Digital signage has evolved into much more than a blast of an ad or a menu at a drive-thru. Whether it is interactive solutions, wayfinding, or simply a canvas for digital signage, the vertical continues to grow and evolve.

[SCN's InfoComm Impulse Preview Series]

It will all be on display at InfoComm 2026, when doors open June 13-19. Take a peak at what these 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.

22Miles to Debut DX Pro

22Miles will showcase the newly launched DX Pro at booth C5753. This unified web-native management platform was designed for visual communications applications such as digital signage, wayfinding, immersive experiences, and space management. DX Pro brings content creation, device management, fleet monitoring, and governance into a single browser interface, with support for both cloud and on-premises deployment.

DX Pro supports the full range of enterprise visual experience needs within a single, scalable platform: digital signage, dynamic wayfinding, videowalls, mobile applications, and multi-touch and interactive experiences. Organizations can standardize on DX Pro for initial deployments and expand to more complex applications over time without changing their software stack or adding tools.

DX Pro is designed to make content updates fast and intuitive while supporting the access controls and governance workflows enterprise operations require. Map editing, screen grouping, and mass scheduling tools enable content teams to manage large, multi-location deployments efficiently, while DX Pro's emergency overwrite capability allows instant full-network content takeover, triggered manually or integrated directly with enterprise emergency notification services. Native enterprise integration capabilities include Microsoft Places, Zoom Enterprise, Teams, Outlook Space Finder, SharePoint, Office 365, Google Workspace, and major social media platforms.

Avocor and IAdea Partner to Deliver MDEP-Powered Digital Signage Solutions

Avocor will collaborate with IAdea to showcase Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP)-powered digital signage solutions at booth C6403. The collaboration brings together Avocor’s display expertise with IAdea’s enterprise signage technology to deliver a secure, scalable, and intelligent digital signage solution designed for modern business environments.

Making its North American debut at InfoComm 2026, Avocor’s new B Series range of non-interactive displays has been specifically developed for professional signage applications. Engineered for 24/7 operation, the B Series is designed to support high-traffic environments where reliability, clarity, and centralized device management are essential.

Through its collaboration with IAdea, the Avocor B Series will be demonstrated with IAdea's MDEP-enabled signage technology, enabling organizations to explore simplified device management, seamless integration with Microsoft environments, and the IT governance frameworks already applied to other enterprise endpoints.

Bluefin to Unveil New Battery-Powered Portability to Weather-Resistant Outdoor Displays

Bluefin International will debut several new digital signage solution at booth C9607, Bluefin will showcase a growing portfolio of commercial-grade displays designed to support retail, hospitality, healthcare, corporate, transportation, and outdoor environments. From battery-powered mobility and interactive engagement to durable outdoor performance and customizable aesthetics, each new solution reflects Bluefin’s customer-first approach to innovation.

The new battery-powered stand is an all-in-one solution built around a 13.3-inch commercial display with support for both landscape and portrait orientations. Featuring an integrated camera, microphone, and NFC reader, Bluefin’s Connect Assist is their newest tablet-style interactive display. It comes in 8 and 15.6 inches and is powered with a single USB-C plug from an external player making installation easier.

The Bluefin Outdoor line will also be on display with a new 32-inch Outdoor Display engineered for high-brightness performance and all-weather durability. The display is ideal for outdoor menus, transportation hubs, pickup zones, public gathering spaces, and exterior installations. In addition to new hardware solutions, Bluefin will showcase its COLORFRAME capabilities. Announced post-InfoComm last year, Bluefin now offers customers the ability to align display hardware with brand aesthetics through customizable frame colors and finishes.

Custom Channels to Bring Audio to Signage

Custom Channels will introduce its new In-Store Open Media Platform at booth C9700, extending its capabilities into the rapidly growing retail media network (RMN) market and giving enterprise retailers a new way to build and control in-store media at scale.

The In-Store Open Media Platform is designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of third-party systems, including digital signage platforms, retail media technologies, and enterprise content management environments.

The Custom Channels In-Store Open Media Platform provides enterprise retailers and their technology partners with direct, programmatic access to in-store audio infrastructure—including music scheduling, zone control, ad insertion, proof-of-play reporting, and device management. By connecting existing CMS, DSP, or digital signage platforms via API, retailers can extend audio across any platform within their environment, using Custom Channels as the underlying engine for licensed content delivery and control. The In-Store Open Media Platform framework also supports integration at both the platform and device level, enabling compatibility with control systems and on-site AV environments where localized management is required.

Geephon to Launch Its LCD Display Solutions for Digital Signage in North America

Geephon will debut its next generation of high-bright LCD displays at booth C9178, introducing integrators and channel partners to a more flexible, cost-effective approach to digital signage deployments for DOOH, QSR, transportation, and retail.

Attendees will experience a range of solutions designed for high-demand applications, including outdoor enclosure displays with brightness up to 6,500 Nits and IP66 protection with operating ranges, -40 to +55C; window-facing displays delivering up to 5,000 Nits for maximum visibility in direct sunlight; open frame solutions optimized for QSR drive-thru and DOOH environments; and indoor digital signage and kiosks built for reliable, long-term performance.

At the core of Geephon’s engineering is its proprietary heat exchange technology. This innovation actively manages internal LCD temperatures and protects panels from overheating, avoiding commonly seen problems such as blackening and yellowing. Combined with local dimming, Geephon displays deliver improved contrast and enhanced visual clarity that utilize significantly less power.

LG Targets More Efficient Signage

LG Electronics will debut the newly unveiled LG E-Paper Display at booth C7836. The solution is designed to help businesses modernize static signage for efficiency, flexibility and ease of management. The display combines a paper-like design with smart power management and webOS-based content control to simplify updates and reduce operational overhead.

The LG E-Paper Display features a 32-inch QHD (2560x1440) resolution screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It uses electronic ink panel technology, which forms images by moving and positioning electrically charged color particles through an electric field. The display consumes power only when updating on-screen content, significantly lowering energy consumption. Its ability to support dynamic content updates while reducing reliance on printed promotional materials—such as point-of-purchase displays and in-store signage—makes the solution well-suited for commercial indoor spaces, including retail, hospitality and corporate environments.

Navori Labs to Preview Composable Digital Signage Platform

Navori Labs will unveil its next-generation composable digital signage platform, introducing a new architecture that unifies content management, data integration, AI-connected workflows, device management, analytics, and monetization within a single platform. The company will showcase the platform and its key innovations at booth C7223. Built around modular capabilities including Edge, Link, Measure, Automate, Monetize, Build, Studio, and Orchestrator, the platform enables organizations to deploy intelligent screen networks that can adapt dynamically to changing business requirements.

The launch marks a significant milestone for Navori Labs nine months after the integration of Signagelive, bringing together decades of digital signage innovation, cloud expertise, and enterprise-scale software development into a unified platform strategy. Designed to move beyond the limitations of traditional content management systems, the composable platform enables organizations to connect screens, business applications, data sources, AI services, and operational workflows through an open and extensible architecture.

VITEC to Showcase Expanding Enterprise IPTV and Digital Signage Innovations

VITEC will demonstrate its latest enterprise video technologies at booth C9257 with new solutions designed to address growing demand for high-quality, low-latency video distribution across all environments. VITEC will present an exclusive technology demonstration where a live private 5G network will be used to deliver video content wirelessly throughout the booth, in collaboration with LG Electronics’ Private 5G Solutions team. Other highlights include a range of first-time showings at InfoComm, such as the X-View integrated display range.

X-View, VITEC’s integrated displays, combines purpose-built display hardware with full compatibility with VITEC’s Avedia platform, delivering a commercial-grade, reliable and centrally managed signage solution for meeting rooms, public areas, and workplace communications without the complexity of separate external players and power supplies.

Sponsored Content

In recent years, the Pro AV industry has had more than its fair share of mergers and acquisitions. But when VITEC acquired Datapath in late 2025, it was less about overlap and more about true synergy. SCN content director Mark J. Pescatore talks with Colin Farquhar from VITEC and Mark Bohs from Datapath to get more details about why this is a winning combination for the markets they serve. Plus, learn how they are addressing cybersecurity in their AVoIP solutions—and get a preview of what to expect from both companies at InfoComm 2026.

Today's digital signage is much more than menus and campus-wide messaging. It is everything from a digital canvas for art to dynamic tools for engagement. At ISE 2026, visitors will see new solutions to enhance the new era of digital signage.

[SCN's ISE Insiders 2026]

Check out solutions from Avocor, nsign, SpinetiX, Uniguest, and Visionary that will be on display in Barcelona from Feb. 3-6.

A New Family of Displays from Avocor

Headlining the Avocor and AOU Display Plus booth (2S200) is the debut of a new digital signage innovation from Avocor, designed to meet the evolving requirements in corporate environments and beyond. Visitors to the Avocor booth will get a first-look at the brand-new family of displays designed to elevate business signage and digital communications across retail, corporate, transportation, and hospitality environments. Avocor will also be showing its new and upgraded non-interactive portfolio, including the X Series, Avocor’s modular large format display.

[E-Paper Makes Its Case as Digital Signage Option]

AUO Display Plus (ADP) is set to introduce AecoPost, a full-color e-paper solution for unplugged, low-power, flexible installation, and AecoTag, an intelligent platform for real-time pricing and content management. Also featured is the See-Thrµ Micro LED Display, a transparent, ultra-bright solution that blends digital content with physical spaces—demonstrating ADP’s commitment to sustainability and smarter retail operations.

PPDS and SustAInable Design: The New Philips Signage 5000 Series

Set to go on public display for the first time at Philips booth 3N500, the Philips Signage 5000 Series (D-Line) introduces a new era for smarter digital signage displays for PPDS. Coined "its most powerful and intelligent digital signage line to date," the new AI-ready Philips Signage 5000 Series (D-Line) has been remodeled and reimagined using the latest breakthroughs in advanced UHD visual technology, energy efficiency, and processing power for unbeatable quality and performance.

Designed with both the present and future in mind, the Philips Signage 5000 Series features an octa core processor and becomes the first in PPDS’ extensive range of Android SoC displays to integrate a 6 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second or Trillion Operations Per Second) neural processing unit. Taking versatility, 24/7 reliability, and usability to unprecedented levels and to even wider audiences, the portrait or landscape mountable Philips Signage 5000 Series is available now across an extended range of screen sizes to suit, including 32, 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, 86, and 98 inches.

nsign to 'Simplify Complexity' with Enhanced Digital Signage Ecosystem

At booth 4G520, visitors will experience how nsign transforms complex digital ecosystems into scalable, automated, and measurable infrastructures, all governed from a single platform with a significant evolution of its digital signage vision.

At the center is the Experience Engine, nsign's orchestration layer connecting screens, LED displays, projectors, sensors, triggers, and content workflows. Enhanced in 2026 with AI-powered reporting and contextual intelligence, the platform now enables smarter automation, deeper performance insights and improved operational efficiency across global networks.

As part of its 2026 roadmap, nsign evolves toward a single-tenan, multi-cloud architecture, consolidating Databricks as its BI backbone. This infrastructure upgrade strengthens scalability, performance, and advanced data exploitation capabilities, laying the foundation for future AI agents and self-managed systems.

“The Year of High Impact Experiences”: SpinetiX Celebrates 20 Years of Digital Signage

This year, SpinetiX marks its 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of innovation and expertise in digital signage. The milestone will be highlighted at ISE as SpinetiX introduces The Year of High Impact Experiences. Visitors can join the celebration at its complete digital signage solution at Booth 4S400.

This new milestone is also the opportunity to recognize the contribution of the multiple channel and technology partners to those 20 years of digital signage success stories around the world. SpinetiX is indeed uniquely positioned in the market with its original two-tier indirect distribution model offering a global presence as well as the local proximity to customers. Thanks to this growing ecosystem of 25 distributors and 500+ certified resellers worldwide, the best digital signage has been delivered to iconic brands and prestigious customers through thousands of projects over the past two decades.

Uniguest to Showcases Hub Platform

Uniguest will showcase its unified Hub platform, its "everything-app" for digital signage, IPTV, and enterprise video at booth 5B310.

Uniguest Hub has evolved into an enterprise-grade solution that simplifies how organizations create, manage, and deliver content across any screen, device or location. Built on a central CMS, Hub unifies digital signage, IPTV, and enterprise video while enabling tailored vertical experiences for specific markets. On show at ISE 2026 will be Hotel Hub, Healthcare Hub, Enterprise Hub, Campus Hub and Sports Hub, each designed to address the unique needs of its environment.

At ISE 2026, visitors will also see new integrations that extend Hub’s flexibility, including casting support for Samsung and LG hospitality TVs with built-in Google Cast, Teams and Zoom Rooms connectivity, Samsung E-Paper support, and new AI-powered Community and Video Summary tools. Together, these updates reinforce Uniguest’s vision of connected content, deployed everywhere.

Visionary to Showcase Digital Signage Platform for AVoIP and Enterprise Video Distribution

Visionary will showcase the XB5 USB-C Conferencing Bridge along with three high-performance 5 Series Wallplates at booth 2U100. In addition, Visionary will highlight its PackeTV IPTV and Digital Signage System, an on-premises IP-based platform for enterprise video distribution and content management. The XB5 USB-C Conferencing Bridge and 5 Series Wallplates expand Visionary’s AV over IP portfolio with additional options for BYOD conferencing, in-wall connectivity and scalable 1GbE networked AV system design.

Visionary will also demonstrate the PackeTV IPTV and Digital Signage System, a unified, on-premises platform for distributing live TV, video-on-demand, custom channels, and digital signage over IP networks. Designed for centralized management and scalable, multi-site deployments, PackeTV supports multicast and unicast streaming and is managed through a secure, web-based interface.

PackeTV is available without ongoing cloud-based licensing and can be delivered on pre-configured hardware or deployed in a customer’s preferred virtual machine environment. The system is engineered for high-availability applications in hospitality, corporate, healthcare, and educational facilities, providing reliable, network-optimized content delivery with low operational overhead.

AUO Display Plus to Showcase Next-Generation Smart Retail Solutions

AUO Display Plus (ADP) will showcase integrated solutions designed to redefine retail experiences through sustainable innovation at booth 2S200. Under the theme, ‘Design Without Limits’, ADP will present its AecoRetail suite, including AecoPost and AecoTag, empowering retailers with energy-efficient, smart display solutions that enhance customer engagement while reducing environmental impact.

ADP will feature AecoPost: a lightweight, battery-powered e-paper signage solution designed for sustainable, long-lasting performance. Enabled by E Ink Spectra 6 technology and enhanced by ADP’s proprietary AecoColor⁺ algorithm, AecoPost delivers richer colors and paper-like viewing comfort. Requiring zero power to maintain a static image and backed by a long-lasting built-in battery, it ensures vivid visual impact with minimal energy use, embracing simplicity with installation flexibility without wiring.

ADP’s commitment to sustainable display innovation is powered by its strategic partnership with E Ink, the global leader in e-paper technology. This alliance enables ADP to integrate cutting-edge ePaper technology into its solutions. Demonstrating the strength of this partnership, E Ink’s eye-catching 75-inch Color ePaper Signage is featured at ADP’s showcase during ISE, — highlighting the vast potential of large-format e-paper for stunning advertising and information displays.

VITEC Strengthening Video and Digital Signage Solutions

VITEC will showcase a lineup of software and hardware innovations designed to enhance IPTV, digital signage, and video wall workflows for Pro AV, broadcast, corporate, and venue environments at booth 5C300. This year’s show will see VITEC and Datapath exhibit side by side for the first time, following VITEC’s recent acquisition of Datapath, a global leader in real-time video processing and control room solutions.

The integration of Datapath’s advanced video wall controllers, AV over IP content distribution, and KVM control technologies with VITEC’s IPTV and digital signage platforms creates a powerful, unified portfolio. VITEC will spotlight the FX4 series of video wall controllers, compact, standalone 4K units with HDMI, DisplayPort, and SDI input/output options. VITEC’s intuitive Wall Designer software allows users to select displays, map and adjust regions, preview layouts, and program all FX4 units via USB or network, streamlining setup and simplifying workflows for AV professionals.

The final two weeks of 2025 saw a barrage of moves across the Pro AV industry. Before the newsmakers of 2026 come rolling in, get caught up on people movers at WyreStorm, 3G Productions, and Humly, as well as partnerships and announcements from AVIXA, Extron, and many more.

[4 Opportunities in 2026 for Pro AV Integrators in Hospitality]

Before we start, if you are part of the broadcast convergence in Pro AV, don't forget to register for NAB Show 2026. The show will once again gather in Las Vegas to explore the ideas, tools, and technologies rewriting the rules of creation, distribution and monetization. This April, NAB Show returns with even more to discover, so register today.

People News

Todd Liedahl Joins 3G Productions as Chief Operating Officer

3G Productions has appointed Todd Liedahl to serve as its chief operating officer. Based at 3G’s Nashville location, Liedahl is now tasked with overseeing all company operations, with an emphasis on driving efficiency and scale as 3G continues to grow its presence into a national full-service provider.

Liedahl comes to 3G Productions’ newly-created COO position following a seven-year tenure with AV Stumpfl, where he served as the Austrian manufacturer’s president of U.S. operations. While there, he built the brand’s American business presence from the ground up and scaled operations to meet growing demand. Prior to that, he was with Encore Global—formerly PSAV—for more than two decades, where he progressed through leadership roles focused on sales, operations, and event technology. As a result, his experience spans touring, live corporate events, complex integration projects, virtual production, and equipment rentals, making him the ideal candidate for his current capacity with 3G.

Humly Promotes Jonathan Boutin to Head of Marketing

Humly has promoted Jonathan Boutin to head of marketing. Based in Stockholm, Boutin will lead all global marketing initiatives across strategy and communications, and ensure that all marketing activities align with the Humly brand. He reports to CEO Anders Karlsson.

Boutin joined Humly three years ago in a sales and marketing role that prioritized partner relations, business development, and market expansion, where he successfully established and grew the company’s channel partner network in North America. Many of his responsibilities required close collaboration with Humly’s sales operation, fueling his familiarity with customer challenges and how to address them through product line and sustained marketing efforts. Boutin has already been hard at work on a holistic rebranding initiative that will refine Humly’s marketing and messaging for the company’s next phase, better align Humly with ideal customer profiles, and extend the company’s brand presence. The latter includes expanding into new markets and verticals to increase brand value.

WyreStorm Appoints Paul Lee as VP of the Americas

WyreStorm Technologies welcomed Paul Lee as the new VP of the Americas. Lee brings with him a rich history in the Pro AV industry, with experience spanning sales leadership, business development, post-sales operations, and global partner engagement. From his early days in Southern California to supporting large-scale AV deployments around the world, Le has built a reputation for being a thoughtful leader who understands the industry from every angle.

In his new role, Lee leads the charge in shaping a customer-first organization, a core pillar of WyreStorm’s long-term growth strategy for the Americas. He will work closely with teams across sales, technical services, and marketing communications to ensure that every interaction with partners, integrators, and end users reflects WyreStorm’s commitment to service, simplicity, and long-term value.

Partnerships and Company News

529 Education Savings Plan Now Covers Expenses for AVIXA Certification Exams and Prep Resources

AVIXA certification exams and related education expenses are now eligible under the 529 education savings plan in the United States. Recent legislation expanded the scope of education and training costs covered by a 529 education savings plan, making professional development more accessible. This expansion can empower pro AV learners to pursue industry-recognized credentials using tax-advantaged funds.

Funds from a 529 savings plan cannot be used for AVIXA memberships, but eligible expenses include certification exam fees, prep courses, and related training materials. This includes expenses related to both in person and online prep courses to provide flexible learning for professionals seeking Certified Technology Specialist (CTS), CTS-D, CTS-I, and Audiovisual Network Professional (ANP) certifications. Eligible courses and fees include CTS Prep Pathway, CTS Prep Pathway Plus Exam, CTS-I Prep, CTS-D Prep, and ANP Prep. In addition, exam fees are covered for CTS, CTS-D, CTS-I, and ANP.

Bogen Communications Forms Partnership with Alertus

Bogen Communications announced a partnership with Alertus Technologies, a provider of mass notification and emergency communication solutions. The collaboration enables organizations to leverage Bogen Communications’ Nyquist IP-based paging platform with Alertus’ alerting tools for a more comprehensive, automated emergency communication across facilities.

Bogen Communications’ integration allows Alertus alert messages to play through Bogen Communications’ overhead speaker and paging systems, supporting both software-based and SIP phone system-based connections. Alertus can automatically trigger the Nyquist platform Routines API.Routines are powerful user-definable routines that can automatically launch a procedure, or sequence of actions that the Nyquist system executes in response to a defined “trigger” event. Through API-level communication, Alertus can automatically trigger these Nyquist Routines, share alert information for custom messaging and zoning, and display Nyquist system status directly within the Alertus console.

