AV System Reduces Office Energy Costs

Grant's Perspective on ... Your AV control system reduces office energy consumption

I have long been a believer that a sophisticated audiovisual system increases an organizations productivity. AV control systems by people like AMX and Crestron have long been utilized by Media, AV and IT personnel and now Facility Managers will love them.

Examples of typical AV control system functions: operate projectors, videoconferencing systems, DVD players, audio systems, lighting, window coverings and HVAC.

Controlling lighting is very important to many presentations. Aside from that if the control system was programmed to check that all unnecessary lights were turned off when the security system was turned on, that would save money. Light sensors can also be added to rooms with windows that will automatically turn off lights when there is sufficient room lighting with natural light.

The control of window coverings was meant to reduce natural lighting in a presentation room but can also be used to control the temperature of the room by letting light into the room to warm it up or covering the windows to block the sun's heat.

Bottom line, studies have shown that a facility-wide lighting control system can save up to 29% of lighting energy costs. Now that is a reason to go green!

Grant, Inland AV Sytems Designer

WCMA Awards Show Animation

Grant's Perspective on ... all the work it takes to put on an award show.

The Inland AV, Rentals Division was recently a part of the Western Canadian Music Awards held at the Manitoba Centennial Auditorium in Brandon MB.

Our client made a really cool animation of the show set-up, the show and the dismantle. The animation illustrates the amount of planning, equipment and plain hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

See hours and hours of work edited down to 3.5 minutes!



BTW - Inland AV was responsible for the video screens.

Grant

Epson Classroom Audio System

Grant's Perspective on ... Epson AP-60 Classroom Audio System

My July 8th post InfoComm Delivers AV Wow mentioned the announcement of the new Epson AP-60 infrared classroom audio system. It has now been released and is available for purchase.

The Inland AV website has just posted a "product spotlight" outlining the features and benefits of this classroom audio system including a PDF of the systems specifications.

What is cool is that the speaker/amplifier can be mounted on the same pipe that a classroom projector is flown from. See the picture below.



Grant

University Audio Conferencing System

Grant's Perspective on ... Audio Zones

I spent most of yesterday slaving over a hot laptop to finish up some Crestron programming for the AV system in a brand new university boardroom. I also kept the laptop hot when I configured the new audio system. It sounds great thanks to the ClearOne components. The entire AV system was admirably designed by the University's own staff. Their proper speaker & mic selection and placement, made my job much easier.

The audio portion of the system includes 20 table microphones, 2 wireless lapel microphones, as well as recording, auxiliary inputs and audio teleconference ability. All the audio is completely automated with auto-gain and echo cancelling. The user only needs to control the volume level of the media sources (DVD, laptop etc).

Utilizing the ClearOne Converge Pro 880TA (and a few other models from the same line to increase the quantity of required inputs), the audio speaker system is organized into 4 zones and this unit managing the audio. The unit’s interface was very effective in maximizing speech intelligibility. With the built-in phone line port and the acoustic echo cancellation the room sounds great to the caller and the caller sounds great to the room. Delegates should not worry about fatigue from straining to listen.

Speaking of which, just a few clicks of the mouse enables the room's voice reinforcement. A delegate speaking at one end of the table will not be heard through the speakers in the zone nearest to him/her but the delegate's voice will be amplified in the other zones (and of course to the audio conference caller). Overall it sounds natural – so natural in fact, no one realizes there is reinforcement until the system is shut off (or someone drops something on the microphone).

The auto-gain and echo cancelling features are an example of AV technology being integrated properly, the technology becomes transparent and the professors and students can concentrate on the content of their meeting.

Another example of Improved Communication from System Integration. With the opening of hockey camps, I liken AV technology to a good hockey referee - invisible when the job is done right.

Grant

VideoChampion.com

Grant's Perspective on ...Getting Your Organization Into Videoconferencing


Many organizations discuss the idea of implementing videoconferencing. Often someone is appointed to research the technology and report back to the group. This person typically will start their research on the internet to find the pertinent information relating to videoconferencing and the associated costs. They then do a Return on Investment Calculation to see if the investment makes sense.

The report is presented and the group thinks the project should go ahead. Then either the researcher, or perhaps an IT person, is assigned with implementing a videoconference system because either they have the best understanding of it or it is believed this area falls under their profession.

This person is now the company's video champion.

TANDBERG has a website dedicated to supporting the video champion. With sections dedicated to securing executive sponsorship, getting set up, promotion, training, measuring success and more.



This leads me to two points:
1) Hats off to TANDBERG for doing this – once again they’ve demonstrated the leadership that clients I work with love.
2) All who work with video conferencing should register and use the video champion website.


Grant

Sales Staff Tribute

Grant's Perspective on ...Sales personnel in the Inland AV world

I have some observations about the sales staff I work with that I want to share. No this isn't a complaint, more of me wanting to show my respect to good sales people. Here at the big AV company I've observed the sales staff designing their own systems, and they absolutely love doing it.

I think this is really cool as, and I'm being frank here, they're not just people who are out to sell something in a box and put another notch on their pencil. If I were the customer, I'd notice that and appreciate this dynamic. The biggest trait I brag about when I talk about the big AV company is their passion. Perhaps they don’t want anyone knowing this about them but they get totally pumped about deriving an innovative system that will work for their clients.

See the picture below of Brian and Glenn discussing ideas with a client at our open house.



Yes they're a different breed than us mellow designer types, but hey, the only thing worse than an over eager sales person, is one who isn't passionate about what they do. Everyone benefits. So hat's off to the passionate Inland AV sales people.

Grant

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