Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

InfoComm Best of Show Awards 2018

These awards recognize outstanding products exhibited at the 2018 InfoComm Show. Winners were selected from more than 200 submitted entries by a panel of professional users and editors, who demo’ed and/or viewed the entries on the show floor. Judges evaluated the products against a set of criteria including perceived ease of use, installation, and maintenance; performance versus the category standard; richness and relevance of the feature set; network friendliness; versatility; value/ROI; and anticipated reliability. Congratulations to all the designers, engineers, and decision-makers involved with these products.

Apollo Enclosures PRO-X75

This commercial grade all-weather outdoor digital signage display enclosure is part of the Apollo’s affordable Pro-X line for ultra-high bright (1500-4000) nit outdoor applications for 70- to 75-inch ultra-bright displays in portrait and landscape. All-aluminum, powder-coated, and anti-reflective. Judges liked the combination of the Tight-Seal Technology and the thermostatically controlled and filtered multi-fan air-flow system that claims to protect from -4 degrees to 122 degrees F. Power cable is 9’ outdoor rated; signal cables are protected by a watertight cover entrance (or choose direct conduit for both). Judges evaluated all entries for ease of installation and service; this model includes EZ Swing TV Mount brackets, six internal outlets and 3 auxiliary outlets, and an expanded media compartment cover for bigger components. The affordable price and swap out option were attractive from a cost and cost of ownership standpoint. “An interesting alternative solution.”

Audio-Technica 3000 Series UHF Wireless Systems

Now in its fourth generation, this system had already earned respect from judges for its proven latency-free, high-fidelity RF audio performance. This generation makes significant upgrades to face the realities of the congested RF environment. The true diversity 3000 Series systems have an operating range of 300 feet (100 meters) and two frequency bands – DE2 (470–530 MHz) and EE1 (530–590 MHz) – for a 60 MHz tuning range, which is more than twice that offered by the previous 3000 Series models. GUI elements make scanning, synching and backup simpler. Multiple component/system purchase options available. Judges liked the flexibility of interchangeable capsules and the ability to use capsules from other manufacturers and zeroed in on the “robust feature set,” especially on the receiver with its dual-mode display, key metering, balanced/unbalanced output, ground-lift switch, and A/B antenna input jacks. The body-pack’s new rugged cH-style screw-down 4-pin connector sealed the deal for a product that is packed with features that demonstrate real-world expertise.

Avocor F-Series

This new interactive touchscreen platform impressed judges as “very innovative and exceptionally responsive.” Its dramatically thin and light surface is the palette. Avocor’s InGlass inking GUI supports the latest UC software tools, including the Microsoft 365 ecosystem with Teams, Skype for Business and Whiteboard, to show Windows (including cloud content) at room scale up to 85 inches. Judges experienced the faster touch performance and realistic writing experience delivered by InGlass (it’s backed with Gen4 touch technology from market-leader FlatFrog). The specially designed 3mm-tipped stylus pens provide users with extremely accurate writing on the display for up to 4 people. The F Series also includes four passive pens or up to 20 points of simultaneous touch, which enhance group collaboration globally. Object awareness means the display can easily recognize whether you are touching the screen with a pen, finger or palm. Plenty of connectivity options, including the latest Intel OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) slot for 4K@60. Supports Barco Clickshare or WePresent and sharing over third-party displays.

Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast

This thoroughly engineered video wall system truly addresses real-world pain points such as installation time, ease-of-servicing, reliability, and mounting, considerations that aren’t always solved in a comprehensive and integrated way. It’s a model of customer-driven, top-to-bottom response to issues large and small. “The UniSee solution greatly simplifies the installation and maintenance process of LCD video walls. As a way to lower the specialty skills needed to maintain and swap panels it is a huge cost of ownership reduction. While we prefer to have AV techs maintaining video walls, the reality is that many video walls suffer from substandard performance that can be solved by a person with an Allen key.” Worth singling out is the gravity-driven UniSee mounting structure. The product also excels on image with bezel-less viewing and a .3mm gap (supported with a proprietary mounting technology) as well as automatic real-time continuous calibration for color and brightness edge to edge, and across multiple creative configurations.