The integration between Bogen Communications and Alertus offers key benefits, including fully automated alert paging, software-driven routine activation, optional text-to-speech functionality through SIP Annunciators and deployment based on industry-standard tools without the need for custom development. Users can select software-level or SIP-based integration to accommodate varying network and system environments.

D-Tools Partners with AiN Group

D-Tools announced a new partnership with AiN Group, a national network of select security and AV dealers. As part of this collaboration, AiN members will receive special pricing and access to both D-Tools Cloud and System Integrator (SI), giving them the flexibility to adopt the platform that best supports their business model, project complexity, and growth strategy.

AiN Buying Group brings together independent businesses to leverage collective buying power and secure enhanced pricing, programs, and support from Pro AV brands. By adding the full D-Tools product suite to its member benefits, AiN is equipping dealers with solutions designed to streamline workflows, strengthen operations, improve margins, and elevate the customer experience.

Extron Joins PAVSC as Founding Level Partner

Extron is now a Founding Level Partner of the Professional Audio Visual Society of Canada (PAVSC), a newly established national organization committed to advancing the AV industry across Canada. Extron is uniquely positioned to contribute meaningfully to PAVSC's initiatives. The company looks forward to working alongside other industry leaders to support Canadian AV professionals at every stage of their careers.

“We’re honored to be a Founding Level Partner of PAVSC and to support its mission of building a stronger, more connected AV community in Canada,” said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer at Extron. “At Extron, we’ve always believed in the power of education, collaboration, and innovation to drive the industry forward. PAVSC’s focus on mentorship and professional development aligns perfectly with our core values and long-standing commitment to the AV industry.”

Mersive Management Invests for Controlling Interest in Mersive Technologies

The management team of Mersive Technologies announced an investment resulting in management owning the controlling interest in Mersive Technologies. The investment marks an exciting new chapter for the company.

Mersive has been majority owned by OpenGate Capital since 2017. Under OpenGate's ownership, Mersive expanded its global footprint, strengthened its channel relationships, and advanced its position as a category leader in enterprise collaboration technology. Mersive will continue to operate independently, with its leadership team and employees remaining in place.

Uniguest Opens New Nashville Headquarters

Uniguest officially opened its new corporate headquarters in Nashville, TN, on December 16, 2025, marking a major milestone in the company’s ongoing expansion. The move follows a period of significant growth over the past five years, during which Uniguest has strengthened its leadership position in digital signage, IPTV, and digital engagement software across multiple vertical markets worldwide.

After more than a decade on Kraft Drive, Uniguest’s new headquarters provides a modern, collaborative environment designed to foster innovation and connection. The facility includes a global testing lab, multiple partner certification and training rooms, flexible workspaces for employees, and a fully immersive customer experience center showcasing Uniguest’s full technology portfolio.

VITEC and Actelis Networks Announce Partnership to Bring IPTV to RF-Only Facilities  

VITEC and Actelis Networks, which designs cyber-hardened, rapid deployment networking solutions for IoT applications, announced a new partnership to deliver IPTV and digital signage to facilities operating on legacy RF coaxial infrastructure. This market-ready solution enables IP video distribution over existing coax cabling, eliminating the need for costly retrofits. By combining VITEC’s advanced IPTV platform with Actelis’ proven Gigaline technology, the collaboration opens new addressable markets and makes modern IPTV and digital signage accessible to venues and organizations with RF-only networks.

The joint solution utilizes Actelis’ aggregation and endpoint devices and software, enabling seamless conversion between Ethernet and RF protocols. The system ensures efficient, reliable video delivery to thousands of endpoints, while compatible with legacy infrastructure and requiring minimal network modifications, making it ideal for phased implementations and large environments where continuous operation is essential. The joint solution can be deployed as the primary IP video transmission option, or it can be deployed as a hybrid solution in existing IPTV environments that need to extend their IPTV and digital signage to non-upgraded facilities that have RF only infrastructure.

Pro AV Around the World

AtlasIED announced its new agreement with MMconcept, a Netherlands-based distribution partner that will assist in the expansion of AtlasIED’s European footprint. The MMconcept team prides itself on offering this exact quality, making this partnership lineup perfect. AtlasIED’s reputation for delivering top-tier microphone systems and stands has cemented its position as a preferred provider among professionals in the music and recording industry. By integrating MMconcept's distribution capabilities, AtlasIED will effectively leverage local insights and market trends to tailor its offerings to the specific needs of European customers.

AudioControl announced the appointment of Miantic AV as distributor of residential AV solutions in India. AudioControl joins RTI as part of the AVPro Global family of premium brands represented by Miantic in the region. Miantic AV is a specialist distributor of market-leading technologies, supplying professional AV installers with innovative, award-winning audio/video products and integrated whole home solutions. Founded in 2016, Miantic AV is based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, where the company operates an experience center displaying the latest solutions, with a satellite corporate office in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The Miantic team has established a reputation for supporting integrators in the region with outstanding services and best-in-class solutions.

RTI appointed the Adeo Group as the distributor for RTI residential and commercial solutions in Italy. This collaboration strengthens RTI’s presence in a key European market, bringing its latest innovations even closer to Italian integrators. Founded in 2003 and based in Stazione di Lavis, Italy, Adeo Group is a distributor specializing in audio, video, automation, lighting control, security, home cinema, and networking solutions for professional integrators and AV specialists. Adeo Group has an experienced team covering all of Italy that supports the design, installation, and adoption of the most advanced technologies and automation platforms, both before and after deployment, ensuring the most efficient process as well as customer satisfaction.

WyreStorm Technologies announced a new distribution partnership with Trustech AV Solution to deliver WyreStorm’s extensive AV portfolio across India. With a broad footprint spanning tier-1, tier-2, and emerging cities throughout India, Trustech brings deep market expertise, proven logistics capability, and strong relationships across multiple verticals, including corporate, education, hospitality, government, and enterprise. The partnership is designed to support rapid deployment, local stock availability, and seamless access to WyreStorm solutions for partners and end users nationwide.

Today, VITEC formally announced the acquisition of Datapath, a strategic move designed to strengthen VITEC’s video wall and video distribution portfolio, offering customers access to expanded engineering capability, customer support, distribution, and geographical reach. Datapath is known for its real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution, and KVM control in mission-critical control rooms, commercial applications, and creative environments.

The integration will see Datapath’s product names and categories—including its video wall controllers and processors, AVoIP solutions, capture cards, and control room solutions—preserved within the VITEC portfolio. VITEC intends to maintain familiarity, while enhancing support and development capabilities for Datapath. Datapath serves customers in more than 100 countries across multiple verticals.

Datapath's advanced video wall processing, multi-display graphics, and AVoIP engineering expertise will be integrated into VITEC's solutions, allowing it to offer a broader range of capabilities to support IPTV distribution applications. Once the integration is complete, nearly 50% of VITEC’s workforce will be engineers, underscoring the company’s commitment to technical innovation and customer-centric development.

Phil Webster, VP of R&D for VITEC, was leading the R&D team at Datapath. Now, he will be responsible for the engineering teams across the entire VITEC portfolio of video streaming solutions. “Bringing VITEC and Datapath together will allow us to accelerate product development and offer an even broader range of solutions, features, and services," he said. "We’ve worked hard internally to align systems and strengthen both businesses, and we’re excited to integrate our combined expertise."

Nicolas Quesne, deputy CEO of VITEC, said the company's portfolio complements VITEC's IPTV distribution technologies and opens new opportunities in the control room sector. "This move marks an exciting new phase for VITEC as we continue our growth as a company,” he added.

Live venues for both sports and entertainment are facing unprecedented challenges. Pro AV systems can keep people engaged, but how you implement these solutions goes a long way to providing an immersive experience for those in attendance.

“The entire experience from arriving at the venue to the end of the evening must be unique and [something] you can’t get anywhere else,” said Aaron Beck, director of live performance venues for Diversified. The integrator created a highly immersive art exhibit for the Museum of Art and Light in Kansas. “From the arrival and preshow experience in high-end lobbies to the performance, it must be unique to set the venue apart. High-end technology inside the venue, in the lobbies, VIP seating, and food and beverage options all play a part in the audience's expectations.”

Pro AV technologies such as cameras, LED screens, multichannel audio systems, augmented reality (AR) graphics, and lighting play a vital part in creating these unique experiences that audiences now expect. "Immersive is a big push these days, but to achieve fully integrated productions, there needs to be a blend between the creative and technology. You can have the best systems in the world, but without the design team to create the content, the technology is just gear,” Beck explained. "Immersive audio that surrounds the listener is a hot topic, along with new visual technology using higher quality LED and lighting that's a must these days.”

Immersive Expectations

Metinteractive, which provides Pro AV solutions for architecture, communication, and technology, has worked with a wide range of sports and entertainment clients, including the University of Connecticut at Storrs and Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Jeffrey Mele, CCO at Metinteractive, said there are a finite number of venues that are trying to push the limit with technology—sometimes at the expense of the art and with little consideration of sustainability in their business plan.

“They are spending high and sometimes irrational amounts on technology,” he explained. “Most others are starting to accept a more ‘MP3’ version of quality: still good, but not what it used to be. Sports venues, however, are concentrating on how to expand their product beyond their four walls and solving the basic physics issue of there are just so many premium seats.”

At Panasonic Professional Video and Audio Systems, senior project manager Jim Jensen said that one current trend that helps create a more immersive experience is leveraging multiple camera angles for unique points of view. This is often accomplished by using PTZ cameras that can be strategically placed without interruption to the audience. The use of fixed PTZs and box cameras has become increasingly important to the live sports experience because they can be installed cost effectively.

“Having multiple PTZs doesn’t put a strain on the production staff but can be controlled from a single operator during the live production,” Jensen said. “Another trend we’re starting to see is the use of cameras with technology to mitigate moiré on LED wall displays in the live event space."

Jensen was recently involved in a remote project that incorporated Panasonic’s PTZs and its Media Product Suite Platform, which leverages auto tracking. The project consisted of operating Panasonic’s equipment from Creative Technology’s control center in Henderson, NV, to produce a live event in San Jose, CA, without compromising quality, responsiveness, or client experience.

The compact footprint of Panasonic’s PTZ cameras made them ideal for event spaces requiring discretion and minimal disruption. The Media Production Suite served as the control center, enabling a single operator to manage multiple PTZ units remotely. This eliminated the need for camera operators in each room, reducing operating costs and enabling the remote operator to simultaneously manage each PTZ camera on the network, significantly optimizing overall device management.

According to Jensen, new technology needs to be evaluated based on whether or not it brings production value and if there are efficiencies when considering a technology. “Fixed PTZs are a perfect example. Although there may be an added cost of purchasing additional PTZs for a live event, the clear benefit is the enhanced production value due to multiple, unique points of view," he explained.

Set the Mood

“When it comes to large venues, there has been significant development in visual technology in recent years,” said Brian Duffy, strategic account manager, live entertainment, at Panasonic Projector & Display Americas. “Years ago, the Jumbotron was a key milestone in event tech, as it helped create a cohesive audience experience regardless of where people were sitting in the stadium. You could be at the floor level or the bleacher seats and all view the Jumbotron for a close-up look at the performance or game, and be able to see the performers' and athletes' expressions.

“In recent years, stadiums have expanded on this concept with more projection-based designs,” he continued. “Projectors blend well into set design, which is important for concerts that are looking to create a specific, cohesive visual experience. Instead of needing a large black box hanging in the middle of the show, projection can make a screen out of almost anything in the set or stadium design."

Duffy added that the flexibility to transform existing infrastructure through projection technology allows for unique visual experiences. For example, singers can now immerse audiences in the world of their music, as projection mapping lets them show visuals and photos that coordinate with the lyrics. This gives audiences a better understanding of the emotion behind the music and helps them connect more to the experience.

Myriam Calaber, EMEA venue sector industry engagement executive at VITEC, reiterated that Pro AV solutions like video walls play an essential role in the stadium experience as well. They help create an immersive atmosphere and maintain the audience’s engagement with animations or messaging from sponsors as well as player highlights and stats.

But today's consumers also expect video streaming and Wi-Fi as basic services available in a venue. "Sports fans go to the match to watch their favorite team play, and yet they are always connecting to their mobile devices," Calaber explained. "Digital signage displays also play an ever-growing role. Not only can these screens transform the look and feel of a venue, depending on the event’s profile, but they also communicate the right message in the right place, driving the audience to the points of interest throughout the venue. These seemingly simple touchpoints contribute to the critical mission that must be achieved by the venue … a continuous, multi-sensory experience that keeps attendees engaged.”

The Price of Engagement

New technology can be expensive, even when implemented correctly as part of a larger in-venue workflow. This is where strategic planning becomes critical.

“Venue operators face a significant challenge to keep pace with evolving technologies and improve the visitor experience, all while maintaining budgets and generating additional revenue long term,” Calaber said. “To me, the path forward has to start with a thorough and collaborative reflection on the available market solutions, and the guidance from experts allows venue operators to make informed technological choices.

“Based on my experience in the video sector, determining the right location for each of the screens is also a strategic choice to maximize their impact without overinvesting."

Calaber added that venue operators can also integrate mobile applications to provide services like action replays, AR, or statistics. These applications can be enriched and updated without additional investment beyond excellent Wi-Fi coverage within the venue.

The venues that will thrive over the next decade are those that recognize adaptability as their greatest competitive asset. AI and IP video systems won’t just support operations—Calaber said they will be core to how venues grow, engage audiences, and build new revenue streams.

“Venues must adapt to their audience's expectations, not the other way around," she explained. "In an era where technologies are evolving every day, leadership teams of stadiums and arenas need a vision not just for today, but for the next decade. The definition of what entertainment means and what it takes to achieve that level of immersion has evolved. That is what operators need to embrace. AI and IP video systems can be a powerful tool that operators can leverage to do just that in a conscientious and sustainable manner.”

[The 8K Debate]

However, Calaber said the discussion about how live venues are evolving needs to center around not just talking about better tech, but fundamentally reimagining what a venue can be. “We are witnessing an evolution in real time,” she noted. “Operators and audiences together are redefining what a venue can be. Technology is part of what led us here. I believe that the future of successful venues will be the ones that leverage these tools and experiences to bring us together."

SCN: What makes IP video technology valuable in the casino and hospitality sector today?

Steven Forrest: IP video technology offers unprecedented flexibility and customization that legacy analog systems can't match. This adaptability allows properties to tailor experiences for different types of guests, whether it’s offering personalized in-room entertainment for VIPs or using digital signage to promote on-site restaurants and events. The ability to dynamically update content and adapt to the needs of both guests and operations is a game-changer for casinos and resorts looking to differentiate themselves. For example, properties can adjust on-screen messaging in real time based on guest profiles, providing a personalized experience that keeps guests engaged and encourages them to spend more time—and money—on site.

SCN: How does IP video contribute to revenue generation for casinos?

SF: IP video goes beyond traditional guest engagement; it’s a powerful tool for driving revenue. By integrating promotional content directly into in-room TVs and property-wide signage, casinos can encourage guests to explore on-site amenities like restaurants, shows, and boutiques. This approach not only enhances the guest experience but also keeps spending within the property, maximizing revenue opportunities. Additionally, properties can sell advertising space to local businesses or attractions, turning their video network into a new income stream. It’s about creating an ecosystem where every screen on the property serves a strategic purpose—either enhancing the guest experience or driving revenue.

SCN: How do IP video systems enhance safety and emergency management in casino environments?

SF: One of the standout advantages of IP video systems is the centralized control over all displays on the property. In an emergency, these systems allow properties to override all content instantly, providing critical instructions across screens, including guest rooms, public areas, and signage. This level of control isn’t possible with legacy analog systems, making IP video a vital tool for improving guest safety and operational responsiveness. For instance, during a fire or security incident, the ability to immediately broadcast evacuation instructions can be life-saving. This integrated approach ensures that critical information reaches everyone on the property in seconds, which is essential for large, dynamic environments like casinos.

SCN: Can you explain the role of IP video in unifying various display environments within a casino property?

SF: Modern IP video systems can integrate in-room entertainment, digital signage, and other video displays under a single management platform. This unification allows properties to manage and control content across multiple areas seamlessly. Whether it’s promoting a show in a bar area, updating a sports schedule on digital signage, or personalizing in-room experiences, everything can be managed cohesively, enhancing both operational efficiency and guest engagement. This integration not only simplifies management but also allows properties to provide a consistent brand message throughout the guest journey, from the lobby to the gaming floor and into the guest rooms.

SCN: What are the economic benefits of integrating advertising opportunities into IP video systems?

SF: Beyond enhancing the guest experience, IP video systems open up new revenue streams through targeted advertising. Properties can partner with local businesses, attractions, or even luxury boutiques within the casino to promote their services directly through the property’s video displays. This advertising capability turns video content into a dynamic marketing tool, allowing casinos to monetize screen space while providing valuable information to guests. For instance, a high-end restaurant or nearby attraction can advertise directly to guests who are most likely to be interested, creating a win-win scenario where the property benefits from advertising revenue, and guests receive tailored recommendations.

SCN: For venues looking to upgrade from legacy systems, what are the key considerations when adopting IP video technology?

SF: Transitioning from legacy analog systems to IP video technology involves a few critical steps. Venues must evaluate their existing infrastructure and determine if it can support the new system’s requirements, particularly regarding network bandwidth and IT integration. Another key consideration is content management; having a team in place to create and update dynamic, engaging visuals is essential. Properties should also consider integrating IP video with other operational systems, such as property management software, to streamline guest services and improve overall efficiency. Proper planning and collaboration between IT and marketing teams are crucial to unlocking the full potential of IP video.

[Download SCN's Integration Guide to AVoIP]

SCN: How can casinos future-proof their video strategy with IP technology?

SF: The flexibility of IP video systems is one of their greatest strengths, allowing properties to expand and adapt as needed. For new construction, it’s crucial to invest in the latest IP infrastructure to avoid costly upgrades down the line. Existing properties should regularly assess their systems and look for opportunities to upgrade core components, like media players and management platforms, to keep up with evolving guest expectations and technological advancements. IP technology is inherently scalable, meaning it can grow with the property, whether expanding the number of displays, adding new content channels, or integrating emerging technologies like AI for even more personalized guest experiences.

ISE 2024 is right around the corner. Before you hit up the show floor at the Fira Barcelona, Gran Via, find out what you don't want to miss with our weekly ISE 2024 Info updates.

Today, we look at Magewell, Navori Labs, Kindermann, Hive, and the openGear Leader Partners. 

Magewell Joins Q-SYS Technology Partner Program, Will Debut First Plug-In

Magewell is heading to ISE 2024 (booth 5E710)  as the latest member of the Q-SYS Technology Partner Program. The first result of the initiative—the Q-SYS Control plug-in for Magewell's USB Fusion video capture, mixing and presentation device—has been endorsed with Q-SYS Certified status and is now available for download through the Q-SYS Designer Asset Manager found in Q-SYS Designer Software.

Magewell's USB Fusion hardware and accompanying app let users easily combine cameras, wired or wireless screenshares, and media file sources into visually compelling live presentations for streaming, live event production, online lectures, webinars, video conferencing and other applications. Users can switch between sources or combine inputs into attractive scene layouts.

The initial release of the Magewell USB Fusion plug-in for Q-SYS supports basic source switching and scene layout capabilities. All functionality available through the front-panel buttons on the USB Fusion hardware can be replicated inside Q-SYS Designer Software. Support for additional USB Fusion features is planned for a future update of the plug-in.

Navori Labs to Showcase Unified Signage and Analytics Solutions

Navori Labs will showcase its QL digital signage and Aquaji analytics software solutions at booth 6H460. The roadmap includes a preview of Aquaji modules that will allow operators of retail media networks and DOOH advertising campaigns to access and analyze key metrics within the QL software environment. Navori Labs will also preview a similar integration within its next-generation media player dongle scheduled for release later this year.

Navori Labs will demonstrate how its customers in retail and other verticals benefit from the convergence of QL and Aquaji today, while also discussing plans to add key audience measurement metrics such as people counting within QL.

Key demonstrations for attendees will include how Navori's innovations in AI and computer vision solutions enable data-driven, context-aware content automation for audience engagement. In its present-day workflow, Aquaji monitors consumer behaviors and anonymously gathers audience demographics. That information is reported to QL, which can trigger content and ads that cater to specific consumers. 

Navori Labs will also preview the benefits of its next-generation StiX media player dongle, the StiX 3800, in a real-world retail environment. Benefits include the ability to measure foot traffic or vehicle counting around the screen. The StiX 3800 will also add audience metrics to QL’s playback reports and activate screens only when an audience is detected, reducing energy consumption and costs. 

