AVT Question: Please share insights and trends on AV/IT in the cloud, including the benefits and cautions.

Thought Leader: Roberto Musso, Technical Director at NDI

As organizations continue adapting to hybrid operations and geographically distributed teams, cloud infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important part of modern AV workflows. However, the discussion is often more nuanced than simply moving everything into the cloud.

In many cases, the real value of cloud adoption is flexibility. Organizations can deploy resources more dynamically, support remote collaboration, simplify content distribution, and scale operations without being constrained by fixed physical infrastructure.

At the same time, not every workflow benefits equally from a cloud-first approach. In professional AV environments, operational requirements such as latency, reliability, synchronization, bandwidth availability, and overall system predictability remain extremely important. For this reason, many organizations are adopting hybrid models where cloud and on-premises infrastructures coexist depending on the specific application.

One of the biggest shifts happening across the industry is the move toward software-defined and IP-based infrastructures. Rather than building isolated hardware silos, organizations increasingly want workflows that can adapt over time, integrate different technologies, and operate across multiple locations without forcing a complete redesign of the infrastructure.

This is where technologies such as NDI are helping accelerate the transition. By using standard IP networking and software-driven workflows, organizations can build infrastructures that are significantly more flexible than traditional hardware-centric approaches, while still enabling operation across local, remote, and cloud-connected environments.

This is also changing the relationship between AV and IT teams. Media workflows are no longer isolated systems; they are becoming part of broader enterprise networks and operational strategies. As a result, interoperability, visibility, security, and network management are becoming central considerations for AV deployments.

Another important trend is the growing demand for open and flexible ecosystems. Organizations are increasingly reluctant to lock themselves into a single vendor, workflow model, or deployment architecture. Interoperability is no longer viewed as an optional feature, but as a fundamental requirement for long-term operational flexibility.

Ultimately, the future of AV will likely be defined less by fully centralized cloud models and more by intelligent hybrid infrastructures that combine local performance with the flexibility of distributed and cloud-connected environments.

June came to a scorching hot close with Pro AV personnel announcements and partnership news, and that momentum has carried over to July. We had a Broadcast AV acquisition, while Adder, Ampetronic | Listen Technologies, Epiphan Video, and FOR-A made strategic appointments and hires, while Visionary, Chryon, and Owl Labs offer new trainings and services.

[The SCN July Issue Is Here: Dive Into an AI Future]

In acquisition news, Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH. This transaction is expanding its service portfolio to include in-depth expertise in the areas of studio and production technology, media IT, control center and control room systems, and customized hardware and software development.

As an independent company and an established brand with offices in Mainz and Vienna, BFE will become part of the Broadcast Solutions Group. The existing shareholders, Martin Dempf and Sven Hesselbach, will continue to jointly manage the company as managing directors. Peter Dinkel and Doris Hartl will continue to lead BFE in Vienna as managing directors. Customers and partners will not experience any changes to their points of contact, ongoing projects or services.

Now, make that cup of coffee, sit back, and get caught up on the week that was in your Monday dose of Pro AV Newsmakers.

Neil Hillier Appointed CEO to Lead Next Chapter at Adder

Adder Technology has appointed Neil Hillier as chief executive officer as part of a planned leadership transition and strengthened executive structure designed to support Adder’s continued growth, innovation, and global expansion. Additionally, Adder appointed: Paul Allen to chief financial officer; Jamie Adkin to VP of global sales; and Duncan Miller to VP global marketing and customer experience to bring together marketing, customer experience, and professional services and support.

Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transitions to the role of founder and executive chair following 42 years leading the business, with Nigel Dickens moving to Emeritus CTO. Hillier’s appointment aligns with the long-term stewardship principles established through the company’s recently announced Employee Ownership Trust.

Since joining the company in 2016, Hillier has played a key role in helping drive more than 70% revenue growth, building on the company’s global market position and helping shape its long-term strategy. With over two decades in the KVM industry, Hillier brings broad leadership experience spanning engineering, technology, operations and commercial management.

Ampetronic | Listen Technologies Strengthens Executive Leadership Team

Listen Technologies and Ampetronic have promoted Kevin Jewkes to SVP of global revenue and named Alan Kennedy VP of operations. Jewkes is responsible for Ampetronic | Listen Technologies’ overall sales strategy, sales operations, team leadership, and global go-to-market execution across North America and international markets. He strengthens and grows channel and partnership programs and works with the chief marketing officer and also collaborates with product management to ensure customer and market insights inform product strategy.

Kennedy is responsible for the strategy, performance, and scalability of the organization’s operational engine. He ensures that supply chain, manufacturing, logistics, quality, facilities, and IT operate as a unified system to reliably deliver products, support growth, and meet customer commitments. His background and experience are well-suited to translating company and product strategy into operational architecture that will enable the organization to scale efficiently.

Daktronics Sarah Rose Inducted to IDEA Hall of Fame

Sarah Rose, VP of global services at Daktronics will be honored by the Information Display & Entertainment Association (IDEA) at the 2026 IDEA Conference in Cincinnati, OH. Rose, along with John Adams of The Score, are two long-time fixtures in the sports industry who will be inducted into the IDEA Hall of Fame at a formal ceremony on July 15 during the conference.

Rose leads Daktronics’ global technical and professional services teams. She ensures they are fully equipped to deliver an outstanding customer experience by fostering a learning approach, both internally and externally. Previously, she managed the service teams for large sports venues, rental and staging, and international markets.

She has been a regular IDEA Conference attendee and influencer for more than 25 years. She represented a Daktronics team that received a total of 14 Allied Achievement GMAs and the President’s award in 1999. Her passion and activism for IDEA are always on display, serving on various committees, including Women and Inclusion & Outreach, which introduces high school and college students to careers in the industry.

Epiphan Video Appoints George Birchall as Chief Executive Officer

Epiphan Video has appointed George Birchall as chief executive officer. Birchall, formerly chief commercial officer, succeeds founder Mike Sandler, who will transition into the role of president.

Birchall has played a central role in expanding Epiphan's global commercial operations, deepening partner engagement, and driving the adoption of Epiphan solutions across multiple markets. As CEO, he leads the company's day-to-day operations, strategic growth initiatives, and ongoing investments in innovation.

FOR-A America Expands U.S. Sales Team

FOR-A America has added two regional sales leaders. Both Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz come with a wealth of experience in SaaS platforms, AI-driven live production technology, and IP-based workflows. Cruz and Wray help advance customers’ vision and success with revived energy and excitement.

Wray’s sales and project management experience extends beyond media and entertainment to telecommunications, working with companies such as NEP, Ross Video, and Barco. Cruz led business development for the Corporate, Education, and Government segments of Sony Professional and Phantom/Vision Research, and most recently drove the global promotion and sales acceleration of SMPTE ST 2110 and IPMX solutions for Macnica Americas.

Company News

BirdDog's Entire Product Line Is Now NDI 6.3 Compatible

NDI announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its entire product lineup of cameras, encoders, and decoders. BirdDog hardware now natively supports NDI 6.3’s enhanced discoverability features. Those features include active Discovery Server registration through the new Sender Advertiser APIs, hostname-based device grouping, and real-time property broadcasting. This makes scalable IP video deployments far simpler, especially in segmented enterprise networks where that kind of simplicity has historically been difficult to achieve.

Before NDI 6.3, scaling across subnets was manual and complex. Discovery Server setup, IP tracking, and mDNS limitations made it difficult for sources and receivers to connect across VLANs. NDI 6.3 fixes that at the protocol level. Compatible BirdDog devices now auto-register with a central Discovery Server, route video via unicast, and send real-time status updates, significantly reducing deployment overhead.

Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy:

The all-new Chyron Academy has officially launched, a ground-up redesign of the company’s product-training platform. Built on a fully custom, Chyron-branded learning experience, the new Academy replaces Chyron’s previous training system based on a third-party platform and launches with learning content covering the latest version of PRIME, Chyron’s flagship real-time broadcast graphics platform.

Chyron Academy is designed to serve two audiences at once: Customers and freelancers training on PRIME for the first time, and longtime Chyron users looking to become experts in the platform’s latest capabilities. Over the life of the previous legacy training program, more than 3,700 broadcast professionals registered to train on Chyron products, earning nearly 1,900 belt certifications across PRIME, PAINT, and Click Effects, including more than 60 Certified PRIME Black Belts worldwide. Chyron has transitioned that community to the new platform, migrating more than 950 current learners, along with the full certification history for every learner.

The redesigned Academy centers on a PRIME Belt certification path, taking learners through four levels—Yellow (Designer Basics), Green (Intermediate), Blue (Advanced), and Black (Expert)—with earned badges and completion dates appearing on each learner’s dashboard as a visual record of skill mastery. Every course module pairs a demo with a hands-on, full-screen simulation, so learners practice real PRIME workflows, such as building a lower-third graphic step by step, rather than passively watching video. An animated progress dial fills as learners complete demos, simulations, and quizzes, with a belt certification awarded automatically at 100% completion. Learners can enroll and move through the belt levels at their own pace. The program is suitable for individual learners, or supervisors or instructors can monitor the progress of their teams. The platform launches with five published PRIME courses spanning roughly 150 hands-on lessons, demos, simulations, and quizzes combined.

Owl Labs Launches Owl 360 Services

Owl Labs recently introduced Owl 360 Services, its first subscription service built to meet the needs of IT administrators. As organizations look to support hybrid work with deeper video enablement across more spaces, Owl 360 Services delivers three subscription tiers, offering dedicated support, centralized device management, proactive insights, and warranty coverage scaled to the size and complexity of the deployment.

The newly launched, highest-value Enterprise tier delivers a premium channel partner-only offering with advanced analytics, dedicated account management, and four-year warranty coverage, while the Enhanced tier will follow soon in Q3 with advanced analytics, dashboards, and API integrations. Every Owl Labs device is enrolled in the Core tier at no additional costs, giving all customers built-in analytics from the start. All three tiers provide unique insights, including talk-time insights, meeting duration tracking, visibility into the most frequently used devices and rooms, bulk deployment capabilities, reliable update management, and improved device tracking.

PlexusAV Appoints SINIUS PRO GmbH as New Distribution Partner

PlexusAV appointed SINIUS PRO GmbH as its distribution partner for Germany. The partnership will support PlexusAV’s continued growth in the German market, providing system integrators and AV professionals with access to its high-performance, open-architecture AV over IP solutions based on the IPMX standard.

The announcement follows a meeting at the EAV Group Solution Center in Heilbronn, Germany, bringing together the PlexusAV and SINIUS PRO teams. Through this partnership, SINIUS PRO will provide local market expertise, technical support and access to PlexusAV’s AV over IP solutions for system integrators and AV professionals across Germany.

Screen Innovations and Shade Innovations Unleash AI-Powered Support Agent

Screen Innovations (SI) and Shade Innovations have unveiled ATEN, an AI-powered support assistant built exclusively for its global network of dealers and installers. Named after the ancient Egyptian sun god whose light reached everyone, everywhere, ATEN was designed to provide instant access to SI expertise—anytime, from anywhere. Whether at a desk, on a jobsite, or atop a ladder on a late Sunday evening, dealers and installers can access accurate guidance and answers in seconds through text or voice.

Purpose-built for the custom integration industry, ATEN has been trained on SI's extensive library of product documentation, recorded support calls, installation guides, specifications, technical resources, and support knowledge. ATEN delivers immediate assistance across the company's entire portfolio, including motorized screens, window coverings, Black Diamond, SI Motor Technology, Zigbee and PoE protocols, the SI Ecosystem, drapery solutions, and more.

Visionary Level 1 Technical Training Approved for AVIXA CTS Renewal Units

Visionary Solutions' Level 1 Technical Training has been approved by AVIXA as a CTS Renewal Unit (RU) Provider course. The in-person training program is approved for 3.5 renewal units for CTS, CTS-D, CTS-I and Audiovisual Network Professional (ANP) certifications through May 31, 2028.

Visionary's Level 1 course provides an introduction to Visionary's AV over IP product portfolio and the foundational knowledge required to deploy audiovisual systems. Designed for system integrators, IT professionals, and technical support personnel new to Visionary products, the course covers network configuration, VLite installation and operation, encoder and decoder configuration, deployment best practices, third-party control integration, and system troubleshooting.

Participants gain an understanding of core AV over IP concepts, Visionary's product portfolio and system architecture, network considerations for reliable audiovisual distribution and best practices for system design and deployment. Course participants will learn how to deploy Visionary's solutions in bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environments and configure VLANs to separate video and audio traffic across different networks. The hands-on curriculum also covers endpoint configuration and management, troubleshooting techniques and operational workflows commonly encountered in professional AV environments.

Bell Bank is one of the largest family-owned banks in the United States, built on a culture of connection and community. Bell Tower, the company’s Fargo, North Dakota headquarters, is a 14-story, 105,000-square-foot facility that serves as the hub for the institution. As such, the Town Hall section of the corporate headquarters needed to reflect that central focus with a space that went beyond the traditional corporate model of a boardroom or meeting room.

Bell Bank envisioned a dynamic, multi-functional environment serving as a collaborative center for meetings and training sessions that can then transition seamlessly into a professional production space for high-level events such as receptions, presentations, and more.

To bring this vision to life, Bell Bank turned to FARBER Sound – Venue Transformation, leveraging a long-standing partnership built on a deep understanding of the bank’s operational culture. A project of this scope demanded a proven power control foundation. For FARBER, that meant incorporating LynTec into the project.

A Core Challenge

The core challenge was significant: the Town Hall needed to function simultaneously as a multi-purpose event space and a broadcast-capable facility. That dual mandate required integrating a wide range of disparate audio, video, and lighting (AVL) systems spanning everyday presentation gear, a professional mixing console and stage box network, multi-camera 4K capable video production infrastructure, architectural lighting, and a full complement of event and entertainment lighting fixtures. Each system category carries its own power requirements, startup dependencies, and operational profiles. The task was to unify all of those elements under a single, intelligent power control solution that could adapt automatically to whatever mode the room needed to be in, without placing the burden of technical management on the bank’s staff.

To address this, FARBER’s system designer, Cory Deming, specified a LynTec RPC-384 power control panel as the backbone of the entire AVL system. The RPC-384 manages sequenced power distribution across all AVL subsystems, ensuring every component powers on and off in the correct order based on the active room configuration. “We have been using LynTec products for decades and were confident this would be the correct product to handle the Town Hall requirements,” Deming said.

Beyond on-site performance, the RPC-384 also enables FARBER’s team to monitor system performance and handle the majority of troubleshooting remotely from their headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota, reducing the need for on-site service calls and providing Bell Bank with a responsive support infrastructure.

Physical flexibility was built into every layer of the design as well: the stage was engineered in full, half, and quarter configurations, complete with an ADA-accessible ramp, with the entire assembly storable out of sight when not in use. The Chauvet Pro and GLP moving-head lighting fixtures can be repositioned into preset looks saved to the control system and executed on any touch panel in the room, eliminating the need for ladders or manual repositioning between events.

Working in close collaboration with the architectural team, Farber integrated multi-angled acoustic ceiling clouds to optimize sound diffusion while contributing to the visual identity of the space. A proscenium design and curtain system enable dynamic theatrical reveals and adaptable performance configurations, giving the room a range of presentation modes that would feel at home in a professional venue. Detailed EASE acoustic modeling guided targeted treatments to parallel walls and other reflective surfaces, improving speech intelligibility across all event types. The result is a room where under-the-hood complexity stays invisible, and the experience remains focused on the content.

“Bell Bank needed a space that could do two very different jobs without feeling like either one was a compromise," said Dave Farber, owner of FARBER. "The only way to make that work is to get the power architecture right from the start. Our experience working with LynTec products in other projects gave us the confidence that the RPC could handle an installation this complex.”

A Unified Solution

The RPC-384 provides the unified power control foundation that makes the dual-purpose room architecture practical. The production backbone it manages includes a Yamaha DM7-EX digital mixing console, a 20Gbit redundant fiber network supporting AVoIP, Dante, GreenGO, HiQnet, NDI, and sACN protocols, and a 12G SDI video infrastructure anchored by Panasonic 4K PTZ cameras, a FOR-A production switcher, and AJA matrix routing. The architectural and event lighting system centers on Chauvet Pro and GLP moving-head fixtures and wash units, all addressable and positionable from the room’s touch panels. The front-end interface throughout is an Extron control system, providing staff with a clean, intuitive surface for day-to-day operation regardless of what is running beneath it.

By interfacing the Extron control system directly with the LynTec RPC-384, FARBER turned power management into a background function. When a staff member taps a touch panel to configure the room, the RPC-384 sequences power to the appropriate equipment automatically. A simple presentation mode enables only the necessary audio and video components. A full Town Hall production spins up the complete system, including the control booth, only when dedicated technicians are on-site. Bank staff operate a professional-grade venue confidently, regardless of their technical background.

There will be many trends circulating the InfoComm show floor in 2026, and standards are always front and center. Whether it is IPMX, SDVoE, NDI, or a bevy of other AV over IP standards, manufacturers have the products and solutions you need to bring installations to life.

[SCN's InfoComm Impulse Preview Series]

Take a peak at what these nine booths will be showcasing, but bookmark this page and check back, as we will update with more as we hear more to have you prepped for the show.

AIMS to Advance IPMX Education 

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) will focus on Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX) education. Through expert-led sessions and the development of its Official IPMX Training Series, the organization will provide the Pro AV industry with the knowledge required to design and deploy IPMX-based AV over IP systems.

At booth C7487, AIMS will provide live demonstrations of IPMX-certified products and tools, illustrating how IPMX enables seamless integration across AV systems while supporting both Pro AV and broadcast requirements. It will also launch the Official IPMX Training Series, a free online program designed to help the Pro AV community better understand, design, configure, and deploy IPMX-based AV-over-IP systems. Structured as a three-level curriculum covering foundations, systems design, and advanced networking concepts such as PTP and SMPTE ST 2110, the program provides a practical path for engineers and integrators building AV-over-IP infrastructures.

Additionally, Andrew Starks, AIMS board of directors’ member and director of product management for Macnica, will present the session “How IPMX Expands Live Production Beyond Broadcast” on Tuesday, June 16, from 1:30-2 p.m. local time in meeting room W232. On June 18, Samuel Recine—AIMS board of directors’ member and vice president of global strategic partnerships at Matrox Video— will co-present “IP for Corporate Broadcast AV” from 1:30-3 p.m. in room W231.

Aurora Multimedia Introduces Dante/AES67 Over Wi-Fi

Aurora Multimedia will be showcasing its new architecture designed to enable Dante and AES67 audio networking over Wi-Fi infrastructure. Aurora’s newly developed wireless architecture enables Dante/AES67 audio streams to operate across modern Wi-Fi environments, opening new possibilities for flexible system design and deployment.

The new wireless architecture is designed to integrate with existing Dante-enabled ecosystems while leveraging enterprise wireless networks commonly deployed in corporate, educational, and public environments. These include flexible collaboration spaces; higher-education learning environments; live event production and temporary installations; rapid deployment AV systems; and historic buildings where cabling infrastructure is limited.

You can find out more from Paul Harris in our SCN InfoComm 2026 Impulses.

AVPro Global Brands to Showcase Its Growing Ecosystem 

AVPro brands (AVPro Edge, AudioControl Pro, RTI, Murideo, Bullet Train, ProControl, and ThenAudio) will showcase its growing ecosystem through a series of immersive, application-driven demos designed to mirror real-world commercial environments at booth C7028.

One such solution will be the AVPro Edge MXnet USP Series, the next generation AV over IP ecosystem designed to create hybrid AV systems. USP is built on AVPro Flow technology, aimed to provide native interoperability with conferencing platforms, camera systems, recording/streaming solutions, and production equipment, creating a unified platform for modern deployments.

The newest ConferX matrix switcher from AVPro Edge delivers features designed for commercial integrators. Instantly switch between HDBaseT and HDMI sources with side-by-side display and scaling options built for commercial applications. Features include HDBaseT inputs compatible with the latest ConferX HDMI/USB wall plates, RS-232 control, HDMI stream control, 5-volt toggle for CODEC disconnection, and aspect ratio conversion for ultra-wide displays.

Cobalt Digital to Showcase End-to-End IPMX Ecosystem

Cobalt Digital will highlight its expanding IPMX ecosystem at booth N7163, engineered to bring broadcast quality to Pro AV applications. The lineup includes standalone signal processors, audio monitors, multiviewers, gateways, converters, encoders, and decoders that make SMPTE ST 2110 workflows easy to deploy, manage and scale.

Designed for systems integrators as well as end users, Cobalt’s interoperable IPMX certified product portfolio provides a straightforward migration path from SDI to IP—delivering the flexibility and scalability of ST 2110 without the complexity traditionally associated with high-end IP infrastructures.

At the center of Cobalt’s InfoComm lineup is the new COBALT blueCORE family of fully featured standalone signal processors designed to bridge SDI and ST 2110/IPMX environments with exceptional versatility. blueCORE combines the audio and video processing functions required for live production and AV signal management into a single 1RU device. blueCORE’s self-contained architecture makes deployment fast and simple: power up the unit, connect signals, and it is ready to operate with or without a computer.

Also on display will be enhancements to the COBALT PACIFIC compression platform including a new ST 2110/IPMX output option for the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-DEC upgradeable software-defined decoder. The enhancement allows decoded content to be available simultaneously over SDI and ST 2110/IPMX. The device includes a built-in frame sync that can be configured to emit a PTP-locked signal for ST 2110 operation. Cobalt also leverages the PACIFIC line to deliver a complete solution for interconnecting IPMX sites over the Internet. The PACIFIC 9992-ENC “IPMX-to-Internet” gateway appears as a destination within the NMOS controller at the sending site, enabling any patched content to be transmitted instantly to the corresponding PACIFIC ULL-DEC “Internet-to-IPMX” gateway at the receiving end.

Covid Introduces 20 Gbps USB-C Cable Built for Pro AV Installations

Covid will introduce the USBC-G2P60 at booth C8859. This high-performance USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 cable was engineered for Pro AV and commercial environments requiring reliable high-speed data, consistent power delivery, and extended installation lengths.

Delivering up to 20 Gbps bandwidth and 60W Power Delivery, the USBC-G2P60 is designed to support conferencing, collaboration, digital signage, and device connectivity applications where performance and reliability are critical. Available in 6, 10, 12, and 15-foot lengths, the cable features USB-C male-to-male connectivity, RoHS compliance, and a durable construction designed for everyday professional use.

Covid will also be expanding its panel-mounted Terminal Block Pigtail Connector line, and will introduce the EHW-210, a 4K 60Hz Wireless HDMI KVM Extender designed to deliver high-performance wireless AV, broad touch-screen compatibility, and one-to-many distribution in a cost-effective platform.

HDBaseT

The HDBaseT Alliance will reveal how the technology addresses today’s evolving system-level challenges, including complex USB workflows and the rapid growth of multi-camera environments driven by AI-enabled applications at booth C8759.

Celebrate 15 years of HDBaseT technology and its role in shaping modern Pro AV connectivity with the Alliance at its booth. Since its founding by LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Valens Semiconductor, HDBaseT has delivered reliable, uncompressed, long-distance, plug-and-play connectivity over a single Category cable. The Alliance booth will include a Power Wall display featuring 70 new products and solutions from over 30 HDBaseT Alliance members, demonstrating the diversity of HDBaseT across verticals. 

Demonstrating the continued evolution of the HDBaseT ecosystem, HDBaseT chipset provider Valens Semiconductor will introduce the VS6310, the company’s newest low-power USB3 extension solution, compliant with the HDBaseT-USB3 standard. The VS6310 is designed for integration into a broad range of professional AV applications, including active cables and embedded products such as e/PTZ cameras, video bars, touch controllers, and other USB-enabled devices.

MSolutions to Expand MS-DP-ALT Series with HDMI-Enabled USB-C Extension Solution

MSolutions will debut the latest evolution of its innovative MS-DP-ALT Series at booth C7685. MSolutions will showcase the new MS-DPA-HCP, a single-cable USB-C extension solution that adds a switchable HDMI input for expanded source flexibility in meeting rooms, classrooms, auditoriums and collaborative spaces.

The new MS-DPA-HCP continues MSolutions’ strategy of simplifying modern AV connectivity through streamlined USB-C transport over category cable infrastructure. The series extends DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt Mode) signals over a single category cable, enabling transport of 4K video, USB data, and power through one streamlined connection.

The MS-DPA-HCP introduces automatic switching between permanent in-room HDMI sources and guest USB-C laptop connections, solving a common challenge in modern BYOD meeting environments. In a typical conference room installation, a permanently installed PC can remain connected through HDMI while guest presenters automatically switch to their laptop connection when plugging into the USB-C interface.

NDI to Host Live Demos, AI Video Workflows and Developer Session

NDI will be at booth C7572 in Central Hall with a packed agenda for developers, integrators, and AV professionals. Visitors can see live demos of NDI 6.3, featuring real-time stream insights, performance tracking, multi-location production with distributed source management, and AI-ready metadata workflows. A live Zoom integration demo will also illustrate how NDI is bringing broadcast-grade quality into enterprise collaboration environments.

On the education side, NDI technical director Roberto Musso will lead "Introduction to NDI Development" on Tuesday, June 16 from 4-5 p.m. local time at W203/W204, offering developers a hands-on on-ramp to building on NDI.

PlexusAV to Introduce "Final Piece" of AV over IP Portfolio

PlexusAV will officially unveil its new flagship P-AVN-6-S transceiver at booth C10301. The P-AVN-6-S is a high-performance uncompressed IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110 solution with native 12G-SDI I/O, designed to bridge traditional SDI infrastructure and modern IP-based workflows across a single open-standard network. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with PlexusAV devices and cross-vendor AV solutions.

Purpose-built for live events hybrid production environments and Pro AV applications demanding uncompromised signal integrity, quality and timing precision, the P-AVN-6-S enables organizations to transition seamlessly between baseband and IP workflows without vendor lock-in. This makes it ideal for mission-critical workflows where signal quality, low latency, interoperability, and timing precision are non-negotiable.

The P-AVN-6-S delivers uncompressed quality over IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110 compliant networks up to 4K60, at approximately 18 Gbps throughput. A major differentiator is the unit’s integrated PTP-to-Genlock capability, which synchronizes SDI outputs directly to IP-based timing with ±12 pixel phase accuracy. Combined with ST 2022-7 hitless redundancy across independent primary and secondary network paths, the platform is engineered for deployments where timing accuracy and uptime cannot be compromised. Support for 1GbE, 10GbE, and 25GbE networks provides a direct integration path between traditional baseband infrastructures and open-standard IP distribution.

SDVoE Alliance to Feature Member Demonstrations From IDK Corporation, Aurora Multimedia, and Kramer

The SDVoE Alliance will present member demonstrations at booth C7074 from alliance members IDK Corporation, Aurora Multimedia, and Kramer. These demonstrations will highlight SDVoE applications for conference rooms, judicial and government environments and command-and-control operations.

IDK Corporation will demonstrate its USB Neo Series, including the NJR-L21UC-T encoder and NJR-L31UC-R decoder, designed to support modern conference room workflows. The USB Neo Series transports video and USB peripherals between devices, supporting BYOD/M, auto-switching and call status awareness to maintain the correct host device during a call.

Aurora Multimedia will present a judicial and government-focused demonstration featuring the SmartSpeak desktop beam-forming microphone with a 6-inch touch controller and USB-C and HDMI ports. Aurora Multimedia’s SmartSpeak supports bidirectional SDVoE transmission, enabling simultaneous encoding and decoding over a single 10G connection.

Kramer will host a command-and-control demonstration featuring the Kramer ZyPer4K-XSE platform. Kramer’s demonstration will showcase seamless KVM roaming across three displays and a dynamic 2x2 multiview configuration. A single keyboard and mouse will move between individual screens and multiview windows. At the same time, hotkeys will enable operators to promote any source to the full-screen home display or instantly reset the system to its default layout.

Visionary to Introduce the nexAV We-Cosystem

Visionary Solutions will debut its new nexAV We-Cosystem audio, video, and control platform. Built for converged AV and IT environments, the nexAV We-Cosystem combines AV over IP routing and switching, audio DSP processing, room and enterprise control, device discovery, workflow orchestration, and user-interface development within a unified software platform. The platform is designed for applications ranging from hospitality and conferencing to enterprise-wide AV deployments, allowing integrators and end users to design around operational requirements rather than vendor-imposed limitations.

The launch reflects Visionary’s long-standing focus on simplifying AV deployment through software-driven infrastructure and AV over IP technologies. As AV platforms become increasingly over-engineered and burdened by unnecessary complexity, nexAV is focused on delivering practical customer value through adaptable system design, simplified workflows, and scalable architecture, allowing organizations to deploy the functionality they actually need without unnecessary overhead.

At the center of nexAV is Visionary’s Flex Architecture DSP framework and integrated Audio Engine. The platform uses template-based DSP workflows intended to simplify deployment while allowing systems to be customized for different applications. Native Dante and AES67 support allows the Audio Engine to integrate into modern networked audio environments ranging from individual rooms to campus-wide systems. Rather than forcing organizations into vendor-prescriptive ecosystems, the nexAV We-Cosystem is designed to support mixed technology environments while maintaining centralized management and a consistent user experience across deployments.

