Volume 4, Issue 23 - December 7, 2006

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Christie	PolyVision
Kramer	Premier Mounts
Da-Lite Screen Company	HaiVision

Important Announcement for Our Readers

Introduction

Welcome to rAVe Pro Edition - Volume 4, Issue 23

Special Announcement

CES European Buyer’s Lounge Hosted by rAVe Europe

Media Management
	HaiVision Announces Amino Support

Displays
	New NEC Commercial Signage LCD Specified at 1920 x 1080 Electrograph Adds ISFccc Controls and Custom Designed Frames to New RevolutionHD Displays Sharp Commercial HD 45-Inch LCD Now Available in Portrait and Landscape Modes Panasonic Ups Pro Plasma On-Site Warranty to Five Years

Industry News
	AMX Adds Signal Switching and Routing With AutoPatch Acquisition TEi Changes Name to Visix SPL Opens Dubai Office InFocus Sells The University Network

Projection
	Christie Announces Three Commercial LCD Projectors SENSIO Launches HD 4D Theater for Specialized Exhibition Market New 1080p Projector From projectionddesign 2006 to Wind up With 24 Percent Increase in Front Projection Sales Epson Introduces Flagship 1080p Home Cinema Projector – First to Use HDMI 1.3

Integrator Solutions
	Sierra Video Introduces Ultra-Wideband Video Routing Switchers Da-Lite Announces Projector Lift, Mirror Adjustment, Lectern

Digital Signage
	New Signage-Oriented Twin-Display Cat5 Receivers From Magenta New Web Portal From Impart Provides Digital Signage Content

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Feature Article

LEED, Follow, or Get Out Of The Way
Part 1
By Brian E. Huff

This is a two-part article about the LEED initiative. Read Part 2 in the next issue.

I recently attended a construction kickoff meeting for a well-known educational institution’s first new building in many years.  At the table in the construction trailer were the normal complement of project management, architectural, landscape, structural, IT, and acoustical consultants, as well as the school’s facilities rep.  The talk was the usual - meeting schedules, budgets, code compliance, document protocol, etc.  This went on for over an hour until the talk turned to LEED goals. 

If you’re not familiar with LEED, it is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™, a national benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, started in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.com).  It’s a voluntary certification program for building owners and architects to improve performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: ·    sustainable site development ·    water savings ·    energy efficiency ·    materials selection ·    indoor environmental quality Before you envision oddball residential structures made from old tires with grass roofs and solar panels, you might want to familiarize yourself and your organization with this initiative because the following projects are a small sampling of the thousands of projects currently LEED registered:			Currently, virtually all mass-market electronics manufacturers participate in the U.S. ENERGY STAR program: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm.  However, with the exception of some flat-panel displays, there are few Pro AV products, and no video projectors on the market that are ENERGY STAR compliant.  Apparently this is because ENERGY STAR hasn't gotten around to defining specifications for projectors yet.  ENERGY STAR’s oversight is split between the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dept. of Energy, and projectors will likely fall under the EPA’s purview.  The EPA has been diligently working on more specifications for electronics, so it’s only a matter of time before this fast-growing product segment is eligible for the ENERGY STAR logo.

·    The new World Trade Center, including the Freedom Tower, World Trade Center Office Towers 2, 3, and 4, as well as the World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum.

·    Clearview Elementary School, Hanover, PA

·    Herman Miller Marketplace, Zeeland, MI

·    Sabre Corporate Campus, Southlake, TX

·    Rinker Hall at the University of Florida

·    Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, WA

·    Genzyme Center, Corporate Headquarters, Cambridge, MA

These sample projects show that LEED certification is being sought by all types of owners, public and private, and in several market verticals that our industry tracks, such as educational, government, corporate, performance, and retail.  In response to this trend, the number of LEED certified professionals in architecture and construction has increased from about 2,400 in 2002 to 24,000 in 2006.  In 2000, when the LEED program was launched, the USGBC registered 46 buildings and certified 13.  By March of 2006, over 3,000 buildings were registered and nearly 400 have completed certification.

When you consider that the built environment will double in size in the next 50 years, and that buildings consume 12% of water, 70% of electricity, and 39% of all energy used in the U.S., as well as 40% of all raw materials worldwide, you can understand why this organization was created, and why LEED certification is getting so much attention from building owners.  And it’s not just about reducing raw material consumption; it’s about reducing operating costs and improving occupant health and productivity by constructing buildings that are cleaner, brighter, and more energy efficient.