Navori will also discuss an on-demand AI content generation service to generate visual content tailored to specific industries or use cases, along with enhanced real-time data integration features that allow Navori customers to develop their own connectors for data retrieval.

Kindermann to Feature New Klick&Show K-FX Plus

At booth 2S300, Kindermann will present its new dual-screen collaboration system Klick&Show K-FX Plus. Together with the new transmitters, which can now stream laptop content in true 4K resolution, Kindermann helps enhance wireless meetings.

Klick&Show K-FX Plus enables the connection of existing USB devices in the conference room, such as video or soundbars, cameras, and speakerphones. These can be used wirelessly with the notebook, regardless of the UCC platform.

With the integrated dual-screen functionality, two main displays can be used directly on a K-FX Plus base unit, making meetings clearer and more productive. Content can be streamed to the host laptop so that it can be shared with external users. The new Klick&Show K-FX Plus also supports the input of two USB cameras in order to offer different perspectives for external online participants. The cameras can be used both wirelessly via a laptop and wired via USB from a stationary PC. Wired HDMI sources, such as a local computer or a document camera, can be connected thanks to the integrated 4K-compatible HDMI input.

Kindermann is also presenting two new Wi-Fi transmitters, available with an HDMI or USB-C connection. The new 4K transmitters not only enable wireless mirroring of content in 4K quality, but also have two auxiliary buttons that can be used to trigger various additional functions. The new Klick&Show 4K transmitters shine with an exceptional design and connect laptops to the Klick&Show base unit with a "plug-and-play-"like user experience. 

Hive to Launch New Products

Hive will showcase the Beeblade Minima, Osmia, and Pluto, and the new Beehive chassis in Barcelona. The expanded ecosystem offers users more media playback solutions that work in harmony with a wide range of project types. Additionally, Hive is also launching the brand-new Beehive 5U rack mountable chassis at ISE 2024.

Beeblade seamlessly integrates into any Smart Display Module (SDM) compatible display or projector. Joining the Pluto Beeblade, the Beeblade Minima is Hive’s newest HD player with the lowest technical specification. The new Beeblade Osmia is a mid-range solution that can achieve 4K media and 4K output capacity. The Beeblade family can also live in Hive’s Beebox and Beehive units. 

The Beebox is a custom designed portable enclosure that can be placed next to display technology if there is no in-built SDM slot. Beehive is a 5U chassis that can hold up to 16 Beeblades so that you can create a system that suits the unique nature of your project.

Additionally, you can manage each player in the Beehive through Hive’s software that’s naturally easy to use, from any device, anywhere. Designed to be better for the planet, the product ecosystem is constructed without any unnecessary features, creating more compact, intuitive, and greener systems.

Newest openGear-compatible Products to Be Highlighted

openGear Leader Partners will be showcasing their newest openGear-compatible products during the Integrated Systems Europe Conference (ISE) 2024, announced Ross Video, the company behind the open-architecture, modular frame system. AJA (4F100), Apantac (5H600), Ross Video (5J880), VITEC (5C300), Cobalt, and MultiDyne will demonstrate on the show floor and their websites how the openGear platform supports the deployment of technologies within the DashBoard common control and monitoring ecosystem.

[SCN Hall of Fame 2024: David Ross]

New this year, the openGear frame will be on display and in use at the HDBaseT Alliance booth 2P500. openGear Leader Partner Apantac’s two new HDBaseT 3 extenders and receivers for transmitting uncompressed 4K, 2K, HD, 3D, audio, and control signals (RS232, IR), controlled with HDBaseT technology will be featured and demonstrated on the HDBaseT stand.

What to expect from openGear Leader Partners:

• AJA Video Systems will feature its latest 12G-SDI openGear cards, which pack all the functionality of AJA’s popular 12G-SDI audio and HDMI conversion solutions into an openGear rack frame-compatible form factor. Designed to meet the demands of high resolution, high frame rate workflows, OG-12G-AM and OG-12G-AMA enable 16 channels (8 2-channel pairs) of AES and analog audio embedding/disembedding respectively, and support 12G-SDI input and output up to 4K/UltraHD. AJA OG-Hi5-12G and OG-HA5-12G facilitate 12G-SDI conversion to and from HDMI, and are also available in LC and ST Fiber models. Each hot-swappable card is built for use in high-density openGear 2RU frames, including the OG-X-FR.
• Apantac expands its openGear ProAV card portfolio, including high-performance SDVoE (Software Defined Video-over-Ethernet) cards that support HDMI 2.0 over fiber or copper. These cards can work as standalone extenders or in an AV over IP environment as matrix switches. The new HDMI KVM extender/receiver openGear boards are based on HDBaseT 3 technology and extend keyboard, mouse, HDMI, and USB 2.0, with support for 4K 60 Hz. The new HDBaseT 3 extender/receiver set are high-density openGear boards that are designed to fit 20 transmitters or 20 receivers in a 2RU openGear frame, which will also be showcased on its ISE stand. These boards let you extend HDMI sources, ethernet, and controls using HDBaseT technology, and over a long-distance cable.
• Ross Video, in addition to showcasing their LED solutions, will highlight their Quorum meeting control solution for governments, legislators, and corporations. Quorum is completely based on the DashBoard system and offers both ease of use and the level of customization possible with openGear DashBoard.
• VITEC will showcase its EZ TV and Avedia IPTV distribution solutions fed by its openGear IP video products. Powered by MGW Diamond openGear card series, live video feeds are encoded in HEVC or H.264 for in-house or remote IPTV distribution. MGW Diamond encoders support MPEG2, MPEG4, and HEVC encoding and handle a variety of professional video distribution protocols: UDP transport protocols, SRT, ZIXI, RIST, as well as RMTP for OTT delivery.

With more organizations adopting IP-based solutions to handle video distribution, there is often confusion about the difference between AV-over-IP and IPTV technologies. This is not surprising, given that both are IP‑based video technologies with the primary goal of distributing video signals over a network to enable playback, be that external television streams, internal video streams, digital signage content, or other sources.

[The SCN Integration Guide to AVoIP 2023]

Much has been said about the capabilities of AVoIP as an emerging option in recent years, while IPTV is a more established technology within the marketplace. There are, however, distinctions in the way the two technologies operate, which leads to variations in the potential costs involved in an installation, as well as the functionality available to end users. So, what are the key differences between AVoIP and IPTV, and what considerations should an integrator have in mind when specifying a system?

Compression Considerations

The network is the foundation of both systems, so the first aspect to consider is the network to be used. An IPTV signal uses roughly between 3-15 Mbps of bandwidth for a video. For reference, an HD stream uses approximately 3-6 Mbps, while a 4K stream could be in the region of roughly 15 Mbps or more.

With AVoIP signals, this is more likely to be measured in gigabits per second (Gbps), placing significantly more burden on the network. For an HD signal, it could be in the region of 800 Mbps-1 Gbps; a 4K signal could be up to 6 Gbps (or more).

As a result, an AVoIP solution requires significant bandwidth to display streams, which may overwhelm an existing network and require additional network infrastructure investment from the start. In contrast, IPTV systems can generally run on an existing network.

To counter network congestion, IPTV reduces the size of video with high levels of compression. The misnomer is that with high compression you get less quality, but there is so much information in a digital video stream that it can maintain very high quality. For example, broadcasters are compressing H.264 and MPEG-2 video over 200 times, but it is still suitable to broadcast for high-quality viewing. In many instances, there is a negligible visible impact, especially given recent advancements in compression.

[The Case for Open-Source Codecs]

AVoIP employs very little compression—or none in some cases—which ensures a high-quality signal. Of course, this also explains why its bit rate is so high.

Playback and Latency

IPTV uses ISO industry standard formats, such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4/ H.264, and HEVC, which allows playback on TVs, computers, and mobile devices. By using these industry standards, IPTV also allows the mixing and matching of products together. It’s possible to use a different manufacturer’s encoder in an IPTV system, for example, which can give integrators more flexibility.

AVoIP devices can only play on a monitor, which requires a proprietary hardware decoder with an HDMI out. And because AVoIP is proprietary, there is a tendency to be locked into a specific manufacturer, which could cause additional issues when looking to scale up a system.

However, AVoIP is known for having excellent low latency, essentially real time from encoder to decoder. With no compression, no heavy calculations must be made by the encoder and the decoder. There are some projects—such as a surgical application or competitive esports gaming—where this extremely low latency is vital to ensure exacting movements are timed with the image.

[High-Stakes Networking]

Many applications, however, suffer no issues with the minimal latency (~350ms) introduced by compression in an IPTV system. There are also IPTV solutions that deliver sub-frame latency, glass-to-glass real time, with very minimal delay.

If a facility wants to take in entertainment channels from a cable system or DirecTV, those feeds are already compressed in industry standard formats. An IPTV solution can take these feeds as they are and distribute them; all it takes is a gateway to receive and send the video out over a network. With AVoIP, a set-top box is needed that sends HDMI to an encoder in every case. All sources need to be re-encoded.

Make Your Choice

Need to record video? IPTV solutions will record in a native format, but AVoIP requires a third-party product to achieve this functionality. Plus, if a company wants to reach out to remote sites over the internet (via WAN streaming), this is not possible with AVoIP. With IPTV, as an industry standard supporting low bit rates, it’s very simple to stream to remote sites or mobile devices.

Before specifying an AVoIP solution, which can involve significant expenditure, planning, and infrastructure upgrades, it is worth looking to see if an IPTV system can fulfill the use case required. Effective IPTV solutions have been implemented in many verticals, including corporate, healthcare, transportation, education, hospitality, and sports venues.

[Taste the Rainb-over-IP? AVIXA, Skittles, and Planning for AVoIP]

There are some scenarios where a zero-latency, low-compression solution is critical—and in such cases, an AVoIP solution is likely the best option. However, many installations are suited to IPTV, which offers additional benefits such as "time shifting," which allows the ability to pause streams on an individual device without pausing them across the entire network. IPTV offers further options to deliver an enhanced, customized experience for both management and end users, with the ability to stream to various devices including computer desktops, mobile devices, set-top boxes, and directly to SmartTVs.

IPTV can also be a more cost-efficient solution, with an existing IP network likely capable of handling streams, instead of requiring significant network upgrades. Choosing an experienced integrator partner with understanding of the respective technologies will help to deliver the right technology for the application at hand.

Immersive. Interactive. Intuitive. These are the buzzwords in today’s world of digital signage and massive displays. And they aren't limited to Times Square or sports stadiums—even a grocery store or doctor's office may be decked out in bright new displays.

That’s why having the right media player behind it all is more important than ever.

Landscape or Portrait?

Resolution and orientation are two important considerations for a digital signage install, and those decisions will impact your media player choice. “While the norm has been Full HD for many years, we’ve finally seen large-scale adoption of 4K,” said Joe Murray, technical operations manager and lead systems engineer at Visix. “The extra resolution has provided clients with the opportunity to showcase high-fidelity images and videos across their organization.”

“Any media player on the market today will accomplish a modest application of 720p video at 30 frames per second,” explained Jordan Feil, director of marketing, Navori Labs. “The story changes as the resolution escalates. What content will your organization publish today, and where does the roadmap lead a year or two in the future? These are some of the essential decisions when choosing the size of the media player and how much power it will consume.”

[Meet the Media Players Behind These SciFi, Fantasy, and Horror Immersive Experiences]

While 4K dominates the current Pro AV landscape, picking the right signage orientation is a bit trickier. “Depending on the application, both [landscape and portrait] orientations are useful,” said Ernie Wohlleben, president of New York-based custom integrator Architechnology Designs. “Signage is often presented differently than video entertainment content.”

“Digital signage end users today do not want limitations,” Feil added. “They want flexibility, which means that media players need to support both orientations. The average end user will use a 75:25 ratio of landscape to portrait.”

Speaking of flexibility, how many displays a media player can support, much like the preferred orientation, is often a case-by-case basis. “While some of our lower-end players support a single display, our higher-end players can support up to 12 displays natively,” Murray said. “Some of our clients even combine our high-end players with video processors to power even more displays than that.”

“Attempting to process video on a 32-screen video wall with a low-power media device will result in failure,” Feil noted. “We recommend media players that can reliably power eight screens at once. Ultimately, it’s about how powerful the device is and how much the end user can spend.”

Get Connected

What about getting the content up and running? There are several ways to get customized content to the media player.

“The days of the tech manager walking from screen to screen with USB sticks and keys to manually transfer files are over,” Feil said. “All professional media players today receive their content via the internet, whether using Wi-Fi or a wired LAN connection. A stable and reliable internet connection is required to ensure that content reaches the device. Content is customized before it is downloaded, which is why end users need a flexible and feature-rich CMS that is easy to use.”

“We offer players that support Ethernet or both Ethernet and Wi-Fi,” Murray said. “HDMI is still the reigning champ for display connectivity, although we’ve seen an uptick in the utilization of DisplayPort. Since most clients are familiar with HDMI, that tends to be the de facto choice.”

“HDMI remains the standard for audio and video,” Wohlleben agreed. “While wireless options do exist, hardwiring for data is the best practice.”

[USB-C: One Size Fits All?]

When it comes to installation, an integrator will need to consider several physical factors as well as the best options to mount the player. “If you plan on mounting a player directly behind a display, be sure to account for networking,” Murray offered. “If a player doesn’t have built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, you may need a network drop behind the display, so the player can connect to your local network and/or the Internet. Additionally, if the player contains an external power supply, be sure there’s room to mount it behind the display.”

“Ideally, they live in the headend, but can easily be tucked behind a display as needed,” Wohlleben added.

That doesn’t mean even the most experienced in the field don’t face challenges. “Navori Labs recently worked with an end user to source about 200 individual media players that were specified for Windows,” recalled Feil. “Licensing costs were higher than the customer preferred, so we pivoted to Android-based players. The lesson learned here is that suppliers, their partners, and end users should experiment with different operating systems and hardware configurations and find solutions that check all the boxes.”

What's the right media player for your install? It depends on what you need today and what you may want tomorrow. Choosing the right media player for your application can be a challenge, but here are some media players from a range of manufactures to consider.

BrightSign HD5

The new 4K BrightSign HD5 is an affordable, versatile player offering the features and functionality needed for a broad range of digital signage projects. The standard model has Gigabit Ethernet, GPIO, and optional Wi-Fi and IR ports, while the extended I/O version adds USB and serial ports for added interactive functionality. The player is cased in a thin aluminum enclosure that dissipates heat, eliminating the need for a fan and helping the player operate silently.

MuxLab Android DigiSign

Android DigiSign, which supports a wide variety of video formats and codecs, works with MuxLab’s DigiSign CMS software. The CMS makes the loading and management of content playing on MuxLab's Android DigiSign media player (model 500799) streamlined and intuitive. The player supports up to 4K@60Hz (4:4:4) video streams, and offers two HDMI output ports to connect to two displays. Supported playlists and yearly scheduler functionalities simplify use. The player offers a wide range of features including multi-format video, image, and audio files, HTML5, widgets, and RSS feeds with the use of the DigiSign CMS.

Navori STIX 3700

StiX 3700 is a 4K Android media player, designed for reliable 24/7/365 digital signage use. The small form factor allows it to be easily hidden behind any display. It features sophisticated template rendering and seamless media transitions across all displays and screens, making for a fully plug-and-play experience for any type of screen. Navori provides total support for every screen size and orientation with easy maintenance.

Seneca Element

Seneca’s new version of the Element media player is powered by the AMD Ryzen processor, delivering more computing power options with devices that deliver high-quality performance in digital signage and IoT environments. The AMD processor provides integrators and end users with the Extended Display Identification (EDID) function, enabling the transmission of native resolution from the display to the media players. The Element media player comes in a compact form factor designed for easy integration behind displays, while simultaneously driving up to four combined displays. The system operates on Windows 10 IoT.

SpinetiX HMP400

The SpinetiX HMP400 is the latest generation of SpinetiX HMP players. Designed for any digital signage scenario, its commercial grade, fanless design enables the player to be used in the most demanding environments. The HMP400 comes with DSOS, the purpose-built operating system designed and developed by SpinetiX, and an Intel Atom processor. The player supports 4K/60 fps streams, allows for long-lasting 24/7 use, and is PoE+ capable (with a Wi-Fi version available).

Videotel Digital's VP92

The new VP92 is a 4K/1080p industrial-grade digital signage media player that is network and Wi-Fi capable. Access content remotely with a free cloud software or play content locally with a USB or SD card. The VP92 comes with StudioPro or StudioWeb, which allows end users to design their screen with creative components.

ViewSonic NMP599-W

The ViewSonic NMP599-W is a high-performance, 4K Ultra HD media player that can be integrated with smart technologies such as sensors, cameras, modules, and readers. Advanced signage features include AlwaysOn AppLock to present unauthorized access and StrongCache for continued playback even when a network is not available. It supports touch for interactive wayfinding or self-service kiosk applications, while providing 4K video playback and access to content from the cloud. The NMP599-W features a powerful quad-core processor and runs on an Android 7.1 operating system. Connectivity includes Gigabit ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, HDMI 2.0, Micro USB, USB 2.0, and 3.5mm audio-out.

Visix Element 4K

Visix brings content to life at resolutions up to 3840x2160. The compact unit supports both wired and wireless networking with external Wi-Fi antennas. These players are powered by Intel processors, with plenty of built-in memory (256GB SSD) and high-performance graphics cards and HDMI outputs. Landscape and portrait output are supported. As with all Visix media players, the Element 4K has built-in security, including Windows Firewall, to ensure data is protected at all times.

VITEC EP5+ End-Point

The VITEC EP5+ End-Point digital media player displays IPTV video content or digital signage on a single display or up to four multi-display videowalls. It enables decoding of two 4K IP streams or video files, simultaneously, for eye-catching signage or PiP views. Integrated with VITEC’s EZ TV Platform, the EP5+ is controlled and operated from a central management interface for the day-to-day administration of content, schedules, and user access rights. Designed with maximum video performance, lowest playback latency, and highest reliability in mind, the EP5+ features 100% hardware-based video decoding and solid-state components packaged in a rugged enclosure with no moving parts.

Get your free copy of the 2023 Guide to Streaming.

A Day at the Races…from Home

William Hill, a British betting and gaming company, covers a vast number of racetracks across the United Kingdom and Australia. Now, thanks to CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, fans of gambling and racing can stream roughly 140 greyhound races live every day from 30 UK and Irish tracks from the William Hill app or website.

At Issue

Industry experts consider some of the most important elements (beyond bandwidth, of course) that integrators need to consider for any streaming application. 

Product Showcase

Check out the latest streaming solutions from Hall Technologies, Magewell, Vaddio, and VITEC.

Download the Integration Guide to Streaming.

Read the February issue of SCN.

VITEC has appointed Kevin Dowd to the role of regional business development director, APAC. Based in Hong Kong and fluent in Mandarin, French, and Japanese, Dowd will use his linguistic dexterity, economic acumen, and extensive experience across a range of vertical markets to help to drive VITEC’s growth.

“As VITEC continues its growth in APAC, we are pleased to welcome Kevin Dowd to the team,” said Jamie Hind, regional director, APAC at VITEC. “It’s an exciting time for us in the region and Kevin brings a huge amount of experience and knowledge with him—we are looking forward to seeing him help drive the long-term success of VITEC across Asia.”

[In Key Integration Milestone, Exterity Rebrands as VITEC]

Dowd has more than 25 years of business development experience across China and the broader APAC region, where he has worked for international technology companies including MultiDyne, Accord Networks, RGB Networks, Broadstream, Haivision, Polycom, deCarta (now part of Uber) and Viewcast. He has directly sold and managed multimillion dollar projects in markets including telecoms, healthcare, military, finance, government, broadcasting, education, and public relations.

Having lived in Shanghai and Hong Kong since 1995, Dowd has established a strong network of some of the largest broadcasters, government agencies, financial institutions and telecommunications service providers in APAC, and at the highest levels of local and central governments in China and throughout Asia.

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights] 

With a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics, and an MSc in Economics with distinction from the University of Bristol, Dowd is an expert on the political economy of China, having held positions with the Shanghai Institute of Economic Development and Jiaotong University in Shanghai.

Looking to make a statement within a trending area of commerce and entertainment, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) decided to move their headquarters from Dupont Circle to a high-traffic corner on Washington D.C.’s South Capitol Street in the trending Navy Yard. As the premier organization for the nation’s radio and television broadcasters, its new home needed to be more than just your average headquarters.

Partnering with LG Business Solutions, technology solutions provider Diversfied, and audiovisual consultant Miller, Beam and Paganelli, every part of the space was designed as an opportunity to showcase the latest in broadcasting technology, cementing NAB as a true leader and innovator in the space. Located within a 118,000-square-foot, 10-story building, owned by its own 1M Properties, NAB’s new headquarters occupies five-and-a-half floors. The convenient location is only one block from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station, and provides easy access to Capitol Hill, Nationals Park (home of the Washington Nationals), and two interstates.

