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The Jawbone of an Ass
By Joel Rollins
rAVe Columnist
![featured-crewcall]() Picture this: You’re shopping for a new car. You have a vacation road trip coming up, and you really want new wheels. Your friends have recommended that you look at a couple of cars, at a couple of different dealerships, at a couple of different manufacturers. You approach a salesman at one of the dealerships, asking to look at their various models. He shows you a brochure, and describes their latest model, which appears to meet your needs. So you ask to see the car. But the salesman doesn’t grab the keys and take you to the lot. Instead, he insists on showing you the carburetor, brake pads, and seats — as separate parts. He then asks you to picture what it would be like if they were assembled into a car.
Welcome to the typical AV demo.
A good friend, Bill Sharer, is a consultant to sales and marketing in our industry, and a really good one. We have taught together at the InfoComm Institute, and he has helped me train sales staff for a number of different companies. One of the great things about Bill is the encyclopedic collection of stories he keeps at the tip of his tongue to make a point. He’s really fond of the biblical story about Samson slaying the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, and many sales being lost with the same weapon. And boy, is he ever right.
I started my career in the staging market, and have spent the latter part in systems design and sales. Both are complicated products, combined with complicated services. Both are products sold on trust, where we must first establish credibility with any new client. Often, to close that first sale, we must demonstrate either our work product or our overall capabilities. Sometimes, in an effort to give a killer demo, we pick up that jawbone, and frighten the Phillistines away.
I know — AV guys and gals aren’t Samson (although my wife says I have lovely locks), and our customers aren’t Philistines. But I’ve slain a fair number of sales with my jawbone over the years. And I’ve worked with a lot of other people in the industry who have done the same. So I feel competent to catalog the ways in which we send our demos south:
We are too good for you: “Here are some pictures of our latest mega show (or boardroom). Of course, this is way beyond what you are considering, or can afford. But don’t worry, we could do a nice job on a ho-hum little project like yours too. “
Apples and oranges: “Thanks for taking the time to tour our latest boardroom. It’s loaded with incredible technology, and is representative of the kind of things that we do. So, of course, you should choose us to do your robotic surgery telemedicine suite.”
The competitor reference: “Don’t worry. We know all about what you need to do, because we handle all the work for your closest competitor. We have a very close working relationship with them, and can do pretty much the same thing for you that we have done for them.”
The inverse competitor reference: “Yes, we are familiar with what your competitor is doing. In fact, we did that show, but the one we would do for you would be much better. Really, it was all their fault…”
The out-of-context component demo: “Let me give you a technical demonstration of the projector that we would use for your show (or in your conference room). Of course, this is taking place on a much smaller screen in our overlit warehouse, but I’m sure you can imagine it if it were on a much larger screen, with a different source, under different lighting, in your auditorium.”
The stock reference list: “Here is a list of three of our customers, who have nothing to do with the type of project that you are doing, but who have agreed to tell people how great we are.” (Note: None of these references should have the same last name as yours.)
The storage capacity demo: Nothing makes as much sense to a client as showing them how many trucks you have, or how many boxes you have in your storeroom, or how many road cases there are in your warehouse.
Been there? I have. What do these real-life scenarios have in common? The pitch is all about you — your brochures, your toys, your technology, your… what’s the word… slickness. You’ve got it completely upside down. Get that jawbone in check and understand: The pitch is all about the customer.
Next time, we’ll take up The Art of the Killer Demo, or how not to talk yourself out of a sale.
Reach Joel Rollins at joelrollins@mac.com.
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Teracue Adds RTMP Flash to ENC-300 Encoders
![teracue-0613]() Teracue AG announced today support of RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) Flash streaming format for its broadcast-quality ENC-300 encoder series. The ENC-300 is a real-time, fan-less, hardware-based encoder platform.
The ENC-300 encoder is available with DVI/HDMI or VGA/HD-SDI/analog inputs, and is specified to handle input resolutions of up to 1920×1200 using H.264 HD/SD encoder technology (embedded audio supported) for encoding/transmitting ISO-compliant H.264 HD/SD MPEG-TS transport streams.
