Category: News

ISE Day 4 Recap

Back from ISE 2024 Day 4

Writing this as my legs and feet are recovering on a Saturday, but this was a great show. I’ll put out an overarching article next week detailing the record-breaking numbers. But you can check out the ISE 2024 Press Release here.

Avocor

Avocor is known for interactive collaboration displays. The company took its L Series and developed a new H Series platform. This display furthers Avocor’s expertise in collaboration, connectivity, and hybrid working. Visually, the most stunning product in their stand was the X Series.

This is not interactive. I need to say that because it’s Avocor. But the X Series isn’t interactive. This part of the spec doesn’t take away from the visuals, just lets you know what the display is capable of. The X Series is a DVLED (direct view LED). Like most DVLEDs the wall showing at ISE was modular. Avocor moved into this space because IT customers have been standardizing on the company’s other displays and were requesting a DVLED option to stay in the same family.

Christie ISE 2024 Experience

AVNation ISE 2024 Christie Experience

The Canadian display company brought their Experience game to ISE 2024. With an immersive experience powered by 8 Christie projectors and LiDAR, the centerpiece caught your eye immediately from the aisleway. But then this catchy tune caught your ear. Turning around you would have found bouncing, dancing pieces of art. Christie had on display a digital art exhibition that incorporates Pandora’s Box and their digital projectors. In fact, Pandora’s Box powered the entire booth. But that is normal for Christie.

AVNation ISE 2024 Christie Microtiles

Their tagline going into ISE was “experience is everything.” The Christie stand lived up to that motto. With over 1400 stands on the show floor, it’s difficult to stand out but Christie managed to do so. The company was also showing off the newest iteration of their Micro Tiles. The versatile display cubes were shown in different iterations including a “digital tower” that several customers asked to take home with them from the show.

AIMS Alliance

I appreciate open standards. I really do. Even though the industry has been bitten in the past from over-promising associations and working groups. So, I’m cautiously optimistic about IPMX. At ISE 2024 the group added more “logos” to their wall of members. These include Barco, Disney, Cisco, Bosch, and AV Pro Edge. Panasonic was even showing off the technology in their stand.

AVNation ISE 2024 AIMS

In addition, AIMS held an interoperability test ahead of the show, and “everything was green”. Now, the nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from and IPMX adds to that list. Personally, and professionally, I am rooting for an open standard to compete with the privately-held ones. IPMX took a big step forward toward that at ISE 2024.

Absen enters the boardroom

Direct View LED (DVLED) in the conference room. Not something I had on my ISE 2024 bingo card, but here we are. Absen was showing off their conference room DVLED. The company took feedback from customers asking for brighter screens and more modularity in their conference room displays. DVLED accomplishes that. Absen was displaying their solution in the 21:9 format for Microsoft Teams Front Row.

ESG (environmental, sustainability, and governance) was a thread throughout ISE 2024. Absen was touting their award-winning digital out-of-home (DOOH) AW series. This display line touts being “typhoon, storm, humidity, and salt fog resistant”. That’s quite a claim. In addition, the AW line claims it is 50% more energy efficient than competitors products, reducing the overall carbon footprint of an installation.

There’s only one of me and over 1400 stands at ISE. I missed a ton. You can check out rAVe Pubs, Commercial Integrator, AV Magazine, or Future (AV Technology and SCN) coverage. Aurora Multimedia made some noise with AI-driven AV control. Epson furthered their development of display technology. Both AVIXA and CEDIA had great education content throughout the week. You can also check out AVNation’s show page here.

February 4, 2024
Counterfeit AV gear seized by L-Acoustics

Company scores historic $5 million judgment on counterfeit AV

Audio company L-Acoustics has notched a massive legal win in its ongoing crusade against counterfeit AV, securing a record $5 million in damages against a Florida AV rental company accused of trafficking fake L-Acoustics speakers.

The judgment, handed down this month by a federal court in Tampa, caps a year-long investigation that saw L-Acoustics private detectives seize over 100 counterfeit units from Se7ven Sound Music late last year. Tests revealed the gear to be “inferior and unsafe” copies designed to dupe end users and promoters.