“They already had in mind that they wanted LG as their design partner so that made life a little bit easier,” said John Paganelli, principal at Miller, Beam, and Paganelli. “With that, they wanted to use the headquarters to showcase new technology and be cutting edge. Teaming with LG, we looked to them to see what new technologies they had and what would be exciting and different, and that’s how we came up with some of the concepts that we did.”

Visual Statement in the Lobby

When entering the first-floor lobby, visitors are greeted by a 20-foot-high, 22-foot-wide 2mm pixel pitch LG LED curved video wall, which not only serves as a statement piece for showcasing broadcast history and content but is visible to passersby on the street. But this is just a preview of what awaits visitors in NAB’s main lobby on the 10th floor.

“Once you step off the elevators, the first thing you see is six transparent LG OLED screens,” said Michael Tow, NAB senior vice president, information technology. “They were cutting edge when we bought them two or three years ago and they still are now. LG was actually showcasing this same transparent OLED technology at NAB Show in April.”

[Rust Never Sleeps ... and Neither Do Display Manufacturers]

The 2x3-panel video wall, comprising six 55-inch transparent OLED panels, can operate as one immersive canvas or be divided into six separate screens running content simultaneously. Due to the transparent nature of the screens, visitors don’t miss out on the expansive city view of Washington, DC, including breathtaking views of the Washington Monument and other iconic landmarks. The video wall is also accompanied by vertically mounted, 86-inch LG Ultra-Stretch displays that are ideal for sharing meeting information, company updates, and other internal communications.

As visitors continue through the lobby, they are greeted by the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame video wall comprising five ultra-narrow-bezel 55-inch 4K UHD LED displays in a 5x1 configuration, taking visitors on a colorful journey through broadcast history. The interactive display allows visitors to learn about past Hall of Fame winners and listen to audio soundbites or videos from their induction ceremonies.

Throughout the headquarters space, NAB wanted a continual nod to the industry’s past, present, and future to be a main design theme, including “speaker box” treatments for several meeting room windows, “countdown” graphics marking floor numbers by the elevator doors, broadcast icons on the bathroom doors, and rooms featuring light-up “on-air” signs. These tributes to the old age of radio combine the past with the present, as they are juxtaposed with the modern architecture and technology within the space.

With a display network of this size and quality, NAB also had to ensure the content was produced at the same level—and relied on design agency Bluecadet for high-quality, engaging content. “The content is really nice,” said Michael Burnstein, vice president with Diversified. “It’s sharp, the production value is really high because it’s NAB. When you walk into a normal office of their size, the production value is not nearly as nice as theirs.”

Workspace Technologies

Another touchpoint is the 5,000-square-foot multipurpose room, also located on the 10th floor, which features a bezel-free 1.88mm pixel pitch, 6-foot high, 32-foot wide UHD LG LED video wall. Almost every room within the headquarters is outfitted with digital displays, including 10 executive offices and 12 team rooms that each house a 43-inch LCD display. (The CEO Team Room includes the 65-inch 4K UHD model.)

Displays can also be found as visitors exit the elevators on each floor, providing NAB the opportunity for continued messaging and brand awareness throughout the building. Additional conference rooms throughout the headquarters have also been outfitted with 4K UHD displays, including the Gordon H. Smith Conference Room and the Edward O. Fritts Conference Room on the fifth floor.

Within two project rooms and the Conventions Open Team Room, 65-inch LG Interactive Digital Boards give employees the opportunity to save and share meeting information, present content, edit on screen, and utilize collaboration options without a PC. Everything from the fitness center to the café is outfitted with LCD or LED displays, making it feel like innovation is truly just around every corner.

Bringing this much technology online, especially new technology that had never been seen beyond trade shows, provided a challenge for all involved, from figuring out what technology was going to be provided to dealing with delays due to how “of-the-moment” the technology really is. This also presented challenges when it came to mounting, with custom mounts needing to be designed and configured.

The pandemic stressed many organizations, including NAB, which suffered from a less-than-ideal move into its new headquarters in March 2020. Staff did not begin working within the space until Summer 2021, on a voluntary basis, and only recently began utilizing it on a more permanent basis as employees returned to the office three or more days a week in early 2022.

Employees returned to the office to a nice surprise: 34-inch curved ultra-wide LG monitors at every desk. These monitors have a wide footprint, making daily work easier and more efficient, and eliminates the need for employees to have multiple monitors.

Media Production Facility

Most people would assume the NAB has always had a state-of-the-art production facility, but Mike Khatcheressian, Emmy-winning producer and NAB vice president of media production, said that wasn’t always the case. “When I came for my job interview at NAB years ago, one of the things I was most excited about was to see the NAB studio," he recalled. "They walked me into this room and there was a greenscreen, a 10-year-old camera, and a few lights. I remember being shocked and saying at the time that this is going to be something you’re going to want to upgrade. I love what we have now and it really is a showpiece for NAB, kind of like what we all envisioned a studio at NAB could be.”

The new NAB Media Production Facility is highlighted by a curved, 15-foot Planar interactive video wall that can serve as an immersive backdrop for live and pre-recorded content. The studio is also outfitted with an 8K-capable edit suite and provides the ability for design capabilities to be done from remote access. The space is well equipped to accommodate Zoom interviews or interactions, providing additional options when their CEO or other stakeholders are unable to be on-site for outside events or interviews.

Four PTZ cameras are housed in the studio, but the space can accommodate up to eight cameras, with future capabilities expanding to pull in camera feeds from across the headquarters. Plus, a prompter is currently being installed that has the ability to detect who is speaking and provide seamless tracking amongst multiple speakers.

Originally, the space was not conceptualized as a studio—but through careful design, the compact area was designed to appear larger on camera. The studio provides NAB with the ability to produce a wide array of programming, including live webcasts, updates, educational content, sales seminars for NAB members, and future content for tradeshows. There is also the opportunity to use the space to bring in additional revenue from outside rentals, helping NAB make up for losses accrued during the pandemic.

Much of the studio was built through the support of NAB partners like Planar, Vitec Production Solutions, PESA, Barbizon Lighting Company, The Launch Group, Video Visions, Angry Badger Productions, Magis Media, and The Light Source, all of which donated services and equipment to help bring the innovative space to life. “It’s great for our partners to showcase their new technologies,” said Khatcheressian.

In choosing the partners, April Carty-Sipp, NAB executive vice president, industry affairs, said, "We had many conversations and leveraged connections our team has with companies we’ve worked with previously in the broadcast business or through our work at NAB." She said the first official partner was Angry Badger Productions, which helped bring in additional partners along the way. 

While visitors can look forward to touring the studio space, the partners will benefit from the exposure their involvement provides, along with the opportunity to bring potential clients to see their technology in action. With this in mind, many of the partners are committed to continually upgrading technology to ensure the space showcases the latest and greatest. This also goes for LG, which is using the NAB headquarters as an opportunity to showcase its offerings and is committed to refreshing the technology for years to come.

With remote and hybrid work becoming commonplace, NAB hopes the headquarters is seen as a benefit to employees wanting to return to the office. “I remember the first time I walked in to 1M and saw all the technology. Just seeing all this beautiful technology and how modern it was—it really makes you proud to work at a place like NAB and makes you happy to come to work," said Khatchersessian. “You don’t mind the long commute in because you’re going to be in a comfortable space and one that is just fun to be in.”

Like every other sector of the travel and tourism industry, cruise ships suffered mightily during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a consequence of serving as ground zero for some of the first major outbreaks, affected cruise ships were turned into quarantine centers and triages for passengers overnight. And as countries around the world tightened travel restrictions, cruise ships were at the top of the list.

While ridership had increased nearly 70% in the previous decade—from about 18 million passengers in 2009 to just under 30 million in 2019—those numbers nosedived to depths not seen since the 1990s, as ports around the world closed. After disembarking their passengers, many of the 300-plus active cruise ships anchored in clusters off coastlines around Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean with skeleton crews kept onboard for maintenance.

But tourism has reemerged, returning millions of passengers to cruise liners. The industry is now posting strong numbers and is forecasted to recover to pre-pandemic passenger levels in just a few seasons.

That’s good news for AV integrators, as cruise lines and onboard tech teams return their focus from crisis mode to developing and enhancing the customer experience. That includes responding to passengers’ newly acquired entertainment habits—namely, an increased preference for streaming TV, a sector that ballooned to more than 1 billion subscriptions worldwide during the pandemic.

New Customer Expectations

Customer and end user expectations on cruise ships have risen in kind, said Eleuterio Fernandes, director of accommodation at VITEC (formerly Exterity), an IPTV, streaming video, and digital signage provider that serves the cruise line industry.

“We are coming now into increasing demand for on-demand services like Netflix or HBO,” Fernandes said. Passengers who got used to over-the-top TV during the pandemic “are now coming onboard saying that they want to have the same [amenities]. Those are trends that we have to adjust to for cruise liners and passengers.”

IPTV was a central piece of a solution VITEC provided to AIDA, a cruise line based in the Baltic seaport of Rostock, Germany, that carries 750,000 passengers annually across its fleet of 13 ships. AIDA enlisted the company during the pandemic-forced downtime of 2020 to upgrade the in-cabin entertainment on six of its ships, including the flagship IDAnova—a whopping 183,900-metric-ton vessel that carries up to 5,200 travelers, making it one of the world’s largest passenger ships.

With thousands of passenger and crew cabins on each vessel, and 11,000 cabins served in total, ensuring the infrastructure could handle the amount of requests the servers on each ship were receiving was a high priority. Through the VITEC ArtioView IPTV portal, viewers now have hundreds of HD international channels, as well as movies and on-demand TV content.

“The TV and video channels are delivered over multicast, so it comes in satellite TV and goes to a headend, which is also a VITEC product, in a server room,” explained David Peat, VITEC’s head of deployments. “Satellite TV gets distributed over IP multicast, so there’s probably about 100 TV channels. The scalability of that is pretty much infinite when you use multicasting. The network will deliver that traffic to the end points.”

['Alexa, Play Vacation Mode'—Amazon, LG Collaborate on Hotel TV Experience]

The client isn’t locked into providing a fixed slate of channels and streaming apps, though, and the on-demand options are not based on any particular cabin or group of cabins. The ability to create multiple profiles gives AIDA an opportunity to reward VIP customers, for example, with additional channels and services. And crew members, whose lives onboard the ships can be hectic, have the ability to catch up on the previous two days of TV as their schedules allow.

More Than On-Demand

The ArtioView system also powers digital signage throughout the ships in areas like reception and lounges, which can carry news channels, weather updates, event information, and live sports events. “In public areas, our system is there to provide live TV in bars and signage-type stuff, so maybe news items or what time the restaurants are opening," Peat added. "That’s displayed on some of our screens on the ship, as well.”

[Editorial: Digital Signage Future Is Bright]

Once the headend/encoder picks up the stream and converts it to an IPTV stream, it becomes a channel on the IP system, same as a live TV channel. Through an application on the VITEC server, the client has the ability to distribute individual channels to individual endpoints, whether that means passenger cabins or a restaurant. For global announcements and emergency situations, ship staff have the ability to automatically mute all TVs. “I use what we call signage as a channel,” Peat added. “Essentially, it’s an MPEG transport over IP multicast."

Interactive features on the in-cabin display screens allow passengers to view their billing statement and see how much money they have spent, and also book off-ship excursions in the next port of call.

So, how much space does all this command on a cruise ship whose weight and storage capabilities are paramount? Not a lot—Peat said the VITEC equipment commands just 8 RU.

“There is a server room that’s got all the physical headend current, so that’s in what is called the broadcast center,” said Peat. “The virtual infrastructure is in the IT server, so it’s in a different place. And to manage the system you connect into that server, and you can do that from anywhere … and then control the system from there.”

[Go Cruising: LG Showcases Digital Displays at Seatrade Cruise Global 2022]

When working with cruise ships, Eleuterio advises integrators to be certain they have anticipated and met every need before the ship leaves port. Opportunities to make modifications are few and far between once a ship sets sail.

“Cruises are different clients than anyone else,” Eleuterio said. “A very important point is to give reliable solutions and reliable support, because the cruise lines are not available 24/7. There are times when they have no passengers and times when they have, depending on the size of the cruise, from a thousand to three or four thousand passengers at the same time demanding services.

“So, it’s a mix of state-of-the-art technology and entertainment, but at the same time the reliable solution and support that makes the solution and the ‘wow’ factor a workable solution. Because if it doesn’t work, the ‘wow’ factor will not be important.”

VITEC will showcase its latest market-leading IPTV, video streaming, and digital signage solutions at InfoComm 2022, Las Vegas Convention Center, June 10-12, in booth N1762. On show will be a host of new additions and enhancements, including to ArtioSign and ArtioView, the central components of the Avedia IPTV, and the digital signage platform. 

Amongst the new additions, the AvediaStream m9500 4K Media Player will make its first appearance in the US. Since the merging of the Exterity and VITEC brands into a single identity (following Exterity’s acquisition in 2021), VITEC now offers a broader range of solutions, with the combined teams working together to deliver an enhanced portfolio suited to even more market applications.

[InfoComm Impulses 2022: VITEC discusses Pro AV trends and products to see]

“This will be our first InfoComm show in which the VITEC and former Exterity teams are all working together as ‘one VITEC’, and we’re all looking forward to connecting with the industry in Las Vegas,” says Mark D’Addio, senior vice president of sales, VITEC. “We have lots to catch up on with our North American partners, and we’re excited to discuss the host of enhancements and innovations that we’ve made across our versatile range. We also hope to continue the positive momentum surrounding the industry, with in-person events now once again enabling invaluable face-to-face dialogue between ourselves, our partners and the wider Pro AV community. It will be great to be back at InfoComm.”

Visitors to the VITEC booth will be able to see the enhanced ArtioView, a fully customizable, interactive IPTV portal for a range of viewing environments, from hotels and cruise ships to student or workplace accommodation, stadium VIP suites, offices, hospitals, or military camps. Designed specifically for use with ArtioView IPTV portal is the new m9500 Media Player, a 4K/UHD IPTV endpoint which delivers interactive viewing portals and advanced network video decoding. Its quiet, fanless design, Power over Ethernet (PoE) functionality, and low power consumption make it an economical choice for environments where premium video quality is important.

[The Nine 2022: Meet 9 Pro AV Superstars] 

The ArtioSign digital signage platform has also been improved with several additions, including the new ArtioSign Data Connector element which delivers the ability to use data feeds to dynamically update a table. Files can be uploaded from where they are saved locally, or directly from SharePoint or OneDrive. ArtioSign Smart Control—which centralizes control of VITEC endpoints and non-VITEC devices such as large format displays—now has a new tablet-specific ‘toggle’ interface, enabling users to control a large site from the comfort and convenience of a single tablet.

Also recently announced is the new VITEC PRISM Transcoder, a real-time IP video transcoding system that enables content to be adapted to an optimal format for efficient delivery to any device. A further product addition is the VITEC MGW Diamond+ OG, a 4K/Multichannel HD, HEVC, H.264 and MPEG-2 encoder with SDI and SMPTE-2110 input in an openGear card format. Rounding out VITEC’s offering is the ChannelLink distribution gateway, which acts as a central hub where IP channels from the field can be reliably received and retransmitted live.

InfoComm 2022 returns to Las Vegas this June 4-10. As excitement around the event builds, we’ve turned to InfoComm 2022 exhibitors to learn what trends they expect to see at the show—plus a special sneak preview of what they’ll show in their booths—in our InfoComm 2022 Impulses series.

[InfoComm 2022 Registration Is Open]

Today, meet Bryan Reksten, vice president of marketing at VITEC.

How does InfoComm inspire you?

Bryan Reksten: InfoComm is always inspiring but particularly so this year because of the ability to finally reconnect in person with Pro-AV customers and partners—something we have all learned to not take for granted. The application of “business” video has changed tremendously over the last two years and getting to speak with customers and partners with different workflow requirements really encourages VITEC to continue innovating on our IPTV platform to meet their evolving needs.

What recent trend or technology do you expect to generate buzz on the show floor?

BR: We expect there will be two topics that will be on the minds of our partners. First, the explosion of video on enterprise networks as organizations rely on video for communication and hybrid work arrangements like never before. IPTV solutions need to be efficient, reliable, and scalable as organizations adjust to new workflows. Second, the need for clear, dynamic communication on the IPTV platform will see the deployment of digital signage on networks like never before. From employee communication to customer engagement, an IPTV platform must be flexible to meet a broad set of requirements. 

How will your company’s solutions inspire end users?

BR: VITEC is a leading provider of IPTV, streaming video, and digital signage solutions with a broad range of deployments around the world. We recognize that each deployment is unique, but the core strength of our solution is that it is flexible, reliable, and scalable to be tailored for any environment. VITEC wants to empower our partners to confidently integrate our IPTV platform into their AV solution so that end users have a complete, end-to-end AV solution that is state of the art.

Why should businesses invest in digital signage systems for their campuses or office buildings?

BR: The acceleration of change in workplace environments has been significant over the last two years. Traditional norms have given way to hybrid remote office plans. Both employer and worker expectations have evolved. To everyone’s benefit, employees no longer need to be in a structured environment to work effectively. That presents a challenge to management and administrators as they look for ways to maintain communication and culture. IPTV platforms, with integrated signage, provide a visual and dynamic way to engage employees and visitors. Digital signage can be customized to send specific messages to certain areas or employee groups, but also can be used to quickly communicate “all hands” or emergency messaging across all displays on the network. As regulations are shifting and employee opportunities are changing, digital signage is a valuable resource for organizations to stay connected with their employees and customers.

VITEC has acquired Exterity. The move signals VITEC’s intention to accelerate growth and strengthen its leadership position with natural technology and customer synergies that will enable VITEC to extend its reach into new geographies, market verticals, and partners.

[Related: VITEC Taps Eric Deniau to Lead Research and Development Operations]

“Exterity is a respected IPTV and digital signage leader around the globe,” said Philippe Wetzel, CEO, VITEC. “They have developed a robust IP video platform for both hardware and software that has been very successful, particularly in the enterprise and accommodation markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Exterity’s engineering excellence, global geographic distribution, and complementary business focus was the primary motivation for VITEC to make this acquisition. The combined entity will be the leading IPTV and digital signage provider for corporate, government, military, venues, hospitality, and broadcast customers.”

“In bringing together VITEC and Exterity, we will be able to offer a wider range of best-in-class products, solutions, and services to our customers. VITEC’s product portfolio, market strength, and company culture are the perfect fit for this next chapter in our IPTV growth, and I have complete confidence that we will be able to grow stronger together as more and more businesses deploy IP video streaming solutions across their enterprises," added Exterity CEO Colin Farquhar, who will remain a central part of the leadership team of the combined company. "Exterity has established a large and loyal customer and partner base, with a number of organizations specifying solutions for global projects. Bringing together VITEC and Exterity enables us to take advantage of our combined technologies so that our customers will have a broader choice of market-leading IP video solutions to suit their needs.”

The combined engineering teams will develop a strategy to migrate the existing IPTV and digital signage portfolio into a converged platform to offer a wider range of solutions to customers. 

[The Digital Signage Best Practices Guide]

VITEC will now have almost 200 engineers across its global development centers, which will immediately begin working together to leverage the software and hardware expertise of the embedded teams. VITEC is connecting with Exterity’s network of integrators and partners to provide more information about the combined capabilities of the companies and to ensure their continuity of business strategy and deployments. VITEC says it will continue to support Exterity customers without interruption.

Internet protocol television (IPTV) will be used by NASA to help monitor and maintain equipment on the Orion spacecraft in human missions to the Moon and Mars, according to Richard Bernard, senior product manager with VITEC.

The environment in which video solutions must work are extremely harsh and volatile, with a tremendous number of variables that are constantly shifting which can affect how video streams are transmitted. To support operations in these challenging conditions the agency only deploys proven, mature solutions that have stood the test of time. 

“As a result, long development life cycles are needed for the most critical elements of vehicles NASA launches into space—especially those that involve human missions. Only the most proven, field-tested technologies can be trusted to launch astronauts safely and securely into space,” said Bernard.

At the onset of Orion’s development, IPTV technology was still in its early stages, so many current on-board video systems are incompatible with open standards that have been recently developed to support the rigorous deep space environments associated with NASA missions; this includes IPTV. 

[ISTE Works with NASA to Ignite Passion for STEM on 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing]

“Since then, however, the standards have evolved. Companies like VITEC have introduced robust IPTV innovations capable of contributing to the mission by enhancing the ability to monitor critical systems on the spacecraft,” Bernard added. “For instance, video streams from cameras onboard the spacecraft can be transmitted and analyzed back here on Earth to greatly improve safety and quality assurance measures. For example, IPTV technology can enhance the ability to monitor cracks in panels that may not be detected by sensors. In such situations, video technology can literally provide ‘the eyes’ on potential problems.”

