Summary:

• Disney’s 2026 Upfront at the North Javits Center seamlessly integrated four distinct formats—corporate presentations, live ESPN broadcast segments, cinema trailers, and a full Olivia Rodrigo concert—while overcoming the tall, hard-surfaced room's severe reverberance issues to ensure speech intelligibility across every seat.
• To meet the demand for movie-theater audio quality and precise speech PA, production partner NMR Events deployed the first full-surround L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system at a Disney Upfront, utilizing seven Kara II Scene arrays, flown KS28 subwoofers, surround layers, and an L-ISA Processor II.
• By localizing audio sources—such as placing the ESPN broadcast audio directly over its physical desk house left and centralizing spoken vocals—L-ISA eliminated competing delay times and phase interference, directly solving the venue's acoustic challenges and establishing a benchmark for future immersive show designs.

Disney’s Upfront is not one single show. Whether it was the new CEO, ESPN coverage, cinematic trailers, or live music, the North Javits Center required movie-theater sound quality for the content and a speech PA intelligible in every seat. A full-surround L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system provided just that.

The 2026 edition, staged on May 12, opened with Anne Hathaway introducing new CEO Josh D’Amaro, ran an ESPN college football desk live from house left, played film and series trailers at cinema level, put more than 100 names on stage across entertainment, sports, streaming and film, and closed with Olivia Rodrigo playing a full musical set. A corporate presentation, a broadcast segment, a trailer reel and a concert, back to back, in the same room and on the same system.

[Flame On! Disney's Space Mountain Becomes Projection-Mapped Canvas]

Holding all of that together on one system was only half the job. The room was the other half, and the harder one. The North Javits space is wide, tall and hard-surfaced, and reverberance is the obstacle every Upfront team meets there—particularly for speech intelligibility, which a presentation of this kind lives or dies on. “We’ve done some dampening there in the past, but it’s still very difficult,” said Nick Sarlo, head of audio at NMR Events, the production company that supplied and ran the event’s audio.

NMR Events’ designed, with support from the L-Acoustics Application team, the full-surround L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system. It is the first L-ISA system deployed at a Disney Upfront. The design gave every style of content the same spatial treatment. “We were able to make people’s eyes and ears connect here,” said Bob McGlinchey, NMR Events’ lead audio design engineer.

The design started from the shape of the room. Stereo across a stage that wide means repeating left and right along the front, which flattens the image and leaves the audience with no sense of where anything is. L-Acoustics global application lead, spatial systems Oscar Sturup proposed a very wide frontal L-ISA configuration instead, so that any source could be placed where it belonged on stage.

That paid off most visibly on the ESPN segment. With the college football desk set up house left, the broadcast audio was placed house left too, and it reached the room from where the presenters were actually sitting. For the trailers, flying the subwoofers centrally beneath the center Scene hang kept the low end time-aligned to the stage, so cinematic content landed evenly across the hall rather than in pockets.

Drawn from NMR Events’ L-Acoustics inventory, the L-ISA Scene system comprised seven arrays of eight Kara II flown across the wide stage, with Extension arrays of eight Kara II to the far left and right of them. Low frequency came from two centrally flown adjacent hangs of four KS28 each in cardioid configuration, paired with three more KS28 in a line in front of center stage below.

Out-fill arrays of eight Kara II per side were flown between the Scene and Extension systems, with smaller arrays of six Kara II out in the room for far left- and right-side delay. The surround layer comprised six rear arrays of six Kara II. Eleven coaxial X8 in an arc along the lip of the main stage carried spatialized front-fill, with six more X8, three per side outboard of them, as mono front-fills. LA12X amplified controllers powered the system, with a pair of LA7.16 driving the spatialized front-fills, while an L-ISA Processor II handled the object-based mix.

An Upfront sits between genres. It is part corporate presentation, part product launch, part broadcast, part theater, and this year part concert, and the audio has to carry all of it without the room appearing to change character. Adrian D. Rivas, brought in by NMR Events as L-ISA systems engineer, set out to let the audience have the most organic immersive experience possible across the whole running order.

Part of that was fidelity to the source. Content mixed in 5.1 for cinema or broadcast was played back in the room in 5.1 rather than folded down. “With L-ISA, from an audio perspective, we were able to faithfully reproduce and present that original content to the audience in the room the way it was intended to be heard,” Rivas said.

The rest was consistency of seat. Wherever an audience member sat, the intent was a fifth-row-center experience, with every element still arriving from where it sat on stage. “The audience absolutely had an experience that sounded more natural, specifically because of how the system was designed,” Rivas said. “But there were also times that, because of the style of production we were trying to achieve, I feel we exceeded just immersive sound, and really made it an immersive moment.”

Summary:

• The "So Glad You Made It" tour featured two headlining acts—311 and Dirty Heads—requiring a modular video rig using Absen PL3.9 Pro panels supplied by Showtime Sound.
• The Absen PL3.9 Pro displays delivered vivid, saturated colors, deep blacks, and clear grayscale rendering across a wide brightness range (0.1 to 5,000 nits)
• Built for rugged touring with reinforced cabinets and protective shielding, the video wall proved exceptionally durable.

This summer, 311 and Dirty Heads co-headlined the “So Glad You Made It” tour, playing 33 stops at amphitheaters and outdoor venues across North America. As a result, the production team needed a video system that could support two distinct headlining sets and adapt to a different venue nearly every night. Absen customer and production company Showtime Sound supplied and supported Absen’s PL3.9 Pro, a 3.9mm LED display designed for their touring and live event applications.

[Massive Absen Display Brings Exterior of the NBA's Phoenix Suns Home Arena to Life]

The co-headline format shaped the tour’s video design from the start, with the lighting and video rig serving two sets, each with its own creative direction. The venue size added another variable. Stage widths changed from city to city, requiring a system that could scale down significantly without losing visual impact.

“We have two co-headliners, so we have to design a rig that works for both bands,” said Bobby Grey, lighting and production designer for 311. “The thing about 311 is they have a 36-year history. They have a massive catalog of hundreds of songs, ranging from hard-rocking rock ballads to jammy songs and everything in between. So, diversity for us is key.”

With two bands and set lists ranging from hard rock to extended jams, the display had to reproduce a wide range of looks, from dim, moody scenes to bright, saturated content, without losing detail at either end.

By combining accurate color reproduction across a wide brightness range, modular panel options and dependable performance through a full summer run, Absen’s PL3.9 Pro gave the 311 and Dirty Heads production team a display platform that scaled to each venue and kept the focus on the creative work for two headlining sets across 33 stops in North America.

Take a deeper look in the video from Absen below.

Have you ever played Richie's Plank Experience on the Meta Quest? In that game, you put on your headset and can either fly around the city or take an elevator to the top floor and walk a dizzying and terrifying narrow plank to see if you make it to the end.

Now, imagine getting to do that... without a headset.

[COSM: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

Grupo Creativo and Logika Studio did just that for the Tattersall event center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Primarily designed for galas, product launches, and corporate brand experiences, the two creative groups made it possible to change the entire atmosphere without physically tearing down and building back up each new setup for each new event.

The floors, walls, and ceilings act in unison, transforming what is normally a static space into a dynamic and digital work of art. According to digital transformation expert, Ulrich Buckenlei, the entire room is programmable, creating a shared experience for everyone in the room without headsets by changing the software and content.

Is this the future of booth visits and convention centers at InfoComm and ISE? You can see for yourself in the Grupo Creativo Instagram post below.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has announced Mo Gawdat, four-time international bestselling author and business leader as the Business Keynote speaker for ISE 2027. Returning to Fira de Barcelona, Gran Via, Feb. 2-5, 2027, the keynote will give attendees the opportunity to step back from individual solutions and enrich their ISE experience to consider the bigger picture: where AI is taking us and the role people must play in shaping what comes next.

[REGISTER TODAY: ISE 2027 Is Coming]

“Mo Gawdat brings a rare combination of business leadership, technological insight and human perspective to the conversation around AI," commented Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events. "As industries and disciplines surrounding the AV world become increasingly interconnected, his keynote will challenge the ISE community to look beyond the hype and consider how AI can be applied responsibly to unlock new ideas, experiences and opportunities. His message captures the spirit of When Worlds Unite, and we look forward to welcoming him to the stage at ISE 2027.”

Gawdat will take to the stage in CC4 on Tuesday, Feb. 2, under the title ‘When Human and Artificial Intelligence Unite: Building a Future Worth Living In’. The keynote session will evaluate the current impact of AI whilst raising bigger questions surrounding the speed of change, responsibility and human behavior, and address how organizations should respond.

With a career spanning over three decades, Gawdat brings a wealth of experience from prestige companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Google, as well as co-founding more than 30 businesses throughout his career. He is also a four-time international bestselling author, with a core focus on happiness, artificial intelligence and the future of humanity. His first published title, the bestselling Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy, developed an algorithm that models how our minds encounter the world and process joy and sadness. It also sparked his global mission to make one billion people happy.

Following the publication of his second book, Scary Smart: The Future of AI and How You Can Save Our World, Mo established himself as one of the world’s leading voices on AI. This expertise extends to how AI will continue to grow and what businesses could be doing differently to effectively incorporate AI into their operations. This knowledge is implemented in his work, including his latest initiative ‘Emma.love’, an ethical AI coaching platform that helps to cultivate meaningful relationships, platonically, romantically and professionally; and also his forthcoming book Alive: A Human’s Guide to Living in the World of AI.

ISE’s 2027 theme ‘When Worlds Unite’ reflects the growing convergence of the worlds of AV, digital content, immersive experiences, smart buildings and live events. Mo’s keynote brings this theme to life as he offers invaluable expertise in this area, especially with how AI could be used to help different technology worlds continue to unite, without losing the human connection.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Misty Chalk, Vice President of Sales, Americas at BrightSign

Audience expectations for engaging experiences have heightened in recent years. Immersive, interactive activations were once limited to entertainment venues. Now, advances in display technology and digital signage players have made dynamic audience interactions a priority across industries—from banks and retail stores to corporate offices and quick-service restaurants.

As organizations invest more in digital displays as a revenue driver, they’re looking to optimize the value of every visual touchpoint. That’s where AI is offering the greatest impact and driving more tailored, customized content. AI-powered gaze detection, for instance, can help organizations measure how many people engaged with one visual versus another. Meanwhile, AI can also help detect content anomalies, such as incorrect aspect ratios and blank screens, helping AV teams quickly identify a fix to minimize downtime. To gain the most benefit from these AI-powered tools, it’s important to consider the type of media player you have processing content. A player with a built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) can run powerful AI applications directly on the device so users don’t have to worry about sacrificing performance.

Similarly, as digital signage networks grow larger and more distributed, centralized management becomes essential. Whether managing displays across a college campus or nationwide enterprise, AV teams need access to comprehensive management tools that give them visibility into the entire network. An effective management solution will support the ability to scale, monitor, and schedule actions across a fleet of players.

Ultimately, maximizing the return on display investments isn’t just about adopting the latest AI capabilities; it requires building an ecosystem that is intelligent, scalable, reliable, and secure so organizations can focus on delivering an innovative, memorable experience.

What to know:

• The ALF-WU4-8K is an HDMI 2.1 switcher and scaler with 4 HDMI inputs and one HDMI output.
• The ALF-WU6-8K is an HDMI2.1 switcher and scaler with 4 HDMI and 2 USB-C inputs along with one HDMI output.
• The ALF-MU4k HUB is an HDMI 2.0 seamless switcher that offers 4 inputs: 1 USB C (DP ALT MODE) and 3 HDMI inputs.

Alfatron Electronics has unveiled its new switchers and scalers, the WU4-8K and WU6-8K, as well as the MU4K Hub for larger configurations. These three new products were designed to maximize efficiency when routing computer output to multiple displays in today’s hi-tech meeting environments.

[The Human Side of Technology]

"Today’s conference environments demand more from AV systems than ever before," said Kevin Gelman, Alfatron’s national sales director and chief financial officer. "With multiple sources, displays, resolutions, and participants to manage, integrators need solutions that simplify signal management while delivering reliable, high-quality performance. The WU4-8K and WU6-8K switchers/scalers, together with the MU4K Hub, give AV professionals the flexibility and connectivity they need to create streamlined, dependable systems that can adapt to the demands of modern meeting spaces. These products are designed to make complex AV environments easier to manage while providing the performance and versatility today’s users expect.”

ALF-WU4-8K

The ALF-WU4-8K is an HDMI 2.1 switcher and scaler with four HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. With its complete HDMI 2.1 implementation, a 48Gbps FRL (Fixed Rate Link) for efficient data transfer, and HDR support, the WU4-8K ensures stable signaling even at the highest bandwidths while also being HDCP 2.3 compliant. This switcher includes de-embedded audio, scaling, EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) management, and front panel LED indicators for power and signal status.

The Alfatron WU4-8K’s switching time is managed within three seconds. EDID management is managed via a 5-pin DIP (Dual In-line Package) switcher with the source through a display’s EDID or internally stored EDID. For de-embedded audio, the unit offers one balanced and optical audio output connectors. The WU4-8K supports Alfatron’s or Josawa’s unique IP and RS232 codes as well as IR. It also uses a GUI (Graphical User Interface) design.

WU6-8K

The ALF-WU6-8K is an HDMI2.1 switcher and scaler with four HDMI and two USB-C inputs along with one HDMI output. With its complete HDMI 2.1 implementation, a 48Gbps FRL for efficient data transfer, and HDR support, the WU6-8K ensures stable signaling even at the highest bandwidths while also being HDCP 2.3 compliant. This switcher includes de-embedded audio, scaling, EDID management, and front panel LED indicators for power and signal status.

The Alfatron WU6-8K’s switching time is managed within three seconds. EDID management is managed via a 5-pin DIP (Dual In-line Package) switcher with the source through a display’s EDID or internally stored EDID. For de-embedded audio, the unit offers one balanced and one optical audio output connectors. The WU6-8K supports Alfatron’s or Josawa’s unique IP and RS232 codes as well as IR. It also uses a GUI (Graphical User Interface) design.