And this is where it gets interesting to us: With the exception of AMX, Epson and Draper, the AV industry has very few manufacturers or contractors with a LEED certified professional on staff, and InfoComm, NSCA, and CES do not have any committees focused on LEED.  Considering that AV costs for a large building project can run well into seven digits, and that our equipment consumes millions of kilowatt hours per year, this seems like a major blind spot and an incredible opportunity for forward-thinking companies. 

If you’re a pragmatist like me, you might be saying to yourself - so what?   How would promoting energy-efficient products or having a LEED certified professional on staff bring any more business in the door of my company?  Well read on, because here’s the logic:

Of course the architect and the owner want to get their project LEED certified for a variety of compelling reasons.  First, if the owner has submitted grants applications for any state or federal funding, it may be treated more favorably than a typical project.  Second, LEED is a high-visibility promotional tool for the organization, in terms of attracting donors or contributions, enhancing community relations, and presenting an eco-friendly profile to the world.  This has made architects and builders anxious to show clients that they are LEED experts and have a large “green building” portfolio.

In order to earn certification, a building must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks ("credits")

More on certification in Part 2.

______________________________________

Brian E. Huff, CTS-D has over 24 years of experience designing and specifying audiovisual systems for education, corporate, and government clients.  Brian holds a High Technology MBA from Northeastern University, is an ICIA CTS-D and a member of AES and SMPTE. 

He can be contacted directly at (610) 476-1734.

______________________________________

  

Special Announcement

CES European Buyer’s Lounge

rAVe Europe (and its sister publication Multimedia I.T.) be the exclusive host of the 2007 European Buyer's Lounge @ CES.  A function organized by CES, the Buyer’s Lounge is open on Tuesday, January 9^th in the Hilton Ballroom E from 5.00 – 7.00pm. The editors of rAVe Europe will be on hand to greet European buyers and to facilitate business networking.

For more info, email rAVeEurope@gmail.com

Christie Announces Three Commercial LCD Projectors

The LX380 and Christie LX450 are specifically designed for use in conference rooms, classrooms, briefing centers and on-screen advertising. The Christie LX380, with 3800 ANSI lumens, and the Christie LX450, with 4500 ANSI lumens, are specified at XGA resolution and 1000:1 contrast ratio. They use a variety of lenses and also feature a bayonet-style lens mount and have vertical and horizontal lens shift. For security, they come with a PIN-code security feature. 

The LW300 is a widescreen model specified at WXGA 1366 x 768 resolution that is also designed for boardrooms, conference rooms, classrooms, as well as home entertainment and cinema advertising. The LW300 uses 10-bit image processing, has multiple inputs and outputs, and can connect to virtually any source including analog RGB with support for signals up to 1080P and HDCP compliant DVI.  Additional features such as motorized zoom, focus and lens shift, and an optional long-life filter kit provide greater installation flexibility and help extend maintenance cycles.

The Christie LW300 can be networked with optional ChristieNET to monitor projectors through a TCP/IP network.

For more information, go to http://www.christiedigital.com/AMEN/Corporate/MediaCenter/PressRelease/

 

SENSIO Launches HD 4D Theater for Specialized Exhibition Market

SENSIO Technologies announced what they call 4D Theater, an integrated system designed for the exhibition market. This is a turn-key solution that includes a video server, the SENSIO PRO 3D HD processor, projectors, screen, sound-proofing system, glasses, moving seats, basic site plans, as well as a variety of pre-selected 3D movies. The system is designed for rooms with capacities of 5 to 200 people, and target markets include specialized 3D projections in theme parks, attractions, museums, corporate presentations, and others.

For more information, go to http://www.sensio.tv/en/professional/default.3d

New 1080p Projector From projectionddesign

The cineo3+ 1080 is a new 1080p DLP projector from projectiondesign. This projector is a single-chip model designed for digital dailies, post production work and HD screenings, high quality graphics generation, 3D graphics and mapping, command, control and surveillance, broadcast control room and presentation areas, medical imaging, automotive design, and digital signage.

The projector is specified at 3500 ANSI lumens, 7500:1 contrast ratio and native 16:9 aspect ratio, although the company says it is also available in a brighter 4:3.

For more information, go to http://www.projectiondesign.com/Default.asp?CatID=1509

2006 to Wind up With 24 Percent Increase in Front Projection Sales

In a new report by Pacific Media Associates, it looks like 2006 will show a 24 percent increase in front projector sales over 2005. The survey, conducted among North American resellers and retailers, indicates that the shift to widescreen and the introduction of 1080p units are the biggest growth factors. The research company expects 1080p to gain on 720p in 2007 as well. And 33 percent of the front projectors sold in 2007 will be widescreen aspect ratio.

Dealers reported that 25 percent of their sales in 2005 were to consumers, by the way. That was a lot for 2005. That percentage in 2006 should be interesting to see as more Pro dealers entered the home market.

