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When integrators speak, Blaze Audio responds. “We were getting a huge demand from our integration teams,” said Eric Huber, CX marketing manager at Blaze Audio. “They needed something more flexible, and Dante was the clear choice.” The company incorporated Dante into select products and is shipping four Dante-enabled PowerZone Connect amplifier series models.

More Opportunities

PowerZone Connect plus Dante unleashes many more opportunities from an integration standpoint. “We're talking larger scale projects, multi-zoning, long cable runs, and seamless integration,” Huber added. “The flexibility is just endless. Once you incorporate this with our built-in PowerZone Control DSP, add Dante to the mix, and it's very simple.”

Dante Controller provides point-and-click routing. “Dante eliminates all the analog cable patching that would need to be done,” Huber explained. There's no IP configuration needed because the Dante device is automatically recognized and gets assigned to an IP once you plug into the network. “If the client needs to upgrade, the integrator can come in, click a button, and you can expand on essentially anything, alleviating pressure on the integrator.”

If a room or a zone gets added, all the integrator needs to do is use the existing network that's in place.

Powerful

Each Dante-enabled PowerZone Connect amplifier has the Dante Ultimo chip built in and delivers up to 4x4 channels at 44.1 and 48 kHz. Cable lengths are extended; multi-channel digital audio is sent over a single Ethernet cable, allowing for a noise-free signal path over long distances with a default latency of 1 millisecond.

Dante allows for more flexibility and scalability in integration projects and simplifies the installation and expansion process. “Plus, Dante is compatible with other Dante-enabled devices, making it easy to integrate with existing systems,” Huber said.

Flexibility Built-in

The four PowerZone Connect plus Dante cover 125 to 3000 watts, handling most commercial-based applications. “The cool thing about them is that they're dual impedance, making it flexible for many scenarios. If you want to run a low impedance output for a stage or performance area and want to do an additional two channels or a single channel at 70 volts, you can do that with our four channel amps,” Huber noted. “It becomes a hybrid amp at that point, and with Dante, you can send signals wherever you want.”

Scalable Applications

Blaze Audio solutions are widely used in retail, hospitality, college campuses, small- to medium-sized performance venues, and houses of worship. “Where this becomes a Dante conversation is with multi-campus facilities,” Huber said. “This is the beauty of network audio. Back in the day if you were running 24 channels, that's 24 different cables for audio, but with Dante, it's just one run.” Another benefit is longer runs; with Dante, cable runs can be up to 100 meters.

“If the network exists, it's essentially a drag-and-drop installation where you're just plugging into a wall jack or switch that's already existing,” Huber added. “The simplicity of the installation becomes much cleaner, much simpler for the integrator. They're gaining more abilities to be able to process and route audio, meeting the needs of the most demanding applications. Dante is network hardware agnostic, plug & play with just about any professional network switch on the market.”

Answering Integrators Needs

Incorporating Dante into Blaze Audio's PowerZone Connect series of amplifiers provides integrators with more options and opportunities for their clients.

“It's about giving integrators the tools they need to grow individually and help their clients to the best of their ability. So many doors are opened when you add Dante and network audio,” Huber concluded.

Inquiries 

For inquiries about features and solutions offered by Dante-enabled PowerZone Connect amplifiers reach out to our dedicated team at blaze-audio.com

For additional information and support regarding Dante technology, please visit: www.audinate.com/meet-dante

About Blaze Audio: Blaze Audio specialize in pro audio solutions tailored for the commercial and leisure install markets. Our products deliver the power and exceptional sound performance demanded in commercial locations, and the technology, quality, and reliability expected by the professional audio market. Blaze Audio is a brand of Pascal, the world’s leading provider of pro audio amplifier electronics. 

AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Carrie Kaumans, Corporate Channel Marketing Manager at Listen Technologies

Assistive listening systems play an important role in creating immersive experiences for esports athletes and spectators. Assistive listening systems can support athletes and spectators with chronic or situational hearing loss by filtering out ambient noise and delivering audio from games and commentators directly to listeners’ ears via earbuds or headphones connected to receivers. Audio over Wi-Fi assistive listening systems let listeners use their personal smartphones as receivers, so there’s no equipment to check out or return. They simply download a free app on their smartphone, select a channel, and listen to clear, intelligible audio in their ears. If they wear Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or cochlear devices, they can stream audio from their smartphone to these devices. 

Assistive listening systems help players and fans overcome the challenges of hearing loss, distance from the audio source, background noise, language, and acoustics that can make hearing difficult, detract from the gaming experience, and prevent participants from fully engaging in esports.

When selecting an assistive listening system for esports, consider who will be using the technology. Do they prefer to borrow equipment or BYOD? Select a system they are likely to use.

Also consider the unique challenges of the space. The esports arena in the Digital Creative Lab at the University of Southern California (USC), for example, is enclosed, and there is a collaborative space adjacent to the arena. To ensure everyone in the collaborative space can experience what is happening inside the enclosed arena, USC selected an audio-over-Wi-Fi assistive listening system. Spectators can follow the action by streaming the audio from the gaming and the instructor in the esports arena. Gamers and spectators with hearing loss can also use the streamed audio for assistive listening.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Jeff Schneider, Director of Sales, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions at Digital Projection

Like any sporting event, watching the action unfold on a big display makes the experience more immersive and engaging for spectators. At the same time, it provides athletes a way to demonstrate their skills to fans and peers. Nothing handles this application better than a dvLED video wall. It can be scaled to any size, customized to any aspect ratio, and configured to display multiple windows of game play at once. A dvLED is also highly versatile and integration friendly, which enables it to function as both a display for gaming, as well as digital signage for upcoming events, scores, and streaming media from on- and off-premise components. The multi-functional dvLED video wall can juggle diverse applications with ease and without any compromise in brightness or resolution. Another huge perk for esports applications is their low latency. This precludes any lag during intense, action gaming for smoother, more enjoyable and competitive gameplay. 

Like any large-format display, proper design is paramount to the performance of a dvLED video wall. Lighting, the physical space, usage, applications, and electrical requirements are variables that can impact the image quality and viewing experience of a dvLED video wall in an esports facility and should be carefully considered before installation. Aligning with a manufacturer that offers comprehensive design and tech service and support on the job site can streamline this process and ensure optimal results. Also keep maintenance in mind. Replacement of individual modules comprising an dvLED display of heavy usage is not uncommon. Be sure spare parts are readily available and can be shipped quickly for minimal interruption in the esports action. 

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Daniel Evans, Senior Vice President of Sales at Magnifi

Competition in the esports industry is growing, and sponsors and fans are looking to engage with gamers and teams through more immersive and action-oriented experiences. One of the major advancements is AI-driven tools, which provide gamer creators and developers with rapid scalability, automation, and real-time and intuitive features, making it easier to create high-quality and visually engaging gameplay footage and sports highlights. This allows content producers, developers, streamers, or esports teams to focus on game strategy rather than the laborious tasks of editing and post-producing hours of gameplay footage.

There are also opportunities for AI to address the rapidly growing localization market, allowing creators to reach a larger and more diverse global audience with translated content. AI-drive algorithms can help creators generate living-world environments that are expansive, respond to players’ actions, and provide a fully immersive experience.

AI-driven tools also provide advances in marketing strategies and tactics, creating more monetization opportunities through automated branding and cross-channel publishing, among others. As fan bases desire more personalized and engaging experiences, global marketers are paying attention to the way AI can help them optimize their campaigns, create customized content, and build relationships in the esports and gaming communities. AI algorithms also offer predictive analysis for market and data insights and user behavior.

AI has applications for use across the entire esports production process, from generating content to creating non-player characters (NPCs) with humanlike intelligence—all ultimately driving sports and fan engagement. AI use cases in the esports industry are vast, driving the industry to new heights and providing unique and immersive gaming experiences to players at every turn and on every device. AI’s ability to automate repetitive tasks, analyze large amounts of data faster than humans, and streamline processes makes it a true game changer that is reshaping the way games are developed, experienced, and enjoyed.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Justin Strazdas, Product Marketing Manager, Video and Production at Roland

Esports is highly dependent upon the competitor’s reaction time, so while having the latest and greatest graphics card in their system can be a priority, it goes far beyond that with the range of peripherals required. For example, a monitor with low “input lag” is a critical component for split-second win-or-lose situations. They also need a mouse that suits the comfort and style of the player; some need to try several different models before they find one with the response and sensitivity they require to compete. And audio can make or break a competition if their opponent’s footsteps are lost in the mix. For that, there are audio mixers designed to deliver optimized EQ frequency adjustment and headsets that provide accurate sound fields. While there are many more pieces like keyboards and chairs that are necessary for long-term success, ultimately it comes down to the fans who make this industry a reality.

For them, immersive experiences within esports events rely on so many areas of technology to work, and it’s fascinating to see how quickly it has evolved in step with audiovisual and broadcast workflows. LED walls are installed in so many competitive spaces now, with creative panel layouts that not only provide magnified gameplay for spectators, but also assets like live statistics, game maps, and dedicated camera shots for each player. Video switchers are increasingly capable of handling the video sources required to provide a memorable experience for in-house and streaming audiences, with automation tools that are critical for executing complex show cues. I think the next frontier is gamification, as it presents many new ways to increase audience participation, reward fandom, and bring the community even closer to the experience. The idea that fans could collectively change the course of a competition is an exciting possibility.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Keri Manasa, Regional Director, Solutions and Consultants Team at Legrand | AV

Universities looking to construct esports arenas need to work on a business case that includes multi-use capabilities. A stellar example of an esports arena doing all the right things is The Fortress at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. They retrofitted an existing structure and built in flexibility to tackle anything from one-to-one or team-to-team competitions as well as graduation ceremonies and everything in between. 