Alfatron MU4K HUB

The ALF-MU4k HUB is an HDMI 2.0 seamless switcher that offers four inputs: one USB C (DP ALT MODE) and three HDMI inputs. It also has two Mirrored HDMI outputs, Multiview (for displaying multiple camera angles or video feeds at once), and a USB KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) Hub for switching between sources using peripherals such as a keyboard, camera, or mouse. The unit supports resolutions up to 4K as well as USB3.2. There is also a USB2.0 port that supports hot key functions.

Other key features include support for HDMI 2.0, 18 Gigabit bandwidth, HDCP 2.3, and backward compatible signals. In addition to offering seamless switching between inputs, there are also two HDMI mirrored outputs for versatile control options. The hub also offers Multiview with multiple layout selections and user defined layouts for flexible control. The hub supports two KVM switching at 10 GPS as well as KVM auto-switching based on TMDS/5V detection.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Kurt DeYoung, Chief Revenue Officer at Nanolumens

Engaging and immersing audiences is all about making a good first and lasting impression. From the viewer experience perspective, not a lot has changed regarding what draws eyes, engrosses, and creates memories: It is size, resolution, color accuracy, brightness, and even shape. Content remains king, but if the display is big, bright, crisp, colorful, and a non-standard shape, then it’ll most likely be memorable. The more-than-200-square-foot, cone-shaped Oculus LED display at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport is a prime example of this. The Oculus is huge, features incredible content on a non-traditionally shaped canvas, and is interactive.

However, organizations must evaluate display technology beyond specifications—and instead make displays a piece of the broader environment’s look, feel, and function. Often, environments incorporate natural and practical elements such as trees and stones so the atmosphere is not fully digital—and need display technology to amplify and support the spirit of the space.

From a behind-the-scenes perspective, organizations are placing greater emphasis on display solutions that can evolve alongside their operational needs. Whether in higher education, corporate, museums, or public venues, immersive environments are most effective when displays integrate seamlessly with content management, collaboration platforms, and control systems. As a result, organizations can deliver consistent experiences across multiple locations while simplifying content distribution and system management.

The most successful deployments recognize that displays are part of a broader ecosystem. Close integration with video processing, content management, and collaboration technologies creates environments that are easier to deploy, manage, and expand as organizational needs change. Rather than focusing solely on display specifications, organizations should evaluate how technology supports long-term flexibility, operational efficiency, and audience engagement. An ecosystem approach helps create immersive experiences today while ensuring systems remain valuable and adaptable for years to come.

TOA has introduced its new MW-42BT, a next-generation in-wall audio interface designed to enhance flexibility, usability, and systems integration in commercial distributed audio environments. The MW-42BT builds on the proven MW-41BT platform while introducing key enhancements to meet the evolving needs of modern audio systems.

[Tackling a New HQ]

The MW-42BT serves as a versatile front-end interface, supporting multiple audio sources including microphone/line input, auxiliary input, USB playback, and Bluetooth wireless streaming. This enables seamless connectivity for a wide range of user devices, providing convenient local control of audio within a given zone. Its intuitive wall-mounted design allows users to easily select sources and adjust volume, making it ideal for environments where simplicity and accessibility are essential.

Engineered for seamless integration, the MW-42BT features selectable balanced mono or stereo output, allowing compatibility with a broader range of amplification and signal distribution systems. In addition, configurable microphone priority with ducking ensures clear and intelligible speech by automatically lowering background audio during announcements—an essential function in spaces combining music playback and paging.

With this new model, TOA introduces several important upgrades over the previous generation. The MW-42BT replaces the RJ45-based output with a removable terminal block, simplifying installation and improving serviceability. The addition of selectable mono/stereo output provides greater design flexibility, while enhanced Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity delivers improved wireless stability. Further improvements in grounding and electrostatic discharge protection contribute to long-term reliability in demanding commercial installations.

Housed in a compact two-gang wall-mounted form factor, the MW-42BT offers a clean, professional appearance suitable for a wide range of applications, including offices, hospitality venues, retail spaces, and educational facilities. Whether used for background music, paging, or bring-your-own-device audio, the MW-42BT delivers a practical and reliable solution for modern distributed audio systems.

Quick view:

• Opened on June 19, 2026, in Chicago's Jackson Park, the 20-acre Obama Presidential Center highlights Barack and Michelle Obama's story, placing a heavy focus on President Obama's pioneering use of digital technology and social media.
• AV Foundation lead Paul Horst deployed 35 distinct AV systems driven by AV Stumpfl PIXERA media servers, spanning single displays, multi-monitor setups, and multi-projector installations.
• The museum's four-story centerpiece combines projected visuals across an irregularly shaped canvas with an 89-speaker spatial audio system designed by Jeremy S. Bloom, utilizing real-time NDI feeds, synchronized lighting, and automated software alignment.

The Obama Presidential Center opened to the public on June 19, 2026, in Chicago's Jackson Park. The date, Juneteenth, was chosen deliberately, as Juneteenth is a United States federal holiday that marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Since President Barack Obama is known for being the first to use modern technological platforms in the Oval Office, keen attention to technology within these walls was paid. That relationship with digital technology is a central theme of the museum, where AV Stumpfl PIXERA media servers drive 35 distinct systems spanning the full breadth of the exhibition program.

Obama was the first United States president to hold a Twitter account, the first to livestream from the Oval Office on Facebook, and the first to answer questions from the public on YouTube. Thus the eight-story Center has four floors dedicated to exhibitions that explore the story of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama through film, interactive displays, and large-scale immersive media.

Paul Horst, senior manager of exhibition AV systems at the Obama Foundation, led the AV design and deployment across the museum. With exhibits ranging from individual 4K displays to large multi-projector installations, the team required a media server platform capable of scaling across every use case within a single, managed ecosystem. "We selected PIXERA to consolidate our media playback into a unified ecosystem," said Horst. "It provided both the hardware options needed to suit individual exhibit sizes and the comprehensive software required to execute our most ambitious installations."

The 35-system installation spans 23 single-display exhibits, seven multi-monitor systems and five multi-projector systems. The multi-monitor configurations include systems of up to 11 displays, each running from a single director server and two client units. The five multi-projector systems range from two-projector blends to the four-story Power of Words installation. The deployment draws on the full breadth of the PIXERA hardware range, with server models matched to the technical requirements of each individual exhibit.

Across all systems, the Obama Foundation's AV team built custom web-accessible control interfaces within PIXERA Control, making routine operations accessible to technicians without requiring in-depth knowledge of the software. Each interface provides the most common operator functions, like starting and stopping timelines, toggling outputs, restarting the render engine, and selecting photography-safe stills from the video content. The interfaces are available as embedded panels within ISAAC, the museum's integrated control platform, giving operators access to the full media estate from a single location.

Power of Words is the museum's centrepiece installation, running the full interior height of the building across all four gallery floors as a projected canvas that orients visitors on each level before expanding into themed visuals and artwork that cross every storey simultaneously. The spatial audio design, led by Emmy Award-winning sound designer Jeremy S. Bloom, deploys more than 89 speakers across the installation, with audio systems embedded in screens, floors, and in ceiling trenches at each level. Each floor operates as a distinct audio zone, and PIXERA synchronises about 40 audio tracks along with the projected content across the full installation. PIXERA also drives coordinated lighting changes for Power of Words via UDP commands sent to the museum's lighting control system, embedding lighting transitions directly within the media timeline.

"At site-specific immersive installations like those in the museum, mixing and spatializing the audio onsite is not only fun, but a complete necessity," said Jeremy S. Bloom, sound designer. "Onsite, without the traditional infrastructure of a dubbing stage, I need a way to finalize the audio on my own workstation while watching the final visual media at scale. PIXERA allowed for this quite seamlessly. With the flip of a switch, I could send LTC timecode to the media server over our existing Dante network and gain control of all playback."

The projection geometry of Power of Words presented an additional challenge. The screen is wider at the mid-level floors than at the top and bottom of the building, requiring the media producers to apply different content warps depending on the vertical position of each element on the canvas. To address this, the team developed a workflow using PIXERA's NDI live-input capabilities, taking full-resolution After Effects compositions as direct NDI feeds into PIXERA and displaying them on the full-scale screen in real time. Warping corrections and content changes could then be previewed and refined immediately, without the delays of iterative offline renders.

Projector alignment for Power of Words is handled by Scalable Display Technologies, whose software generates MPCDI calibration files that PIXERA accepts as part of an automated alignment sequence built through Medialon, the museum's scheduling and control system operating under ISAAC. When a recalibration is required, Medialon sends commands to a custom module in PIXERA, which stops active timelines, deactivates outputs and hands control to Scalable for calibration. Once the alignment process is complete, PIXERA reactivates the outputs and restarts the timelines without manual intervention.

Before the full Power of Words installation was commissioned, Horst's team built a six-foot scale model of the screen to work through the projection geometry and workflow challenges in advance. Smaller PIXERA servers and compact projectors replicated the final installation conditions at bench scale, allowing the team to validate the mapping, audio synchronisation and control workflows before committing to the full build. "When we installed the full-sized systems at the Obama Presidential Center Museum, we had a high degree of confidence that the system would work because we had already built it," said Horst.

And work it has, as the Obama Presidential Center is quickly becoming a top tourist attraction in a city known for its venues and experiences.

It's clear the Jabra PanaCast U30 videobar wants to keep things simple for BYOD videoconferencing workflows. Designed for huddle rooms or other small rooms, it wants you to plug in one cable and get your meeting started. Nice and clean—but it might not be as bare bones as you think.

The unit itself is well built and about as unobtrusive an addition to your huddle room as it can be. Just under 21 inches long, it's among the smallest videobars on the market, weighs a little over 3 pounds, and includes an adjustable mounting bracket. Jabra was kind enough to include a sturdy table stand (available as an accessory), so I didn't have to drill any holes to conduct my review, but there's a positioning guide included in the packing materials to simplify your install.

All your connections are on the back, and there's even a cable compartment cover to keep your install tidy. The U30 also includes a small, black, removable rubber lens cap that will likely get lost within the first week. An integrated privacy shutter would be a welcome upgrade.

My desk is positioned less than 4 feet from my office wall, which means there are no distractions behind me when I'm in video meetings or recording webinars. However, that's not a great setup for reviewing a videobar, so I turned the spare room into a temporary huddle room. I placed my desk chair a little less than 5 feet in front of the U30.

I didn't bother to do any setup the first time I used the U30. Taking Jabra at its word, I literally plugged in the unit and connected a USB-C cable from my laptop to the videobar. And yes, it worked. The U30 features a 4K camera, one speaker, and six microphones, which are used to help the system's video-follow-audio camera modes (more on those later). Other meeting participants could see and hear me clearly, though I was told I sounded a bit hollow.

Of course, it's Jabra, so I heard them just fine. The video call sounded clear and so did the music I played after the meeting. The U30 also offers noise suppression, and it works. I know this because I banged my Yukon stainless steel tumbler repeatedly on the table and the other call participants couldn't hear it. No one complained about the sound of me typing notes throughout the meeting, either.

The U30's camera was set to Intelligent Zoom right out of the box, so when it determined I was alone in the room, the system's AI decided a medium shot of me was better than a wide shot of the room. Good call, but that meant I had absolutely no control over the camera. So, after that first meeting, it was time for a proper setup.

Modes of Conversation

With no network cable on hand, I created a QR shortcut for my network password on my phone, held it in front of the U30's camera, and quickly got on the network and gained access to Jabra's Web Console. From there, it was a matter of using Chrome on my iPhone to name the unit, update the password (yep, cybersecurity matters in my house, too), and, as is the norm in today's tech world, update the firmware.

I really appreciate the "onboarding wallpaper" included with the U30. That QR code trick wasn't my idea—there were on-screen instructions explaining how to get my U30 connected to the network. Brilliant.

Web Console provides more than firmware updates. From here, you can adjust various image characteristics and select between camera modes. Besides Intelligent Zoom, there is Virtual Director, which dynamically follows the conversation and focuses on the speaker.

Intelligent Zoom will follow the conversation, but the U30 is initially set to move (very) slowly. You have the option to reset the transition speed to immediate, which forgoes the on-screen camera move for a cut to the new angle. Certainly the slow mode is less jarring, but it takes way too long to follow a moving speaker or lock on to the new one. I'm not a fan of jump cuts, but I'll take the immediate setting. I'd really like to see an upgrade that provides more zoom options.

If your meetings regularly include a couple of Chatty Cathies or a fair amount of debate, you might be better served with the simple, static Panoramic View mode. You can choose between a normal and "max wide" view, but Jabra correctly warns you that you will see serious fisheye distortion with the wider angle. If you want a more advanced visual, Dynamic Composition boxes up to four speakers in separate tiles along with a wide view of the entire room. Just remember that you've got one camera doing the work of several, so keep your resolution expectations in check.

Generally speaking, I have a problem with AI's interpretation of headroom, as it tends to provide way too much for my taste. The U30 can suffer from the same problem. Another app, Jabra Direct (available only for your computer), lets you customize your shot and save a couple of presets.

The Magic Cable

With most review products, I try to make them work without reading the directions. If I get frustrated, then it's time to open the user manual. The funny thing with this review is that I could have saved myself some frustration by unboxing the cable that came with the unit.

I used my own USB-C cable to connect the videobar to my laptop. And it worked … kind of. I had also connected the U30 to my large-screen display via HDMI, but I wasn't getting a picture. Turns out I needed to connect my laptop to the U30 with a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 cable, such as the one Jabra provided. Once I did that, everything was fine. Yes, that's your reminder that all cables, even all USB-C cables, are not created equal.

With the proper cable in place, I decided to give the camera modes a real test. Unfortunately, I stumbled with a software conflict right out of the gate. I started with Google Meet—the static panoramic view had no issues, but the Virtual Director could not differentiate between two speakers and Dynamic Composition was just a mess. Turns out I had Google Meet's "framing" turned on, so I was always in the center of the screen. Shut that off and it worked just fine.

The U30 is in certification with Microsoft Teams, so I tried another meeting. Dynamic Composition framed both people in separate tiles, along with a wide view of the huddle room. It's really a nice effect.