For more information, go to http://www.pacificmediaassociates.com/Press_releases/press_release.htm#press75

 

Epson Introduces Flagship 1080p Home Cinema Projector – First to Use HDMI 1.3

Epson America introduced a sub-$5,000 1080p home cinema projector using 3LCD chips, the new HDMI 1.3 spec, and a number of image enhancing technologies.

With this new native 1080p, 3-panel LCD projector from Epson, Sony’s VPL-VW100 is DEAD and the VPL-VW50 better watch out.  I have been testing Epson’s new Pro Cinema 1080 projector against my own theater’s VPL-VW50 for two weeks now and, I have to be honest, had I seen this projector three months ago, I doubt I would have installed the VPL-VW50.  Simply put, they are identical in image quality, but the Epson’s quieter, easier to use, looks a hell of a lot nicer and works at 1080p with both analog and digital signals – the Sony VPL-VW50 only works at 1080p through the digital-only HDMI-input.

And, with Sony having some of the worst customer service in the AV world now, Epson may well trump them with this new box!  I am impressed!

The PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 is specified at 1920 x 1080 resolution, up to 12,000:1 (another new record!), and uses the VastLane SiI9133 HDMI receiver chip. Epson says this is the first HDMI 1.3 home theater projector on the market supporting Deep Color capability.

The PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 has Epson's C2Fine 1080p 3LCD chips, capable of displaying 12-bit Deep Color images and delivering the high contrast ratio. It also uses OptiCinema optics, E-TORL lamp, 1080Perfect Video Processor, AccuCinema lens and Absolute Black technology

The Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 is ISF-certified, ensuring it achieves the required video fidelity and calibration. 

This projector ships in January to CEDIA dealers for MSRP of $4,999.

For more information, go to http://www.epson.com/cmc_upload/pdf/PowerLiteProCinema1080ReleaseFINAL.pdf

 

 

HaiVision Announces Amino Support

HaiVision announced that the company encoder, the hai200 TASMAN, is now validated as fully compatible and interoperable with Amino’s AmiNET124 supporting H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC.

The TASMAN / Amino interoperability, based on the support of MPEG transport stream encapsulation, is available as a firmware upgrade to all of HaiVision’s installed TASMAN clients.

The TASMAN STREAMER and COMMUNICATOR are both shipping in volume and are priced at $9,995 and $12,995 respectively.

For more information, go to http://haivision.com/news/?ArticleID=100198

New Signage-Oriented Twin-Display Cat5 Receivers From Magenta

Magenta Research announced two new Cat5 receivers, part of the MultiView Series product line. The K-500 TD (twin-display) and K-500 TDC (twin-display, chainable) receivers reduce receiver quantities by connecting to two back-to-back or close-proximity displays, rather than one display. 

The K-500 TD and TDC receivers use MultiView AK500 technology, including RepliSync and proprietary signal algorithms, and are specified to provide QXGA (2048x1536) resolution @ 500 ft. (152m) @ 70Hz refresh. Each receiver uses active electronics to provide two HD15 (VGA) and two 3.5mm min-jack (audio) outputs. K-500 TDC receivers are "daisy-chained" and combined with a K-500 TD receiver at the chain's end, to address a series of four to twenty-four back-to-back displays.

For more information, go to http://www.magenta-research.com/cgi-local/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=RECEK-500TD

 

New Web Portal From Impart Provides Digital Signage Content

Impart Media Group released IQ Streams, a web portal media source and library of infotainment content for digital signage and interactive kiosks. The service delivers sports, news, finance, entertainment, music, and weather in motion video, still graphic, flash animation, text, or IPTV formats to media players or to virtually any device via open standard, XML protocols.

It was originally designed as an add-on to Impart’s IQ digital signage system. This add-on builds recurring revenues to providers, says the company, and is designed to be technologically agnostic, based on a web services standard, and targets all digital media networks.

According to Impart's President & COO, Thomas C. Muniz, "Impart IQ Streams represents the equivalent of RSS feeds or podcasting for digital signage. We will standardize the industry ... first on media content distribution and early next year, on advertising."

For more information, go to http://www.iqstreams.com/services/iqstreams/

Well, that's it for this edition of rAVe! Thank you for spending time with me as we muse the industry's happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter - instead, write to me at gkayye@kayye.com or for editorial: Denise Harrison at dharrison@kayye.com

A little about me: Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue - which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry.

Gary Kayye's rAVe was launched in February 2003. rAVe Home Edition co-sponsored by CEDIA launched in February, 2004.

To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to http://www.kayye.com