They made room for that flexibility by adding T-trusses throughout the space to mount digital signage and speakers at virtually any weight capacity. This allows them to adjust the configurations to best suit the viewing experience for that particular match. 

One way they were able to target their budget dollars was to forego adding 4K or 8K capabilities. Most of the audience is watching the streams through tablets or smartphones, which are not 4K or 8K ready. For the price jump to accomplish 4K, they did not see the expected benefit. By eliminating this cost, they answered the needs of their current audience and took those budget dollars to invest in power and all the fiber connections they needed. A trench was dug into the floor to provide ample room to run power and cable.

As a side note, their rack room had limited space behind the racks, so they installed a garage door in that hallway for maintenance access and ventilation during gameplay. This sort of forethought showcases the type of out-of-the-box thinking that an esports project can require. 

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Jared Darensbourg, National Live Events Manager at Panasonic Connect

Esports is the fastest-growing sport in the world right now, estimated to surpass $10 billion in the next few years. And while sporting venues and arenas have their eyes on this growth, a more untraditional candidate, universities, do too. With admissions rates declining, universities have struggled to recruit the next generation of students. Esports offers a new channel to pique the interest of potential admits. However, it’s one thing to create an arena. It’s another to attract students, generate buzz, and keep players and viewers coming back for more. The right technology is the key differentiator.

One challenge that universities face when developing esports arenas is room. Often, they don’t have the space to create massive stadiums and therefore need to repurpose empty lecture halls, theaters, or gyms. In these cases, it’s important that AV teams incorporate immersive elements to best optimize the space and create a spectator-style venue. Projectors offer detailed, sharp, color-rich images that create the look and feel of a high-end esports arena. Projectors can also be used to project live streams of games, so players and viewers can easily watch and participate in the action from afar.

Yet live streams bring on new challenges too. For larger programs, there’s often multiple games happening at once, requiring audiovisual teams to seamlessly switch between different participants to keep audiences invested. To minimize setup, streamline workflows, and reduce the number of on-site personnel needed, AV teams can invest in live production platforms to easily switch between streams from one location to another. With ST 2110 capabilities, teams can be completely remote and choose to use PTZ cameras for on-site filming, with Ethernet to send streams back to control rooms.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: James O’Hagan, Vice President of Education Innovation at LeagueSpot

In recent years, the educational landscape has witnessed a significant shift towards integrating scholastic gaming and esports across all grade levels. This evolution reflects a broader recognition of the educational potential inherent in digital play. Schools, libraries, and child-focused organizations are still in the early stages of crafting secure, walled gardens of digital play, tailored specifically for their youth communities.

These digital environments offer more than mere recreation; they are spaces where game titles align with the values and objectives of their stakeholders. This careful selection ensures that the content resonates with educational goals, wrap-around supports can be included, and promotes a balanced blend of enjoyment and learning.

One key aspect of these digital playgrounds is their focus on protection. By establishing exclusive spaces for children and adolescents, educators and administrators can shield young users from external influences that might not align with their community’s ethos. This safeguarding is critical in an era where digital exposure is ubiquitous, yet often unregulated.

Moreover, these platforms serve as fertile grounds for honing skills vital for the future. Participants engage in collaborative problem-solving, strategic thinking, and digital literacy, all within a framework of structured play and positive adult interaction. Such environments also foster inclusivity, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to interact and learn in a shared digital space.

The role of audiovisual technology in these initiatives cannot be overstated. High-quality AV solutions are pivotal in creating immersive, engaging experiences that captivate young minds. As educators and technologists, our task involves not only providing the hardware but also understanding the dynamics of digital play in educational settings.

As this trend gains momentum, it is imperative for AV professionals to stay abreast of the evolving needs of educational institutions. This involvement can make a substantial difference in how effectively these digital playgrounds serve their purpose, thereby shaping the future of education in the digital age.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Michael Tuohy, Technical Support Manager, Just Add Power

The explosion of esports has caused ripple effects in the AV integration industry. Live audiences—numbering annually in the millions—have continued to grow yearly, with typically double-digit percentage point increases. With this surge in engagement, there is a growing need to leverage today’s signal distribution technology. AV over IP has become a go-to option to link gamers to the audience, allowing for a rewarding and immersive experience.

When distributing game video for a live or streaming audience, choosing a product that offers visually undetectable latency is of paramount importance. Seconds can be the difference between victory and defeat in a competitive environment. Audience immersion is lost when the spectator is a beat behind the gameplay due to high latency.

Quality is the next focus. Users and the audience want to see the detail and immense color range of modern gaming platforms. A fuzzy, washed-out picture or unclear audio will simply not suffice. Fidelity to the original content must be respected to ensure that details are not lost. When selecting equipment, look for 4K60 resolution with HDR10/ Dolby Vision, deep color support, and multichannel audio.

The final key tenets are scalability and reliability. Systems must be able to span large venues, accommodate creative device placement, and support flexible system sizing. Once installed, the system needs to work reliably; nothing breaks immersion faster than dropped video frames or lost audio. Make sure your chosen equipment is battle-tested and has robust support engineering available to back you up.

Focusing on these performance categories when selecting an AV-over-IP solution and applying creative energy to system design will ensure your esports program has an AV distribution system that will immerse gamers and spectators in the experience, and fuel growth in this exciting industry, for years to come.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Heather Blair, Senior Account Manager, Esports, LG Business Solutions

As a result of growing esports popularity, an increasing number of schools are launching esports clubs and competition teams as extracurricular activities for a broad range of students. Knowing that only 54 percent of students participate in traditional sports, educators have come to appreciate the surging popularity of gaming among youth. As of 2022, 175 universities have joined the National Association of College Esports (NACE), many of which initially became involved through student-run clubs that eventually joined organized, competitive leagues. As the competition heats up and attracts ever-larger investments and public attention, the number of participating schools is likely to continue growing.

In order for fledgling esports programs to deliver meaningful student experiences, they must first evaluate and consider whether their existing computer gear and infrastructure are sufficient to perform at a competitive level. These games typically require up-to-date gaming PCs with powerful graphics cards, while high-quality monitors and peripherals can greatly boost player effectiveness thanks to higher picture quality and brightness, better contrast, clearer communication with teammates, and highly responsive input devices. 

Some programs—particularly at middle schools and high schools—have succeeded in repurposing existing equipment and spaces to provide a cost-effective opportunity without encountering opposition. While esports is indeed growing quickly, there can still be obstacles—particularly at the K-12 level—in attaining funding and support from the school boards and administrators responsible for student and community needs. 

Institutions that want to address the widest swath of student interests and attract diverse student populations are helping put esports on an equal footing with traditional sports. Through the rise of scholarships, famous student players, and even fortunes made possible by allowing student athletes to sign sponsorship deals, it’s clear that esports has become an important campus activity and will continue to be an enrollment driver as the industry matures.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Mark Boyadjian, Senior Customer Solutions Engineer at Neutrik

Whether you are new to esports and gaming or regularly compete, manage, broadcast, or produce events—esports have become an undeniable global phenomenon. With numbers in viewership and attendance eclipsing traditional pro sports, the pace of growth requires an experience for athletes and spectators that rivals the biggest musical act concert tour.

Unlike traditional sporting events where the game field is supported by large and small displays around the field or venue, in esports the displays are the game field. Making sure that the gaming equipment on the competition stage is designed to be reliable for the competitors, with low-latency signal chains, is the minimum requirement.

Once the gaming field is set for maximum performance, we need to provide what the players see and do to the live audience and streaming viewers—not just a video feed, but an immersive experience that lets everyone feel like they are part of the competition. To succeed in this endeavor, there are design considerations: available budget, the size of the venue, from where attendees will view the action, broadcast booth location(s), secondary entertainment, food vendors, gamer art and gaming gear vendors, and available network speed—inside and outside of the venue—for streaming and social media interaction. Together, the answer to these questions defines what the athlete and fan experience will be.

If you are reading this and shaking your head at the complexity of creating such an experience, realize that there are industry professionals for each facet of live gaming events. If this will be an installed system for a school or esports venue, a systems integrator will be a great place to start. If this is a temporary or rental space, contact your local AVL rental house. Companies that manufacture the equipment used in esports spaces are also a terrific and typically free information resource for making sure the event has what it needs to be a success. 

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Jeanne Lewis, Senior Manager, Partner Marketing and Events at Sony Electronics

Technology is playing a pivotal role in creating more sensory and immersive engagement for esports athletes and fans—from playing to viewing. In order to set up a comprehensive and captivating program for venues, athletes, and spectators, you need to plan for and implement the latest innovations. Visually, POV cameras, like Sony’s SRG-XP1, are enabling unobtrusive access to players and capturing every angle of a tournament to provide equity for participants and viewers alike. In stadia, high production values are an expectation and professional-grade camera equipment that features elements such as the “cinematic look,” full-frame sensor technology and lenses, Super35mm sensors, high frame rate and other techniques often used in broadcast sports, can elevate esports events. Drones such as Sony’s Airpeak can capture crowds and athletes from the air to amplify the excitement and offer new vantage points. 