It really comes down to this: The Jabra PanaCast U30 is as simple or as advanced as you want it to be—within reason, considering its significantly lower price point ($755 on Jabra's website and $899 elsewhere) than other Jabra videobars. If it's just your huddle room, you can select an advanced camera mode for a more dynamic presentation.

If you have to share that huddle room among several groups that may or may not be technologically inclined (or you're trying to standardize multiple huddle rooms), you might just want to stick with the panoramic view and avoid the max wide setting, if possible. Either way, my advice would be to set it and forget it. Remember, the goal of the U30 is to make BYOD videoconferencing simple for small rooms and small groups. If that's your goal as well, the U30 is a solid videobar choice.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: John Tracy, Senior Vice President of Sales at SiliconCore

One of the most significant developments in display technology is the rise of the all-in-one LED display. It is making fine-pitch LED accessible to a much wider range of organizations by removing much of the complexity traditionally associated with deploying LED.

Rather than designing a display permanently into one room, organizations can now deploy large-format LED without a lengthy installation process and, with mobile solutions, move that investment between collaboration spaces, training rooms, engineering environments, and multipurpose facilities as requirements change.

That versatility changes the TCO conversation. A display that can serve several spaces and applications has the potential for much higher utilization over its lifetime. It also gives IT and AV teams greater flexibility to respond to evolving workflows without continually redesigning rooms around fixed technology.

However, simplicity at the front end shouldn’t mean overlooking what’s happening behind the display. As LED canvases become larger, power consumption and heat generation become increasingly important considerations for both operating cost and sustainability.

When specifying a solution, look beyond pixel pitch, resolution, and brightness to how efficiently the LEDs themselves are being driven. Technologies such as Common Cathode independently manage the voltage supplied to the LEDs, reducing wasted energy and heat.

That can have a tangible infrastructure benefit. Highly efficient all-in-one displays can operate from a single standard power connection without additional components adding more electrical and cooling requirements. The more integrated the product—the fewer potential points of failure.

The opportunity is to make LED not only more accessible, but more usable as a flexible resource that can move with an organization while consuming less energy throughout a longer operational life.

At a glance:

• The Meeting Owl 5 has been reengineered into a single, flexible device that’s easy to install and simple to use.
• A new 4K camera delivers sharper 360-degree video, paired with AI-powered speaker tracking to follow the flow of conversation.
• For organizations with more advanced deployment requirements, the Meeting Owl line also includes the Meeting Owl 5 Pro which runs on the same platform with added enterprise-grade capabilities.

Owl Labs has released the re-engineered Meeting Owl 5. The Meeting Owl 5 delivers a premium center-of-the-table experience in a single, flexible device that’s easy to install and simple to use. Built on insights from billions of meeting minutes globally, the Meeting Owl 5 reflects years of experience in 360-degree collaboration. That experience informed a fundamentally new Owl, designed to make hybrid meetings more natural, immersive and simple.

[AI Doomsday? Or Does Waiting Become the Risk?]

"We defined the 360 standard, and have spent years learning how people actually meet and what customers expect of their meeting experiences," said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs. "Meeting room requirements have dramatically shifted since we introduced the first Meeting Owl. The Meeting Owl 5 takes everything we’ve learned and re-engineers the experience around what organizations need today: better video, audio, reliability, simpler deployment and flexibility to work across more spaces."

The Meeting Owl 5 brings major upgrades across the device, starting with a completely redesigned industrial body that features a lower center of gravity, base-mounted controls, and ruggedized acoustic fabric for improved stability and durability. At its core, a new 4K camera delivers sharper 360-degree video—even for participants seated farther away—paired with AI-powered speaker tracking to follow the flow of conversation. The audio experience is equally advanced, incorporating eight beamforming microphones with Fraunhofer's AI-powered upHear Microphone Processing technology to guarantee crystal-clear speech pickup.

Qualcomm 6490 chipsets running Android 15 drive these advanced AI capabilities, voice tracking, and seamless video streaming alongside enterprise-grade security. Setup is streamlined into a single USB-C connection for video, audio, and content sharing, supplemented by native HDMI passthrough for added flexibility. The device accommodates versatile deployment, functioning on its own or expanding into larger meeting rooms via wired or wireless Owl pairing.

Rounding out the update, the Meeting Owl 5 emphasizes sustainability, built with 45% post-consumer recycled plastic and housed in 99% recyclable packaging to deliver a complete, highly adaptable experience.

The Meeting Owl 5 is built for organizations of every size, from a small business equipping its first room to a global enterprise deploying BYOD collaboration across hundreds of spaces. For organizations with more advanced deployment requirements, the Meeting Owl line also includes the Meeting Owl 5 Pro which runs on the same platform with added enterprise-grade capabilities, including Microsoft Teams certification, support for fully integrated room systems, and expanded deployment flexibility.

Quick summary:

• Alexandria International Airport (AEX) partnered with Nanolumens to modernize its terminal with Nixel Series Flex and Engage Series LED displays.
• The installation includes a curved LED display above security, flight information displays, and gate signage.
• The project demonstrates how smaller regional airports can enhance the traveler experience through innovative display technology, with AEX already planning a second phase of the installation.

Alexandria International Airport (AEX) about four miles west of downtown Alexandria, LA. The smaller regional airport recently underwent a technological upheaval focused on replacing the existing LCD television monitors with Nanolumens displays to enhance the traveler's experience.

[Welcome to H-Town. George Bush Intercontinental Airport Greets with Massive Digital Display]

AEX was previously a front-line U.S. Air Force utilized during World War II and was used throughout the Cold War. When the Department of Defense moved to close the base in the early 1990s, the city of Alexandria formed the England Authority to take over the property instead. AEX opened for service in August 1993, and commercial airline service followed three years later, connecting travelers to hubs including Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston. Nearing its 20th anniversary, England Authority aviation director Scott Gammel wanted to modernize the building’s centerpiece architectural feature without compromising the landmark identity the community had built. “This terminal was never just a building to us,” Gammel said. “It’s a landmark we built together, and everything we do to it has to fit that.”

The terminal’s existing LCD television monitors no longer supported the airport’s vision for the space. Their limited content flexibility meant passengers encountered the same material for years, rather than information that could be readily updated. AEX needed more adaptable displays that could support flight information, advertising and text announcements while fitting the terminal’s distinctive architecture.

To meet those needs, AEX selected Nanolumens Nixel Series Flex and Engage Series throughout the terminal. The Nixel Series Flex display replaced standard television monitors on the terminal’s first floor. Measuring 27.6x2.5 feet with a 2.5mm pixel pitch, the convex curved LED display follows the curved wall above security, creating a continuous digital canvas that feels integrated into the architecture.

“It’s brighter, it’s crisper, and it changes your whole mindset walking in,” Gammel said. “Before, you had the same thing on the screen for years because you couldn’t really change it. Now it’s just your imagination that limits what you can put up there.”

Nanolumens Nixel Series combines flexible LED technology with custom engineering to create smooth, uninterrupted displays that follow curved surfaces and unconventional shapes. The Nixel Series’ integrated mounting designs allow the display to fit the architecture, giving AEX a way to modernize its signature wall while preserving the curve that makes it distinctive. The result brings the terminal’s architectural character and digital content together in one cohesive feature.

Near the elevator and ticketing area, an Engage Series flight information display (FID) measures 13.8x.3 feet with a 1.8mm pixel pitch, placing flight details where travelers enter and move through the terminal. Engage Series gate information displays (GID) also serve the airport’s four jetway gates. Each measures 4x1.1 feet and features a 1.8mm pixel pitch, extending the installation into the boarding areas.

Gammel wants the installation to show other non-hub airports what’s possible with the right partner. “You don’t have to be the size of a major hub to give travelers a great experience,” he said. “We wanted to show that a small airport can still make a strong first and last impression.” Encouraged by the results, the England Authority is already planning a second phase with Nanolumens that would extend a second-floor column into a full LED display.

For Gammel, the partnership was as valuable as the display. “You develop relationships, and that makes a big difference,” he said. “Their team stayed involved and made us feel valued throughout the process. That’s what a great partner does.”

Extron introduced the NAV E 522 switching encoder and NAV SD 521 switching scaling decoder, bringing powerful single-cable USB-C connectivity and expanded USB extension capabilities to NAV Pro AV over IP systems.

[Navigating the Rocky Seas of AVoIP]

The NAV E 522 enables USB-C as the primary connection point for modern AV spaces, allowing video, audio, USB data, and power to be delivered through one USB-C cable to a laptop or other USB-C source. This simplified host connection is ideal for collaboration and presentation environments where users need fast access to room displays, audio, and USB peripherals without multiple cables or adapters. The NAV E 522 also supports systems with multiple NAV SD 521 scaling decoders, enabling multiple remote USB devices attached at those endpoints to be routed back to a single NAV E 522 Host USB-C port.

Together, the NAV endpoints provide high-quality 4K/60 4:4:4 video, flexible audio, and USB 2.0 or HID extension. The Extron PURE3 codec delivers visually lossless video and advanced Extron Vector 4K scaling technology provides reliable scaling over standard 1 Gbps Ethernet networks.

"The NAV E 522 is designed to make user connections simple while giving integrators all the flexibility they've come to expect from NAV Pro AV over IP Systems," said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer for Extron. "With one USB-C cable, users can access video, audio, USB devices, and power, while the system can extend those USB devices across multiple NAV SD 521 scaling decoders and return them to a single host connection. It is a streamlined approach to USB-C collaboration that fits naturally into scalable NAV system designs."

The NAV E 522 and NAV SD 521 are purpose-built for professional AV applications that require a simplified user experience, flexible source connectivity, and distributed USB device access. The NAV E 522 provides USB-C and HDMI inputs at the source location, with USB-C serving as the simplified single-cable connection for AV, USB data, and optional power. The NAV SD 521 receives, decodes, and scales NAV streams while also supporting local HDMI source switching and USB device connectivity at the display endpoint. Multiple NAV SD 521 decoders can be deployed across a system to support several USB peripherals, all tied back through the NAV system to one NAV E 522 Host USB-C connection. As part of the NAV platform, these endpoints support secure, highly scalable deployments ranging from individual collaboration spaces to systems with thousands of endpoints.

The new Museum of Money’s goal is to make financial literacy fun. To this end, this Dallas-based museum, nicknamed “MoMoney,” is using AV to turn learning into an interactive gaming experience for guests of all ages.

Early on, MoMoney co-founders Houss El Marabti and Subhi Gharbieh recognized that helping guests build financial literacy required a spectacular, nontraditional approach. This is why MoMoney uses large-scale interactive AV exhibits that use storytelling to guide visitors along the entire evolutionary path of money—from physical minting to modern blockchain technology.

Gamifying Financial Education

To bring this unconventional vision to life, MoMoney assembled a team of AV and design professionals. Lead design firm Luci brought in Fivestone Studios to develop the digital interactive experiences. The team worked alongside Ravenswood Studio, which built the physical environments, and Electrosonic, which served as the primary technology integrator.

"Working very closely with Luci’s project leads, our team focused on making financial concepts feel intuitive and fun," said Traylor Woodall, Fivestone's executive creative director. "We wanted visitors to feel the ideas, knowing that when people learn through experiences, the lessons stay with them."

Justin Eslinger, Fivestone's director of creative technology and innovation, said the team designed each interactive AV exhibit by starting with a specific learning objective—and then finding the clearest way to make that idea physical. "Instead of asking guests to simply read about financial concepts, we wanted them to experience those concepts directly," Eslinger told SCN. "The goal was to make financial literacy feel less like a lesson and more like an adventure."

Installing experiential AV in a downtown Dallas venue came with its share of unique hurdles. According to Cindy Ospina, director of project management, Electrosonic, space constraints were a primary challenge during the integration phase. Her team had to fit highly complex, interactive exhibits within the predefined physical limits of the building's architecture, which was not exceptionally large.

Additionally, because MoMoney is in a busy public space, absolute reliability and ADA compliance were paramount. This is why MoMoney was equipped with AV hardware that could be powered on at 8 a.m. and run flawlessly without intervention until the end of the day. "Our goal was to deliver a modern engaging visitor experience... making sure that it would function reliably in a super high traffic environment," said Ospina.

Another significant challenge was MoMoney’s diverse audience. The AV exhibits needed to cater to everyone from young children to sophisticated adults. To achieve this, Electrosonic worked closely with Fivestone, Luci, and subject matter experts to ensure the AV technology balanced interactive fun with genuine, accessible educational content for all ages.

Creating an AV environment where guests could seamlessly explore and shape outcomes required a large, cohesive technology stack. At the heart of their digital experiences was the Unity real-time engine. Choosing Unity allowed Fivestone to deliver rapid iteration, cinematic-quality animation, and highly responsive interactions between the digital software and the physical hardware.

Electrosonic provided a robust custom solution for the museum's AV infrastructure. For system-wide show control and audio processing, the integration team installed QSC hardware, including a remote-controlled QSC core, Dante controllers, and a mix of QSC and Powersoft amplifiers to drive the museum's analog audio and soundscapes. BrightSign video players were widely deployed to manage and run content across MoMoney’s various displays. High-performance Origin PCs, equipped with high-end NVIDIA RTX GPUs, were used to provide the local processing power needed for complex 3D graphics and on-site AI workflows.

Take a Tour

The true magic of MoMoney lies in its six distinct interactive installations, each purposefully designed to teach an abstract financial lesson using a playable, highly visual environment.

Market Shuffle: This exhibit drops visitors into a fictional town to teach the actual value of currency by forcing them to barter for goods. Designed to recreate the frustration and inefficiency of trading without money, the installation prompts guests to ask themselves, "How many roller skates is a birthday cake worth? How do I get change for trading a tube television for slap bracelets?"

The exhibit features a 32-inch touchscreen paired with a custom-printed physical overlay, giving guests the illusion of sitting at a three-dimensional desk filled with phones, rolodexes, and notes. Behind the scenes, Fivestone built a branching trade logic system in Unity, using escalating music, audio cues, and difficulty modes to increase tension as guests wildly race against a countdown clock.