Key Attributes of IPTV Solution for Orion Spacecraft

NASA needed a solution that would extend the ability for video traffic to interact with a number of different protocols, including those that are specific to NASA. 

“NASA needed a decoder that could be compatible with video feeds coming from sophisticated—but proprietary—on-board IP cameras developed by NASA and its contractors to capture video in space,” said Bernard. 

The cameras provide support for both high- and low-frame rate streams, as well as images ranging from QCIF to 4K. A system was needed that allows the resolution and frame rate to be adjusted based on whatever bandwidth might be available between Orion and Earth. 

“Those are a lot of variables and NASA needed a highly flexible and robust decoder to handle those very precise, fluctuating video feeds. IP streaming technology provided a clear path to harness video feeds for the kind of collaboration needed to ensure the safety of the crew and the integrity of the spacecraft itself,” he added.

VITEC worked with NASA to develop video decoders that would be compatible with the complex mix of proprietary and open standards workflows. Specifically, VITEC was able to adjust stream capture module capabilities to manage the range of particular feeds used for this mission under different conditions and circumstances.

“Additionally, our hardware decoding platform ensures that video feeds—with any frame rate, frame resolution, or bitrate—can be decoded and rendered on industry standard video outputs, such as HDMI or SDI, for distribution to the people working on the Orion mission within the space center,” he said.

In short, VITEC says its solution has helped to modernize NASA’s existing investments in equipment, enabling new functionality and extending the community that can benefit from—and contribute to—Orion missions. VITEC also says it has laid the foundation for future-proofing Orion’s video capacity, enabling it to support new applications and innovations that contribute to NASA’s objectives today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Interested in NASA stories? Check out space.com, another Future plc publication.

In the new socially distanced public spaces of the pandemic era, digital signage has never been more vital. Building owners need to communicate procedures and protocols, business information must be shared with employees, and perhaps—in a glimmer of hope—the display of inspiring, vibrant imagery across large-scale, dynamic displays can revitalize the experience of a space.

[The Digital Signage Best Practices Guide]

To ensure that these many displays render imagery in seamless and dazzling ways, media players are evolving to meet new needs. Higher-resolution, touchless interaction and remote operation are key elements to the product evolution, and creative expression is also getting a boost. More robust and flexible external media players enable a wide array of visual updates and architectural media implementations. So look forward to having better experiences as the built environment becomes more animated with pixels and motion.

Visix

Responding to the continued proliferation of video walls across more applications, along with pandemic-related shifts in the way content is shared, Visix added a four-output media player to its lineup and fast-tracked a number of new features. Responding to customer feedback, Visix made the new player easier to set up and more powerful, standardizing its multioutput player lineup on Nvidia Pascal GPUs. The new model has 8 GB of memory, 256 GB SSD storage, built-in wireless, and a Windows 10 IoT Enterprise OS.

The extra capability boost from the Nvidia Quadro P620 reflects a trend toward more robust requirements for media players, which are being asked to handle increasingly complex content tasks. As content creation responsibilities shift to creative agencies and branding teams, designers are asking for more from the technology.

“I love seeing the incredible eye-catching displays that creative people come up with,” said Joe Murray, systems engineer with Visix. Not only are they pushing the bounds with 4K and 8K video content, they’re finding ways to integrate the visuals and the video walls themselves with the architecture in a space. “They’ll actually integrate these giant LED video walls directly into [building] walls as if it’s a piece of the architecture itself. That’s really great because when you design video walls with the architecture in mind, everything is just a little more seamless.”

Of course, many of those video walls are operating in empty offices at the moment, which prompted users to seek ways to use their digital signage systems to deliver messages via other means. Accordingly, Visix integrated web publishing into its flagship AxisTV Signage Suite, allowing signage content to be tied into a web page or broadcast across messaging apps such as Microsoft Teams or Slack.

Meanwhile, another engineering project was fast-tracked in the interaction department, as “touchless everything” became the demand from users. Visix released a voice recognition widget that enables users to plug a microphone into one of its players and control signage with spoken commands. “The display is still interactive, but users don’t have to touch anything,” Murray explained. Now interactive functions like wayfinding can be handled via voice, and directions can even be sent via text to a user’s mobile phone.

Navori 

As is the case across most aspects of video, the demand for 4K and 8K is driving innovation, and within digital signage, that is where external media players shine. External media players provide vital flexibility and processing power for the most demanding applications, explained Jérôme Moeri, CEO of Navori: “For true 4K playback, an external media player is still required.” And demand for 4K will continue to grow, he noted: “Especially in the luxury industry, where the picture and the product matters, 4K will become a requirement within the next five years.”

But external media players don’t have to be a clunky add-on to projects. The diminutive Navori Stix 3500 packs a lot of power. Smaller than a mobile phone, the purpose-built device runs native applications for optimal rendering quality, “so they are eight times more powerful than web applications,” Moeri added.

With 4K soon to be essential to many projects, Navori is planning to release the Stix 3700 in May 2021, and that model will play natively in 4K.

But beyond resolution, it’s important to consider frame rate when seeking the highest-quality rendering. External media players such as Navori’s and others are capable of rendering content at 60 frames per second, where current system-on-chip [SOC] players are limited to 25 frames per second. “When you have slow motion on screen, object motion or special effects, the difference is it is very easily visible” at lower frame rates, Moeri noted.

Other perks to purpose-built external media players such as Stix are the adoption of an ARM CPU, which helps not only in better delivery of dynamic graphic content, but also in lower power consumption than a PC or larger player. And with its experience in the luxury market, Navori has also developed specialized color mapping to match the actual color of high-end imagery in its truest representation. “We have a better control on the color and the outcome,” Moeri said. “We have developed some settings especially for the luxury industry where they can choose a color calibration and control it remotely.”

Enplug

Addressing all the visual and technical requirements that combine to make the most memorable visual impression, Enplug’s digital signage player seamlessly drives content to any digital signage endpoint within the Enplug ecosystem. The player is tested against industry standards, offering broad compatibility and 4K support. Enplug users can quickly connect the player to any HD display in portrait or landscape orientation to deliver content with 1080p and 4K video playback at 60 frames per second. Content is updated via Wi-Fi or Ethernet and stored locally on the device, which means screens will never go down, even if the internet is temporarily disconnected. Once the internet connection is restored, the player automatically reconnects and updates any content to ensure flawless, uninterrupted performance.

VITEC

Maximum-quality video with low-latency playback and high reliability are key to the two versions of VITEC’s digital endpoints that can drive its EZ TV IPTV and digital signage platform, the EP4 and EP5. The VITEC endpoints can be configured for video playback, signage-only or a combination of digital signs with embedded video. All features are controlled by a central interface, simplifying administration and support requirements. These devices are PoE enabled and feature 100-percent hardware-based decoding with all-solid-state components for any type of deployment.

The EP5 is VITEC’s 4K-capable media player, and as an extension to this device, the new EP5+ includes the ability to stretch video and/or signage across the bezel on up to four displays. The EP5+, with four HDMI output ports, provides a cost-effective multidisplay 4K solution to essentially create any configuration of “mini” video wall with up to four screens.

[VITEC Commits to Becoming Carbon Neutral by 2021]

BrightSign

BrightSign’s new XT1144 Expanded I/O player includes all the features of the BrightSign XT244 plus serial, dual USB (type A and C) and live TV playback via the HDMI 2.0a input to play content from any broadcast channel—even HDCP-protected content.

But core to this and the other BrightSign media players is something larger: the dedicated operating system purpose-built to handle the specific needs of digital signage deployments. With self-healing capabilities and secure connectivity through the BSN.cloud, these players are reliable endpoints that minimize headaches across vast deployments.

Eric Deniau has joined VITEC as the company's chief technology officer (CTO). 

“Eric will be joining VITEC as CTO to lead technology innovation and R&D efforts worldwide," said Philippe Wetzel, CEO of VITEC. "He has a deep knowledge of software and a sophisticated understanding of hardware products that will enhance the experience and capabilities of VITEC’s talented R&D leadership team. He is tasked with developing the next generation of codecs, ASIC technologies, and software solutions that will power VITEC products for years to come.”

[The Integration Guide to Streaming]

“VITEC is a market leader, and the company is poised for growth as the demand for business video applications across enterprise networks expands,” addded Deniau. “I am excited to be joining VITEC as the market is rapidly deploying IP streaming solutions to support the demand for video applications.”    

Deniau was most recently with Enensys CTO and has over 30 years of experience in the media industry—including experience managing large software projects for major broadcasters—and has played a major role with the standards communities that have brought interoperable MPEG, DVB, and 3GPP technologies to market. Deniau received an Engineering degree in Telecommunications from CentraleSupelec in Paris,  and an MSc in communication engineering from Imperial College in London. He has co-authored more than 20 international patent families.

A staple product in AV deployments across facilities and campuses, the mighty digital signage player has seen a flurry of innovation in recent years. In addition to boosted performance to handle today’s demanding video formats and resolutions, the latest breed of devices boast features to make tech managers’ lives easier, too.

The following is a collection of the latest models from leading manufacturers.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to the New Era of Digital Signage

BrightSign XT Series

BrightSign’s XT media players are designed for enterprise applications demanding high performance and state-of-the-art technology. With a 4K video engine, BrightSign’s fastest HTML and graphics engine, and the company’s most powerful CPU, BrightSign XT is well suited for leading-edge digital signage installations involving H.264 and H.265 decoding, Dolby Vision and HDR10 media profiles, and 1080p and 4K playback including Mosaic Mode. 

BrightSign’s XT media players are powered by a hardware-accelerated HTML5 rendering engine that enables playback of multiple modular HTML5 assets including Javascript, CSS animations, WebGL, and even swipe/gesture interactivity. All BrightSign XT models feature gigabit Ethernet, dual 4K video decoding, 4K full resolution graphics, PoE+, and HDMI In for Live TV playback. BrightSign’s XT media players deliver near-zero downtime with high performance at a competitive price.

Elo Backpack

The Elo Backpack is engineered to transform standard digital signage into an interactive experience. The Android compute engine enables users to run audio and video content, interactive HTML webpages, and/or Android-based apps. It features the flexibility and functionality of Google Play Services, enabling apps to take advantage of the latest Google-powered features. The Elo Backpack also features EloView, Elo’s Android MDM, streamlining the deployment and management process. With integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and expansive I/O options, Backpack helps facilitate the creation of unique interactive signage solutions.

Built on Elo’s Unified Architecture, users can scale across sizes and form factors from 7 to 65 inches, creating a consistent, cost-effective deployment optimized for commercial use. 

Enplug Digital Signage Player

Enplug’s High-Performance Digital Signage Player is designed to drive content to any digital signage endpoint within the Enplug ecosystem. The player is tested against top industry standards for reliability, broad compatibility, and 4K support. Enplug users can connect the player to any HD display in portrait or landscape orientation to deliver content with 1080p and 4K video playback at 60 frames per second. 

Content is updated via Wi-Fi or Ethernet and stored locally on the device for uninterrupted operation, even if the internet is temporarily disconnected. Once the internet connection is restored, the player automatically re-connects and updates any content.

Kramer VIA GO²

VIA GO² gives iOS, Android, Chromebook, PC, and Mac users wireless connectivity with 4K advanced presentation capabilities. The product features content streaming with mirrored images and video playback and includes iOS, Windows, and Android mirroring. VIA GO² is compact (7x7cm) and flexible to install with both built-in Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity and includes 1024-bit encryption for secure use on the internal network. VIA GO², when it isn’t actively presenting, acts as an interactive display signage tool. Its small form factor makes it easy to conceal behind the display for a sleek profile.

MuxLab 4K Digital Signage Player

MuxLab’s DigiSign Plus CMS Software and 4K Digital Signage Player are engineered with robust features and user-friendly operation. MuxLab DigiSign Plus CMS works with its 4K Digital Signage Player Plus (model 500789) and allows users to create, arrange, manage, and schedule video, images, audio, and HTML content from a variety of sources, including content streaming via an H.264/H.265 codec over a local Ethernet network, the internet, via internal memory and external USB 3.0 memory devices.

The system supports numerous widgets including RSS and Instagram feeds, text tickers, clocks, stocks, exchanges, weather info, and maps. The system supports multiview layouts, including picture-in-picture (PIP) and the ability to create a schedule of up to 1 year or more of content in advance. The user can then publish the signage content and schedule to the 4K Digital Signage Players distributed throughout a network and displayed on the connected TVs.

PureLink MPX100 II

PureLink’s MPX100 II Wireless Digital Signage solution includes the MPX Content Management Suite, offering comprehensive digital signage program creation including on-demand touchscreen programming and a full range of scheduling tools. Complete diagnostics and metrics are available from any player throughout an MPX system where users can create anywhere from one to hundreds of players spanning different states, and manage them all from one location. It also enables the creation of many different access roles to allow content creators, administrators, and others access the system anywhere, anytime.

Samsung S-Box

Samsung’s SNOW-JMU S-Box for indoor, direct-view LED displays, such as Samsung’s The Wall, allows businesses of all sizes to deliver visual content with a fast processor and enhanced image quality. Additionally equipped with Samsung’s MagicINFO software for content management, the S-Box offers memory and connectivity options, making it well suited for usability across a variety of industries including education, corporate, healthcare, retail, dining, and more. Further, users can update and manage the content remotely, allowing for the connected displays to showcase up-to-the-minute content. For organizations and businesses looking to manage content in highly sensitive environments, the S-Box is fully supported by Tizen 4.0, Samsung’s secure, custom operating system.

Shuttle DH470

Shuttle’s new DH470 is designed to provide high performance from a tiny footprint. Featuring a compact and rugged design with low-temp operation, the digital signage player offers up to 10 cores for multitasking and smooth video. At 43mm in height, the DH470 has enough room to add a 2.5-inch hard drive as well as dual M.2 expansion cards and support up to 64GB of DDR4 memory. Input/output options include up to eight USB and two serial ports as well as built-in HDMI 2.0a and DisplayPort ports, with two RS-232 interfaces as well as an SDXC card reader. The platform also supports integrated UHD graphics and PCIe controllers, and its industrial capacitors meet demanding environmental conditions, operable in 32–122 degrees F (0–50 degrees C) temperatures.

SpinetiX HMP400

Designed for digital signage, the SpinetiX solution featuring the new HMP400 player combines commercial-grade hardware with a purpose-built operating system for operation in a variety of applications. Together with the preinstalled DSOS by SpinetiX operating system, the player supports three modes of use on top of the built-in SpinetiX ARYA cloud-based service. These modes enable users to deliver interactive, data-driven digital signage content that integrates with third-party technology like sensors, cameras, smart buildings, queue management systems, and more.

Engineered in Switzerland and made in Germany, the HMP400’s powerful hardware is capable of reliably delivering 4K60 video in 24/7 operation for a decade. It features an Intel Atom processor, passive heat dissipation, and Power over Ethernet (PoE). A Wi-Fi version is also available.

ViewSonic NMP520-W

The ViewSonic NMP520-W network media player is engineered to deliver reliable 4K multimedia playback and messaging to large-format displays. Equipped with the latest Rockchip RK3368 Octa Core Cortex-A53 64-bit SoC chipset, the NMP520-W offers high-performance functionality in a small package. The compact profile and VESA-compatible design make it well suited for out-of-site installation behind digital signage displays, while the industrial casing make it durable for commercial environments. 

With 16GB of built-in memory, the NMP520-W can store and playback hours of high-definition content, and because it is based on an Android 8.1 operating system, it is compatible with standard digital signage industry software. The NMP520-W comes with connectivity options including HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, wired Gigabit and wireless LAN, Bluetooth, audio out, and an SD card reader. 

Visix Nano

The Visix Nano is purpose-built to provide reliable 1080p playback for digital signs in the smallest package available, measuring just 2.75 inches square. The Nano is Visix’s smallest player yet, and is designed to fit anywhere, including ceilings and other tight spaces where compact footprint is a requirement. The player is well suited for less video-intensive applications that still demand highly reliable performance from a compact, economical digital signage player.

The Nano player integrates features including 64GB eMMC storage, 4GB LPDDR4 memory, and support for wired and wireless networking. It is powered by the Intel Apollo Lake Celeron N3350 Processor, and comes with a Kensington security port.

VITEC EZ TV EP5+

VITEC’s IPTV and Digital Signage Platform, called EZ TV, manages IP video content across any network to enhance communication for military, enterprise, and sports venues. Designed to scale to meet the requirements of any size deployment, it is managed from a centralized server, and the Digital Signage module is robust enough to support the most advanced signage workflows.

The EZ TV platform uses hardware-based endpoints to deliver IP video in HD or 4K, and will work on mobile devices and PC browsers connected on the network. The new EZ TV EP5+ player is a 4K enabled, multi-display device that can send four HDMI signals for a single image to span any 4x screen configuration. This single-device solution is engineered to replace the need for a video wall processor or multiple discreet devices, enabling small-scale video wall deployments that reduce both cost and complexity.

Simply put, streaming video has never been bigger. With audiences, employees, and students spread out across the world, it’s streaming technology that’s keeping everyone connected. But for pro-grade applications, a simple smartphone setup isn’t going to cut it. 

That’s where pro AV comes in. With some good capture equipment and the right encoders and processors, institutions can take their streaming game to the next level, creating productions that rival the quality of broadcast TV. The following are the latest devices from top pro AV brands to help you get the job done.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

AJA BRIDGE LIVE

AJA’s new BRIDGE LIVE is designed to move Ultra HD or multi-channel HD uncompressed baseband SDI video to and from a wide range of streaming and contribution codecs, reliably and safely over the public internet. Designed in partnership with Comprimato, BRIDGE LIVE is a turnkey solution built for critical streaming applications with high-performance 12G-SDI video encoding/decoding, simultaneous encoding/decoding in HD, stream-based transcoding, flexible I/O, comprehensive metadata support, and closed caption support, all within a compact 1RU form factor with redundant power supplies. BRIDGE LIVE meets the rigorous live video production and delivery demands of Telco, IPTV, and cable operations, broadcast facilities and OB trucks, sports arenas, houses of worship, and beyond with key transport protocols like SRT, RTMP, UDP, and more. Its intuitive interface helps professionals mesh HD/Ultra HD SDI and streaming/IP for live workflows using H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and H.262/MPEG-2 TS, as well as JPEG 2000 via an additional license.

ATEN UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO

The ATEN UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO is a portable, all-in-one, multi-channel audio/video mixer device that integrates a 1080p video capture, video recorder, video switch, stream broadcaster, video converter, video splitter, and audio mixer into one compact box to eliminate the hassle of working with different AV equipment. The UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO makes HDMI video sources broadcast for higher-quality live stream to CDN platforms. For added convenience, the UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO provides an intuitive app, making it easier to monitor, edit image layouts, and DVE, PiP, or PbP settings. The UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO is PC and software-free, and with its control panel, it makes livestreaming operations smoother. You can even preview video and monitor audio levels before going live with a web broadcast. 

Blackmagic Web Presenter

Blackmagic Web Presenter is designed to simply the process of getting high-quality video directly on the web for a new generation of web broadcasting. It replaces expensive and hard-to-set-up dedicated streaming encoders and lets customers or broadcasters use professional cameras to stream high-quality video through their favorite software and websites, such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and more. Featuring 12G-SDI and HDMI connections, Blackmagic Web Presenter will down convert any SD, HD, and Ultra HD source and make them look like a 720p USB webcam. Because Blackmagic Web Presenter looks like a simple webcam, any webcam compatible software will be able to capture this USB video and audio from any broadcast-quality source without the need for additional drivers. 

Crestron DigitalMedia H.264 Solutions

Crestron’s portfolio of live streaming encoders/processors—including HD Streaming Transmitter/Receiver (DM-TXRX-100-STR), Streaming Input Card for DM Switchers (DMC-STR), Streaming Output Card for DM Switchers (DMC-STRO), and HD Streaming Receiver and Room Controller 100 (DM-RMC-100-STR)—enable distribution of high-definition AV signals and content over an IP network. The HD Streaming Transmitter/Receiver is a compact, high-definition H.264 streaming transmitter or receiver for use with a Crestron DigitalMedia system or other application. The Streaming Input Card for DM Switchers provides a single H.264 streaming input for any DigitalMedia Switcher with modular input card slots; while the Streaming Output Card for DM Switchers is a modular output card for DM-MD8X8, DM-MD16X16, or DM-MD32X32 switchers, providing one H.264 streaming output. The HD Streaming Receive and Room Controller 100 is a compact, high-definition H.264 streaming receiver and room controller for use with a DigitalMedia system or other application. 