Large-format consumer gaming monitors, including Sony’s INZONE, help engross players, while professional displays like Sony’s pro BRAVIAs provide a wide viewing angle to accommodate spectators with detailed visuals and outfit a stadium’s retail spaces, quick service restaurants, wayfinding and digital signage needs. Projectors with high refresh rates can be used to display all of the fast-moving content. From an auditory standpoint, headsets such as Sony’s INZONE, which provide 360 Spatial Sound for gaming, are an essential part of an esports setup. Top-tier audio and microphones and accurate sound positioning can provide a player or spectator with the necessary spatial awareness to make them feel as if they’re a part of the game. With all of the different pieces of technology required for the most engaging experience, programs should consider a provider who can help them create a connected and efficient ecosystem that is a win for integrators, venues, players, and fans.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Mario Ponce, Senior Specialist of Market Development at Shure

From the livestream to the on-stage opposition, a successful Esports production requires uninterrupted, pristine audio to ensure competitors can communicate effectively and spectators don’t miss a split-second of the action, no matter if they are tuning in from home or the live audience.

To determine which audio equipment is required to sound extraordinary, first think strategically about the scale and layout of your esports facility, be it a fully equipped stadium or a bring-your-own-device LAN gaming center. Do you plan on creating a multi-purpose space that can adapt to users’ needs and different styles of competition? If so, you’ll likely find value in investing in both wired microphones and a wireless microphone system to accommodate this flexibility. You’ll also want to be certain you can support enough channels of audio to suit the needs of your space, post-match interviews, and large competitions.

In most scenarios, each competitor should be equipped with an individual microphone. A dynamic microphone with a cardioid polar pattern should be prioritized, as this will be the most effective at isolating the voice while rejecting background noise from other competitors and an audience. You will want to consider the microphone connection: Does it support XLR, direct-to-computer USB, or both? A microphone with both an XLR and USB output allows competitors to send their audio directly into their stream from their computer, while your audio engineer can simultaneously run the audio through front-of-house. 

Additionally, a wireless microphone solution provides an ideal solution for hosts, live commentary, and post-match interviews. Take the time to talk to specialists who can point you in the right direction, as there are multiple factors to consider that might not seem immediately apparent. To get the most out of this investment, it pays to think through how your facility will grow and just how scalable your wireless system will need to be.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Dan Holland, Marketing Manager at IHSE USA

The ability to obtain, gather, process, and distribute information effectively is key to gaining operational superiority. Many system designers have found KVM display management system (DMS) switching to be an effective means to streamline data access while maintaining an important level of security and data quality. System designers moving toward UHD video are depending on standards bodies to reduce the confusion surrounding the latest 4K and 8K technology. 

Emerging markets are taking advantage of DMS as well, including esports for tournament production. Attended by thousands of spectators in large venues and watched by millions online, these live events combine two production workflows: in-venue presentation and broadcast transmission. DMS KVM extenders and switches streamline both by controlling, switching, managing, converting, and delivering video and audio signals. In the venue presentation workflow, extenders provide the interconnection between player monitors and remotely located gaming computers, offering visually lossless video and instant interactive response to deliver the level of performance players’ demand.

For observers, DMS switches allow operators to instantly choose between live and recorded content for playout on massive screens above the players’ stage. In the broadcast workflow, switches enable production teams to create programming of the highest quality throughout the event, while extenders perform the vital function of translating between computer and broadcast frame rates, ensuring that live content is transmitted and replayed in pristine quality.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: John Hulen, Director of Channel Marketing, Education at Crestron Electronics

When considering the AV technology used for esports, choosing technology that introduces low or nearly zero latency into the signal paths is one of the fundamental factors. The quality of the video and audio processing, routing, and signal distribution will directly impact the playing and viewing experience. Crestron has created the DM NVX platform of AV-over-IP encoders and decoders, which work on standard gigabit Ethernet networks with less than one frame of latency and incorporate high-quality audio which is just as important as the video image. 

There are three common types of esports spaces: labs, training venues, and competition arenas. Each type of space will have different requirements to provide the most immersive experience for athletes and spectators.

Esports labs often require integration for USB peripherals and extension, point-to-point or source-to-display interaction, and the ability to scale. Whereas training venues incorporate additional control needs like coaches reviewing videos of players’ techniques and strategies. This flexibility enables a coach to highlight a single athlete’s play on one or several displays during a practice and then the ability to quickly reconfigure the room into a learning space. Finally, esports arenas encompass most, or all, of the above technology, along with further features such as video walls, audio routing, a shout casting booth, the ability to switch between multiple cameras and integrate streaming, as well as advanced control functionality. 

No matter the space type, intuitive touch screen controls are invaluable because many of these spaces will be set up, monitored, and managed by student workers or used when full-time employees might be away from campus. The experience is paramount in these venues and having a space that is easy to manage allows the technology features to shine. 

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AVT Question: Please share insight into setting up an esports program within higher education at any level, including the technologies that make a difference and the elements that create an immersive experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Thought Leader: Jarred Halenkamp, Sales Engineer at Absen

DvLED (direct-view LED) technology, when integrated by industry leaders like Absen, is essential in the world of esports and has the potential to transform esports events into unparalleled experiences. Absen, as a renowned manufacturer of LED display solutions, has played a pivotal role in advancing the esports landscape. Their cutting-edge displays offer superior visual performance, boasting high resolution, fast refresh rates, and vibrant colors. This level of visual clarity and precision provides a competitive advantage to players, enabling them to make quick, accurate decisions in the heat of the game.

DvLED displays not only enhance the player experience but also offer remarkable benefits to spectators. These displays can create captivating, expansive video walls, immersing the audience in the gaming action. This immersive environment can convert casual viewers into passionate fans, driving engagement and fostering growth in the esports community. We should be committed to providing a dynamic and captivating experience for spectators.

DvLED technology offers a high degree of flexibility in display configurations. Players and teams can have customized setups that cater to their specific needs and preferences, promoting player comfort and peak performance. Moreover, dedication to responsible sourcing and energy-efficient design ensures a more sustainable approach to dvLED technology, mitigating the environmental impact.

In summary, leadership in the esports world demands a deep understanding of the necessity and transformative potential of dvLED technology, especially when partnering with industry innovators like Absen. By providing players with the best tools, creating an immersive experience for spectators, and embracing responsible technology, dvLED can be the catalyst for a positive change in esports events, solidifying its position as the premier entertainment experience in the digital age.

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AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Joel Carroll, Executive Vice President of Sales at Mersive Technologies 

Collaboration components and software are moving beyond their original intent to interoperate holistically as part of a larger solution to supercharge both the display and the in-room experience. If the result is seamless, it can create deep engagement and increase return on the objective—not just investment. Collaboration platforms like Mersive Solstice that integrate with third-party digital signage providers and allow customization of the signage experience are a great example of this amplified experience in both corporate and higher-education facilities. 

We have one large higher education customer that uses Solstice in lecture halls, huddle spaces, and open spaces campus-wide. Rather than those displays remaining dormant when not in use, Solstice’s digital signage capabilities enable them to deliver valuable information and consistent messaging via what is essentially a customizable web page. News, advertisements, events, and other kinds of information appear as a scroll at the top of each display all over campus. Then, when it’s time to collaborate in a huddle space or learn from a professor in a lecture hall, the display becomes part of the collaboration ecosystem. Additionally, deep analytics inform the staff on how each room is being used and inform decision-making around how to deploy collaboration technology in additional rooms or adjust current spaces to make more efficient use of the space. 

Pushing the capabilities of digital signage even further, facilities can make spaces responsive to in-room sensors, leveraging digital signage in completely new ways with pages that are deployed when someone enters the room. This opens up huge possibilities for users to brand their displays and customize experiences for their audience. Repurposing a display to show interactive content isn’t about reallocating resources, it’s about using sensory-aware technology to serve up the exact message you want to give.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Sean Matthews, Chief Executive Officer at Visix

We continue to see the digital signage ecosystem evolve in new and exciting ways. Across every vertical, adopters have embraced the knowledge that digital signage is no longer confined to traditional displays. Every screen can now be an endpoint for a digital signage network.

Digital signage software suppliers have stepped up their innovation cycles to help organizations reach people across these many platforms. Hybrid workplace models have fundamentally changed employee engagement, and businesses have increasingly adopted digital signage to provide consistent messaging—over company intranet websites, smartphones, and even conferencing software solutions—to build a better employee experience.

The employee experience also ties into a critical new piece of the digital signage ecosystem: space booking and management solutions. While meeting room signs have existed for decades, the focus has shifted to bookable spaces. We now see interactive solutions that allow people to book any shareable asset or space, with the ability to integrate with existing calendar systems. These solutions should be considered part of the overall employee experience.

The success of any digital signage strategy ultimately correlates with its effect on the audience experience. Whether it is the employee experience, the university visitor experience, or the customer experience, audiences today expect screens to be lively and interactive. Without strong audience engagement, the digital signage strategy will fall short. 

Digital signage software innovators are helping their customers rise to the occasion, providing easy-to-use content creation tools and managed services to develop compelling interactive experiences. While “interactive” brings visions of touchscreens, there are other ways to create memorable interactive experiences. Consider adding QR tags to digital signage displays, meeting room signs, and wayfinding kiosks that allow people to take the information they need with them on their mobile phones.

Moving forward, we’ll see more integration of AI tools into the digital signage ecosystem—notably for content creation and data analytics that help organizations measure the success of their digital signage strategies.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Will Bear, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Crimson AV

AV and IT are closely intertwined, and decision makers must be attuned to various trends that can impact their purchasing decisions. Whether it's interactive displays, touch-enabled devices, or immersive technologies, there are some key trends to keep in mind.