“Our customers need confidence in the L-Acoustics name and the integrity of our products,” said L-Acoustics’ senior lawyer Laurent Ostojski in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for counterfeiting.”

Protecting Yourself

On a recent episode of AVWeek, our panelists discussed the implications of purchasing counterfeit AV gear. Manufacturers are where the first preventative step starts. Their relationships with tech factories are crucial in stopping the availability of fake gear.

Next are the dealers. AV integrators need to make certain they are logging serial numbers of equipment going into projects. Those companies have a responsibility, as well, to ensure that the technology they install is from the original company.

Finally, it’s also on the customer. Once you get the equipment list with serial numbers, register them. That registering process includes the serial number. It’s a great safeguard against this problem.

What Counterfeit AV means to you

It’s a message the audio gear powerhouse has been sounding for years as it cracks down on counterfeit AV gear flooding global markets —though never at this volume.

L-Acoustics says the record ruling, a first for the pro audio biz, should reverberate across an industry still rattled by reports of dodgy counterfeit gear combusting at events. Indeed, beyond subpar sound, the company warns its knockoff speakers and subs can expose crews and crowds to all kinds of hazards.

L-Acoustics’ also notes its fake-fighting task force has notched wins in China, working with authorities to jail counterfeit peddlers and destroy their wares. This is a huge step as China has been reluctant in the past to go after counterfeiters.

The company says anyone suspecting fakes can report them via stopcounterfeits@l-acoustics.com.

December 18, 2023
Interactive Esports Quietly Expands

Immersive Esports

Immersive Gaming Angry Birds photo from Immersive Gaming

When someone says “Esports” normally images of large stadiums where gamers compete head-to-head appear. It’s become a combination of event production and competitive gaming. Casual gaming has increased in popularity with more users on mobile devices than on dedicated consoles or gaming PCs. Now is the time for the casual Esports experience.

Immersive Gamebox is a new type of gaming experience that uses cutting-edge technology to create a fully immersive environment. The company has sixteen locations in the States right now and is opening up a location in Edina, Minnesota.

The company uses a variety of technologies, including projection mapping, touchscreens, 3D motion tracking, and surround sound, to create a gaming experience that is unlike anything else. Players are put into a room that is completely transformed into the game world, and they must work together to complete a series of challenges.

Epson Mapping

Immersive Gamebox (IG) uses projection mapping to transform the walls and floors of the gaming room into the game world. This creates a truly immersive experience for players. Using the Epson EB-700u projector IG can get the 140 – 150 inch walls converted to interactive versions of Angry Birds, Squid Games, or any of the other games in their library.

Immersive Gamebox is changing the way people play games by offering a truly immersive experience that is unlike anything else available. With its plans to expand to even more locations, Immersive Gamebox is poised to become a major player in the gaming industry.

From Mud to Esports

Immersive Gaming – photo courtesy of Immersive Gaming

Immersive Gamebox has its roots in the Tough Mudder competition. Founder, Will Dean, came up with both concepts. Similar to the Mudder, the Gamebox experience is intended as a cooperative Esports gaming experience. Players have to work together to win the round and defeat the game. For those who aren’t fans of the escape rooms, this experience is a great choice.

Two to six players can play in any given room. Each player wears a different-colored visor that corresponds to their onscreen avatar. Typically one sixty-minute game costs about $30 to $35, depending on the location. The surround sound system is used to create a truly immersive audio experience. This helps to transport players into the game world.

Immersive Gamebox is a truly innovative gaming experience that is changing the way people play games. With its cutting-edge technology and its plans to expand, Immersive Gamebox is poised to become a major player in the gaming industry.

October 25, 2023
Adobe Primrose Unveils Next Gen Experience

Adobe Primrose AV Possibilities

The Adobe Project Primrose was shown off at the company’s Adobe MAX 2023. You can watch the unveil below. Christine Dierk, TJ Rhodes, and Gavin Miller from Adobe Research published a paper on the technology in 2022. The paper introduced a new-ish display technology to the acronym of AV; PDLC or polymer-dispersed liquid crystal. PDLC is a non-emissive technology.

