At a ceremony at InfoComm on Tuesday, Systems Contractor News content director Mark Pescatore announced the winners of the 2021 Installation Product Awards, with wins from manufacturers including ClearOne, Kramer, Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Shure, Crestron and more.
Products were nominated by the manufacturers and chosen by online ballot. There are 13 categories, with two winners in each.
Most Innovative Audio Hardware
ClearOne BMA 360
The ClearOne BMA 360 with Voice Lift and Camera Tracking technology is an advanced beamforming microphone array ceiling tile that delivers superior audio performance and deployment ease. It’s an ultra-wideband, frequency-invariant beamforming mic array with uniform gain response across all frequency bands. With 6G Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) and FiBeam technology, conference participants experience natural and full-fidelity audio across all beams and within a single beam.
Shure Microflex Advance MXA710 Linear Array Microphone
The Shure Microflex Advance MXA710 Linear Array Microphone is designed for high-quality audio capture in premium AV conferencing environments. The sleek linear form factor allows for placement virtually anywhere in a meeting space including on a wall, around a display, on the ceiling, or in a conference room table. Available in two lengths and three colors, the MXA710 includes proprietary Shure IntelliMix DSP and Autofocus technology that provides all the processing needed for echo-free and noise-free conference audio.
Most Innovative AV Installation Accessory
C2G Retractable Universal Mount 4K HDMI Dongle Adapter Ring with Color Coded Mini DisplayPort, DisplayPort, and USB-C/C2G30029
C2G’s Retractable Universal 4K HDMI Dongle Adapter Ring is the perfect addition to any meeting space or wherever you need to be connected. The standard configuration includes the adapters to connect nearly any device to an in-room display while supporting up to a 4K video resolution. This adapter ring has color-coded HDMI to DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, and USB-C dongle adapters, as well as a customizable integrated pull tab. Backed by a lifetime warranty.
Tripp Lite DisplayPort to HDMI over Cat 6 Extender Kit, KVM Support, 4K 60 Hz, 4:4:4, PoC, HDCP 2.2, 230 feet (B127A-1A1-BDBH)
Tripp Lite's Transmitter/receiver kit extends a 4K signal via Cat 6 cable from a DisplayPort source to an HDMI display up to 230 feet away. Supports UHD resolutions up to 4K @ 60 Hz (4:4:4) for crystal-clear video. Power over Cable (PoC) technology provides power to either end via Cat 6 cable. DIP switch selection allows bi-directional IR or USB function for controlling the source. Compliant with the Federal Trade Agreements Act (TAA) for GSA Schedule purchases.
Most Innovative Collaboration Product
Middle Atlantic Products FlexView Conferencing Cart with HuddleSHOT FC
Another exciting product collaboration from Legrand AV! This solution from Middle Atlantic and Vaddio was meticulously designed by our engineers to include all the necessary components for a videoconferencing system in small to mid-sized collaboration spaces. The FlexView Conferencing Cart with HuddleSHOT FC makes installation and usability a breeze for installers and end users alike, not to mention specification with one part number. Did we mention it’s only one part number?
Shure Stem Ecosystem
The Shure Stem Ecosystem provides AV/IT users with the freedom to mix-and-match devices to create the perfect setup in any meeting, allowing anyone to easily design, install, and manage collaboration spaces. Stem Ecosystem solutions are backed by a robust platform of tools designed to make the process of adopting new technology, or leveraging existing technology, effortless. Stem Ecosystem solutions include wall and table speakerphones, a ceiling microphone, a dedicated control device, and a central hub.
Most Innovative Digital Signage Product
Epson America PowerLite 805F Full HD 1080p Ultra Short-Throw Laser Projector
Delivering exceptional illumination, Epson’s PowerLite 805F ultra-short throw laser projector offers low maintenance, intelligent software, and powerful projection to unleash impactful experiences practically anywhere. Leveraging Epson’s 3LCD laser technology, Full HD resolution and up to 5,000 lumens of brightness, it delivers up to 130 inches of true-to-life images with 360° placement to transform a variety of spaces. Built-in content management software and a compatible creative content projection app allows users to easily create custom content and amazing effects.