VuWall and G&D to Simplify AV over IP Distribution

"We expect a lot of discussion around secure AV over IP, interoperability, and how AI-ready platforms will shape future control room workflows," Anna Kozel, VP of marketing at VuWall told SCN. "As organizations manage more sources, data, and systems than ever before, the buzz will be around solutions that reduce complexity while improving operator efficiency and situational awareness."

You can read the VuWall | G&D InfoComm Impulse show preview by clicking here to find out more.

NAB Show 2026 is just days away. The Las Vegas Convention Center will welcome Broadcast AV enthusiasts on the show floor opening for exhibits on April 19 until April 22. Before the LVCC opens its doors, SCN will preview some of the can't-miss booths you should add to your to-do list.

[AVNetwork's Trade Show Coverage]

Today, take a look at AJA Video Systems, Bittree, Cobalt Digital, ENCO, Matrox Video, NDI, Panasonic, and PlexusAV.

AJA to Debut SMPTE ST 2110 and openGear Solutions 

AJA Video Systems will unveil a host of products and updates that simplify and accelerate SMPTE ST 2110 transitions and optimize signal flow across broadcast, production, post, and proAV environments at booth N1927.

AJA’s new BRIDGE LIVE IP ST 2110 gateway device and IP25-R Mini-Converter update advance interoperability in hybrid production settings that leverage both IP and baseband media and equipment. OG-GEN10, an openGear HD/SD/AES-11 sync generator, solves common timing challenges, while Desktop Software v18 delivers new improvements that enhance downstream keying and expand I/O bandwidth for select KONA and Corvid products.

Get a deep dive on AJA's latest solutions, and demo them at NAB 2026.

Bittree to Highlight Diverse Patching Solutions for Convergence of Media Networks

Visitors to Bittree’s booth C6985 in the renovated Central Hall will find a host of video, audio and patching solutions for IP and baseband transport layers. Flush-mount, high-density, modular keystone patchbays for IP and data-centric workflows feeding ST 2110, AES67, and other modern networks. The series supports fiber, copper and mixed configurations, with connectivity options for ST, LC and SC fiber, RJ45 CAT6 and CAT6A punchdown, or feed-through, shielded or unshielded adapters.

Also, on display will be Bittree’s Patch32A, streamlines the integration of analog audio and Dante network patching while providing professional, transparent A/D>D/A cross-conversions. This patchbay streamlines the integration of analog and digital network audio patching and establishes a foundation for interconnectivity across central equipment rooms, production studios, IT closets and more. Be sure to also check out the high-performance, wide-bandwidth 12G+ BNC Patch Panels for HD, 4K and 8K Applications, supporting data rates up to 48Gb/s and offer 75-ohm impedance with low return loss. Available in 1x16, 1x24, 1x32, 2x16 and 2x24 jack configurations to support a variety of densities and connectivity scenarios in SDI baseband and hybrid environments.

Cobalt Digital to Unveil Additions to End-to-End IPMX and ST 2110 Ecosystem

Cobalt Digital will showcase numerous additions to its end-to-end IPMX and ST 2110 ecosystem at booth N1340. From new standalone processors to IPMX-native audio monitoring, multiviewers, gateways, and mini converters, Cobalt is building the bridges that support SDI and IP.

Making its debut at NAB, COBALT blueCORE is a family of 1RU fully featured standalone signal processors. Cobalt is also introducing fixed-function openGear cards designed as cost-effective entry points with license-based expansion for scalability as workflows evolve.

The new 9925-FSx Frame Sync openGear card is an entry level one path frame sync card that supports license upgrades up to four paths per card, and an audio processing license upgrade for AES, MADI, and DANTE 64 support. The new 9981-LUTx Color Processor openGear card is an entry level color processing card that supports license upgrades up to four paths per card along with options including: SCALER, BBC LUT, COLOR, 4K, LOGO, and ANC.

ENCO enSpeak Adds Real-Time Voice Translation to Captioning and Translation Workflows

ENCO will introduce enSpeak, a new real-time voice translation solution that expands its industry-leading captioning and translation ecosystem, at booth C2116. The new technology adds natural-sounding, low-latency voice translation to ENCO’s existing workflow, enabling audiences to hear live programming in their preferred language alongside translated captions.

ENCO’s captioning and translation workflow begins with its enCaption platform, which uses advanced speech-to-text technology to generate highly accurate live captions from audio and video sources. These captions feed ENCO’s enTranslate engine, which delivers real-time multilingual text translations for broadcast workflows. enTranslate Mobile extends those translations to smartphones and browsers for in-venue and AV environments, including classrooms and auditoriums.

With the introduction of enSpeak, ENCO now adds a critical new layer to that workflow. enSpeak converts translated text into natural, expressive speech in real time, giving users the option to listen to content in their chosen language in addition to reading captions. The result is a more complete and immersive multilingual experience for global audiences.

Matrox Video to Showcase the Next Era of Software-Defined Media Production

Matrox Video will showcase its vision for the future of live production at booth N2451, highlighting how broadcasters and media organizations can evolve toward modern, software-defined infrastructures designed to enhance operational flexibility and efficiency. The company will present its portfolio of devices powering end-to-end broadcast workflows, linking today’s open standards-based IP infrastructures with the software-defined production models shaping the future.

At the center of Matrox Video’s NAB presence is Matrox ORIGIN, an asynchronous media framework and deployment-ready foundation for the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) vision. Running on standard IT infrastructure—on-premises or in the cloud—Matrox ORIGIN replaces bespoke hardware interconnected by clocked, synchronous protocols such as ST 2110 or SDI with distributed media services operating in COTS environments. At its core, Matrox ORIGIN Fabric provides an MXL-compatible, uncompressed media exchange layer that enables secure, application-level content sharing across vendors.

Complementing Matrox ORIGIN at NAB is Matrox Video’s IP-based production tools that support live production workflows from capture through delivery. This includes Matrox Monarch EDGE for secure, low-latency encoding and decoding for remote production and distribution workflows; Matrox ConvertIP, enabling zero-latency bridging between SDI and ST 2110/IPMX workflows; and Matrox Vion, a multi-channel 4K IP gateway for encoding, decoding, transcoding, and cross-conversion across live and cloud production environment; and Matrox Avio 2, an ST 2110/IPMX and NMOS-enabled IP KVM extender supporting high-resolution extension over standard networks. Together, these devices provide practical, scalable pathways to IP within existing infrastructures.

NDI Brings Its Ecosystem Booth to Las Vegas

NDI will showcase the breadth and depth of its ecosystem at booth N2161 in the North Hall through live demonstrations and the latest advancements in NDI 6.3. The booth will feature live partner integrations across cloud workflows, AI-enabled metadata and creator tools, alongside a podcast studio and an expanded product wall.

On the show floor, NDI will bring together hardware manufacturers, software developers, system integrators, and cloud platforms under one roof to demonstrate real-world workflows. The NDI booth will feature 12 licensee pods from partners including AVer, AWS, Central Control, Mavis, MaxHub, SalrayWorks, Tractus, Vizrt, Yamaha, Z CAM and Zoom, alongside 15-shelf partner product wall spotlighting devices from BirdDog, BOLIN, NEO iD, and OBSBOT.

NDI will highlight its certification program, what it means, how it works, and why it matters to system integrators and manufacturers alike. Cloud-native video transport capabilities will also be demonstrated, showing how NDI can bridge traditional broadcast infrastructure with modern, distributed production. Lastly, NDI's dedicated demo station will showcase NDI 6.3, featuring enhanced visibility and control of video sources with real-time stream insights and performance tracking.

 Panasonic Showcases IP/IT Production Solutions

Panasonic Video and Audio Systems will showcase its IP and IT-based production solutions for sports, broadcast, and live entertainment at booth #C3509). The showcase will also highlight a new collaboration with NEP Group that combines NEP platform and Panasonic's KAIROS to enables service providers to deploy flexible and scalable workflows that bridge traditional and IP-native infrastructure.

Flexibility and scalability are essential as broadcast and content production shift toward hybrid and distributed workflows. Panasonic is focused on making that transition easier by building an ecosystem where IP and IT sit at the center, connecting cameras, switchers, and audio into one cohesive, future-ready workflow.

A focus will be on its Media Production Suite. Launched in February, the Image Adjust Pro plug-in is a software-based remote operation panel that centralizes control of Panasonic studio and PTZ cameras, enabling distributed, collaborative production workflows while reducing physical infrastructure without compromising performance.

PlexusAV Showcases Open, Interoperable AV-over-IP Ecosystem

PlexusAV will highlight its growing ecosystem of standards-based AV-over-IP solutions at the Sencore Booth W1933 in the West Hall, demonstrating how open technology and IPMX interoperability are simplifying AV system design. The NAB exhibition takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, 19-22 April.

Built around IPMX, PlexusAV’s portfolio is designed to remove vendor lock-in and give integrators greater flexibility when designing scalable, future-ready AV environments across corporate, education, broadcast and live event applications.

Showing for the first time in North America will be the IPMX-certified P-AVN-4E encoder and P-AVN-4D decoder, delivering high-quality, ultra-low latency video over IP for demanding AV environments utilizing JPEG-XS. All three are validated to comply with published IPMX transport, control and interoperability standards. Also on display, will be the IPMX-certified P-AVN-4 Transceiver, a versatile, high-performance AV over IP device capable of both encoding and decoding video, and the P-AVN-2E encoder and P-AVN-2D decoder, which provide efficient H.264/5 streaming options for projects where bandwidth and cost need to be carefully balanced, without compromising performance.

There were more people on the move and partnerships made last week. On top of that, L-Acoustics and Adder Technology opened new digs. Take a look at what you may have missed in this week's Pro AV Newsmakers.

[SCN Stellar Service Awards 2026 Nominations Now Open]

People News

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Jody Boatwright to Chief Strategy Officer

Advanced Systems Group has appointed Jody Boatwright as chief strategy officer where he leads research and guides ASG’s future direction as the business evolves. Boatwright works across ASG leadership as well as industry leaders and economic issues that impact the company’s media and entertainment business. Boatwright’s experience as VP and general manager of Managed Services, a role he held for nearly 11 years, is directly applicable to this new role. As chief strategy officer, Boatwright is focused less on day-to-day operations and more on developing future-facing initiatives.

Before joining ASG to run the Managed Services team, he spent a decade in systems integration, often working directly with ASG as a strategic partner. He then spent nearly 11 years inside ASG, focusing on the services side of the business: managed service operations, production, creative services, and, most notably, building and leading the company’s managed services practice. That background allows him to step back and look across the entire business. He cited software-defined workflows, storage, and consulting as areas of focus.

Broadsign Accelerates APAC Expansion

Broadsign has made four key appointments across the Asia-Pacific region. With consistent growth across OOH and in-store advertising, the company is scaling its APAC footprint to meet escalating market demand and continue providing best-in-class service for its customers and partners. The new hires include:

Adel Dani Kabbara joins as regional service delivery director across APAC and holds extensive experience across customer success, technical account management, strategy, and technical solutions, gained through his time with the likes of Criteo, Tealium, and RadiumOne. Kabbara is responsible for ensuring implementation and customer success across the region.

Alec Jeffrey joined Broadsign in early 2026 from B2B publisher Octomedia, where he served as group sales manager. In his new role as sales executive, Jeffrey is responsible for driving adoption of Broadsign’s recently enhanced platform amongst OOH media owners and retailers.

Alexandra Martin also joins the business as sales executive, working with brands, agencies, and demand-side partners to deliver further growth across the programmatic OOH ecosystem. Martin brings deep media expertise and relationships from the likes of Seedtag, JustEggs Digital, and SBS Australia, where she has previously held a number of sales- and solutions-focused roles.

In addition to the above hires, Bryan Magee has recently joined Broadsign in a consultative capacity, focused on the implementation and delivery of Broadsign’s automation strategy. Magee brings a wealth of OOH and agency experience, having previously held numerous senior roles with Dentsu and WPP Media. More recently, Magee has consulted for numerous tech companies, start-ups, and media agencies.

Partnerships and Company News

OCVIBE and Daktronics Announce Technology Partnership

OCVIBE, the 100-acre mixed-use development transforming the area surrounding Honda Center, announced a partnership with Daktronics. The collaboration will bring a fully integrated digital display system able to power large-scale, high-impact digital moments across the OCVIBE campus. Centered around 20,000 square feet of high-impact LED digital displays in the district’s Urban Park, the technology package will create a seamless, immersive environment that elevates the overall guest experience, improves wayfinding, and sets the stage for real-time engagement opportunities throughout the district.

As an emerging neighborhood built for daily life and around culture, entertainment, and dining, OCVIBE is incorporating advanced digital display technology into its foundation. Its partnership with Daktronics will ensure the digital surfaces throughout the district will be dynamic, responsive touchpoints that guide, inform, and inspire guests in a creative way each time they visit.

Included in the partnership are a media screen located within the Urban Park measuring 36x126 feet featuring a 8mm pixel spacing, a 32.5x126 foot marquee spanning the Katella and Cerritos parking garages featuring a 10mm pixel spacing, and more than 400 additional digital displays throughout OCVIBE’s parking garages.

L-Acoustics Opens Americas Regional Headquarters in Nashville

Originally reported in December 2024, L-Acoustics has officially opened its first dedicated Americas regional headquarters in Nashville. Located within the CAA Creative Office Building at Nashville Yards, the new 11,100-square-foot facility features the first L-Acoustics Showroom with HYRISS on the American continent and an L-Acoustics Creative Studio equipped with L-ISA and L-Acoustics DJ technology.

The Nashville facility features only the second L-Acoustics Showroom with HYRISS globally, following London’s 2024 opening. This technology makes a single room capable of delivering everything from an intimate dinner party ambiance to full cinematic immersion to live concert sound. The L-Acoustics Creative Studio represents the latest evolution of the format launched in Lititz, PA in 2024 and Singapore in 2025. The studio features both L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology and L-Acoustics DJ, the company’s latest innovation for club and festival environments.

MC Marketing joins Adaptive Technologies Group

Adaptive Technologies Group has appointed MC Marketing to represent its audio and video mounting and rigging designs in Southern California, Southern Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii. MC Marketing is an AVL manufacturer's rep firm with over three decades of experience in the professional AVL marketplace and highly recognized by the touring, installed live sound, and AV integration markets.

RF Venue Unveils House of Worship Program

For the specific issues faced by churches, RF Venue has created a cost-free House of Worship Program. Through expert guidance, guesswork can be eliminated, and reliable wireless audio can be achieved that enhances the message and never detracts.”

Anchored on a dedicated landing page, the new program continues the model of RF Venue’s education initiatives and training, providing clear, accessible, brand-agnostic guidance from wireless experts in plain language, without confusion or sales pressure. Resources include a house of worship blog series, videos, webinars, and quick and easy-to-read eBooks that explain concepts applicable to all wireless users.

Yorkville Sound Announces New Canadian Distribution Partnerships

Yorkville Sound is now the Canadian distributor for three new brands. The first is Aguilar Amplification, a New York–based bass amplification brand. Founded in 1995 in New York City, Aguilar Amplification products are used by touring artists and studio professionals around the world for their articulate sound and build quality.

Additionally, Yorkville Sound is the distributor for the Finland-based innovator, Darkglass Electronics. The brand specializes in modern bass amplification and effects, recognized for precision control and artist-driven design. Lastly, Yorkville Sound with be the exclusive Canadian distributor for Spector Musical Instruments. The Brooklyn-founded bass brand is trusted by touring artists and recording professionals around the world for its precision engineering and bold aesthetics,

Pro AV around the Globe

Adder Technology opened its new Customer Experience Center (CXC) at its global headquarters in the U.K. The purpose-built environment marks a decisive step forward in how Adder supports customers evaluating complex technology decisions where connectivity and control are mission-critical.

NDI announced a strategic partnership with Jiaruisen. (JRS), a Shenzhen-based technology distributor, appointing the company as NDI’s official distribution partner for China. Under the new structure, JRS will provide front-line commercial and technical support, including licensing in local currency, product evaluation and certification services. This localized model is designed to remove barriers for Chinese OEMs and product builders integrating NDI into cameras, decoders, converters, switchers, displays and audio devices, delivering a seamless, trusted, and fully localized experience tailored specifically for the domestic market.

Welcome to February. January went out with a flurry of Pro AV news and the new month is coming at us with several big stories. In the words of LeBron James, this past Monday, there was not one, not two, but three Pro AV companies announcing acquisitions.

Audiotonix Acquires Three Audio Brands

The first sees Audiotonix acquiring DPA Microphones, Wisycom, and Austrian Audio. All three brands now join the growing Audiotonix brand portfolio of leading audio technology and solutions companies that includes Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiCo, DiGiGrid, Fourier Audio, Group One Limited, Harrison, JH Audio, KLANG:technologies, Slate Digital, Solid State Logic, sonible, and Sound Devices.

“With the development work we have been investing in with Sound Devices, it makes technological sense to add Wisycom to the team," explained James Gordon, CEO of Audiotonix. "The next logical step is to move closer to the performer with microphones, and DPA as a premium brand is the ultimate choice. Austrian Audio, with their decades of microphone and headset design experience, have immense potential and will help complement our existing and future portfolio. We always aim to work with brands that add value for our customers, and the future potential of this trio as part of Audiotonix is not hard to imagine."

Ricoh's Second Acquisition This Year

In its second acquisition in less than a month, SCN Top 50 systems integrator Ricoh was at it again. The company acquired ET Group, a Canadian workplace technology and collaboration integrator. This strategic acquisition by Ricoh Canada accelerates Ricoh’s expansion into high‑growth digital services, strengthens its position as a leading provider of end‑to‑end workplace experience solutions in Canada, and reinforces its global strategy to support an evolving workplace environment. If you missed it, get caught up with our coverage here.

VTG Rounds Out Busy Monday

Virtual Technologies Group also announced an acquisition, acquiring Whitlock Infrastructure Solutions, a software solutions and IT services firm specializing in IT operations management for enterprise organizations. The acquisition of Whitlock strengthens VTG’s commercial enterprise service capabilities and federal government services expertise. Check out our full story here.

People News

Ampetronic | Listen Technologies Names Mark Coombes VP of International Sales

Listen Technologies and Ampetronic have named Mark Coombes VP of international sales. Coombes is leading the brands’ international sales and business development efforts across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

As a member of the Ampetronic | Listen Technologies executive management team, Coombes helps shape and execute the brands’ global expansion strategy. He also mentors and develops Ampetronic’s and Listen Technologies’ combined team of regional sales leaders. Coombes is an experienced sales leader in the Pro AV industry. He has a record of success achieving significant revenue growth and building high-performing teams and channel partnerships across several brands. During his career, he has lived in the Middle East, France, and the U.K. He brings unique cultural insight and an extensive network to his new role.

DMF Lighting Strengthens Marketing Leadership

DMF Lighting announced key marketing leadership updates designed to support continued portfolio expansion, channel engagement, and long-term growth across both indoor and outdoor lighting solutions.

As part of this strategic evolution, Stephen Roome has transitioned into the role of senior marketing manager, HK Luxury, DMF Lighting’s sister company focused on architectural outdoor and landscape lighting marketing manager, integrator channel, assuming responsibility for marketing strategy and execution supporting the company’s custom integration partners.

Roome has been with DMF Lighting since 2021, most recently serving as CI channel marketing manager. In that role, he played a central part in shaping DMF’s integrator-focused marketing efforts, including the launch of products, the expansion of DMF Luxury initiatives, oversight of DMF’s B2B strategy, and the development of content-driven programs designed to support integrators in the field.

In his new position, Roome is applying his expertise in B2B channel marketing and digital strategy to help accelerate HK Lighting’s growth in the exterior lighting market.

Lynn is focusing on programs, campaigns, and tools that align DMF’s product innovation with how integrators specify, sell, and deploy lighting solutions. Her responsibilities include driving data-informed marketing initiatives that support dealer engagement, demand generation, and long-term channel success.

Hewschott Transitions Daniel Lee to Group CEW 

Hewshott, a global AV, IT, theater, and acoustics consultancy firm, has completed a global transition with current UK managing director, Daniel Lee, acquiring Hewshott and becoming the new Group CEO. Under his ownership, Hewshott will continue its 24-year legacy of independence, ethical conduct, and exceptional client experience. Founder and outgoing Group CEO Peter Hunt will continue as MD of Hewshott Australia, while maintaining his industry association roles.

The leadership transition has been strategically planned to foster stability, continuity, and create new opportunities. Building on the foundations instilled by Hunt from day one, Lee plans to evolve and amplify the company’s global capability to be unified, visible, and influential, all while staying true to the same core principles that define the Hewshott way.

L-Acoustics Appoints Olivier Maynard as Executive Director of Strategic Market Development

L-Acoustics has appointed Olivier Maynard as executive director of strategic market development and significantly expanded the recently established division’s capabilities to accelerate growth across key vertical markets worldwide. The new Strategic Market Development division regroups three core disciplines—Business Development, Creative Engagement, and Market Intelligence—working in close coordination with regional sales teams to drive demand and strengthen L-Acoustics’ position in both established and emerging markets. Maynard is also spearheading commercial innovation, developing new business models from concept to implementation throughout the organization. Joining the company’s Executive Committee, he works alongside the leadership team to integrate market development and new business models into the company’s long-term vision to connect humans through the best shared sound experiences.

Maynard brings extensive experience in strategic market development and business model innovation. He spent over a decade at Boston Consulting Group leading projects in go-to-market strategy, sales, and digital transformation for industrial companies before joining Groupe Beneteau, a global leader in recreational boating, as Director of Digital, New Business Models, and Transformation. In that role, he led the company’s digital strategy and served as Deputy CEO of Services, developing innovative financing and service models. At L-Acoustics, he applies this expertise to professionalize the division’s approach to vertical markets while exploring new business model opportunities that keep L-Acoustics at the forefront of industry innovation.

tvONE Appoints Amit Singh as Regional Sales Manager for India and the Middle East

tvONE expanded Amit Singh’s role to regional sales manager for India and the Middle East. With more than a decade of experience in the audiovisual industry, Singh brings extensive expertise in AV project design, brand development, and distribution management to the role. In his expanded role, he is responsible for leading sales strategies, strengthening partner relationships, and promoting tvONE’s brands and solutions throughout India and the Middle East.

A seasoned techno-commercial professional with a proven track record in the AV industry, over the past 10 years, Singh has successfully managed and developed business relationships, designed comprehensive AV solutions, and driven brand growth and market awareness. His background includes working with original equipment manufacturers Audio-Technica and Wyrestorm, where he gained deep insight into OEM strategy and channel development.

Partnerships and Company News

Introducing Diversified Digital

Diversified formally introduced Diversified Digital as ISE 2026 opened its doors—a dedicated Digital Experience practice built to design, deploy, and support enterprise-scale digital environments with holistic lifecycle management.

Diversified Digital brings together Diversified’s digital signage, immersive, and experiential AV capabilities, expanding its ability to help enterprise clients deliver experiences that are both engaging and operationally sound as digital experience networks become increasingly business-critical. While Diversified has delivered complex digital and immersive environments for decades, the launch of Diversified Digital represents a deliberate step forward formalizing a dedicated practice designed specifically for large-scale rollouts, governance, and lifecycle operations, regardless of whether the experience lives in a single flagship space or across hundreds or thousands of locations.

In a digital experience context, scale is not defined solely by the number of endpoints. For many organizations, scale also means the complexity, visibility, and performance expectations of a single environment—such as a stadium, museum, customer experience center, or public venue—where immersive and experiential AV must perform flawlessly under real-world pressure.

Diversified Digital is built to support both ends of that spectrum in high-impact, single-location immersive environments where reliability, content orchestration, and operational readiness matter as much as design, and large-scale enterprise rollouts where consistency, governance, and lifecycle management are critical across regions and business units.

Diversified Digital is technology-agnostic by design and built to support complex enterprise environments with predictable outcomes. Rather than focusing on isolated platforms or limited delivery models, the practice is structured to help clients manage digital experience as part of a broader, integrated enterprise ecosystem.

DTEN Names SFM Canadian Distributor

DTEN has appointed SFM as its Canadian distributor. This strategic partnership grants SFM distribution rights for DTEN's complete portfolio of collaborative communication solutions throughout Canada, opening significant new revenue opportunities for its Canadian channel partners.

The collaboration brings together SFM's extensive distribution network and industry expertise with DTEN's collaboration technology platform, providing Canadian audiovisual professionals, system integrators, and IT resellers with immediate access to one of the fastest-growing segments in enterprise technology. As organizations consolidate their hybrid work strategies, DTEN's purpose-built solutions address the demand for seamless, reliable collaboration tools.

HDBaseT Alliance To Mark 15 Years of Revolution

The HDBaseT Alliance is celebrating 15 years of HDBaseT technology and its enduring impact, which has continuously evolved to reshape how the industry designs, deploys, and experiences Professional AV. Attendees to ISE 2026 were invited to join the festivities in “An HDBaseT World.”

Since its founding by LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Valens Semiconductor, HDBaseT has delivered uncompressed, long-distance, plug-and-play connectivity over a single Category cable. HDBaseT boasts a world-wide ecosystem of manufacturers, certified installers and integrators operating across a variety of verticals including video conferencing, education, immersive experiences, home entertainment, live events, and digital signage.

At this year’s show, live demonstrations from Valens Semiconductor, the inventor of HDBaseT technology and co-founder of the HDBaseT Alliance, will showcase next-generation multi-media signal distribution solutions streamlining complex system architectures.

Neutrik Americas Appoints Sigma Component Design New Distributor

Neutrik Group Americas is growing its presence in Canada with the appointment of Sigma Component Design as its new manufacturer’s rep for the region. As an independent manufacturer’s representative serving the Canadian electronics industry, Sigma will represent the complete product portfolio of Neutrik Group brands and will provide sales support and customer service throughout the region.

Sigma Component Design is known for power, thermal, passive, and electromechanical components. From design to fulfilment, Sigma works with customers to provide complete design support from its world-class suppliers. Founded in 2002, Sigma has completed thousands of application designs and has a team of technical sales reps dedicated to serving the needs of the Canadian market.

NDI Expands Its Partnership with OBSBOT

NDI announced an expanded partnership with OBSBOT through a renewed licensing agreement that will see NDI integrated across OBSBOT’s entire product lineup as a native capability. NDI is now available free of charge on OBSBOT products, with no additional licensing required for end users. OBSBOT plans to significantly increase the number of products shipped with NDI built in, as more of its product line adopts native support.

OBSBOT’s products are widely used by creators, educators, and teams who want professional capabilities without enterprise-level complexity. Native NDI support allows those users to connect OBSBOT cameras directly into IP video workflows for streaming, remote production, and hybrid use, without adding extra hardware or licensing steps. This also highlights NDI’s interoperability, allowing OBSBOT cameras to work seamlessly with a wide range of software, switchers, and production platforms.

Pro AV Around the Globe

AudioControl has announced the appointment of Habitech as master distributor of the brand’s AV entertainment solutions in the United Kingdom. Habitech is currently the distributor for RTI in the U.K. Based in Hampshire, England, and founded in 2006, Habitech specializes in supplying a broad range of custom install products and services to technology integrators representing home entertainment, smart home control and lighting, networking, and more to end-users.

AVPro Global appointed Generation AV as its representation for the AVPro Edge and RTI brands in Asia. Founded in 2019 and based in Singapore, Generation AV offers decades of combined experience in the professional audio/video, control, and automation markets. In addition to strategic sales and business development, the Generation AV team delivers technical support and application engineering services to partners, integrators, and customers—assisting with product selection, system design, project support, and troubleshooting. Additionally, the company appointed LCAVI as their distributor of residential audio, video, and control solutions, representing the AudioControl, AVPro Edge, and RTI brands in France.

LEA Professional announces its partnership with distributor Televic Conference France, which will help expand LEA Professional’s commercial reach throughout Europe by providing better access to French customers. Televic Conference France will represent LEA's extensive technology catalog. Through this partnership, Televic Conference France will offer LEA Professional’s Network Connect series of professional amplifiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity. The comany also announced a newfound partnership with Dubai-based distributor Pro Lab Trading. The partnership will bring LEA to customers in the Middle East Region. Pro Lab Trading is the region’s one-stop shop for professional audio, lighting, staging, rigging, and special effects equipment and supplies.

Legrand | AV expanded its global partnership with TD SYNNEX. This enhanced collaboration reinforces a joint go-to-market strategy for Legrand | AV’s portfolio of industry-leading brands, including Chief, C2G, Da-Lite, Middle Atlantic, Luxul, and Vaddio. As part of this expanded agreement, TD SYNNEX Maverick, TD SYNNEX’s specialist AV, UC, and digital signage division, will now offer the full Legrand | AV brand portfolio across its entire European footprint.

PureLink announced a new strategic partnership with AVer Information Europe. The cooperation establishes a structured cable and signal management certification program for AVer systems, designed to improve installation reliability in enterprise, education, and public-sector environments. Through this partnership, PureLink’s portfolio of solutions for video conferencing, workspace connectivity, and USB-C–based signal management will be aligned and validated for use with AVer cameras, video matrices, AV hubs and USB-based collaboration systems.

RTI appointed Aquila Data Singapore as their distributor for commercial solutions in Singapore. Aquila Data Group was founded in 2001 and is based in Jakarta, Indonesia, with offices in Singapore and Malaysia. The company specializes in distribution of Unified Communication (UC) and Audio Visual (AV) devices, providing solutions such as video conferencing, audiovideo (AV), and smart technology integration. Additionally, Stars AV is its new distributor for RTI residential and commercial solutions in Spain and Portugal. Stars AV already represents AVPro Global brands AudioControl and AVPro Edge in the territory.