Dierk wore a dress to the MAX 2023 stage showing off the material’s initial application: fashion. The dress that Dierk wore was able to change the style and shapes on the fabric using the PDLC. With a click of a button, the designs change, or the user can set the designs on a shuffle-like playback.

Primrose Possibilities

video stills by Adobe Creative Cloud via Youtube

The technology is called Project Primrose, and it is the result of a collaboration between Adobe Research and the MIT Media Lab. The scales that make up the fabric shift when Dierk clicked a button. However, the Adobe team imagines a future where the display technology shifts as the wearer moves as in a Red Carpet or fashion show. Or just your normal dancing actions.

Where Adobe comes into play here is that designs can be created with Adobe products Firely, After Effects, Illustrator, and Adobe Stock. With Primrose, creators have an entirely new canvas.

Project Primrose is still in the early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the AV industry. According to the paper Dierk and her colleagues published last year, the material can be “cut to any shape, and dynamically diffuses light.” This type of low-energy, flexible material can be used in future digital signage, wayfinding, scheduling panels, or wraparound monitors.

The dress is a glimpse into the future of AV display technology, and it is sure to inspire new and innovative ways to think about communication experiences.

October 17, 2023
Stadium AV updated at Gillingham FC

New Owners upgrade Stadium AV

Gillingham FC, a renowned football club, has embarked on a significant digital transformation project to modernize its stadium. This forward-looking initiative, unveiled on the 14th of September, signifies a pivotal moment in the club’s history, reflecting a commitment to embracing the digital era. This digital transformation coincides with a new ownership.

The club’s management has taken a bold step towards enhancing the fan experience by integrating cutting-edge digital technologies into the stadium infrastructure. This undertaking aims to not only elevate the in-game experience but also provide innovative solutions for fans both on and off the pitch.

The digital transformation is set to encompass various aspects, including stadium displays, which will receive a substantial technological upgrade. Pioneer Group leveraged Unilumen LED for the new upgrades. These displays are poised to offer a more immersive and engaging experience for spectators, keeping them informed and entertained throughout the games.

State-of-the-Art Stadium AV

Gillingham FC’s leadership recognizes the power of digital integration in enhancing fan engagement and overall stadium operations. By investing in these upgrades, the club is laying the groundwork for a more modern and efficient approach to hosting matches and events. At a cost of $602,000 USD (£493,000), the team looks to gain a return on their investment in a bit over a year.

As part of the transformation, the club is also considering the integration of digital signage solutions that will provide real-time information to fans, such as match statistics and other relevant updates. This technology promises to enrich the spectator experience, making visits to the stadium even more memorable.

Furthermore, Gillingham FC is evaluating the potential for enhancing its online presence and fan interaction through digital means. By exploring digital channels, the club aims to cultivate a stronger sense of community among supporters and provide them with more opportunities to connect with their favorite team.

In an era where digital technology is redefining the landscape of sports and entertainment, Gillingham FC’s strategic decision to embrace digital transformation is a promising sign of their dedication to ensuring that the fan experience remains at the forefront of their stadium’s identity. As the project unfolds, it will undoubtedly be of interest to both the loyal supporters of Gillingham FC and the broader sporting community.

October 16, 2023
The Passing of AV Legend, Loyd Ivey

Ivey Built Global Powerhouse

Editor’s Note: AtlasIED is a sponsor of AVNation

Loyd Ivey Snow

PHOENIX, AZ – October 13, 2023 – It is with deep sadness and profound gratitude that the Ivey and MiTek family announce the passing of Loyd Ivey. Later this month we will come together to celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of the beloved founder of MiTek Communications, the parent company of AtlasIED and MTX. Today, we mourn the passing of a visionary leader who impacted the landscape of the commercial audio industry.

Loyd’s remarkable journey began five decades ago, and his relentless pursuit of excellence elevated MiTek Corporation, and its companies, to the pinnacle of success. His dedication and innovation not only earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious NSCA Education Foundation Founders Award as well as the NSCA Per Haugen Lifetime Achievement Award (the only member to receive both awards), but also earned enduring respect and admiration.

