June 2006

Features

Digital Video Compression Basics

By Jeff Sauer

By now most AV contractors are well acquainted with the trend toward moving command and control information over IP networks. Doing so leverages existing Cat-5 cables, removes cable-run limitations, and enables sending and receiving information from anywhere to anywhere, all with greater administrative oversight. Some AV pros are also familiar with the increasing facility …

Technology Showcase:
Large LCD Displays

By Jay Ankeney

Large-format LCD displays larger than 40in. in diagonal screen size are rapidly gaining in popularity in commercial applications such as digital signage and corporate conference rooms. Thanks to the growing popularity of large-format home TVs…

Technology Showcase:
KVM Extenders

By Bennett Liles

Almost as soon as desktop computers started showing up, there came a need to manage the clutter of multiple CRT monitors, keyboards, and mice…

Installation Profile: One-of-a-Kind Design

By Daniel Keller

Although many cities host major league sports franchises, St. Louis is one of a handful of towns that truly embrace their teams. The city’s relationship…

Reviews

ClearOne Converge 560/590

By John McJunkin

ClearOne of Salt Lake City is well known for high-quality conferencing systems. The company’s latest offering is yet another example of why it is on the…

Mitsubishi PocketProjector

By Jeff Sauer

A novelty perhaps and novel to be sure Mitsubishi’s PocketProjector ($799) is a tiny form-factor projector (1lb.) that may solve some very practical display…

Columns

Landing on Fertile Ground

By Michael Goldman, Editor

It’s a great pleasure to take over as editor of Sound & Video Contractor (SVC). From this perch, I find myself in the center of the systems integration…

Picture This: Pro AV at NAB 2006

By Jeff Sauer

Over the last decade, the annual National Association of Broadcasters exhibition has become one of the country’s biggest tradeshows. Not surprisingly,…

Associations Focus: Honing Skills

CEDIA University offers an educational curriculum for every employee in your company. The following curricula will be available…

Management Perspectives: Optimizing Co-op Ad Dollars

By Don Kreski

It’s a lot trickier than what people realize, says Jerry Gale, vice president of marketing for Columbus, Md.-based SPL Integrated Systems, referring to…

POV: Unifying Systems Integrators

By Matt Rubenstein

For more than a decade, there has been confusion over tracking the pricing of the large range of products commonly used by low-voltage systems integrators….

Departments

The Buzz: Install of the Month:
Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario

By Trevor Boyer

At Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, hockey fans were getting frustrated. The American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs, who play their home games…

The Buzz: Newsmakers

Ron Schall has been promoted to the position of regional director for AVI’s Denver office. Atlantic Technology has selected Maverick Marketing of Ft….

The Buzz: 20 Years Ago in
Sound & Video Contractor

Images of fives, tens, and twenties adorned the cover of the June ’86 issue, commemorating the second edition of the annual Buyers’ Guide. Now a separately published piece, back then the guide was incorporated into the issue. Tape duplication took pole position as the cover feature. An article by the Sound & Video Contractor staff about the trend toward affordable duplication systems, “Tape duplication in action,” offered a look at a cassette duplication system installed at Capital Christian Center…

The Buzz: Contractor’s Web Watch

www.chiefmfg.com Chief Manufacturing’s newly designed website features a New Products tab on the homepage to make it easy for site visitors to find all…

The Buzz: Upcoming Events

June 11-14 HOW Design Conference Chicago www.howdesign.com, 14-16 Flashbelt: Second Annual Midwest Flash Conference Minneapolis www.flashbelt.com…

The Buzz: Industry News

AMX contributed $25,000 to the NSCA Education Foundation at this year’s NSCA Expo. Funds raised by the foundation are used to provide…

What’s New

What’s New:
Audio Technology