BARCO UniSee

Judges were “very impressed” with two new innovations to the Tesira platform: a power over Ethernet (PoE+) amplifier and a series of Beamtracking ceiling microphones. These new devices all integrators to leverage Biamp’s full product portfolio with a total room solution in mind. Pitched at mid-sized rooms, it is both high-end with 360-degree room coverage and beamtracking and cost-effective. The pendant microphones are aesthetically-pleasing and may sway designers who think they prefer ceiling tiles. The four-channel, PoE+ conferencing amplifier can be placed wherever it’s needed, including, significantly, air-handling spaces. Judges spotted the ease of installation and attendant cost savings, as well as the consideration paid to handling peak loads with a patented burst technology that can provide up to 50 watts per channel on demand. “An excellent product pairing for medium-sized conference rooms under one line. Innovative burst amplification technology worked very well.”

Biamp Systems Tesira PoE+ amplifier and Beamtracking ceiling microphones

This new compact $3500 camera works with existing B4 broadcast HD lenses, can be used for both HD and Ultra HD production, features a 4K sensor, extended video dynamic range, traditional external controls and buttons, built-in optical ND filters, dual CFast and dual SD card recorders, and more. One key is the new extended video mode, which captures accurate skin tones and vibrant colors that don’t need color correction before air. Perfect for worship. The camera records via ProRes onto inexpensive standard SD cards, UHS-II cards, and CFast cards, and records 1080i or 2160p video into standard .mov files. “A great camera with robust features, easy to use, and a wide arrange of accessories, all at a remarkably low price. The interchangeability of accessories with other lenses and accessories from Blackmagic and other manufacturers adds to the value.”

Canon U.S.A REALiS WUX7500 LCOS Projector

Judges saw native WUXGA, 7500 lumens, and high contrast ratio at only 27db*2, along with interchangeable lens options and advanced features for a projector pitched at higher education, corporate applications, advertising, marketing, houses of worship, simulation, training, museums, galleries, and more. They liked the flexible Installation, and the lineup of six interchangeable lenses with their convenient spigot design. “Very quiet. Very flexible.”

Christie Guardian

Launched at the show, Christie Guardian is a feature of Christie Mystique Install Essentials Edition and Pro Venue Edition tools. Guardian is a powerful solution that can correct projector alignment invisibly, even when content is playing, and earned a “can’t live without” rating from judges. Guardian works exclusively with the Christie Boxer Series and the all-new Crimson Series of 3DLP laser phosphor projectors. It does not require light patterns to align and blend the image to the screen: the software automatically scans for misaligned blended images and, while the content is playing, almost instantaneously realigns them. At InfoComm judges saw this live and were sold. “An outstanding hands-on demo; for blended projection applications, this is a must-have for maintaining image alignment on the fly.”

Cleerline Technology Group SSF CLEERFIBER

This remarkably strong, flexible, and easy-to-run fiber optic cable is now transparent. The cable can virtually disappear into any indoor setting, so it provides signal distribution without the necessity of penetrating walls, making it possible to discreetly connect components with a cable that resembles fishing line. Inside it is a single strand of SSF 50/125/250 μm multimode fiber incorporating Cleerlie’s patented SSF polymer coating for extra durability and bend-insensitivity. The cable can be routed and placed inconspicuously along baseboards or ceilings, up walls, or directed anywhere for easy indoor point-to-point cable placement. The cable can be caulked and painted over, becoming virtually invisible. SSF simplifies any installation project, delivering signals to equipment previously inaccessible without unsightly cabling. Available terminated LC/LC or SC/SC and reels of 75 or 125 ft. “Good solution for products lacking proper infrastructure.”

Crestron Electronics DM NVX Series with Dante Support

It’s the only secure network AV solution that now supports Dante and AES67 – just in time, according to judges: “Dante is an overdue add to this product line.” Promising to eliminate the latency associated with network video, DM NVX provides a high-performance, real-time AV encoder or decoder that transports 4K60 4:4:4 video over standard Gigabit Ethernet and enables fully-scalable, enterprise-wide 4K content distribution. Support for HDR video (HDR10) and HDCP 2.2 ensures picture quality and compatibility for today’s varied media sources. From a security standpoint, judges saw it as an enterprise-grade solution that fulfills demanding IT policies.