Loyd’s impact reached far beyond awards and recognition. An entrepreneur through and through, Loyd built his businesses both organically and through strategic acquisition. Many of the acquired brands were consolidated into and added to the success of the well-known commercial and consumer audio brands -AtlasIED and MTX, the two largest entities that fall under the MiTek umbrella.

In addition to his entrepreneurial passion, Loyd’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a culture of growth within and outside the companies transformed the lives and careers of countless employees and industry individuals. His mentorship inspired innovation and creativity, yielding confident pioneers in this ever-evolving industry.

A Family Legacy

Loyd Ivey Plane

Johnathan Ivey, President of MiTek Corporation and Loyd’s son, said of his father, “Innovation was at the heart of Loyd’s legacy. He pushed boundaries, leading MiTek, AtlasIED, and MTX to develop groundbreaking products and solutions that set industry standards. Although Loyd was from humble beginnings, his passion for pushing the envelope and delivering unparalleled quality has been the cornerstone of our businesses’ and family success.”

When asked to contribute to Loyd’s legacy statement, some of the industries’ well-respected veterans provided insight into Loyd’s impact on their professional lives:

Pat and I first met Loyd in the late nineties, not long after we purchased SynAudCon from Don and Carolyn Davis. Those first few years were as tough as they are with any new business. I personally was a little discouraged. Loyd sat down with me at a trade show and helped me see how important SynAudCon is to the audio industry. For a man of his reputation and pedigree to share his wisdom with me meant a lot. I knew the value in his words and I took them seriously.

Throughout the years we stayed friends. We were always eager to catch up with him at the trade shows. He was quite the visionary with great business chops. As his illness progressed and he suffered from physical limitations, he continued to carry out his visions by partnering with other companies. He obviously had an amazing ability to put his mind over his physical symptoms.

I would describe Loyd as a “determined fighter” who had a way of bringing the best out of everyone around him. He was quite the inspiration to Pat and I and would venture to say he inspired most everyone around him. – Brenda Brown, SynAudCon

AV Industry Reflects on Loyd Ivey Connections

My relationship with Loyd started 15-20 years ago and our connection was immediate, as there was a personal tie between Mary’s family situation and Loyd’s health symptoms. We felt drawn to his energy and passion, and his professionalism. Initially, the relationship took root when Loyd sold me a live events company in Milwaukee (which we still own today.) Loyd was fair, he took the time to help me create a transition plan that ensured the forthcoming success of that acquisition. Since then, our professional relationship deepened as we became friendly with John and Beth after John stepped into a leadership role in the company. So much of our professional growth have been milestones we talked about together; and even more importantly, we shared our experiences to help each other grow. Those types of relationships are rare, and my only regret is not having met Loyd and the Ivey family sooner in my career. He will be missed. – John Laughlin, CTI

I remember it like it was yesterday that during my first week at NSCA I had a four-hour encounter (on a train no less) with Loyd regarding the state of our industry. That helped me to understand what was in store for me going forward.

Loyd was a tough guy to get to know but once you did, he was far kinder and more caring than what people realize. His generosity helped pave the way for just about every new program we launched at NSCA.

Loyd had a real knack for proving me wrong. I think we challenged each other in that way. I’d tell him not to do something and of course he did and in most every situation he was right. That motivated him in ways that I’m not sure just financial reward would have. – Chuck Wilson, NSCA

In Memorium

Loyd’s passion remains embedded in our company’s DNA. As we mourn his loss, we also find strength in his enduring legacy, as his son, Johnathan Ivey, leads the company forward, ensuring that the spark of innovation and dedication Loyd ignited continues to light our path.