Hoard of Gold: This exhibit uses motion capture and projection mapping so that "guests can see themselves swimming through a vault of treasure, turning wealth into a full-body spectacle,” Eslinger said. Technically speaking, this exhibit uses an Orbbec Femto Mega depth sensor camera combined with NVIDIA Background Removal and Microsoft’s Azure Kinect Body Tracking SDK, while Christie and Epson projectors map the resulting interactive visual effects onto a large display.

Financial Tellers: Reimagining the classic Zoltar fortuneteller robotic machine, this exhibit delivers financial advice using life-sized 60-inch Samsung 4K displays. Guests speak into a mounted microphone. A custom machine learning system identifies the topic and triggers one of more than 200 scripted responses. According to Eslinger, the design team had to combine “natural voice input, machine learning topic detection, AI-assisted animation, synchronized audio, and DMX lighting to make the interaction feel alive.”

NYSE Photo Opportunity: This New York Stock Exchange installation distills the dizzying complexity of the stock market into a simple choice between a bull and a bear. Guests trigger the experience by pressing a button to ring the iconic NYSE bell. “The exhibit uses a large-format display, animated bull and bear characters, and randomized outcomes to make market risk feel immediate and playful,” said Eslinger. The resulting interaction is displayed on a massive 110-inch LG display featuring exaggerated, high-energy character animations inspired by 1980s anime.

Interest Invaders: This exhibit leans on 8-bit Atari 2600 graphics to teach the notoriously difficult concept of compound interest. Guests use oversized physical arcade controls and manually spin a large physical wheel—seamlessly integrated using Phidgets USB hubs and sensors—to make long-term investment choices. “Interest Invaders turns compound interest into a retro arcade game, using oversized physical controls and a 6-foot-wide Nanolumens LED display with a deliberately chunky pixel pitch to reinforce the 8-bit aesthetic,” Eslinger explained.

Design Your Own Currency: In this exhibit, visitors can edit their own faces into custom currency. To do this, Eslinger said Fivestone and Electrosonic combined “a touchscreen kiosk, live camera capture, local AI portrait rendering, web application infrastructure, email delivery, and a Unity-driven projection wall so guests can create, receive, and celebrate their own custom bill."

The touchscreen kiosk interface is powered by React and Electron, with Supabase securely managing guest sessions and Resend handling direct email delivery. A local AI rendering pipeline transforms the guest's portrait into a stylized engraving in a mere three seconds, bypassing cloud latency. The completed designs are then displayed on a large projection wall using a Christie projector and Christie Twist mapping software.

Delivering the Payoff

The MoMoney museum proves that interactive AV technology can teach complex ideas in an effective and entertaining manner. According to the museum's co-founders, these innovative approaches are already "paying off wonderfully.”

Ospina added that visitors are spending significantly more time actively interacting with the exhibits rather than just glancing at traditional museum placards or printed graphics. Plus, the varied exhibits are successfully engaging young children and adults with their intuitive, responsive, and clever designs.

The bottom line: By seamlessly blending motion tracking cameras, projection mapping, immersive LED displays, custom physical overlays, and dynamic audio, the MoMoney AV system has made learning fun and engaging. As Woodall said, this approach has turned complexity into "something fluid, cohesive, and deeply engaging."

Quick view:

• An AI-first architecture opens screen networks to the AI tools and agents that partners and customers already use, enabling users to interact in natural language and create reports on demand from their AI tool of choice.
• A growing library of ready-to-use connectors to third-party platforms and data sources, so live content and information reach every screen without custom development.
• A simple yet powerful CMS and Designer, reimagined to create bespoke signage experiences, such as dynamic menu boards for QSR, rich dashboards for corporate communication, and an easy-to-use UI for ad booking. 

Navori Labs has launched its Qompose digital signage, the first unified platform built from the ground up for intelligent screen networks. Qompose was developed by the global engineering teams behind Navori QL and Signagelive, bringing more than 60 years of combined digital signage expertise into an entirely new platform, with an open and composable architecture.

[The Art of Digital Signage]

"Hearing from our global partner network and customers, there is a need for a platform that is truly composable and designed to work with the systems our users already work with. Other CMS tools weren’t meeting the requirements of modern signage networks,” said Jason Cremins, chief product officer of Navori Labs. “APIs and modular components allow Qompose to connect with existing technology and data while giving customers a path to introduce new capabilities as their requirements change.”

Qompose goes beyond the traditional content management system. It provides organizations and technology partners a single platform that allows users to connect existing systems and data; automate experiences based on real-world conditions; use AI to simplify operations; manage ad campaigns; and measure the impact of their on-screen experience. Customers can use Qompose as a complete solution, integrate it with existing technology, or use it as a foundation to build and deliver their own applications.

“Qompose is more than a CMS. Managing content is only the starting point,” said Jeffrey Weitzman, chief executive officer of Navori Labs. “Businesses expect more from their screen networks. They want simpler operations, greater automation, better integration with their systems, and measurable business results. We built Qompose to bring all this together in one unified platform. Our goal at Navori is to make digital signage simpler and more valuable today, while providing the foundation for the next decade of innovation.”

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: James Pietsch, Director of Global Accounts at Scalable Display Technologies

Projection technology has expanded beyond display content and has, instead, become part of a connected AV ecosystem that supports collaboration, immersive experiences, and centralized management across a wide range of environments. Whether used in corporate campuses, higher education, museums, or training facilities, organizations are looking for projection systems that are easy to deploy, simple to manage, and built to scale.

Large-format projection continues to be one of the most effective ways to engage audiences. Higher brightness, improved color performance, and advanced image processing enable immersive experiences in spaces where traditional displays are impractical or cost-prohibitive. Networked projection systems also allow organizations to share content across multiple rooms or campuses, helping ensure a consistent experience regardless of location.

AI is beginning to play a larger role behind the scenes. Rather than replacing operators, it helps automate tasks such as image optimization, scheduling, and system monitoring while providing insights into room usage and content performance. These capabilities help organizations make better decisions while reducing the time required to manage complex AV systems.

Just as important is interoperability. Projection platforms that integrate with collaboration platforms, content management systems, and cloud-based monitoring tools simplify workflows and allow administrators to manage multiple systems from a single interface.

Organizations are also placing greater emphasis on sustainability and long-term operating costs. Laser light sources reduce maintenance by eliminating lamp replacements while improving energy efficiency and product lifespan. Combined with remote monitoring and centralized management, these capabilities reduce service calls, minimize downtime, and lower the total cost of ownership. As projection technology continues to evolve, its value extends well beyond image quality to supporting more efficient, connected, and sustainable AV environments.

Quick view:

• The Cincinnati Open—the oldest professional tennis tournament in the US—underwent a massive campus transformation, doubling its footprint to feature 10 match courts, 21 practice courts, five new buildings, and 54 total zones to establish a world-class, year-round sports facility.
• Integrator Industrial Communication & Sound (ICS) designed and deployed a massive Dante-based network audio system under an extremely tight deadline.
• ICS utilized IoT and Dante-enabled LEA Connect Series amplifiers and LEA's SharkWare/Cloud management software, allowing space-saving rack integration, remote cloud monitoring, and flexible, high-performance audio routing across every zone on the property.

Held annually since 1899, the Cincinnati Open is the longest-running professional tennis tournament in the United States. It recently launched a massive $250 million campus transformation—which included a new LEA Professional-backed sound system—that has doubled the facility’s footprint by adding new courts, hospitality spaces, public gathering areas, indoor facilities, and year-round attractions designed to secure the tournament’s future in Cincinnati for decades to come.

[Cosm: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The expanded campus required a fully integrated network-based audio platform spanning 10 match courts, 21 practice courts, five new buildings, multiple renovated facilities, and updated common areas. The system needed to support match court audio, site-wide paging, indoor and outdoor background music, broadcast audio distribution, Hawk-Eye officiating system integration, emergency paging, pre-recorded messaging, zoned and all-call communications, and centralized system-wide control. Beyond monitoring the system from a single location, the venue’s AV team required complete control over volume and routing for each zone across the property.

With a long history of providing ongoing AV support to the venue, venue staff contacted Industrial Communication & Sound (ICS) to design the new audio system. Compounding the challenge was the compressed timeline. The ICS integration team had about 60 days to design the changes and approximately five months to complete installation, testing, balancing, programming, and troubleshooting before the start of the tournament. To achieve all the client’s requirements, the design team collaborated to recommend a Dante-based audio ecosystem powered by LEA Professional amplifiers.

“We started using LEA amplifiers about five years ago, and we haven't looked back,” said Carl Heck, business development specialist at ICS. “We knew they’d be an ideal platform for a world-class tournament environment, given their product catalog, combined with their competitive pricing and robust long-term reliability.”

ICS installed a range of Dante-enabled LEA Connect Series amplifiers to support the diverse needs of the 54 zones within the tennis complex, including the Connect Series 84D, Connect Series 164D, Connect Series 168D, Connect Series 352D, Connect Series 354D, Connect Series 702D, Connect Series 704D, and Connect Series 1504D amplifiers.

ICS’s technical team used LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it to all pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare—which includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings, and a graphical EQ—allows users to monitor the status of every amplifier connected to the network, as well as the status and performance of individual channels. In addition, with LEA Cloud a part of the Connect Series, AV integrators like ICS can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere.

LEA’s compact single-rack-space amplifier designs enabled ICS’s team to maximize available infrastructure space by integrating equipment directly into existing switch racks, eliminating the need for large, dedicated amplifier racks. The resulting infrastructure allowed virtually any audio source to be routed to any zone throughout the facility. Multiple locations were also equipped to integrate live music directly into the Dante network for localized or zoned distribution as needed.

With year-round programming and a significantly enhanced fan experience, the facility has evolved into a multi-purpose sports and entertainment destination designed to maximize long-term return on investment while reinforcing Cincinnati’s role on the global tennis stage.

“By all accounts from the attendee experience, the player experience, and media response, the Cincinnati Open is now widely considered one of the premier tennis facilities in the world,” said Heck. “That’s definitely in part thanks to LEA amplifiers. We can’t say enough good things about them.”

Quick view:

• St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Southern California upgraded its 20-year-old sound system to deliver consistent clarity and coverage for its 5,000–6,000 parishioners with four Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) AC6 ADAPTIve column loudspeakers (forming dual 7-foot arrays) and two 18-inch subwoofers.
• The previous system relied on a center speaker cluster that obstructed a stained-glass window.
• Using EAW's Resolution software, engineers fine-tuned coverage patterns in real-time to mitigate unwanted glass reflections, ensuring uniform sound quality throughout every seat in the sanctuary.

When St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Southern California set out to modernize its aging audio system, the parish leadership knew the upgrade needed to deliver clarity, consistency and long‑term reliability for its 5,000–6,000 parishioners. To achieve this, they turned to DayTech Consulting, led by owner and operator Andrew Day and audio engineer Brian Stanley, who partnered with Rat Sound Systems, EAW’s dealer for the region. Together, they designed and installed a transformative new system anchored by Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) AC6 ADAPTive column loudspeakers.

[EAW Sings High Praise at Freedom Church’s New Worship Space]

For Day, the choice was clear. “The AC6 with its ADAPTive technology delivers. It’s not a secret sauce; it’s real engineering that you can rely on,” he said. “We could tell that during commissioning, when we made even tiny adjustments in the software, you could instantly hear the difference.”

St. Jude’s previous system, four loudspeakers and two large subs, had served the parish for more than two decades. But the center cluster obstructed a stained‑glass window, coverage was inconsistent and the system lacked the precision needed for today’s worship environments.

The new EAW‑based design centers on four AC6 ADAPTive column loudspeakers, two per side, forming dual seven‑foot arrays with a compact 12x12-inch footprint. These are supported by a pair of EAW 18‑inch subwoofers, one on each side, positioned just outside the AC6 arrays to provide balanced low‑frequency reinforcement.

The AC6’s compact footprint and ADAPTive coverage control allowed DayTech and Rat Sound to eliminate the center cluster entirely, preserving the church’s architecture and highlighting its stained-glass window, while improving coverage. “They wanted that center cluster gone,” Day explained. “To do that, we had to bring the speakers in a bit and find the right compromise. But once they were up, the results spoke for themselves.”

One of the most striking outcomes was the improvement in coverage uniformity. “Brian was walking around with an iPad tuning the room," Day recalled a moment during the first full Sunday Mass after commissioning. "We were sitting in the back corner, which originally was one of the worst seats in the house. He leaned over and said, ‘Wow, this is a really good seat.’”

“It now sounds the same, no matter where you choose to sit in the room,” adds Stanley. There is not a bad seat anywhere.”

During commissioning, EAW’s Resolution software was used to make micro‑adjustments to the system’s coverage pattern. At one point, reflections from a rear glass window were causing unwanted energy in the space. “He snapped a line in the software and lowered it less than a foot,” Day says. “We could hear the difference instantly.”

Beyond sound quality, long‑term serviceability was a major factor in choosing EAW. The AC6’s modular design allows the system to continue operating even if one module fails. “One of the biggest selling points was that if one module goes down, the other two make up for it,” Day noted. “You can keep going and not have to take the system down immediately.”

Parishioners have commented on the clarity, musicians are more confident and the music director reports a noticeable reduction in stress. The success of the installation has sparked new ideas for how the church can use the space. “They want to do jazz quartets, special performances, etc. They want to kick the tires on the system,” Day concluded. “When you have singers who can take the roof off the place, it’s great to finally have a system that lets them shine.”

Before I deliver this hot take, I need to state my qualifications. I grew up at the end of the millennial generation and the beginning of Gen Z. In other words, I’m a cusper.

My childhood took place during the nascence of the chronically online, social media age, though I spent a good chunk of my formative years with a Razr flip phone. Accessing the internet cost my parents their life savings for half the time I was on their phone plan, and my only early computer access was the giant brick in my parents closet that was shared by the whole family.

