5XT’s for front fills and Meyer UPA’s for stage monitors.”

For microphone selection, Masque Sound supplied 40 channels of wireless Sennheiser 5212 transmitters with Sennheiser MKE-1 mics for the actors. Trarbach finds Sennheiser to be an excellent theatrical microphone that is very discrete, allowing for better mic position, which is particularly helpful on this show. For the band, Trarbach used a variety of mics including Shure mics on the drum kit, Neumann on the brass section and AKG for the reed players. The guitar and bass are direct.

“I have great things to say about working with Masque Sound,” adds Trarbach. “The company provided very high-quality sound gear, excellent technical support and expertise. They were very accommodating and their familiarity with the touring world was incredibly helpful. In addition, my Associate John McKenna and Production Sound Engineer Matt Bell, himself a former Masque Sound employee, did a wonderful job as did my touring crew Shaughn Bryant and Megan McKay who are great at getting the show in on time. The show sounds great.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit thespongebobmusical.com. The tour is currently scheduled to run through July 2020 with upcoming stops including Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Tampa and many more.

Anaheim, California (December 10, 2019) – Extron is pleased to announce the immediate availability of enhanced features to seamlessly connect Extron SMP 300 Series Streaming Media Recorder to Panopto enterprise video management systems. The LinkLicense for Enhanced Panopto Features enables users to live stream to Panopto and fully manage SMP recording schedules for lectures and presentations with the Panopto video platform. This brings additional capability to the existing control driver solutions that are available today.

“This is a very exciting time as we take our integration with Panopto a step further by natively incorporating our SMP 300 Series with the Panopto video platform,” says Casey Hall, Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing. “Whether it be simple push button control, or hands-off, fully-automated recording and streaming for any environment, Extron is taking AV control, media capture, and content management to a new level of efficiency and simplicity in the professional AV industry.”

Upgrading an SMP 300 Series product with the LinkLicense is a simple and cost-effective way to expand and enhance the power of Extron capture and control drivers, enabling an unparalleled integration with the Panopto Video Platform. Extron and Panopto customers interested in learning more can contact their Extron account representative.

For more information about the SMP 300 Series of streaming media products and LinkLicense, click here.

Central Coast Audio Visual Relies on Ultra HD Over IP Platform to Provide Cost-Effective, Reliable Video Distribution

ARGO, Fla. — Dec. 10, 2019 — Just Add Power (J+P), a leader in Ultra HD over IP video distribution, announced that its system has been installed at the Montecito Club in Santa Barbara, California, which recently reopened after a three-and-a-half-year, $75 million renovation. Tasked with bringing the 101-year-old private golf and social club into the 21st century, integrator Central Coast Audio Visual relied on J+P’s solutions to distribute video content cost-effectively and reliably to a variety of displays and projectors scattered across the massive property.

“We explored using another solution at the Montecito Club, but only the Just Add Power platform offered such exceptional performance and reliability at a fair price point,” said Chris Wilson, president of Central Coast Audio Visual. “In addition, Just Add Power offered one more critical advantage to this installation: simple scalability. During construction, the scope of the project continued to expand, and without being limited to a specific source or display count, we were able to accommodate that growth easily.”

Montecito’s system offers ultra-low 16 ms of latency from source to screen and supports 4K Ultra HD resolutions and HDMI 2.0 devices with HDCP 2.2. The platform enables seamless switching between any resolution HDMI source as well as uncompressed lossless multichannel audio formats, including Dolby Atmos. Video wall functionality is built-in for displays installed in portrait and flipped configurations, as well as image push, pull, and pop features. An integrated scaler on the receiver automatically adjusts the picture to fit the screen.

Each of the Montecito Club’s 22 video sources — DirecTV receivers for live sports and other content, two shared Apple TVs for streaming movies, and a digital signage PC to promote member events and provide leaderboards for ongoing golf tournaments — is equipped with J+P’s VBS-HDIP-718AVP 3G+ A/V Pro transmitter, while VBS-HDIP-508 PoE receivers are attached to the club’s displays and projectors. The Ultra HD Over IP platform is engineered to provide complete scalability, so expanding the system with an additional screen or source is as simple as adding another receiver or transmitter.