Details about Loyd Ivey’s celebration of life:

Loyd Lee Ivey

Friday, October 27, 2023

10:00 a.m. (Arizona Time)

Whitney and Murphy Funeral Home

4800 East Indian School Road

Phoenix, Arizona 85018

Click here to join virtually

Meeting ID: 861 7774 5082

Passcode: 716270

In lieu of flowers/gifts, please consider a donation to:

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation

October 16, 2023
HETMA and FLEXspace Announce Strategic Partnership

Higher Ed AV groups come together

[Los Angeles, October 6, 2023] — The Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) is proud to announce a partnership with FLEXspace, The Flexible Learning Environments eXchange. As the official advocacy organization for the audiovisual industry’s higher education vertical, this partnership represents HETMA’s ongoing commitment to offering its members resources for fostering innovation within the education technology sector and FLEXspace’s dedication to providing impactful collaborative resources to educators and classroom designers. FLEXspace joins Higher Ed AV in HETMA’s continued mission to equip their AV vertical with tools for success. Under the proposed agreement, HETMA will assume full financial responsibility of FLEXspace and lead the strategic direction forward through a newly-formed advisory committee of subject matter experts from within the higher education vertical. Further details will be released in the coming months.

FLEXspace.org was launched after the SUNY Provost charged his grassroots advisory team with, ‘How can we better share information about building and renovating learning spaces – especially with all the enthusiasm around active learning pedagogy?’ “Watching this shared resource grow among educators has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” notes Lisa Stephens, SUNY Senior Strategist for Academic Innovation and FLEXspace executive director. By integrating FLEXspace’s cutting-edge platform and its skilled team into its vibrant membership of technology professionals, HETMA is set to pave the way for groundbreaking innovations in learning space design and enhanced service delivery for campus communities. Stephens adds, “FLEXspace is one of the largest global educational collaboration efforts to date combining efforts of educators, designers and professional support staff. There is a lot of mutual respect in these communities that are dedicated to pedagogical infrastructure supporting our students – on any campus, secondary school, or related non-profit educational institution.” HETMA’s mantra of ‘by us, for us,’ is a natural complement to the mission of FLEXspace.

HETMA cofounder and chair, Joe Way recalls his first encounter with FLEXspace: “I remember being tasked with creating the most innovative classrooms at my former institution, but not knowing exactly where to start. Browsing the incredible contributions by our colleagues sparked my imagination that naturally generated collaboration with other schools and manufacturer partners. I couldn’t have been successful without FLEXspace, and why HETMA has always been a proud supporter.” Way continues: “It didn’t take more than five minutes of acquisition discussion to realize HETMA and FLEXspace were born out of the same desire to serve those who serve our important vertical.”

Gerry Hanley, retired Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Technology Services at the CSU Chancellors Office adds that The California State University System realized many benefits of FLEXspace, one during the planning for maker spaces throughout the system: “Using FLEXspace saved a lot of time, money and effort and recognized exemplary practices as we worked together as a system to implement these new maker spaces at multiple campuses. Improving the cost-efficiencies and effectiveness of this process was very exciting and having the support of directors of academic technology (DATs) was the reason I was able to carve budget out to support FLEXspace.”

In the coming months, FLEXspace will release version 3.0, a more integrated version, to allow collaborative engagement throughout the entire design process from concept, to product sourcing, to showcasing success stories. A preview of the new platform will be demonstrated at EDUCAUSE 2023 and Association for Learning Environments.

A strategic steering committee comprising members from both HETMA and FLEXspace will work collaboratively to plan for more strategic integration and amalgamation of technologies, processes, and teams as part of this agreement. The priority remains to continue delivering exceptional service to our clients and partners during this transition phase, while building on the strengths added by the HETMA community and Higher Ed AV Media. The core team will include Lisa Stephens of SUNY, Rebecca Frazee from UC San Francisco, Joe Way from UCLA, Erin Maher-Moran of Johns Hopkins, John Pfeffer of University at Buffalo, Andy Vogel from The Ohio State University, and Chi Hang Lo of USC, will manage new initiatives around the FLEXspace platform. Rebecca Frazee explains, “What amazes me most about FLEXspace is the enthusiastic generosity of our colleagues. It’s not just about the learning environments with academic technologies, it’s a community of professionals who share documentation and processes of all kinds to ensure inclusion, including a variety of assessment tools and how to improve the culture of education.”

“HETMA is excited to embark on this new chapter, confident that the union with FLEXspace will forge a future where technology and innovation converge to create unparalleled solutions in learning space design,” says Erin Maher-Moran, HETMA vice-chair, and host of AVNation’s EDTech podcast.