NDI 6.3 has been released. This update was designed to give professional and enterprise users greater visibility, operational insight, and confidence when running NDI at scale. The release focuses on advanced discovery, monitoring, and control, reinforcing NDI’s role in mission-critical broadcast, Pro AV, live event, and enterprise workflows.

[Pro AV Standards Are Set to Take over Barcelona]

As NDI deployments continue to grow in size, teams need clear insight into how their networks and video sources are performing. NDI 6.3 addresses this need by enabling real-time monitoring of multiple active sources, providing diagnostics for stream health, and helping operators identify issues such as packet loss or jitter before they impact production.

"NDI 6.3 is the final step of the journey we started with the release of 6.0,” said Miguel Coutinho, head of NDI. “This latest release establishes NDI into the world of large video installations by allowing monitoring and control of both senders and receivers, no matter the size of the network."

In addition to monitoring and control enhancements, NDI 6.3 expands secure Pro AV workflows through new HDCP compatibility. NDI now supports HDCP-enabled devices built in collaboration with ProITAV, enabling protected content workflows that were previously out of reach for many Pro AV environments, including use cases that require encrypted sources, licensed playback devices, or end-to-end content protection. Working closely with ProITAV, NDI developed the first NDI-enabled, HDCP-compliant encoder and decoder, which is fully integrated with NDI 6.3 for HDCP streams and Non-HDCP- Streams. This hardware solution opens the door to a new device category and new applications that provide a more secure deployment option for partners and customers.

The release also supports Agilex 7 FPGA chipset enablement, expanding hardware support and strengthening the NDI ecosystem for high-performance deployments.

NDI at ISE

NDI 6.3 will be demonstrated live at ISE in Barcelona, where Roberto Musso, technical director at NDI, will lead hands-on, demo-first walkthroughs on the show floor. These demonstrations will showcase live sender monitoring and diagnostics across multiple active NDI sources, highlighting how operators can quickly identify and isolate issues in scaled environments. At ISE, NDI will feature dedicated demo pods with Vizrt, Ross, Science Image, Everet, CDN Live, and TSL, while wall displays will highlight partners and users including Panasonic, Obsbot, BirdDog, Magewell, Bolin, Yealink, and MMG. Together, these showcases highlight the breadth of the NDI ecosystem and reinforce third-party validation across professional video workflows.

NDI and Zoom are collaborating to integrate the NDI advanced technologies across multiple Zoom product offerings. This collaboration empowers organizations to transform their meeting rooms, shared spaces, and event venues with flexible, high-quality video, and audio connectivity.

[A Network-First Reality]

With NDI-enabled within Custom AV for Zoom Rooms, enterprises can connect any NDI-compatible device or stream, such as cameras, displays, and other AV equipment directly into Zoom meetings. This integration supports multi-camera and multi-display setups, making it easy to implement advanced AV over IP workflows that facilitate creativity and collaboration for in-person and remote participants in various spaces—including hybrid auditoriums, all hands rooms, lecture halls, training spaces, corporate broadcast studios, large boardrooms, and more. The result of the NDI integration with Custom AV for Zoom Rooms is a seamless, immersive experience with minimal latency and maximum reliability.

NDI Advanced technologies will also bring new dynamic capabilities to Zoom for Broadcast tools, giving virtual and hybrid event producers enhanced abilities to deliver broadcast-quality experiences that drive interactivity and engagement at scale. Popular event production apps in the Zoom Webinars and Events platform, for instance ZoomISO and Tiles for Zoom, will directly benefit from these powerful NDI features.

“The wide industry adoption of NDI technology and its plug-and-play approach makes AV over IP workflows more accessible than ever before across broadcast television, enterprise production, and content creation,” said Andy Carluccio, head of client innovation, Zoom. “We are excited to integrate robust NDI Advanced technology inside key Zoom products, offering a seamless experience that unifies NDI’s impressive capabilities and product ecosystem with Zoom’s innovative collaboration platform.”

In an increasingly hybrid professional world, enterprises need technology that provides instant, high-quality connection that supports efficiency and productivity, but also genuinely engages those in the meeting. NDI offers a compelling alternative to traditional hardware connections with its software-driven, network-based, and plug-and-play connectivity. With NDI Advanced technology operating directly within Zoom’s versatile product offerings, meeting and event spaces are easier to adapt, from executive presentations to global webinars.

“Network-based connectivity opens a whole new range of possibilities for video and audio workflows. Together with Zoom, NDI is bringing these new possibilities to collaboration set-up across the world, no matter the size of your organization,” said Miguel Coutinho, head of NDI.

The MasterChef Live workflow demanded a high level of stability and low latency. Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Media Servers fired up a central role in the U.S. touring production of MasterChef Live, providing real-time video control, camera integration, and playback management in a compact touring package. The system was specified, supplied, and operated by VUE Show Design Group, led by production designer Charles Ford.

Produced by TCG Entertainment, MasterChef Live transfers the TV cooking competition into a fast-moving stage show combining live cooking challenges, audience participation, and multimedia presentation. It traversed the USA this Fall, opening in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and ending in San Francisco, California.

Two Hippotizer Amba+ MK2 Media Servers were deployed—one main and one redundant—to manage all visual playback, camera routing, and time-based graphics. The servers are controlled from a grandMA3 lighting console, allowing a single operator to trigger video, lighting, and audio cues simultaneously via DMX.

The system supports both SDI and NDI inputs, including one wireless camera for the host and four robotic cameras connected over Cat5. By processing NDI directly within Hippotizer, VUE Show Design eliminated the need for external DAs or video switchers, reducing rack size and cabling while maintaining full creative flexibility.

“NDI was a game-changer,” Ford continues. “It allowed us to monitor cameras both backstage and at front-of-house using a single cable. With NDI built into the Hippo, signal distribution became simpler, faster, and far more adaptable for a touring show.”

The Hippotizer Media Servers also generated and managed multiple countdown timers for the contestants, ensuring precise pacing during each performance. Because all cueing was centralized through Hippotizer, the operator could respond instantly to changes in timing or show flow—a critical requirement in a live cooking environment.

The MasterChef Live workflow demanded a high level of stability and low latency. Hippotizer’s real-time processing and DMX integration enabled Ford’s team to execute complex cue sequences. “The Hipptizer’s responsive control made it straightforward to adapt on the fly and kept everything consistent under pressure,” he adds.

This streamlined setup allowed the team to tour with a smaller technical footprint while retaining the creative tools needed to update content and adjust visual timing between venues.

Custom-created content, live camera feeds, and lighting effects were blended to highlight the chefs’ on stage antics. Ford noted that the flexibility to combine pre-rendered visuals with real-time sources was vital to maintaining an engaging look throughout the performance.

Another week in Pro AV has past, and as the theme has been all year, there were a plethora of people on the move and partnerships made you need to know about. Perhaps the biggest news came out of Atlanta, where Zones announced its expansion into the world of Pro AV.

SCN was on hand at the Porsche Experience Center to hear the news firsthand (and drive a Porsche around the test track). We spoke to several of the Zones leadership to find out why the time was right to cross over into the commercial side. Find out more about Zones and what that means for the Pro AV industry (and check out the ride in the Porsche) by clicking here.

Now, on with the show.

People News

AtlasIED Welcomes Cameron Javdani

AtlasIED appointed Cameron Javdani as VP of market development for security solutions. Javdani has extensive expertise in both the audio and security sectors, earning a solid reputation as a respected voice within the Security Industry Association and among leading integrator networks. His background includes key leadership roles focused on market development, channel partnerships, and technological advancements to address the evolving demands of the industry.

In his new role, Javdani focuses on accelerating AtlasIED’s presence in the security market by strengthening relationships with integrators, consultants, and technology partners, while expanding industry outreach and advocacy for AtlasIED’s unified communications and life safety platforms.

HARMAN Professional Solutions Announces Sales Leadership Appointments

HARMAN Professional Solutions made strategic leadership appointments across its global sales organization to support continued growth and regional alignment. Amar Subash has been appointed to lead the professional solutions sales organization across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, while continuing to oversee sales leadership responsibilities for India. In this expanded role, Subash sets a strategic direction for both regions, focusing on accelerating growth and delivering on HARMAN’s commitments to customers. With Subash’s transition, Nick Screen has been selected to lead the APAC sales organization. Screen currently oversees channel sales and audio solutions across APAC, where he has focused on building strong partnerships, and supporting the growth of HARMAN’s professional audio business.

Over the past nine years at HARMAN, Subash has held a variety of leadership roles. Most recently, he led HARMAN Professional sales efforts across the APAC region and India. Prior to that, he served solely as director of sales and operations for the Asia Pacific region (APAC) from 2019 to 2021, and as finance director for APAC from 2017 to 2018.

Screen currently oversees channel sales and audio solutions across APAC, where he has focused on building strong partnerships, and supporting the growth of HARMAN’s professional audio business. He has been with HARMAN for more than 12 years, holding a number of impactful leadership roles such as director, channel sales and audio solutions (APAC) since 2021, preceded by his role as director, sports and transportation, business development (Global) from 2019 to 2021, and director, transportation solutions from 2016 to 2018.

QuickLink Appoints Austin Hinton as Solutions Enablement

QuickLink has appointed Austin Hinton as its new solutions enablement engineer. In this role, Hinton serves as a go-to technical expert, supporting QuickLink’s customers and partners across North America with deep, hands-on technical insight into StudioPro, StudioEdge, and the broader QuickLink portfolio.

Hinton joins QuickLink from Vizrt, where he served as a customer success manager, following several years with NewTek. Throughout his career, he has held positions with major media organizations, including FOX Television, Disney ABC, MLB, NBC Sports and ABC News, where he earned two Emmy Awards for his work in broadcast engineering and production. His unique combination of hands-on technical experience and a passion for enabling creative, reliable workflows makes him a natural fit for QuickLink’s expanding global team.

Anthony Mancuso Joins Winsted as Senior Strategic Market Manager

Winsted appointed Anthony Mancuso as senior strategic market manager, with a dedicated focus on the process control, manufacturing, and utilities markets.

In this new role, Mancuso is instrumental in developing strategic partnerships, expanding Winsted’s footprint in these critical sectors, and enhancing the company’s approach to customer-centric solutions. His more than 25 years of expertise will be key to building a strong network and furthering Winsted’s mission to provide innovative, reliable, and human-centered solutions for mission-critical environments.

Mancuso is widely regarded as a key subject matter expert. He brings a proven track record of building strategic teams and successful alliances and has worked with both large enterprises and smaller niche clients across a range of verticals. His insight into the demands of 24/7 operational environments uniquely positions him to drive value and growth at Winsted.

Company News

Introducing The New DaleProAudio.com

The new DaleProAudio.com is a resource for audio professionals in broadcast, recording, live events, houses of worship, higher education, and commercial installation—offering tailored solutions, expert guidance, and the latest in emerging technologies.

The new website includes improved navigation for finding relevant solutions and information faster; an emphasis on consultation and support—building relationships that go beyond the shopping cart; spotlights on unique and innovative products that tackle specialized challenges; and focused content tailored to the customers Dale Pro Audio serves.

Green Hippo Adopts SPNet Integration into Hippotizer Products

Green Hippo recently integrated Stage Precision’s SPNet protocol into its Hippotizer media server products, expanding the capabilities of both hardware and software offerings and unlocking new creative possibilities for users in live events, mixed reality, and projection mapping experiences.

Hippotizer is a software suite that is deployed on five different media server models and is also available as a standalone software-only product for planning and pre-programming. Hippotizer supports both 2D and 3D workflows, with SPNet integrated into the 3D workflow tool SHAPE, which is used for designing, previsualizing and executing project mapping activations.

For users, the new SPNet integration allows for advanced visualization and automation of their projection mapping workflows from SHAPE, enabling them to create highly customized experiences that leverage the full power of the Hippotizer product range.

The Screen Works Acquired, Set to Build on a 60-Year Legacy

The Screen Works is writing a new chapter—under new ownership and with a renewed sense of purpose. Earlier this year, longtime consultant and entrepreneur Andrew Schmahl acquired The Screen Works, the Chicago-based manufacturer known for its E-Z Fold, truss, and lace and grommet projection systems. Schmahl brings a blend of strategic vision and hands-on enthusiasm—along with a determination to restore the brand’s visibility in a digital-dominated age.

The company’s first steps include a complete rebrand, a redesigned website, and the launch of a Replacement Surfaces Program— allowing customers to more quickly and easily replace worn or damaged surfaces on existing frames (including Da-Lite, Draper, and AV Stumpfl) with new materials at lower cost.

Building on its heritage of durable, portable systems, The Screen Works is also investing in next-generation design, including borderless, edge-to-edge screen formats and custom curved aluminum frames engineered for large-format and architectural environments. These innovations bring a modern visual aesthetic and design flexibility once reserved for LED displays—at a fraction of the cost and complexity.

Sealoc, Praever Partnership Expands U.S. Reach

Praevar’s partnership with Sealoc marks a significant step in expanding its presence across the United States. Known for its proprietary Weatherloc technology, Sealoc delivers premium outdoor digital displays and end-to-end engagement solutions for some of the world’s most recognizable brands. By adding the Vanguard Series to its lineup, Sealoc strengthens its ability to provide scalable, serviceable, and impactful digital signage experiences.

Partnering with Sealoc as our first U.S. dealer is an exciting milestone for Praevar,” said Ralph Idems, CEO at Praevar. “Their reputation for delivering exceptional outdoor solutions aligns perfectly with our commitment to reliability, serviceability, and customer success. Together, we’re making digital signage more accessible and more effective for brands across North America.”

Yealink Joins NDI Ecosystem

Yealink has joined the NDI ecosystem. Yealink’s SmartVision 80 Premium Intelligent PTZ Camera is the company’s first product to receive NDI certification, with additional NDI-enabled solutions expected to follow.

As a Microsoft and Zoom certified partner, Yealink is recognized for its reputation delivering enterprise collaboration solutions. With the integration of NDI into its product line, Yealink takes a firm step into the world of video over IP, providing new levels of interoperability and flexibility.

It was another very busy week in Pro AV. Diversified opened a new headquarters, Nanolumens and FOR-A were among a slew of industry companies that made new appointments, and NDI named a new Board.

[SCN Top 50 2025: It's Time to Enter!]

Let's get right to it.

People News

Tom Baldassare Joins Advanced Systems Group

Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group as a senior account executive. In his new role, he will maintain and develop relationships with Fortune 100 tech and financial firms on both coasts. Baldassare is one of the creators of the Silicon Valley Video Summit, a consistently sold-out event every January, co-sponsored by ASG.

Baldassare has built a following among the top Silicon Valley and west coast tech firms. In addition to servicing existing clientele, Baldassare will also lead ASG’s initiative to cultivate new technology and finance firms as clientele in New York City.

Cobalt Iron Appoints Joshua Pressnell as VP of Engineering

Cobalt Iron welcomed Joshua Pressnell as VP of engineering. Based in Ohio, Pressnell will draw on his diverse background in defense systems, mobile applications, and enterprise software to further strengthen Cobalt Iron’s engineering organization and drive innovation across its Compass enterprise data protection platform.

Pressnell will lead Cobalt Iron’s Software and Systems teams, applying proven engineering leadership to accelerate innovation and product delivery. He aims to build on Cobalt Iron’s strong engineering foundation by enhancing collaboration across departments and refining how technical execution supports strategic business goals. His focus is on evolving engineering practices to align with the company’s vision for 2025 and beyond, ensuring continued delivery of innovative, reliable solutions that meet the dynamic needs of enterprise customers.

Pressnell’s career began in the defense sector, where he lead the creation of mission-critical systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, developing a deep appreciation for cyber security and bulletproof software design. He later founded Varietas Software, producing over 30 niche mobile applications — including a pioneering personal book cataloging app and an email prioritization tool used by enterprise clients. Later, as CTO at Penthera Technologies, he led the development of advanced video streaming solutions for major media brands. His leadership roles at RTI, Ascendum Solutions, and various startups further showcase his expertise in cloud computing, cross-functional team management, and delivering scalable, customer-focused solutions.

FOR-A America Names Ernie Leon SVP, Head of Sales and Strategic Growth

FOR-A America named Ernie Leon as SVP, head of sales and strategic growth. In his new role, Leon will oversee sales strategy, business development, and market expansion.

With previous senior leadership roles at Sony and Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud solutions, Leon brings a unique blend of broadcast expertise, cloud workflow innovation, and customer-focused strategy to help FOR-A America accelerate growth and better serve core customers in the broadcast, corporate, and house-of-worship markets.

Nanolumens Appoints Patrick Britton as Chief Operating Officer

Nanolumens has appointed Patrick Britton as chief operating officer. Britton brings more than 25 years of experience in the audiovisual industry, with a versatile background spanning project management, product launches, operations and executive leadership. His career includes roles as VP of sales and marketing at IMS Technology Services, CEO of South Central AV, regional general manager at AVI-SPL, principal consultant at Polaris Management Advisors, and, most recently, senior consultant at Navigate Management Consulting.

In his new role, Britton will focus on strengthening Nanolumens’ operational workflows to manage increasing volumes and unify systems across the organization. His expertise in enterprise resource planning tools will be a key asset in optimizing efficiency, productivity, and alignment throughout the company.

PPDS Appoints Digital Signage Sales Specialist Hendrik Hack

PPDS welcomed digital signage sales specialist, Hendrik Hack. Accepting the role of sales manager digital signage for north and northeast Germany, Hack joins PPDS with a career spanning almost 10 years, specializing exclusively in digital signage and interactive display sales and project management.

Hack will play a key role in PPDS achieving its growth ambitions for Philips digital signage, as well as value added solutions such as Philips Wave, in Germany. His responsibilities will include working with and supporting PPDS’ partners and customers, as well as with PPDS’ global teams for multinational projects, helping to increase business opportunities, secure tenders, and ensure seamless project completions across all market verticals, including retail, corporate, education, hospitality, healthcare, transportation, public venues, and more.

StreamGuys Promotes Two to Executive Layer

StreamGuys has promoted Tim LaBelle to EVP of global sales and Jesse Orr to EVP of engineering, effective immediately. They will work closely together to fuel the company’s next generation of business growth.

In his new role, LaBelle will oversee all sales and business development. His innate understanding of the company’s technology brings valuable insights for customers and enterprises. Orr has long been a key contributor and leader behind the scenes at StreamGuys, where his core responsibilities include bringing more efficiency to both StreamGuys and customer organizations. That includes maintaining the networking and infrastructure, global data centers, and working to assure 100% uptime for customers' streams and StreamGuys’ suite of services.

Cam Eicher Named EVP of Audio Production for Telos Alliance

Telos Alliance has promoted Cam Eicher to EVP of audio production. In his newly created role, Eicher will leverage his 35-plus years of broadcast experience, deep understanding of customers’ needs, and the strong relationships he has built while at Telos Alliance to bring a more unified product portfolio to market more quickly and ensure a cohesive and consistent user experience across products and brand families.

Company News

22Miles Joins the BrightSign Bright Alliance Program

22Miles has been named an Elite Partner within BrightSign’s Bright Alliance program. The recognition underscores the companies’ long-standing collaboration and highlights their shared commitment to delivering seamless, innovative digital signage experiences across retail, healthcare, education, and hospitality environments.

Bright Alliance is BrightSign’s strategic partner program designed to unlock new possibilities for digital signage by fostering collaborative solutions, seamless technology integration, and joint go-to-market support. Within this program, Elite partners represent the highest level of collaboration. Elite status is reserved for CMS providers that work in close alignment with BrightSign’s technical roadmap, pioneer new markets, and drive customer success at scale.

Audio-Technica Introduces Technica Base Product Portal

Audio-Technica unveiled Technica Base, a new online technical resource center designed to give system integrators, consultants, and Pro AV specialists streamlined access to A-T commercial audio product information. Technica Base offers technical product information, relevant downloads, and other resources to support the specification and deployment of Audio-Technica solutions for commercial audio applications, perfect for accessing information in the integrator’s office or out in the field at their job site.

Technica Base is an easy-to-use search hub offering users up-to-date information on A-T solutions, including documents on each product, technical specifications, software and firmware downloads, high-res images, videos and more. Product information on Technica Base is organized by Wired Products, Wireless Products, and Products by Line (Engineered Sound, UniPoint, ProPoint). Additional System Solution Links include Software and Firmware (Download current software and firmware), Strategic Alliances and Partnerships (complete listing of third-party partners), Case Studies (examples of real-world applications of A-T solutions) and System Solution Territory Contacts.

NDI Appoints Global Advisory Board

Last month, NDI formed its inaugural Global Advisory Board, uniting top industry leaders from across the video technology ecosystem to support NDI’s continued growth, innovation, and worldwide adoption. The NDI Advisory Board will provide strategic counsel on interoperability, standards development, developer outreach, and broader ecosystem opportunities.

Steve Taylor, chief product and technology officer at Vizrt, will serve as chair of the Advisory Board, bringing deep product and industry expertise to lead this strategic group. The six additional members are Jeff Moore, EVP and chief marketing officer, Ross Video; Laurent Masia, senior director of product line management, NETGEAR; Fintan McKiernan, CEO, Ideal Systems; Mahmoud Al-Daccak, video technology expert, MulticoreWare; Andy Carluccio, head of client innovation, Zoom; and Miguel Coutinho, head of NDI.

NSCA Education Foundation Launches Legacy Program

The NSCA Education Foundation, the 501c3 charitable activity affiliate of NSCA focused on workforce development and industry advancement, recently announced a significant financial contribution from Ray Bailey, CEO of Lone Star Communications, to help support the foundation's new Legacy Program.

Bailey is stepping back from his longstanding roles with NSCA and the NSCA Education Foundation, where he’s served in various leadership and Board of Directors roles for more than two decades. He presented the donation in July during his final NSCA Board of Directors meeting, coinciding with his company’s transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

The Legacy Program is designed to sustain long-term investments in career, talent, and professional-develop resources that strengthen the commercial integration industry. Bailey will play an instrumental role in determining how his contributions are applied. Potential initiatives include specialized training programs, such as AI-related skills for integrators, as well as events and programs focused on attracting young professionals to the industry.

Sennheiser Partners with Rise AV to Support Diversity in the AV Industry

The Sennheiser Group has joined forces with Rise AV, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing gender diversity and inclusion in the audiovisual sector. As a Gold Sponsor, Sennheiser supports Rise AV’s mission to create pathways for women and underrepresented talent. By supporting Rise AV, Sennheiser contributes to a shared vision: an AV industry where talent is recognized regardless of gender, and where inclusive structures enable long-term change.

Sennheiser has been advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through initiatives such as its Diversity Network, launched in 2019 and rooted in a women’s network from 2016. Other milestones include the signing of the German Diversity Charter in 2022, the introduction of global DEI training for all employees by 2025, and the annual celebration of Diversity Day. Together, these measures reflect a culture where every voice counts, and different perspectives are valued as sources of innovation.

Utelogy Joins Forces with Natilik to Enhance Managed Meeting Spaces

Utelogy Corporation announced its strategic partnership with Natilik, an IT solutions provider with headquarters in London and offices in New York and Sydney. This collaboration brings Utelogy’s intelligent software platform into Natilik’s long-standing Managed Services portfolio, further strengthening its Managed Meeting Spaces offering.

Together, Utelogy and Natilik are enabling enterprises to achieve proactive support, real-time monitoring, historical analytics, and remote troubleshooting across their AV and UC environments. This combination empowers organizations to optimize uptime, streamline operations, and improve user experiences across global deployments.

WeQuote Expands to North America

For AV integrators, managing quotes, projects, and client communications often means juggling tools that weren’t built for their business. Designed by AV professionals, WeQuote is a software platform that makes quoting, project management, and client updates simple, fast, and reliable. Already used across Europe, WeQuote is now expanding to North America, giving integrators a tool that fits their workflow.

WeQuote’s U.S. launch marks a major milestone in the company’s global growth, helping AV professionals everywhere streamline their workflow and eliminate inefficiencies. “Integrators shouldn’t have to work around software,” said Lee Roche, WeQuote co-founder and CEO of. “WeQuote adapts to how teams actually work, so they can focus on delivering great AV experiences instead of fighting spreadsheets and emails."

Pro AV Around the World

Diversified opened a new office in Frankfurt, Germany. The strategic hub expands the company’s operational footprint in EMEA, serving as a center for client engagement, technology demonstrations, engineering, and project delivery. The office space spans ~5,400 square feet (500 square meters), with a 1300 square meter warehouse, supporting Diversified’s existing team with plans to grow headcount over the next two years. The facility provides ample space for prestaging, warehousing, and collaboration for Diversified and its technology partners, including Sennheiser and Crestron, to engage with clients and showcase solutions on-site.

SpinetiX appointed Green Sources as a distribution partner for India. Green Sources will offer the full SpinetiX portfolio and provide on-the-ground commercial and technical support to SpinetiX resellers and integrators nationwide.

Newly Certified

AVer Information's MD720UIS, a medical-grade, all-in-one PTZ camera, has obtained Zoom Pro AV Camera Certification. Purpose-built for telehealth and patient monitoring, the MD720UIS delivers a seamless Zoom experience, enabling healthcare professionals to provide consistent, high-quality care in virtual consultations, intensive care units, telesitting programs and remote patient monitoring environments.

The MD720UIS is engineered to meet the evolving demands of modern healthcare. Featuring 20X optical zoom, ultra-clear 4K imaging and IR night vision, the MD720UIS ensures sharp, detailed visuals in any lighting condition. With PoE++ connectivity, it transmits both power and data over a single Ethernet cable, simplifying setup across medical carts, patient rooms and virtual nurse stations. Designed with privacy and compliance in mind, the MD720UIS features a Local Privacy Mode that halts audio and video transmission, plus an intelligent Mosaic function that automatically masks bodies or faces in the frame to protect patient identity.

Elsewhere, Owl Labs announced its Meeting Owl 4+ has achieved Microsoft Teams certification. With this milestone, the Meeting Owl 4+ joins the Meeting Owl 3 and Owl Bar as peripherals that are certified for Microsoft Teams. With its full ecosystem now certified, Owl Labs provides IT professionals with a comprehensive suite of industry-leading hybrid collaboration solutions.

With this achievement, Owl Labs reinforces its role as a trusted IT partner, serving nearly 250,000 organizations and 92 of the Fortune 100. The Teams certification validates that Owl Labs products meet the rigorous requirements of IT buyers and ensures optimal functionality in enterprise ecosystems.

Technically, it's called Network Device Interface, but we all know it as NDI. Introduced by NewTek in 2015, it's an IP transmission protocol that delivers real-time, broadcast-quality audio and video. These days, following the acquisition of NewTek in 2019, NDI is part of the Vizrt Group.

Over the past decade, NDI has become one of the most dominant video-over-IP solutions for Pro AV applications. And the company has continued to improve the protocol, releasing Version 6 in Spring 2024 and following that with a 6.1 update last December. SCN sat down with Daniel Nergård, NDI president, to learn the secrets to NDI's success as well as the company's plans for continued growth.

SCN: How long have you been president of NDI, and what are your responsibilities?

Daniel Nergård: I have had the privilege to serve as the president of NDI for the past year. In my role, I oversee our global operations, focusing on innovation and expanding our ecosystem. I strongly believe in unlocking NDI’s growth and adoption potential, which includes further driving NDI adoption across various segments and scaling our commercial adoption among enterprises. This ensures we’re supporting industry needs and that we remain at the forefront of shaping future workflows and helping our clients with efficiency.

SCN: What do you consider some of the major selling points of NDI?

DN: The adoption of video-over-IP has become more than a trend. It is now a standard transition for video-based industries. NDI has become the standard solution that provides users with seamless interoperability, low cost, and an unparalleled ecosystem of products that offer both flexibility and professional performance.

NDI’s high-quality, low-latency solutions integrate seamlessly into existing systems. We can support nearly any type of production including live broadcasts, esports, virtual conferences, and many more. Notably, NDI was an integral part of enabling a global hybrid and virtual live event experience that connected 26 countries for MMG Events. With NDI, MMG was able to deploy more than 200 signals across its network, significantly improving scalability and flexibility.

[Cloud Power: Wheels Not Included]

Additionally, Chess.com, the world’s leading online chess platform, utilized NDI as the primary signal transport for its fully remote, cloud-based production. Its innovative use enabled highly adaptable and efficient workflow, managing anywhere between 80-120 signals per event.

Further demonstrating NDI’s versatility, Siemens integrated it into its state-of-the-art communication center to streamline corporate broadcasts. Touting NDI’s flexibility, fast setups, and cost efficiency, Siemens made a gradual transition over an 18-month period from SDI to NDI, expanding its video-based services.

SCN: What are the costs associated with NDI?
DN: NDI offers a royalty-free SDK and a suite of free NDI tools, including comprehensive documentation and resources to integrate NDI into their applications. This is available to creators and developers without licensing fees for implementing the standard, enabling widespread adoption and allowing for any product or platform to become seamlessly compatible with the NDI ecosystem.

Additionally, users who seek more advanced features or for commercial purposes, the Advanced SDK is available, providing enhanced features and capabilities. The Advanced SDK requires users to enter into a licensing agreement; associated costs vary based on the scope and specific requirements of their project.

SCN: Is NDI as good as SDI?