Crestron Electronics DM Lite

This is a new ecosystem of simple, interchangeable signal extender products. Designed to combine high performance, flexible form factor, and wide selection, it also won with judges on price. “A solid offering for cost-limited projects and smaller applications; a good offering to augment installs where price is an issue.” Simple to deploy, and available in both 1-gang and standalone boxes, DM Lite products are ideal for basic point-to-point and small auto-switching applications. They can extend 1080p signals up to 70m, and 4K60 4:2:0 signals up to 40m using Cat-5e. Designed to meet the need for inexpensive video extenders in small offices, conference rooms, and classrooms. The line currently consists of six transmitters and four receivers, any of which can be mixed and matched, and can be paired with Crestron extenders with HDMI connectivity.

D-Tools System Integrator 2018

This latest release of D-Tools’ professional estimation and budgeting, system design, and project management software provides new performance enhancements, in addition to system design and productivity improvements, there are new features to support profitability. For instance, the Change Order process was re-engineered to enable the creation of multiple, persistent Change Orders while also adding a new approval process for Change Order acceptance. New Project and Catalog improvements allow users to clone products and labor items when adding accessories or items to a package. Service Orders can also now be created for archived projects, allowing multiple packages to be added at once to a project from the Mobile Quote Explorer. “One of the best software system design platforms in the industry.”

Draper TecVision XH800X UST ALR

Most ALR screen surfaces are manufactured to reflect off-axis ambient light away from the viewer and traditionally can hotspot with ultra-short throw projection. TecVision XH800X UST ALR rejects up to 57 percent of off-axis ambient light and has a reasonable gain of 0.8 without sacrificing projection light. It also reduces hot spotting issues often found with short throw projection. Our judges found it to be a “problem solver, great for classrooms,” where the lights need to be kept on for students and instructors to work together. Available in NanoPerf up to 102 inches image height, TecVision XH800X UST ALR works with lens throw distance ratio of 0.25:1 or longer for best brightness uniformity.

DVIGear, Inc. HyperLight® DisplayPort v1.4 Active Optical Cables

A new generation of advanced Active Optical Cables (AOC), the DVI-26xxx-AOC series supports DisplayPort 1.4, providing a wide range of features in a lightweight form-factor. Competitively priced for both consumers and integrators, they are fully HDCP 1.4/2.2 compliant. They transport signals with data rates up to 32.4 Gbps (HBR3) and support bidirectional communication over AUX channels for EDID, HDCP, and Link Training. HyperLight cables support very high resolution applications at 4K/60Hz (4:4:4) with cable lengths from 3 to 100 meters, and 8K/30Hz (4:4:4) at lengths up to 50 meters, which impressed judges: “Unlimited bandwidth and distance over glass.” Integrators will appreciate the ease of installation in narrow conduits as well as in plenum spaces.

Dynacord IPX series power amplifiers

The series is comprised of four powerful 4- and 8-channel amplifier models ranging from 5,000 to an impressive 20,000 watts of total output power. Judges felt users could expect great flexibility both for low- and high-impedance applications with parallel, parallel/bridged power drive modes, while benefiting from up to 50 percent less power consumption thanks to Dynacord Eco Rail technology. “The Eco Rail stood out as an innovative feature that provides excellent flexibility for mixed use audio systems in a single amplifier.” With fully integrated 96 kHz DSP with FIR-Drive processing and OMNEO IP architecture supporting Dante audio networking and OCA protocol, Dynacord pitches this for mid- to large-sized permanent installations.

Epson Pro L12000Q Native 4k 3LCD Laser Projector

“An impressive large-venue video projector,” said the judges, who liked that this 12,000 lumen native 4K 3LCD laser projector comes equipped with features such as swappable interface boards and compatibility with existing Epson projector lenses, including the new ultra short-throw ELPLX02 lens. The Pro L12000Q is versatile, compact and lightweight, making it easy to integrate into existing infrastructure and technology. The projector also features backward lens compatibility, geometry correction assist, and edge-blending assist for more creative possibilities. Designed for quality color output, easy setup, instant on and off features, and virtually maintenance-free operation for up to 20,000 hours with a laser light source.