Current and future sponsors of HETMA.org, FLEXspace.org, and HigherEdAV.com will receive benefits of a more integrated platform. Higher ed members interested in joining the HETMA-FLEXspace Committee may join the newly formed group on the HETMA community channel at https://community.hetma.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Communications:

Britt Yenser, Communications Chair

communications@hetma.org

Sponsorship:

Jon Hamilton, Sponsorship Chair

sponsorship@hetma.org

Leadership:

Joe Way, Cofounder and Chair

chair@hetma.org

About HETMA

The Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) is a 501(C)3 advocacy organization focused on growing the influence and elevating the profile of the higher education audiovisual vertical. We accomplish our mission by connecting our community, educating our members, amplifying our collective voice, and impacting the broader AV industry. As an inclusive, supportive, and accessible organization, HETMA does not just represent a cause, we represent a community. We are by us and for us. HETMA’s portfolio includes a robust membership of higher ed technology managers, online community, Higher Ed AV Media group, Higher Ed AV Awards, Prism Scholarship, Approved Program, Educational Programming, Virtual Conference, and Tradeshow Exhibiting.

About FLEXspace

The FLEXspace initiative is a large collaborative effort that started in the State University of New York and quickly spread. FLEXspace – The Flexible Learning Environments eXchange – is an innovative tool that supports a highly-engaged community of experts, decision makers, influencers, and practitioners from higher education, K-12, libraries, museums and industry committed to improve learning space planning, design and implementation. FLEXspace provides a sophisticated suite of features that allow users to document and showcase learning spaces, share resources and best practices, work collaboratively with campus colleagues and partners, and connect with an ever-expanding worldwide community. Use FLEXspace to help you plan, design, implement, maintain, assess, and improve your campus learning spaces. FLEXspace membership is free for academic users, and available to others through partnership support.

October 6, 2023
Art and AV Open to the World. MSG Sphere

MSG Sphere opens with U2

Few places intersect between audiovisual and the world at large. The MSG Sphere is one of those crossroads. This past week, the venue that combines music, AV technology, and art threw open their doors and featured the Irish rock band, U2. The opening of a venue like this attracts celebrities from all areas, including music and sports. See the clip below to hear from Diplo and Andre Agassi. The AV industry had their own royalty there as well. Joel Carroll from Mersive was in attendance as well as UCLA and HETMA’s own Joe Way. Way said of the experience “I just can’t figure out how to put (the experience) into words.” Joe Way being at a loss for words is certainly a testament.

MSG Sphere Business

The Sphere is not just a wonder of audiovisual technology, it’s a magic trick of business. With a cost estimated to be $2.3 billion USD, Wall Street shared concerns about cost overruns and overall management of the project. With an opening night and weekend full of social media chatter (see below for TikToks) the stock price of Sphere Entertainment jumped 15% on Monday’s trading.

Just the Specs

Coming in at 516 feet (157 meters) wide and 366 feet (111 meters) tall, the MSG Sphere is the largest spherical structure in the world. The outside, called the “Exosphere”, has 580,000 square feet (176,784 square meters) of canvas on which digital artists, creatives, and others can create.

The inside has a 16K x 16K screen. Only a few studios in the world can pump out an output like that. Luckily for the MSG Sphere, they have a studio in Burbank, CA that has been specially created just for this reason. Audio in the space is powered by Holoplot and leverages 170,000 of their speakers. That isn’t a typo. That is one-hundred seventy THOUSAND speakers. With that many speakers, the venue is able to do things like craft special audio for regions of seating. Think multi-translation, or creating a 4D experience.

In the case of the Sphere, you could actually call it 4D Plus. First up is the 16K display, audio, the seats rumble, there is the capability of adding scents to the room, a wind machine, and the venue can raise or lower the temperature dramatically. That is, indeed, 4D plus.

U2 and MSG Sphere

Once the steel began going up, the iconic U2 wanted to be a part of this spectacle. U2 kicked off the MSG Sphere in spectacular fashion, combining their music with the venue’s visual abilities.