First, as AV/IT systems continue to converge, seamless integration and interoperability become paramount. Decision makers should prioritize solutions that can seamlessly communicate and integrate with existing infrastructure.

Second, touch-enabled displays and gesture control have become a big part of digital signage solutions. Buyers should look for touch technology that is accurate, responsive, and supports multi-touch gestures. Incorporating intuitive touch controls enhances the UX and provides a more interactive and collaborative experience.

Third, immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are transforming the way people interact with content. Tech managers should consider how these technologies can be leveraged to enhance presentations, training sessions, and customer interactions. Immersive experiences can captivate audiences and provide a competitive edge.

Fourth, user-centric design principles should guide AV/IT purchasing decisions. Solutions should be intuitive, easy to use, and accessible to individuals with varying levels of technical proficiency. A well-designed user interface can significantly impact user adoption and productivity.

And finally, rapid technological advancements mean that AV/IT solutions can quickly become obsolete. Decision makers should seek scalable and future-proof solutions that can accommodate evolving needs and technologies. Investing in upgradable systems and modular designs can extend the lifespan of AV equipment.

Tech Managers should consider a holistic approach that encompasses integration, user experience, innovation, sustainability, and security. By staying informed about these trends and selecting solutions that align with their organization's objectives, decision makers can create immersive and impactful AV environments that enhance communication, collaboration, and overall business success.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Chris Teguh, Product Manager at Epson America

We are seeing a surge of interest in creating immersive spaces and experiences, and with that comes the demand for flexible technology to power them. Whether art installations, entertainment, or practical use cases like collaborative classrooms or ultra-wide displays in meeting rooms, high-resolution and large-scale display applications are on the rise, and there are a couple of AV trends that are worth keeping an eye on.

Display technology expectations in everyday life have risen significantly in recent years as retailers look for unique ways to attract consumers. Corporate spaces and classrooms are being designed to see and do more with their displays, and immersive entertainment is becoming more prevalent. As a result, there is a much higher demand for accessible and flexible display technology that can deliver immersive or ultra-wide displays across a wide range of environments. 

In addition, popular collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Teams Front Row, are optimized for a larger display size and ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio. With a wider screen you can have multiple windows side by side, such as chat windows, presentation slides, and documents. Having advantages over flat panels—projectors are a cost-effective solution that provides a lot of installation flexibility for wider aspect ratios like 21:9.

Epson continues to introduce new projector technology and tools that enable immersive environments for entertainment, schools, and collaboration. Offering flexible aspect ratios and smaller form factors, convenient installation, blending and stacking tools, and high-quality image and brightness, Epson packs impressive features into its extensive 3-chip 3LCD projector lineup. This simplifies decision making for AV/IT professionals—no matter what task is at hand.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Jordan Feil, Director of Marketing at Navori Labs 

AV/IT decision makers must realize that technology is changing and advancing more rapidly than ever. That means keeping one eye on the now and the other on the future when planning their next purchases. By selecting software providers that are forward-thinking and constantly innovating, they will always have a digital signage software platform that can address the latest industry trends and technologies.

This goal is more easily achieved through a single, unified software platform that can handle many projects, from standard digital signage and interactive kiosks to immersive and gesture-powered experiences. AV/IT decision makers must find a way to execute on any project or use case that comes up, without needing to deploy multiple different platforms.

The first hurdle to overcome is confirming that the software is reliable and that it works. Purchasers often get distracted by technology trends they see at tradeshows or in software demos, and rush to buy and implement without the necessary QA and testing. This often results in futuristic experiences that are unreliable and don’t work perfectly 100 percent of the time. Consumers expect snappy, responsive experiences—same as with our personal devices—making functional reliability paramount. Work with vendors that develop and actively support their software in-house to maintain consistency with the digital signage experiences you provide.

While interactive and immersive experiences are designed to impress and excite customers and visitors, never forget to include CTAs and conversion steps along with that wow factor. That may be as simple as gathering contact information from interested customers or offering coupons or other incentives to try out the interactive experience you have made an investment in for your organization. Finding ways to monetize your new experience can take the pressure off, because no matter what, their new project will bring in revenue and potentially pay for itself in the future.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Effi Goldstein, President at HDBaseT Alliance 

When it comes to digital display purchases, perhaps the primary factor AV/IT managers should take into consideration is the quality and performance of the visual content that’s planning to be presented. Of these, one of the most important aspects is resolution, especially as displays continue to get bigger in screen size. Furthermore, as DOOH becomes more immersive, higher resolutions without compression are needed to avoid pixelation or other artifacts that can diminish the viewing experience. However, with these higher resolutions also comes greater bandwidth and data transfer rate requirements, which can pose significant challenges for long-distance extension of the media from its originating source. In such cases, HDBaseT 3.0’s ability to transmit fully uncompressed 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 up to 328 feet (100m) over Category cable provides the ideal solution, and one that can even be daisy chained over and over without sacrificing signal quality.

Additionally, with standards and formats evolving so rapidly, AV/IT managers should also seek to implement solutions for future proofing their digital display installations with flexibility. One such way is through modular interface cards, such as those based on Intel’s Smart Display Module (SDM) platform. These cards are easily interchanged to provide displays with various functionalities and interfaces, including HDBaseT 3.0, and their small form factors make them compatible with even modern slim-profile screens. As a result, existing hardware can continue to be leveraged over time rather than be replaced as the system is continually upgraded. Not only does this translate into financial savings due to potential longer equipment lifespans, but also less e-waste finding its way into our landfills. In other words, green benefits on multiple fronts!

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Sam Kennedy, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Crestron

I’d urge specifiers to really think about the potential for multiple functions when it comes to these deployments: Can wayfinding double as interactive messaging, for example? Can an advertisement also become an interactive menu? The growth of interactive screens took off in the strive for contactless interactions at fast-food restaurants and hotels during the pandemic, and those possibilities continue to develop. From wayfinding to access control, the examples are limitless. Suppose you’re in a shopping center or a hotel: Tap the map, and you can find out what’s happening in that space.

That’s mainly accomplished by advancements in software rather than hardware. The next steps in this technology will be about simplifying the entire system—having fewer boxes to deal with. Less hardware means ease of installation, ease of management, and products that can be easily adapted and applied to both commercial and residential installations. 

I think it’s also tremendously important that organizations keep in mind what’s coming next: signage that delivers content to a specific audience.

One way to automate this content delivery might be density and occupancy sensors. Let’s use Crestron HQ as an example: If I know that on certain days of the week, the marketing section of Crestron sees a large number of in-person workers, but on other days most of my colleagues are working remotely, then perhaps I can change my content to deliver the right info for that larger group. I might choose to display information like benefits changes or agendas for team meetings when the screens are likely to be viewed by the most people. If I know that we have many in-person customer meetings on Tuesdays, then that’s when I’ll display content informed by my company’s branding, or a video that’s showing off our latest products. 

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Brian McClimans, Vice President of Sales, North America and APAC at Peerless-AV

When AV decision makers are planning for their next purchase, they need to keep in mind the power of using digital signage to create immersive experiences and increase ROI.

For example, in the case of advertising, the average American is usually exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day. A captivating visual presentation—possible with high-quality digital signage—can be the key to creating a memorable experience and standing out amongst the noise. Static signage is no longer enough when it comes to public, out-of-home advertising.

We can expect to see an even steeper rise in digitized out-of-home advertising with upgraded digital signage solutions, which save brands both time and money compared to static signage that needs frequent, manual updating and is less eye-catching. 

Outdoor-certified displays, kiosks in shopping centers, dvLED video walls in public transportation, and digital billboards are just a few spaces where digital signage can be used to catch the attention of passersby and communicate immersive messages in just a few moments. In fact, recall jumps to 55 percent when viewing outdoor digital billboards in particular, proving both the effectiveness and importance of digital signage when it comes to advertising. Having high brightness, high-resolution imagery, and a durable solution built to withstand elements can ensure digital signage maintains its quality and aesthetic appeal for long-term, effective usage. We can expect to see businesses upgrading displays that prioritize high power efficiency, lightweight solutions, and interactive capabilities.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Patrick Prothe, Director of Marketing at Audinate 

There are several trends to consider that reflect changing consumer expectations and technological advancements, ensuring investments remain relevant and impactful.

Content personalization continues to be a significant factor in most interactive experiences. Consumers are influenced in their personal lives by online shopping experiences and social media content curation that caters to their desires and interests. That curation is created by cataloging prior activity on the platform: What did they look at, like, or buy? What was their dwell time on the page? Did they leave a comment or review? Decision makers should pursue solutions that leverage AI to optimize content delivery and measure audience engagement.

More digital applications are being used to display dynamic, real-time video content that requires low-latency audio. To support this trend, particularly in digital signage applications, Audinate partnered with ASPEED to develop Dante AV-A. Dante AV-A extends the Dante AV portfolio to hardware based on ASPEED’s popular AST1530/1535 system-on-chip (SoC). It delivers high-quality video and two channels of Dante audio that are instantly compatible with Dante-enabled audio products, simplifying distributed AV system design.

Platform management and security are increasingly crucial for any digital solution. As these solutions become more interconnected, security measures must be prioritized to protect against potential cyber threats and ensure data privacy compliance. Adding oversight of interactive projects to an already taxed IT organization means that managing the platforms must be easy and intuitive. Remote management capabilities and cloud-based solutions for centralized control and ease of content distribution are must-haves for any solution. 