DN: NDI has become the standard solution in a wide range of industries. While SDI is a trusted solution for various live production events such as hybrid and remote productions, NDI can be integrated seamlessly into all live events and offers several advantages, especially in modern, IP-based workflows. These include NDI’s support for higher flexibility, scalability, simple infrastructure and lower-cost integration. Additionally, NDI delivers high-quality, low-latency video and audio transmission that can be scaled easily compared to SDI.

SCN: It’s pretty easy to find PTZ cameras compatible with NDI, but what other hardware and software solutions have integrated NDI into their products?

DN: NDI’s widespread adoption goes beyond PTZ cameras. We have built an ecosystem made up of various hardware and software such as video switchers, encoders, decoders, media servers, and displays, all designed to support high-quality content creation across various applications. Further, we’ve expanded our certification program to include network switches from NETGEAR, Yamaha’s SWR and SWX lines of network switches, and Thinlabs' line of PoE live production computers. Our ecosystem and various devices grow as NDI is growing with our end users, which is amazing.

SCN: In an industry filled with AVoIP protocols, why do you think NDI has been embraced by so many manufacturers?

DN: We pride ourselves on providing high-quality, low-latency solutions that are easy to use and implement. Through seamless interoperability, low cost, and flexible, professional-grade performance, NDI has set the standard for the Pro AV industry. The ability to seamlessly integrate into existing networks and workflows continues to meet the demands of broadcast, live events, corporate environments, and many more. Additionally, our rapidly growing ecosystem ensures that both customers and end users have access to a wide range of compatible tools. We take the time to listen to our partners and industry professionals about their pain points and what they’re looking for in innovations. That feedback is crucial to how we develop and adapt our solutions.

SCN: How important is the metadata component to NDI’s success, and does NDI support KVM?

DN: Metadata is a key component of NDI’s functionality, offering developers an ideal infrastructure that can handle custom and public metadata transmissions. Users are in control of how they leverage metadata connectivity over NDI, as it allows for deeper integration and removing limitations other than bandwidth. Three main components make NDI suitable for metadata.

Flexibility: NDI is equipped to support metadata through an XML-based format. This allows users to include diverse metadata types without strict guidelines.

Bidirectional: Users can access more efficient infrastructures through a single NDI connection that both sends and receives metadata.

Reliability: NDI provides users with a robust connectivity stack with frame-accurate metadata processing.

Since the second half of 2024, we’ve been actively collaborating with ecosystem partners to expand metadata support for key standards with upcoming enhancements including closed captioning, MIDI, and DMX, further extending NDI’s capabilities.

[The Integration Guide to KVM 2025]

As for KVM, NDI already supports this functionality in the Advanced SDK, with comprehensive documentation and guidance available on our website to assist users with implementation.

SCN: Are the education and corporate conference markets growing areas for NDI?

DN: Yes. For instance, we’ve partnered with various universities on a multitude of projects including Butler University’s Esports Park and the University of the Arts London and Cranfield University, both of which used NDI to optimize hybrid and remote learning. Every day we learn about more cases on how NDI is used in the education environment.

In the corporate conferencing space, NDI technology has been leveraged to streamline corporate broadcasts for global companies including Siemens. Prior to using NDI, Siemens used an all-SDI baseband architecture for its studio—but thanks to the transition to NDI, the team at Siemens have cut the costs by half and event setup time by a third compared to SDI.

SCN: How does NDI fit into an esports workflow?

DN: NDI’s ability to provide high-quality, low-latency video and across large-scale live productions makes it an ideal suitor for esports workflows. Additionally, NDI simplifies the integration process of multiple cameras, streaming setups, graphic systems, and more, into a single unified production. For instance, as previously mentioned, Chess.com integrated NDI into its fully remote, cloud-based studio broadcasts to seamlessly manage multiple transport signals and camera inputs from various camera types, enabling efficient and scalable production for 300 chess matches each year.

SCN: What are the greatest challenges facing NDI?

DN: We’re continuing to see an increased demand for IP-based video solutions. Within that lies an opportunity for NDI to continue its rapid adoption rate and expanded user base. With this demand comes a plethora of needs from segments and users, each requiring more features and personalized solutions to fit their specific needs. We need to prioritize and recognize how to create a roadmap encompassing the entire community as much as possible. We are constantly working to address individual feedback and invest in innovation that benefits all. The recent launch of our Connected Community Platform is giving us yet another opportunity to be close to our end users, educate them on the use of NDI, and listen to their feedback.

After July kicked off with a flurry of acquisitions, Week 2 of the month was a bit quieter. That doesn't mean there weren't several strategic moves which occurred... and yes, there was another acquisition. Get caught up on people movers and partnerships that you should know.

[Check Out the Largest LED Wall in the Middle East]

People News

ACT Entertainment Expands Sales Team

ACT Entertainment has appointed two members of the lighting sales team to newly designated sales territories. Jonathan Schneider and Asha Washington have been named as regional outside sales reps. Schneider is lighting for the South-Central U.S. and Washington is for the Southeast U.S.

Schneider was a media server engineer, lighting tech, and crew chief with Upstaging for the last 11 years. He worked on various tours, including Celtic Thunder, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones, and served as the Hippo and network tech with the WWE for eight years. For the last five years, Washington has served as inside sales rep and, most recently, outside sales rep for Barbizon Lighting Company. Earlier, she was the technical director for the Beaufort County School District.

AtlasIED Announces Dirk Greef as Regional Sales Manager for Germany

AtlasIED appointed Dirk Greef as regional sales manager for Germany, supporting the company’s ongoing international growth and presence across Europe. Greef joins AtlasIED Europe GmbH and will be based in Germany.

Greef has over a decade of experience in the industry, having held essential sales roles in both integration and distribution. His career includes more than five years with a German integrator, where he directed the company’s sales and commercial operations. He then took on the role of area sales manager for Western Germany at a leading German distributor, where he further enhanced his market knowledge and built strong customer relationships. In his new role, Greef will focus on expanding AtlasIED’s footprint throughout Germany, introducing the company’s extensive product range to integrators, consultants, and end users across the region.

Lukas von Arx Appointed CEO of Neutrik Group

The Neutrik Group has appointed Lukas von Arx as its new chief executive officer. He officially takes on the leadership of the globally active company headquartered in Liechtenstein.

von Arx brings a wealth of international experience and leadership expertise in the cable and connectivity industry. His career has included roles at Ernst & Young, LEONI, and most recently BizLink.

At LEONI, von Arx was, among other responsibilities, in charge of establishing a new production facility in India and later led the company’s Canadian operations. He joined BizLink in 2022 as president and managing director of BizLink elocab in Canada and took over global responsibility in 2023 for the Tailor-Made Business Unit, overseeing nine sites and approximately 1,000 employees.

Company News

Introducing Dale Pro Audio Advanced Wireless Group

Dale Pro Audio and RF coordinating guru James Stoffo partner to offer custom-designed, mission-critical wireless solutions. The newly formed Dale Pro Audio Advanced Wireless Group was created to support clients from initial site survey and design to procurement and installation with a reliable wireless system tailored to customers’ exact specifications.

Stoffo authored the RF Coordination and Procedures Manual for the Olympic Committee, which has served as the radio communications and wireless microphone operations blueprint for every World Cup game since 2006. Stoffo has also designed large antenna systems for events including: two decades of Super Bowls and Rose Bowls; CMA Awards and Latin Grammy shows; and Fortune 100 corporate events, including Microsoft and Salesforce

Formed in 1956, Dale Pro Audio’s specialists have decades of experience supporting broadcast and large-scale productions all over the world. “Dale’s products and solutions are manufacturer agnostic and are focused entirely on what best meets our clients’ specific needs,” said Al Spinelli, VP of sales and operations at Dale Pro Audio.

Adam Hall Group Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

Adam Hall Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. With over 800 guests on campus, the technology manufacturer celebrated with a big staff party in the Experience Centre at its headquarters in Neu-Anspach, Hesse, on July 4.

Together with its employees and their families, the Adam Hall Group looked back on 50 years of event technology history. One particular highlight was parked right outside the door: the restored 1972 Wings Over Europe tour bus belonging to Paul McCartney and his band Wings, discovered by co-founder and classic car fan David Kirby at an auction. The iconic bus now serves as an exhibit in the company’s own Rock ‘n Roll Library, and as an inspiring creative space for employees. It is a physical symbol of the anniversary motto: “Honoring the past, driving the future.”

50 years ago, Adam Hall founded a small company in Southend-on-Sea, England, which manufactured fittings for flight cases under the name Adam Hall Hardware. Just five years later, Kirby laid the foundations in Germany for what is now known worldwide as the Adam Hall Group. What started out small has developed over the decades into an internationally active group of companies with strong brands such as Palmer, DEFENDER, LD Systems, Cameo, Gravity, and Adam Hall Cables.

The next groundbreaking step followed in 2013: Alexander Pietschmann and Markus Jahnel took over the management of the company as part of a management buyout. Kirby remains with the company as executive chairman to this day. Today, the Adam Hall Group is a globally active company with around 400 employees worldwide and is one of the leading manufacturers in the event technology industry. The established international locations and showrooms, such as those in Barcelona, Asia, the U.K., and North America, have also contributed significantly to this.

AVer Joins HETMA as Gold Partner

AVer Information USA, an award-winning provider of video collaboration and education technology solutions, announces its role as a Gold Partner of HETMA (Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance). AVer’s partnership reflects the company’s dedication to empowering higher education through advanced audiovisual technology and aligns seamlessly with HETMA’s mission to enhance AV technology across college campuses nationwide.

As a Gold Partner, AVer will be recognized by HETMA as a catalyst for technology innovation and adoption in the higher education sector. A key initiative supported by this partnership is the HETMA Approved Program, a rigorous, independent, peer-reviewed product evaluation that streamlines technology adoption for institutions. AVer’s support of this program ensures colleges and universities can confidently implement cutting-edge solutions that meet the demands of modern learning environments.

AVer’s portfolio of video collaboration solutions is designed with higher education in mind. From immersive lecture capture to interactive hybrid classrooms, AVer’s AI-powered cameras deliver unmatched performance with features such as crystal-clear 4K resolution, powerful 30X optical zoom, and seamless integration with leading Learning Management Systems (LMS) and video platforms.

Carousel Digital Signage Software Expands Compatibility to Samsung Tizen Displays

Carousel Digital Signage now enables media player support for Samsung commercial displays built on the Samsung Smart Signage Platform (SSSP) with the Tizen operating system. This means AV integrators and IT teams can deploy digital signage on Samsung commercial TVs already in use without adding external players.

By leveraging Samsung’s embedded SoC (System on Chip) platform, Carousel now extends its reach to this vast installed base of screens, enabling customers to “keep [their] audience informed and connected” on existing Samsung panels.

SSSP displays include built‑in SoC hardware that can run apps like Carousel Cloud Player directly on the screen, making the display its own media player with no separate PC or box is required. As Samsung has noted, these SoC-equipped signage panels “can now be used as digital signage media players, negating the need for external players,” lowering the cost and complexity of deployments. Integrators mount the display and power it on rather than wiring up an external computer. Carousel’s app runs natively on the Samsung Tizen OS, so any supported display becomes a Carousel endpoint capable of playing content from the cloud.

Daktronics and Grass Valley Announce Strategic Partnership

Grass Valley and Daktronics announced a strategic technology partnership that unites Grass Valley’s live production expertise with Daktronics’ leadership in large-scale LED displays. Together, they deliver fully integrated, end-to-end solutions that enhance content creation, production efficiency, and real-time presentation for sports and entertainment venues. The collaboration underscores both companies’ shared commitment to innovation, offering venue solutions that adapt to the evolving needs of modern sports and entertainment, setting a new industry standard for immersive fan experiences and scalable infrastructure.

Several joint projects are already underway, applying the technical integration of Daktronics’ display and Show Control + Camino with Grass Valley’s IP-based live production tools. These initiatives are leveraging the combined strengths of both companies to deliver seamless, end-to-end solutions that elevate the fan experience and streamline production workflows. Details of these innovative deployments will be unveiled in the coming months.

LG and Design Mindset to Host 'Futures Workshop' for Educators' July 21-22 in Denver

LG Electronics USA, together with edtech innovator Design Mindset, will host an exclusive two-day Futures Workshop for Educators, July 21-22 at Bauer’s Candy Factory Coworking Space in Denver, CO. This invitation-only event will immerse K-12 educators, tech coaches and instructional leaders in a hands-on experience blending cutting-edge tools with visionary thinking. Interested educators can apply here.

“Education is being rewritten by rapidly evolving technologies,” said Victoria Sanville, education director at LG Electronics USA. “As educators, we need to stay ahead of the curve to provide today’s students with the best possible learning outcomes in an increasingly AI centric world. Together with Design Mindset, we’re inviting forward-thinking educators to collaborate with us on ways to move from ‘what now?’ to ‘what if?,' and co-create the future of learning.”

During the workshop, participants will enter a collaborative design lab featuring AI + Design Thinking in Action; Hands-On LG CreateBoard Sessions; Immersive AI Integration; Keynotes and Social Salons; and Vision Pitch Fest.

The workshop will kick off with a keynote by educator Kevin Brookhouser, author of, among others, The 20time Project, Code in Every Class, and Teaching Future-Ready Students. Self-described as a “Learning Animal,” Brookhouser believes the world's biggest challenges can be solved by students empowered with the right tools and guidance. He teaches language arts, computer programming, and design thinking at York School in Monterey, CA, and is a Google for Education Certified Innovator, Google Certified Trainer, and National Association of Independent Schools Teacher of the Future.

NDI Launches Pro-Level AV-over-IP Training with AVIXA Certification

NDI has launched its NDI Professional Course, a new on-demand training that is designed for AV professionals to build on their foundational knowledge and develop advanced AV over IP skills and expertise. Available now through the NDI Connected Community, the course empowers professionals to design, deploy and optimize advanced NDI workflows.

The NDI Professional Course builds on foundational concepts from its introductory course and is part of the company’s broader initiative to provide certified training to its growing global community of users. Ideal for professionals looking to gain recognition as NDI experts and seeking the tools to build scalable systems, this course empowers users to unlock the full potential of NDI.

Connected Community members receive access to the course content and all future updates for a one-time fee of $25. Participants will also obtain the NDI Professional Certificate signed by NDI’s technical director, and AVIXA certification with 3.5 Renewal Units for CTS, CTS-D, CTS-I, and ANP. The course includes workflow walkthroughs and applied use cases, offering flexible, anytime learning.

PlexusAV Selects PAG to Distribute in Canada

PlexusAV announced it has signed a distribution agreement with PAG to represent its products in Canada.

Under this new agreement, PAG Canada will lead all facets of PlexusAV engagement in Canada, including strategic business development and sales execution across all provinces and territories; technical onboarding and training tailored to integrators and specifiers; pre and post-sales support, ensuring seamless product adoption; and marketing and promotional efforts, including live demonstrations and regional events.

Telycam Simplifies Live Video Production with Elgato

Telycam has expanded the control options for its portfolio of advanced PTZ cameras with the introduction of a new plug-in for Elgato's Stream Deck family of controllers. The new integration simplifies live production workflows while enabling users to easily achieve precise camera movements and adjustments.

Elgato's Stream Deck series of controllers combine precise tactile control with easy drag-and-drop setup, unlimited customization options, space-saving form factors and an extensive third-party ecosystem. Telycam's new Stream Deck plug-in supports a wide range of Elgato models, from the compact Stream Deck Mini to the expansive Stream Deck XL and the rack-mount Stream Deck Studio.

Designed for simplicity and efficiency, the new Stream Deck plug-in for Telycam PTZ cameras lets users control pan, tilt, zoom, focus, and image settings with ease. Functions ranging from PTZ controls, presets and auto-tracking to exposure settings and white balance can be assigned to the customizable LCD buttons on Stream Deck controllers.

Legrand | AV Brands now Part of Expanded Utelogy Utelligence Alliance Partner Program

Utelogy Corporation has added Legrand|AV brands into its Utelligence Alliance Partner Program. This partnership brings expanded support for Legrand | AV brands and products. Middle Atlantic’s RackLink-enabled PDU and UPS power control solutions, as well as Vaddio AV Bridge and conferencing camera systems, are now part of the Utelogy platform, enabling deeper control, intelligent remote monitoring, and automated management across enterprise AV and UC environments.

With the growing need to manage and monitor AV infrastructure across distributed and hybrid environments, Legrand|AV’s robust hardware solutions now integrate seamlessly with Utelogy's software-driven platform. The Middle Atlantic RackLink-enabled power solutions offer intelligent power control and battery health diagnostics for any AV installation, while Vaddio conferencing systems deliver professional-grade camera automation and advanced AV switching for UC deployments.

As part of the expanding partnership, future support will be offered for Legrand | AV’s connected product line, including Luxul networking solutions. With Luxul’s routers, switches, and wireless access points, specifically designed for AV over IP and smart building environments, Utelogy plans to deliver deep integration for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and configuration. This will enable IT and AV teams to gain visibility into network performance and proactively manage connected AV systems from a single, centralized platform. Further plans on the roadmap will provide support for C2G products and networking, and more.

Wowza Accelerates AI-First Strategy with Acquisition

Wowza, known for its video streaming infrastructure for mission-critical applications, recently acquired AVA Intellect, an AI-native startup specializing in intelligent and embedded agent technology for video platforms. The acquisition reinforces Wowza’s commitment to embedding AI across the entire video lifecycle, starting with capabilities that drive immediate value for customers. As part of the acquisition, AVA’s co-founder, Mike Vitale, has joined Wowza as head of intelligence, accelerating Wowza’s shift toward an AI-first product strategy.

“What drew me to Wowza was the chance to pair next-gen AI with a platform that already powers some of the most demanding video infrastructure in the world,” Vitale said. “We’re building on that foundation with new intelligence that’s embeddable and aligned with how developers and product teams want to work today—across industries, use cases, and environments.”

“We’re integrating AVA Intellect’s agent framework into our platform to deliver video insights and real-time configuration support that adapts to customer needs," added Krish Kumar, CEO of Wowza. "It’s a practical step forward in making video delivery more intelligent and responsive."

With AVA Intellect on board, Wowza is introducing two major product innovations. First, AVA’s stream intelligence adds the ability to detect key markers and pull real-time insights directly from video. Second, its agent-based technology unlocks agent-powered experiences that enhance every stage of the user journey, bringing more intelligence and automation to Wowza’s video infrastructure. Beyond better usability, the new features cut friction, boost productivity, and elevate the streaming experience across every industry for Wowza’s customers.

Pro AV Around the Globe

1 SOUND announced its partnership with JS Audio Solutions, naming them the official 1 SOUND distributor for New Zealand, Australia, and the Oceania region. With over 20 years of experience, JS Audio Solutions is a trusted provider of premium AV solutions. This collaboration marks 1 SOUND’s debut into the markets, broadening its global presence.

SoundTube Entertainment named AVIT Vision as its new exclusive distributor in Spain. Based in Seville, AVIT Vision will offer the full portfolio of SoundTube products, including its Dante-enabled speakers, outdoor solutions, and SolidDrive sound transducers. Known for their technical expertise and customer support, AVIT Vision will provide integrators with localized inventory, technical training, and pre- and post-sales support.

Digital signage and integrated solutions specialist, Scala, officially opened its new showroom in Central London, U.K. Located just a short walk from Angel underground station, the showroom will serve as a dynamic hub for technology demonstrations, partner meetings, and educational initiatives all supporting Scala’s presence in the U.K. and across the wider European market. The Scala London showroom was officially opened on the evening of the July 9 with a party attended by key integration partners.

AV/IT TEAM:
Joe Guenther, Information Technology director; Danny Belanger, Information Technology team member

GOALS: The new Animal Health Education Centre (AHEC) at Olds College houses specialized rooms for animal treatment and student learning, as well as classrooms with network connectivity for remote participation and more flexible presentation options. Complementing the new facility expansion is an animal hospital with surgical, dental, and radiology suites, plus diagnostic labs and an animal housing space. The goal of a partnership with integrator Applied Electronics LTD was to outfit this new space with state-of-the-art audiovisual technology.

CHALLENGES: The biggest challenge for the Olds College team was finding a solution that would enhance the interactive and collaborative learning environment for students. The technology would need to support classrooms with connectivity for remote participation and presentation options; as well as serve specialized treatment rooms with cameras and displays to allow more students to observe procedures, thereby increasing student capacity.

FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: The team ultimately selected Sony Pro BRAVIA BZ30L displays, SRG-X400 4K NDI cameras, and VPL-FHZ80 projectors for installation in classrooms and labs for remote viewing and recording of surgical procedures and lectures.

In the Werklund Agriculture and Technology Center, a completely renovated building, the Sony displays and projectors support classroom presentations and collaborative discussions. Additional displays are used for break-out meeting rooms and digital signage throughout the building. A dozen projectors are installed across both buildings, with more than 20 displays in 70- and 75-inch sizes and 10 cameras.

“We’re capable of doing so much more now in terms of classroom presentation, viewing flexibility, network connectivity, and interactive collaboration,” Joe Guenther, Information Technology director at Olds College, said.

The Center is capturing HD footage for use in future course materials and to provide better access for students during procedures. The cameras and displays combine to create viewing gallery areas, allowing more students to observe procedures. “Why have dozens of students crowd around a surgery table when they can view live images and audio on a large, beautiful TV just outside the room?” Guenther said.

Each AHEC room is configured for maximum viewing and content-sharing options. “Having these cameras opens up the possibility to put any signal on any screen in any classroom,” Danny Belanger, Information Technology team member at Olds College, said. “We now have the capabilities to record on every single camera and then save to a shared drive, which authorized users can access. That wasn’t possible before.”

Since the entire AHEC installation is AV over IP, the technology is also used during student open-house tours. “We can show a live demonstration of medical procedures from the animal hospital in a classroom in another part of the building,” Guenther said. “Every device connects into our network switches, every source comes into the network, and every destination comes out of the network.”

The cameras’ security features allow easy control over privacy and user access. “We don’t give camera access to everyone,” Belanger said. “Once someone is done with a procedure, we assign a preset, which keeps it private. We route the cameras to whoever needs to see them, as long as they have proper authorization.”

The AHEC classrooms and labs all have one Sony SRG-X400 camera with varying combinations of Sony Pro BRAVIA displays and projectors, all connected via the school’s NDI network. The largest space is the diagnostic lab, with four 75-inch TVs. Instructors simply plug in their laptops at the podium, and content is displayed on all four screens.

“Even if students are facing the back of the room and looking at their microscopes, they can still clearly see what the teacher is presenting on the projection screen and the TVs all around the room,” Belanger said. “The camera in the ceiling can focus on anything on the instruction table, and everything is tracked smoothly.”

In addition to enhanced active learning, the technology’s benefits extend far beyond the classroom walls. The College now has a clear competitive advantage for attracting new students and experienced faculty, who both have heightened expectations for high-quality, easy-to-use technology in education.

[The Class of 2024: Celebrating AV/IT Teams in Higher Ed]

Magewell introduced a new model in its Pro Convert family of compact IP conversion devices at InfoComm 2025. Winner of a SVC "Best of Show" award, the Pro Convert IP to USB combines the flexible decoding capabilities of the Pro Convert family with the plug-and-play video ingest of Magewell's USB Capture devices, Pro Convert IP to USB lets users bring an NDI, NDI HX, or streaming source into video conferencing and other types of software over a standard USB interface.

[The Integration Guide to NDI: Everything You Need to Know]

"Many users want to bring NDI, SRT, or other streaming sources into their videoconferencing platform or other software, but the need for additional software tools was prohibitive," said Nick Ma, CEO and CTO of Magewell. "Our new Pro Convert IP to USB makes it simple, with the IP source showing up in the user's software just like a webcam. We're excited to be delivering this problem-solving solution to customers."

While direct support for NDI video connectivity technology in third-party software has grown significantly, many AV professionals have continued to find themselves unable to join the NDI ecosystem. Software solutions without native NDI integration may support it through NDI Tools, but stringent IT restrictions in many environments often preclude the installation of such utilities. The Pro Convert IP to USB hardware overcomes this issue and eliminates complexity by converting the NDI source into a USB output that software sees as easily as a webcam.

In addition to NDI High Bandwidth, NDI HX2, and NDI HX3, Pro Convert IP to USB also supports H.264 or H.265 source streams in protocols including SRT, RTMP, RTSP, RTP, UDP, and HTTP. This allows users to easily bring live network sources in any of these formats into their software. Even users of software that natively supports NDI or streaming sources can benefit from Pro Convert IP to USB, as decoding these inputs externally in the device reduces the processing burden on the host system's CPU or GPU.

Pro Convert IP to USB decodes IP video sources up to 1920x1080 resolution and can bring them into software as uncompressed video at full 60 frames per second or as MJPEG-compressed video at 30 frames per second. While 30fps is adequate for some video conferencing software, the 1080p60 capabilities of Pro Convert IP to USB flexibly support higher frame rate applications including telepresence solutions, live production software and more. Two channels of 16-bit, 48Khz audio can also be captured.

The Pro Convert IP to USB device is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Compliant with the UVC specification, it offers driver-free installation and immediate compatibility with a wide range of video conferencing (such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams), streaming and production software. The compact device is powered through its USB connection to the host computer, with no additional power source required.

Users can manage and control the Pro Convert IP to USB through an intuitive, browser-based web interface for device configuration, input selection and status monitoring. Multiple Pro Convert devices can also be centrally configured and controlled through Magewell's optional Control Hub management software.

Crestron 1 Beyond cameras are now NDI ready. The company has officially completed the NDI certification process for 1 Beyond p-Series and i-Series cameras. This certification further demonstrates NDI’s growing relevance as an IP video connectivity standard in Pro AV cameras. The seamless integration with leading platforms like Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms makes NDI an essential building block for dynamic, high-quality collaboration experiences across industries.

[The Integration Guide to NDI]

Crestron 1 Beyond cameras, known for their AI-driven presenter-tracking and intelligent switching, are now fully NDI certified and will soon be listed in the NDI Product Finder. This includes the upcoming addition of NDI support to the i12 camera as well as the recently launched TAA-compliant cameras, designed for Government deployments.

“Completing NDI certification is a big step forward in ensuring our customers have flexible, high-quality, and interoperable video technology at their fingertips,” said Connor Bright, group product manager, Intelligent Video and AirMedia at Crestron. “Building upon the previous success of NDI with the Automate VX multi-camera switching solution, the addition of these cameras enables more seamless integration into workplace environments, and empowering IT and AV teams to deploy smarter solutions with confidence.”

"Having Crestron go all-in on NDI for 1 Beyond cameras is a milestone moment, not just for NDI, but for the entire ProAV ecosystem," said Charles Dobson, business development at NDI. “Crestron has always supported technologies built on standards. They recognize that promoting these standards help the entire industry grow.”

Welcome to InfoComm 2025 week. Doors are opened for educational sessions and the show floor is days away from welcoming tens of thousands of Pro AV enthusiasts. We're here to help you prep your to-do list, with the must-see products to check out on the show floor. AV Network brings you everything you need to know before the doors open on June 7, and all the way through the final day on June 13.

[New Products and InfoComm Insights]

Today, check out Barix, Crimson AV, Marshall, and NDI, and celebrate three rising young Pro AV stars heading to InfoComm for free thanks to Diversified.

Barix Builds Bridge to IP Intercom and Paging

Barix is celebrating its 25^th year in business at InfoComm with the launch of a new Annuncicom two-way audio solution that continues its legacy of bridging analog systems with IP networks. To be shown at booth 2832, the new Annuncicom AHE-YA404 gives integrators an all-in-one solution to modernize legacy 2 or 4-wire intercom and paging solutions without the need to replace existing cabling or call stations.

Specifically, the Annuncicom AHE-YA404 is a powerful analog headend with integrated VoIP SIP support and onboard amplification. The 1RU device enables seamless paging and intercom functionality from standard SIP phone to as many as 16 individual legacy intercom panels. Importantly, the AHE-YA404 offers direct connection to speaker/microphone and call-button panels without the need to replace existing cabling or call stations. Upon establishing connectivity, the headend enables two-way HDX communication and room monitoring within help points, emergency intercoms, and security systems among other applications.

The Annuncicom product line is one of Barix’s core flagship brands dating back to company’s earliest years, and represents the company’s legacy in bidirectional voice and audio over IP products for use in almost any application and business vertical. The Annuncicom AHE-YA404 carries that legacy forward with a modern hardware and software architecture that ensures long-term reliability, full compliance with current internet security standards, and easy adaptation to specific customer needs.

CrimsonAV to Unveil Three Engineered Infrastructure Solutions for AV displays

CrimsonAV will debut three forward-thinking solutions at booth 2171. Purpose-built for busy indoor environments, the KFP255TA-BB offers back-to-back 55-inch portrait displays with 10-point infrared touchscreen capability—allowing for real-time interaction on both sides. Whether it’s retail promotions, airport wayfinding, or campus navigation, this freestanding kiosk makes digital communication impossible to ignore.

Designed with flexibility and simplicity in mind, the KFP255UN is a sleek, free-standing indoor kiosk shell engineered to work seamlessly with virtually any 55-inch display. With universal compatibility (up to 1253.4x724.2x59.9mm), this versatile solution supports a wide range of digital signage applications across retail, corporate, education, and more.

Lastly, CrimsonAV’s new ADCSP Component Storage Panel brings simplicity and scalability to behind-the-screen setups. Designed to house media players, power supplies, and accessories, this mount eliminates clutter while delivering unmatched flexibility.