FSR DR-EDID (Doctor EDID)

The DR-EDID Emulator allows the installer to simply and quickly modify information with a rotary switch to select between 16 pre-installed settings or copy the EDID from any device, a touch judges found “innovative.” This will simplify issues that often arise when performing video system integration, or when left in place, it will permanently set the EDID of the system. Essentially, it’s “a product that solves an ongoing problem.” The unit is designed to manipulate the EDID information provided to a connected HDMI source or any device connected prior to the unit in the HDMI chain. The DR-EDID is a unique self-powered bidirectional device that can be inserted onto either end of any HDMI cable.

IHSE USA 8X16 DisplayPort Dual Head 4K KVM Matrix

IHSE’s Draco Compact XV 16×8 Fiber Matrix system for Dual Head display workstations delivers a Dual Head 4K KVM Matrix solution, no small feat as it “steps into an already crowded field,” but the judges found this KVM to beat out some competition by being “flexible and powerful.” Based on IHSE’s instant switching technology, the Draco XV 4K matrix system is designed to meet the extreme bandwidth requirements for sharing multiple UHD and DCI Cinema video signals in the same switch fabric. It’s a fixed size KVM system supporting up to 16 Dual Head 4K computers and 8 Dual Head 4K monitors at resolutions up to 4096×2160 60fps, and 4:4:4 color sampling on each display. Plus, for systems using extended display setting where the desktop is extended across both displays, IHSE provides internal sync for each extender, enabling perfect timing for seamless resolutions up to 8192×2160. “Good value and ease of control with native API or 3rd party control systems. The fast switching technology makes this unit stand out.”

IHSE USA L481-BIPVMC – KVM to Virtual Machine Interface

“Finding a good solution for KVM in a virtual environment can be challenging, but this product answers the bell in dramatic fashion,” said the judges, who found this new interface card to be “innovative.” It enables users to integrate virtual machines connected by TCP/IP into existing Draco tera compact or enterprise-based Physical KVM matrix switch systems, creating a highly functional remote desktop solution with all the benefits of the Draco KVM system. The L481-BIPVMC is suited to safety-critical applications requiring extremely fast access to information. “Adding to an already robust KVM product family, this unit interfaces well with the network, with current deployments and in all varieties of command and control and NOC environments,” as well as in content production, where virtualized desktops are increasingly used. In addition to allowing RDP access of remote and virtual machines, the L481-BIPVMC lets users operate secure shell sessions from the workstation to enable device management and network control, and it supports computer remote access via VNC protocol.

Klipsch Audio Klipsch Heritage Theater Bar

This passive LCR, horn-loaded sound bar blends the acoustics and classic, nostalgic design legacy of founder Paul W. Klipsch with premium materials and the latest technologies. Assembled in the USA, the Heritage Theater Bar is “a great audio sound bar,” which judges found to be a combination of sonic performance and architectural elegance. Customizable Heritage Theater Bars range in width from 49.5 to 80 inches, wood finish and grille cloth. A standard 49.5in. model is also available and designed to match most 55in. televisions. The Heritage Theater Bar features a built-in rail mounting system that, when combined with the included wall mount cleat, results in a wall-mounting system that is only 1/4in. deep. The built-in mounting rail allows the Heritage Theater Bar to be easily centered with a wall-mounted TV. With Klipsch proprietary Tractrix horn technology and titanium tweeters, judges noted “high fidelity at its finest.”

Kramer Electronics VS-622DT

The Kramer PT-871 and PT-872 are a DGKat 2.0 twisted pair transmitter and receiver pair for 4K HDR, HDMI 2.0, and HDCP 2.2 signals, and 2-way powering over twisted pair. PT-871 converts all input signals into the transmitted DGKat 2.0 signal, while PT-872 converts the transmitted DGKat 2.0 signal into an HDMI signal. This compact, powerful extension solution delivers video signals up to 40m (130ft.) over Kramer Cat copper cables at up to 4K@60Hz (4:4:4) 24bpp video resolution. They support deep color, x.v.Color, lip sync, HDMI uncompressed audio channels, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, 2K, 4K, and 3D. EDID signals are passed through from the source to the display. Featuring two-way PoC powering, they require only a single twisted-pair cable for both the signal and the power. Additionally, they incorporate Kramer Intelligent EDID Processing – a handling, processing and pass-through algorithm for plug-and-play operation for the HDMI source and display systems. These features, said judges, “make it a powerful niche product.”

