The Pro AV Best in Market (BiM) 2023 award winners for AV Technology have been announced, with 31 companies recognized in the inaugural program. The BiMs provide companies with the opportunity to highlight products that were new or newly upgraded within the last 12 months. Entries were judged based on a range of criteria by independent, third-party judges and editorial teams. Additional BiMs were presented by other Future AV brands, Sound & Video Contractor and Systems Contractor News, which had initially created the awards program during the pandemic for companies that were unable to attend live events.
Check out the AVT winners and comments from our judges.
22Miles, Wayfinding AI Assistant
Getting people to their destination makes or breaks the customer experience and 22Miles takes wayfinding to a personal level that transforms the user's event experience. 22Miles is changing the game and it will be exciting to see how they continue to develop voice, AI, and augmented reality.
7thSense, R-Series 10
7thSense's R-Series hardware is sleek and powerful. With a year of performance out in the field, the hardware has proven it can fulfill a variety of production services. It's also impressive that they understand the value of the hardware as a standalone product with their willingness to ship it without any 7thSense software on board.
7thSense, Juggler
7thSense knows how to balance all your pixel needs as the impressive Juggler hardware suite packs power and precision in a petite form factor. The ability to combine multiple Jugglers to create more complex environments and establish redundant systems is a value-add when failure is not an option. While there are many options for users to consider in the market today 7thSense has a proven history both in the US and around the world.
Avocor L Series
The Avocor L-Series is a great option for users looking to deploy 105-inch 21:9 aspect ratio displays into collaborative spaces and they provide value to users in providing both touch- and non-touch-enabled displays. The overall form factor and presentation are clean and the ability to use Microsoft Teams Front Row is just one way to fully appreciate the way this display can transform a meeting space.
BenQ, LK935 Business Projector
The BenQ LK935 Business Projector really sets the stage for an affordable collaboration suite. A projector that can activate 21:9 aspect ratio content and Microsoft Teams Front Row for 25-50 percent of the cost of smaller flat panel display options on the market shows that projection technology is not dead and BenQ is putting a lot on the table.
Brompton Technology, TrueLight
Brompton improves the LED experience with processing to activate extra white emitters to improve overall spectrum and performance in virtual productions. The ability to dynamically calibrate across panels allows users to maximize the performance of the direct view content in ways that other systems fall short.
Clear Digital, Vue LED Posters
Clear Digital's Vue LED Poster product offering is another appealing option for users to distinguish themselves, their products, or support their brand identity. While this concept of arraying LED panels together to make a larger display is not new Clear Digital has presented one of the better form factors and feature sets on the market.
Clear Digital, Evo Roll Series
The EVO Roll series shows that effective digital signage can be simple and unique. Clean lines, battery-powered, water resistant, and a unique form factor are a recipe for success.
ClearOne, DIALOG UVHF Wireless Microphone
The ClearOne Dialog wireless system is a strong microphone solution for complex environments as the support of UHF and VHF frequencies ensures end users will have multiple channels available to use. The 12-hour battery pack also adds to the convenience factor when it comes to business use in demanding workflows.
Clevertouch by Boxlight, CleverHub
Clevertouch offers users an exceptional platform for collaboration if you add CleverHub within your deployments. The various forms of collaborative connectivity and built-in digital signage features are strong offerings but the CleverConnect option to have 50 devices share content redefines what can be achieved in the classroom or meeting room.
Clevertouch by Boxlight, Clevershare
The sleek integration of Clevershare into the ecosystem is a win on so many levels. The ability to use an app or a dongle can help transform the teaching environment while the administrative controls limit bad actors from interfering with your class time.
Crestron AirMedia Connect Adaptor
The strength of the AirMedia remains Crestron's commitment to security and longstanding history of bringing reliable products to market. The integration and deployment tools also add value to larger deployments.
Digital Projection, Radiance LED EV Series MicroLED
Digital Projection adjusts to the shifts in the market to direct view displays with a stunning micro-LED solution in the Radiance series. This Radiance line really fits the bill for many installs that benefit from DP's legendary color fidelity to woo customers without the need for lenses.
Epson, PowerLite 810E Extreme Short Throw with 4K Enhancement
5,000 lumens of laser light driving a 21:9 aspect ratio with a screen size of up to 160-inches creates the opportunity for a unique user experience. The feature set of the PowerLite 810E provides a host of connectivity options while the ability to do split screens adds value for collaboration.
Epson, BrightLink 770Fi Interactive Ultra Short Throw Lamp-Free Laser Display
The BrightLink 770Fi 1080p 3LCD Interactive Ultra Short Throw Lamp-Free Laser Display lives up to its name delivering 4,100 lumens and a 100-inch interactive screen size. Epson continues to champion the 3LCD technology but uses a laser light source to extend product life and reduce operating noise and the potential for downtime due to lamp failures. The ability to choose between 21:9 and 16:9 aspect ratios allows users to stretch the canvas to meet the needs of various learning environments.