I got to experience a period of social norms that have existed for centuries (face-to-face interactions) as well as new social norms in the digital age. In other words, I’m not a boomer trying to lecture anybody on how good the glory days were before technology existed. But as a 30-year-old, I think I'm qualified to argue that if you are never, ever turning your camera on in meetings, people might not be taking you seriously.

A Brick Wall

Let’s explore this in terms we can all understand—because we do still have face-to-face interactions in our life to some degree. When you are talking to someone face-to-face, there are certain visual cues that you look for to interpret if they are really listening and how interested they are. If I was talking to someone and they started looking around or (even worse) looking at their phone, I would assume they probably aren’t really paying attention.

Personally, that's not someone I want to continue a conversation with—and probably not someone I want to have future conversations with, either. It doesn’t feel great to feel like you are talking to a brick wall. The reason we talk to each other is to connect, get feedback, and relate to one another. I am not just talking to hear myself speak (most of the time, anyway).

Having your camera off in a meeting is the digital age equivalent to signaling to somebody that you aren’t really paying attention. It’s a social cue that says, “I’ve got one foot in, one foot out.” When your camera is off during a meeting, that tells me you are barely paying attention.

Now, maybe you are paying attention, but we're talking social cues here. Some people are able to look around while someone is talking but still hear what they are saying. However, that doesn’t mean the speaker doesn’t interpret that behavior as lack of interest or attention. Likewise, you may be truly paying attention, but turning your camera off sends a different signal.

Here is my one big important caveat: I'm not making a case that you should always have your camera on. I have joined plenty of meetings from the car or while I was on a walk. I’ve even turned my camera off to eat lunch when my previous meetings went over time. Having the ability to join a meeting remotely and be audio only has truly made such a difference for work-life balance and flexibility.

But here’s the thing—in those situations, I provide some level of context to the other people I am talking to, and they understand that I’ll do my best to give them the attention I can. Ultimately, I have another task that may cause some distraction. And that OK is OK. After all, they’ve been in the same situation. We can’t all be 100% present 100% of the time, especially in the chronically online digital age.

Chronically Camera-Off

Here is the difference between what I just described and someone who is chronically camera-off with no explanation. What I just described provides clarity and a reason, and allows for the expectation that someone might not be fully present but is doing their best.

To bring this back to the face-to-face example: it’s like someone saying, “Hey, I'm waiting to get some important news via email, so I may be checking my phone a bit while we are talking.” That context makes all the difference. Suddenly, it’s not that they don’t care about what you're saying, they just have something else going on that’s taking up some of their headspace.

When you are chronically camera-off with no explanation, it leaves your visual absence open to interpretation. Do they care? Are they actually paying attention? Am I just talking to myself?

Do this enough and our social human nature prompts people to start believing that maybe this is just a person who doesn’t really care about the work. It’s the bitter truth about us as social beings—we draw conclusions based on the signals around us, whether or not they are true.

So, what should you take away from this? In my opinion, it is OK to turn your camera off sometimes and join a meeting with audio only. Give a little context as to why, if you can; if not, maybe just don’t make a habit of it.

If you are someone who is chronically camera-off, I’d challenge you to ask yourself why. I’ve heard some people say that it’s the principle—I shouldn't have to turn it on if I don’t want to. I just don’t buy that as a good reason. I don’t have to be a kind person, but I choose to be because it allows me to form better connections with people, which is literally in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Maybe you have a valid reason for your health or personal situation, and I'm not trying to shame that. But if you have the luxury of doing so, turn that camera on in your next meeting and start building better connections with your clients and coworkers.

In October, US federal prosecutors charged an OpenAI engineer with planting an audio recording device in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco offices. According to the complaint, the device was wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port on the back of a television. OpenAI says its technical surveillance countermeasures team found it during a room sweep.

A sweep of the room found it. Nothing on the network did.

That should bother the Pro AV and IT industry. Most of our security conversation is about VLANs and access control. All of that matters, and none of it would have caught this device. The case sits in the gap between physical security, AV operations and IT, where ownership blurs.

Know What Belongs on the Network

Most AV teams can scan a subnet. Tools such as LanScan or Angry IP Scanner are useful during commissioning and fault-finding. They show which addresses respond and turn up obvious surprises. A scan is a snapshot, though. It can't tell whether a device is authorized, who owns it, or whether something new appeared five minutes later. A device can stay silent or sit on another interface. It can also record locally and never touch the network.

AV networks need what any enterprise network needs: continuous comparison between the expected estate and the observed one. For every AV VLAN, the operator should know each approved device, its role, location, switch port, MAC address, firmware level, owner and normal traffic pattern. Switch telemetry, passive discovery and light active checks should flag new endpoints and material changes as they happen. Periodic audits are still relevant, especially after room changes or service visits. They verify the system, but they shouldn't be the main defense.

When an unknown endpoint appears, the network should restrict it automatically, move it to a quarantine segment and alert its owner. Network access control (NAC), port policies and device profiling do this today. In high-risk rooms, you should disable unused switch ports and USB power, or physically secure them.

Here's the test I'd apply. Can the AV team say what belongs on the network, and cut off anything that doesn't within minutes? If not, it can see the network but can't control it.

It Could Have Been Worse

Now suppose the device had ignored the corporate and AV WiFi and sent its recordings out through a personal mobile hotspot hidden in the same room. An IP scan would still show nothing.

Wireless intrusion detection could catch it. Rogue access point monitoring watches the RF environment, so it can spot an unapproved hotspot and suspicious associations even when the traffic never reaches the enterprise LAN. The system should tell that hotspot apart from legitimate neighboring networks, alert security and keep enough evidence for an investigation. A device that transmits only now and then is harder to catch, but continuous monitoring still narrows the window.

Remote Access Without Exposing the Room

Remote support saves truck rolls and gets rooms working again faster. It can also turn every device web interface into a way in.

Forwarding a port straight to an encoder, DSP, controller or display is indefensible. So is a broad VPN that gives a technician the equivalent of a cable into the whole AV subnet. Many AV devices were built for trusted local networks. Their web interfaces often run old protocols on firmware that can't be patched quickly.

The safer standard is brokered access to a named device or management controller. The session starts with an outbound encrypted connection. It requires single sign-on and multifactor authentication, grants time-limited permissions by role, and logs every action. Shared installer accounts should go. Access should be approved for a specific job and revoked when the job is done.

NETGEAR uses this model for the NETGEAR Align Controller. NETGEAR Insight brokers remote access into the local controller, so support teams reach the management function without exposing the AV network to the internet.

Brokered access has trade-offs. It adds a dependency on a cloud service and on the vendor running it securely. Customers should ask where credentials and telemetry are stored, how access is revoked, whether logs can be exported, what happens during an outage, and who tests the service independently.

Set Policy at the AV-IT Boundary

Segmentation is essential, but address-and-port firewall rules are a blunt tool between AV and enterprise IT. They don't know which multicast flows are legitimate, or whether a support session was authorized for a specific endpoint.

AV systems depend on discovery, multicast, timing and dynamic relationships between services. The common fix is to open a wide range of ports between VLANs. That restores function by gutting the boundary. It's like leaving every door unlocked because you'd rather not carry keys.

The better approach ties policy to what each device is for. A room controller can reach its own management service. A support engineer can reach one endpoint for a set period. None of those permissions should open general access to the corporate network. Most enterprises already own the tools for this. NAC and segmentation policy need to be set up with AV traffic in mind.

This takes more design work. Some AV protocols won't fit neatly, and every enforcement point adds a dependency in the signal path. Test the policy against real AV traffic before go-live, and write down what happens when a component fails. Whatever enforces the boundary is security infrastructure, and it needs to be run that way.

Make Security Part of Handover

The OpenAI case shows the answer can't stop at the network. High-value rooms need physical checks as well. Integrators are well placed to build those checks into commissioning and acceptance.

Before sign-off on a high-value room, the handover pack should include:

• A device inventory for every AV VLAN, matched against what the switches actually see
• A record of connected peripherals, including anything plugged into display USB ports
• Unused switch ports and USB power disabled or physically secured
• Documented remote access: who can reach which device, through what, and how access is revoked
• Tamper-evident seals on displays and racks where the risk justifies them
• A named owner in IT and in corporate security for alerts from AV systems

Repeat the physical and inventory checks after every service visit or room change.

Today, nobody clearly owns the space behind the screen. The integrator knows the room, IT owns the network policy and corporate security owns the evidence. A shared handover checklist is a cheap way to give that space an owner.

Extron has expanded its FOX3 platform with FOX3 302 Series Dual HDMI Extenders. These fiber optic KVM extenders support dual-display workstations across a FOX3 system. Designed for secure, long-haul transmission of two independent HDMI video signals plus USB, stereo audio, control, and 3D sync signals over fiber optic cabling, the FOX3 302 Series delivers visually lossless image quality up to 4K/60 at 4:4:4. Purpose-built for dual-display computer applications, these extenders streamline system integration while extending the reach of high-performance workstations.

[AV/IT at 30,000 Feet]

The series includes the FOX3 T 302 Fiber Optic Transmitter and FOX3 SR 302 Fiber Optic Scaling Receiver, which together provide a powerful fiber optic KVM solution featuring USB extension, Ethernet monitoring and control, real-time system monitoring, and integrator-friendly technologies designed specifically for demanding AV and KVM environments.

"As multi-display workstations become increasingly common in mission-critical environments, the FOX3 302 Series provides a powerful new way to extend dual HDMI, USB, and control signals over fiber while maintaining the image quality and reliability our customers expect from Extron," said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer for Extron. "By bringing dual-display workstation support to the FOX3 platform, the FOX3 302 Series expands what's possible with fiber optic KVM extension for demanding AV and computing applications."

FOX3 302 Series Extenders are compatible with the complete line of FOX3 Matrix Switchers. Extron FOX3 Matrix Switchers are available in standard sizes up to 840x840 as well as custom designs up to 2000x2000 and larger. From point-to-point extension to fully non-blocking matrix applications up to 2000x2000 and beyond, FOX3 Systems securely deliver unrivaled performance and reliability to satisfy even the most discerning users.

MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems is making it easier and more affordable for production teams to integrate digital cinema cameras into professional live production environments with new, complete fiber camera kits built around its SilverBack Series. Designed for any cinema camera including the Sony VENICE, Sony BURANO, and Canon EOS C400, the new kits bring together SilverBack fiber transport technology, a compact base station, and all required camera-specific accessories in a single, attractively priced package.

[Friday Night Lights, Camera, Action!]

The new kits extend the value of MultiDyne's proven SilverBack platform, which has helped broadcasters and content producers adapt digital cinema cameras for SMPTE fiber workflows since 2012. By consolidating the necessary components into one convenient purchase, MultiDyne eliminates the complexity of sourcing individual cables, connectors and mounting accessories while offering substantial savings compared to purchasing components separately.

"Our goal is to remove the guesswork and expense that can come with integrating cinema cameras into live production systems," said Jesse Foster, director of strategic accounts and products, MultiDyne. "Customers can choose the camera they want to use, purchase the corresponding SilverBack kit and have everything they need to get connected. We're making a proven, professional fiber camera solution more accessible to a wider range of broadcasters, production companies, corporate enterprises and houses of worship."

Each kit is tailored to the connectivity and mounting requirements of its supported camera. The Sony VENICE kit includes the serial data cabling required for camera control, while the Sony BURANO and Canon EOS C400 kits incorporate camera-specific mounting plates that simplify installation and provide access to essential connections. All kits include the relevant cables, connectors and documentation needed to streamline deployment.

At the heart of the solution is MultiDyne's compact SVB-1 1RU base station, which provides the fiber connectivity and power infrastructure required for professional SMPTE camera workflows. Paired with SilverBack camera-mounted adapters including the SilverBack-V, the system supports the video, audio, control, and return signal requirements of live multi-camera production over fiber. The shallow, lightweight base station is especially attractive for flypacks, mobile production systems and installations where rack space is limited.

The kits are well suited for live sports, concerts, television production, corporate events, and houses of worship seeking the cinematic quality of digital cinema cameras without sacrificing the operational benefits of traditional broadcast camera systems. The approach also gives customers flexibility to integrate their preferred camera models into existing fiber infrastructures while maintaining familiar production workflows.

It was another busy week of Pro AV full of people on the move, companies on the move, partnerships made, and events announced. Perhaps the biggest headline of the week came from Almo Pro AV.

[Ready for Transport: The Integration Guide to NDI 2026]

Almo Pro AV will have a new look in 2027. One Equity Partners (OEP) has begun the process to purchase its parent company Nexora and become its long-term investment partner. Based on the purchasing agreement, the transition to ownership is expected to be completed by March 2027.

“This partnership doesn’t change our direction. It accelerates where we’re already headed,” said Dan Smith, EVP, Almo Pro AV. “Our vendor partners and customers can continue to count on the connections they have today, combined with the specialized support that sets Almo Pro AV apart. With OEP’s investment and experience growing technology and distribution businesses, we now have a much larger platform to build on our strengths and create even greater value for our partners.”

We'll bring you more as the closing date nears, but for now, sit back and get caught up on the week that was in your Monday dose of Pro AV Newsmakers.

People News

USSI Global Promotes Amanda Flynn to Chief Operations Officer

USSI Global has promoted Amanda Flynn to chief operating officer. Previously serving as chief revenue officer, Flynn is focused on advancing the company's service capabilities, aligning operations with evolving customer needs and driving strategic growth. In her new role, Flynn is identifying opportunities to expand USSI Global's service offerings, refining processes to improve the customer experience, and ensuring the organization is positioned to support customers as their technology and business needs evolve.

Throughout her 18-year career with USSI Global, Flynn has held leadership roles spanning business development, customer relations, sales and revenue operations, including five years overseeing and managing one of the company's largest revenue generating customers. This experience has given her a deep understanding of customer needs, operational challenges and opportunities to develop innovative service solutions that drive long-term partnerships and growth.

Visionary Appoints Chris Floyd as Design and Support Engineer

Visionary Solutions has appointed Chris Floyd as design and support engineer. Floyd brings 15 years of Pro AV experience spanning AV/IT engineering, system design, programming, commissioning, and technical support, with a background that includes both systems integration and end-user operations.

