50 ROUND TABLE
Classroom theory helps, but doing it – building, configuring, troubleshooting and recovering from errors – creates lasting confidence and muscle memory
A good example for us is AVoIP. Matrix switchers are increasingly obsolete in our system designs, where we favour versatility and extensibility over tradition. AVoIP isn’t new, but is going through a transformation. The industry’s coalescing around SMPTE 2110 as a set of standards expected to transform how audio, video and ancillary data are transported around a network. Despite the hype, adoption is slow and costs high. For now, we tend to favour existing standards like SDVoE and NDI but design an AV network topology and backplane that can be upgraded or extended to deploy SMPTE 2110. Irrespective of the AVoIP standard being proposed, it forces conversations with clients about structured cabling and sensible investment for future-proofing their premises. Things like specifying Cat 6/6A for all new copper installations and running dark fibre even when there’s no immediate requirement. Kyle Slaugh From an engineering standpoint, the most rewarding design choices for scalability and future-proofing are the ones that maximise flexibility and resilience without adding unnecessary complexity. Selecting devices that have
From an engineering standpoint, which design choices or system architectures offer the best reward in terms of scalability and future- proofing? Adam Corrie In short – open standards, interoperability and minimising the reliance on proprietary technology. Classroom theory helps, but doing it – building, configuring, troubleshooting, and recovering from errors – creates lasting confidence and muscle memory. A huge accelerator is ‘train-the-trainer’ models; when technicians learn a new technology to teach others, it reinforces their own understanding and spreads consistent best practices across teams. that multiple parties are invested in both the successful delivery and long-term prospects of their project. Kyle Slaugh AV vendors can reduce project uncertainty and improve long- term reliability by shifting support from ‘feature training’ to real-world, outcome- based solutions. The most impactful tools and training are hands-on, built around realistic workflows and focused on what actually fails in the field.
How can AV vendors better support integrators and users to meaningfully reduce project uncertainty? The volume is typically the big-ticket item in the project and often becomes the focus for making cost savings. The performance of an LED to the naked eye versus how it behaves on camera can vary wildly, so this has become one area where we work with manufacturers and strategic partners in order to arrange comparative evaluation tests for clients to assess performance for themselves. A lot of our work is centred around the design and build of virtual production or XR studios, where we are pointing a camera at an LED volume. Adam Corrie We’re lucky that many of our audio-visual vendors already have comprehensive programmes of training days, product demonstrations and social events, and are exhibiting at big industry trade shows like ISE and IBC. These are often collaborative events that combine technologies from several manufacturers. We encourage our clients to attend too, as being involved in joint discussions with vendors and their integrators can help alleviate anxieties for the client – knowing
more flexible use cases and offer redundancies help stave off any complications we may run into.
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