Marshall Electronics to Introduce CV355-27X-IP Camera

Marshall Electronics will introduce the CV355-27X-IP Optical Zoom IP (HEVC/SRT) Camera at booth 3843. This compact yet powerful full-HD camera is designed for IP-based workflows in professional AV and live productions, including houses of worship, courtroom and classroom settings, as well as broadcast environments.

Featuring a professional-grade 8.5-megapixel sensor, the CV355-27X-IP captures crystal-clear video up to 1920x1080 at 60fps, delivering exceptional image performance across all standard HD formats, with output up to 1080p60 and 720p60. Its impressive 27X optical zoom (5.5~150mm) provides a versatile 60° angle of view, making it ideal for capturing close-up detail in large spaces.

Designed with AV integrators in mind, the CV355-27X-IP is easy to incorporate into any project, as it supports simultaneous IP (HEVC/SRT), 3GSDI and HDMI outputs, with Ethernet I/O providing video, control, audio and Power over Ethernet (PoE) over a single cable. It also features RS232 control and a 3.5mm audio input with passthrough, offering flexible integration options for a wide range of workflows.

NDI Showcases HDCP over NDI, NDI 6.2, and AVIXA-Certified “NDI Basics” Classroom Session

NDI will host live showcases of NDI 6.2, the industry’s first-ever HDCP over NDI demonstration, and the launch of its AVIXA-certified NDI Basics Classroom Session at booth 3780.

In collaboration with ProITAV, NDI will present the first-ever demonstration of HDCP-compliant content transmission over NDI. Using a new metadata setting, this innovation enables the secure transport of HDCP-protected content, addressing a longstanding challenge in enterprise and education AV environments.

Attendees will also get an exclusive look at NDI 6.2, a new update publicly demonstrated for the first time at InfoComm 2025. The technology update introduces enhanced device discoverability, new monitoring tools and a fully redesigned NDI Discovery Tool, enabling more scalable, efficient deployment across diverse AV-over-IP systems.

NDI will also debut it's AVIXA-certified “NDI Basics” Classroom Session on Wednesday, June 11 at 11 a.m. ET in Room W307CD. Led by Technical Director Roberto Musso, the 60-minute training is designed for AV engineers, IT professionals and system integrators transitioning to IP-based video, offering RU credits and practical, real-world insights. The session is included in AVIXA’s Manufacturers’ Training Pass and costs $99 for members, $149 for non-members.

CELEBRATE! NextLVL Sends Three Rising Stars to Infocomm 2025 Thanks to Diversified and Industry Partners

NextLVL Learning announced the recipients of its inaugural initiative designed to support and empower the next generation of talent in the audiovisual and information technology (AV/IT) industry. Thanks to a generous donation from Diversified, along with the unwavering support of our incredible partners and sponsors, three bright, passionate, and recently entered AV/IT “Learners” will be attending Infocomm 2025 this year as part of a career-changing experience.

These rising stars represent the future of our industry, and we encourage everyone attending Infocomm to say hello, welcome them, and share a piece of your journey.

The selected recipients will receive full access to Infocomm programming and events; mentorship and guidance from seasoned professionals; and exclusive opportunities to network with industry leaders.

Get your free copy of SCN's Integration Guide to NDI.

Driving AVoIP Workflows

In an exclusive interview with SCN, NDI president Daniel Nergård shares information about the technology, including major selling points, the importance of metadata, and the greatest challenges facing the IP transmission protocol.

At Issue

Experts from AJA Video, Magewell, OBSBOT, PTZOptics, and Telycam discuss the most important details to consider before adopting an NDI workflow.

Download the Integration Guide to NDI.

Read the April issue of Systems Contractor News.

Vizrt has unveiled its first dedicated audio connectivity and monitoring technology product. Viz Connect Audio adds, for the first time, a much-needed ability to manage any and all NDI sources on a network, both visually and aurally.

“Audio is just as important as video in any live production," said Steve Taylor, chief product and technology officer, Vizrt. By ensuring seamless and flexible audio connectivity using the same NDI network, with streaming infrastructure also widely used for video, Viz Connect Audio guarantees professional-quality, easy to configure live productions."

[AV for Broadcast: A New Ebook from the Publishers of SCN and TV Tech]

Viz Connect Audio makes it easy for users to connect analog audio sources, configure and convert them to NDI, enabling their use in a local or remote NDI ecosystem. At the same time, Viz Connect Audio allows visibility of all NDI audio sources on the NDI network.

“While TriCasters have long provided the ability to connect audio sources directly into the live production switcher, with Viz Connect Audio, the focus is firmly on enabling users to bring in analog audio sources, convert them to NDI, and connect them straight to the NDI network, strengthening the entire workflow and flexibility of the ecosystem," said Christopher McLendon, senior product manager, Vizrt.

[NAB Show Notebook: Leader Brings Clarity to NDI Troubleshooting]

Ideal for broadcast studios, event producers, corporate communications, educational institutions, content creators, and anyone doing a live production, Viz Connect Audio easily integrates, enabling the visibility, monitoring, and control of a production’s audio sources.

Are you ready for NAB Show 2025? We will continue to make sure you are, bringing you new products and must-see showcases to add to you to-do list for the show floor, which opens at the Las Vegas Convention Center on April 5.

Today, take a look at what NDI and Leader, OBSBOT, AJA Video Systems, EvertzAV, and Cobalt have ready to show off in Vegas.

3/31—NAB Show 2025 Notebook: 5 Booths to Add to Your Must-See List

AJA Video Systems to Feature Three New Products

AJA Video Systems will feature three new solutions at the AJA booth, SL3310.

The DANTE-12GAM is a new single-channel 12G-SDI Dante audio embedder/disembedder Mini-Converter. Offering the same core functionality as AJA’s openGear OG-DANTE-12GAM, DANTE-12GAM streamlines hybrid IP workflows by making it easier to bridge between SDI sources and destinations with embedded audio to/from the Dante audio ecosystem, which enables distribution of multi-channel, low latency high-resolution digital audio across a switched Ethernet network.

AJA will also showcase its all-new KUMO 6464-12G, a high capacity 12G-SDI router that features 64x 12G-SDI inputs and 64x 12G-SDI outputs for high bandwidth, cost-effective signal routing. Targeted for a range of broadcast, production, post, and Pro AV environments, KUMO 6464-12G offers powerful scalability, workflow security, and increased bandwidth via 12G-SDI. Redesigned for maximum reliability and performance, KUMO 6464-12G offers increased capacity for larger configurations while maintaining a compact 4RU height and slim profile, with support for 12G-SDI/6G-SDI/3G-SDI/1.5G-SDI/270Mb and DVB ASI, 64x 12G-SDI inputs, and 64x 12G-SDI outputs.

The BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 is a new addition to its family of streaming and IP video solutions. Featuring eight bi-directional 3G-SDI connectors in a 1RU form factor, BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 doubles the 3G-SDI I/O capabilities of AJA’s BRIDGE LIVE. With an expanded channel count to provide video professionals with enhanced flexibility, the new solution decreases per channel costs for customers, while providing reliable encoding, decoding, and transcoding for critical live video environments.

Cobalt to Bring Plug-and-Play ST 2110

Cobalt Digital is bringing more IPMX-compliant solutions to NAB Show 2025. The SAPPHIRE mini converters and PACIFIC encoders will both be shown enhanced with support for IPMX and enriched with an array of new functionalities. Additionally, Cobalt’s UltraBlue IP-MV multiviewer will be shown with exciting new tools, and ARIA Audio Monitors will be added to the ARIA line. Visitors can explore these innovations in Cobalt’s NAB booth SL 5123.

Cobalt is introducing exciting new features for the UltraBlue IP-MV Multiviewer, a software-based multiviewer for compressed and baseband streams over IP that can also be available as a turn-key server. Features include support for receiving audio/video content over IP across a variety of protocols and formats with very flexible audio routing, bringing a multitude of options to suit every application.

Additionally, the new ultra-flexible COBALT ARIA AUD-MON Audio Monitor supports a wide range of inputs including: 2xSDI up to 12G or MADI, 2 SFP for SDI over fiber, AES, balanced analog audio, and GPI for automation. Features include a live video thumbnail, SDI output for monitoring, individual channel volume controls for mixing, and is configurable from the front panel with a touch display or through a web interface.

Evertz to Showcase New Media Processing Solution supporting JPEG XS

Evertz will highlight powerful new JPEG XS capabilities on the RFK-ITXE-HW-DUO and across both the versatile NEXX and SCORPION platforms, enhancing delivery of scalable, low-latency solutions for high-performance UHD media workflows.

Evertz RFK-ITXE-HW-DUO is a flexible platform that is an ideal solution for bulk signal acquisition and high-density encode/decode applications. The RFK-ITXE-HW-DUO supports unique application builds which allow it to function as a multi-path transcode platform for signal acquisition and normalization. The RFK-ITXE-HW-DUO can also function as a bulk contribution encoder that can support JPEG XS encoded UHD outputs coupled with parallel HEVC SRT output to deliver stunning 4K content with low bandwidth and latency.

This multi-format application caters to primary contribution backhaul while also providing an SRT path for unreliable networks, making it ideal for a parallel backup contribution. The RFK-ITXE-HW-DUO bulk encoder can alternatively provide an HLS or RTMP output, catering to additional transport backhaul applications. The RFK-ITXE-HW-DUO also supports SMPTE ST 2110 (up to UHD), the industry standard for IP-based media transport, as well as SDR and HDR support, ensuring compatibility with expanding color space normalization requirements.

Leader Brings Clarity to NDI Troubleshooting

Test and measurement innovator Leader Instruments is unveiling a new tool for comprehensive NDI signal troubleshooting and monitoring. The software application will be equally valuable to broadcasters and production companies, systems integrators verifying network topographies, and device manufacturers who need a quick and simple way to check NDI streams. The NDI Checker signal monitoring application will be demonstrated at NAB2025, on booth N331 in the north hall.

NDI Checker is a software application, running in a browser on a standard Windows PC. Simply connect this to a signal network and NDI Checker can display a full list of NDI signals in the implementation, give clear access to all the technical parameters of any individual signal, provide a confidence monitor and create an event log.

On one screen, operators can instantly confirm video format, bitrate and received frames. Up to 100,000 events can be captured by the event log, displayed on the monitor and available for export as a CSV file for further analysis.

OBSBOT Showcases Three-Axis PTZR 4K Camera

OBSBOT will debut is AI-Powered OBSBOT Tail 2, which it claims to be the world’s first three-axis PTZR (Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Rotate) 4K camera. Equipped with broadcast-level 4K imaging, PTZR design, next-generation AI Tracking 2.0, and more, Tail 2 enhances what’s possible for solo creators, live event producers, filmmakers, and educators. The camera will be showcased at booth SL11911 in Hall SL, where attendees can experience it firsthand.

With Tail 2, OBSBOT is providing an advanced yet intuitive camera designed to adapt seamlessly to any shooting scenario. Whether capturing live productions, cinematic storytelling, or studio-quality content, Tail 2 offers precision, flexibility, and professional-grade results in every frame—making high-end production accessible to a diverse range of creators.

Tail 2 features a 1/1.5-inch CMOS sensor and a 12-element optical lens, capturing breathtaking 4K/60fps & 1080p/120fps video with 5x Optical Zoom and 12x Hybrid Zoom plus much more. Check out all the features at NAB Show 2025.

NAB Show 2025 is quickly approaching which means InfoComm 2025 is a lot closer than you think. All that hasn't slowed down the Pro AV news cycle, as we had another busy week of new hires and partnerships go down.

Get caught up on what you missed.

People News

Geoff Cormack Promoted to Service Manager at A.C. Americas

A.C. Americas, the parent company of North American distributors A.C. Lighting and A.C. ProMedia, promoted Geoff Cormack to service manager. In this role, Cormack leads the service department in enhancing product repairs, support, and customer service across all A.C. Americas companies and brands. He works closely with manufacturers to ensure the team stays ahead of technology advancements and industry best practices.

With a strong commitment to efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction, Cormack spearheads a renewed focus on streamlining service operations, optimizing repair processes, and enhancing technical support. His leadership drives a more proactive, solutions-oriented approach to servicing A.C.’s broad portfolio of products and brands.

Cormack has been with A.C. Americas for five years, beginning as a senior service technician, where he worked extensively on Chroma-Q, Luminex, PROLIGHTS, and other leading technologies. In 2022, he was promoted to process manager, focusing on documenting and improving manufacturing procedures. With 28 years of industry experience, including key roles at Westbury National, he brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for operational excellence to his new position.

Fabrice Penhoat Promoted to Drive Philips Digital Signage and dvLED Growth

PPDS appointed international AV sales director, Fabrice Penhoat to business director Philips signage and dvLED for France, the French overseas territories (Dom Tom), and Afric, spearheading a new growth chapter in its thriving French and African markets. With an accomplished AV career spanning over two decades—13 years of which have been devoted exclusively to Philips Professional Displays—Fabrice takes the newly created position to lead the development and execution of PPDS’ digital signage and LED sales strategies in this key region.

Fabrice is a valued member of the PPDS team, having started his career with the company back in 2015, joining as Commercial Director Philips Signage. Throughout his PPDS journey, Fabrice’s talents have continued to evolve and to be recognized by PPDS’ global management team, earning him a succession of promotions, gaining invaluable and unparalleled knowledge and experience working and operating in the French and African AV markets. Previous roles at PPDS include sales director (France) and, most recently, key account and business development manager (France, Dom Tom and Africa), making him the perfect candidate to lead and achieve the company’s digital signage and dvLED ambitions through 2025 and beyond.

Company News

Powersoft, Cohesion Announce Strategic Partnership

Powersoft and Cohesion, a professional sound reinforcement design and manufacturing enterprise within the Clair Global Group, announced a strategic partnership. Under the Cohesion name, Powersoft will become a key technological partner that provides amplification and processing platforms ideal for live touring and events audio as well as installed sound systems worldwide.

[Powersoft Acquires 51% of K-Array]

The collaboration between Powersoft and Cohesion serves as the foundation for new technology that will deliver performance, efficiency, and reliability for the most demanding applications and will ensure even greater flexibility and control for audio professionals around the world. Notably, engineers from both companies have developed a new, customized amplification platform using Powersoft’s Unica technology at its core.

Cohesion designs and manufactures top-tier audio technology products, contributing to a growing ecosystem within the live event production and installed sound system landscape. The partnership with Powersoft enhances this ecosystem, providing Cohesion with access to new avenues for delivering industry-leading audio solutions.

AbsenLive Announces 2025 Roadshow Tour to 11 U.S. Cities

AbsenLive is hitting the road in 2025 with an exclusive one-day immersive experience showcasing the latest in LED technology for live events, touring, and virtual production. The AbsenLive Roadshow Tour will stop in 11 cities across the United States, offering hands-on product demonstrations, expert-led training, and valuable networking opportunities.

Designed for rental and staging professionals, system integrators, and production specialists, the tour provides an interactive opportunity to experience AbsenLive’s LED display solutions in action.

Marck you calendars now:

• March 13: Chicago
  March 20: Detroit
  March 27: Minneapolis
  May 8: Nashville
  May 15: New Jersey
  June 26: Orlando
  July 10: Miami
  July 17: Houston
  July 24: Dallas
  Aug. 7: Phoenix, AZ
  Aug. 14: San Diego

OCA Alliance Welcomes NDI as a Member

The OCA Alliance welcomed NDI as a member to the trade association. NDI offers a broad portfolio of software and technology solutions. Offering high-efficiency, plug-and-play, and interoperable tools, NDI is adaptable to the smallest to largest of media networking applications—and everything In between.

"NDI truly needs no introduction, and the OCA Alliance is thrilled to welcome them to our membership," notes Ethan Wetzell, OCA Alliance Marketing Chair. "Not only is it a vote of confidence in the standard to have NDI participating, but it is also proof that AES70 is not just for audio—if it's connected, AES70 can help. We look forward to working with the team."

NDI is enhancing its metadata capabilities, unlocking new control in live production and broadcast workflows. Newly updated documentation details how to leverage seamless, bidirectional XML metadata exchange between NDI senders and receivers to enable new workflows, remote control, and smarter automation for live events and broadcast environments.

Besides documenting some already known capabilities with the support of Vizrt, the new release also introduces four new official standard metadata elements, developed in collaboration with innovative brands in the NDI Ecosystem: support for broadcast standards CEA-708 & SCTE-104, with ToolsOnAir, the audio standard MIDI with LAMA, and the lighting control standard DMX, in partnership with SalrayWorks.

"One of the greatest advantages of IP video is not just the ability to transmit video over UTP cables, but the integration of advanced functionalities like seamless device connectivity, remote control and firmware updates," said Geen Jung, CEO and founder at SalrayWorks. "Over the years, NDI has consistently fostered an ecosystem that inspires innovation which for SalrayWorks, has opened new possibilities in fields such as lighting and audio.”

[Welcome to the New Era of Live Events]

Traditionally, live events require separate teams to manage video, lighting, and audio, which can be complex and costly. This is particularly true for smaller organizations like churches or school sporting events. Using NDI-based setups to transport metadata enables seamless remote management of each component within a single, unified workflow.

For instance, integrating NDI with lighting systems allows for real-time, remote adjustments directly from video preview screens, eliminating the need for a dedicated specialist. This transforms live production environments, empowering broadcasters to handle complex operations with ease with professional-grade automation.

“NDI metadata enables us to integrate camera tracking data within the same stream where audio and video are transported. This ensures that tracking data remains synchronized with the video frame, regardless of transmission delays,” said Markus Rainer, software architect at Vizrt. “At Vizrt, our PTZ cameras already embed tracking data directly, while other solutions utilize the NDI Advanced SDK to embed externally delivered tracking data before transmission. By centralizing metadata documentation, NDI provides a unified resource for managing metadata extensions. This allows us to seamlessly reference existing solutions, reducing redundancy.”

[A New Chapter for 'Page Six']

The success of these partnerships inspired the creation of a new initiative, the Metadata Lab. Any brands and developers that want to follow in the footsteps of companies like LAMA, can now submit their metadata proposal at ndi.video/metadata-lab. The NDI technical team will then review proposals and work together with creators to test and improve on the submission. When ready, NDI will publish it as an official NDI Metadata standard in the ever-growing documentation. As new metadata integrations expand across the ecosystem, broadcasters and production teams will have more access to unparalleled flexibility and control, unlocking new possibilities for the future of live production.

Time is ticking away and ISE 2025 is about to open its doors. Before you pack and prep for Barcelona, keep up to date with the latest ISE 2025 product news. Ready to open its doors in Barcelona from Feb. 4-7. 2025, AV Network continues to be your one-stop shop for updates ahead of the show to make sure you know what to check out on the showfloor. 

Today, go behind the scenes at the IPMX and NDI standards, check out the latest from AVPro Edge and AudioControl, celebrate an anniversary with Powersoft, and explore the latest from Brompton Technology. 

[ISE 2025: The Must-Attend Event for the Pro AV Industry]

AVPro Edge, AudioControl, Bullet Train, and Murideo Showcase Latest AV Innovations

AVPro Edge, AudioControl, Bullet Train, and Murideo will be exhibiting high-performance audio/video connectivity products, audio amplifiers and home theater products, HDMI, USB, and other cable products, plus advanced video testing and calibration devices in Barcelona. 

AVPro Edge AVPro Edge will be showing its latest HDMI and USB connectivity solutions and the MXnet AV-over-IP ecosystem—all invaluable tools for AV integration pros. MXnet is flexible, expandable, and is designed for AV integrators, so it is highly intuitive to deploy. MXnet easily accommodates additional devices on the network such as control systems, streaming, security, gaming, and more. As part of the ConferX line of professional audio video products.

AudioControl will present the brand-new Bijou series of integrated eARC amplifiers, addressing the growing demand for audio enhancement to support large-screen TVs, micro-LED wall installations, and many other professionally installed entertainment system applications. Combining compact design with state-of-the-art technologies like integrated eARC connectivity, unrivaled GaN amplification, and Dante networking, the three Bijou amplifier models have been engineered from the ground up to provide professional AV installers with robust, versatile solutions for both new installations and system upgrades, delivering unparalleled sound quality for any space.

Additionally, Murideo will showcase STIX generators and analyzers are an essential 720P to 8K HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps) end-to-end testing solution that includes two small form factor devices: the STIX MU-STIX-G signal generator and the MU-STIX-A analyzer. Bullet Train will be highlighting its Calibrator Series HDMI cables featuring 100% EMI/RFI shielding, with each of the 19 internal conductors isolated within Kevlar-reinforced polyethylene insulators. The company will also have its Professional Series USB cables offering USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to USB-C variants. From mobile device charging to moving 10 Gbps data or video at the speed of light, Bullet Train USB Professional series cables deliver superior performance, reliability and compatibility

Powersoft to Kick Off 30th anniversary Celebrations at ISE 2025

Powersoft will kick off its 30th-anniversary year in style—and unveil an all-new audio product—on stand 7E700 at Integrated Systems Europe 2025. The new product, tailored towards the fixed-installation and AV/IT markets, will join Powersoft’s growing portfolio of  audio solutions for system integrators and IT managers.

Powersoft’s story began in 1995, when Luca Lastrucci, Claudio Lastrucci, and their childhood friend Antonio Peruch developed the company’s first project: a new Class-D amplifier that was able to reliably, consistently deliver high power levels. As it embarks on its fourth decade and prepares to move into its new HQ—the Human Audio Experience Center—Powersoft remains focused on innovation, sustainability, and delivering for its global network of distributors, suppliers, dealers and customers, which include some of the world’s most famous artists, venues and entertainment brands.

To experience the new product—and join in the birthday festivities—visit Powersoft in Hall 7 on stand #7E700.

NDI to Showcase Ecosystem Booth, Tease New Updates

NDI will debut its new NDI Ecosystem booth, featuring interactive demos, partner integrations, and a preview of its extended certification program. Visitors can also hear about the latest training courses available through the Connected Community platform.  

NDI’s Ecosystem Booth demonstrate how NDI-enabled products and workflows are reigning over other protocols across corporate communications, hybrid work, remote education and more. Attendees can explore the immersive hub featuring eight Partner Pods where brands from the NDI ecosystem will showcase their existing and new NDI-enabled products and discuss plans to integrate future technology. In addition to fully branded licensee pods, the booth will host live demo areas and show real-world use cases from leading licensees including Bolin, Lama Audio, Magewell, MAXHUB, Science Image, Telycam, Vizrt, and Z Cam.

Additionally, the booth will feature a “Workflow Wall”, an interactive product wall allowing visitors to visualize workflows for various use cases, experiencing firsthand how NDI-enabled products from different brands can become seamlessly interoperable. The Workflow Wall will showcase how NDI can become the backbone for the most in-demand use cases in Pro AV including corporate events, sports arenas, and retail. Featured products include innovations from licensees such as BirdDog, Bolin Technology, Canon, Crestron, Kiloview, Logitech Mevo, Magewell, Maxhub, NETGEAR, PTZOptics, Telycam, Yamaha, and more.

AIMS to Reveal Whirlwind of IPMX Activity

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) will highlight the global broadcast and Pro AV market’s increasing adoption of Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX)—a set of open standards-based protocols designed to ensure interoperability for AV-over-IP systems — at ISE 2025. With the standard nearing completion, the stage is set for it to make a big impact in Barcelona. In booth 5F600, AIMS will demonstrate a variety of IPMX-compatible solutions, including an NMOS controller; AES67 speaker; Dante-to-IP adapter; KVM, SDM, and multiviewer displays; IP-to-IP converter; and receiver software.

To complement the IPMX-compatible solutions being highlighted at ISE 2025, the standard will also be featured in several partner kiosks in the AIMS booth, including Cobalt Digital, Macnica, IntoPix, Meinberg, Nexterra, and PlexusAV. The kiosks are a first for AIMS at the show, with member companies hosting demonstrations of IPMX-based systems. This will include a wide range of scenarios including the interoperability of the IPMX standard with ST-2110, AES67, JPEG XS, Dante, and much more.

Brompton Technology Showcases Its Latest Tessera LED Video Processing Solutions

On stand 3E100, Brompton Technology will showcase its Tessera solutions, including some of its latest software innovations from the recent Tessera v3.5 release. Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore how the company delivers exceptional video quality tailored for any size of project, with examples on show including its renowned Dynamic Calibration technology and HDR content capabilities. A team of Brompton experts will be on hand to engage with show visitors, providing insights into the unique benefits of these powerful features and technologies.

The Brompton stand will feature two main areas, each designed to highlight its state-of-the-art  technology. The first is a fine-pitch 12 by 4 panel Leyard DirectLightÒ Pro 0.9mm LED screen. At 8K wide, it will display stunning  HDR content, underlining Brompton’s ability to deliver exceptional video quality for fine-pitch LED products. The second area features a 5 by 7 panel ROE Visual Ruby 1.5 F LED screen which will show A/B comparisons of key features such as Extended Bit Depth, Dark Magic and Dark Time Insertion among others.

Home to video game giants, Japan is a global video game powerhouse, but the size of its esports market has historically trailed behind the rest of the world. However, the appetite for esports is growing exponentially and new audiences are demanding more live, high-octane content.

Japan’s esports market value has boomed by 70 percent in the past few years. With a drive to “make people and society happy through gaming,” GLOE Inc. sought out the next-generation video production and live streaming capabilities enabled by TriCaster and NDI to scale the dynamic esports landscape to new audiences.

With its incorporation in 2021, GLOE Inc. was born out of the expertise of two leading organizations: Wellplayed, known for various esports tournaments including the Wellplayed League; and RIZeST, the managing minds behind domestic esports leagues and tournaments including the League of Legends Japan League.

Founded by president Yuya Tanida and director/member of the board Kiyoshi Harada, GLOE Inc. has evolved to expand into streaming esports events. The company, which is regularly behind the Esports X Stage at the Tokyo Game Show, was responsible for its detailed technical system and live streaming capabilities.

With an unrivaled understanding of Japan’s esports landscape, GLOE Inc. has expertise in managing professional gamers and live commentators, hosting tournaments and facilities, and contributing to educational initiatives in the field. Naturally, these scores of credits often see the company responsible for handling world-scale tournaments in Japan.

A Live Production Solution

As the country’s leading gaming lifestyle company, GLOE Inc. needed a live production solution that could bring engaging esports content to new audiences with seamless accuracy and high production value. They grappled with well-known challenges in esports production, including a way to manage high volumes of captions and in-game switching.

With many players and scenes, accurately updating captions in real-time is a complex and unpredictable task. Displaying the correct captions at the right time is challenging, as is determining their size, which is dependent on a scene and how it is presented. In fighting games, it’s also difficult to pre-determine which character a player will use before a match, requiring preparation for quick changes.

The challenges extend to angles shown to audiences. Esports demands the need for in-game camera switching to create an engaging story by delivering images that the audience wants to see. This is essential to communicate the perspective of the right character at the right time—an interchanging, fast-paced activity that is difficult to manage manually.

With the specific need for an automated in-game switching system enabled by an API, real-time caption support, and a streamlined production setup, GLOE Inc. worked with one of Vizrt’s regional partners to ensure streaming success.

[How Vizrt Made Sports Analysis Training Accessible to All]

Harada was familiar with the TriCaster—an experience that later influenced choosing the system to support the complex task of compositing for esports broadcasting.

Leveraging the system’s increased output capacity, an abundance of Mix/Effects (M/E), and full HD 60p compatibility, the company’s esports studio is fully now equipped to handle any game. TriCaster 2 Elite, with its eight M/E buses, caters to GLOE Inc.’s heavy compositing needs that other switchers struggle to handle with accuracy, making it an essential tool for the fast-paced nature of the company's esports events.

The system’s macro functionality also now enables operators to control captions at their preferred timings and with great accuracy, eliminating the need for manual timing alignment with the TriCaster operator and reducing the risk of broadcasting errors.

"We primarily use the TriCaster for switching camera footage and in-game cameras," Harada said, explaining how its compositing capabilities surpass other equipment in these areas. "We can incorporate up to eight layers for a mix effect—a unique feature of the TriCaster 2 Elite that we always rely on. Utilizing NDI for caption delivery offers a streamlined workflow. It allows for the integration of captions directly into the TriCaster without using up physical input ports, freeing up resources for other needs.”

With the TriCaster at the core of its infrastructure, GLOE Inc. is ideally positioned to accommodate the needs of esports events, both today and in the coming years. In the future, GLOE Inc.’s plans include enhancing its technical team's capabilities and exploring higher-quality broadcast programs.

“The use of TriCaster and NDI in esports broadcasting provides a flexible, efficient, and powerful solution that can handle the complex and dynamic nature of live esports productions,” Harada concluded. “These tools enable broadcasters to manage multiple aspects of the production seamlessly, and adapt to the fast-paced and varied requirements of esports events.”

Magewell introduced new Q-SYS plug-in integrations for the Pro Convert family of live IP video encoders and decoders. As a contributor to the Q-SYS Ecosystem, Magewell collaborated with Q-SYS to create a market-ready solution that integrates seamlessly with the Q-SYS cloud-manageable audio, video, and control platform.

The Pro Convert plug-in integrations have been endorsed with Q-SYS Certified status and are now available for download through Q-SYS Designer Asset Manager found in the Q-SYS Designer Software.