Kramer Electronics PT-871/872

This integrated presentation system was designed to deliver a multipurpose AV experience in a single userfriendly, cost-effective, and compact device—judges observed it had “many features that are useful in a small meeting room environment.” These include Kramer Maestro room automation software, which provides a customized, easy-to-configure, fully-automated meeting room environment, without programming. The system provides 6×2 4K60 4:2:0 HDMI/HDBaseT matrix switching and features an integrated control gateway operated over Ethernet, which can be accessed from, and provide power to, auxiliary controllers—“the ability to pair with other endpoints from Kramers catalog is a plus.” It has built-in HDBaseT extension and PoE support for compatible acceptors. Audio support includes analog audio de-embedding for distant audio distribution as well as a stereo power amplifier. “A wide array of pass through control ports add to the connectivity.”

Leyard and Planar, A Leyard Company Clarity Matrix G3 LCD Video Wall System

Building on the Clarity legacy, the new Matrix G3 LCD Video Wall System combines a thin profile and ultra-narrow bezel LCD (with tiled bezel widths as small as 1.7mm between adjacent LCD displays) with improvements to video processing, installation, management, and off-board electronics. Available in standard and high brightness 46in. and 55in. models, along with options for protective Planar ERO technology, passive 3D, and interactive multi-touch. It also includes the Planar EasyAxis Mounting System, which provides an installed depth of just 3.6 inches (91mm), for panelto-panel alignment. Planar ERO is an optically-bonded glass front that provides increased ruggedness and optical performance for public space or interactive touch applications. “A great looking video wall.”

Matrox Graphics 6120 Dual 4K Enterprise Encoder

This dual 4K enterprise encoder is the latest addition to Matrox’s next-generation AV-over-IP portfolio. Leveraging the same core technology that has made the Maevex 6100 Series quad 4K enterprise encoders successful, Maevex 6120 now offers a dual 4K option. Judges saw it packaged in a convenient, rack-ready, plugand-play form factor, delivering dual 4K input capture and encode for real-time streaming and recording of up to four 4K/UHD channels at the same time. Maevex 6120 can feed cloud-based servers to reach internet viewers, push many streams on-premises over the LAN for local audiences, and record to local or network storage for later editing and viewing — all simultaneously, delivering “streaming horsepower and flexibility in a nice package.” It supports the popular transport protocols for IP video streams, including the Secure Reliable Transport protocol.

Middle Atlantic Products L7 Series Lectern

“Middle Atlantic has been a great solutions provider for high tech furniture, and this is no exception.” The result of research by the company to discover unmet needs in learning spaces at the intersection of technology and furniture, the L7 Series Lectern unites the wishlist of higher education users and integrators. Judges saw “multiple uses, from a presenter’s desk to a complete lectern,” with a modern, curved design with motorized height-adjustability. The L7 Series Lectern boasts a generous workspace: a 61-inch by 31-inch work surface provides ample space for BYOD connectivity, wireless charging for Qi devices, and USB and AC surface power. Judges felt “the ability to accessorize that enhances the flexibility.” Additional customizations include color, rackmount storage, document camera drawers, and control panel mounting options including a turret that flush mounts Crestron 760 and 1060 models.

Peerless-AV Smart City Kiosks

As an all weather-rated solution, judges saw this “the touch-screen kiosk we’ve been asking for, but haven’t seen until now.” It includes an Xtreme High Bright Outdoor Display with full HD1080p resolution for a crisp picture, even in direct sunlight; a 10-point IR touch overlay makes the kiosk interactive. Featuring a curved, modular design that blends into any city or town set-up, the Smart City Kiosk offers quick access to the display for maintenance. Installation requires no cranes or forklifts. Available in 49 and 55 inches, the Smart City Kiosk was designed to withstand even the most brutal gusts, handling winds up to 150 mph. Judges said they could “easily see these being deployed as wayfinding and information kiosks, both inside and outside, especially as it can be hosed down for cleaning.”

