Proudly situated at the prestigious Museum Square in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum is evidence of the rich cultural heritage of the Netherlands. As the national museum dedicated to Dutch arts and history, it serves as a destination for enthusiasts, historians and art aficionados from around the globe. With a legacy spanning centuries, the Rijksmuseum is one of the most visited museums in the Netherlands. In 2013 and 2014, it welcomed record-breaking numbers of visitors, with 2.2 million and 2.47 million individuals, respectively.
The museum is home to many of the world’s most artistic and historical marvels, boasting an impressive collection of 1 million objects from 1200 to 2000. At the Rijksmuseum, visitors can admire a curated selection of 8,000 objects, carefully chosen to represent Dutch creativity and craftsmanship. Among these treasures, visitors can admire masterpieces by revered artists, such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer.
In addition to its historic art collection, the Rijksmuseum boasts a versatile auditorium, which is designed to accommodate art gatherings, corporate events and other functions. By adding a contemporary dimension to the museum’s offerings, the auditorium provides a sophisticated setting for lectures, conferences, film screenings and cultural performances. Its flexible design allows for seamless integration of multimedia presentations, ensuring that events held within its walls are both engaging and immersive.
Recently, the Rijksmuseum embarked on a mission to revamp and modernize its audiovisual infrastructure. Recognizing the limitations of the current system, particularly in accommodating diverse events and programming within its auditorium, the museum sought to simplify the user experience. The Rijksmuseum selected NFGD Audiovisual, a renowned leader in audiovisual systems integration based in the Netherlands, to update the museum’s legacy system.
“Situated within this historic museum, famous for iconic artworks like The Night Watch, the Rijksmuseum’s auditorium attracts a diverse range of sponsors and clients who utilize the space for presentations. The auditorium, accommodating 200 people, serves as a venue for both internal meetings and corporate events,” explained Stephan van Veldhoven, team leader, projects and technology for NFGD Audiovisual. “We were privileged to work on the auditorium project at the renowned Rijksmuseum.”
Van Veldhoven added, “The existing audiovisual system in the auditorium was outdated and required an upgrade. Our solution focused on providing intuitive control. They sought a setup where a single operator could manage the entire system efficiently, even during larger events requiring the support of a few technicians.”
Collaborating closely with IDM Solutions, a reputable designer and distributor of audiovisual technology in the Netherlands, NFGD Audiovisual worked to develop an integrated audiovisual solution tailored to the needs of the Rijksmuseum’s auditorium. Together, NFGD Audiovisual and IDM Solutions designed a cutting-edge system encompassing control systems, AV–over–IP distribution, and audio and video components to enhance the audiovisual at the Rijksmuseum’s’ auditorium. IDM Solutions selected Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series, with 18 PacketAV Encoders and 8 PacketAV Decoders, as the core infrastructure, ensuring robust performance and simplified user experience for the audiovisual system.
“The choice of Visionary was based on several key factors: low latency, flexibility, price point and ease of installation,” said Micha van der Stoop, innovations specialist for IDM Solutions. “Each of the factors were a crucial aspect discussed with various consultants. Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series stands out in comparison to competitors due to its easy installation, competitive pricing, reliability and low energy consumption. As a distributor in the region, we’ve noted that many consultants in the Netherlands have already standardized Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series, shifting from other brands or even transitioning to AV–over–IP for the first time.”
Van Veldhoven added, “This project marked our first use-case with Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series Solutions. While we had previously used demo kits, this was the first full-scale implementation of their products. The setup process was straightforward, and the system’s performance during live productions was reliable, thanks to the robust connectivity of the QSC system. The user interface provided clear feedback, ensuring smooth operation throughout.”
In recent years, AV–over–IP has emerged as the primary choice for audiovisual distribution because of the ability to harness an existing network infrastructure, thus eliminating prior constraints. Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series offers cinema-quality encoding and decoding with ultra-low latency, overcoming the limitations of traditional matrix distribution systems. Consequently, it has gained trust as a reliable audiovisual solution across various applications and vertical markets.
