InfoComm 2014 AV Show
Although this year’s show hosted by the Las Vegas Convention Center promised to be larger with plenty of new technology, in my opinion it did not live up to its billing overall. Most of the manufacturers dealing with the visual side were pushing 4K as they should, pictures are gorgeous but the issue is still lack of content although it’s improving. There are a lot of movies in the past 2 years that were done in 4K but won’t come out commercially into the home until the sales of the 4K panels improve.
There was a lot of buzz concerning Video Conferencing with some low end solutions as well as some very high end. Cloud based and 4K resolutions were the key points. Of course a VC system using 4K requires much more bandwidth so providers are salivating. Companies like Samsung, Sony, Planar and LG showed some very impressive 4K panels and size seems to be increasing every 6 months. Crestron, AMX and others were also touting 4K products.
I am lining up many of these manufacturers to come in for lunch to allow DVS to see some of the new product introductions and learn about where technology is headed. Below are some of the products that impressed me the most:
- AMX: Introduced new Modero X G5 panels that looked very nice and offer more power, functionality and speed. An IP Video Conferencing camera named Sereno with 1080P resolution @ 30fps, offers an ultra wide field of view to make sure all of the participants are seen and a swivel base to aid in capturing the view regardless of room layout or display location. However, the best I saw is a product called Enzo, which even though it came out last year, won this year’s best Commercial Integration award. Enzo is a content sharing platform designed for meeting rooms, classrooms and other collaboration spaces providing instant access to a wide variety of content and web conferencing services. By adding the Sereno camera to this product, it becomes a very affordable video conferencing system without the need for a PC or other expensive devices.
- PANASONIC: Introduced several new displays, projectors, pan & tilt cameras and camera controls. The one product they introduced which is amazing is the ET-D75LE90 Ultra Short Throw lens. This is the world’s first lens for high brightness 3 chip DLP projectors featuring the world’s shortest throw. The lens is able to project a screen size between 10 to 50 feet, while being inches away from the screen (depending on screen size). This lens reduces projection to screen distance by 60% for more effective space utilization.
- BLACKMAGIC: Introduced Blackmagic URSA, designed for feature film, television commercials and more! This is a 4K ultra resolution camcorder with a Super 35 image sensor for $5,995.00 LIST! It’s an unbelievable price for this type of quality camera. If you don’t need a Super 35 sensor and are satisfied with just shooting 4K video, the price drops to $4,495.00….
- AJA: Introduced CION, a 4K camcorder also with a Super 35 sensor to enable film recording. CION uses AJA’s proven SSD based pack storage mounted directly in the camera. List price is also $5,995.00 and comes with a 2 year warranty.
- MULTITACTION: Introduced iWall a very impressive product targeted to public spaces like corporate lobbies, city hot spots, sales offices, visitor centers, etc. iWall includes a customized Multitaction experience app. It is a scalable multi-user application designed to present a wide range of rich media content in a playful way. Mini-apps are also available to provide additional functionality such as social media integration. It also includes Codice, a user identification as well as IR pen input to engage with users in new ways. Check out the link provided to see more. This was the most impressive product I saw at the show.
- JBL: Introduced the new EON600, a new product developed to provide the best sound possible regardless of the application. It’s available in 10, 12 and 15inch models. Visit this link to see more.
For further information, please contact:
Jorge J. Necuze, Sr. Vice President Sales
Digital Video Systems
Phone: 954-239-4236