Central Church of Christ AV System

Grant's Perspective on ...Getting the Message To Everyone in the Building

We recently put the finishing touches on the new AV system at the Central Church of Christ in Winnipeg. Wayne and his committee really knew what they wanted and it was a pleasure to work with them. The auditorium system was first rate and the service could be shared with everyone in the entire building. Here is a picture of Wayne and myself testing the auditorium audio console.



The system encompasses the auditorium, multi-purpose room, youth room, foyer and even the kitchen has an audio system and video monitor so that the congregation members that are working can see and hear the service. See the picture posted below of the video monitor in the kitchen.



Thanks again for letting Inland AV and myself play our part in bringing your audiovisual vision to reality. We will have a complete review of the system on our website soon.

Grant

Lounge to Videoconference Classroom

Grant's Perspective on ... turning a lounge into a videoconference classroom.

I was working on-site yesterday at a local university. We were going through the final audio tests making sure the system was working as planned. Everything went well and as I was ready to leave I surveyed the room and commented on how the room has changed in the last two months. What had been a "smoking" lounge (back when those types of things were allowed) has been transformed into a distance education classroom for nursing students.



It is amazing what positive change can happen with a little help from technology. Nursing students in Winnipeg will have some of their lectures delivered from a professor in Ottawa.

System Overview:

- HD Tandberg videoconference system.
- Additional Vaddio HD camera.
- Two 65" Sharp HD monitors (pictured) as well as an third ceiling mounted monitor for the podium presenter.
- Podium and wireless microphones for the presenter and a boundary microphone system for the students.
- Large 12" AMX touch screen panel that controls the videoconference system, audio system, DVD player, computer systems and room lighting. See the close up picture of the AMX touch screen below. Note that the picture of me in the top right hand is the HD camera focused on the podium.




I can't wait for the school year to start and see the technology in action. Another case of "Improved Communication from Technology Integration . . . and a lot of other cool stuff too !"

Grant

Videoconferencing Return On Investment Calculator

Grant's Perspective on ... visiting Alberta and Saskatchewan virtually

Videoconferencing (VC) technology is more valuable than ever.

There are many advantages to videoconferencing and right now VC has become more valuable than ever. Typically, and simply put, in times of recession companies generally decrease costs where they can and increase training and education. We've all seen that. Facilitating VC is a resource that achieves both and I am witnessing its increased popularity from a front row seat. I help clients by designing AV systems that more often than not include a VC system and I use them in my own day-to-day work.

I think about my area of expertise and how I use VC everyday to be able to effectively communicate with my other offices (Inland AV has a TANDBERG Video Conference suite in each branch - I use it on a regular basis). Working face-to-face in a VC setting is far more effective than talking on the telephone. While I can't be in 5 different cities in 1 day, I can use the VC system and meet face-to-face with staff to discuss our projects and share design details. The company likes the superior communication and I love the fact that I'm home to have dinner with my family. As the recession comes to an end, VC will be equally important as it will help me cover Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta while never being more than half an hour from home!

See the photo below of a design session with our Edmonton office. Barry and I are talking to Chris (Edmonton general manager) while we discuss a room layout that is pictured in the second HD monitor of the VC system.



Has everyone done the ROI (Return On Investment) calculation that is found on the Inland AV website? www.videoconferenceROI.ca

I did my own ROI calculation . The results are just as expected – it does save companies loads of money and increases productivity.

Devising Innovative Features in AV Design

Grant's Perspective on ... delivering the hockey experience

People who have the experience to do design work generally love what they do. These are people who enjoy being creative and probably would not be pleased in life doing a mundane job (I usually use Accountants as my example…. I hear they count beans all day long - Boring!!!!!) In the Inland AV world the designers, sales staff and mangers, all get to work on projects that are what I call “enjoyable challenges”. Each project is different as each client is different.

Last week Barry C. was telling me about an idea he presented and used for an audio project at a sports complex. (For those who may not know Barry he is a fellow Inland AV designer who has a long list of successful large projects he can boast about, specializing in the design of audio systems for the large venues and worship environments) This particular sports complex requested the provision for live hockey commentary broadcast within the venue. Envision being in other areas of the venue other than the rink itself and listening to the game just like AHL and NHL hockey on the radio and TV.

To finish off the system and offer an extra feature that provides excitement to the system, Barry implemented microphones at ice level to capture the sounds of the game in action – slap shots, metal on ice, puck on the boards, crowd noise, etc – all that good stuff. These game sounds mixed in with the commentary offer an exciting and professional dynamic to the closed circuit broadcast that in turn eliminate the otherwise “dry” broadcast of voice only and provides a production that hockey fans are accustomed to.

Nice touch to that design! He’s now including this feature again with a current project at another sports venue.

And that’s a good example of what we do at the big AV company - we take an interest in the client’s vision and work with them and in the end they get that little bit extra that makes their project so much more.

Grant