By keeping these trends top of mind, decision makers can make informed choices that align with their organization's goals, engage their target audience effectively, and create memorable digital experiences that drive results.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Brice McPheeters, Vice President, Product and Planning at Nanolumens

We understand that the ever-evolving digital signage ecosystem requires considering trends that will shape the future of an organization. With the advent of interactive, touch-enabled, and immersive solutions, the potential for transforming user experiences has never been greater. We believe several areas need to be considered when planning your digital signage projects.

First, the AV/IT industry is witnessing a surge in demand for bespoke solutions that cater to specific needs and spaces. Decision makers should prioritize vendors that offer customizable display options. An AV partner’s expertise lies in creating tailored, flexible LED display solutions that fit unique environments and enhance engagement, making them a frontrunner in this aspect.

Second, the integration of interactivity into displays is revolutionizing user engagement in various sectors, such as education, retail, and corporate settings. Touch-enabled screens, interactive displays, and gesture recognition technologies are on the rise. AV/IT decision makers should explore how touch capabilities integrate into their solutions, fostering a more intuitive and immersive user experience.

Third, in an age where visual experiences are paramount, investing in immersive displays can significantly impact user perception. Partner with a manufacturer that offers cutting-edge display technology that provides stunning, high-resolution visuals—captivating audiences with breathtaking imagery and seamless content delivery.

And finally, to ensure that investments remain relevant and adaptable, decision makers must evaluate the scalability and future-proofing capabilities of their chosen display solutions. Manufacturers should focus on providing scalable display options, coupled with upgradable hardware and software. This ensures their offerings are an ideal choice for AV/IT decision makers looking to stay competitive.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Travis Tuttle, Key Account Manager at Absen

AV/IT decision makers stand at the crossroads of technological evolution, facing an array of choices that will shape their organizations' communication and presentation capabilities. Whether considering interactive, touch-enabled, or immersive solutions, several key trends should be foremost in their minds when charting the course for their next AV/IT purchases.

First, user experience emerges as the paramount consideration. In an era where seamless interaction is expected, touch-enabled and interactive technologies offer intuitive interfaces that foster engagement. These tools not only facilitate collaboration but also enhance presentations by enabling dynamic content manipulation. AV/IT choices should focus on empowering users, and encouraging active participation and knowledge sharing.

Another critical consideration is flexibility. The modern workspace demands adaptable tools that seamlessly integrate with existing systems and accommodate evolving needs. Interoperability between different devices and platforms ensures smoother communication and enhances productivity. Decision makers should prioritize solutions that offer compatibility and scalability, safeguarding their investments in the long term.

Additionally, the trend towards immersive experiences cannot be ignored. Virtual and augmented reality are transforming how information is presented and absorbed. Forward-thinking decision makers should explore the potential of immersive technologies to create captivating and memorable experiences. These innovations hold the promise of transporting users to new realms of learning and communication.

Security must remain a steadfast concern. As AV/IT landscapes become increasingly connected, the risk of breaches and data leaks heightens. Decision makers should seek solutions with robust cybersecurity features, safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring the integrity of their systems.

The AV/IT landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, with interactive, touch-enabled, and immersive technologies leading the way. As decision makers plan for their next purchases, they must keep in mind the user experience, trends of flexibility, immersion, and security. By embracing these trends, organizations can position themselves at the forefront of innovation, fostering collaboration, communication, and success in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Daniel Prax, Global Director, Digital Marketing at Black Box

AV customers and integrators realize the growing importance of data analytics. The ability to capture and interpret vast amounts of data is increasingly crucial for businesses and institutions. Data-driven insights can enhance user engagement, optimize operations, and influence strategic planning. Therefore, decision-makers should prioritize AV/IT solutions with robust analytical capabilities.

Cybersecurity is also a trend that can't be overstated, since the risk of data breaches and cyber attacks escalates with the growth of digital connectivity. Therefore, secure AV/IT systems need to be an essential component of every organization's strategic plan in order to protect valuable information and maintain users' trust.

In addition, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are making their mark in the AV/IT landscape. AI and ML can learn from user behavior and create highly customized interactions, making these advancements highly attractive for future investment. These technologies can assist with automation, personalization, and improved user experiences. 

Furthermore, the importance of sustainability in the AV/IT industry is growing. More organizations are prioritizing eco-friendly options, focusing on energy-efficient equipment and seeking vendors who share their commitment to sustainability.

AV/IT decision-makers need to consider all of these trends when planning future projects. Although interactive, touch-enabled, and immersive technologies are important, it is also crucial to consider data analytics, cybersecurity, AI/ML, and sustainability. Considering all of these pillars of an emerging digital paradigm can drive both growth and resilience. Ignoring these trends, however, could result in missed opportunities and potential vulnerabilities.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Jeff Muto, Product Marketing Director at ViewSonic

As witnessed at InfoComm, the biggest trend in AV/IT right now is massive direct-view LED displays. These displays provide AV/IT teams with expanded choices for immersive, impactful, big-screen messaging. Direct-view LED displays ensure that office workers, students, and customers can view content with complete clarity. Most of today’s direct-view LED displays come with exceptional audio and video features, ultra-slim bezels, and detachable system control boxes. These minimalist designs make these displays perfect for corporate lobbies and boardrooms, school auditoriums, retail spaces, and other environments where an impact needs to be made without the cumbersome size and weight of traditional LED video walls. 

A traditional LED video wall takes time and is complex to set up, from configuration and calibration to image stitching and setting up control systems, which often must be purchased separately—not to mention there are long hours and technical barriers for IT teams. Then, there is the issue of maintenance, as well as hardware and software availability. Finally, these traditional video walls are more complex for users and require a specialized technician to operate. 

Direct-view LED solutions boast seamless image quality with an all-in-one modular design that simplifies delivery, installation, and maintenance. Imagine the time and manpower saved when it only takes two AV/IT people a few hours to set up a display anywhere from 135- to 200-plus inches. Plug-and-play design eliminates additional components and accessories, with everything included. Maintenance is easier with front-serviceable modules that do not require moving or turning the display off. Direct-view LED displays also have about twice the lifespan of traditional LCD video walls, without the noticeable drop off in quality after long-term use.

All things considered, direct-view LED displays offer lower TCO and better ROI in the long run.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Michelle Montazeri, Manager, Digital Signage at Legrand | AV  

A successful deployment uses hidden or “quiet” technology that feels like part of the space; it looks and feels like it fits.

The trends to keep in mind depend on the space we’re considering. If we look at the spaces that are expanding today—museums, amusement parks, and other environments where people are expecting an experience—immersive technology has all but taken over. It’s also not technology-centric, since if you are at a Disneyland, it should feel like a Disneyland. 

The other important consideration is putting the experience back into users’ hands. QSRs and even higher ed facilities are empowering the user to navigate as they wish. Consider an airport and how diverse the audience is—how different travelers prefer the experience of navigating to their flight. One person may want to use an app to order their Starbucks ahead to be ready by the time they get through security; another may go to the gate first, then head to the Starbucks and order in person at the kiosk. Successful integrations make it a smooth experience regardless of the way a customer wants to interact.

For higher ed campuses, standardization helps to bridge fragmented campuses. Those who have deployed successful digital signage applications recognize that having a single software platform makes a world of difference—not only to streamlining important tools like emergency messaging but to simplifying the experience for internal users like marketing and IT.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Tomer Mann, Chief Revenue Officer at 22Miles

AV/IT experts need to think about unification, compatibility, and simplicity across all devices. The right foundation is essential to designing digital signage networks that boast these traits without compromising the wow factor. 

Visual communications solutions should integrate with the organization’s existing technologies to share information and improve workflows without adding complexity. In addition, many organizations lack the resources to produce and maintain content on a regular basis, resulting in outdated and incorrect information. Decision-makers can avoid this trap by selecting a content management system (CMS) that supports automated content generation. In larger deployments, they can further ensure relevance by deploying content to specific locations; with the right CMS, it’s possible to set up discrete approval workflows by department or location. 

Choosing a CMS with a strong portfolio of API integrations is the key to success. Integrations can provide customers with easy access to important data, customizable visual experiences, and easy content deployment to support stakeholders throughout their journey. Partner with a CMS provider that streamlines the organization’s technology tools into a central access point for deployment and control throughout their digital signage system. Experts should ensure their CMS is equipped with a range of APIs to suit existing and future technology requirements. Customization should also be easy to incorporate, with an AI-driven approach to brand and content unification to make the deployment seamless. 

No two organizations have the same technology requirements, but everyone should demand that their visual communications experiences not only support but enhance their business’ technology and operations. To ensure adaptability and scalability for all projects, begin the digital signage discovery process supported by a broad range of APIs and operability across all digital devices. Then, future-proof your solutions with a dynamic back end and constantly growing API library for expansion without limitations.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Carrie Garcia, US Business Development Manager at YCD Multimedia

It's important to recognize the significance of staying ahead of the curve when planning for future purchases. Decision-makers must carefully consider trends to make informed choices that align with their organization's goals and target audience.

We see a major shift towards interactivity. Traditional static displays are becoming less effective in engaging audiences. Interactive displays, such as touchscreens and gesture-based interfaces, enable more personalized experiences. These interactive solutions encourage user participation, leading to increased brand engagement and improved information retention. As such, AV/IT decision-makers should prioritize investments in interactive technologies that cater to their specific use cases and enhance customer experiences.