Extron SMP Series

Extron SMP Streaming Media Processors connect students and employees to live or on-demand content anytime, anywhere, on any device. The robust recording and streaming appliances are designed to fit into any workflow for both ad-hoc and scheduled activities. A purpose-built, scalable SMP architecture offers enhanced features and capabilities, above and beyond software, and PC-based recording and streaming. Using any browser on any device, users can remotely control the SMP to start, stop, and pause recordings without touching a physical interface. Content is captured to a USB drive, network share, and enterprise video platforms like Kaltura, Panopto, YuJa, and OpenCast with simplicity of use, video quality, and proven reliability.  

Kramer VIA

Kramer’s VIA solutions are engineered to make it easier to live stream to all the leading platforms, like YouTube, Kaltura, and Panopto, as well as conduct interactive sessions using your favorite conferencing tools like Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. Educators and employers alike enjoy all the benefits of VIA’s full suite of tools, while in-class/at-work and at-home students/WFH employees enjoy a user-friendly learning/work experience; ideal for the COVID-19 era. 

Magewell Ultra Stream

Magewell’s Ultra Stream encoders are designed to make live streaming simple even for non-technical users, enabling them to stream or record high-quality video with one click using on-device buttons, a browser-based web interface, or a smartphone app. Available with HDMI or SDI input interfaces, Ultra Stream encoders let users stream to popular services including YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch, or to a custom-specified server. In addition to outputting live streams, Ultra Stream encoders can record video as files to a directly connected USB drive, internal storage, or the associated smartphone for subsequent on-demand viewing. Recent Ultra Stream updates have added enhanced file recording modes as well as support for the RTSP streaming protocol alongside existing RTMP and RTMPS capabilities.

Marshall Electronics VS-102-HDI

The VS-102-HDI is a high-definition video server that allows real-time transmission of HDMI or NTSC/PAL composite video signal along with bi-directional AAC encoded high-definition stereo audio over standard IP networks and the internet. Marshall Electronics’ VS-102-HDI incorporates advanced H.264 and MJPEG compression technology. This allows 50 percent more compression capacity over an existing IP network, while providing optimal video transmission quality even in networks with limited bandwidth. The unit can act as an encoder to compress and transmit AV data over a LAN to another VS-102-HDI located in a green room or other location. The other unit can act as a decoder, which receives the compressed data through the LAN and restores the data to its original high definition state.  

Matrox Maevex 6100 Series

Matrox Maevex 6100 Series encoders and decoders deliver multiple 4K streams of high-compression, high-quality video and audio over 1GbE networks—at exceptional low latency as low as 50ms. Maevex can push many streams over the LAN, feed cloud-based servers, securely stream across the internet, and record to any location—all concurrently. Both the encoders and decoders can also composite multiple encodes or decodes for tremendous flexibility, and allow for mixed display content from multiple encoders. The included Maevex PowerStream Plus software provides a simplified operational experience, enabling control of all Maevex devices from a single application. Multiple APIs and SDKs for customization and integration are also available.

MuxLab 500467

The HDMI to USB 3.0 Video Capture and Streamer (500467) allows users to record from HDMI video sources to a PC over USB 3.0. The unit supports an HDMI-in port for the source and HDMI Loop Out for a monitor. The 500467 is capable of connecting to a 4K60 source and will stream at up to 1080p60 over the USB 3.0 port to a PC or similar device to record and/or send the video to a broadcasting service such as YouTube, Facebook, and other broadcasting services. The device is compatible with OBS Studio, AMCap, etc., and supports a variety of HDMI sources such as cameras, game consoles, media players, and many others. The unit supports an audio-in port for a microphone, which is automatically mixed with the HDMI audio, and an audio out port for headphones, or active speakers. 

NewTek TriCaster 2 Elite

NewTek’s TriCaster 2 Elite provides video producers, visual storytellers, and system integrators with “better-than-broadcast” functionality and uncompromised flexibility. In addition to advanced video production capabilities, TriCaster 2 Elite enables studios, broadcasters, large-scale campuses, and enterprise facilities to harness nearly every major video calling application in use today, delivering them a myriad of creative options. To further amplify the flexibility and scalability, both video over IP and more traditional SDI are supported by the platform. TriCaster 2 Elite is designed to set a new standard for production in today’s multisource world with new core functionality. Nearly every web conferencing tool is supported, as well as all IP video sources and smartphones.

tvONE CORIOmaster2

tvONE’s CORIOmaster2 is an all-in-one, multi-window video processor delivering advanced processing power. CORIOmaster2 supports more windows with higher quality with uncompromised 4K60 and 8K-ready performance.  Standout features of CORIOmaster2 include its high bandwidth, huge design canvas, and 8K ready architecture. With 752Gb/sec of bandwidth, CORIOmaster2 can simultaneously display 40 windows in 4K60 4:4:4 with ultra-low latency. It offers AV designers access to triple 64k x 64k canvasses, with up to 12.3 gigapixels of design space, enough to accommodate the most expansive creative vision. The unit is 8K ready, future-proofing tvONE customers’ investment in their video processor. 

VITEC MGW Diamond

VITEC’s MGW Diamond is an IP streaming encoder that enables 4K HEVC multi-channel HD contribution as either a portable device or openGear card. This four-channel encoder, with low latency and low bandwidth HEVC, enables reliable remote production, even over the internet. The MGW Diamond was recently deployed by a sports broadcaster to support remote commentary from multiple sources, and in different languages, to enhance live events. The broadcaster leverages the benefits of the MGW Diamond to simultaneously send a live audio-video feed to foreign commentators for audio translation that is sent back to the production studio. VITEC’s MGW Diamond solution delivers very low latency, ensuring comments can be mixed live, with as little delay as possible for the end user experience.

ZeeVee ZyPerMX2/MX4

The ZyPerMX2 and ZyperMX4 multi-source H.264 encoders support HLS, RTP, UDP, and RTMP, the most-used protocols for live streaming on sites such as Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and other popular content distribution networks. Able to stream two or four sources of multiple streaming formats simultaneously over IP networks, these encoders expand the range of devices each channel can support. This protocol support extends the ways customers can use the company’s products for streaming live content and gives them the freedom to choose the distribution method—direct or via a CDN—that suits any situation. The ZyPerMX2 and ZyPerMX4 also support AAC, a widely used and often preferred audio compression format, in addition to supporting MP2 and AC3 formats.

VITEC is launching a green initiative to mitigate the company’s environmental impact. VITEC hopes to become completely carbon neutral by 2021 in all facets of business operations, including the manufacturing of its video products.

VITEC’s carbon-balanced video products will support the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives of customers who share VITEC’s commitment to making the world a better place for future generations.

“Technology providers have a responsibility to contribute to the rescue of our planet, and I want VITEC to be among the front-runners,” said Philippe Wetzel, CEO of VITEC. “This initiative is important to me, our global employees, and the communities we serve. We have always tried to make positive green choices when developing new facilities or processes. The sooner we reach carbon neutrality, the sooner we will see benefits for our businesses and partners.”

On June 15, VITEC signed the United Nations’ Climate Neutral Now initiative, joining other global organizations to measure, reduce, and offset carbon gas emissions to achieve climate neutrality. As a first step in its Climate Neutral Now pledge, VITEC calculated its greenhouse gas emissions for the 2019 fiscal year and purchased carbon offsets from U.N.-affiliated organizations to bring the company’s 2019 carbon impact to net-zero.

A recently completed study of VITEC’s current carbon footprint across its global offices and supply chains has identified areas in which VITEC can continue to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. These include opportunities to modernize VITEC’s approach to energy use, materials, travel, and shipping. As the company’s plan of action is finalized, employees have been challenged to do their part in developing carbon-balanced MPEG and IPTV video products.

Learn more about VITEC’s green initiative at vitec.com/green-initiative 

The What: VITEC has announced its new MGW ChannelLink IP distribution gateway. Designed for broadcast, corporate, and government, the appliance acts as a central hub where IP channels from the field can be received and reliably retransmitted live over any IP network. It can receive a large number of input streams and translate them into a multicast or unicast MPEG Transport Stream over UDP (UDP TS) or an SRT-protected stream.

The What Else: As latency is key to any IP streaming application, MGW ChannelLink achieves the lowest processing time for IP-based channels. When used in conjunction with VITEC’s MGW Ace Encoder and Decoder in its ultra-low-latency HEVC profile, the gateway provides optimized end-to-end latency without compromising video quality. The solution enables remote production and contribution over the internet and avoids the use of expensive fiber or satellite transmission infrastructure, leading to reduced OPEX.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming

MGW ChannelLink is fully interoperable with third-party encoders and decoders. In addition, the compression-standard-agnostic gateway is compatible with MPEG-2, H.264, and HEVC codecs, any resolution and frame rate (SD, HD, 4K, and more), and is engineered to evolve and support future transport protocols. Tailored to streamline IP video contribution, backhaul, and distribution, users benefit from the solution’s straightforward interface. They can manage all incoming channels from around the world and view information and statistics, such as quality of the network link and packet loss. The gateway also provides users with a centralized location for aggregating content and monitoring incoming streams. Designed to facilitate the setup for operators, a large number of channel sources (encoders) spread around the globe can be set to target a single IP address associated with the MGW ChannelLink. Additionally, the user-friendly interface is designed to simplify channel source-to-destination routing.

“More and more video feeds are sent live over various IP transmission links, making it complex for organizations to efficiently and reliably manage them,” said Richard Bernard, senior product manager, VITEC. “Our new MGW ChannelLink allows organizations to deliver IP content anywhere, anytime, with the ease of legacy baseband video matrices. It is designed to ensure support of more transport protocols in the future, allowing any organization to stay abreast of technology as it evolves.”

The Bottom Line: VITEC’s MGW ChannelLink is well suited for stream management, routing, rebroadcasting, or IPTV stream reflection over WAN or the internet. For broadcasters, it simplifies content delivery of live channels from news agencies as well as from sports or entertainment venues. Designed to meet stringent security criteria, it is also suited for secure government and military full-motion video applications.

The What: VITEC has announced its new MGW ChannelLink IP distribution gateway. Designed for broadcast, corporate, and government, the appliance acts as a central hub where IP channels from the field can be received and reliably retransmitted live over any IP network. It can receive a large number of input streams and translate them into a multicast or unicast MPEG Transport Stream over UDP (UDP TS) or an SRT-protected stream.

The What Else: As latency is key to any IP streaming application, MGW ChannelLink achieves the lowest processing time for IP-based channels. When used in conjunction with VITEC’s MGW Ace Encoder and Decoder in its ultra-low-latency HEVC profile, the gateway provides optimized end-to-end latency without compromising video quality. The solution enables remote production and contribution over the internet and avoids the use of expensive fiber or satellite transmission infrastructure, leading to reduced OPEX.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming

MGW ChannelLink is fully interoperable with third-party encoders and decoders. In addition, the compression-standard-agnostic gateway is compatible with MPEG-2, H.264, and HEVC codecs, any resolution and frame rate (SD, HD, 4K, and more), and is engineered to evolve and support future transport protocols. Tailored to streamline IP video contribution, backhaul, and distribution, users benefit from the solution’s straightforward interface. They can manage all incoming channels from around the world and view information and statistics, such as quality of the network link and packet loss. The gateway also provides users with a centralized location for aggregating content and monitoring incoming streams. Designed to facilitate the setup for operators, a large number of channel sources (encoders) spread around the globe can be set to target a single IP address associated with the MGW ChannelLink. Additionally, the user-friendly interface is designed to simplify channel source-to-destination routing.

“More and more video feeds are sent live over various IP transmission links, making it complex for organizations to efficiently and reliably manage them,” said Richard Bernard, senior product manager, VITEC. “Our new MGW ChannelLink allows organizations to deliver IP content anywhere, anytime, with the ease of legacy baseband video matrices. It is designed to ensure support of more transport protocols in the future, allowing any organization to stay abreast of technology as it evolves.”

The Bottom Line: VITEC’s MGW ChannelLink is well suited for stream management, routing, rebroadcasting, or IPTV stream reflection over WAN or the internet. For broadcasters, it simplifies content delivery of live channels from news agencies as well as from sports or entertainment venues. Designed to meet stringent security criteria, it is also suited for secure government and military full-motion video applications.

Entertainment and sports venues are exploring the trends driving today’s hyper-connected consumer in an effort to enhance the fan experience during live events—something that will be paramount in the struggle to return to normalcy after this pandemic. Analysts report that the average consumer now walks around with at least three devices, and goes home to an environment that features close to a dozen screens to address various professional and personal needs. This constant connectivity has changed how people work, and is transforming how people consume all kinds of entertainment at home and on the go.

So, what does this mean for live sports and entertainment venues?

To explore this very issue, we caught up with Joe Walsh, vice president of sales with the Sports and Entertainment Division of VITEC and Seth Koch, sales engineer with Daktronics to get their insights into how these trends will affect the way venues connect and engage with today’s digital fan base.

Related: Bannister Lake Chameleon Drives Data Aggregation at the US Open

Q: As consumers continue to embrace new digital technologies, how have you seen AV technology in sports venues evolve over the past five years, and where do you see this technology heading for the next five years? 

Seth Koch: The demands of the sports venue market follow the demands of the fans. That demand has not changed; the fans want to be part of an experience—an experience that’s uniquely different from what they can get at home. What has changed is technology.

While most consumers now live in a mature digital environment that is integrated and dynamic, that is not a situation they typically find when they go to a stadium or arena. Today, the technology in most sports venues is static. You have the center scoreboard and other banner displays within the “inner bowl,” plus a range of display screens throughout the concourses or “outer bowl.” In most cases, these are not connected. 

But, we know that fans want a more unified experience. This has prompted a lot of venue owners and planners—from top-tier professional leagues to college arenas and local stadiums—to look for new ways to engage with fans through integrated video, sound, and imaging. 

In a nutshell, it has accelerated the desire to put video everywhere within the stadium, and to ensure that everything works together in an integrated manner to enhance the fan experience and drive new revenue streams.

The goal is to architect an environment that makes it possible for fans to be able to leave their seats without ever leaving the experience, regardless of where they go throughout the venue.

Q: What changes will need to be made in order to reach that goal and provide that integrated stadium experience the fans are looking for?

Joe Walsh: It boils down to an industry-wide migration by venues to IP (internet protocol) infrastructures. Stadiums and arenas that hope to maximize the benefits of the digital world will have to rethink the implications of their video strategy. 

Many stadiums today rely on an RF (radio frequency) infrastructure; our goal (at VITEC and Daktronics) is to help our clients better understand the opportunities and options associated with moving to this IP environment. 

Now, we are not saying that this has to happen all at once—though it can depending on the nature of upgrade or renovation strategies. But with a proper and well-thought-out video strategy, venues can phase IP in over time, doing things like staged upgrades over a two-to-five-year timeframe.

The Green Bay Packers are a classic example. They migrated Lambeau Field, which holds more than 80,000 fans, over five years to a complete IP infrastructure. At the end of the day, that IP infrastructure will be one of the most important elements in supporting the fan experience.

This is a way to move forward without breaking the bank. As long as they ultimately get everything in the venue connected; that’s the end game, so to say.

Q: What types of things can venue owners expect to accomplish—and fans expect to see—when these stadiums move to an IP infrastructure? Can you give us some examples?

JW: There are all kinds of implications for enhancing how fans enjoy the experience, and how digital environments can be tailored at the venue for individual fans by allowing personal devices to be integrated into a facility’s network. Fans at home already augment how they view sporting or other live events across multiple screens to gather context on things like player stats and things like that. 

Venues have an opportunity to add more layers of value by integrating unique and exclusive experiences during events—experiences and access to information that cannot be captured at home...and on the go. But there are other benefits associated with integrating IP infrastructures at stadiums and arenas.  

Food service optimization is a great example. A lot of stadiums and arenas have upgraded their food services. While some fans still want a hot dog, others want a nice steak. These different culinary options—from low-end to high-end—today are generally promoted in a fairly conventional manner in most venues. A common digital platform can make it possible for marketers and facility managers to tailor their offerings in a much more targeted and personalized manner based on the data that they can now access.

They can also take advantage of that IP-based technology to better manage point-of-sale and inventory levels, and even change pricing on the fly. Let’s say, for example, one stadium has a glut of nachos; the venue can make a quick decision to have a “nacho sale” promote a lower price across concession screens and the main scoreboard from centrally managed consoles to move products more quickly. 

We can also use those displays to point fans toward the shortest concession lines. These are all part of the new equation that’s possible with a digital IP-infrastructure.

Q: Will an IP infrastructure help in other areas, or just within the stadium itself?

SK: The opportunities can extend well beyond optimizing the fan experience. This technology will blur the lines between business groups operating on the back end that have typically had no practical way of interacting with each other effectively. 

Marketing groups, for instance, do not typically interact with the guest services teams, which in turn have had little contact or interaction with game production crews. 

Even though they all wear the same team logo shirts to work, their missions are often completed in silos. By moving to a digital venue environment, there is a major opportunity to connect these silos and unlock a whole range of untapped value. 

Venues are in a better position to connect the dots between what's happening on the field and how it affects concession stand marketing in new, more effective data-driven ways. 

For instance, if the home team is unexpectedly getting blown out early in a game, we know that people will generally start walking out. In an enhanced digital venue, it will be possible to make decisions that keep those fans within the concourse by offering sales, promotions, or some other compelling reason to stay. It provides the option for making real-time decisions based on the dynamics of the day.

Q: Since this is a digital experience, the venues are using real data. How does that new information shape operational decisions? 

JW: It makes a huge difference, and can provide a range of opportunities depending on timing.

Let’s step back and look at the reason many fans come to games rather than watching from their couches. They like—they love— the social interaction. Looking at newer venues, architects have done a terrific job of designing far more open sightlines that make it possible for fans to leave their seats to areas where they can talk and socialize while still being connected to the featured action in the venue. Maybe it’s a bar or a food area. Venues now have an opportunity, within these small social settings, to create interesting and unique visual experiences.

Look at the National Hockey League (NHL), which is starting to put sensors in the pucks. They’re going to collect that data and create something that is visually appealing—and exciting—for the fans. If you provide this data only within the venue, and not for at-home viewers, you’ve got another compelling reason to attend the event live. It is an example that highlights the value of connecting inner-bowl data to concession spaces and enhancing the fan experience.

Q: Can venues expect a certain ROI from this digital investment?

SK: Absolutely. At the end of the day, it comes down to marketing opportunities and bringing more fans into the venue. We’re seeing a lot of ROI come through the creative use of displays. Venues are installing full video walls, not just a single or double display. These present new marketing opportunities.

If you look at older arenas, most of their information is displayed through printed signs or relatively static video experiences. These visual elements have almost zero impact on the fan. But, if you take that same message and you put it on a screen or an LED board, venues have a much better opportunity to get the fan’s attention.

Those are just some of the ROI models that will change the sponsorship conversations that the marketing team will have with prospects and organizational customers.

Q: So, if I’m a venue and I’d like to move to a digital environment, how do I get started?

JW: Well this is where we have to see a significant change in how venue leaders plan and execute upgrades and renovations. All too often, AV decisions are made as an afterthought. Migration to IP-based venue-networks requires a different perspective. For the increasingly connected fan, the digital experiences become integral to their overall satisfaction.

If you're going from RF to IP, you're going to have to put the network in place first and really engage with all the different groups contributing to the overall enhanced experience venues want delivered to fans. 

That is why it is so important when you’re choosing a company for that migration to work with companies that have done this before. There's a lot of interoperability that must be guaranteed. There's a lot of command and control. There's a lot of integration that has to happen. 

Digital experiences are things that key decision makers should consider carefully, even before selecting technology partners, to create the right fan experiences and the best operational efficiencies.

Q: What role are your organizations playing in this evolution?

JW: Well, we both have a lot of experience and expertise on these issues. More importantly, we have a lot of experience—a proven track record—working together on these complex upgrades and renovations. 

Daktronics focuses on the inner-bowl experience; we, VITEC, focus on the concession and social spaces, including luxury suites, that surround the focal point of the venue. 

Our aim is to have the displays—from the main scoreboard, to the ribbon banners, to the various concession screens, to the mobile devices in fans’ hands—deliver a seamless enhanced and unique venue experience. Fans want to be part of the events they attend. The goal is to provide them with a completely integrated, technology-based experience.

SK: Agreed. VITEC and Daktronics together have an encyclopedic knowledge of how this works. We’re experts in this. We truly provide a best-of-breed service when it comes to delivering in-stadium experiences to locations throughout the venue. 

VITEC and Daktronics bring a level of experience that help venues mitigate risks and maximize the digital fan experience in a profitable manner.

In our series of #RoadtoISE blogs, we're talking with exhibitors about the hottest technologies and trends they're looking to see at ISE 2020.

