Like every year, the opening of the InfoComm show floor is completely overwhelming. The mere thought of attempting to see every product I’m interested in evaluating, or touring every manufacturer’s booth, is exhausting.
As you may recall, I've decided to approach InfoComm more focused, in search of the practical AV solution. And so yesterday, I targeted just a few manufacturers showcasing products that would address some projects I’m currently working on.
First, I was impressed by Crestron’s integration of 4K throughout their Digital Media product line. As a technology manager for a small university, I was glad to see products that I’m already considering are able to handle the future of video distribution, including the ability to scale 4K to 1080P for videoconferencing and preview applications.
Crestron also had several impressive solutions to fully integrate room scheduling, input switching, and control for conference rooms while leveraging Microsoft Lync for unified communications. There were several notable products for collaborative environments and huddle rooms that are a practical fit.
- I toured the AMX booth as well, fixating on the Enzo, a perfect fit for small conference rooms, huddle rooms, and collaborative spaces. This device connects to a display and allows users to access files from a flash drive, drop box, or any other web-storage service, as well as browse the Internet and display content from mobile devices and laptops utilizing MirrorOpp1. The Enzo will soon also integrate with soft codecs like Microsoft Lync, Skype, and Jabber to provide web conferencing. This unit could be a good fit in standalone settings or as an additional source in an integrated system.
Lastly, I've been looking at wireless display options for several locations at our campuses. I saw a great product in the Mersive Solstice, a software-based wireless display system. The majority of our existing installations have an installed PC for this software to sit on and allow users to collaborate in real-time or simply wirelessly display content to a display through a connected PC.
Stay tuned for more coverage from me on avnetwork.com for Day Two at InfoComm 2014. Also, follow me on Twitter @mikebrandesav for real-time developments.