Floyd’s experience spans enterprise and health care environments, where he has worked across AV, control systems, digital signal processing, networking, and collaboration platforms. Before joining Visionary, Floyd served as an AV systems engineer and control systems programmer at TEKsystems. His responsibilities included programming Crestron, Q-SYS and Extron systems, configuring Biamp Tesira DSP and Dante audio networks and commissioning divisible-room and multiroom installations. He worked with engineers, integrators, vendors and client IT teams to resolve issues involving network switching, multicast, control systems and AV transport.

Previously, Floyd worked at AVI-SPL, designing, programming, commissioning and supporting enterprise audiovisual and collaboration systems. He developed standardized control and user interface solutions, integrated conferencing systems and created documentation to support consistent deployment and long-term maintenance. Earlier in his career, he spent more than 12 years at UC Davis Health, supervising and supporting boardrooms, medical education facilities, lecture halls and conference environments.

Company News and Events

“Let’s Build Together” with D-Tools and Portal.io

D-Tools, announced the dates for its 2027 D-Tools User Conference (DTUC 2027). The event will take place March 22–24, 2027, at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.

DTUC 2027 is the first user conference since D-Tools and Portal.io joined forces, and its theme, “Let’s Build Together,” is both a milestone and an invitation. About 150 integration business leaders are expected to join users of all three solutions (Portal, D-Tools Cloud, and D-Tools System Integrator) for training, education, and conversation, and to help shape where the software goes next.

In addition to the hands-on training and roadmap discussions, attendees will benefit from topics focused on operational efficiency such as faster and more accurate quoting, AI in proposals, selling recurring services, hiring and team building, inventory and procurement, and the sales-to-operations handoff. Attendees will work directly with D-Tools product, support, and leadership teams to help shape the product roadmap.

Humly, Comeen by LumApps Unite Workplace Experience Technology 

Humly and Comeen by LumApps announced a new technology integration partnership that connects Humly’s workplace hardware devices with Comeen by LumApps’s smart meeting room solution. The partnership creates a seamless experience for organizations seeking to combine enterprise workplace management software with trusted, purpose-built workplace hardware.

The integration enables organizations using Comeen by LumApps’s workplace platform to deploy Humly Room Display hardware to supply meeting room details and support workplace navigation. Together, the combined solution makes it easier for employees to book the right space and see availability at a glance while giving organizations the tools to reduce ghost meetings, which represent nearly one-third of today’s meeting room bookings. It also allows customers to apply smarter booking rules, use workplace analytics to optimize office space, and support AI-powered room booking directly from tools such as Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, and Slack, identifying the best space based on availability, capacity, equipment, and location to help employees book faster while improving insight into real room usage.

Planar Opens New Showroom in Nashville

Planar opened its new showroom in Nashville, TN. The latest addition to Planar’s North America showroom network provides visitors the opportunity to experience the company’s display solutions firsthand and connect with local Planar personnel.

Located at Custom House in Nashville’s Berry Hill studio district, just 15 minutes from downtown, the district brings together the people and technology behind Music City’s creative community, making Custom House a natural setting to showcase Planar’s latest display technologies.

Planar will celebrate the opening of its new Nashville showroom with a Grand Opening event on Thursday, Oct. 29. Attendees are invited to be among the first to experience the new space, explore Planar’s latest display innovations and connect with the local Planar team.

Sony Honored with Prestigious Technology and Engineering Emmy Award

Sony Corporation has been named a recipient of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' (NATAS) 77th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for its contributions to Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS). The award is shared jointly with the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Streampunk Media (Streampunk Media), recognizing their collective contributions to establishing NMOS as the industry-standard control framework for networked live production.

NMOS is a suite of open specifications developed under AMWA that enables unified discovery, registration, and control of video and audio equipment—such as cameras and monitors—from different manufacturers in networked live production environments, including broadcast studios and broadcast vehicles. As the broadcast industry has accelerated its transition to IP-based workflows, NMOS has become the standard for ensuring interoperability in multi-vendor deployments. Sony has embedded NMOS across a wide range of its Networked Live production products, including HDC Series cameras, HDCE Series camera extension adaptors, MLS-X1 and XVS Series switchers, BVM Series monitors, Nevion VideoIPath media orchestration platform and Virtuoso software-defined media node.

For as long as most integrators have been building racks, the battery inside the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) has been an afterthought. It is lead-acid, it works, and everyone knows the deal: Buy it, budget for a replacement in a few years, and move on.

That formula has defined battery backup’s in the Pro AV industry for more than four decades. As battery technology has evolved over the past decade, it is worth asking whether the current model still holds up.

Lead-acid endures for a simple reason: It's cheap, well understood, and reliable in the short term. The battery chemistry is not new or unique to our industry, as it's the same technology sitting under the hood of most non-EV cars, and it was already mature and mass-produced long before anyone was specifying a UPS for a rack room. It's that maturity that kept costs low and supply chains simple, which made lead-acid the default choice as AV racks became standard in houses of worship, corporate environments, broadcast facilities, and beyond.

The tradeoff is degradation. Lead-acid batteries wear down internally over time, especially under heavy use, and that decline is not a matter of if but when. Most lead-acid UPS batteries last 3-5 years before they need to be swapped, depending on use, which is why so many integrators build maintenance agreements or service contracts into their proposals. It is a known cost, factored in from day one, and it has rarely been a source of real complaint.

Lead-acid is not a bad product. It simply has a finite, fairly short shelf life, and everyone in the supply chain has learned to plan around it.

Core Advantages and Costs

That brings us to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which have had a significant impact on the manufacture and deployment of UPS solutions in Pro AV. With Li-ion batteries, the core advantage is increased lifespan. A Li-ion UPS battery will last roughly three times longer than a lead-acid battery UPS, typically rated for 10-15 years.

Li-ion cells offer other gains in speed and space. They charge faster and hold more capacity in a smaller, lighter footprint, as evidenced by the technology that's been the primary power source for cell phones before it ever showed up in a rack. On top of that, quality double-conversion Li-ion UPS units deliver true sine wave output with tight voltage regulation, along with features like SNMP network monitoring, remote emergency shutdown, and layered surge, over-voltage and under-voltage protection.

However, none of that comes for free. A Li-ion UPS typically costs 30-100% more upfront than a comparable lead-acid unit, depending on the model. That math changes when companies account for the full ownership period, as a lead-acid UPS lasts 3-5 years before it needs a new battery, a service call, and often a truck roll.

Once you add up the cost of that replacement battery, plus labor, plus the inevitable service visit, a lead-acid system can end up costing close to what a Li-ion unit would have cost from the start—without the decade-plus of runway. That equation matters most for integrators working outside a tight service radius, where sending a technician out for a routine battery swap is genuinely expensive, and for end users who care about total cost of ownership.

The price gap is now moving in Li-ion's favor. The technology is roughly 10-15 years into meaningful commercial adoption, and as manufacturing scales across industries from consumer electronics to automotive to IT infrastructure, production costs continue to decline. That trend should narrow the upfront gap with lead-acid over time.

That said, lead-acid is not going away. It remains the more economical entry point for budget-constrained projects. For example, for small houses of worship with a few hundred dollars to spend rather than a few thousand, lead-acid will likely remain the practical choice for years to come.

About Those Safety Concerns …

Any honest conversation about Li-ion also has to address safety, since the technology's occasional and highly publicized fires on commercial aircraft have made headlines. Those incidents are real, but they are also rare relative to the volume of Li-ion devices in circulation, and they tend to trace back to specific, identifiable conditions rather than an inherent flaw in the chemistry itself.

Heat is a common thread, with Li-ion cells able to generate heat during charging and under heavy current draw. When that heat has nowhere to dissipate, such as inside a tightly sealed phone or a damaged or poorly manufactured cell, the risk of thermal runaway increases.

Consumer devices, with their compact enclosures and limited airflow, are a very different environment than a professionally engineered UPS designed with built-in thermal management and protection circuitry. The takeaway for integrators is to specify UPS products from manufacturers who engineer for that risk directly, rather than treating a rack-mounted battery backup the same way you would a phone in a pocket.

Adoption in Pro AV is still relatively young. Li-ion UPS options are not yet common among AV-specific manufacturers, and outside of general IT-focused brands, they remain a fairly small slice of the available product landscape. Where they exist, the resistance we hear from integrators almost always comes down to one thing: price. Once that is understood in the context of total lifespan and reduced maintenance, most of that hesitation fades, particularly among integrators and end users who value long-term reliability over the lowest possible sticker price.

Lead-acid is not obsolete and will not disappear anytime soon. But Li-ion has changed what a premium UPS can offer—and as production costs continue to fall, expect the two technologies to keep competing for space in the rack for years to come.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Roberto Musso, Senior Technical Director at NDI

A display becomes strategic when it stops being the end of a signal chain and starts participating in a two-way workflow.

In an NDI-based environment, video and audio are only part of the exchange. Metadata can travel with the media, carrying identity, capabilities, status, timing, and control information. This allows content not merely to play, but to respond. A touch interface can request a different source, room or event data can trigger a content change, and authorized teams can monitor and control supported endpoints across buildings or campuses.

AI can help determine which content may be relevant, but metadata provides the operational context needed to act on that decision, and can carry the feedback needed to assess the result. This distinction matters: Intelligence can remain in software and evolve without turning every display into a closed, single-purpose appliance. Privacy, permission, and transparency must be designed into the workflow—especially when audience data is involved.

For AV/IT teams, flexibility, and total cost of ownership come from consolidation and reuse—not from IP alone. A shared NDI infrastructure can support media distribution, monitoring, control, and interaction while reducing dedicated signal paths and specialized hardware. However, bandwidth, energy use, resilience, security, and maintenance still need to be measured across the complete system.

The strategic display is therefore not the screen with the longest feature list; it is a connected participant that can receive media, expose its state, accept permitted control, and help turn one-way messaging into a responsive experience. That is how display systems become easier to operate, adapt, and scale.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: David Albright, Senior Product Manager, Video Wall Mounts and Services at Legrand | AV, Chief

The display is no longer a single screen in a single room; it is the strategic centerpiece of how organizations engage audiences, from a dvLED wall in a lobby to a campus-wide network of displays. A display is only as strategic as the infrastructure holding it up.

Immersive, seamless dvLED experiences depend on precision alignment across three axes—not a flat wall and a bracket. Buildings shift, walls are rarely plumb, and fine-pixel-pitch displays reveal every imperfection. Mounting systems engineered for independent X, Y, and Z adjustment let integrators deliver a seamless wall on day one and keep it that way as a building settles.

That same infrastructure layer underpins how organizations standardize operations. A single, cross-manufacturer mounting platform replacing brand-specific hardware gives campuses and multi-site portfolios one specification and installation workflow at every location, regardless of display brand, reducing training time and simplifying inventory.

It also drives total cost of ownership. Front-service access for realignment means a display can be serviced in place rather than pulled down and reinstalled, extending usable life and reducing rework and downtime as new applications place demands on displays.

The same is true for power. Legrand | AV’s Unified Cloud Platform consolidates remote monitoring and management into a single view, whether the load is one display or a full video wall plus the edge devices delivering the content behind it. Across enterprise and higher-education campuses, that visibility is what sustains performance and serviceability over the installation’s lifecycle.

As displays take on more strategic, data-driven roles, that infrastructure cannot be an afterthought. Getting the physical and digital foundation right is what lets everything else—from immersive content to connected ecosystems—perform as intended.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Chris Teguh, Product Manager at Epson America

Technology plays a foundational role in creating engaging and immersive experiences, determining the clarity, accuracy, and impact of the presented content. Advances in color brightness, color accuracy, and resolution in today’s displays help ensure digital content appears vivid and true to life to capture attention and foster engagement. At the same time, smaller form factors, versatile throw ratios, and greater installation flexibility enable large, impactful visuals in spaces where they previously weren’t feasible. This opens new opportunities to transform unconventional environments into more immersive, memorable experiences that connect people more deeply to the content.

When selecting display technology, organizations can benefit from focusing on common operating standards, consistent user experiences, interoperability, and centralized management. Consistency can also extend to how content is created, distributed, and measured. Within a connected ecosystem, AI can help tailor messaging for different audiences and locations, while data provides insight into how content is performing.

Standardization also allows users to move seamlessly from room to room without learning new systems or workflows, while enabling consistent content sharing, hybrid collaboration, and centralized IT management across locations. Total cost of ownership should be evaluated across the entire lifecycle, not just purchase price. This means looking at installation, energy use, maintenance, training, replacement parts, and operational downtime.

Innovations across both projection and dvLED are improving efficiency to get the greatest long-term value from technology investments. Laser projection technology and filterless designs reduce maintenance, extend product life, and lower operating costs, while COB technology and common cathode designs in dvLED solutions help reduce power consumption and heat generation. Together, these advances give organizations more ways to create impactful experiences that support stronger communication, participation, and engagement.

Quick view:

• The CDE 1923 yellobrik is a compact, bi-directional converter that handles signal translation between traditional 3G-SDI baseband hardware and modern SMPTE ST 2110 IP networks.
• Designed for broadcast facilities, OB trucks, and production studios transitioning to IP without overhauling existing legacy gear.
• Designed to solve the SDI vs. IP synchronization gap.

LYNX Technik has unveiled its new CDE 1923 yellobrik converter. This bi-directional 3G-SDI-to-SMPTE ST 2110 converter is designed to simplify the integration of SDI and IP infrastructures in hybrid broadcast environments. Ideal for broadcast facilities, outside broadcast trucks, production studios, and other applications transitioning from baseband SDI to IP, the CDE 1923 provides reliable signal conversion while addressing the synchronization requirements of both technologies.

[The Human Side of Technology]

“We’re very proud to build upon the existing CDE 1922 platform and respond directly to what our customers have been asking for,” said Vincent Noyer, CTO at LYNX Technik. “By adding Reference Input and Reference Output while maintaining the same compact yellobrik form factor, we’ve been able to make an already versatile converter even more useful. The CDE 1923 gives customers greater flexibility when connecting SDI equipment to an ST 2110 environment, without adding complexity or requiring additional space.”