[Eyes on ISE 2025]

Magewell's Pro Convert family of converters lets users easily and reliably bring AV signals into and out of IP-based media infrastructures. Pro Convert encoders transform HDMI or SDI source signals into NDI High Bandwidth IP streams with extremely low latency. Pro Convert decoders convert live NDI High Bandwidth or NDI® HX streams —as well as H.264 or H.265 streams in protocols including SRT, RTMP, RTSP and more—into high-quality SDI or HDMI outputs for display on devices such as monitors and projectors.

The new plug-ins enable monitoring, configuration, and control of Pro Convert devices through the Q-SYS Platform. For Pro Convert encoders, users can configure NDI encoding settings; specify the NDI transmission method; access an NDI Discovery Server; view technical details of the input source signal; and adjust image settings such as brightness and hue. With Pro Convert decoders, the plug-in lets users configure NDI transmission and discovery settings; select between available NDI source streams on the network; view technical details of the NDI streams; configure the decoder's output resolution; and adjust video output functions including tally indicators, audio meters, image flipping and more.

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

The new Pro Convert plug-ins are Magewell's newest Q-SYS Certified integrations, joining the previously released Q-SYS control plug-in for Magewell's USB Fusion video capture, mixing and presentation device.

NDI launched NDI 6.1, delivering new tools and enhanced capabilities for both developers and users. This release represents the next step in the evolution of NDI technology, packed with updates that expand functionality, improve performance, and provide new opportunities for integration.

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

For developers, the enhanced NDI platform includes expanded 10-plus-bitit HDR support, now optimized for FPGA-based hardware. Bridge Service API has also been enhanced, seamlessly integrating through REST APIs.

Users now see NDI Free Audio, a standalone download for Windows (with ASIO support) and Linux. Users will also see revamped tools. These new tools were redesigned NDI Tools launcher, enhanced Virtual Input for Mac, and updates to NDI Bridge.

[Hottest Trends in 2025]

The new features are designed to make the NDI experience more robust, whether you're developing cutting-edge solutions or integrating NDI into your workflow. For full release notes click here.

Sony recently announced the addition of NDI to select cameras as well as a new microphone. Here is the latest news from Sony. 

Sony Electronics Introduces Free NDI License

NDI capability will now be offered as a standard, free feature for select Sony compatible remote camera systems.  This update will be available both for newly sold (as complimentary NDI license) and existing applicable products (through a firmware upgrade).

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

Eligible models:

• Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) Auto Framing Camera BRC-AM7
• Cinema Line Camera ILME-FR7, ILME-FR7K
• PTZ Auto Framing Camera SRG-A40, SRG-A12
• PTZ 4K Color Video Camera BRC-X400, PTZ HD Color Video Camera SRG-X400, SRG-X120
• POV/BOX Camera SRG-XB25, SRG-XP1

Firmware upgrades for PTZ Auto Framing Camera BRC-AM7, Cinema Line Camera ILME-FR7, ILME-FR7K, and PTZ Auto Framing Camera SRG-A40, SRG-A12 are coming soon.

For models awaiting firmware upgrades (Cinema Line Cameras ILME-FR7, ILME-FR7K, and PTZ Auto Framing Cameras SRG-A40, SRG-A12), a free NDI license will be provided from Dec. 1, 2024. This will ensure uninterrupted access to NDI support until the firmware updates are released. By offering the NDI capability free of charge across a range of compatible remote camera models, Sony is empowering creators, broadcasters, and businesses to elevate their video production workflows with seamless, high-quality connectivity.

Sony Launches DWM-30 Digital Wireless Microphone

Sony is also expanding its DWX Series of digital wireless technology with the DWM-30 professional handheld microphone. The new model is compatible with the entire DWX family and can utilize three different Sony mic capsules with different pick-up patterns, and also accepts third-party mic capsules.

[Wireless Microphone Headaches]

The DWM-30 digital wireless microphone transmitter is the successor to DWX Series model DWM-02N, an established choice for a range of professional audio recording environments from broadcast stations to live music performances. The new model combines a user-friendly design, reduced weight, and an approximately six-hour battery life with support for the latest codec modes. It is compatible with current DWX series models and operates within the frequency guidelines adopted as a result of the FCC spectrum reallocation. This model features a wideband operation (up to 148MHz) and allows tuning to frequencies as mandated by the FCC spectrum guidelines UHF-TV Ch 14-36 (470.125-607.875MHz) and 38 UHF-TV (614.125-615.875MHz).

There were more people on the move, new distribution partnerships, and more showrooms and headquarters opened in a busy week in the Pro AV world.

Before we jump into that news, there was some more acquisition news as OEP acquired 2023 SCN Top 50 integrator Yorktel. You can get all the details here. 

People News

Davinder Singh Rai Joins Jetbuilt 

Jetbuilt has appointed Davinder Singh Rai as director of business development for EMEA. With over 20 years of experience in the AV and IT sectors, Singh Rai brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership and market insight to Jetbuilt as it continues to expand its global presence across Europe and the Middle East. 

Singh Rai joins Jetbuilt after a tenure at Pure AV, where he led major projects and drove business growth within the corporate and higher education sectors. Prior to this, Singh Rai held roles at AVI-SPL U.K., Kramer, and Pacific, where he honed his expertise in solution sales, customer relations, and strategic partnerships. His deep understanding of AV and IT integration, combined with his track record of successful project delivery and manufacturer insight makes him a valuable addition to the Jetbuilt team.

In his new role, Singh Rai will be responsible for driving business development initiatives and strengthening client relationships. He is working closely with clients to ensure they fully harness the power of Jetbuilt’s solutions to streamline project workflows and achieve greater operational efficiencies.

AIMS Announces 2024-2025 Board of Directors

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) recently announced a newly elected 2024-2025 board of directors that will lead the organization's effort toward a standards-based IP infrastructure for professional media. AIMS's chairman of the board Steve Reynolds (Imagine Communications), director Andreas Hilmer (Lawo AG), Lee Buchanan (Grass Valley), and Andrew Starks (Macnica) were re-elected to their positions, and are joined by newly elected board member Samuel Recine (Matrox Video). Terry Holton (Yamaha) departs the board as he begins his retirement.

Recine is the VP of sales, Americas and Asia Pacific, for the AV/IT Group at Matrox Video, and currently serves as AIMS' Pro AV Working Group chair. He joined Matrox in 1997 amidst the rise of PC-based standards and surging PC sales and has held a variety of commercial and product management roles during his tenure. Today, his focus is on contributing to the growth of performance media over IP markets.

Industry Vet Joins the NDI Team

With over 28 years in the semiconductor industry and 13 years in broadcast and Pro AV, Don Shaver brings invaluable expertise to NDI. As former VP of video product lines at Semtech Corporation, Shaver led a cross-functional team responsible for generating significant revenue growth and expanded its Pro AV business under his leadership. As NDI continues its mission toward global expansion, his leadership and industry knowledge will prove invaluable to evolving industry needs.

“NDI’s growth is fueled by a clear vision and relentless focus on innovation," said Shaver. "As we expand globally, we're not just increasing our footprint—we’re doing so with intention, ensuring that our cutting-edge solutions meet the evolving needs of the Broadcast and Pro AV industries. This user-centric approach will continue to power our growth in the coming years.”

NDI also opened its new global innovation hub in Lisbon, the second hub to its San Antonio, TX, location. This move will drive seamless solutions for content creators worldwide and will enable NDI to expand its international reach, scale operations, and drive innovation. 

Hitachi Kokusai Appoints Bo Reames as East Coast Sales Manager

Hitachi Kokusai has added proven industry talent to its North American sales team with the appointment of Bo Reames as east coast sales manager. His career began on the live production and operations side of the business, including a five-year stretch with a former broadcast station group. He took on roles of increasing responsibility over time, working his way up from master control to management positions that soon put him in charge of broadcast operations for 24 cable networks.

Reames shifted to the broadcast engineering side of the business in 2002, joining Backporch Broadcast as director of operations for 13 years. Prior to joining Hitachi, Reames spent 10 years in a leadership role with Joseph Electronics that redefined the distribution firm’s business model to better serve the broadcast and AV integration communities.

These diverse experiences give Reames the ability to communicate the benefits of Hitachi cameras to the business- and technical-minded alike. His consultative approach to sales, developed over 23 years at Backporch and Joseph, adds value for customers in the AV market, where Reames sees opportunity to increase visibility with houses of worship, performance venues, universities, and the broader AV integration community. The fact that he has previous experience selling Hitachi cameras while at Backporch is a bonus.

Pixel Power Makes New Appointments 

Following the launch of an updated brand identity and corresponding restructure, Pixel Power, a Rohde & Schwarz company, made several significant key appointments that will support the future expansion of the business.

Stuart Russell joins as the company’s new marketing manager. Stuart brings 13 years of marketing expertise in the media production industry having held roles with Videndum (formerly the Vitec Group plc) and Ross Video. Asad Shah fulfills the role of project engineer and brings 15 years leading teams in major playout and master control centers for large service providers. Stephanie Leroux was brought on in her new role as project manager. She nearly 20 years of experience working in the media industry in both engineering and project management roles. Ehren Stowers aims to forge strong connections across the industry as he takes on the role of product manager for Pixel Power’s automation and monitoring lines. Stowers started his career as a presentation director in his native New Zealand, before moving to London and holding equivalent jobs with BBC and Red Bee Media, before taking on the role of product manager at Red Bee. Finally, Aurelia Znakowa has joined as Pixel Power’s new chief financial officer. She was most recently director of finance at Blacktrace, and helped oversee the company’s acquisition by Unchained Labs.

Company News

PPDS Opens 'Master Showroom' in New York

PPDS celebrated the grand opening of its new 2,368-square-foot (205-square-meter) PPDS Master Showroom experience center. Located in Fairfield, NJ—roughly an hour from Midtown Manhattan—the multidisciplinary venue is the second PPDS Master Showroom to be opened globally, and the ninth in the network of PPDS Studios, following launches in Europe (in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom), as well as in India.

Brought together to inspire and educate, the PPDS Studio NYC Metro takes visiting partners and customers on a journey of creative discovery. Each area of the impressive space has been designed to showcase the power, possibilities, and groundbreaking sustainability benefits available through the company’s portfolio of indoor and outdoor digital signage, dvLED, ePaper, business TVs, interactive, and videowall hardware and software.

The showroom divided into three curated spaces, each showcasing a selection of flexible solutions tailorable to support the range of market verticals. These include retail, corporate, education, hospitality, food and beverage, government, security/surveillance, broadcast studios, transportation, houses of worship, public venues, and entertainment. Each space is separated using floor-to-ceiling glass panels, creating an open and unrestricted environment, mirroring PPDS’ global approach to its business and technologies.

Exertis Almo Partners with Bosch to Enhance Audio Offerings with Dynacord and Electro-Voice Brands

Exertis Almo has entered a distribution partnership with Bosch Security and Safety Systems. As per the agreement, Bosch’s respected family of audio brands, including Electro-Voice (EV) and Dynacord are now available through Exertis Almo.

The partnership significantly expands Exertis Almo’s audio offerings, giving integrators a wider variety of products, support, tools and flexibility needed for projects of any scale or complexity.

Rob Voorhees, director of business development–audio category manager emphasized the significant benefits of partnering with Bosch, highlighting the brand's global recognition and expertise in the installed, portable and live sound audio sectors. “Our partnership streamlines procurement processes—such as reducing the number of purchase orders—which enables us to invest more resources towards pre-sales support, design consultation, and other operational improvements that directly benefit integrators and end users.”

Featured Dynacord and Electro-Voice products available through Exertis Almo: Dynacord U Series, Dynacord V Series, Dynacord C Series, Dynacord DSP MXE5-64 Matrix Mix Engine, EV Line Radiator Column Speakers (LRC), EVID Ceiling Mount Speakers, EVID Surface Mount Speakers, and EVC Compact Loudspeakers for Fixed Installation.

Pliant Technologies Welcomes New Manufacturer’s Representative, RTSales 

Pliant Technologies appointed RTSales as its new manufacturer’s representative. With a thorough knowledge of its region’s reseller and customer base, unique market niches, and a strong working knowledge of the specialized products represented, this new partnership will expand Pliant’s network. RTSales covers Puerto Rico, along with seven states in the U.S., including, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Representing a synergetic group of some of the top manufacturers in the professional and commercial audio, video, entertainment lighting, and music production industries, RTSales offers retail, production, and integrated installation partners a direct link to the inside sales and support systems for these manufacturers. For over 40 years, RTSales has earned a reputation as an effective and efficient resource for pre-sale technical support, purchasing and procurement, sell-through support, and after-the-sale service and technical training. With offices in South Florida, Central Florida, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and Alabama, RTSales provides manufacturers and resellers a critical path to new products, promotions, and technical support.

PowerHouse Alliance Welcomes New Member

The PowerHouse Alliance welcomed CEP Distributing as its newest distributor member. This addition brings the total number of PowerHouse Alliance locations to 71, collectively representing over 900,000 square feet of warehouse space across the country.

Based in Houston, TX, the CEP Distributing team brings over 20 years of channel expertise to the table and stocks a wide range of products in key categories including: AV, control, lighting, and security. CEP's commitment to excellent dealer support and long-term relationship building aligns seamlessly with the PowerHouse Alliance's mission. CEP Distributing will cover the Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas territory on behalf of the Alliance.

AudioPros Expands EAW Territory to Include Metro NY

Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) welcomed AudioPros, as its manufacturer’s representative to serve the Northeast territory. AudioPros currently represents EAW throughout New England and Western New York and has now expanded to Metro New York.

AudioPros is an independent manufacturer’s sales and marketing firm providing support of EAW’s products to integrators, consultants, production companies, and retailers. AudioPros provides high-quality solutions for a variety of projects ranging from large outdoor stadiums to small-scale installations. As an audio, video, and lighting representative firm, the company is well positioned to offer complimentary professional lines that are the greatest value to the manufacturers it serves.

PSNI Global Alliance Welcomes KVM Pioneer G&D as Global Preferred Vendor Partner

PSNI Global Alliance welcomed Guntermann & Drunck (G&D) to its Global Preferred Vendor Partner (PVP) network. G&D expands the PSNI network’s ability to deliver mission-critical control room applications, ensuring top-tier functionality, security, and operational efficiency for global control room operations.

By joining forces with G&D, PSNI’s certified solution providers (CSPs) now have access to the most comprehensive, interoperable, secure, high-performance KVM technology available. This partnership further strengthens the Alliance’s capability to solve complex AV and UCC challenges while delivering seamless, large-scale project outcomes across key verticals such as industrial automation, process control, energy management, air traffic control, broadcast, entertainment, and government industries.

G&D’s advanced KVM technology is a critical asset for any organization that requires secure, reliable, and efficient control room operations. Founded in 1985 and global headquarters located in Germany, with its newly opened Americas headquarters located in Houston, TX, G&D is recognized as a pioneer in the KVM industry, providing innovative solutions long before the term "KVM" even existed. 

Diversified Opens New Global Headquarters in Dallas Area 

Diversified has officially opened its new headquarters in Plano, TX, marking a significant step in the company's strategic expansion. This new facility is designed to support the company’s growth in key markets and serve as a showcase for the  technologies it designs and builds for clients worldwide.  

Located in the heart of Plano’s dynamic business corridor, the new headquarters offers a prime location with easy access to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and the wider Dallas metroplex. This central location not only enhances Diversified’s ability to attract top talent from the region’s growing technology ecosystem but also ensures easy accessibility for clients and partners, both locally and globally.

The facility features a variety of advanced audiovisual systems and cutting-edge collaboration technology, including:

• Foyer Entrance: A large dvLED wall greets guests as they enter. Controlled via a touch panel or wireless interface, the wall can display dynamic content curated by Diversified’s creative teams. Uniform audio coverage is provided through ceiling speakers, offering a seamless and inviting experience from the moment visitors step into the space.
• Main Conference Room: Equipped with dual displays, the executive conference room seats up to 10 and is optimized for collaboration with Microsoft Teams Room solutions and AI-powered cameras. The system offers automatic presenter tracking, dual cameras, and audio capture through ceiling-mounted microphones, ensuring high-quality video and audio conferencing. Motorized blinds and polarizing privacy glass, controllable through the Teams interface, add further flexibility for environmental controls.
• Open Area: Featuring a 1.2mm direct view curved LED wall, the open area serves as both a collaborative workspace and a production backdrop. Equipped with high-bandwidth connectivity for future technology upgrades, the space also includes ceiling-mounted speakers and multiple audio zones for independent volume control. A ceiling-mounted camera supports presenter tracking for future production functionality, making the area adaptable for various use cases.

AVer has been quite busy of late. The company recently announced NDI will now be a standard across all AVer Pro AV cameras, as well as a new Microsoft Teams certification for the VC520 Pro3.

Read all the details below. 

AVer Announces NDI as Standard in All Products

NDI will now be a standard across all AVer Pro AV cameras. Starting November 1, 2024, NDI functionality will be automatically enabled through a simple firmware update with no action required from customers. Existing customers with non-NDI models can also receive a free upgrade to unlock NDI benefits. This enhancement comes at no additional cost—pricing remains unchanged, continuing to deliver exceptional value with AVer Pro AV solutions.

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

For existing customers who have already purchased non-NDI models, AVer is offering a free firmware upgrade, enabling NDI functionality at no additional cost. This automatic integration will come standard on all future AVer products through a simple firmware update, with no action required from customers. AVer is committed to making it easier for customers to take advantage of NDI’s powerful video streaming and connectivity features. By incorporating NDI into all of its Pro AV cameras without raising prices or requiring special equipment, AVer empowers creators and professionals to generate high-quality content effortlessly.

AVer VC520 Pro3 Certified for Microsoft Teams

AVer's VC520 Pro3 professional camera and speakerphone has been Certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms. The certification emphasizes the VC520 Pro3’s performance, reliability, and seamless integration with Teams, making it an ideal choice for modern meeting environments.

[SCN Hybrid World: Videobars Offer Simplified Conferencing Solution]

The AVer VC520 Pro3 is engineered for superior clarity and user-friendly operation, featuring a 12X optical lens with a total of 36X total zoom, including a remarkable 24X lossless zoom. This allows users to experience exceptional image quality during remote communication, capturing even the most intricate details. Whether focusing on presenters, attendees, or physical objects, the VC520 Pro3’s 80.5-degree diagonal field of view and flexible pan and tilt controls offers great versatility.

What distinguishes the VC520 Pro3 is the connectivity through a single USB cable for both the camera and speakerphone, making the installation process simple to connect it with a Microsoft Teams Room. The VC520 Pro3 accommodates up to two expansion speakerphones, or a microphone set to provide equitable audio throughout medium-size conference rooms. 

Let's face it: As an industry buzzword, AV-over-IP is often used as an overarching term to cover many diverse technologies. It's no wonder that many AV customers—and the professionals that serve them—find it confusing. Before your commit to an AVoIP installation, here are some important areas to consider and clarify.

[The Integration Guide to AVoIP 2024]

First, it's important to convey that there is no “one-size-fits-all” AVoIP solution. Steven Barlow, president of DVIGear, said many people overcomplicate the physical architecture of AVoIP systems. “For the majority of systems, it’s simply a matter of choosing the appropriate size network switch and then adding an endpoint for each source and display device. Everything beyond that is done in software," he explained. “The system will deliver the most value when its capabilities are leveraged as much as possible."

Budgets and Bandwidth

Budget is always a good jumping-off point, as it can help determine the system’s capabilities and infrastructure. When choosing a system, experts advise focusing on resolution, image quality, latency, and power consumption. “Don’t be shy to compare products and make manufacturers prove the capabilities, serviceability, and image quality,” said Paul Harris, CEO and CTO with Aurora Multimedia.

There is also a correlation between needs and budgets. "Low latency and the highest quality require a lot of bandwidth,” said Joshua Rush, chief marketing officer for Audinate, which is known for its Dante AV solutions. “But if you’re streaming content to YouTube, you can choose a lower-cost, lower-bandwidth solution because of the higher compression requirements.” 

Bandwidth can also impact cost, with infrastructure requirements becoming much more expensive as bandwidth needs increase. For example, if you’re looking for a 10 Gb solution, your cabling will become more complex compared to a 1 Gb solution—and what is required will become more specific. A 1 Gb solution can also allow you to use existing infrastructure more often than a 10 Gb solution. There may also be additional fees to certify cabling to guarantee it will support 10 Gb installations and beyond. 

“Everything has to be perfect for the 10-gig plus solution to perform how I want it to,” offered Keith Yandell, VP of innovation with AVI Systems. “Whereas a 1-gig solution can weather some poor cable quality a little better.” 

[The ABCs of AVoIP, Part 1]

Avoiding Traffic Jams

Even the term "streaming video" can be confusing, with many equating the term to services like Hulu or Netflix or media players like Roku. Audinate feels AVoIP is a more accurate description of their offerings. “We transport high-quality content with extremely low latency within the room, like a church sanctuary or lecture hall, out to an overflow room—or bring audio and video into the computer, which then streams to remote participants,” said Rush.

The industry is also fighting against many other assumptions about the technology, such as it's more complex than point-to-point connections, as well as security fears about allowing AV devices to talk to cloud services. “Some people still wrongly equate 'network' with Wi-Fi signals dropping out and having to reboot their home routers, so they don’t have confidence that networked AV solutions are reliable,” said Rush. 

Another thing to remember is the importance of a properly configured network that can handle multicast traffic, which many customers struggle with because they outsource their route switch environments. Knowing there is nuance to multicast traffic is important to ensure you don't encounter issues when launching the system. "We'll hear, it's ready, we're fine," said Yandell. "We'll deploy a solution and crash their network because they didn't set it up correctly."

Network typology and setup can also be challenging, and configuring the various brands requires education to know which IP devices work well together. “It is not as simple as plugging the CAT cable or fiber into the switch," said Harris. “A person needs to understand the movement of data over the uplinks, PoE requirements, VLAN, unregistered multicast, jumbo packets, QOS, and much more. At the end of the day, you can make an AV-over-IP product easy to use, but the network switch and cable integrity are key.”

Even though any new technology or approach can be scary for those with limited experience, network-based solutions are the way forward and have been considered reliable by most for quite some time now. With comprehensive training and expanded service offerings, the industry will break down some of the confusion concerning AVoIP, leading to more successful adoption by all.

AVoIP Innovators

Through Audinate's leadership in the space, there is now, more than ever before, a massive interoperable ecosystem, making it easier to find interoperable audio and video devices for every application. Based on common IT standards, Dante devices from any manufacturer can run alongside data traffic on networks comprised of conventional switches and cabling.

"Unlike proprietary methods of solving the challenges of AV-over-IP that can become outdated with evolving Ethernet standards, Dante's approach allows it to adapt to new networking technologies and bandwidth requirements," said Rush.

[The Dante (R)evolution]

The industry has become very familiar with Dante’s tools, which support everything from single-room systems to large-scale deployments. This has helped with the overall adoption of AVoIP due to its ability to be proven to run at scale and operate as a good network citizen.

Known as one of the largest ecosystems in the Pro AV industry, HDBaseT provides increased options for installers and system integrators, offering secure and long-reaching AV signal distribution. It is known for easy setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting, which makes it easy for many users to navigate.

Plus, with a large install base and the fact that it is embedded within many devices like projectors, screens, and PTZ cameras as a native connectivity port like an HDMI or USB interface, it operates as plug and play. “As AV becomes so deeply entrenched in our workflows, these aspects become very important when choosing a connectivity technology,” said Effi Goldstein, president of HDBaseT. 

NDI, which allows users to move high-quality, real-time video, audio, and bidirectional metadata over standard Ethernet networks without cumbersome point-to-point cabling, has become a popular choice in the AVoIP spectrum. Unlike many other AVoIP technologies, it operates entirely in software without reliance on hardware. Many AV technologies, including cameras and broadcast and software tools, support NDI I/O.

“Many of these tools are adaptable for use in cloud environments,” said Nick Mariette, director of product management at NDI. “For basic functionalities, such as screen capture, monitoring, or even NDI Bridge—which allows you to transport NDI between software or hardware tools located in separate networks, including WANs or the Internet—there is likely an NDI tool available to meet the need.” 

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

NDI recently introduced its latest upgrade, NDI 6, which adds 10-bit color depth, marking a first for the platform. “NDI 6 marks a significant enhancement in video quality by upgrading NDI transport from 8-bit color depth to higher color depths that now support formats such as NDI High Bandwidth and HX3, which offer 10‑bit quality," Mariette added.

SCN: How long have you been with this company, and what are your responsibilities?

Paul Richards: I have been with PTZOptics since its inception, overseeing growth strategies and innovations that enhance our customers' experience with our cameras and production ecosystem.

[Executive Q&A: On Point and On Budget]

SCN: How is PTZOptics celebrating its 10th anniversary?

PR: PTZOptics celebrated its 10th anniversary by reflecting on a decade of innovations in the broadcast industry, hosting a special event for our user base, and launching new product features like free NDI for Move SE users.

SCN: There are many PTZs in the market—what’s different about PTZOptics?

PR: PTZOptics has a strong connection with our user base. We listen to our customers and—one feature at a time—we build products that solve the specific pain points our customers face. The broadcast and Pro AV industries are going through a period of significant change where the decisions we make as a manufacturer allow us to be a leader during this exciting time. Our award-winning product development and support team truly set PTZOptics apart from our competitors in more ways than one.

SCN: How important has NDI become for PTZ users?

PR: NDI has become extremely important for PTZ camera users. It provides versatility in video workflows by allowing high-quality video streams over a standard network infrastructure, greatly simplifying the setup and integration of multiple cameras.

SCN: At this point, is auto-tracking a must-have feature for PTZ cameras?

PR: While not essential for every user, auto-tracking has become a highly valued feature in education and event broadcasting, where automatically following speakers or performers significantly enhances the viewing experience. PTZOptics PTZ cameras like the Move SE and Move 4K offer advanced auto-tracking with subject selection, instantly changing the subject you want to track in one click.

SCN: How popular have PTZ cameras become for news broadcasts and other studio productions?

PR: PTZ cameras have grown significantly in popularity for news broadcasts and studio productions due to their compact size, remote controllability, and ability to reduce crew requirements while maintaining high production values.

[SCN Hybrid World: Out of Sight Sound]

SCN: What are some general guidelines for PTZ camera placement?

PR: General guidelines for PTZ camera placement include ensuring the camera is positioned at a height that captures the scene effectively, considering the lighting and background of the shots, and placing it within a reliable network range if using IP-based features.

SCN: How important is proper mounting for PTZ cameras?

PR: Proper mounting is crucial for PTZ cameras to ensure stable, precise, and reliable video feeds, especially in environments where the camera needs to move dynamically or be operated remotely. PTZOptics mounts offer a universal design that works with many Sony, Panasonic, Cisco, Polycom, Vaddio, HuddleCamHD, Lumens, and Datavideo cameras.

SCN: PTZOptics is about more than PTZs—what other kinds of cameras do you offer?

PR: Beyond PTZ cameras, PTZOptics offers a range of other camera types, including box cameras and webcams, which cater to different user needs, from broadcast-quality video to high-quality streaming and

conferencing solutions. Whether you are setting up a live stream or a videoconference space, PTZOptics cameras can deliver on your project specifications for today and tomorrow.

[Get Excited About These New PTZs in 2024]

SCN: With products like SuperJoy, controllers are a point of emphasis for PTZOptics. What inspired this focus?

PR: The focus on controllers like SuperJoy was inspired by the need for versatile, intuitive control solutions to manage multiple cameras, simplify the user's workflow, and enhance production quality. The SuperJoy is a comprehensive solution supporting mix-and-match serial and network-based control for PTZ cameras of any generation.

SCN: Your company is also going way beyond joystick control with Hive. What makes this SaaS solution unique?

PR: Hive is unique as a SaaS solution because it combines camera control, switching, and recording into a single, easy-to-access and share platform. The Hive revolutionizes remote camera control and studio management by supporting more than 400 camera models, including non-PTZ cameras. This innovative SaaS solution offers unparalleled camera control and advanced functionality compared to your standard controller, making it an unmatched choice for diverse equipment management and real-time collaborative production.

With so many terms floating around the media and entertainment tech space, it helps to agree on definitions. When I think of an on-prem, software-defined infrastructure, one example that comes to mind is the NewTek (now Vizrt) TriCaster. People tend not to think of it as a software-defined product because it’s sold as an appliance. But TriCaster is intrinsically a Windows computer with video and audio I/O. With its processing power, it is a software-defined engine.

[Cloud Power: Pricing Modern Infrastructures]

If you extend that thinking into how we work today, almost everything is plugged into an IP data network. And NDI becomes yet another extension of a software-defined workflow.

Previously, a lack of compute power made software-defined workflows at high production values impossible. Only with dedicated hardware could we provide high quality sophisticated audio and video processing. This is most obvious in equipment like video switchers and audio consoles, which perform large amounts of computationally complex actions in the time of a single frame of video or just a few audio samples.

What we see now is general purpose computing, especially with the addition of GPU-based computing that removes the need for dedicated, specialized processing hardware. Because of the increased speed of general purpose computing, we don’t need a dedicated FPGA to build fast video switchers or dedicated audio DSP chips. This has allowed us to move quickly toward software-defined infrastructures.

It's About the Infrastructure

When we talk about virtual production, I’m not referring to virtual reality, extended reality, or virtual sets. I’m speaking about virtualized production infrastructure, which is, by definition, software-defined because it’s not confined to one piece of physical equipment.