Another vital consideration is touch-enabled solutions and BYOD. With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, people have grown accustomed to touch-based interactions. Touch-enabled displays offer intuitive user experiences, enabling visitors to navigate content easily and independently. Incorporating touch-enabled displays can streamline processes, boost sales, and foster better communication with customers or students.

Immersive experiences represent yet another trend to keep in mind. Virtual and augmented reality technologies have gained significant traction across various industries. Decision-makers should assess the potential of these technologies to create captivating and memorable experiences for their audiences. Whether it's showcasing products in 3D, providing virtual tours, or gamifying learning experiences, immersive solutions can elevate engagement levels and differentiate a brand from its competitors.

Lastly, AV/IT decision-makers must factor in the importance of content management systems (CMS). A reliable CMS is essential for remotely controlling and updating content across multiple displays and locations. It streamlines content distribution, ensures consistency, and allows for real-time adjustments, maximizing the impact of the displays. By partnering with innovative providers like YCD Multimedia, businesses can unlock the full potential of these trends and deliver captivating and impactful experiences to delight their audiences.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Dana Corey, Senior Vice President at Avocor

An essential for every breakout area, meeting space, and classroom is the large-format display—our specialist subject here at Avocor. During downtime, however, a display is often asleep and forgotten about until the next meeting or presentation. How can displays be working harder to earn their prime position in real estate?

A key trend is for multifunctional all-in-one solutions that work harder and make long-term sense for the initial outlay investment. Corporate and education decision-makers want to invest in solutions that can provide high performance but also deliver value.

At Avocor, we have forged an alliance with Rise Vision. Every Avocor display will now include Rise Vision digital signage software as standard, providing an out-of-the box multi-purpose tool for collaboration and digital signage use. 

These solutions resonate with IT managers and executives looking for efficiency but also align perfectly with market trends that are increasingly favoring integrated solutions. By turning displays into digital signage tools, it gives displays greater purpose and helps to reinforce a positive culture and informed workplace. 

This integration also creates a powerful security tool, providing instant emergency alerts across the entire network of Avocor displays on a campus. For example, if there is an intruder on a school campus, every classroom can be instantly alerted and given consistent safety instructions.

Rise Vision remote management simplifies the maintenance and updating across campus-wide display networks. What’s more, users can design and update digital signage content from more than 500 templates and relay this across the network, instantly.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Jeff Hastings, Co-Chief Executive Officer at BrightSign

One of the most prevalent trends we’re seeing is the expansion of digital signage well beyond traditional visual elements to create immersive experiences that capture the audience’s attention in new and innovative ways. We’re talking about multi-sensory experiences that connect with audiences more deeply than ever before.

At a practical level, this means that networks need to be capable of much more than simply delivering content to video endpoints. Instead, we’re helping our customers create robust networks that bring together video, audio, and other sensory elements to deliver experiences that connect with customers on a multitude of levels—deepening those connections and creating an impact that lasts well beyond the moment they engage with the brand.

A key driver of this evolution is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and a whole host of technologies that build on these platforms. Visual sensors, for example, can detect and interpret visual cues about the viewer and then tailor the content appropriately. While this technology itself isn’t new, what we’re able to do with it is evolving quickly thanks to AI and ML. Now those same sensors that detect demographic information about the audience can also measure dwell time and other important metrics to understand which content does the best job of holding the viewer’s attention. Taking this example one step further, it won’t be long until generative AI is layered on top of those analytics to automatically create better iterations of existing content to do an even better job of capturing and keeping the viewer’s attention.

We’re in the early stages of understanding how generative AI will impact our market, but it’s reasonable to expect that it will streamline (and in some cases automate) the delivery of content that is continuously refined to attract and engage audiences in a wide range of business applications more effectively than ever.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Camille Burch, Marketing Director at Neoti

Decreasing costs are driving innovative applications and broader accessibility across industries. In applications where digital space is sold to advertisers, users can leverage larger and brighter displays to realize a significant increase in ROI. Whether inside or outside, digital canvases are now leveraged to communicate information ranging from entertainment to data, such as a stadium scoreboard. Now, LED displays frequently run double duty as active workspaces, as well as digital signage between uses.

Innovation is foundational to the ever-evolving technology powering large-format LED digital signage. We are seeing four key areas driving exciting dvLED evolution: cost, creativity, customer engagement, and coaching.

Boundary-pushing designers love large-format LED displays! As a result, manufacturers are delivering more creative panel options that allow LED designers to flex their creativity with both original designs and retrofit. Neoti’s new half-width and half-height panel options, for example, were designed with content creators in mind, allowing for more creative designs and tighter curves. For signage content creators, these creative differences mean their content will garner attention just because it’s different.

Customer experience is the primary driver for all digital signage, so enhancing the user experience is paramount. Digital signage is now used for employee communications across corporate campuses, and even in classrooms as it replaces aging projection. It’s become a way of conveying important information to a host of end customers, so features like touch-enabled systems and the ability for multiple presenters become key drivers for LED solutions.

Integrators and end-users alike are eager to learn more about selecting, installing, and troubleshooting digital signage LED installations. A hands-on mentoring relationship with the manufacturer helps to form a partnership of trust and support that provides integrators and end-users a level of confidence when deploying new digital signage solutions. As solutions become more sophisticated, this relationship is essential.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Sonia Ochani, Business Insights Manager, Business Communications at Sennheiser

The landscape of AV solutions for collaboration in meeting rooms is constantly evolving, driven by the demands of modern businesses and their remote workforce. Organizations are embracing innovative AV solutions to foster productive, engaging, and seamless communication while encouraging content sharing and interactive experiences. As AV technology advances, decision-makers must stay informed on the latest trends to ensure they make the right investments to enhance communication and collaboration experiences.

When making purchases, AV/IT managers should consider adaptable AV solutions for varying room sizes and configurations that offer cost-effectiveness and future proofing; bring-your-own-device (BYOD) AV solutions that accommodate a wide range of devices and operating systems, empowering participants to share content effortlessly; AI-powered audio solutions that can identify and eliminate background noise and echoes, enabling participants to focus on the conversation; AI-driven audio calibration that optimizes sound settings based on the room's acoustics, ensuring consistent audio quality in different environments; and AI-powered video features such as auto-framing, person tiling, gesture recognition, and capturing room data. These components are growing needs in facilitating effective communication and collaboration in modern meeting environments.

One additional growing trend is seamless content sharing. Cable-free content sharing solutions are gaining popularity due to their ease of use and enhanced flexibility. Wireless presentation systems enable seamless sharing of content from laptops, smartphones, and tablets to meeting room displays without the need for cables or adapters.

Real-time collaboration tools, such as interactive whiteboards, annotation features, and digital notes that enhance engagement during meetings are also a growing trend. These tools allow participants to actively contribute, brainstorm, and collaborate on shared content.

And finally, spatial audio and 3D sound creates a realistic soundscape, making it feel as if the voices and audio cues are coming from specific directions in the meeting room, and enhancing participant immersion.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Paul Harris, Chief Executive Officer at Aurora Multimedia

Trends come and go but artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. The future of digital signage will be utilizing AI technology to target viewers' potential needs more accurately. Currently, when signage is displayed, it is generalized with the hope it is received by a certain percentage of people who can relate to the content. With AI, a camera can be used to help determine the number of people, age ranges, genders, ethnicities, and emotions in order to select the proper content to display at that moment. This will deliver a new experience with a higher probability of accurately displaying the individual’s needs, and deliver valuable data for the reactions to the content.

AI can be used to change the way we gesture to interact with the display—and not just hand gestures, but body language itself. Picture walking by a display and it knows you are sad or crying. AI could see this and react with something visually or audibly to make the person smile. Maybe there is a couple holding hands, and so something more romantic could be applied. It is all how the system is programmed and continues to learn from its own success of responses— visually and audibly. Even in this example, hand-holding is not enough to make a proper determination. There are other aspects to consider, such as age range, in order to distinguish a parent-child pair from an actual couple, as well as the possibility the pair is not even a couple. Regardless, it will never be perfect, as even humans can misidentify situations without formally questioning the individuals. What it does do, though, is increase the odds of a successful presentation and therefore an appropriate reaction to the presentation.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Rob Moodey, Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Matrox Video

It comes as no surprise that more and more of what we watch—wherever we watch it—is being streamed, rather than being a file that is saved and played locally. Even the content we are recording in the field is increasingly being stored and processed in the cloud. And what goes up, as the saying goes, must come down.

The lesson is clear: We need to look for AV/IT solutions that have a clear direction in decoding, and possibly in encoding too. 

There are some who say that codec functionality should be in software, run on a CPU, and essentially be part of a browser. Others will say that local hardware can provide decoding much faster than software. They typically use GPUs or other ASICs to provide the processing resource. And a third group follows the FPGA approach: still local hardware but not ASIC based. (ASICs are typically more power efficient than FPGA-based products but need a substantial capital investment in the first place, and that means vendors need guaranteed high sales volume to recover their investment.)

H.264 is the most widespread codec globally, and has been for many years. In some industries, like CCTV, other codecs, like HEVC, are changing the market. In digital signage, H.264 has been more resilient but, whilst still the leader, declining nonetheless. That is our second lesson: We can’t safely nail our colors to the mast of a single codec. 

Putting the two ideas together—buyers should be looking for solutions that have a roadmap that they identify with. If they are currently using H.264, are they thinking about HEVC, VP9, AV1 or some other in the future? Do the AV/IT products that they are thinking about—software or hardware—give them the flexibility to change their mind?