Aimed at live events, sports broadcasting, mobile encoding and video IPTV applications, the ENC-300 series can be operated in environments from -35°C up to + 60°C. Teracue says the encoder can be up and running in 25 seconds, consumes 9 watts of power and can even be battery powered.
Here are all the technical specs.
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CAD Audio Ships New Wireless Mic System
![cad-GXL-U-family-0713]() CAD‘s new GXL-V and GXL-U wireless mic systems are shipping. The GXL-V is a VHF receiver that features two channels of VHF wireless in one chassis. It includes XLR and ¼” discrete outputs and XLR as a mix output of the two channels. The GXL-V receiver features RF and AF indicator lights along with volume controls.
The GXL-U is a UHF receiver that includes two channels of UHF wireless also in one chassis. It is outfitted with XLR and ¼ connectors as discrete outputs and XLR as mix output of the two channels. The receiver also includes RF and AF indicator lights and volume controls.
GXL-V VHF and GXL-U UHF wireless systems are offered with handheld or bodypack transmitters. All bodypack systems are supplied with guitar cable and condenser head-worn mic at no additional charge and list for the GXL-V VHF wireless is $139 and the GXL-U UHF wireless is $229.
Complete specs are here.
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New Digital Projection Mercury Series Launches
![dpi-mercury-0713]() Digital Projection International (DPI)’s newest projector is the dual-lamp Mercury Series platform, which incorporates image warp and blend capabilities, native 1080p or WUXGA resolution, 3D capabilities and a brightness range between 13,500 and 14,500 lumens, depending on the resolution. The new series won’t be available until Q4 of this year.
The Mercury 930 1080p 3D and Mercury 930 WUXGA 3D projectors utilize DPI’s latest Pro Series 3 electronics. All Mercury models enlist advanced geometry correction, delivering accurate warp map generation via the adjustment of an interpolated grid array of up to 16×16 nodes. Furthermore, up to eight maps can be generated, downloaded and stored within the projector’s electronics. On board implementation of pincushion & barrel, cornerstone, vertical and horizontal keystone, and image rotation are also standard in the new Mercury 930 3D displays. The new Mercury 930 3D projectors employ dual 465-watt high intensity discharge lamps, as well as DPI’s ColorMax technology that serves as a color calibration tool, whether the installation calls for a single projector or an array of projectors in tiled or blended applications. A wide fixed and zoom lens array with throw ratios ranging from .67 to 10:36:1 are available.
All of the projectors are here.
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Analog Way’s LiveCore Ships
![analogway-livecore-0713]() Analog Way’s new LiveCore series, which is now shipping, is available in two configurations: 8×2+1 for the NeXtage 16, and 12×4+1 for the SmartMatriX Ultra, Ascender 32 and Ascender 48. All of them feature an independent dual-link output with versatile display options including full preview and live mosaic. The LiveCore connectivity includes HDMI, DisplayPort and 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs and each can be combined for display layouts – mixer, dual mixer, hard edge, vertical and/or horizontal soft edge.
The LiveCore systems include from 16 to 48 scalers (depending on the number of inputs) and are designed for live events. To make preparation and control of shows easier, Analog Way includes what they call WEB RCS (Web Remote Control Software) that’s basically a graphic interface consisting of 3 independent sections: Setup, Edit and Live. So, you can design, configure and completely run a show via Web RCS or from a separate controller.
Here are all the specs and different models.
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Barco LiveDots Adds 14-Millimeter Transparent LED
![barco-v14m-0713]() Barco LiveDots has introduced the V14m, a 14-millimeter pixel pitch transparent LED display specified at 4300 nits brightness and a contrast of 6000:1.