Sharp NEC Display Solutions ActiveScene
A game-changing solution that transforms glass into dynamic displays, Sharp NEC's ActiveScene makes use of previously underutilized space. With Avery Dennison’s Vela smart window film, ActiveScene can be retrofitted to any glass surface. Controlled electronically, the film becomes opaque on command, creating a canvas for a unique AV projection. ActiveScene can turn glass storefronts into advertising displays, conference room walls into privacy screens or video canvases, glass-fronted museum vignettes into engaging history lessons, and more.
Most Innovative Emerging Technology
AtlasIED Atmosphere Ambient Noise Compensation and X-ANS Sensor
The Atmosphere X-ANS ambient noise sensor from AtlasIED uses patented adaptive filtering technology rather than a microphone to accurately measure the noise level of a commercial environment and adjust automatically without picking up voice. The information is transmitted to the audio processor as data—not as voice programming—lending more enhanced security and volume adjustment accuracy than conventional ambient noise sensors that simply send audio to the processor for analysis and compensation.
Crestron Electronics Crestron and Microsoft Teams Panels
Crestron and Microsoft Teams Panels allow workers to easily navigate their day with a superior level of options, performance, and responsiveness. The ability to gather, share, and act on room scheduling data in real time helps keep employees and management efficient and compliant with reconfigured safety protocols.
Most Innovative IoT Product
Crestron Electronics Crestron XiO Cloud
Crestron XiO Cloud is a unifying cloud-based platform for remotely provisioning, monitoring, and managing devices across an enterprise or an entire client base. This revolutionary platform enables organizations to simultaneously configure and deploy an unlimited number of Crestron products, thereby reducing installation time by up to 90 percent.
Liberty AV Solutions Arranger
Introducing Arranger, an AV software server application from Liberty AV designed to configure and manage AVoIP endpoints and AV systems with easy-to-build user interfaces with no programing skills required. Just as important as the software is the powerful and reliable hardware host—Arranger is designed to fully leverage the powerful capabilities of all Digi IP hardware. One software platform to build, manage, and control all Digi IP and AV devices on a network for many vertical applications.
Most Innovative Mounting Solution
Chief Tempo Flat Panel Floor Support System (AVSFSS)
When installing AV into corporate environment today, installers are limited in the number of site visits and amount of personal contact they can have, making inspections and remediation difficult. Additionally, the request to increase collaboration with dual-display videoconferencing is on the rise. The low-profile Chief Tempo Flat Panel Floor Support System uses the floor instead of the wall to support displays, eliminating the need for wall inspection and remediation for time and cost savings across large rollouts.
rp Visual Solutions Wallmate T-UP
Wallmate T-UP is a single-panel on-wall mount from rp Visual Solutions that can be mounted on top of drywall, concrete, or block walls. It features an up-down swing with lift assist to access removable peripheral plates for easy equipment assembly and service. Wallmate T-UP supports displays of 75 to 100 inches and up to 250 pounds.
Most Innovative Signal Management Product
Vanco EVMX88PRO
The Vanco Evolution 4K 8x8 HDBaseT Audio and Video Matrix sends up to 8 HDMI signals to up to 8 HDBaseT outputs, with mirrored HDMI outputs for up to 16 total outputs. It transmits 4K @ 60Hz, 4:4:4, and HDR up to 131 feet/40 meters over Cat 6. It can also send audio or ARC to up to 8 zones via digital optical outputs.
VuWall TRx 3.1 Centralized Management Platform
TRx 3.1, VuWall’s next-gen platform, is unique in combining AV-over-IP distribution and advanced multi-video wall and KVM management. TRx is a unified centralized platform used to configure, manage, and distribute virtually any source type to any display with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. TRx ensures interoperability in a multi-brand AV-over-IP infrastructure. TRx even allows users to easily create customized control panels to run on any mobile device, without any programming.
Most Innovative Streaming Product
PTZOptics PT-Superjoy-G1
PTZOptics' Superjoy camera control joystick offers serial and network-based control of PTZ cameras, allowing users to adjust pan, tilt, and zoom, and fine-tune settings including focus, iris/shutter, and red and blue gain. The Superjoy is configurable with up to 255 camera presets, including 9 push-button “quick presets.” It also features four customizable buttons that can be programmed to trigger “super presets,” sending commands via HTTP, UART, TCP, or UDP to practically any network-based device.