@spherevegas

Visit the Sphere at InfoComm

The annual AV tradeshow, InfoComm, happens to be in Las Vegas this next year. Vegas is the home of the Sphere. Other than the movie Postcard from Earth, no one will find out what other acts will be playing in the space until later this year. What we do know is there will be at least 30,000 AV users in the desert, and almost every one will want to look under the hood of this combination art and AV technology.

October 3, 2023
Unpacking CEDIA Expo 2023 and CI Expo

CEDIA Expo puts stakes down in Denver

The annual Smart Home show took place September 7 – 9, 2023. AVNation spent three days roaming the various booths and sessions at CEDIA Expo. Here are the biggest takeaways from CEDIA 2023.

Smart Home Control

AVNation Matt Scott Crestron Home

Control and automation are the backbone of any smart home system. At CEDIA the players not only showed off some new tricks, they got their lawyers involved. More on that in a moment.

Crestron came out swinging with a new version of Crestron Home OS. It’s slick. Bottom line. From a user interface (UI) perspective, this is the most intuitive version of Crestron Home OS to date. Control 4 by Snap One unveiled new LED lighting control, new UI, and more camera monitoring options. Savant continues to innovate and take market share in the smart home control market. CEDIA Expo was a huge show for shades and Savant leaned into that with new control options. While Josh.AI and AVA partner for voice and feature-rich controls.

Which leads us to the lawyers. Josh.AI/AVA are doing battle with Snap One. Long story very short. Former Snap One employees left and started AVA. AVA and Johs.AI have a partnership. According to Snape One, the AVA remote is a very close design to a Control 4 remote. Boom. Enter lawyers.

CEDIA Expo Home Theater Palooza

Home theaters is a huge, niche market in the residential AV space. The huge part is the potential revenue because they aren’t cheap. The niche is that, not many people can afford to dedicate the space nor the budget to a theater in their smart home. Direct View LED (DVLED) has entered the space with Quantum Media Systems. Matt Scott and I sat through a demo of the DVLED system and were blown away. The sound was perfect, the screen was bright but not “burn your retinas” bright, and the video from action and sports was spotless. It was the most impressive experience of the week.

From a technology standpoint, there was the “industry’s first networked audio theater.” I put that in quotes because I’m not entirely convinced that NOONE has ever put in networked audio in a theater. But, I’ll give it to the team at Seymour Screen Excellence and Grimani Systems. Using AES 67, they are able to distribute up to 27 channels of audio. Getting residential AV into networked audio means two things. The first is leveraging even more networking skills; an area that the smart home market already excels in over commercial AV. The second part is the performance and security of networked audio. There are no need for copper speaker wires if you’re pulling category cable. The overall performance of the system goes up due to a lack of environmental interference and the security of the system in case you’re watching a super-secret government video in your home.

OMG the Displays

Samsung. Sony. LG. Just Video Walls. The experiences of anyone looking for a great video were on display at CEDIA 2023. Samsung continues to wow with an ever-evolving The Wall. Sony had their laser projector lines just showing off. LG is a leader in LED and their MAGNIT was impressive in person. Granted, it was a trade show floor, so take it with a grain of salt. But impressive nonetheless. Just Video Walls is a company I wasn’t overly familiar with before the trip to Denver. Impressive micro LED. Then, as mentioned above, the DVLED theater demo was top-notch.

AVNation Matt Scott Tim Albright

Commercial Integrator Expo at CEDIA Expo

For the first time ever Emerald, the company that owns and runs the CEDIA Expo, put on a commercial trade show nestled into CEDIA. The CI Expo was the first crack at combining residential and commercial AV into one show here in the States. Of course, Integrated Systems Europe has done this for 20 years. But this was a first for the US.

CI Expo was a good first try. The training sessions were well done, just not well attended. Sony, Legrand, Crestron, and other vendors incorporated their commercial offerings in their booths. Atlas IED, Aurora, and DSF showed off their commercial-centric offerings. The CI Expo is a realization that residential dealers are doing more commercial AV systems. It is also acknowledging that both markets have crossover areas where each benefit. Give the CI Expo a few years to grow and mature and it will become valuable to both the vendors and the dealers.