Q&A with Bruno Teissier, Sales & Marketing Director, VITEC

Q: Why ISE 2020?

BRUNO TEISSIER: ISE provides a fantastic platform to engage with end users, resellers, manufacturers and integrators from all over the world.  Networking is combined with the opportunity to preview the latest cutting-edge AV technology that is new to market. As a company, we use ISE to showcase our newest products, and with the show being so early in the year it always provides a great start to our sales pipeline. For 2020, we will be previewing our new patent pending EZ TV Player Lite™, an enterprise solution that answers the increasing demand for streaming solutions that are compatible with the widely varied IT infrastructure and content requirements that exist today.

Q: What is the most exciting trend you expect to see at the show?

BT: At ISE, there are always products on show that push the boundaries of AV technology. This year, I’m specifically looking forward to seeing improvements in image quality as a big trend. I also expect to interact with the many more end users that now attend the show. 

Q: How will your solutions inspire integrators?

BT:  At stand 14-M200, we think integrators will be inspired by our complete end-to-end eco system of IPTV, digital signage and video wall solutions.  This is a complete solution from a single vendor that can integrate into an overall AV system, which should inspire integrators. They can recommend VITEC for our class-leading performance, reliability, and the ease of use that today’s market demands. 

Q: How will your solutions inspire tech managers?

BT: We are confident that tech managers will be in awe of the sophistication, high end look, one stop shop approach that we offer. These benefits combine with ease of use and deployment, regardless of the size and scope of the project, and onsite staff capabilities.  Our EZ TV Player Lite™ promises reductions in cost, equipment, bandwidth and management in video over IP applications and truly establishes VITEC at the leading edge of video technology developments.

To learn more, visit VITEC in Hall 14-M200 at ISE 2020.

To read more ISE 2020 stories, visit avnetwork.com/tag/ise.

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Esports, the genre of multiplayer video games played online or over a local area network, have quietly become part of mainstream Western culture over the last two decades. In recent years, the movement has graduated from the rec room to conventional sporting venues like London’s O2 Arena and New York's Madison Square Garden, where thousands of spectators have watched gamers compete.

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VITEC recently acquired IPtec, a developer and manufacturer of solutions for low-latency transfer of telemetry and video-over-IP networks. This acquisition is the third the company has made within this vertical in the last 18 months, continuing VITEC's growth in broadcast contribution and remote production.

"IPtec is highly respected in the military and broadcast verticals," said Kevin Ancelin, VP worldwide broadcast sales, VITEC. "IPtec introduces the benefits of J2K, MPEG-2, and legacy H.264 4:2:2 10-bit codec support, as well as a full duplex encoder/decoder and a telemetry-to-IP gateway that complement VITEC's portfolio of high-quality, low-latency HEVC codecs. Together, our solutions will provide customers with a purpose-built technology platform capable of delivering broadcast-quality media streams even under the most extreme conditions."

Effective this month, this acquisition will add IPtec's product families to the VITEC lineup. The current IPtec VNP Series will be maintained as its product roadmap merges into VITEC's HEVC portfolio offering. 

VITEC will also add the TNP Telemetry Network Processor Series, which addresses the need for transmitting timing-sensitive data signals over IP networks in telemedicine, defense, and industrial applications.

American soccer is growing quickly, with Major League Soccer (MLS) reported to have experienced a 27 percent rise in interest since 2012. For many soccer organizations around the nation, it’s meant the development of new stadiums specifically appointed for teams and their fans. Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN, home to the Minnesota United, is the latest venue designed from ground up with the goal of delivering a vibrant experience fans can’t experience watching at home. The $250 million venue encompasses 346,000 square feet and has a seating capacity for 19,400 fans. Not only is the new stadium an icon for the city of Saint Paul but a dynamic venue boasting the most state-of-the-art video technology available. The centerpiece is a 22-by-116-foot videoboard on the field that truly captivates fans in their seats.

While the videoboard delivers the action of the game to fans in the stadium, the team wanted to extend that view to the entire stadium, delivering a high quality, ultra-low-latency live feed of the game to more than 200 displays installed in its premium hospitality clubs, retail store, and concessions. Another demand was integrating digital signage capabilities that would help the organization achieve its digital advertising strategy to boost revenue. With such a large number of screens, the team also required an easy-to-use platform that can be operated by one person, allowing them to power, control, and monitor the status of each screen.

VITEC's EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Solution for Sports Venues was selected to distribute video feeds and signage to screens throughout the stadium. EZ TV along with VITEC’s hardware-based endpoints were specifically designed for sports franchises to stream high-quality live and on-demand video, create dynamic digital signs, and deliver that content to every display over the existing physical and wireless network infrastructure. The platform's network-agnostic, modular architecture can upgrade existing legacy systems or deploy a turnkey IPTV and signage solution for a new build. Sports and entertainment facilities can offer the most advanced fan experience while reducing CapEx and OpEx.

Leveraging the power of VITEC’s EZ TV platform and hardware-based IPTV and signage endpoints, Allianz Field staff can quickly and efficiently distribute, control, and maintain the more than 200 screens within the stadium while also utilizing the solution’s digital signage capabilities to create and display creative content. The solution resolved the challenge of delivering high-quality, broadcast-grade video feed of the game to every screen with low-latency distribution and synchronization between displays over its IP infrastructure. EZ TV’s built-in digital signage creation tools enabled the organization to achieve a dynamic digital signage strategy where they easily distribute targeted content to specific displays throughout the venue. 

With integration between VITEC and the Allianz Field Daktronics board Show Control System, the staff is able to trigger updates to signage for each screen during the games from the same Show Control System. The combined solution makes it simple for a single operator to change campaigns from pregame, to in-game, halftime, and post-show sponsorships during games. Concession data from Appetize is combined with EZ TV’s sophisticated and automated food menu board capabilities, which will allow the organization to create and update every menu board, based on inventory and demand. Suite holders enjoy an enhanced visual experience with access to additional cable channels, real-time updating of the electronic program guide, and video-on-demand content. As result, every fan, no matter where they are in the stadium, is treated to an eye-catching experience.

“We wanted to deliver the very best experience to our fans as well as our operators and advertising staff who need to be able to quickly, easily, and reliably distribute not only the game-day feed to every screen but ensure that we are successfully deploying attention-grabbing content to every screen,” Cole Mayer production engineer, Minnesota United. “It’s a complex job, but VITEC’s IPTV EZ TV and Digital Signage Platform integrates all these capabilities into one program. It exceeded our operational and technological vision. With the power of VITEC, Allianz Field is one the best, most technologically advanced soccer stadiums in the world.” 

A new year (and a new decade!) is almost here—and that means new pro AV products and trends are on the horizon. With ISE 2020 coming up, a flurry of product announcements and releases will follow. Once we have a sense of what those innovations are, we’ll be able to get a clearer picture of what lies ahead for 2020. In the meantime, we’ve asked pro AV manufacturers and distributors what they think will be trending in the new year. 

These pro AV technologists identified many technologies they expect to increase in significance this year including AV over IP, unified communications systems, gigabit Ethernet networks, and various forms of audio and video collaboration technologies. What do you need to know about AV over IP? How are corporate users streamlining productivity? How important will collaboration rooms be in the coming year? What's the status of the AV over IP transition? Read on for some ideas about what's on the horizon.

Kevin Kelly, President and CEO, Stampede

The industry has been talking about AVaaS for years, but now there are companies that can and are actually doing it. AVaaS enables end users to purchase products in an economical way, with an automatic upgrade path in place that will meet their future needs. This is definitely an idea whose time has come and we expect it to become mainstream by the end of 2020.

In addition, autonomous technologies are getting closer to the tipping point. Drones, robots, cars, and STEM/STEAM are red hot topics being discussed throughout the commercial AV industry. The conversation spans from Amazon using robots to pick, pack, and ship packages to unmanned products like drones providing surveillance or assistance on search and recovery operations. These technologies provide a new, safer, and more affordable way to complete tasks that formerly could be accomplished only by people putting themselves at risk.

Ryan Strayer, Senior Director, Distribution Consumer, ViewSonic

Productivity and unified communications are the keywords for 2020. What ViewSonic is seeing and hearing from our AV collaborators and integrators is that their customers—ranging from schools to businesses—are looking for tools to streamline and increase productivity. They are also looking for tools that enable a unified way of communicating with each other, from everyone in the same building to those in remote locations.

Cory Schaeffer, Director Strategic Industry Relations, QSC

In 2020, we will continue to see an acceleration of software-based AV&C solutions, with new features and functionally being added to existing ecosystems with a simple firmware upgrade. We saw this with software-based Dante for the Q-SYS Ecosystem from QSC, announced in 2019, which will allow integrators to enable Dante audio integration without additional hardware. This trend will continue as end users demand more flexible and scalable systems.

We will also see more cloud-based platforms being introduced. IT system administrators are looking for ways to fully monitor their enterprise infrastructure, and up until now, AV has been an outlier for them. In doing so, they can finally use AV data coming in from these monitoring services to help reduce support costs and increase system uptime, while empowering their internal teams with better, more active information to address looming issues.

Paul Harris, CEO/CTO, Aurora Multimedia

SDVoE will be the biggest trend in 2020 as its ASIC version of the semiconductor is released. This will mean very low-power and low-cost 10G AVoIP solutions. Combine that with the dropping costs of 10G Ethernet switches and we’ll see very high-quality signal distribution systems with plenty of scalability. The new lower-power IC will allow the technology to be adopted more easily into displays and wall plates—something the high end 1G cannot do as the power consumption and image quality cannot compete.

Marc Lopez, Vice President of Marketing Americas, d&b audiotechnik

We’ve seen technology trends over the years in the areas of digitalization, connectivity, and user-friendliness. While these trends continue to evolve as part of the norm, aiding workflow and efficiency of the integrator and system operator, we observe a need that brings us full circle to the fundamentals—and that is improving the quality of the experience and engagement for an audience at a venue, facility, or any gathering space.

There are so many distractions brought on by the immediacy of communications and connectivity of personal devices that we are seeing a return of focus to content and production value, which in turn creates demand for high-quality AV solutions to deliver that content and engagement precisely to an audience. A one-size-fits-all approach does not apply to these solutions, so manufacturers will need to focus their efforts on flexible products, along with strong education and applications support for system integrators looking to fulfill the venue requirements.

Brian McClimans, Vice President of Sales, Americas and APAC, Peerless-AV

Collaboration rooms and huddle spaces have been evolving at a rapid pace over the last year. In 2020, I anticipate this to remain a leading area for the pro AV market. We are seeing large advancements in products for this space and a continued need to implement them into corporate environments. I am consistently speaking with customers seeking solutions, like displays, cameras, and equipment for various rooms. At Peerless-AV, we are addressing this growing market by repurposing our video wall mount as a collaboration mounting solution to house the control systems behind displays.

Dennis Holzer, Executive Director, PowerHouse Alliance

4K continues to be popular for commercial AV installations; however, 8K and even 10K are making waves in pro AV—specifically for large screen or video wall applications. As organizations continue to invest in new AV systems, we expect demand for higher video resolutions to climb as pricing becomes more competitive.

Mark D’Addio, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, VITEC

In the last few years, we’ve seen almost all markets move away from RF toward IP-based video distribution because it’s more affordable and offers a high-quality, ultra-low latency stream. This is now trickling into the collegiate market, increasing opportunities for local integrators who have already built solid technology partnerships with higher education organizations. These customers are eager to learn not only how they can distribute video to screens around their football stadium, but also how they can scale the IPTV solution for their entire athletic department, a basketball or hockey arena, or a practice facility where they want a similar visual experience.

(Read about some other ways campus AV and IT departments are reaping the rewards of IP network convergence.)

Joé Lloyd, Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Development, NanoLumens

One of the trends we think will accelerate in the coming year is the introduction of traditionally commercial technologies into in-home environments. This trend has so far manifested itself in a few specific ways, most notably with the increased presence of micro- and mini-LED technologies shown off at trade shows. The smaller pixels in these technologies allow manufacturers to improve resolutions without necessarily increasing display size, but they aren’t quite viable financially for individual consumers yet. There’s a ton of buzz around these products, but for the most part it’s all hat and no cattle. A more realistic example of commercial AV in non-commercial settings has digital artists like Refik Anadol integrating large-format displays into their studios for personal use. I expect others will follow his lead.

Another trend we’ve noticed is an increase in the number of organizations searching for non-traditionality in the sizes, shapes, and locations of the display technology they buy. Just like Anadol eschewed a traditional wall-mounted display by purchasing one on wheels he could roll around his studio, nightclubs, universities, and corporate headquarters are bucking convention and installing weird displays in weird places. New creations come about when people wonder, “Hey, what if we did X?” and it seems this explorative ambition has arrived in the display world.

Matthew Pulsipher, Product Manager, DVIGear

We see two well-defined trends in the area of signal distribution. First, the proliferation of high-performance IP-based matrix switching solutions, and second, an increase in the use of Active Optical Cables as a replacement for traditional signal extension technologies.

There has been a growing demand from the market for SDVoE AVoIP products in 2019. We expect this trend to continue for the next several years as more customers become aware of the many benefits this platform offers—at price points that are often less than other competitive solutions.

Traditional copper cables have become increasingly inadequate in recent years as a result of the very high data rates associated with new signal formats and resolutions. With this newest round of standards, we are rapidly reaching a point where copper cables cannot deliver the performance required to meet many application requirements. The use of optical cables as a superior solution has been well known for nearly two decades; however, cost has always been a factor in widespread adoption.

Joe Andrulis, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Biamp

In 2020 and beyond, the consumer electronics industry and IT will continue to have greater influence on the pro AV industry. After years of growing reliance on easy-to-use and agile mobile devices, users now expect that same experience from AV. Manufacturers are already responding to that demand with technology that works almost right out of the box, is straightforward to install, and is incredibly simple to operate.

In addition, as AV technology has become an integrated part of sophisticated IT systems, security will become a greater priority. Ultimately the AV industry will share increasing responsibility with IT for safeguarding the network as part of the mission to deliver extraordinary AV experiences.

(Read more about the promise of AV over IP for the pro AV market.)

Chris Merrick, Global Marketing Director, Integrated Systems, Shure

Professional AV conferencing in corporate settings will be an ongoing focus and priority for the industry in 2020. Specifically, audio will take center stage. Companies often put resources behind lighting, seating, and displays—but for people on the other end of a video conference, nothing is more important than clear audio. Professionals are looking for natural and easy-to-use audio so they can focus on having productive meetings instead of working to overcome AV inefficiencies.

Lauren Simmen, Director of Marketing, AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection

Conference and collaboration systems are on the rise, as they significantly increase productivity and results, but these systems need to work reliably. They can’t fall victim to downtime from power anomalies, and we’re seeing the growing importance of a power foundation to help integrators keep their installations running at top performance.

Bjorn Krylander, Managing Director, Datapath

The AV-over-IP revolution in pro AV is well underway—plenty of suppliers offer solutions at both 10Gb and 1Gb. While the attempts to create “standards”—whether by SMPTE or SDVoE—have so far met with limited success, the growth rate will continue to accelerate. AV over IP will soon become the preferred way for new local area high-quality and low-latency installations, where video standards—whether HDMI, DVI, or SDI—have ruled in the past. The “standards” question will likely remain of limited significance as wide area networks will not support the required bandwidth for no-compromise quality AV communication for the foreseeable future.

In addition, we should expect to see increasingly powerful software packages on top of AV over IP video distribution solutions that can manage the connectivity offered, mixing different types of content from remote and local sources, providing the interactivity where required, and blocking it where security requirements demands it.

1Gb vs. 10Gb Ethernet—which is right for your AV network?

Richard Bugg, Digital Products Solutions Architect, Meyer Sound and Avnu Alliance/Milan Workgroup Chair

In 2020, advancements in AV networking will continue to be important for the larger industry. We’re moving to a point where everything will be connected on converged data and media networks. The consumer's expectations for rich live and commercial AV experiences continues to increase. While at the same time, the industry's expectations for audio and video technology continue to grow and evolve, demanding more from media networks—including far more connecting devices. Networking is the enabling technology that allows us to deliver those experiences with an interoperable backbone which supports expectations, with ease. Refining an audio and video networking solution that can scale and evolve to meet future needs is the central goal of what we are doing in the Avnu Alliance Milan workgroup.

Dana Corey, General Manager and Vice President of Sales, Avocor

Collaboration technology is a fast-growing segment of the pro AV space and we’ll continue to see that growth in 2020 as manufacturers continue to find ways to streamline and simplify both the integrator/IT manager and end user experience. Total solutions that combine UC hardware and software solve the customer’s needs and challenges, largely how to get their teams working together seamlessly regardless of where they are located, lead the growth for this segment. Interactive collaboration displays combined with video conferencing software is another big trend impacting pro AV—video conferencing can make a huge difference in the quality of business communications, so it’s important that collaboration technology continues to be solutions-based and offer end-to-end support for the evolving technology stack that companies are using today.

The What: VITEC has announced the MGW Diamond OG, a 4K/Multichannel HEVC encoder in an openGear (OG) card format. The modular and open-architecture platform from Ross Video makes for easy integration within production studios and broadcast facilities requiring robust streaming output. 

The What Else: The scalable and flexible solution can deliver up to 10 UHD channels or 40 HD channels in a 2RU, as well as the flexibility to mix and match with compatible OG cards such as the MGW Ace Decoder OG. On IBC stand 7.C34 at IBC2019, VITEC will provide a 4K encoding demonstration of the new solution.

"Last year at IBC, we introduced our MGW Diamond Encoder, bringing customers a powerful, lightweight encoder for applications requiring 4K or multichannel streaming support in a small form factor," said Richard Bernard, senior product manager at VITEC. "This year, we have expanded the options and versatility available within our family of HEVC appliances. Whether organizations need the portable MGW Diamond Encoder that meets stringent size, weight, and power demands or the openGear card for easy integration within production studios, broadcast facilities, or enterprise IT rooms, both encoders can deliver 4K HDR or multiple HD HEVC streams with low latency and high video quality."

The Bottom Line: The versatile MGW Diamond OG enables point-to-point and point-to-multipoint streaming for demanding video applications within broadcast, sports, enterprise, and federal markets. The MGW Diamond OG is ready for UHD, capturing and streaming 4Kp60 video from either its 4x3G-SDI or 12G-SDI inputs. The card supports 4:2:2 10-bit encoding, multichannel audio encoding as well as Zixi, and Pro-MPEG and SRT transport protection technology for reliable video, audio, and metadata transmission over lossy networks.

As the quality of video equipment increases, it’s now possible to have a very capable, broadcast-grade video setup for your enterprise’s streaming needs. We reached out to some industry leaders in the streaming space to get their take on the latest trends and equipment, how client needs are shifting, and how broadcast best practices are influencing pro AV.

With the rapid evolution of technologies and the blurred lines between enterprise-grade streaming and consumer applications, high-end streaming will likely look very different 18 months from now. This article is a snapshot of where we are now and an industry, and what could lie ahead.

Latest Trends

Video streaming has become a core communication tool in many corporate environments, and for some, a primary one. Just a few years ago, there was a mystique around capturing and transporting a high-quality video signal. Flash forward to today, and video streaming has become an indispensable medium across all kinds of enterprises, and for all kinds of reasons. So, perhaps the number one trend, simply put, is “more.”

As the practice proliferates, it is also helping to maximize operational efficiencies. Because video streaming has become a corporate mainstay, companies want to minimize their dependency on dedicated IT and AV staff to support their streaming needs, other than coordinating with IT to ensure streaming traffic is not blocked on the corporate network.

“Departments want to be as operationally self-sufficient as possible, and need easy-to-use tools that enable them to stream even with little technical experience,” said Nick Ma, CEO and CTO of Magewell. “This is better for the IT and AV teams too, who can spend more of their time on higher-value projects and tasks and less time on basic operational support. “

Ma also pointed out that there are two different use cases for corporate streaming: internal streaming within a corporation (for training, employee town hall meetings, global communications for large teams, etc.) and streaming from a corporation to external viewers (shareholder meetings, public announcements, product launch events, etc.). In most cases, it’s important to take both into consideration. 

Another trend is encoding for a broad audience. When it comes to external streaming, Kevin Ancelin, VP of worldwide broadcast sales for VITEC, said that a primary concern for his company is making sure their solutions offer the capability to ingest and encode SDI for transport to all the major OTT/social platforms. Social media has become essential both as a means of communication as well as a performance metric for many organizations.

Quality and Quantity

Having a consistent and dependable signal, no matter what the use case, is increasingly expected. Organizations are wise to the value of data and content, and they are making efforts to create better quality and more highly produced media for myriad applications ranging from training, to collaboration, to corporate culture development, and much more. 