Pro Video Instruments VeCOAX MiniMod-2

For those looking for a “great solution to upgrade CATV distribution over legacy coax,” the judges see great potential in this HDMI video to coax 1080p Dolby HD modulator, which distribute a full HDMI 1080p source to an unlimited number of devices. The VeCOAX MiniMod-2 is compatible with all standards, so it’s appropriate for applications including security cameras, retail locations such as bars and restaurants, education institutions, or at any other venue where a multi-display setup is present. Users will get Full HD quality up to 1080p plus Dolby digital audio; it receives on TVs as new HDTV channels. Works with any HDMI source, and is compatible with any HD television (can also mix with existing channels, on any standard). Settings and control are done via color display, keyboard, or a computer on the computer port.

Rane Zonetech

Judges liked this multi-zone controller as “an unusually versatile and accurate control center for large, multi-source, multi-zone, remote-controlled audio installations.” The Zonetech processor is powered by RANE Halogen lite control software, which requires no programming or special driver downloads whatsoever. Judges found it quick and intuitive, meaning operators can achieve a plugand-play DSP experience and attain a fully-operational system status in less time and with greater flexibility. “The ease of install, cabling, setup, and control make this unit a must-have for sports bars, retail, or restaurant applications.” The Zonetech features Bluetooth streaming technology and has six inputs and six outputs for multi-zone audio control, a big advantage for judges. “The addition of Bluetooth connectivity allows this box to join others at the top of the class.”

Ross Video Carbonite Mosaic Multi-Screen Image Processor

Judges described this innovative new compositing tool as “broadcast video wall control brought to a new level” Built on the Carbonite Black Plus engine, it can output a canvas size of more than 20 million pixels. It provides the high resolution and layering capability needed to create large-screen imagery in entertainment and sports venues, and at a comparatively low price. This system’s single frame latency ensures video content keeps up with the live action. The combination of Carbonite Mosaic and XPression Tessera come together for composited video and graphics on the big screen — in tandem, the XPression Tessera system provides frame-accurate, non-tearing recall of graphics across large or irregular assembled display panels.

RTS ODIN OMNEO digital intercom matrix

This next-generation intercom matrix combines flexibility, scalability, and full-IP performance in a compact single rack unit package and judges liked the way it provides for easy system expansion. With connectors for OMNEO IP technology, analog two-wire and four-wire, ODIN supports IP-based ROAMEO wireless systems and KP-Series keypanels, and analog RTS legacy keypanels. Dante-enabled OMNEO is standard on RJ-45 connectors, or is available using optional optical fiber connectors. Users can flexibly define ports to use any of the available connector types. As a user’s capacity needs evolve, a single ODIN can grow from the basic 16 ports to a maximum of 128 ports; up to eight ODIN units can be connected via an optical Inter-Frame Link to create a single matrix with up to 1024 ports.

Samsung Electronics The Wall Professional

“The MicroLED world is the ‘next big thing,’ and this product brings it to life.” It can extend to hundreds of inches in size while delivering dramatic brightness, contrast and viewing angles. Business-ready with a modular design that allows customized configurations beyond or below its 146-inch size standard, users can add or remove unlimited LED screens to and from The Wall Professional without impacting performance or presentation quality. The display’s self-emitting MicroLED pixel modules produce imagery free of color filters or backlighting and judges described an enveloping experience through elevated peak brightness and a high contrast ratio. “Offboard video controller, ultra-thin display modules, and flexible layout options” are some of the key factors judges found set this technology apart.

Sharp Electronics Corporation PN-UH601/701

Sharp showed its newest line of 4K Ultra-HD commercial LCD displays, an expansion of its PN-LE commercial displays, at InfoComm. The new 70in. class (69 43/64 inches diagonal) PN-UH701 and 60in. class (60 5/64 inches diagonal) PN-UH601 commercial displays offer 4K Ultra-HD resolution, which enables customers to see subtler textures and finer details in photos and video, a claim confirmed by judges: “The demo display looked great, great depth and clarity.” The PN-UH701/601 displays have an RS-232C command set that permits flexible remote control capabilities from connected devices. They also come with lockout capabilities, including a public mode function for environments that require more control over the content, like airports, stores, and restaurants.

