It is one of modern life’s little ironies that the average meeting space is no longer a space where people meet – at least, not all of them. With hybrid working obviously here to stay, equipping meeting spaces now involves a delicate balancing act to satisfy the needs of both…
Technology
Inside Tech: Cutting the umbilical cable
The ‘Spaghetti Junction’ of cabling that once surrounded the average AV system can now be replaced by wireless networking technologies. Some are already well established, and applications such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex and Zoom now enable wireless sharing of content directly from the application. “Wireless is becoming more popular…
Intelligent AV: Who’s a clever endpoint, then?
I shouldn’t be surprised if the average AV endpoint now has more compute power and built-in intelligence than took Neil Armstrong to the moon. We almost take for granted the ability of self-steering microphones and tracking cameras to home in on whoever is speaking and keep them centre-frame and clearly…
Soho House’s Brighton beach retreat
Part of the brand of exclusive members clubs, Soho House’s Brighton Beach House is one of the latest additions to the chain and combines all the usual Soho House and Soho Works spaces within a beach club format, due to the site’s location on the seafront. The club recently underwent…
AV Essentials: All under control in the control room
The control room market for AV has burgeoned in recent years, as more verticals have adopted the technology, and traditional situational awareness and process control implementations have been augmented by new applications, such as network security and online surveillance. “There’s a trend towards consolidating control room operations to fewer, larger…
How AV can take the problem of poor lighting seriously
Lighting does not normally fall within the AV remit, but it should do, believes Greg Jeffreys, managing consultant at Greg Jeffreys Consulting. “Good lighting is essential for video conference cameras and the hybrid workspace. Without good lighting even the best VC camera struggles, and the meeting’s remote participants will get…
Sound advice: Can concert touring be carbon neutral?
Up in Tyneside, component supplier Canford Audio’s shipping policy is a model of green conscience. Its ‘UPS Carbon Neutral’ programme combines with recyclable air-fill packaging, motion-detection lighting, solar panels and even a wildlife garden to make the company’s contribution to the cause on everyone’s agenda, funded by a surcharge to…
AV services: AVaaS, me hearties!
Having taken the IT world by storm some years ago, the acquisition of software, services and even hardware on a monthly subscription basis, or ‘as-a-service’, is now making steady progress in the AV market. “AV-as-a-service (AVaaS) has established itself as a preferred model for businesses seeking cost-effective, flexible and scalable…
Digital signage & DooH: Who’s looking at you, kid?
Digital signage has long been the public face of AV, relied on for providing public information, entertainment and digital out-of-home advertising (DooH). But now its reach seems almost limitless. “Price points have come down so much that having an LED display inside a store, at a pixel pitch that can…
Sound Advice: Tuning OFCOM into AV’S PSME needs
Wireless microphones, in-ear monitoring systems (IEMs) and radio communications are a crucial part of AV production. But, despite the high-profile and lucrative nature of many of the events made possible by this equipment, the PMSE (programme makers and special events) sector that relies on it has struggled to obtain enough…