A Pretty Good Show

AVNation CEDIA 2023 Whitaker Wedding

On a personal note, a few things to discuss. First, I got to reunite with my younger brother, Matt Scott. Matt’s been a part of AVNation since its inception and I hadn’t gotten a chance to see him in real life since the pandemic. Second, our good friend, Joe Whitaker, got married. A first for any trade show that I’m aware of. Finally, it was good to connect with several commercial friends at a traditional residential show.

CEDIA Expo and CI boasted 15,500 attendees and 12,899 qualified attendees. That feels about right, based on the crowds all three days. Those numbers put CEDIA back into the neighborhood of pre-pandemic attendance numbers. Given that they will be in Denver for at least the next three years, it gives Emerald and the team the ability to grow and evolve the show around a centralized location and time on the calendar. Areas to improve is to double-down on the commercial side. There is a significant opportunity here to expand the exhibitors and the education. They would also do well to offer more educational sessions on the commercial side. If they hope to attract commercial end-users, specifically education, they will have to adjust the timing. Early September is never a good time for Higher Ed to travel. Overall, it was a good few days in Denver that I’m looking forward to repeating next year.

September 28, 2023
HP says, “The world’s relationship with work is unhealthy.” Can AV make it better?
Adjusting our relationship to Work

If you haven’t seen HP’s new Work Relationship Index, go read it. Now. It’s a massive survey of over 15,000 knowledge workers, IT decision-makers, and business leaders across 12 countries. The primary conclusion is a tad bleak: “The world’s relationship with work is unhealthy.”

It is not without hope.

Many of HP’s six core drivers that fuel a healthy relationship to work are challenges employers have faced for decades. Here’s the list:
- Fulfillment: Purpose, meaning and empowerment at work
- Leadership: Empathy and emotional connection from those in charge
- People-centricity: Decision-making with people at the heart
- Skills: Confidence-building by tapping into the enthusiasm employees have for learning new skills
- Tools: The right technology to drive employee engagement
- Workspace: Flexibility and trust in where employees work, enabled by seamless transitions
These are hardly new challenges in the workplace.

That’s not a fault of HP’s study. And let’s be clear: the study does an extraordinary job of breaking down attitudes towards work across a dozen countries and the primary generations currently in the workplace, from Gen-Z through the Boomers. Example: “93% of Gen Z and 89% of Millennial knowledge workers” were willing to take a salary cut for a better work environment, with Gen-Z willing to take close to a 20% cut to work when they want and a bit less to work where they want.

Note: the healthiest relationships to work are found in emerging economies.

And before you start bagging on the Gen Z folks that ‘don’t want to work,’ try on the idea that 66% of all knowledge workers would take a pay cut “to work somewhere with emotionally intelligent leadership.” That’s a strong sign that the leadership at many companies might need to make meaningful changes, especially if they plan on retaining younger employees.

There’s a wealth of knowledge and ideas packed into this report. From an AV perspective, once you’ve taken away the leadership ideas (or found some cold comfort in knowing that you are very much not alone with your frustrations in the office), the look at tools employees use should be the most helpful section. Tools are defined as “the right technology to drive employee engagement.

Very few folks working in AV will be surprised to hear that 70% of the knowledge workers surveyed said, “it’s important to have access to technology that allows everybody to be seen and heard regardless of where they are.” Or that 72% want “an organization that provides technology and tools based on employee needs and feedback.”

Fortunately, the entire AV industry, hardware and software, is bending towards making it easier to hear and see every person in a conference room.

The latest machine learning and AI built into conference room systems can put every face at the table up on a screen like you’re looking at a high school yearbook. All the group facing toward remote users instead of the classic side view/back of the heads/tiny person at the end of the conference room that defines most single camera PTZ systems today.

Most of us would like our organization to be standardized on a quality headset with mics that consistently pick up the user’s voice. If a remote worker always has issues being heard, it’s frustrating for them – and – everyone else in the meeting. It wastes a tremendous amount of time. Cheap gear is a false commodity.

Can AV ‘healthy up’ our relationship to work? It can certainly help. If you haven’t seen it, definitely take a look at HP’s new Work Relationship Index, and make sure you download the full report. It’s free; you don’t even have to provide an email address. And hurry, we’ve got a lot of work to do.
September 26, 2023