Designed for the rental and staging market, the V14m is a lightweight LED display that is easy to set up thanks to its special magnetic V-lock, which the company says significantly reduces setup times and enables a single technician to safely install an 800×800 tile on his own. A lightweight and slim LED display, the V14m can be boxed and shipped easily and takes up only as much space as strictly necessary. The V14m shares its mechanics with the C series, so that rental companies that already own the Barco C series mechanics can reuse them for the V14m.
Thanks to its rental typhoon test certificate – in addition to its full IP65 rating for the front and back – it is completely waterproof. This testing program, developed in-house, not only evaluates the effect of water and dust (the basis for the IP rating) on the LED display, it also takes the impact of UV rays, varying temperatures and vibrations into account.
The V14m is available now. Here are all the specs. |
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Arthur Holm Intros Gooseneck Mic Lift
![arthurholm-gooseneck-0713]() Arthur Holm’s new DynamicTalk is designed specifically as a motorized lift system for gooseneck microphones. In addition to allowing the mic to be protected and stored below a podium or desk surface, the DynamicTalk includes a mute a and talk button. Available in three different sizes, the product integrates a Dynamic LED ring to indicate the microphone status through different colors. It can be controlled via RS422 with loop through and addressing and through GPI.
The DynamicTalk has two different working modes — PA and conference. When in PA mode, a push button placed on the cover plate allows for activating or de-activating the microphone. The light ring will indicate the status by changing color from green to red. The system will silence the microphone when this is in retracted position. When in conference mode, the microphone will always be active and both the light ring and the access to the push button on the cover plate will be available through a connector (GPI/GPO). In this mode, the system is ready to be connected and controlled through a conference system.
Here are all the specs.
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Optoma Introduces Four High-Brightness Projectors
![optoma1-0713]() At InfoComm, Optoma introduced four new high-brightness DLP projectors. The four install projectors include the 7,000-lumen, dual-lamp flagship EH7700, as well as the 6,000-lumen X605, and two 5,000-lumen models, the EH505 and W505.
Optoma’s WUXGA resolution, dual-lamp EH7700 is the company’s first 7,000-lumen model, and offers the ultimate flexibility and reliability. Both 350W P-VIP lamps can be used together for maximum brightness and to provide redundancy. Alternatively, a single lamp can be used in Relay Mode to maximize the lifespan of each individual lamp and minimize service need.
Users can choose from any of the five motorized optional lenses, and the projector provides full 360° mounting range along the vertical axis, so the projector can be mounted on the ceiling or floor. The EH7700 also supports image blending for use with multiple projectors, and supports the most commonly-used control systems, including Crestron, Extron, AMX, PJ-Link and Telnet LAN. The EH7700 is completely live-performance ready with a mechanical shutter for situations where absolute darkness is required, safety mounting points and a flying frame option. I/O connections include two HDMI (v1.3), two VGA inputs and one VGA output, RGBHV BNC, YPbPr(3RCA) component, S-video and composite. Control ports include RJ45, RS232C and a 12V trigger.
The EH7700 is scheduled to be available at the end of this month for a list price of $9,999. More information is here.
![optoma2-0713]() The new X605 is an XGA, 6,000-lumen projector. Specified at 10,000:1 contrast ratio, the X605 is Optoma’s brightest projector to support full 3D through its HDMI 1.4a input. It features a choice of three optional lenses, vertical and horizontal lens shift, and two 3-watt speakers. It offers HDMI, DVI, two VGA inputs and one VGA output for analog content, S-video, composite video, component video, five BNC (RGBHV/YPbPr), two stereo mini jack audio-in, two RCA stereo audio-in, audio-out and two 12-volt triggers. RS232 and RJ45 connections are available for command and control, and a USB port allows for wireless presentation capability via an optional USB dongle.
The X605 is scheduled to be available in August for $2,799. More information is here.
Finally, the new 5,000-lumen EH505 (WUXGA resolution, $3,499) and the W505 (WXGA, $2,799) offer a choice of three optional lenses, vertical and horizontal lens shift and two 3-watt speakers. Inputs and control options are the same as for the X605. Both models will be available in August. More information is here.