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Robert Luther, Product Manager, LED at Ross Video

In today's dynamic digital landscape, LED displays stand out as an influential platform for delivering engaging, informative, and inspirational content to captivate audiences. Understanding the technical aspects of LED displays, such as pixel pitch, resolution, and aspect ratio, however, is paramount in crafting compelling content in native resolutions. This helps ensure that content creators leverage the full potential of the technology’s wider color gamut and better gamma to take advantage of HDR capabilities.

Don’t forget, effective content creation for LED displays also goes beyond dazzling graphics; it now centers on the art of storytelling. Brands must be mindful of context, considering factors like location, audience demographics, and the purpose of the display if they are to successfully craft tailored content that leaves a lasting impact on viewers.

What’s more, creating dynamic content increasingly relies on embracing AI integration and regenerative content that adapts to real-time events, trends, or user behavior. And by utilizing data-driven insights, brands can personalize content to cater to individual preferences and create a sense of relevance, further enhancing the audience's engagement.

LED displays also present a unique opportunity for fostering interactive engagement. Content creators should explore interactive elements such as touchscreens, motion sensors, and augmented reality to invite viewers to actively participate. By transforming passive observers into engaged participants, brands can amplify brand awareness, facilitate customer interaction, and elevate the overall customer experience.

Given the range of exciting opportunities, the convergence of content creation and technology calls for strong collaboration between creative minds and technical experts. Content creators must work closely with LED display manufacturers and software developers to optimize content performance and ensure seamless integration. By leveraging the latest technological advancements, brands can push the boundaries of what's possible on LED displays to create truly unforgettable experiences.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Justin Kennington, President of the SDVoE Alliance

Interactive, touch-enabled or immersive technologies are all viable solutions for various applications, including corporate, higher education, retail, hospitality, and others. The trends of immersive technologies are constantly changing and evolving; they will continue to adapt to provide the user with an engaging experience. As decision-makers are planning for their next purchase of interactive technologies, it’s increasingly important that latency is one of the highest priorities.

With an interactive, touch-enabled or immersive display, milliseconds matter and there is zero room for latency. Once the user selects an on-screen button, the display should immediately react. Minor latency issues can be the difference between a positive, engaging experience and a confusing, disjointed experience. High latency can break the illusion of direct manipulation. If there is a delay between the user’s initial engagement with the screen and the action, it can make the user feel like they are not in control of the device, making it difficult for users to utilize the device effectively.

Fortunately, there is a professional AV solution that is perfectly suited for interactive, touch-enabled and immersive displays. SDVoE technology provides an end-to-end hardware and software platform for AV extension, switching, processing, and control through advanced chipset technology, common control APIs, and interoperability.

SDVoE is the only AV-over-IP solution that can match the performance of a matrix switch. It boasts a powerful processing engine capable of video manipulations such as scaling, cropping, and stretching. SDVoE enables end-to-end transport latency under 100 microseconds and fully uncompressed image quality for all HD, 4K60, and HDR signals with frame-rate conversion, colorspace conversation, chroma conversion, scaling, and compositing. With 8K on the horizon, SDVoE has standardized the first 8K AV-over-IP transport solution. HDMI 2.1 defines many 8K formats with varying bit depth, chroma subsampling, frame rate, and color space. SDVoE’s 8K technology supports these formats without adding compression or latency. 

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: David Colas, Product Manager, Digital Signage Solutions Professional Imaging and Visual Systems at Panasonic Connect

Where was the last place you saw a digital sign? It’s likely we all have a different answer, as digital signs reach 135 million people each week. That means retailers, universities, museums, and other venues leveraging digital signage will need to work harder to captivate their audiences’ attention.

What’s the secret to making sure content stands out amongst the noise? Here are two key trends that will come to dominate the industry: 

First, more organizations will need to implement a cohesive audiovisual ecosystem to create captivating signage. The average consumer digests visuals 60,000 times faster than text, so when stores, museums, restaurants, and universities incorporate unique visual elements, such as real-time video feeds, they can more easily capture the attention of their audiences and effectively share messages. Displays that connect with other audiovisual equipment, such as PTZ cameras, let operators overlay live streams and video feeds via their digital signs for more interactive content.

Second, organizations will turn to touch-enabled displays for better engagement and productivity. For example, touch-enabled signage speeds up the checkout process and reduces wait times by more than 35 percent. There are similar benefits in industries like education, where 73 percent of institutions believe digital signage is critical to operations. In the classroom, touch-enabled displays act as a smart whiteboard, allowing instructors to seamlessly change slides or alter content without having to move back and forth between the board and their computer. Educators will also leverage displays more frequently to better engage students in person, as they can more easily draw, highlight, and collaborate with content in real-time. Plus, they don’t need to worry about losing whiteboard notes to an eraser. Instead, the content drawn on the display can be saved and sent to students after class.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Michael Bernhardt, Director of Product Management at Christie Digital Systems

Choosing the right technology for your project is paramount. The biggest and brightest LED video wall won’t always be the best fit, and determining the technology depends on a few factors, including viewing distance, the location and surrounding environment, and budget.

LCD video walls remain the best solution for projects where guests will view the display up close and when the budget is a major factor. LED is available in a range of pixel pitches—from 0.75mm to 2.5mm—to accommodate a range of viewing distances. LED also creates a truly seamless look—where no bezels are visible between tiles—and the cost for LED displays continues to trend downwards.

Networking is another key aspect to consider. Digital signage and its infrastructure can become very complex quickly, especially in venues that have multiple displays or video walls that show synchronized content. Whether the displays support software for installation and servicing or are compatible with a control system, being able to adapt your displays to a wide variety of applications will ensure a user-friendly experience.

How content is delivered to your display, whether through a computer or media server, requires some consideration. Look for LCD and LED displays that provide flexible and high-performance image processing built into the display, which will allow you to visualize and manage content directly on the display. For large video walls, or for content with different resolutions or formats, choose a content management system or image processing solution that is flexible, integrated into the display, and has a broad feature set to ensure the content looks impeccable.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Mark Bohs, Director of Sales, Americas at Datapath

With increasing resolutions, brightness, and flexibility in management, digital signage is reaching new standards. Content can now be sent seamlessly across multiple displays, allowing for some truly spectacular and creative projects. We’ve seen examples of this with virtual ceilings and waterfalls in universities, offices, and shopping centers.

With increasing resolutions, brightness, and flexibility in management, digital signage is reaching new standards. Content can now be sent seamlessly across multiple displays, allowing for some truly spectacular and creative projects. We’ve seen examples of this with virtual ceilings and waterfalls in universities, offices, and shopping centers. 

Certain triggers can now change content automatically with AI applications, such as gender-related advertising due to footfall in a shopping center. The same displays can also have the potential to be used for security messaging, wayfinding, or bespoke promotions. This flexibility supports a safer environment, improves foot traffic, and provides additional revenue streams.

Video walls are becoming more interactive, but this does not necessarily mean they are touch screens. Instead, areas are reserved for users to share content on the wall. Or, a trigger can be used to display content on a certain region of the video wall. 

Versatility and ease of use is also an important trend. Our latest Aetria solution, for example, is purpose-built for control room video management but is just as comfortable running multi-source/multi-end-point content on a university campus. This content can be managed from a centralized location, as well as on a mobile device. Security is, of course, paramount, with user encryption determining user permission and access.

Many platforms have emerged to work with digital signage. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and as such, its place in the market. Datapath aims to be agnostic and can work with pixels generated by any external source and then crop, scale, rotate, and feed the display as required. This allows our products to be involved with multiple content management systems and allows the customer the choice of what is best for them. This flexible approach keeps us involved with many projects, whether large or small.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight into display technology trends, new form factors, and applications.

Thought Leader: Mark Bonifacio, Director of Business Management, Professional Display Solutions at Sony Electronics

There are many trends that we’re seeing AV/IT professionals consider as they upgrade or install new digital signage technologies. The first is the smarter and more strategic use of data. Stakeholders are extrapolating data and analytics from their technology—from its usage statistics, patterns, productivity trends, and collaboration results—to better inform their operations moving forward. Integrators and end users are able to fine-tune the systems to be more purposeful, flexible, and efficient based on the use case, environment, or needs.

Next is “always on” AV, which is repurposing technology not actively in use. For example, if a corporation, school, or church has displays in conference rooms, classrooms, auditoriums, or collaboration spaces that are only used for limited sharing of content, they can re-activate those same displays to share digital signage materials promoting internal messaging and events or socializing important news. This better utilization of resources also helps promote sustainability, another significant topic.

From selection to integration to implementation, sustainability is a relevant consideration. We are seeing that customers really value a company and product that understands and regards mindful usage and energy efficiency to help address ongoing environmental concerns. At Sony, sustainability is top of mind company-wide and we have several transparent initiatives and roadmaps to help our customers understand our commitment and objectives.

Finally, stakeholders are realizing the value of aligning with companies whose products are flexible, compatible with the tools they’ve already implemented, and work closely with other industry leaders. Through offerings like Sony’s Alliance Partner program, businesses are bringing together multiple vendors to deliver a complete AV ecosystem with enhanced productivity and workflow efficiencies. Designed for users who want to go beyond simply sourcing disparate products, partnerships empower customers with a more efficient and frictionless AV ecosystem, leverage the strengths of each provider, and add more value while minimizing frustration.

[On Next-Gen Audio: 15 Thought Leaders]

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for implementing next-gen audio into meeting spaces and classrooms.