Visionary Solutions PacketAV Duet Wallplate Encoder
Visionary Solutions' new PacketAV Duet Wallplate Encoder is an HDMI over IP wall plate with built-in Bluetooth connectivity. The PacketAV Duet Wallplate Encoders provide powerful 4K UHD video and Dante/AES67 audio embedding/de-embedding, with internal VLAN tagging capability to separate audio and video network traffic as needed over a single gigabit Ethernet (PoE) port, now with built-in bi-directional Bluetooth wireless audio connectivity.
Most Innovative Videoconferencing Product
Mersive Solstice Conference
Solstice Conference is a new class of Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) room solutions from Mersive that delivers agnostic room conferencing and enhances collaboration between on-site and remote participants with Solstice’s rich, multi-participant content sharing. By leveraging the conferencing applications running on users’ laptops—including Zoom, Teams, and Webex—and providing wireless connectivity to the room display and audio-video peripherals, Solstice delivers a touchless, easy-to-use room system that is completely driven by users’ own devices.
Vaddio IntelliSHOT ePTZ USB Camera
Vaddio’s IntelliSHOT professional USB camera makes video collaboration and streaming classes easy and effortless. Whether auto-framing people around a conference table or tracking the classroom instructor, the IntelliSHOT ePTZ camera delivers stunning, foolproof performance. Free remote management and advanced auto-framing configuration allow integration partners to remotely fine-tune system performance for every environment. Its 30x zoom supports use in larger spaces. Room audio may be connected with the built-in audio mixer for an all-in-one videoconferencing system.
Most Innovative Video Display
LG Business Solutions USA LG Direct View LED Ultimate Business Display
Available for both indoor and outdoor installations, LG’s DVLED Ultimate Business Displays are designed to simplify the entire process of ordering, delivering, installing, and calibrating displays for a wide range of commercial applications. The new models come in 25 size configurations, from 81 inches to as large as 589 inches (49 feet), and aspect ratios in both 16:9 and 32:9 ultra stretch formats.
Samsung Electronics America The Wall, Model IWA
Engineered for longevity and configured for flexibility, Samsung's The Wall (IWA Series) makes a lasting impression in any business/retail environment. Its colossal screen measures in at over 1,000 inches, while remaining completely customizable in a variety of positions and easier than ever to install thanks to new wireless docking connections. Unmatched in brightness control, contrast, and color precision, The Wall is a one-of-a-kind microLED display that delivers top performance for a limitless entertainment experience.
Most Innovative Video Processing Product
Datapath Aetria
Aetria from Datapath allows integrators and end users to design and configure complex control room systems, including multiple video walls. Aetria’s power makes content sharing easy to control. This is an ambitious solution that integrates both the delivery process and the management of complex AV environments, making it suitable for small to very large installations. With built-in diagnostics and security, Aetria monitors all connected components to ensure smooth and secure operation.
Kramer VW-4
This video wall driver from Kramer presents a scalable and secure solution without the excessive cost. Designed for configurations from 2x2 to 8x8, one video input and four HDMI outputs deliver an easy-to-configure, scalable solution, negating the need for a 4x4 driver to create a 4x2 wall, equating to cost savings of up to 80 percent. The hardware-based solution and closed system increases reliability and security, with plug-and-play wired connectivity that requires no adjustments once in place.
Most Innovative Video Projection Solution
Da-Lite, a Brand of Legrand AV, Tensioned Designer Contour with Agility Battery Motor Option
Want the benefits of an electric screen and the flexibility of wire-free installation? Da-Lite's Agility battery motor option with the Tensioned Designer Contour or Designer Contour is ideal for no-fuss installations or retrofitting historic buildings. This lithium-ion battery motor option lasts over 200 cycles on a single charge via micro USB port, with wireless handheld remote operation and up to 16K-ready screen surfaces. Realize cost savings immediately as it is operational out of the box.
Sony Electronics VPL-GTZ380
Sony’s VPL-GTZ380 4K SXRD flagship projection system provides native DCI-4K resolution and extreme brightness. It complements Sony’s comprehensive laser projection lineup and combines powerful features and benefits. It delivers stunning imagery and an immersive viewing experience highlighted by 10,000 lumens brightness, 16,000:1 contrast, DCI-P3 wide color gamut, HDR support, quiet operation, and installation flexibility. The projector, compact for its class, boasts a superior visual experience at any distance and in varying lighting conditions.
