1. Convergence of AV and IT.
You’ve heard it all before but to hear Crestron say, “We’re no longer an AV company, it’s all about IT,” really hits it home hard. Network, network, network. We, as a company, as an industry, NEED TO PAY ATTENTION. More and more companies are going to IP – Crestron, Grass Valley, Sony, AMX – companies like this are on the forefront of making this happen. And at AVI, we’re all over this.
2. Sony Laser Projectors.
The new VPL-FHZ65 6000 Lumens and the VPL-FHZ60 5000 Lumens Projectors operate for 20,000 hours with virtually zero maintenance. Sony now covers laser projectors from 2,000 to 7,000 Lumens – they are the only manufacturer that can covers such a wide gamut of product.
3. Crestron PinPoint Mobile app.
The new PinPoint Mobile app lets you perform all calendar and room functions from your mobile device – anytime, anywhere. Book rooms, view available meeting spaces nearby and easily take control of everything in the room – AV, lights, temperature and shades.
4. NewTek TriCaster Mini.
This is a complete portable multimedia studio in a box. Anyone using everyday camcorders can create and publish video content in minutes, stream it live and make even the smallest presentations captivate audiences like network-style TV. There is nothing like it on the market today.
5. AMX Buys SVSi.
This is a game changer for both companies because SVSi has a lot of great products with no control system – and AMX needed an infusion of IP products. What results is the best of both worlds.
6. QSC Q-Sys.
It’s not about the box anymore. Most audio DSPs do one specific thing and they do it very well. QSC took the road less chosen and created a DSP that runs on a generic Intel processor vs. the standard chip, resulting in the only software-based audio DSP. What does this mean? It means you no longer have to replace that black box in the AV closet the next time a new technology surfaces – you just update the software. No more slot cards, no more black boxes – just update the app.
7. Microsoft Surface Hub.
Microsoft sure did a 180 compared to last year’s performance at InfoComm. The fact that Microsoft is going to be in the AV space FOR REAL is huge. Built on the 4th Generation Intel Core Processor, the Microsoft Surface Hub can be used as a stand-alone unit or an entire system controlled with Crestron. Choose from either a 55-inch HD or 84-inch 4K display – both come with infrared imaging and depth sensors for a responsive and natural whiteboard experience, as well as two built-in wide angle HD cameras for video conferencing.
8. Panasonic PT-DZ21K2 4K+ Laser Projector.
The new Panasonic 3-Chip DLP laser projector has a brightness of 10,000 Lumens with beyond 4K resolution, and has a 20,000-hour half-life. Oh. And the images are absolutely AMAZING. And to top it off, people can actually afford it.
9. Pexip.
Pexip provides enterprise-quality multiparty conferencing and Skype/Lync gateway functionality. They provide unparalleled inoperability and functionality. As opposed to other companies, their support agreements – recurring costs – are much cheaper AND you can run it on your own server. We can run Pexip on our own AVI servers so all pieces of equipment can talk and communicate locally on the same server.
10. Chief Fusion Video conferencing Solution.
This is a great product for huddle room spaces. It’s always been a problem of how and where to mount the video conferencing camera. This solution let’s you mount it almost anywhere on top of the monitor or below. The kit also includes the integrated camera and USB speakerphone. It’s the little things that make life easier.
Denny McDougald contributed to this blog post.