“The revamped Montecito Club is an amazing facility with a number of high-tech highlights — from the video wall in the men’s lounge to the theater in the members’ lawn,” said Taft Stricklin, sales team manager at J+P. “Distributing video from so many sources to 18 displays located across such a large property is no small feat, but the J+P platform has come through with flying colors to deliver the performance and reliability the club expects. The system has performed flawlessly since its deployment, and its scalability will allow Central Coast Audio Visual to accommodate future growth easily, whether it’s with more displays or additional sources.”

Information about Central Coast Audio Visual is available at http://www.centralcoastav.com. More information about J+P and its products is available at http://www.justaddpower.com.

Magewell will launch a new model in its Eco Capture (think: entry-level) family of M.2 video capture cards at the upcoming ISE 2020 show in Amsterdam. The Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2 captures one channel of 4K video up to 4096×2160 at full 60 frames per second over a single-link, 12G-SDI interface. The new card will make its global debut in stand 8-G475 at the event, which will take place from Feb. 11-14, 2020. 

Designed for use in small and embedded systems where full-sized PCIe slots are not available, the Eco Capture family offers systems integrators and OEM developers a robust capture solution with low power consumption for space-constrained applications. The low-latency Eco Capture devices feature a high-speed PCIe 2.0 bus interface with an M.2 connector and measure just 22x80mm (0.87×3.15in), matching the M.2 2280 size specification.  

The new 4K 12G-SDI model joins four existing Eco Capture M.2 configurations: a single-channel model that captures 4K video at 30fps via an HDMI interface; dual-channel models that capture HD and 2K video over HDMI or SDI; and a quad-channel HD/2K model with SDI inputs. All five Eco Capture products also support up to eight channels of embedded audio per input. 

The M.2 Eco Capture models are available with drivers for Windows and Linux operating systems. OS-native capture APIs — including DirectShow, DirectKS, V4L2 and ALSA — are supported and an SDK enables developers to access the full feature set of the cards directly. 

Stream replication enables each input channel to be delivered to multiple software applications simultaneously with identical capture parameters. FPGA-based video processing provides high-quality up/down/cross-scaling, picture controls and color space conversion without tasking the host system CPU.  

The Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2 is expected to ship in January.

Atlona just told us about the AT-OME-RX11 4K/UHD HDBaseT receiver with audio de-embedding capabilities, as part of its Omega Series. Atlona will demonstrate the OME-RX11 alongside other Omega Series innovations in stand 5-T50 at the upcoming ISE 2020 show in Amsterdam.

Paired with an Atlona HDBaseT transmitter or HDBaseT-output switcher, the OME-RX11 enables the transport of HDMI video and embedded audio alongside Ethernet, power and control over distances up to 330 feet (100 meters). The new receiver is HDCP 2.2 compliant and supports video up to 4K/UHD at 60 hertz with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling at HDMI data rates up to 10 Gbps. Stereo audio de-embedding extracts two-channel PCM audio to balanced analog outputs for feeding an amplifier and speakers, while support for multichannel audio enables the pass-through of formats including PCM, Dolby and DTS.

The locally powered OME-RX11 can deliver Power over Ethernet (PoE) via HDBaseT to an Atlona Omega Series, HDVS-200 Series or AT-UHD-EX-100CE-TX-PD transmitter, enabling convenient transmitter installation at any remote location without the need for its own local AC power. The receiver’s 1.02-inch (26-millimeter) form factor is for installation in furniture, behind displays or above projectors.

The OME-RX11 is available now. Visit the link for more information and specs.

Rentman speaks Spanish now!

Rentman released its rental management software to the Spanish-speaking market. The move aims to make the lives of both current and prospective customers from Spain, South and Central America easier, by allowing them to manage their rental business with increased clarity, quality and efficiency on an environment fully translated to Spanish.

After its success offering services in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and recently Russian, the rental management solution provider found its next big opportunity with a Spanish expansion. Meeting the growing demand, Rentman’s cloud platform, mobile app, website and support resources are now fully ready for use in Spanish.

Rentman empowers AV and event rental companies worldwide to manage their rental business in one place:

• Project management
• Equipment tracking
• Labor scheduling
• Quoting and invoicing

The software, using cloud data storing, provides the one-stop tool to manage all aspects of one’s business, on desktop or on the go. With the Rentman app, also available in Spanish, crew members can access files, scan and track equipment, communicate and be fully up-to-date while on location.