The epitome of virtualization is every hyperscaler running applications on virtual computing machines. Those applications are not running on your laptop or local machine. They’re running in the cloud and use your machine as a display and I/O terminal. Virtualized production infrastructure typically means you’re not on premise with dedicated hardware, but taking an application and running it in containers such as Docker in a multitasking way that enables talent to operate from wherever they are.

In a private cloud setup, virtualized systems run in the same way as the public cloud, but computing power lives on premise. In a public cloud scenario, infrastructure is rented from a hyperscaler. The server does not live in your facility.

Virtualized infrastructure means there is not a dedicated box running particular software—and within a software-defined infrastructure, you may or may not have that software on premise. It could be running in a cluster of servers under a hypervisor. (A hypervisor is software that can run multiple virtual machines on a single, physical machine, and allocates computing resources such as CPU and memory to individual machines as required.)

[Cloud-Based Production: Opportunity or Threat for Integrators?]

Software-defined is a precursor to virtualized infrastructure. You can have software-defined infrastructure that lives in your premise, but you can’t have virtualized infrastructure that is not software-defined.

TriCaster is also a great example of software-defined infrastructure. As we transition to virtualized infrastructures, most on-premise facilities will look more cloud-based systems. Stacks of servers will run on a high-speed network, with a hypervisor time slicing those machines and configuring them as required.

Benefits and Advantages

The pace of change will be rapid. The only hardware required that’s not COTS in a software-defined environment are control surfaces—either physical or virtual.

If I have a computer fast enough to process 256 channels of HD video, that hardware can run any software application I choose. For example, if I’m running Vizrt’s Viz Vectar Plus, but Grass Valley comes out with a switcher that I’d prefer for a particular job, I can run that new Grass Valley switcher on the same server in place of Vectar.

That’s where software-defined infrastructure is a huge advantage for clients. We can redefine workflows and tools without having to change (or, at most, minimally change) any physical infrastructure. Previously, if I’d bought a physical Sony switcher and my TD changed his mind and now wanted the features of a Grass Valley switcher, I’d literally have to rip out the Sony switcher, rewire my facility, and replace the switcher.

[Vizrt Brings Secure Sports Analysis to the Cloud—Here's How]

A software-defined infrastructure gives clients the freedom to experiment. You could potentially run short engagements of different products within a software-based system. Whether the computing is done on premise or in the cloud becomes less defined and more agile. Users get to choose whether on-premise, cloud, or hybrid is the best approach to run any given part of their infrastructure.

Plus, software-defined infrastructures provide the ability to break down the barriers of what is on premise, what is remote, and what is in cloud. And it holds the promise of operating in ways that will be more cost effective and enable creatives to work in new ways.

Smooth Transitions

As integrators, the first thing we must do is get comfortable with IP transport workflows, be it SMPTE ST 2110, NDI, Dante AV, or whatever is appropriate in your client’s applications. You must be very comfortable in that kind of signal transport, or you won’t be able to deploy any of it.

Looking further, we need to understand computing technology beyond the desktop and beyond the server. Start to build your learning around cluster computing, how resources can be shared to perform many actions simultaneously. These are the next steps that we all must take to move forward with the industry.

We’re already seeing software-defined infrastructure within existing physical signal flows. It’s happening with software-defined audio, as many higher-end broadcast mixing consoles are software-defined devices. SSL’s System T broadcast audio platform is a great example of virtualized audio infrastructure—a dedicated computer running on Intel processors with a control surface over a very complex software device.

Now, we’re starting to see that transition on the video side. It always happens first in audio because the bandwidth of audio data is less than video. The next in the chain to transition will be video switchers and video effects. Gallery’s Sienna is a virtualized processor audio and video signals that can be used as a router, video switcher, frame sync, or audio cue. And it has more than 250 processing modules.

[Editorial: But Did You Ask Me If I Like KISS?]

There are many more products with a similar virtualized design on the way from various manufacturers. If you can do your work using generalized hardware without changing the rest of the workflow, your box in the chain just got a lot more flexible and a lot less expensive. When you begin to take note of the underlying technology behind these developments, you’ll start to see why they’re beneficial for the industry and why they’re growing so rapidly.

It was a big week for NDI. It announced a ProITAV partnership and gained Crestron Integrated Partner recognition.

Find out more about each below. 

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

NDI Gains Crestron Integrated Partner Recognition

NDI has been named an official Crestron Integrated Partner. Crestron offers NDI support on the Crestron 1 Beyond line of broadcast-quality PTZ cameras and Automate VX multi-camera speaker tracking solution. These products are designed to bring equity and boost interactivity to meeting room applications, a critical use case for pro AV. The integration allows Crestron to use NDI as a protocol to simplify video workflows.

[It’s Here: NDI Launches NDI 6]

“Becoming a Crestron Integrated Partner marks a significant milestone for NDI,” said Charles Dobson, business development at NDI. “Crestron’s position as the market leader in pro AV, combined with their innovative PTZ camera line, positions us to drive forward the adoption of NDI technology and demonstrate how NDI’s capabilities enhance the quality and performance of Crestron’s ecosystem.” 

Crestron’s 1 Beyond cameras and Automate VX solution are used with video conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms software to level up the experience in meeting rooms of all sizes with clear, crisp intelligent video. By integrating NDI interfaces into its cameras, Creston simplifies the cabling for installation as a single ethernet cable can carry power, control, and video. For high profile or multi-purpose spaces that require a high camera count, NDI protocol ensures high-quality video with easy connectivity. Additionally, the integration significantly contributes to NDI’s ecosystem with uniquely capable camera products that are ready to be specified into any NDI workflow, fostering the adoption and standardization of best-of-breed technologies in pro AV. The integration of NDI features into Crestron’s products demonstrates the benefits of professional-grade tools and functionalities to their customers.

ProITAV Adds NDI to Portfolio of Technologies for Pro AV

NDI has partnered with ProITAV. ProITAV and the implementation support team at NDI will build several new products and enhance existing ones by adding NDI capabilities, including cameras, encoders, decoders, and AV switches.

“NDI is the sleeping giant when it comes to AV signal distribution,” said Dobson. “With the power of this technology in the hands of ProITAV, they will awaken the Pro AV market to NDI’s full potential with new designs that leverage the flexibility of this technology to enable simpler, lower cost solutions.”

[SCN Hall of Fame 2024: NDI Creator, Andrew Cross]

The products and new offerings will maximize design, development, and manufacturing resources to expand digital audio/video connectivity solutions for the rapidly evolving AV/IT landscape.

By adding NDI as a technology offering to ProITAV customers, this initiative will give Pro AV OEMs new plug-and-play tools to solve AV signal distribution use cases. It represents a major endorsement of the NDI as a value-add for the ecosystem.

The Professional Audio-Visual Systems Market is forecasted to reach 356.88 billion by 2029. With ProITAV’s global team, along with NDI’s ultra-flexible SDK, this partnership accelerates the growth of high-quality Audio Video Management solutions powered by NDI.

Among the dozens of new product launches and upgrades announced at 2024 NAB Show, Ross Video unveiled Carbonite Code, a software-based production switcher that was built specifically for NDI workflows. The product announcement comes just a few months after Ross announced a strategic partnership with NDI.

Expected this summer, Carbonite Code supports 30 NDI inputs and six outputs, with three M/Es, four chromakeys, and a 48-channel audio mixer. It also includes three multiviewers, each displaying up to 16 sources, and works with Ross TouchDrive control panels. 

[It’s Here: NDI Launches NDI 6]

At the Ross keynote address on April 13, Nigel Spratling, VP of production switchers and servers, talked with SCN to get more details about the upcoming Carbonite Code.

It's official. The PTZOptics Move SE is NDI HX native, enhancing the streaming and broadcasting capabilities of the product at no additional cost to the customers. The free upgrade can be obtained via the simple firmware upgrade process. For customers who have previously purchased an NDI license upgrade, PTZOptics offers a full refund.

[It’s Here: NDI Launches NDI 6]

There are additional firmware updates alongside the NDI HX upgrade. These updates are designed to enhance further product performance, including enhancements to the built-in auto-tracking and computer vision system unique to the PTZOptics camera line. 

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

PTZOptics also unveiled its customer appreciation event on April 24, 2024. This event  is an opportunity for the company to celebrate with those customers who have contributed to its success. The event promises to offer opportunities to experience the latest in PTZ camera technology, engage with industry experts, and showcase PTZOptics' innovative product line. Customers can enter a giveaway to win a PTZOptics Move SE and the NDI-certified PTZ Joystick controller, the SuperJoy here.

NDI has announced the release of NDI 6, a key update set to significantly impact content creation and broadcasting. With native HDR support and expanded WAN connectivity for hardware, NDI 6 addresses critical industry requirements while pushing the boundaries of visual quality and remote workflows.

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

NDI 6 will be showcased in Las Vegas later this month at 2024 NAB Show (Booth SL5061). Daniel Nergård, president of NDI, will also deliver an exclusive keynote presentation at the JB&A Pre-NAB Technology Event on Saturday, April 13, at the LINQ Hotel. During his address, he will examine the technology’s advancements and provide insights into the company's future.

Equipped with native HDR and 10+ bit color support, NDI 6 meets broadcast industry demands for professional-grade video streaming over IP and making broadcast-quality streaming widely available. The update empowers broadcasters and content creators with higher contrast, which expands brightness headroom. Plus, it offers wide color gamut and minimal color banding, which ensures seamless transitions and gradients, as well as broad compatibility with support for PQ and HLG formats, expanding streaming to most HDR and non-HDR devices.

WAN connectivity is now embedded into cameras through an NDI Bridge utility for hardware. This plug-and-play solution promises a significant impact on the flexibility of remote productions and setups, offering a seamless experience for anyone sending and receiving video, regardless of device, platform, or location. The new feature allows devices to send encrypted NDI streams over a WAN, facilitating secure, remote real-time collaboration between locations. NDI-enabled cameras with the Bridge utility can join remote networks without depending on additional software or tools.

"With its advanced bit depth and expanded color range, NDI 6 elevates the visual quality of our products to unprecedented levels, enhancing every aspect of the content creation process," said Ulrich Voigt, global head of product management, Vizrt. "The new Bridge utility feature also opens doors to seamless connectivity, enabling our customers to effortlessly integrate NDI devices into their remote networks and cloud-based workflows. This shift transforms NDI from a primarily local technology to a cornerstone of global networked broadcasting."

Since Q4 2023, the core technology update has been under beta testing with product developers including Autodesk, Chron, Kiloview, Lumens, Matrox, Panasonic, and Vizrt as part of the NDI Beta program. Results have led to the successful integration of NDI 6 into both existing and forthcoming products.

[Ross Video Now Offers NDI Advanced Adoption]

"The feedback from our customers and beta testers played a pivotal role in developing NDI 6. Many of our partners want to adopt NDI workflows more profoundly, and further improved image quality will enhance the usage of NDI," explained Nick Mariette, director of product management, NDI. "Now, anyone seeking high-end quality can stream in HDR with the flexibility, efficiency, and interoperability NDI has always offered."

NDI 6 is now available for testing and integration by all product developers. Downloads are accessible at ndi.video/ndi6/.

NAB Show 2024 is almost here. Before the show kicks off in Las Vegas on April 13-17, check out some of the booths you should see on the show floor. 

Matrox Video Enhances Production and Distribution with Two New Solutions

Matrox Video will exhibit in Booth SL5073 providing product demos and featuring customer stories that illustrate how the company helps broadcasters, live event producers, developers, and manufacturers implement and improve their IP and IT-based media workflows. Booth visitors will discover products and solutions for remote production (REMI), contribution, distribution, operations and control, and Tier 1 live production in the cloud, along with the latest innovations for SMPTE ST 2110 and IPMX. Experts from Matrox Video will present on IP and IT technologies for media during the Broadcast Engineering and IT (BEIT) conference, and the company's products will be showcased across the show floor in partner demonstrations of IP video workflows.

NEW Matrox Video Solutions You Must See

• Matrox DSX SDK 10.5: The latest updates to the Matrox DSX SDK offer Ultra-Low Latency for both DSX LE5 and X.mio5 ST 2110 NIC and 12G SDI I/O cards. The ULL feature enables sub-field or sub-frame video transfer at inputs and outputs, allowing low latency broadcast applications to achieve a minimum delay of 1-frame for interlaced video and 2-frame for progressive video. The new "large canvas" feature enabled on X.mio5 ST 2110 cards allows customizable regions of interest from a large canvas to be output as multi-channel 1080P and UHD resolutions for flexible and advanced multi-screen display workflows. DSX SDK 10.5 also supports ST 2110-22 with JPEG-XS encoding and decoding and adds native support for AWS S3 with the Flex Reader and Writer for cloud-based applications.
• Matrox DSX LE6 D100 ST 2110 Network Interface Card: This new 100 GbE ST 2110 network card is designed for high-performance media environments including broadcast and virtual production. Featuring dual QSFP 28 connectors, this PCIe Gen 4x8 card offers up to eight channels of UHD@p60 or two channels of 8Kp60 input and output, all with ST 2022-7 redundancy. The card has hardware-based PTP to provide nanosecond-range ST 2059-2 accuracy and offloads all ST 2110 packet processing from the CPU, which is essential for high-density and high-resolution applications. This card also offers ultra-low latency to minimize in-to-out latency for multichannel 4K and 8K applications.

PPDS Joins Forces with DVG, FX Design Group and tvONE for 'Total Broadcast' TV Studio Solutions

Exhibiting on booth C3544 (Central Hall) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, PPDS teams will be joining industry specialists, FX Design Group and Digital Video Group (DVG) on a special ‘TV studio’ designed stage, as part of a combined ‘total solution’ studio offering. 

[New Philips LEDs Take Center Stage at ISE 2024]

Rounding out the solution combination is tvONE, a leader in video processing, who’s CORIOmaster2 will be utilized to drive all content to the various displays throughout the booth. CORIOmaster2 is the first choice video processor for broadcasters around the globe due to its broadcast compatible inputs combined with stunning pixel accurate scaling, multi-windowing, eye-catching transitions, and 24/7 reliability.

Recent projects completed by DVG in which Philips Professional Displays are a prominent (if not exclusive) fixture, include WAVY TV (Norfolk, VA), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), CBS 4 (Indianapolis, IN), and KHON TV (Honolulu, HI), to name just a few. 

Barix to Launch New Audio-over-IP Broadcast Codec

Barix will introduce its new LX400 offering a secure, low-latency IP audio encoding solution for point-to-point and cloud networking applications at booth C2348. 

The new LX40 represents the successor to the Barix Exstreamer 500, a tried-and-true solution that remains an important product in Barix’s broadcast portfolio. The LX400 carries over many of the same features that Barix customers rely on, including multiple contact closures, relays and a USB port for direct-from-device playout. It adds several important new features that introduce new benefits and efficiencies to broadcasters and is customizable to support legacy point-to-point and cloud networking scenarios such as syndicated program distribution.

Top of the advanced new features list is the addition of premium quality software codec options, including OPUS and AACplus for compressed transport, and PCM to support uncompressed transmission. The LX400’s inclusion of the OPUS codec is especially attractive given its high-efficiency bitrate performance, ensuring broadcasters the best possible audio quality for compressed transmission. OPUS essentially delivers lossless quality audio to listeners while using far less bandwidth, reducing audio contribution and distribution costs for broadcasters in the process.

Find out more here. 

JVC Highlights NDI and vMix Partnerships

JVC Professional Video will feature special guests, including NDI technical director Roberto Musso and vMix senior systems engineer Heath Barker, at the JVC booth C4720. These onsite events will focus on the benefits that each brand’s solutions provide for remote production workflows, using JVC PTZ and handheld cameras, and other video production tools. 

[NDI Reigns over AVoIP Protocols]

Initially rolled out as a free firmware update that ensured customers would not need to replace their existing hardware, NDI technology can now be found in many of JVC’s PTZ and handheld cameras to provide users with a greater level of flexibility. Musso will discuss the advantages of utilizing NDI technology to streamline video production. The NDI guest appearances will include interactive discussions and a Q&A as well as a brief demo of JVC’s latest product developments. These engagements will take place  on Monday, April 15 at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, April 16 at 3 p.m. local time.

vMix is a complete live video production and streaming software solution that can be used with several of JVC’s latest workflow production tools. Barker will be onsite at the JVC booth for an open dialogue and Q&A regarding how JVC customers can create, mix, switch, record, and live stream professional productions with the new vMix 27 software. Barker’s vMix demonstration will be held one time only on Monday, April 15 at 1 p.m. 

Pliant Technologies Debuts CrewWare 2.0 Software Update

Pliant Technologies will present its new CrewWare 2.0 software update at Booth C5310, marking the first substantial update since its introduction of CrewCom in 2017. CrewWare is Pliant’s revolutionary software tool created specifically for CrewCom system construction, device control, and live monitoring.

This enhanced software makes major advancements in setup, control, and monitoring and includes the additions of multi-platform (Mac and PC), multi-client, multi-system support along with many graphical user interface (GUI) improvements. These latest advancements result in a straightforward and clean interface that simplifies accessing a CrewCom system from anywhere in the world from any type of device with access to a browser.

 “We are excited to debut these significant updates to CrewWare at NAB 2024, as we have made the software platform more accessible and feature packed for the needs of today’s user, while retaining its straightforward architecture and ease-of-use,” said Gary Rosen, VP of global sales for Pliant Technologies. “CrewWare 2.0 will aid our customers in facilitating graphical-based planning and implementation of any CrewCom system, whether simple or extensive.”

Since its introduction by NewTek in 2015, NDI (Network Device Interface) has revolutionized and simplified AV-over-IP signal transport.

[One Standard to Rule Them All?]

In strict terms, “NDI is a video connectivity protocol that allows any two devices or a device and a software on a computer to exchange audio, video, and metadata,” explained Miguel Coutinho, NDI’s head of strategy. “What makes it so successful is the ability of any software company to adopt NDI or to support NDI free of charge.”

The fact that NDI is a free-to-use open AVoIP standard is one reason why this video connectivity protocol has been adopted by major AV and IT equipment manufacturers industry-wide. They wouldn’t have adopted NDI if it didn’t work—but it does.

“On the end user side, I would say NDI is probably the easiest to use and most effective video over IP protocol that's out there,” Coutinho said. “This doesn't mean that NDI should be the go-to solution if you are looking to deploy something on a 12 gig network. But it is the connectivity technology that covers the most use cases and allows you to do more with more flexibility and less costs.”

[Editorial: Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?]

When NewTek was acquired in 2019, NDI became part of the Vizrt Group. At press time, the industry was awaiting the release of NDI 6, the latest iteration of the widely-used AVoIP standard. Limited beta testing via select partners has been in progress for months, and a public beta version is expected soon. While we wait, here’s a deeper dive on what makes NDI so popular.

Formula for Success

Edgar Shane is general manager of engineering and product development with JVC Professional Video. He likes NDI because, unlike other protocols, it features a "plug-and-play configuration where all sources [cameras, encoders, PCs, etc.] can be automatically discovered by NDI-capable video players, decoders, and video switchers. No IP or port configuration is needed, provided all sources are connected to the same LAN.”

Where NDI really comes to the fore, he added, is as an easy-to-use replacement for peer-to-peer SDI connections for live video production. “Using the existing LAN, NDI allows automatic discovery and one-to-one or one-to-many AV connections among multiple cameras and video mixers via a single Ethernet cable,” Shane explained. “Simplicity and low cost of implementation are the biggest driving factors for implementing NDI workflows. A single Ethernet cable carries bidirectional AV and camera control signals via standard IT infrastructure. No additional wiring or switching is required, while multiple IP protocols can co-exist on LAN, including NDI and Dante.”

NDI’s many advantages explain why JVC has integrated the protocol into its cameras and video mixers. “NDI provides our customers with a simple and cost-efficient workflow and ensures interoperability with many other brands of production equipment,” Shane added. “Most recently, this included a collection of remote production solutions that provide our customers with high-quality, price-effective, glass-to-glass tools. With these latest solutions, broadcasters, houses of worship, and event facilities of all sizes can stay competitive in our evolving media market.”

ENCO Systems employs NDI in its automated/real-time captioning and TV-channel-in-a-box broadcast software solutions. “Part of what makes any standard really take hold is its accessibility across different systems and reliable integration with other products,” said Bill Bennett, ENCO’s media solutions and accounts manager. “NDI has been around for a while, is supported well, and is regularly updated—all crucial when it comes to staying powerful. Its further development by adding useful, cloud-friendly, and cross-platform NDI Tools only further improves its usefulness for all kinds of applications where affordable, high-quality AVoIP transport is essential. From a cost standpoint, being royalty-free has also opened a lot of doors.”

A History of Progress

NDI has gone out of its way to give equipment and software makers the freedom to manage and advance the AVoIP standard directly, rather than enforcing direct control itself. “We want to be decentralized, meaning we want NDI to be supported by as many software companies as possible. We don't want to be a middleman where, if you buy a full set of NDI-enabled equipment, you are then supposed to come back to us, pay for our software, and be locked to whatever we think is the best set of features or user interface," Coutinho explained. "I would say that's the main difference between us and our competitors.”

NDI’s willingness to share has made this standard extremely compelling to companies like ENCO. “Without question, the low/zero cost to employ NDI and its ever-growing suite of tools make it a hard option to pass up,” said Bennett. “Native integration into more applications makes using NDI seamless to workflows, and their interfaces have become very user-friendly, meaning even non-technical users can set up NDI transmitters and receivers or use their tools easily.”

Since NDI was introduced at IBC 2015 by Dr. Andrew Cross (the driving force behind the standard and recent inductee into the SCN Hall of Fame), the protocol has been regularly revised, expanded, and improved. Case in point: “NDI was originally based on the I-frame SpeedHQ codec and required a high bandwidth for AV transfer,” recalled Shane. “The NDI HX/HX2/HX3 variants introduced later feature H.264 and HEVC codecs for significant bandwidth reduction to accommodate multiple HD and 4K streams over standard Gigabit networks."

[See How Prudential Financial Made a Smart AV Investment]

NDI appeared when the concept of streaming was alien and unfamiliar to many end users. “Running audio—let alone video—over Ethernet was a very disruptive concept at first, and it still is evolving and gaining trust in new markets,” Bennett said. “When NDI came out in 2016, it was fairly simple. Major quality, discovery, and routing improvements and tools came later in its successive versions, only enhancing NDI’s usefulness. The latest additions of a router, support for 4K, smartphone apps, and webcam make it even more useful throughout a workflow.”

NDI Bridge is another development; it is designed to interconnect multiple NDI domains via WAN and the internet. “NDI's latest enhancements make it more useful in cloud workflows,” Bennett added. “Right now, many churches, municipalities, streamers, radio stations, and live event producers use NDI entirely within their private LANs. However, once the ease at which NDI enables cloud-based and internet workflows becomes more commonly known, many users may start adding those remote capabilities to their local productions.”

This history of progress will continue when NDI 6 is released—and Coutinho is excited by its prospects. He expects to see NDI being deployed more in office settings, medical facilities, video games, and prosumer AV equipment.

[I Love It Loud]

“NDI 6 is the first true release of this new stage of NDI as a standard and as a company, because it'll open a door for better and more native integration of NDI on compact form factors, starting with camera devices,” he said. “It will also meet expectations in terms of increased video image quality that our user base is looking for, both for small video operations and national TV networks.”

Ross Video and NDI reach a strategic partnership that allows Ross to license and adopt NDI technology across its portfolio, extending and enhancing existing support for the NDI standard. This collaboration will allow Ross to incorporate the most up-to-date AV networking features of NDI across its portfolio through NDI Advanced, ensuring enhanced video connectivity, flexibility, and workflow efficiency across the ecosystem.  

[2024 SCN Hall of Famers: David Ross | Andrew Cross, Creator of NDI]

“Ross Video has supported the NDI standard for many years and is excited to be taking this next step in supporting enhanced versions of NDI, NDI Advanced, and the evolution of NDI connectivity,”  commented Jeff Moore, EVP, and chief marketing officer at Ross Video. “We’ve found NDI incredibly useful and look forward to being on the forefront as things advance.” 

[Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?] 

NDI, a proprietary connectivity standard, supports a range of video codecs and enables seamless interoperability for devices and software across standard IP network infrastructures. NDI Advanced offers product developers all the benefits of NDI technology, like seamless device discoverability, bi-directional remote control, and embedded metadata streaming, but also unlocks an additional set of features for enhanced video connectivity, including: 

Andrew Cross has been in the Pro AV industry for pretty much his entire life. Now at Amazon Web Services (AWS), his resume includes 20 years with NewTek as both CTO and CEO, serving as president of global research and development for Vizrt Group, and a stint as CEO of Grass Valley.

[SCN Hall of Fame 2024: Nancy Knowlton]

However, his journey into the world of Pro AV started well before all that. "When I was twelve years old, I tried to do 3D graphics on a ZX Spectrum, which was one of the first personal computers," Cross recollected. "How computers can be used to make images has been one of the things that has always driven me."

Cross earned a degree in computational physics at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and his Ph. D in computer vision at the University of York. As he recalled, even then—much to the chagrin of his then girlfriend (and now wife)—he'd come home from his studies and spend his evening in front of the computer writing programs that made 3D images and effect; his first-ever tool helped simulate camera depth of field. "This was in the super early days of the internet, so I just put it online and sent it to people. 'Hey, if you like this tool, just send me $10 in the mail,'" Cross recalled.

His first innovation—and quite a few $10 bills later—he went to work at NewTek, where he spent the next 20 years revolutionizing video production. "We saw that the next revolution was going to be real-time video processing," Cross explained. "As the economics of that market allowed computers to get faster and faster at some point computers would become fast enough that they could be used for real-time video processing.

"We were driven by this belief that a general-purpose computer could do everything that a TV station needed," Cross continued. "If we could put all of that onto one computer, we could fundamentally democratize the production of video."

One of Cross's largest contributions to the industry was the creation of NDI, but—perhaps a bit surprisingly—that game-changing technology is not the thing he feels was the most consequential. It goes back to that vision at NewTek and how almost everything came to fruition. "The products that we created in those early days of NewTek are what set in motion the revolution to enable anybody to produce a show," he said. "So, when you go onto the YouTubes, the Facebooks, the Twitches—the fact that people can now all produce shows, the fact that every sports league can produce a show, every school can have a class that teaches videography in marketing events—we can all now easily produce video.

"That goes back to things that we were doing right at the beginning of NewTek and our belief that it was the power of computers that could be what makes it possible for anyone to produce video," he continued. "And those things probably went on to change the world in ways that few people completely realize."

Arguably the most interesting aspect of NDI is not how it changed the industry, but how it came to be. Cross was renegotiating incredibly high health care rates for the company—and on a run one night, he had a thought—and from that thought, NDI was born. "Everything's like balloons," Cross said. "They kind of squish, and a few times in your life they end up reaching this point where something from the outside puts them under that pressure that they burst. It is inevitable. And I realized it was totally inevitable that video would move to IP."

These days, Cross spends his spare time hiking because, as he said, it helps him think more clearly. But don't be fooled: Cross is thinking about how the video production revolution is moving and where it is heading. "People think about what it takes to get a great work-life balance, and the answer is to love your work," Cross said. "If you love what you're doing, it's not work, is it? And I love what I do. What more fun can we have than making great images? Making it so that kids at schools could go off and produce video with their friends? It doesn't get better than that."

[SCN Hall of Fame 2024: Pete Putman]

Cross's impact hasn't simply transformed an industry. He has had a hand in changing how we as humans consume information and visualize the world around us. "Before video, what we knew about the world was limited to what pictures in books showed, and that was slow," Cross concluded. "Now we know what's going on in the world in real time. The whole way humans understand the world has been as a result of this ability to produce and share video."

SCN: Why is there an “OLY” after your name?

Thomas Tang: I am a two-time Olympian and participated in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics in Alpine Skiing. I’ve always thought that this kind of dedication and hard work has helped me with the growing pains of starting my own business and pushing through the most challenging times. 

SCN: Why did you decide to start Apantac?

TT: I started as a flight simulation engineer in the late 1980s and early 1990s and worked on various projects including F16, F14, Apache, and other simulators. In the 1990s, when computer graphics were becoming a key part of the broadcast industry, the CEO of our company saw an opportunity to enter the broadcast industry. A group of us was assigned to work on computer graphics applications for television.

To make a long story short, our group was later sold to Vizrt, and I became one of the first 30 employees during the early days of the company. Today, Vizrt is a major player in broadcast graphics. 

[Executive Q&A: Technology Meets Vibe]

After a few years at Vizrt, I was recruited by Philips Broadcast as its North America and Asia Pacific marketing manager for the routers and master control business unit. After several divestitures and acquisitions between Philips Broadcast, Thomson Broadcast, and the Grass Valley Group, I was assigned to manage the marketing group for the Grass Valley video server division. During my time working in these large organizations, I found myself dedicated to offering many product ideas, yet they weren’t always a good fit for corporate product roadmaps.

At this point my wife offered up an interesting idea: If I was going to be working this hard, perhaps I should be working for myself—thus the beginning of Apantac. In Spring 2008, I moved my ideas into my basement and began the process of engineering, thankfully having that experience earlier on in my career. In 2009, Apantac exhibited at its first NAB, our first multiviewer product won a Broadcast Engineering “Pick Hit” award, and the rest is history. We now have over 200 products in our catalog. 

SCN: What are the short and long-term goals for your company?