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Extron MGP Pro HDCP-Compliant Multi-Window Processors Now Shipping
![mgp464pro_60-1259-0713]() Extron’s MGP 462 Pro and MGP 464 Pro, two multi-window processors that enable the simultaneous display of multiple images on a single screen, are now shipping. Both units are HDCP-compliant on all HDMI inputs and outputs; the MGP Pro also provides two simultaneous outputs that generate HDMI and RGBHV video.
To enhance and simplify integration of sources and displays, the MGP 462 Pro (two window version) and MGP 464 Pro (four window version) feature Key Minder, an Extron technology that authenticates and maintains continuous HDCP encryption between input and output devices to ensure quick and reliable switching. In addition, the MGP Pro includes Extron’s Graphic Still Store, a feature that enables screen captures of the current output, or images uploaded from a PC, to be stored for use as presentation background images. Live video from an HDMI source can also serve as the background to any presentation.
For large-scale applications, two or three MGP 462 Pro or MGP 464 Pro units may be cascaded to create displays with six to 12 windows. Optional HDMI and 3G-SDI/HD-SDI inputs enable easy integration of digital video sources into AV systems, and together with the HDMI output, allow the MGP 462 Pro and MGP 464 Pro to operate within an all-digital video system.
All the specs for the MGP Pro boxes are here.
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Matrox MuraControl 2.0 for Windows Video Wall Management Software Released
![Matrox_MuraControl_for_Windows_Video_Wall_Management_Software-0713]() Matrox Graphics just released MuraControl 2.0 for Windows — a video wall management software for Mura-based video walls. New features include transparency and color-keying effects, the addition of local inputs and control, plus source touring and scheduling functionality:
- Transparency and color keying — Blending videos and images with the desktop, a background image, or another video is now possible by setting transparency levels for one or more windows. Source and destination color keying can also be used to enable interesting special effects, such as applying a graphic skin to a logo, or playing a video through it.
- Local application control — It is now possible to capture, display and control local VLC video and RealVNC sessions, along with Microsoft Image Viewer, PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer files. VLC videos can be set to “play” or “pause,” and PowerPoint presentations can be delivered by pressing “next” or “back”. Keyboard and mouse functionality can be sent to local applications in order to gain remote control over VNC sessions or to browse the Internet on the video wall.
- Source touring — Automated cycling through multiple sources is now supported. This feature is useful in video wall environments such as security control rooms monitoring multiple camera feeds on multiple displays, or digital signage applications featuring back-to-back ads, scaled up to fit all or part of the display wall.
- Layout scheduling — MuraControl has always allowed clients to create separate layouts showing different sources and window arrangements. With the new layout scheduling feature, those layouts can now be set to switch at specific times of the day so that the video wall can communicate different data at different times.
You can get a 21-day free trial here.
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AV Industry Mourns Loss of Community CEO Timothy Dorwart
![Tim_Dorwart_425x465-0713]() Timothy Dorwart, who was just appointed CEO of Community Professional Loudspeakers in March, has passed away after an illness, according to the company.
Dorwart had over 30 years of sales, manufacturing and management experience in the pro audio and music industries. In his CEO role, Dorwart was tasked with overseeing the company’s overall business and sales strategies, and leading Community into a new era of exceptional growth.
Dorwart’s previous roles included director and VP positions with Bose Corporation and DMX Music. Since 2007, he led the Stanton Group through a successful turnaround as their CEO. Dorwart joined Community from Gibson Guitar Corporation where he held the position of general manager, pro audio and guided the integration of Stanton Group assets to form Gibson’s new pro audio division.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday July 20 at 2 p.m. (EDT) at:
First Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua
210 Pine St
Catasauqua, PA 18032
In lieu of flowers, the company requests that those who would like to make a donation in Tim’s name consider cancer.org/donate, standup2cancer.org, nokillnetwork.org, aspca.org, foundationformusiceducation.org, or the nammfoundation.org.