Get a 30-day free trial of Rentman in Spanish here.

Extron just added features to connect the Extron SMP 300 Series Streaming Media Recorder to Panopto enterprise video management systems. The LinkLicense for Enhanced Panopto Features enables users to livestream to Panopto and fully manage SMP recording schedules for lectures and presentations with the Panopto video platform. This brings additional capability to the existing control driver solutions that are available today.

Upgrading an SMP 300 Series product with the LinkLicense is a simple, cost-effective way to expand and enhance the power of Extron capture and control drivers, enabling an unparalleled integration with the Panopto Video Platform.

Details on the SMP 300 Series of streaming media products and LinkLicense are here.

Combining the Hands-Free Convenience of Alexa Voice Control with the Outstanding Sound Quality of Gatecrasher1

Norwood, MA – December 10, 2019 – Atlantic Technology has added the capability of hands-free voice control by Alexa to their acclaimed Gatecrasher1 wireless multi-room 2.1 stereo table-top audio systems as part of the ‘Works With Alexa’ capability which wirelessly connects any Alexa Enabled device to control and play through Gatecrasher1. This makes Gatecrasher1 easy to operate with all Alexa Enabled devices such as the Echo Flex, Echo Dot, Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Studio, Echo Show as well as other brands of Alexa Enabled devices.

Gatecrasher1 is a premium Hi-Res multi-room wireless speaker that features 2.4/5 GHz dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with aptX wireless capability, a Priority Auto Sensing 3.5mm analog input and DLNA connectivity. Gatecrasher1 and its free App make possible free streaming from over 20,000 internet radio stations and connectivity to a variety of popular subscription streaming services including Spotify Connect, as well as Hi-Res streaming services Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer. Gatecrasher1 comes in a premium non-resonant cabinet made like a quality bookshelf speaker and is available in two fine furniture finishes. This 2.1 stereo system is packed with a 3-way array of speakers including a woofer with passive radiator and dual mid-range and tweeter drivers for solid deep bass and clear, detailed, musical hi-fidelity audio.

Existing Gatecrasher1 owners can easily add the ‘Works with Alexa’ capability for free by first checking the Gatecrasher app that their speaker software and the app are updated to the latest versions. Set-up with Alexa is easy using free down-loadable directions from Atlantic Technology to add the specified free Alexa Skill to the Alexa Enabled device through its Alexa app.

Once the new Alexa Skill is enabled, Gatecrasher1 users have the option of using hands-free voice commands to play a favorite internet radio station, make a musical selection from a subscribed music streaming service and control volume, mute audio, pause, play, forward or back-up through songs and playlists.

“Adding the ‘Works With Alexa’ capability to Gatecrasher dramatically improves the sound quality of all your Alexa music, podcasts and internet radio by playing the output through Gatecrasher’s superior 2.1 stereo system for a more pleasing room-filling Hi-Fi sound.” said Paul Fredrickson, Director of Business Development for Muto Communications Atlantic Technology’s marketing and PR agency of record. “Alexa voice commands give Gatecrasher1 users the ultimate convenience of hands-free operation so you can instantly operate Gatecrasher as needed while you’re cooking or doing some other task.”

Voice commands to the Alexa device closest to the main Gatecrasher1 in a multi-room set-up of Gatecrashers means that the Alexa voice commands to control music now become a convenient new way of controlling music throughout the home.

Gatecrasher1 is available to purchase now from Atlantic Technology at the Atlantic Technology on-line store and carries an MSRP of $499 with tremendous Holiday deals available at the Atlantic Technology Website Store on select items check Atlantic Technology.

Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Yamaha Unified Communications is shipping the YVC-330 portable USB and Bluetooth speakerphone. The latest addition to Yamaha’s portable speakerphone family, the YVC-330 virtual meeting solution features Yamaha’s new SoundCap technology. SoundCap is specifically engineered to convert background noise prevalent in open workspaces into a signal that makes the meeting sound as good as being in a quiet conference room. Now, end users can confidently hold spontaneous meetings anywhere, including environments that have traditionally deterred collaboration.