Thought Leader: Carrie Kaumans, Corporate Channel Marketing Manager at Listen Technologies 

When it comes to audio best practices, first, consider the needs and preferences of your audience. Are any audience members hard of hearing? Will they need an interpreter? Will they be sitting, standing, moving around a space, or looking at a screen?

Second, ensure audio clarity and coverage by testing from various locations within the space. Listen for any potential challenges posed by HVAC systems, room acoustics, or background noise. Arrange seats or position speakers strategically to ensure clear audio for all listeners. If people need to step out of the space temporarily, ensure they can still hear the audio effectively.

Third, make sure that clear audio is accessible to all attendees. Assistive listening devices can assist individuals with hearing loss, overcome distance-related challenges, reduce the impact of background noise, and compensate for poor acoustics. They can also enhance the audio experience for everyone in distracting environments. Explore various options such as FM band, infrared, or audio-over-Wi-Fi systems, which cater to the unique communication and audio needs of different venues and participants, including those engaged in audio conferencing.

Fourth, invest in high-quality microphones and speakers to ensure optimal sound reproduction. Test and calibrate the equipment to deliver clear and balanced audio. Consider using directional microphones for capturing speakers’ voices effectively, especially in environments with significant background noise.

And finally, take steps to minimize potential audio interference. Keep cables and wires organized and away from sources of electrical or electromagnetic interference. Properly position microphones and speakers to avoid feedback loops or audio distortion.

Providing clear and accessible audio enhances the overall experience for your audience, facilitates effective communication, and ensures that your message is effectively delivered. By considering these best practices and implementing them appropriately, you can create an engaging experience. 

[15 AV/IT Thought Leaders On Streaming]

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for implementing next-gen audio into meeting spaces and classrooms.

Thought Leader: Joe Andrulis, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Biamp 

Although the evolution of hybrid work has introduced a host of new audiovisual technologies to help workers get work done from anywhere, audio remains the most critical function. From our own customer surveys, maintaining reliable, quality audio is mission-critical—more so than quality video—and the stakes are only getting higher. 

In the past, organizations focused their conferencing AV efforts on a showpiece boardroom for important and/or large “all hands” types of meetings. Now, those businesses are asking for potentially hundreds or even thousands of small meeting environments—each requiring scalable and easy-to-install AV solutions to meet the explosion of demand for unified communication tools.

To get there, installers and their customers must turn to automation to ensure these small meeting environments maintain a competent audio setup to ensure effective communication. After all, complex AV gear can be its own impediment. When a room doesn’t work as expected or is too complicated to manage correctly, it can be overwhelming and distracting to end users. 

Therefore, using audio system optimization features, such as automation, natural language processing, and predictive analysis, can vastly improve the relationship that users have with AV assets as well as room utilization. When rooms work and sound as expected, it also reflects well on the installer and the IT team that contracted the installer, which can lead to repeat business.

Offering customized AV setups deployed as a mass commodity is the surest way to achieve client delight. For the integrator, equipment that is easy to install, configure, use, and customize via automation will continue to gain share at the expense of complex, hard-to-use solutions. Mass customization is the new commodity. Fueled by AI and other automated tools, mass customization equates to happier clients, and more business opportunities.

[15 AV/IT Thought Leaders On Streaming]

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for implementing next-gen audio into meeting spaces and classrooms.

Thought Leader: Andre Reid, Vice President, and Head of Product Management for Audio at HP Hybrid Systems

Balancing work and home life can be challenging, but with the right tools, you can create a professional and supportive atmosphere that makes a real difference in people’s lives. Here are some audio best practices that enhance remote interactions and foster productivity. 

First, establish confidence in your audio presence. When you join a meeting, you want to make a strong impression and be present without interruptions. With cutting-edge audio tools, ensure your voice takes center stage while minimizing distractions from background noise. It’s about creating an environment where you can confidently express yourself without worrying about unexpected interruptions, like a bus driving by or your kids playing in the background. We believe in empowering people to engage seamlessly, focusing on the meeting’s content rather than technical glitches.

Second, empower users to avoid asking, “Can you hear me?” Nothing breaks the flow of a conversation like constantly questioning the audio quality. By investing in reliable microphones and headsets with exceptional noise-canceling capabilities, you can ensure that your voice is clear and professional, instilling confidence from the moment you join a meeting. 

And finally, take steps to combat meeting fatigue and boost engagement. We understand the toll that virtual meetings can take on your energy levels. By expanding the frequency range of human speech, audio devices allow listeners to capture the subtle nuances of tone and better understand accents. This promotes a deeper level of engagement and connection, relieving the strain of constantly trying to decipher what is being said. 

At HP, we want to empower people to thrive in hybrid work environments. By optimizing audio quality, we can enhance connections, boost productivity, and create a sense of togetherness. We understand that the little things, like crystal-clear audio and immersive interactions, can make a profound difference in building meaningful relationships.

[15 AV/IT Thought Leaders On Streaming]

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for implementing next-gen audio into meeting spaces and classrooms.

Thought Leader: Adam Shulman, Product Lead, Installed Systems Business at Bose Professional

People returning to hybrid work and learning environments is becoming the new normal, along with the expectation that regardless from where you participate in a video call or learning session, the virtual experience for both sound and image should provide people with the same experience: the ability to see everyone in the room up-close and hear every aspect of the conversations. Beam-steering microphones and auto-framing camera capabilities have quickly become the standard capabilities manufacturers need to incorporate into products.

The evolution of hybrid work also means meeting rooms are increasingly centered around a ‘user first’ and not ‘technology first’ experience. This means instead of users learning how to use the in-room tech in order to be productive, the tech is designed and interacts with users in already-familiar ways — like people using voice commands in their homes and vehicles, so why not in meeting spaces? Imagine walking into a meeting space where there’s no visible meeting tech, yet having the ability to host and control meetings all through voice commands — including sharing content.

The quantity of formal meeting spaces within an organization will shrink to adjust for a hybrid workforce and quickly evolving AI tech. This means meeting rooms will move towards the extremes of cost and complexity: they’ll be either low-cost, easy setup, small room solutions installed by the end user, or they will be fully integrated rooms with high-end features. Both will be very easy to use, but professionally designed, integrated, and monitored.

Meeting space and collaboration technology is no longer a luxury but is now a requirement for successful collaboration and meeting with clients, colleagues, and groups of people.

[15 AV/IT Thought Leaders On Streaming]

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for implementing next-gen audio into meeting spaces and classrooms.

Thought Leader: Sam Kennedy, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Crestron

We spend a lot of time in our industry talking about the “equity of experience.” Finding solutions that provide meeting equity in the hybrid workplace has primarily applied to video. 

But we need to remember that audio is still the most important part of any meeting. Even if video is unavailable, an audio connection still allows a meeting to proceed or a participant to join. Beyond that, quality audio is critical to proper engagement. Poor audio increases the cognitive load on meeting attendees and will create fatigue very quickly.

Delivering quality audio to every collaborator in a space is really about physics. Obviously, with a single mic, those closest to the device will be heard more clearly, and when someone in the back of the room begins to speak, the gain of that microphone needs to increase. This is why you need professional-grade solutions that can automatically adjust from speaker to speaker depending on distance.

The same holds true for loudspeakers: How do we deliver the same volume to everyone in a room, regardless of proximity? If speakers are fixed in a room, the right DSP solution can go a long way to rectifying any audio imbalance for the listener. (Quality DSP can also be beneficial in rooms with a lot of hard, reflective surfaces that can create unwelcome audio reflections.) The other option is to introduce a pod system that can distribute audio to a number of tabletop boxes that cover a specific area of the room. Add the right microphone to that pod, and you’ve solved your distance issues for both parts of the audio equation. 

Ultimately, the solution comes down to room size and application: A collaboration bar will suffice in a huddle room, but larger spaces will always demand more robust solutions.

[15 AV/IT Thought Leaders On Streaming]

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for implementing next-gen audio into meeting spaces and classrooms.

Thought Leader: Alan Young, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Information Security Officer at Mersive Technologies

Videoconferencing is evolving at breakneck speed. With teams dispersed across multiple locations, even small rooms and huddle spaces need to support remote participants. But there is a crucial part of conferencing that is often overlooked in corporate environments: audio. 

Compatibility and the audio design in the physical conference room are keys to conferencing success. First, you need a conferencing and collaboration platform designed to work with any AV employees may bring to the table. Mersive’s Solstice Collaboration Platform supports all operating systems, browsers, and conferencing solutions to create one predictable and universal experience. 

That means any audio device connected to any conferencing system is shareable under the unified Solstice platform. Solstice will treat audio from AirPods connected to a Zoom call the same as audio from a high-end audio conference microphone using Teams. Audio is routed from any device to all participants, exercising the BYOM utility inherent in the Solstice platform for a flexible room solution. The result is a new level of collaboration between on-site and remote users. Generally, the ability to share audio from different kinds of content varies by browser and operating system. 

When it comes time to share and collaborate in person, there are best practices meeting admins can suggest, such as advising meeting participants not to speak into their laptops but rather speak toward the mic. If meeting participants are sharing from their own laptops, ask them to mute their sound so there is no echo. As an admin, don’t turn your audio playback up too loud, which can cause those on the remote side of your meeting to hear an echo. These small details amass to build better experiences for all users, and ultimately help create meeting equity; remote participants will hear participants more clearly and have a better overall experience.

[15 AV/IT Thought Leaders On Streaming]