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GLP Debuts iPad App for X4 LED Fixture
![Impression-X4-App_2-0713]() The impression X4 from Germany-based GLP features 19 high-powered RGBW LEDs, giving a homogenized output across a full zoom range of 7 to 50 degrees, and now it’s controllable via an iPad.
One of the versatile features of the impression X4 is that users can create their own pixel designs on the fly and store them directly into their control console. The new iPad app makes the process fast and easy by bringing up a simulation of the fixture’s front lens layout. Users can tap individual lenses on and off to design the output that they would like. The app also simultaneously displays the corresponding DMX channels and values to be input to the controller for the physical fixture.
An additional feature of the app is the color picker that allows you to see color selection on top of any pattern for a real feel of how a final pattern will appear.
The app is free to download from the Apple Store, and GLP says there’s an iPhone and Android version coming as well. More information is here.
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Atomos Ships Samurai Blade
![atomos-CameraPhoto-0713]() Atomos is already shipping the Samurai Blade, a 1280×720 touchscreen that allows for internal recording of 10-bit images shot with HDMI-output cameras — straight from the camera sensor directly to HDD or SSD drives, captured using Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD codecs. Using an Atomos branded SuperAtom IPS touchscreen, at 325-ppi, 179-degree viewing, 400-nit brightness and multi-frequency (48/50/60Hz), the Blade is calibrated to SMPTE Rec 709 color space and a D65 white point with 100 percent gamut from factory.
The Samurai Blade adds essential set up tools with full waveform monitor functions, including vectorscope, RGB and LUMA parades with transparent overlay and bottom right, lower third or full screen positioning, making it an extremely flexible tool. Waveform, vectorscope and monitor assist tools such as tri-level focus peaking, zebra, false colour and blue-only offer a very comprehensive test and shot setup tool kit. The Samurai Blade has standard BNC connectors.
Here are all the details. |
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Extron Ships HDCP-Compliant WindoWall Pro Series
![windowallpro-lg-0713]() Extron is shipping its new WindoWall Pro, a four-window display video wall processing system that offers full HDCP compliance at all HDMI inputs and outputs. WindoWall Console software is the user interface to the system, facilitating control and configuration of videowall systems, and the creation of presentations with multiple, independent windows for displaying graphics, HDTV and video.
Each WindoWall Pro processor allows for the display of up to four windows and employs Extron video processing technologies to scale or process real-time video outputs. Because a discrete processor is dedicated to each display unit in the videowall, WindoWall Pro is fully scalable, supporting a wide variety of display layouts from 1×2 to 2×3 and larger. The HDMI inputs, outputs and universal analog video inputs support signal rates up to 1920×1200 and HDTV 1080p/60, plus 2K on the HDMI connections. Each WindoWall Pro processor features an HDMI background input, which allows a full motion, high resolution computer-video or HDTV signal to be used as a background image to any presentation.
To help with integration, WindoWall Pro features Extron’s Key Minder that authenticates and maintains continuous HDCP encryption between input and output devices to ensure quick and reliable switching.
Here are all the specs.
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe Rental [and Staging] Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: http://www.ravepubs.com
To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to http://www.ravepubs.com
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Copyright 2013 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln., Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe Rental [and Staging] contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors.
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Picture this: You’re shopping for a new car. You have a vacation road trip coming up, and you really want new wheels. Your friends have recommended that you look at a couple of cars, at a couple of different dealerships, at a couple of different manufacturers. You approach a salesman at one of the dealerships, asking to look at their various models. He shows you a brochure, and describes their latest model, which appears to meet your needs. So you ask to see the car. But the salesman doesn’t grab the keys and take you to the lot. Instead, he insists on showing you the carburetor, brake pads, and seats — as separate parts. He then asks you to picture what it would be like if they were assembled into a car.
The 
The new 
Digital Projection International (DPI)
Teracue AG
CAD
Digital Projection International
Analog Way’s
Barco
Arthur Holm’s
At 
The new 
Extron’s
Matrox Graphics
The 