Thanks to its Far Field Noise Reduction (FFNR), Yamaha’s SoundCap technology zeros in and captures only the voices of speakers sitting around the meeting table. It effectively removes other noise, allowing participants at the other end of the call to focus on the conversation. To further enable a clear, superior conference call and prevent unnecessary sound from being transmitted, the YVC-330 also features an automatic mute function, which engages when participants are not speaking. This self-silencing feature enhances the performance of Yamaha’s Human Voice Activity Detection technology, which instantly distinguishes human voices from other sounds. In addition, the SoundCap technology offers an auto-speaker volume adjustment, which regulates the volume to ambient noise levels and is suited for maintaining speech privacy. With the self-volume balancer function, remote conferences can be conducted seamlessly without being intrusive to those in the vicinity.

Featuring USB, Bluetooth, NFC connections and power through its USB cable, the YVC-330’s design means it’s aimed at the UCC market.

Nureva has announced it is expanding distribution of its audio conferencing solutions in Asia through the recruitment of new channel members now and at ISE in February. Priority countries include Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, where the company recently received certification for distribution, with plans to expand into other countries. New value-added distributors in the region will be focused on building and growing a market for Nureva’s expanding audio conferencing product line, which is gaining popularity with an increasing number of global customers. Nureva offers a competitive distributor program and will work hand-in-hand with the channel to align strategy and activities across marketing, sales and service. Distributors interested in exploring the opportunity can learn more about how to apply on the Channel page on Nureva’s website.

Powered by patented Microphone Mist technology, Nureva’s audio product line brings audio conferencing to teams collaborating in a variety of environments, whether participants are moving around the room or sitting at a table. The product line includes the HDL300 for mid-size rooms, Dual HDL300 for large rooms and a new audio conferencing product that will be announced next month. They all feature true full-room microphone pickup, easy installation and continuous autocalibration that accommodates any room configuration.

“The Asian market is very important to our expanding customer base, and we’re excited to offer value-added distributors the opportunity to introduce Nureva audio conferencing systems to their reseller network,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “We look forward to speaking with potential distributors and resellers at ISE who are motivated to build and grow a market for our breakthrough products.”

AVer Information announced Tuesday that the company had entered a technology partnership with global digital media solutions provider Telestream.

The technology integration with AVer Pro AV cameras and Telestream Wirecast software will allow Telestream customers to control AVer cameras and easily stream live feeds through the company’s award-winning Wirecast software. AVer professional autotracking and PTZ cameras have been tested to meet the standards that Telestream has established for its products. Telestream provides live and on-demand digital video tools and workflow solutions that allow consumers and businesses to transform video on the desktop and across the enterprise.

Telestream is here.

Just ahead of ISE, Biamp announced Tuesday the company was releasing a new streamlined European distribution model to strengthen the company’s sales, support and product distribution in the region. With a continued focus on rapid investment and expansion across Europe, Biamp has transitioned to either a sole distributor or dealer-direct distribution system to better support specific countries throughout Europe.

Biamp selected the following sole distributors for key regions:

• Austria — Kain Audio-Technik GmbH
• Denmark — Kinovox Scandinavia ApS
• France — Sidev
• Germany — prodyTel Distribution GmbH
• Italy — Prase Engineering S.p.A.
• Norway — Scandec Systemer AS
• Poland — Konsbud Audio Sp. zo.o.
• Russia — AV Center Russia LLC
• Spain — AVIT Vision S.L.
• Switzerland — Show Supply GmbH
• The Netherlands — Mennegat Trading BV

Additionally, in Belgium, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom, Biamp will be transitioning to a dealer-direct distribution model, which will enhance the company’s ability to support customers and drive growth in those markets.

“We are thrilled to partner with this select group of distributors who offer regional expertise and strategic alignment with our expanded European operations,” said Rashid Skaf, Biamp president, CEO and co-chairman. “We look forward to working closely with these partners to drive growth and enhance operations throughout the region.”

Following the recent opening of the company’s new European headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, and the acquisition of Apart Audio and Community Loudspeakers, Biamp’s new European distribution model will enable the company to more aggressively pursue opportunities in all target geographies and vertical markets: corporate, food service and hospitality, retail, large venues, education, religion, sports and leisure and outdoor applications.

“By appointing a single distributor that can cover Biamp’s full product portfolio — including Apart retail and hospitality loudspeakers, community large venue loudspeakers, and Cambridge sound management solutions — our customers get a single point of contact for better service, complete solutions and an exceptional experience,” said Kris Vermuyten, General Manager at Biamp Europe.

Click here for more information about Biamp.