Per Noyer, the additional Reference Input and Output interfaces let the converter bridge the timing requirements of traditional SDI equipment and SMPTE ST 2110 IP networks in a single compact solution. As broadcasters transition to IP, signal conversion is only part of the challenge. Traditional SDI systems typically rely on a physical reference signal for synchronization, while SMPTE ST 2110 networks use Precision Time Protocol (PTP), as defined by the SMPTE ST 2059 profile. The CDE 1923 provides a practical solution for bringing these two synchronization environments together.

Its Reference Input allows the SDI output to lock directly to a facility’s local reference, providing deterministic alignment with other SDI equipment. This enables the converter to integrate cleanly into an established baseband timing environment.

The Reference Output provides additional flexibility by enabling the converter to generate a Tri-Level Sync output from SMPTE ST 2059 PTP. It can also up-convert an input sync signal to Tri-Level Sync at a higher frame rate, providing a physical reference signal suitable for synchronizing connected SDI equipment.

By combining bi-directional 3G-SDI and SMPTE ST 2110 conversion with flexible reference connectivity, the yellobrik CDE 1923 helps facilities maintain synchronization across both SDI and IP domains. Developed in response to real-world customer requirements, CDE 1923 provides a straightforward and flexible solution for integrating base-band equipment into IP-based production environments.

Summary:

• The room-acoustic strategy integrates the protected dome, Endure Screens Micro Pro projection surface and concealed HOLOPLOT immersive audio into one cohesive environment.
• To prevent sound energy from concentrating in problematic focal points caused by the venue's concave dome and cylindrical lower walls, WSDG deployed behind-the-screen absorption along with lower-wall quadratic residue diffusers (QRDs).
• This balanced treatment controls reverberation while maintaining clarity for diverse programming—from astronomical shows to live concerts—without altering the venue's protected historical concrete structure.

WSDG has completed the acoustic design for the modernization of the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena ahead of its centenary. WSDG developed an acoustic strategy integrating the venue’s protected dome structure, new projection surface, and HOLOPLOT immersive sound system.

[Cosm: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The centenary modernization aimed to comprehensively improve the visual and acoustic conditions within the existing auditorium. The former inner dome was assembled from perforated metal panels whose borders, unperforated edges, and imperfect joints remained visible during star shows and film projections, interrupting the intended continuous image. The replacement therefore needed to create a uniform white field for fulldome content, accommodate the concealed loudspeaker system and improve sound distribution within the auditorium’s highly curved geometry. Additionally, the cylindrical lower walls beneath the dome needed to be redesigned to optimise the sound field.

Opened on July 19, 1926, the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena traces its origins to the pioneering work of ZEISS engineer Dr. Walter Bauersfeld, who developed the fundamental form of the planetarium projector in early 1919. Following an earlier acoustic consultancy at Volkshaus Jena in 2021, the Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung appointed WSDG to the planetarium project in June 2025. The scope covered acoustic inventory measurements, room-acoustic analysis and modelling, assessment of the new dome-screen material, and development of the auditorium treatment concept.

In October 2025, WSDG measured the existing auditorium before its interior was completely removed. The protected concrete cupola and internal geodesic structure remained untouched. The measurements established the room’s reverberation characteristics and identified the acoustic behaviour generated by its concave dome and cylindrical lower walls.

“The architecture that makes the planetarium so extraordinary also creates a very particular acoustic challenge,” said acoustic consultant Tobias Behrens. “In concave spaces, reflections can be directed towards focal points and sound energy can become concentrated in particular areas. Our task was to control those geometric effects while retaining a reverberation time appropriate for planetarium shows, film screenings, educational programs, and live events.”

A central element of the modernization was the replacement of the former segmented inner dome lining with a visually continuous projection field. The project team selected Endure Screens Micro Pro, a surface developed for high-end projection applications. WSDG assessed its perforation and sound-transmission characteristics, confirming its suitability for use in front of the concealed HOLOPLOT X1 and X2 Matrix Arrays.

Behind the Micro Pro surface, a sound-absorptive overlay controls both reverberation time and problematic acoustic focusing. This allows the dome to function as a broadband absorptive area while maintaining the uninterrupted white surface required for full-dome projection.

“The key was to treat the dome as a single architectural, acoustic and technological system,” Behrens explained. “The screen had to deliver a seamless image, the treatment behind it had to control the room, and the loudspeakers had to remain effective through the surface. None of those requirements could be resolved in isolation.”

For the cylindrical lower walls, WSDG developed a combination of quadratic residue diffusers (QRDs), broadband absorbers ,and reflective surfaces. The QRD elements scatter incident sound in multiple directions, helping to disrupt the focusing patterns produced by the curved geometry. Broadband absorptive areas control reverberant energy, while strategically retained reflective surfaces prevent the room from becoming excessively damped.

The acoustic work formed part of a wider technical renewal completed for the venue’s 100th anniversary. ZEISS modernized the existing UNIVERSARIUM star projector and installed eleven ZEISS VELVET 4K projectors, providing an 8K full-dome image. Together with the HOLOPLOT system, the new technology significantly expands the auditorium’s capabilities for immersive audiovisual programming.

The planetarium’s own assessment of the completed modernization is also positive. Stefan Harnisch, technical manager at the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena, summed up his satisfaction with a touch of understated but telling reaction, commenting, “There is a certain sense of satisfaction within me.”

“Planetariums bring architecture, image and sound together in a uniquely immersive way,” Behrens concluded. “At Jena, the aim was to respect a landmark that helped define modern planetarium design while creating the acoustic conditions required for the next generation of planetarium experiences. It is a very special project because its historic engineering and contemporary technology are inseparable.”

Quick view:

• To enhance the match-day atmosphere at the 10,600-capacity SMH Group Stadium, Chesterfield FC replaced their original 2010 audio setup with a high-performance system designed to deliver crystal-clear emergency announcements, foreground music, and tailored area paging.
• Audio integrator TG Baker designed and installed 26 all-weather JBL AWC159 loudspeakers powered via a 100V battery-backed system, providing high reliability, speech clarity, and seamless operation without needing an external UPS.
• The upgrade significantly elevates the match-day experience, with club director Ashley Kirk confirming that the new system successfully creates the vibrant, premium atmosphere expected by Spireites supporters.

The SMH Group Stadium located in Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, is the home of Chesterfield Football Club. A 10,600-capacity all-seater venue, it was completed in 2010 to replace the club’s historic Saltergate ground which had been in use since 1871. The Club’s owners are committed to strong investment in the club’s infrastructure in order to provide fans with a premium match-day experience, and recently took the decision to upgrade the Stadium’s audio with a JBL sound system.

[Tackling a New HQ]

Established for more than fifty years, TG Baker has a wealth of experience in the field of public address and voice alarm systems, having completed many similar scale stadium projects across the U.K., and was engaged to design, supply, and install a new system which would meet every requirement and expectation of the modern football experience including emergency public address communications, enhanced match-day entertainment audio in the stadium bowl, flexible audio routing and control, foreground music, and paging announcements to individual areas.

To meet the Club’s requirements and provide high quality and reliable audio content to every seat in the Stadium, the TG Baker team designed and installed a JBL system, based on the IP-56 rated AWC159, all-weather compact 2-way coaxial 15-inch loudspeaker. TG Baker installed a total of 26 JBL AWC159 units, with eight each in the East and West stands and five each in the North and South stands. JBL systems are distributed in the U.K. by Live Technology.

“We’ve completed numerous highly successful stadium installations with the JBL AWC159," said Barry Paterson, managing director at TG Baker. "It has excellent clarity for speech and music, and we’ve found that using 100V loudspeakers has advantages including cable length, monitoring and reliability. In addition to this, the loudspeakers can be powered from the battery backed PAVA system amplifiers, negating the requirement for high voltage power amplifiers which would require a separate UPS.”

“It had been an issue for some time that the PA system we had wasn’t up to scratch," director Ashley Kirk added. "It was something close to my heart and something that fans had repeatedly raised. We want to create a great atmosphere in the build-up and during games, and the PA and music is a big part of that. TG Baker has done a great job of the installation and the new system has made a huge improvement to the match-day experience at the SMH Group Stadium.”

Registration is now open for Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2027. The audiovisual and systems integration industry will come together to experience what happens “When Worlds Unite," at Fira de Barcelona, Gran Via, from Feb. 2-5, 2027, where ISE will bring together the innovators, creators and technology leaders turning convergence into new possibilities.

[AV Network's In-Depth Trade Show Coverage from Around the World]

'When Worlds Unite' is more than just a strapline. It reflects where the AV industry is heading. The lines between AV, IT, broadcast, live events, smart buildings, and education are blurring, and the most valuable work is increasingly happening when those worlds meet. The 2027 edition is built around that convergence, bringing different industries, disciplines, and generations of talent into the same space. ISE is the place to engage with what’s changing, connect with the people driving it and play a part in shaping what comes next.

"Bringing our industry together has always been at the heart of ISE, and that spirit is central to ISE 2027." said Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events. "When Worlds Unite is about the moment we are in, when boundaries are disappearing and new connections are creating new possibilities. It is about what happens when AV meets IT, technology meets creativity, and established expertise meets the next generation. That is when the most interesting work is happening, and at ISE 2027 you don’t just see the change, you are part of it. This is when the future of our industry gets created. Opening registration is the first step, and I would encourage everyone in the industry to be part of it."

That spirit of convergence runs through every part of ISE 2027, linking the many facets of today’s AV world. But it doesn’t stop at the Gran Via halls. For 2027, ISE is expanding its footprint into Fira Montjuïc, connecting the AV community with new audiences and ideas across education and the creative industries. On Wednesday Feb. 3, and Thursday, Feb. 4, an ISE 2027 badge will also provide access to the show floors of EdTech Congress and Spark. One registration. Three show floors. More opportunities to explore and discover what’s next.

Visitors planning their trip to Barcelona can rely on bnetwork, ISE's official accommodation partner. bnetwork offers exclusive hotel rates across Barcelona through a dedicated booking site that lets you compare hotels by distance from the Fira, price, sustainability and guest ratings. Its help goes well beyond rooms. With a team on site at the Fira throughout the show, bnetwork can arrange airport transfers and group transport, book restaurants, and source and organise off-site spaces for meetings, hospitality and private events. Visitors can browse hotels at isehotels.bnetwork.com or contact the team at isehotels@bnetwork.com.

When Worlds Unite, the future takes shape. Be part of it. Register today.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Aaron Addison, Senior Manager, IT Corporate Leader at LG Electronics

A good display strategy starts with looking at the whole environment—not just the individual product. IT teams are trying to create standards that are easier to deploy, easier to manage, and give users a consistent experience whether they’re in an office, a classroom, a collaboration space, or somewhere else across the organization.

The biggest thing I hear from customers, corporate and higher ed alike, is that everything has to work together as one digital asset strategy: hardware, software, services, connectivity, security, and device management planned as infrastructure and not as point purchases bolted on later. That starts with the OEM relationship itself. They want a partner who’s driving initiatives and bringing collaborative solutions to the table—not just selling boxes. Bring that partner in at the design stage and you avoid systems forced into rooms never meant to support them.

That’s also where total cost of ownership really comes into play. It’s not just about what a display costs on day one. Customers are looking at reliability, lifecycle, manageability, and how much time their IT teams are spending supporting the technology over several years.

AI is obviously becoming a bigger part of the conversation as well. There are some great opportunities around smarter management, understanding usage, and delivering more targeted experiences, but most organizations still need to get the fundamentals right first.

At the end of the day, technology should make things easier for IT and better for the person using it. If it does both, then you’re probably headed in the right direction.

Summary:

• Built on the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) running Android and managed via Microsoft Intune, it provides IT teams with a fully validated, scalable endpoint for huddle spaces and small-to-medium conference rooms.
• Connects via a single USB-C cable and features a dual 4K ePTZ camera system with AI auto-framing alongside a 27-microphone array using Biamp Beamtracking, Acoustic Echo Cancellation, and AI Noise Reduction.
• Automatically identifies peripherals, measures room acoustics, and tunes audio processing (EQ, echo cancellation, speaker levels) in minutes without requiring an on-site audio engineer and offers centralized remote health monitoring, over-the-air firmware updates, and room-performance report cards across an enterprise's entire device fleet.

The new Biamp Devio UCX 1000 conferencing bundle— comprised of the Devio UCX 1000 UC compute platform, the Parlé VBC 2800 conferencing bar, and the Apprimo Touch 10 UCX-T touch panel—is now available and Certified for Microsoft Teams. This certification validates that the complete bundle is both compatible with and optimized for Teams, giving IT professionals and integrators a fully validated, single-manufacturer solution for huddle spaces and small-to-medium conference rooms.

[Course Correction]

“Organizations standardizing on Microsoft Teams want room systems they can roll out at scale without second-guessing the hardware underneath,” said Joe Andrulis, EVP of corporate development at Biamp. “Certification means the Devio UCX 1000 bundle arrives ready for that job—a single platform that organizations can deploy and manage with confidence, across small- and medium-sized meeting spaces, with confidence that it will work seamlessly within Microsoft Teams Rooms."

Built on Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP), the Devio UCX 1000 is a Microsoft Teams Room on the Android platform with integrated professional DSP, purpose-built for small and medium conference rooms where a connected conferencing bar is required. This, like other Teams Room endpoints, are managed by Microsoft Intune.

Paired with the Devio UCX 1000, the Parlé VBC 2800 conferencing bar features a dual 4K ePTZ camera system with AI auto-framing, 16x digital zoom, and a 120-degree horizontal field of view for clear visibility of every participant. Its 27-microphone array with Biamp Beamtracking technology, combined with integrated Acoustic Echo Cancellation and AI Noise Reduction, delivers natural, intelligible audio throughout the room. The bar connects to the Devio UCX 1000 over a single USB-C cable.

Completing the bundle, the Apprimo Touch 10 UCX-T panel auto-pairs the moment it's connected, wakes the room automatically when someone walks in, and lets users switch instantly between a Teams meeting and a laptop via USB-C—all powered over a single cable with no additional network drops required.