Shure Designer 3.1

A software update that “provides enhanced features and flexibility,” this updated Designer System Configuration Software enables integrators, designers, and sales teams to create projects with multiple “virtual” microphones positioned over an imported room layout diagram – offline and from anywhere, without access to physical devices. The latest version provides improved workflow efficiency to configure multiple Shure products both online and offline. Think of it as one place to design, route, and configure Shure systems, giving you a better chance to determine the right device type and accurate microphone count without physically being in the space. Judges predict “it is going to be essential to configure microphone and frequencies.”

SnapAV Episode 70V IP-Enabled Amplifier

An IP-controllable amp with an included cloud-managed platform, the Episode 70V IP-Enabled Amplifier is, at its core, “a quality and practical amplifier in a nice package,” according to judges. Users can audio routing, input gain and output levels, and a wide variety of amplifier network settings remotely, with the help of OvrC, a free cloudcontrol app. OvrC provides remote access to the local UI, to update firmware, modulate the amplifier gain, select inputs, set clipping levels, power-cycle the unit, or check the status and temperature of devices. Available in 150W, 300W, and 500W 2-channel options, this innovative amplifier can be controlled via any of the popular control systems over IR, IP, and RS-232.

Vanguard LED Displays Axion Fine Pixel Pitch LED Video Displays

Judges see the U.S. homebase of Vanguard as being one of the key advantages to this new display, noting that “TAA compliance will open doors that some manufacturers struggle with, making it a niche solution for federal and DOD applications.” Beyond its origins, the Axion Series provides a neat package, in a cabinet featuring a flat back with no external cables (ideal for wall-mounted applications), and it is fully front serviceable. The Axion cabinet features touch screen integration, and has added TOP VCOB- Vanguard Chip-On-Board technology to protect individual LEDs, in particular the vulnerable corners. The Axion can achieve full HD, 4K, and 8K, with additional support for 3D, and it supports 24-bit color processing and a refresh rate of 3840hz.

ViewSonic CDX5562 Commercial Display

For multi-panel video wall applications that require a “great looking display” that is “bright and crisp,” this 55-inch display with an ultra-narrow bezel made the grade. With an edge-to-edge width of 1.8mm between combined displays, and the DisplayPort or DVI connectors, installers can create impressive daisy-chain installations for up to 10×10 tiling options. Plus, only one of the displays needs to be connected to an image/content source, so installation and maintenance costs are reduced. An HDMI CEC function offers local control to a DVD player, sound systems, and any other HDMI-connected devices. Full HD 1080p resolution, 700-nits of brightness, dual 10W stereo speakers, and wide viewing angles of 178-degrees horizontal/vertical.

Williams AV Pointmaker Audio Presenter

This presentation system adds sound reinforcement and audio conferencing with a simple connection and rated a “can’t live without,” designation from judges. As the hub, Audio Presenter leverages each room’s microphones, speakers, and each participant’s personal device, turning any iOS or Android mobile device into a wireless room-control system- -control, advance, highlight, annotate, and white-board, all via wireless Bluetooth connection from your personal device. “The ability to connect any user’s audio device to any output without worrying about what wires or adapters are needed makes this box a must-have in every meeting room, conference room or training/classroom.” Based on a 64-bit quad-core ARM processing platform, the system brings broadcast-quality video and professional audio to a wireless room design. Can be used as a standalone system or as part of a larger, integrated venue.

Yamaha Professional Audio RIVAGE PM7 Digital Audio Console

Making its InfoComm debut, the Yamaha RIVAGE PM7 Digital Audio Console was on display along with new high capacity cards. The CSD-R7 Digital Mixing Console is the central component of the RIVAGE PM7 system, with an emphasis on preserving workflow. The CSD-R7 features a built-in DSP engine and offers enhanced portability and system flexibility while maintaining high operability. The panel layout of the RIVAGE PM7 is the same as the flagship RIVAGE PM10, delivering the same user experience. With 120 input channels, 60 mix buses, 24 matrices, and a comprehensive selection of 48 top-quality plug-ins, the PM7 provides mixing capacity that is comparable to the RIVAGE PM10 (the latter has 144 input channels, 72 mix buses, 36 matrices, and 50 plug-ins). So, what it comes down to are your system requirements, and judges saw the Rivage as adaptable to each user’s particular needs.

Featured Articles

Close