TT: One of our core goals as a company is to help our customers with their product and application challenges. We’ve always taken the approach of listening to customer feedback and helping solve their issues by modifying our current products or building new ones. We also aim to bring our many years of experience in the broadcast industry to the Pro AV marketplace and deliver the reliability of broadcast product requirements to the Pro AV industry. In addition, we aim to solve challenges in both AV-over-IP and traditional baseband video. 

SCN: How is Apantac celebrating its 15th anniversary?

TT: We have been very fortunate that we have always had a very stable and consistent engineering, sales, and marketing team. And not to forget our technical support and back-office teams. We celebrated our 10th anniversary by shutting down the office for a week and inviting all our employees and their partners to a resort in Mexico. I look forward to doing something similar for our 15th anniversary. I feel that it’s so important that our team can all get together, relax, and recharge. 

SCN: Between HDBaseT, SDVoE, and NDI, Apantac certainly does not shy away from alliances. Why are these relationships important for your company?

TT: In the Pro AV industry, there are so many different methods to solve problems, and it’s important that we adapt to all the current standards. Each of the alliances you mentioned above has its unique advantages and we are open to all of them. This also includes the latest AV-over-IP standard, IPMX. 

SCN: You’ve also partnered with openGear. What are some of your most popular cards?

TT: Traditionally, openGear has served as a broadcast platform, so we have typically brought broadcast-focused cards to market. We’ve been an openGear partner since 2013, and historically our most popular cards are scan converters and frame synchronizers. However, in the past few years, we have started making more Pro AV-focused products, including KVM-over-IP, HDBaseT, SDVoE, and NDI. These cards for the popular openGear platform are gaining a lot of traction. 

[Executive Q&A: Simplified Systems through Standards]

SCN: How important are KVM solutions to Apantac’s business?

TT: In 2010, we started building KVM extenders, which were solving very specific problems for our customers. Servers and computers were always located in the equipment room, yet the user stations were far away, which meant reliable extenders were very important for the application. For the last four years, we’ve been designing, building, and delivering KVM-over-IP products, which have expanded our KVM extender line and broadened our KVM solutions to include KVM matrices. We now even have our KVM technology built into our multiviewers. Based on global customer feedback, we are proud to say our KVM products solve several key challenges, and are considered highly reliable and quality solutions. 

SCN: KVM or KVM-over-IP: What’s the more popular choice these days?

TT: This really depends on the application. KVM-over-IP is more flexible and popular, but there are still times when a point-to-point, low-latency KVM extender is required. To offer a complete solution to our customers, we have built a portfolio of products that now include KVM-over-IP, KVM point-to-point extenders, KVM switches, and multiviewers with integrated KVM functionalities.  

[One Standard to Rule Them All?]

SCN: What’s next for the Pro AV industry?

TT: There is a lot of buzz around AV-over-IP, and the Pro AV industry is looking for a standard. The alliances mentioned earlier (HDBaseT, SDVoE, NDI) already have large customer bases. IPMX is a fast-emerging set of standards and specifications for AV-over-IP. As AV-over-IP is evolving, I see a big challenge around interoperability. There is a need for products to serve as a bridge and allow interoperability between all the systems that support all the different standards and specifications.

While some view cloud-based production as a threat to the traditional systems integration business, many view it as a clear-cut opportunity. Switching, audio mixing, signal distribution, and graphics can all be carried out by production crews through cloud-based platforms.

With that in mind, the emphasis for cloud-based production is placed on control surfaces, the quality of the connectivity, and the applications running on the cloud server. Latency also plays a significant role when deciding if cloud-based production will suit your needs.

“Certain operational elements of a production can tolerate control latency more than others, especially if you are producing live-to-air shows,” said Kevin Henneman, president of KMH Integration. “In many cases, shows for the internet are not 'live' but are recorded, edited, and then posted, so there’s a bit greater tolerance for control delay—not audio and video delay necessarily.”

The ability to communicate can also be a concern for some, with production environments needing to tie in production across various locations, such as a technical director onsite in a traditional control room while the audio or graphics operators work out of a different city. Integrators must demonstrate that the benefits of launching programming quickly and cost-effectively through cloud-based platforms will outweigh the perceived downsides concerning communication, though most teams find ways to adapt.

“These positions need to be able to communicate like they would if they were all located in the same control room,” said Hennerman. “There’s the additional concern that some executive producers have voiced that the spontaneity and creativity of producing a live show together in the same control room can never be accomplished to the same level of satisfaction when people are separated.”

Seamless Solutions

Companies like Sony are producing solutions designed specifically to support cloud production. The recently announced M2L-X, for example, is a software-based switcher for remote-based live production. You can switch audio and video, insert graphics, and more on prem using COTS equipment or in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). For more flexibility, it can be used as a standalone software-based switcher via its on-screen GUI or be used in conjunction with a tactile Sony ICP-X control panel—or even used with third-party controllers like Elegato's Stream Deck.

Despite manufacturer support, cloud-based remote production is not necessarily the instant remedy it may seem to be, and it may not be adequate for every production or workflow challenge. The transition requires appropriate skill and strategy, as well as extensive pre-planning from the production and technical standpoint.

“Combining guests from across the country or world becomes easy when the production itself is hosted in the cloud, allowing for very low latency access to ISO feeds from Microsoft Teams or Zoom meetings with tools like Epiphan Connect,” said Julian Fernandez, director of product marketing for Epiphan. “However, cloud production tools don’t come without their own set of challenges. While they alleviate the worries about local bandwidth and hardware capacity, they still require sufficient capture and encoding systems on the edge to deliver video into the cloud production tool.” 

It’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into when embracing cloud-based remote production, or you could end up with expensive bills and growing service fees you were not anticipating. “The biggest challenge many companies face is not having a solid cloud migration plan to make sure they receive all the benefits while avoiding many of the roadblocks,” added Henneman.

One of the leading choices to transmit video and audio signals from various locations to the cloud is NDI, as its minimal latency provides onsite and remote teams the opportunity to communicate virtually in real time. This allows production teams to decentralize their studio, with directors, video mixer operators, graphics, commentators, and audio mixers being able to contribute to the same production no matter their location. By offering bidirectional controls and metadata exchange, NDI allows team members to participate actively in all aspects of the production process, adjusting and supplying instant feedback.

[Editorial: Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?]

“NDI is the most effective way to connect all these sources in a seamless and instant way,” said Nick Mariette, director of product management of NDI with Vizrt Group. “This year, we’re answering the requirements of many productions by enhancing image quality, color depth, and catering to even more broadcast and content creation use cases. NDI is developing to become the fabric of remote workflows at an infrastructural level and will continue to evolve.”

Ease of use and efficiency have driven the growth of NDI adoption, with NDI seamlessly connecting and synching sources to the workflow. It allows productions to scale up without being impacted by physical limitations and maintain high production values from remote locations, seamlessly integrating with industry software and hardware solutions.

“Any NDI-enabled product is plug-and-play, making any workflow easy and seamless to operate, even without networking knowledge,” said Mariette. “This instant discovery and registration are vital and remove the limits to video connectivity.”

Pivot to Recurring Revenue

“Cloud production is not going away; it’s only going to increase, so we need to embrace it, educate ourselves, and then help our customers learn how to use the cloud effectively for their long-term benefit,” said Henneman.

When turning to cloud-based production, system integrators will likely have to adapt their business model from a large payment for a single engagement to payments being spread out over an extended period. This requires substantial changes to the client relationship, including continuous billing and follow-up. With software-defined models, integrators are no longer selling a piece of equipment—instead, it's a subscription or license that plays out over an extended period coupled with providing the underlying supporting platform.

"It's a significant model shift for most system integrators in AV, production, and even in IT, and requires a lot of business planning, because otherwise it could damage many integrators," explained Dave Van Hoy, president of Advanced Systems Group. "Cloud's a big pivot for system integrators, mostly because the business models change very dramatically. As an industry, we're better at handling technology changes than business changes."

[Cloud Power: Decisions, Decisions]

Those looking to make the business model pivot need to establish that first relationship with the cloud provider, rather than the client engaging with them and bypassing the integrator altogether, leaving them with the option to deliver only other services. Registering this opportunity with the cloud provider upfront guarantees you a horse in the race.

"It's this recurring revenue model that people need to get their heads wrapped around and realize that a cloud-based workflow could be beneficial," said Jeff Sengpiehl, CTO and chief technologist with Key Code Media. "I'm getting 12 cents on my commission for these three months, and then suddenly, everything spikes because they started using it like crazy. That's the piece they are realizing. It's not your father's on-prem workflow."

Costs and Customer Care

Many integrators believe production environments will be entirely run through the cloud apart from a few transducers and monitors onsite—and the critical question is how quickly we can get there. Sengpiehl believes that will all depend on the cloud's overall costs.

"One of the things that we've run into is a lot of clients will say, I'd like to call up cloud provider X because I want to negotiate with them about our costs," he explained. "But the cloud provider doesn't care. It doesn't do anything for a cloud provider to say we support this workflow. It is completely opposed to the way we've always thought. We're doing cool stuff, so you should want to do business with us and give us a lower price point. That doesn't play with the cloud folks."

Cloud-based production has forced people to think differently about workflows. Integrators can no longer build a system and hand it over. Cloud is one of many workflow options, with traditional on-prem or hybrid options available depending on the client's needs. This is where the integrator needs to deliver the appropriate guidance.

"It's about becoming an integral part of the customer's operational workflow and long-term creative strategy," Henneman noted. "Someone can have more than one workflow for different content and programming needs. More important than ever, our role as integrators is educating customers and determining if their infrastructure is flexible enough to adapt and scale as they grow and their needs change."

Mackie recently announced that its DLZ Creator, a professional digital audio solution for content creators, is the first product in the Mackie line to integrate NDI technology. The NDI protocol has also been embraced by radio and broadcast professionals, streamers, online gamers, live streamers, and podcast professionals.

[Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?] 

“DLZ Creator is the first-ever audio device integrated with NDI connectivity technology, empowering content producers with more flexibility over their audio streaming than ever,” explained NDI president Tarif Sayed.

With a growing user base of streamers, gamers, and content creators, the DLZ Creator aims to enhances the way content is made and shared. The integration of NDI, enabling fast and easy real-time movement of audio and video between computers, cameras, and other digital devices, will empower users with professional-level connectivity that will transform their workflow. 

[PlexusAV AVN Series Integrates NDI Video-Over-IP Standard]

DLZ Creator will provide NDI implementation for bi-directional stereo audio immediately, with multichannel support to be added later in the year.

Marshall Electronics introduced its new CV420Ne, an NDI|HX3 version of its ultra-wide 100-degree angle-of-view streaming POV camera. This camera offers digital robotic movement of pan, tilt and zoom of HD resolutions digitally within the larger UHD (4K) sensor space. The CV420Ne allows users to maintain access to ultra-wide angles along with usable digitally zoom and lateral maneuvers within the sensor. It utilizes the new NDI|HX3 codecs with access to NDI5.5 tools, USB3.0 connectivity with Barco certification and traditional HDMI workflow for a diverse range of AV applications. Marshall will be showcasing this new addition to its camera lineup at InfoComm 2023 (Booth 4107).

[Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?] 

The CV420Ne features a large 1/1.8inch 4K sensor with 9 1/2 Megapixels, capable of crystal clear 4K (UHD) resolution up to 60fps with support of ultra-clean HD resolutions. The camera’s 4.5mm lens features an ultra-wide 100-degree angle-of-view delivering high-quality video with no spherical distortion. The CV420Ne’s digital pan, tilt and zoom comes with more than 250 presets that are savable and selectable from any number of command sources including IR remote, NDI|Tools, Camera Control Software, web browser GUI, OBS plugins, vMix and a host of other compatible soft codecs and devices.

Now with the latest NDI|HX3 codec, the camera can be seamlessly incorporated into various streaming and production workflows. The CV420Ne is suitable for professional proAV and broadcast applications including AV streaming, remote contribution, podcasting, video collaboration, and a range of Pro AV and UCC installations that require an ultra-high-quality networkable video source.

[Follow the ROAD TO INFOCOMM 2023 at AV Network] 

The new NDI|HX3 format requires slightly higher bandwidth than previous NDI|HX2 but much less than is required for Full-NDI|HB. NDI|HX3 delivers similar low latency as Full-NDI at less than 100ms end-to-end and has video quality performance closer to premium Full-NDI where video quality is not lost from camera source when sent over network.

The CV420Ne’s compact and durable design (4.5 inches long) measures 113x70x51mm and comes with rear protection wings to avoid untimely cable disconnect drops. The CV420Ne has an audio 3.5mm input (line/mic) embedded on all available outputs and can be controlled via remote control (included), NDI|Tools and/or USB. The CV420Ne also comes equipped with a front facing Tally Light for LIVE streaming and offers the most flexibility in any compact streaming camera.

NAB Show 2023 is winding down. Makes sure you don't miss out on catching these exhibitors' innovations. 

[NAB Show Expects Big Gains in 2023] 

JVC Professional Video Unveils Production Workflow Solutions

JVC Professional Video introduced several new entry-level solutions aimed at smaller production teams―such as houses of worship, college sports broadcasters, and local news OTA stations―at the 2023 NAB Show (Booth C4218). Among these is the new RM-LP5G CONNECTED CAM PTZ Joystick Controller, which will be available as part of a bundle with two JVC PTZ cameras. The company is also unveiling the KM-HD6 CONNECTED CAM Six-Input Hardware Switcher, the KM-IP8 or KM-IP8S4 CONNECTED CAM vMix Studio Switchers, and the RM-LP350G CONNECTED CAM vMix Control Surface. 

The RM-LP5G CONNECTED CAM Compact Joystick PTZ Controller features a dual-axis joystick and zoom bridge, capable of managing up to five PTZ cameras. This compact solution supports VISCA, UDP and PELCO P/D control protocols over IP, RS422 and RS232. Additionally, the controller’s four-color LED multiscreen display affords ease of setup and operation. Available only as part of a bundled package with two or more JVC PTZ cameras, the controller is perfect for smaller market organizations looking to provide network-caliber productions.

Offered both as standalone and in a package, the KM-HD6 CONNECTED CAM Six-Input Switcher features four SDI and two HDMI inputs, with a USB Type-C output that enables users to stream video with embedded audio to any platform, such as YouTube, Facebook and Zoom. Additional output options include two 3G/HD/SD-SDI, one HDMI PGM (program) and one SDI AUX, as well as one each of HDMI and SDI multi-view outputs. The switcher also boasts a variety of production options, such as automatic cut transitions; mix, fade and wipe effects; adjustable PiP/PoP window; and a GPIO interface for live tally. Further, the integrated audio mixer features 3.5mm and RCA audio input and output, along with USB Type-C HDMI- and SDI-embedded audio.

As an alternative to the KM-HD6, users can opt for the KM-IP8 or KM-IP8S4 CONNECTED CAM vMix Studio Switchers, which can each manage up to eight NDI inputs using vMix 4K licensed software for Windows 11 Pro. The KM-IP8S4 also features four 3G-SDI inputs with bi-directional connectors and mini-SDI-to-SDI cables. Both 2RU devices offer several output options, including one 3G-SDI, one HDMI, and four DisplayPort; as well as a Gigabit Ethernet network port. vMix is a complete live video production software solution that provides live mixing, switching, recording and live streaming of SD, full HD and 4K.  

A desktop controller for vMix, the RM-LP350G CONNECTED CAM vMix Control Surface works with the KM-IP8 Studio Computer to enable traditional-style switching. It provides four-channel PTZ camera presets, panning and zoom, and features a low-profile transition fader. The controller also supports 12-channel PGM and PVW switching, as well as selectable PGM/PVW in four groups of 12 downstream key settings.

Lawo Announces Support for NDI

Lawo announced that its newly introduced HOME Apps will support streams received in the NDI video connectivity standard—including the ability to transcode and transmit a variety of incoming source streams to NDI-enabled or compatible destinations.

[Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?] 

Lawo’s intention is to present broadcasters and media production services with the utmost flexibility and agility to cover live events whose scope and/or target viewership do not justify the utilization of broadcast-grade ST2110-based production tools and infrastructure, or indeed the lease of high-bandwidth network infrastructure in remote production scenarios. Lawo expects that other applications, such as the ability to use a mix of SDI, NDI and ST2110-compatible cameras, OTT streaming, fast retrieval of assets, etc., will also benefit from its support of NDI.

Three HOME Apps—Multiviewer, UDX conversion with HDR processing and Graphic Inserter—natively support NDI, while other apps will be able to process media data packets after they have been converted by the HOME Stream Transcoder, another containerized microservice processing app that will be available in Q4 of 2023.

[NDI Unveils New Business Vision, Certification Programs]

RTS Introduces New Member of the RTS Digital Partyline Intercom Product Family

RTS introduced the DSPK-4 Digital Speaker Station at NAB Show 2023, the latest addition to the brand’s breakthrough RTS Digital Partyline product family, which also includes the OMS (OMNEO Main Station) and DBP (Digital Beltpack).

The DSPK-4 is an IP-based wired speaker station providing next-level versatility and functionality, including four channels of talk/listen via microphone and speaker or headset—all with high-quality digital audio and the use of standard Ethernet for easy integration into existing IT infrastructure. It adapts the unique hybrid IP/digital/analog functionality, ergonomic design and intuitive UX of the best-selling DBP into a sleek new form factor that is available in compact desktop, flush-mount and wall-mount versions. Flexibility is further enhanced with Bluetooth headset connectivity and PoE (Power over Ethernet) connectivity.

Find out more details here. 

Planar, OptiTrack Present Set of Broadcast Technologies

At NAB 2023, Planar will be showcasing the Planar CarbonLight CLI VX Series, featuring an improved scan ratio, eliminating display-to-camera artifacts from being captured during a camera panning motion. Planar will also present the NAB debut of the Planar Venue Pro VX Series, as well as the award-winning and longstanding choice of broadcasters Planar TVF Series and the premium fine pitch MicroLED Planar DirectLight Ultra Series.

OptiTrack will demonstrate their extensive line of motion capture cameras, optical motion tracking software and object tracking capabilities at NAB 2023, including CinePuck, a tracking tool designed specifically for virtual production, mixed reality and broadcast studios. 

Keep reading to find out more. 

Audio-Technica Exhibits ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet

Audio-Technica (booth C4931) is exhibiting its ATH-M50xSTS and ATH-M50xSTS-USB StreamSet streaming headsets. These models are the world’s first headsets specifically developed to address the needs of live-streaming content creators. Based on the critically acclaimed ATH-M50x professional monitor headphones and incorporating technology from the iconic 20 Series microphones, the ATH-M50xSTS and ATH-M50xSTS-USB deliver full-spectrum, studio-quality for users and listeners on the receiving end.

The headsets are equipped with the same 45 mm large-aperture drivers to provide exceptional clarity throughout an extended frequency range, with deep, accurate bass response. The streaming headsets come with two sets of distinct earpads: M50x earpads that stress audio quality and sound isolation; mesh and leatherette earpads that emphasize breathability and comfort.

Both models use a cardioid condenser capsule on a flexible boom arm, allowing for ideal positioning even with head movement. The result is a rich, studio-quality vocal presence without background noise and output at a consistent level. The headsets’ microphone can be muted quickly and efficiently simply by flipping the boom arm into the up position.

The ATH-M50xSTS uses a  6.6-foot (2-meter) permanently attached cable with 3.5-mm (1/8-inch) headphone input (plus 6.3-mm [1/4-inch] adapter) and XLR microphone output. The ATH-M50xSTS-USB uses a 6.6-foot (2-meter) permanently attached cable with USB-A connection (and USB-A to USB-C adapter) for plug-and-play connectivity to PCs and Macs. In addition, the ATH-M50xSTS-USB includes an A/D converter with a sampling rate up to 24-bit/96 kHz and sidetone circuitry that lets vocals be heard in the headset (with volume controlled by a dial on the earcup) for a more natural, conversational feel.

At a global live-streamed event held on April 11, the NDI team—together with ecosystem partners AMD, AVer, BirdDog, Mevo, and Ross Video—shared its vision for the future of video: a universe where all hardware, software, and cloud become seamlessly interoperable. 

[Editorial: Can NDI Become Ubiquitous?]

NDI will display its new business vision and brand identity next week at 2023 NAB Show (Vizrt Group, Booth W2821). NDI connectivity technology will also be featured by more than 70 partners, licensees, and adopters during the show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

During its event, NDI announced its investment in expanding its ecosystem while maintaining seamless interoperability across all products, platforms, and industries. 

The new NDI Advanced is the company's most complete offering. Available through the NDI website, NDI Advanced provides access to the most efficient NDI format, HX3—which harnesses H.264 and HEVC codecs to ensure transmission of visually lossless video using just 50MBs of bandwidth—as well as providing additional APIs, dedicated customer support, and more.

[NDI Launches Version 5.5 as Organization Looks to Pioneer a 'New Era' of Video]

To guarantee the ecosystem expansion maintains consistency of experience for anyone using NDI, the company also introduced two new certification programs: NDI Certified, for products integrating features of NDI Advanced, and Works with NDI, for devices that do not require a native NDI integration but want full compatibility with the NDI ecosystem.

NDI also shared its plans to build on the engagement with its loyal community of users. Community initiatives will be organized throughout the year, including the first-ever NDI Hackathon, as well as an NDI Beta program, where selected community members will gain early hands-on access to updates to the core technology. 

“Video is no longer something traveling through the network. Instead, it is becoming the network itself: the 'videoverse,'" said Tarif Sayed, NDI president and general manager. "Together with our growing ecosystem of adopters, we are developing the most efficient, easy-to-use, and interoperable technology for video connections everywhere—not just in the broadcast industry, but also the broader content streaming market, as well as specialized industries such as healthcare, education, and security that are demanding more efficient video technologies.”

Through the NDI SDK, the company’s core technology is available to anyone who wants to explore new use cases. More than 600,000 devices, from companies including Sony and Panasonic, are NDI-enabled. NDI technology is also supported by Microsoft Teams and other widely used video-based software applications.

In this world, nothing is certain, except death and taxes—and, of course, Dante and maybe NDI. I’m pretty sure that’s what Benjamin Franklin wrote back in 1789.

Very few products or technologies ever reach the level of market saturation and/or cultural relevance to be designated as “ubiquitous.” Xerox, for example, became synonymous with copy machines; the brand name even became a verb. Back in the archaic days when people used videotape to record television programs or buy movies for home collections, VHS dominated the market. Even today, say “Chyron” to a video production professional and they know you mean graphics, even if they use a different CG.

[Editorial: All Signage Points to Growth]

Zoom came pretty close to ubiquitous status during the pandemic, but I’m not convinced that will hold. The competition from Teams, Meet, Webex, and others has become formidable at this point. The fact that companies tout certification of their products for more than one platform speaks volumes.

You could make the argument that Dante is already there. Launched in 2006, it has basically cornered the networked digital audio market. According to Aidan Williams, Audinate CEO and co-founder, about 3,300 products from close to 500 manufacturers use Dante. Seems pretty ubiquitous to me.

NDI wants to be ubiquitous, too, but it’s not there yet. NewTek unveiled its low-latency, AV-over-IP solution in 2015. Since then, NDI has been building its popularity, partnerships, and ecosystem. (Version 5.5 was announced last August.) Last year, NDI’s Suso Carillo told me the protocol is becoming a de facto standard.

[Epiphan Video Bridges Ecosystem of NDI Cameras with Microsoft Teams to Unlock Power of Hybrid Productions]

“The ultimate long-term goal is for NDI to become the video standard in the worldwide video industry,” he said. “In the short term, we’re looking to boost adoption in both the broadcast and Pro AV industries, but also explore other verticals where NDI is used, like in healthcare and corporate.”

Is the strategy working? Well, let’s look to JVC Professional Video for an answer. In February, the company announced three new CONNECTED CAM broadcast cameras. CONNECTED CAM was launched back in 2018. This is a mature product line that already features built-in low-latency streaming options, 4K image capture, the works—what feature could they possibly need to add?

NDI, that’s what. And that’s exactly what the company is touting with its latest models. It’s even offering current CONNECTED CAM owners the option to send in their old units for an authorized NDI manufacturer modification. JVC has obviously decided the licensing fee is less expensive than losing potential customers looking for NDI solutions.

Are there other options out there? Of course. There’s more than one way to skin a cat or send video over existing IP networks in real time. SDVoE, IPMX, SMPTE ST 2110—you’ve got plenty of AVoIP options, and they all have their selling points and limitations. Dante has even branched out to get in the AVoIP game, recently announcing its Dante Studio 2.0 software update.

[Anatomy of SDVoE]

Until such time as ol’ Ben Franklin tells us otherwise, NDI is where many manufacturers are placing their bets. Unlike Dante, however, NDI is facing serious competition from alliances and other manufacturers. It will be interesting to see if any AVoIP protocol can reach VHS status in the coming years.

NewTek strengthened its line of control panels with the all-new Flex. With Flex, operators can now take direct control of PTZ devices, audio connections, audio and video mixing, and talkback—all connected with NDI.

No other NewTek control panel offers audio and video mixing, PTZ Control, and talkback in one unit. With these controls built directly into the panel, it significantly reduces the margin for error.

[How NDI 5 Impacts AVoIP Remote Live Production]

The innovative features built into Flex offers operators greater precision and control. With the addition of audio I/O, Flex instantly expands the on-board I/O of any TriCaster with the option to add external sources directly to the NDI ecosystem.

For years operators have been physically tethered to video switchers with fixed cable runs, and complex set-ups without the ability to change location. Flex is the only NewTek control panel to simply connect to a network with NDI and have control of any video switcher on that network, giving operators the ultimate in production freedom.

"Over the course of the last several years, the demand for high quality distributed production has grown beyond measure. We recognize the need for operators to be able to adapt to any workflow and the Flex does just that—all with the power of NDI. Offering greater control and connectivity than ever before, it’s our most flexible and powerful control panel yet,” commented Chris McLendon, senior product manager, NewTek.  

[Blueprint for Success: Learn from the Past, Shape Your Future] 

Not only can the panel connect to any switcher on a network by using NDI, Flex also offers operators all they need for distributed productions by working with all current TriCaster models; mastering control of a TriCaster 2 Elite as easily as it can a TriCaster Mini X and as at home in the studio or on the road, Flex scales with any production.

As part of the company’s commitment to interoperability and providing broadcast and content distributors with an efficient and seamless upgrade path, FOR-A will head to the 2023 NAB Show with a fully NDI-compatible live video production ecosystem. Included among the NDI-supported offerings is the new HVS-190 video switcher, which will debut at the show.

FOR-A will exhibit in Booth #C4507 during NAB which runs from April 16-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

[How NDI 5 Impacts AVoIP Remote Live Production]

The new HVS-190 supports high-bandwidth NDI and NDI|HX input and output and marks the continued expansion of the popular HVS switcher series. It is a one M/E version of FOR-A’s flagship HVS-490 video switcher and comes standard with 3G/HD-SDI and HDMI interfaces. The HVS-190 features frame synchronization and processing amplification on all inputs and is available in two models. The HVS-190S, with a control panel separate from the main unit, comes with eight inputs/five outputs, and is expandable to 20 inputs/11 outputs. The HVS-190I is an integrated control panel/main unit video switcher with the same standard I/O configuration as the HVS-190S and is expandable to 16 inputs/9 outputs.

“The HVS-190 is an ideal addition to our HVS Series of video production switchers,” said Satoshi Kanemura, president, FOR-A Americas. “From its NDI support to a highly flexible configuration, this is a switcher that addresses many applications, from broadcast to live event coverage and corporate a/v facilities, at an unbeatable price point.”

[The National Association of Broadcasters and NAB Show Celebrate Centennial Year]

Both HVS-190 models include keyer, chroma keyer, multi viewer, still/clip store, macro, and event memory functions as standard. A simple, browser-based control and setup is also supported for both. The HVS-190 switchers are easily expandable, with additional multi view outputs, increased storage with an added SSD, and optional auxiliary and tally unit(s).  

NDI connectivity is provided via an optional card, the HVS-NIF. Each card provides four inputs/two outputs. Add up to three cards with the HVS-190S and two with the HVS-190I. With the HVS-190 switchers, users can add output from PTZ cameras, webcams, smartphone camera apps, computer content, and other sources and route video/audio from a single switcher to multiple devices. It also provides two-way communication with multiple video, audio, control, or tally systems using only Ethernet cables. SDI playout and IP streaming occur simultaneously, enabling mixed or coordinated broadcasts of both sources.

NDI connectivity enables packaged solutions to be assembled and operated easily. A typical configuration might be the FOR-A HVS-490 or HVS-190 production switcher, teamed with the MFR-3100EX all-in-one-production center, Odyssey Insight Server and ClassX graphics—all of which have NDI options for seamless operation. Introduced at IBC 2022 in September, FOR-A’s software-based live production platform, SOAR-A, boasts an expandable IP-based architecture and supports the conversion and delivery of SD, HD, 4K and NDI to ST 2110 signals. It is compatible with WebRTC and utilizes RIST (Reliable Internet Streaming Transport).

[Deadline for Entries for NAB Show Excellence in Sustainability Awards Is April 3]

The entire SOAR-A workflow enables highly secure REMI production and gateway-free streaming. The SOAR-A system serves content creators looking for a workflow with low latency, software-based services.

"FOR-A technology has always had IP capabilities either built-in or available as plug-in options, and NDI connectivity, with its low latency and metadata support, is ideal for live production applications,” said Kanemura. “We’re eager to discuss in depth the flexibility and scalability this provides our entire live production platform during the NAB show.”