“Livestreaming is being constantly optimized,” said Sam Recine, director of sales at Matrox. “The ability to deliver live streaming content on many different devices at any location on earth, while balancing quality, latency, bitrate, and interoperability, is constantly improving.”

Load Balancing

Matrox’s Recine goes on to discuss a recent streaming hot topic: load balancing. He sees a shift from doing only “core streams” to the cloud and then doing all transcoding there, to the encoders acting as the capture point. They send multiple resolutions straight from the encoder simultaneously to help offload recurring transcoding expenses. Doing so helps reduce loss of quality during transcoding in the cloud, and to help reduce latency in livestreaming applications. 

Similarly, on the recording side for on-demand streaming applications—which is still the bulk of the streaming market today—the ability to record in multiple resolutions during capture maximizes on-demand playback versatility.

Shifting Workflow Patterns

Multi-camera/multi-source workflows are attractive because they give audiences the customization of choosing different vantage points of a particular event, and allow you to easily weave camera feeds alongside presentation materials for a higher quality viewing experience. 

“Consumers are now more used to seeing 4K/Ultra HD and HDR across their everyday viewing platforms, and it enhances the picture quality of their streams; as a result, we’re seeing greater demand for better bandwidth availability to support both,” said Bryce Button, director of productd marketing at AJA. 

Looking specifically at standards, our experts agree that H.264 is still preferred, but as enterprises consider 4K, they’re starting to see more inquiries around H.265. While HEVC is appealing for internal corporate streaming applications because of its bandwidth efficiency, H.264 continues to be the go-to solution. H.264 is needed for compatibility with most external streaming applications and platforms (i.e. social media), and still offers the broadest viewing device compatibility for both internal and external uses. So 4K, while a big buzzword, currently remains more relevant for entertainment and sports streaming than for enterprise applications. In terms of sources, a majority of clients in enterprise want HDMI. But in the near future, expect to see a more hybrid approach with SDI and HDMI sources being converted into the IP space.

Latest Market Solutions

There were some themes that emerged when experts offered their opinions on recent market solutions in the space.

• More robust encoding capabilities on both the hardware and software side of the market;
• Shift to both PC-based and appliance based ecosystem for load balancing;
• Better cloud services for interfacing and delivering a wide range of UX experiences;
• Simplified image processing hardware and software, focused on feature extraction;
• More IP-capable hardware and software solutions to enhance participation in live and on-demand streaming applications.

At Magewell, Ma said “Our focus has been developing robust solutions that have plug-and-play simplicity, so even non-technical users can create high-quality streaming content. Our Ultra Stream standalone encoders, for example, allow users to stream to an internal server or to external third-party services with simple on-device buttons, or even through an intuitive smartphone app.”

VITEC’s Ancelin said his company has been rapidly responsive to evolving marketplace requirements. Recently, Facebook added the requirement of Secure RTMP streaming, aka RTMPS. VITEC quickly identified this requirement and added RTMPS to its line of T-21 OTT Streaming Media Solutions. That will continue to be priority for the solutions the company offers.

Hardware Offers Versatility

There so many paths you can take to livestream content. Some forward-thinking companies, like AJA, look to span the gamut of options. For example, Button pointed out the versatility of the company’s all-in-one device, AJA HELO. HELO has the added benefit of extremely low latency.

“HELO’s input can be easily sourced from a single source or from a switcher, which provides a line cut from multi-camera inputs,” Buttons said. “HELO then simultaneously streams the feed to your preferred platform (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Live, etc.) while also producing an H.264 recording.”

In terms of sources, experts report a majority of clients in enterprise want HDMI. That said, the industry has developed a number of sophisticated approaches involving SDI, and IP is always a consideration. In the future, expect to see more hybrid approaches with SDI and HDMI sources being converted into the IP space. 

The Marriage of AV and IP

As hardware solutions proliferate, IP solutions are booming to an even greater degree—and anufacturers in the enterprise streaming space are taking note. In fact, this ongoing trend is driving many recent innovations at Matrox. 

“We are already supporting second- and third-generation applications of IP, including IP-to-IP capture and encoding workflows,” Recine said. “For example, we have products that can take in uncompressed video over 10G or 25G IP links. And we can share that video over high-bandwidth networks while simultaneously compressing and making that content available for low-bitrate portions of the ecosystem.”

No matter the solution options, clients still need compatibility with HDMI and SDI sources, as they don’t want to jettison their existing investments. As such, as the market transitions to AV-over-IP workflows, tools such as Magewell's Pro Convert family of NDI encoders and decoders are essential for bridging HDMI and SDI signals with the new IP architectures.

Broadcast and pro AV clients are also asking for simplicity and ease of use when building solutions so that components like capture and encoder products, cloud services, and delivery mechanisms well together, and without complexity or compatibility issues.

Broadcast Best Practices

Low latency has long been a requirement in broadcast, and it’s also quickly becoming the expectation in enterprise streaming—so it can help to use technology from companies with a strong history of providing solutions in broadcast environments.

By far, the best practice to focus on is “standards.” The early waves of AV over IP accepted single-vendor ecosystems, but that is rapidly changing. Now, sole source and/or proprietary encoding schemes work against AV providers. The market is demanding interoperability of legacy systems while fully leveraging the new wave of IP-based benefits. No enterprise wants to abandon systems that still provide tremendous value for them.

“IP-to-baseband and baseband-to-IP converters based on open standards are going to be very, very, very popular in AV, and begin replacing the AV matrix switch market,” said Matrox’s Recine. “SMPTE ST-2110 in particular has been adopted in live broadcast. There are hundreds of manufacturers building interoperable products. Now the attention has turned to AV, and organizations such as AIMS are beginning to promote the spec in the AV market while also collecting feedback to enhance the spec for AV-specific applications.”

Driving Momentum

As end users become more adept at mastering streaming technology (and let’s face it, they already are!), expect them to bring that expertise into the workplace. The wide array of solutions will likely converge into a few consolidated and universal platforms that nearly anyone can master. As the playing field levels, application of the technology can become more strategic and focused in terms of content quality, frequency, and technical superiority.

What Lies Ahead?

Nick Ma, Magewell: “Streaming will continue to become further entrenched in the enterprises’ internal and external communication strategies. That ease may ultimately lead to ‘technical invisibility,’ where the technology is so easy to use and pervasive that you don’t even notice it any more; you just use it naturally.”

Kevin Ancelin, VITEC: “Enterprise streaming will only continue to grow. The traditional streaming to TV set tops will decrease as more streaming is consumed to CE devices including, phones, tables, PCs, and smart TVs. We’ll see a proliferation of new OTT companies entering the marketplace.”

Bryce Button, AJA: “Video is one of the most powerful means of communication available for delivering a message, so we fully expect that the demand for video streaming in enterprise will continue to grow at breakneck speeds, with technology also growing to meet the demand.”

Sam Recine, Matrox: “The curated content market, also known as ‘enterprise video’ has so much value still to gain from machine learning and image processing technologies that we will see a gold rush for high-quality, low-bitrate content to record everything. I believe the content will be tested continuously to refine metrics of what people retain and what people enjoy consuming. And I believe the future of video is its usefulness.”

VITEC’s EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Solution for Sports Venues was recently installed in the Welsh-Ryan Arena at Northwestern University (NU). As part of the $110-million renovation, EZ TV distributes low-latency, high-quality live game day feeds, digital signage and video wall content, and IPTV streams from multiple service providers to more than 75 screens in the facility. This enables NU to create eye-catching digital signage campaigns or point-of-sale menu boards and centrally manage every content feed and IPTV streams from the same intuitive user interface, improving fan engagement, facility management, and revenue.

"The Chicago area is home to many professional sports teams and spectacular entertainment venues,” said Brian Baptiste, NU's deputy director of athletics for capital projects and operations. “This environment has driven our fans to expect a similar memorable and captivating experience at our games. VITEC's EZ TV puts NU's Welsh-Ryan Arena in the same class as the top sports facilities in the world. Now, whether fans are attending a basketball game, volleyball game, or wrestling match, screens throughout the venue are delivering all the action happening on the court, with striking digital signage and video wall content to every corner of the arena."

EZ TV's high-performance, hardware-based endpoints carry the on-court action to more than 75 displays installed around the concourse, at the concessions, and within the Wilson Club over the facility's existing network infrastructure, engaging fans while reducing the capital and operational expenses associated with legacy solutions. Within the same centralized platform, the school's small broadcast operations staff and sponsorship team is able to quickly create and manage video wall content, campaigns, and point-of-sale menu boards while generating new revenue opportunities.

VITEC's 100-percent hardware-based video processors feature low-latency native playback of IPTV streams up to 4K and support interactive content, video, and imagery transformations. More than 50 displays can be managed from a single processor, including nonstandard layouts and resolutions of TVs. The high-performance solution also supports scalability into the future with VITEC's mobile app, Media Library, and a suite of modular tools that further streamline media processes from live streaming to recording, archiving, and collaboration—allowing users to manage a full digital video experience across an entire venue.

"NU's Welsh-Ryan Arena is a great example of the IPTV, digital signage, and video content demands facing collegiate athletics today," said Joe Walsh, VP of sales, sports and entertainment venues, at VITEC. "With the superior quality, proven reliability, and versatility of EZ TV, NU has created an exciting fan experience while being able to meet any future video and streaming requirements down the road. We are proud to be a part of revving up the fan energy and entertainment that will keep fans coming back for years to come."

The What: At NAB 2019, VITEC will demonstrate its “zero-latency” MGW Ace Encoder and MGW Ace Decoder solution, which the company says achieves video contribution with no visible delay. 

The What Else: Powered by the VITEC HEVC GEN2+ codec, the solution delivers 16-millisecond glass-to-glass latency. This codec provides HEVC video quality up to 4:2:2 10-bit. The MGW Ace Encoder and MGW Ace Decoder pair provide flexible connectivity options, including HD-SDI and HDMI, and are backward compatible with H.264.

“We are excited to showcase the VITEC zero-latency HEVC solution at NAB this year,” said Philippe Wetzel, founder and CEO, VITEC. “I take pride in the engineering capability of VITEC’s R&D teams to deliver an HEVC codec that achieves latency that is even faster than a blink of an eye. There is no visible delay.” 

The Bottom Line: The MGW Ace solution is designed to deliver bandwidth-efficient HEVC in a compact, low-power-consumption form factor for contribution workflows that require the highest video quality and lowest latency.

Catch up on highlights from Day 4 at ISE 2019.

The What: VITEC (Stand 14-M200) will showcase the latest capabilities of its EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform at ISE 2019. 

The What Else: VITEC's EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform is engineered for the ever-changing video, marketing, and sales requirements of today's sports venues as well as for the secure dissemination and content management of full-motion video streams and offline files for enterprise and mission-critical applications and government agencies. Designed to integrate with any IT environment and run on all types of networks—LAN, WAN, and wireless—EZ TV can be rapidly deployed for nearly any size project. With centralized creation, distribution, and monitoring of live and on-demand content and digital signage, the platform streamlines the process of linear and non-linear workflows. Its network-agnostic, modular architecture allows organizations to upgrade legacy systems or deploy a turnkey IPTV and signage solution for a new build at a fraction of the cost of traditional digital signage solutions, according to the company. For sports and entertainment facilities, EZ TV can offer advanced fan experiences while reducing CAPEX and OPEX often associated with legacy solutions.

"We're seeing more outdated RF-based facilities being transformed by EZ TV," said Bruno Teissier, international sales and marketing director, VITEC. "Not only is the platform bringing them into the IPTV world, it's also improving OPEX, supporting HD and even 4K as they explore future capabilities, and allowing users and fans to access digital media from any screen—TVs, PCs, or mobile devices—and have the video-on-demand experience they crave. ISE 2019 is the perfect opportunity for VITEC to discuss with attendees how EZ TV's latest innovations can simplify deployment and management of projects involving IPTV, digital signage, and video wall content."

The platform's video wall capability is designed to simplify deployment and management of projects. VITEC's video wall processors are 100-percent hardware-based, feature low-latency native playback of IPTV streams up to 4K, and support interactive content and imagery transformations. More than 50 displays can be managed from a single processor, including nonstandard layouts and resolutions of TVs and LED walls.

With the rapid adoption of video streaming and recording workflows, organizations increasingly face challenges related to storing, searching, and playing back valuable assets effectively. EZ TV's new Media Library module enables users to find, tag, edit, organize, store, search, and share media files quickly. Featuring a user-intuitive HTML5 interface, its tools streamline media processes from live streaming to recording, archiving, and collaboration, allowing users to manage a full digital video experience across an entire venue.

The Bottom Line: Designed for sports and entertainment venues, enterprise, government, and military agencies in Europe and the U.S., EZ TV's feature set enables organizations to centrally manage and stream HD, low-latency, in-house feeds and TV channels, as well as create eye-catching digital signage and video walls for distribution to any display through a facility.

Whether it’s security camera feeds, videoconferences, or an all-hands meeting, real-time video is increasingly going over IP networks, both local (LAN) and wide area (WAN). Sending audio and video signals over IP (AV over IP) promises to save time and enhance scalability, but it also presents immediate challenges, such as ensuring quality of service (QoS). AV providers must ensure minimal latency so that packet loss or jitter does not distract from the overall video experience. 

Video is bandwidth-heavy, but the ratio of quality to bandwidth consumed and video flow control are improving. AV over IP encoder/decoder ports saw a 130 percent growth in sales last year, according to Futuresource Consulting, the UK-based analysis firm. In stadiums, government halls, worship facilities, and universities, where real-time video is desired but low latency is essential, integrators have more options from which to choose. 

A New Year, A New Program

Clint Hoffman, CEO of Kramer USA, sees growing interest in real-time video over IP systems—and AV over IP in general—and thinks 2019 will be a banner year of sorts. “We’re seeing AV over IP being used in many applications instead of traditional matrix routing and traditional proprietary signal highways like HDMI and HDBaseT.”

Instead of bringing in a fixed matrix, and then laying in dedicated signal highways that are AV-proprietary, both tech managers and integrators see the benefit of routing virtually, creating a virtual matrix using AV over IP.

“We certainly are seeing an uptick in stadiums—we have a tremendous application at a stadium in Sweden,” Hoffman added.

Kramer has 136 decoders as part of a sophisticated AV over IP system in a U.S. casino. Hoffman also sees real-time video on the rise in colleges and universities.

Mark D’Addio, senior vice president of sales and marketing at VITEC, also sees stadiums as an ideal fit for real-time video over IP, where low latency is expected and high quality is needed. “They [stadium operators] don’t want to have a lot of delay, especially at screens where you can see the action from a luxury suite.”

AV over IP enables powerful digital signage upgrade at Lucas Oil Stadium

Flexibility

Michael Brandes, QSC’s product manager for Q-SYS video, agrees that IP-based video provides an enhanced level of flexibility. “I think the flexibility that network video provides—what we call right-sized matrices, where you’re not bound by symmetrical views—will catalyze growth in this space.”

The basics of AV over IP infrastructure

He explained that, with networked video, you can create a 5-input-by-200-output matrix more affordably than you could in the days of fixed point-to-point video. Also, the AVoIP paradigm is no longer considered bleeding edge. “Customers are at the point now where they’re using enough networked controls, systems, and networked audio systems—certainly in QSC’s case—where the aversion to networking has diminished,” he added.

Indeed, the industry has embraced convergence for a long time, but in reality, convergence is a continuum. “We’ve moved to digital video signals, but that’s not convergence,” Brandes said. “We’ve put TCP socket connections on projectors so that we can monitor them, but that’s not really convergence, either,” he argued.

But now we have manufacturers like QSC, who make products that work and meet AV needs, including new video products for the meeting room that will be unveiled this month.

What’s the status of the AV over IP transition?

Still 1080p, But 4K Over IP Is Coming Quickly

While many of today’s customers are still looking at 1080p HD over IP, just as many are building the infrastructure to support 4K over IP down the road. It is a future-proofing measure that makes sense.

“We already have 4K encoders and decoders,” said D’Addio. VITEC’s MGW Ace Decoder is a high-performance IP decoding appliance that supports the latest bandwidth-efficient HEVC/H.265 and H.264/AVC compression standards, and it will be upgradable to 4K. “HEVC and 4K go hand in hand for a lot of customers. It is true that when you move to 4K video, you’re increasing the bandwidth, so whatever you can do to minimize or to optimize the stream is great. With VITEC’s HEVC technology, which we’re scaling up to 4K, this is a big deal. You can have a really nice stream in 4K that may be only 15 or even 10 megabits per second.”

Government applications continues to drive real-time video over IP. From local government to the military to the U.S. House of Representatives, where VITEC has products, real-time streaming can serve video around a building, so people can watch video on a desktop using a browser, or they can view video on endpoint set-top boxes connected to TVs. Some users stream via government satellites.

Extending to Mobile

With AVoIP, managers can stream to mobile devices in addition to delivering feeds to installed screens on-site. Some systems with browser-based players offer multiviewer modes, in which users can explore different camera feeds during a live event or live sports game. Bonuses like this help to enhance the fan or visitor experience.

Additional Functionality

Brandon White, director of new product development at Vanco, explained that another benefit of IP-based video systems is increased functionality. “We’re incorporating other types of features within the product—not just static audio and video, but also video walls and on-screen display messages and images you can use for digital signage,” White said. For example, the Vanco EVO-IP system on-stream messages can overlay the video, a helpful feature within educational and commercial applications.

With new stadiums, next-generation AVoIP solutions make sense; end users will need to invest in the proper infrastructure and wiring to support high-level AV. But what about renovations? Real-time video over IP is tricky if the renovated facility doesn’t have the right infrastructure in place, if they don’t have the proper network cable, or if they still have RF cable around their stadium or venue. Graduating from RF to IP can be cumbersome and expensive. It can be good opportunity for a savvy integrator, though, to discuss the benefits of IP-based video, since latency is no longer a deal-breaker.

IT Skills Gap?

Another challenge that remains in this new era of AVoIP is the need for IT acumen within an AV integration firm. As Kramer’s Hoffman sees it: “You have to have people with IT skillsets and IT talent on your team.” To that end, Kramer, other vendors, and AVIXA offer AVoIP training courses and certifications.

Content security is incredibly important for all AV stakeholders, which is why VITEC “implements AES encryption, 256-bit,” said D’Addio. “And this is something, as far as protecting content, that end-users are managing. Businesses will often have relationships with Comcast or with the TV provider, for example. We have several different options for protecting content, and we support end-to-end services with AES encryption and decryption—any type of stream.”

The key, D’Addio added, is that that while fully featured, a system has to be secure and “very simple to use.”

For integrators who want to learn more about risks in networked AV systems and how to develop risk mitigation management plans, explore AVIXA’s Recommended Practices for Security in Networked AV Systems.

Leveling Up on IT

Various vendors offer certification and training programs for industry professionals who wish to invest in their AV over IP and IT networking skills.

Matrox Knowledge Net Training Sessions

Kramer Academy AV over IP Certification Program

SDVoE Alliance

VITEC will showcase the new video wall and media library capabilities of its broadcast-grade EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform, the MGW Ace encode and decode solution, and MGW Diamond, the compact and portable quad-channel HEVC encoder now available within VITEC's HEVC encoding and decoding product portfolio, in stand 7.C34 at IBC2018, September 14-18, in Amsterdam.

VITEC will demonstrate its ecosystem of HEVC video contribution and distribution solutions with the all-new MGW Diamond encoder, its MGW Ace encoder and decoder, and its VITEC Playout Server, a point-to-point HEVC contribution and distribution server. Making its European debut at the IBC2018, the MGW Diamond adds quad-channel HEVC encoding in a compact and portable form factor to the VITEC HEVC family. The all-new VITEC Playout Server provides an efficient platform to manage, capture, preview, and distribute IPTV streams, complementing VITEC's point-to-point HEVC contribution ecosystem. At the show, VITEC will also demonstrate its latest codec innovation for its MGW Ace encoder and MGW Ace decoder pair, with ultra-low-latency streaming down to 30ms glass-to-glass.

At the show, VITEC will showcase the EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform with newly integrated media library capabilities, which adds a timesaving meta-solution for media professionals to tag, edit, organize, store, and share media files. This open system is adaptable to industry-specific workflows and allows all types of media to be filed consistently with the highest degree of security. In addition, the media library features a deep-learning auto-annotation tool and a video stock footage management application with responsive design and mobile device support.

In addition, VITEC will highlight its new series of video wall processors as part of the enterprise-grade EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform. The video wall processors are 100-percent hardware-based; feature low-latency, native playback of IPTV streams up to 4K; and support interactive content, video, and imagery transformations—all managed and scheduled from EZ TV Platforms' software. VITEC's high-performance video wall processors can power up to four discrete video walls and more than 50 displays from a single unit. Advanced features include support for nonstandard layouts and resolutions of TVs and LED walls, edge blending, and eye-catching effects.