Extron, MGP 641 xi
The MGP 641 xi multi-window processor is a winning combination of Extron's previous generations of hardware with modern flexible outputs supporting DPT, DPT3, SDI, and HDBaseT output capability. Other manufacturers compete with aspects of this windowing processor but Extron delivers a more robust offering in the three models of the MGP 641xi processor.
Haivision, Command 360
The Haivision Command 360 video platform is a strong product offering in the market and the quick deployment and network security are significant value adds.
JVC Professional Video, KM-IP8S4 CONNECTED CAM vMix Studio Switcher
The KM-IP8S4 CONNECTED CAM vMix Studio Switcher is a powerhouse of a system for under $5500 and I think the strength of this system is its support for traditional SDI signals as well as network-based NDI.
L-Acoustics, L Series
L-Acoustics presents a great audio system with the new L-Series. The angle-less system and the need for fewer cabinets simplify installation and deliver classic L-Acoustics performance. While designed for long throws there are a number of applications where these 10-degree vertical cabinet arrays may change the way integrators design systems.
LED Studio, EDGE Series
The LED Studio EDGE Series is a strong option for retrofitting existing video walls with its native 16:9 aspect ratio design. The strength of the application for me is the optional EDGE Connect module that eliminates the need for a third-party video wall processor.
Matrox Video, Matrox ConvertIP SRST
So many users have adopted HDBaseT over the years and now that IP is ready to take over we've been lacking a tool such as the Matrox ConvertIP SRST transmitter/receiver. When you need to push the boundaries beyond the limitations of HDBaseT Matrox provides a standards-based IPMX solution that allows you to reliably distribute signals further with confidence.
Media Resources, TruView Flexible dvLED
TruView Flex builds upon the 145K installations they already have in the field with options to bend and wrap direct-view LED displays for indoor and outdoor applications. With 50K customers already, the new Flex line presents opportunities to help clients create new visual experiences.
Megapixel VR, HELIOS LED Processing Platform & 100G ST2110 Input
The HELIOS LED Processing Platform packs 8K of video processing into a single rack unit configured via a software-less browser based platform. This innovative approach to control and powerful hardware will allow users to scale back required hardware while scaling video effortlessly on any large digital canvas.
Owl Labs, Owl Bar
The OWL Bar is a welcome addition to their existing 360 degree camera/speaker solution and the ability to switch between camera views using the operating system is what makes this ecosystem so strong.
Parker Group, AVenue
Parker Group's AVenue is an impressive service that allows you to capture and record up to 50 AV streams and securely redistribute the materials using its media management server.
Pure Fi, Pure Fi Pro HDMI 2.1 Active Optical Cable
Finally, an optical HDMI cable designed for installation in conduit maximizing performance at a value price of $360 per run.
Salamander Designs, Arc Table
The Salamander Designs Arc table is an extremely functional and beautiful piece of furniture for your collaboration suite. The build quality is strong and the various finishes allow you to match your environment. Extra features such as the ability to integrate wireless charging are presented in a much cleaner way than other tables on the market.
Sennheiser, TeamConnect Ceiling Medium
Sennheiser TeamConnect is a product that you won't notice once it's installed but you'll benefit from its presence in your environment. The audio demo of Team Connect shows the product excels in environments that other systems can't handle in terms of room size or background noise. When it comes to ceiling-mounted microphone solutions in collaboration spaces the TeamConnect 2 system might just be the best on the market.
SiliconCore, 1.9mm XR LED Video Wall
In my opinion, SiliconCore has long manufactured the most stunning direct-view displays in the industry and the new 1.9mm XR LED Display boasts an impressive suite of features to lead this year's class of virtual production panels. While not every production environment needs to achieve 240Hz it can be immensely helpful in some workflows and the combination of visual clarity, color fidelity, and impressive refresh rates demonstrates that SiliconCore is still at the top of its game.
Sony Electronics, BZ40L Series of Professional BRAVIA Displays
Having deployed a number of Sony Bravia Pro displays this past year I have been immensely pleased with the performance and capabilities of Sony's signage platform. One of the areas that was lacking in previous displays was anti-glare performance and Sony addresses this area significantly in their new BZ40L series.
ViewSonic LDS135-151 Direct View LED Display Solution Kit
If you're looking to deploy a large format direct view LED display you can't get any easier than ViewSonic LDS135-151. What sets the ViewSonic LDS135-151 apart is the folding design that allows the unit to be packed into a flight case for rugged and reliable transport.
