Ceiling Rack Mount - New Way to Hide AV

Grant's Perspective on ... mounting AV equipment in the ceiling.


Dennis the Premier Mounts representative made the trip from Anaheim to Winnipeg to demonstrate some of their new products. One of the products that caught my attention was a rack to house equipment in ceilings. It is a part of the "GearBox™ Series of products designed to safely support and protect valuable A/V equipment. Offering flexible installation options - indoors and out - for projectors and flat-panel displays, GearBox™ has got your gear covered. ”

 See the picture below (taken from their website) of the rack with the door open.

Many times a room's walls are not deep enough for a rack to set in place. Many current systems do not have equipment that needs to be accessible for day-to-day use but does need close proximity to the room. This would include wireless microphone receivers, amplifiers and mixers. The system can be set up once and locked away, as long as there is at least a wall plate interface for a computer connection and a touch screen system controller that can turn the system on and off.


See the pictures below of Dennis holding the rack and mounting tray. Items can be fastened to the equipment mounting tray and the tray is mounted inside the rack. The bottom picture is the rack with the lockable door in place.
 
 

For use in a suspended ceiling, this box replaces a standard 2 x 2' ceiling tile and the perforated lid looks like an HVAC return register when closed. 


I was concerned that this would vent into the plenum and therefore not meet code. Dan replied  “There are no vents into the plenum, only downward into the room. The box preserves the integrity of the plenum space. ”  Small fans can be added to help with circulation issues.


Click here to see the PDF spec sheet.
 What a great idea and a solution we will keep in mind.


Grant

Viscount Gort Hidden AV

Grant's Perspective on ... projector lifts in the Viscount Gort ballroom

My last post asked people if they think that hiding the AV equipment is important. This week I'm at the Viscount Gort Hotel going over the final details of the audiovisual installation portion of their recent major expansion and renovation. They have included three infrared projector lifts as a part of the banquet room design to hide projectors when not in use. In this case it is for more than aesthetics, theirs is a multi-purpose ballroom and the lift helps protect the projector when it is not in use.

Here is a grainy picture (sorry just had my cell with me) that I snapped of one of the Inland AV service technicians installing the lift.

This is a great example of how hidden AV is becoming standard practice. Remember to vote on our importance of hidden AV poll, over on the right hand side of this page.

Grant

Hide Or Not To Hide AV Equipment Poll

Grant's Perspective on ... hiding the AV equipment in your executive boardroom. What is your preference?

When I speak of hidden AV, what I refer to is basically an AV system that is completely out of site when not in use. Projectors (See projector lift picture below) & projection screens are stowed into the ceiling and behind closed doors, monitors lift up into the ceiling or down into the millwork or furniture, audio speakers are the kind that are built into the wall or ceiling panel - virtually invisible, microphones are raised into the ceiling, AV connectivity is hidden in custom millwork enclosures, wireless control panel is docked into a cabinet, and the equipment rack is behind custom millwork or in an adjoining room. Out of site and out of mind but ready for action when required.

So let’s say your executive boardroom is being renovated. What is your level or requirement to have hidden AV? Please see the poll on the right and select the one that best describes your preference.


Grant