Rooms commissioning is handled by Biamp Launch, which locates connected peripherals, measures room acoustics, and tunes echo cancellation, noise reduction, equalization, and loudspeaker levels on its own, producing a rated, meeting-ready room in minutes with no audio engineer on site. From there, Biamp Workplace keeps every certified room healthy through remote health monitoring, over-the-air firmware updates, and Launch report cards spanning an organization’s entire estate.

Quick view:

• The Frame hospitality model is now available in the U.S. market in 55, 65, and 75-inch sizes.
• AI-powered features, including the Collection Hub and Generative Wallpaper, create personalized, design-forward guest room experiences.
• LYNK Cloud powers digital concierge services, centralized content management, and guest engagement insights.

Samsung Electronics has introduced The Frame hospitality model, bringing Samsung’s art-inspired display design to luxury hotels and premium hospitality environments. Available in 55, 65, and 75-inch sizes, The Frame hospitality model complements the look and feel of high-end properties while offering Smart TV functionality, including entertainment, personalized content, and hotel services that guests can enjoy from the comfort of their room.

[The Art of Digital Signage]

The Frame hospitality model offers advanced features that deliver enhanced experiences that guests expect, from showcasing stunning digital artwork when not in use and connecting guests with property amenities when they choose to engage.

“As luxury hospitality evolves, the most memorable in-room stays will feel more personal and connected without compromising their design integrity,” said Mark Kelly, head of enterprise sales–display solutions division, Samsung Electronics America. “The Frame hospitality model seamlessly blends art, entertainment, and hotel services together on one flexible display, helping hotels adapt to changing guest expectations and create more distinctive experiences over time.”

When guests aren’t watching television, Collection Hub features curated artwork, photography or other visual content, allowing hotels to extend their creative direction onto the screen. Hotel brands can select imagery that complements their interiors, reinforce their brand heritage, and reflect the unique character of a particular destination.

Additionally, Samsung is helping to turn the traditional hotel TV into a more intelligent, personalized part of the stay, using AI features to adapt the in-room experience to each guest’s needs. The Generative Wallpaper harnesses the power of AI to create custom imagery for the screen, transforming the display into a unique visual focal point that reflects their preferences.

AI also helps make in-room entertainment more accessible for travelers from around the world. Live Translate provides translated subtitles in supported languages while guests watch local broadcasts and other content, helping remove language barriers and making it easier for them to enjoy content away from home.

The display also creates a direct digital connection between guests and hotel services. Through LYNK Cloud, hotel staff can configure digital concierge services, enabling where guests to quickly access property information, book services, and order room service—all from The Frame. Content management capabilities such as LYNK Cloud Business also make it easy for staff to analyze guest content usage and uncover valuable marketing insights, enabling hotels to deliver optimized promotions for guests based on their viewing history.

As hotel rooms become more connected and personalized, protecting the technology behind the guest experience becomes increasingly important. The Frame hospitality model pairs flexible, property-specific experiences with Samsung’s enterprise-grade security capabilities, enabling hotels to innovate without compromising protection.

For decades, the practice of designing and deploying professional sound systems was largely an exercise in experience and sometimes luck. It was common to hang the loudspeakers where you thought they would work best, then plug them in, and see how well the sound actually traveled. Since expectations have a way of not living up to reality, this approach resulted in a lot of extra work for sound designers and installers alike.

Today, thanks to audio mapping software, this grueling task is a thing of the past. Audio mapping software is a predictive 3D simulation tool that lets you test out loudspeaker placements and performance without actually having to move them.

Instead, you position specific speakers in a virtual space and test their performance using the software's mapping capabilities. The result: By the time it comes to physically install the speakers, the best locations and performance targets have already been determined.

That being said, these tools do not replace the seasoned acoustic engineer; rather, they give these professionals a superpower—the ability to see the invisible behavior of a room.

"At its core, it's predictive modeling for sound," explained Ryan John, director of product management, software, for L-Acoustics, which offers the Soundvision 3D simulation and sound system design platform. "Instead of guessing how a room will behave, or finding problems on load-in day, Soundvision allows you to see hot spots, gaps, and delay issues on screen and fix them before anyone touches a cable."

Trading Guesswork for Data

When a lighting engineer sets up lights, they can put them in place, turn them on, and see where the light actually goes. But this isn't true for sound engineers. They can put the speakers in place, but they can't see the sound waves they are trying to control.

"Sound is subjective and mostly invisible other than visual clues such as ripples on a T-shirt while standing near a subwoofer," noted Rudd Lance, d&b audiotechnik's advanced systems specialist for immersive systems, whose ArrayCalc software handles precise SPL and localization mapping. "Without being able to predict what a system is going to do, the result would be days of putting loudspeakers in place only to measure them and change the deployment time and time again."

The fundamental beauty of audio mapping software is that it makes sound waves visible, at least on a computer screen. Not only does this approach save time and frustration, but it also saves money because deployments can be completed more quickly and effectively.

"Rather than relying on assumptions or extensive on-site adjustments, designers can model a venue in 3D, place loudspeakers, evaluate coverage, and verify mechanical configurations in a virtual environment," said George Georgallis, product management for performance audio, HARMAN Professional Solutions. "This gives designers a detailed understanding of how a system is expected to perform before any equipment is deployed." HARMAN produces JBL Venue Synthesis, a comprehensive 3D acoustic simulation and mechanical analysis tool.

By using audio mapping and predictive data, integrators no longer have to ask clients to simply trust their expertise.

"Decisions stop being about how many speakers do we think we need and start being about what do we need to achieve our design goals for this event," John said. "It also allows integrators and consultants to defend their design to a client with data instead of opinion, which changes the whole buying conversation. Nobody wants to over-spec a system just to be safe, and nobody wants a callback because a section came in six dB hot or cold."

Being able to provide this form of visual proof to a client is a significant improvement over using traditional spec sheets. Andy Davies, Meyer Sound's senior director of product management—the team behind the MAPP 3D high-resolution audio prediction tool—emphasized this point. "The data in MAPP 3D provides far more information than any datasheet ever could," he said, "providing a visual representation of the output of a loudspeaker, helping users understand which products are the right functional fit for any given application."

Virtual Limits

Audio mapping software is not a magic wand, and it operates on a strict "garbage in, garbage out" principle. In plain language, a digital map cannot fix poor input data, nor can it entirely replace the critical listening skills of an experienced engineer.

"A simulation is only as good as the accuracy of the model you build, and the assumptions in the room acoustics—reflections, absorption, HVAC noise, and audience attenuation—are genuinely hard to capture with precision, especially in complex or unusual architecture," John cautioned. "I always tell people to treat the map as your design foundation, not your final QC."

Also, no matter how good the audio mapping software may be, the physical environment has the last word in this discussion. "While the software provides an excellent representation of direct sound, room acoustics and environmental conditions can still influence the final system performance," Georgallis told SCN. "Ultimately, room acoustics and tuning the system on site remain essential parts of achieving the best possible performance."

One area where audio mapping software is an absolute must is immersive environments. Trying to execute these installations by ear alone is practically impossible. "Considering the cost of equipment and the amount of time required to complete a proper installation, I believe it is imperative that audio mapping be employed when designing any immersive audio space," said Lance.

Conversely, budget-sized installations in schools and municipal buildings also benefit significantly from audio mapping. Because these projects don't have the funds to absorb costly errors, integrators have to get the design right the first time. "These projects may not always involve large-scale systems, but acoustic modeling can still help designers make better decisions, avoid unnecessary costs, and deliver a more consistent listening experience," Georgallis added.

The Next Frontier

The science of audio mapping is already well established, so the future of this software is less about tweaking basic algorithms and more about improving workflow efficiency, supporting smart automation, and working in collaborative cloud environments. Software developers are focusing on making these tools more accessible to a wider range of stakeholders.

Davies noted that Meyer Sound is launching Aperture, an add-on visualization tool "aimed at giving system designers enhanced tools to share designs, enabling presentation options and graphic resources from a simple, online tool." L-Acoustics has offered a similar capability for the past year through Soundvision Connect, a browser-based companion that lets architects, consultants, and clients step into the same 3D model and SPL data without opening the software themselves.

Manufacturers are also using automation to strip away the most tedious, repetitive technical tasks. "As sound systems become more sophisticated, processes such as delay optimization for full-range systems and Electronic Design Synthesis [EDS] for large subwoofer arrays can become both time-consuming and technically challenging," explained Georgallis. "By automating these calculations, Venue Synthesis allows engineers to spend less time on repetitive optimization tasks and more time evaluating and refining the overall system design."

Ultimately, the future of Pro AV design is collaborative, interconnected, and increasingly intelligent. The goal is to get architects, consultants, and clients "into the same 3D data in real time, so decisions happen faster and with everyone aligned," said John. He added that machine learning will soon sharpen these tools by analyzing real-world measurement data over time.

In the end, audio mapping has fundamentally transformed how sound systems are conceived and delivered. In an industry where time is money and precision is paramount, turning guesswork into a guaranteed result is the ultimate payoff.

‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii is a culturally diverse K-12 college preparatory school that serves approximately 2,300 students. With a focus on academic excellence through dynamic, personalized instruction, ‘Iolani fosters an educational experience that inspires intellectual growth, character development, and a spirit of collaboration, with humility and respect for all community members.

‘Iolani recently opened its new Arrillaga Student Center, a three-story, 60,000-square-foot building located at the heart of campus that provides a space for learning, wellness, and connection. Designed by WCIT Architecture and Gensler, the facility was thoughtfully planned to reflect Iolani’s culture, values, and history.

The center includes 16 classrooms, a health center, a bookstore, and a faculty lounge. On the rooftop is a spacious event area and tea house, and the first floor is home to the Tsai Family Dining Hall, a 12,500-square-foot venue where the school community comes together for meals, social gatherings, student assemblies, and other school-related functions.

A Versatile Digital Solution

Mounted high in the dining hall are two 16-foot-wide-by-12-foot-high Planar DirectLight Essential Series LED video walls with 1.5mm pixel pitch. The vibrant twin displays provide a versatile digital solution for engaging the student population, creating a lively campus destination.

The video walls are positioned approximately 20 feet overhead, introducing a viewing angle that is significantly off-axis. To maintain image quality and provide consistent viewing throughout the space, a solution with wide viewing angles was a key consideration, according to James DePoyster, general manager with Pacific Audio and Communications, the display technology integrator.

“That’s where the DirectLight Essential delivers; the engineering of the display produces superb off-axis viewing,” DePoyster said.

Another key performance consideration was the DirectLight Essential’s 30,000:1 contrast ratio, DePoyster said. “In a mixed-use space like this, with high ambient light that you don’t necessarily want to control all the time, that high contrast ratio makes a huge difference,” he said. “Those advantages, coupled with the lighter cabinets and the impact resistance of COB LED technology, made it a perfect fit.”

In addition to supporting day-to-day communications and serving as a backdrop for activities and events, the dual LED video walls are an integral part of ‘Iolani’s live productions. Pacific Audio and Communications integrated BirdDog cameras in the dining hall, allowing the school to route live video to the LED video walls.

“It’s an impressive live streaming setup and laid out very intuitively,” DePoyster said. “They can easily pick and choose their content, giving them the flexibility to showcase whatever they want.”

Enhancing the Experience

Aniki Ignacio, sound engineer at ‘Iolani School, said the LED video walls enhance the overall experience for students and faculty alike. “We can display information, show highlight videos, or use them for watching movies,” he said. “Regardless of the event—whether it’s a concert or a conference call—the video walls take the whole experience to another level.”

The response from the campus community has been one of excitement and joy, Ignacio said: “For a concert, we were able to show live camera footage of the performers, and, whether you were sitting in the back or up front, everyone had a clear view. Anything we show on the video walls looks fantastic, and I really want to see them used to their fullest potential.”

DePoyster added that the LED video walls are a defining visual feature within the new student center. “When you walk into the room, your eyes are immediately drawn to them,” he said. “Content looks absolutely phenomenal; the picture is crystal clear and bright. During the first demonstration, everyone—from the staunchest critics to the brightest-eyed believers—was blown away. The impact of those video walls cannot be understated.”

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Amber Ward, Senior Marketing Director at Carousel Digital Signage

Engaging digital signage isn’t just eye candy; it’s about purpose. Kinetic lobby displays are great for setting a vibe, but function must come first. If a digital menu shifts to an announcement right as a customer is trying to order, the signage fails. Start with the goal and the audience, then build content that serves both.

Effective engagement requires balancing the needs of both the audience and the content creators. In large organizations, like university campuses, relying on a single contributor often misses nuances. A more efficient workflow distributes authorship to individual departments, ensuring content is authentic and accurate. Digital signage software with role-based permissions enables a streamlined approval process: Contributors create updates, and administrators review messaging before it goes live.

One way to maximize the cost of a growing digital signage system is to invest in software that works well with mixed-device environments. High-quality digital signage platforms work with many popular dedicated media players, integrated displays, software-based players, and remote management systems, giving the end user choices. When you can leverage your own devices and manage them at scale while keeping your environment secure, the possibilities open up and total cost of ownership goes down.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Jim Vasgaard, AV Sales Manager and Business Development at Daktronics

Choosing a reliable U.S.-based dvLED display manufacturer can eliminate information gaps that often slow complex installations and service uncertainty for your display’s lifetime. AV/IT end users who work with a manufacturer they know and trust receive access to consultative U.S.-based sales staff that can quickly pull in project managers and engineers when questions arise about product capabilities, electrical requirements, signal routing, or unusual installation conditions.

Product knowledge is a key differentiator. Look for reputable companies that understand the LED technology they’re delivering. There is an overflow of differing indoor LED packaged solutions in the market today, and truly understanding each solution—their pros and cons—can be difficult in the purchasing process. Look for manufacturers who handle design, testing, manufacturing, and service in-house, and staff a team that can speak about how a system will perform in the field—and match the right product to the application from the start.

Find out if they operate their own testing lab where components are tested to failure during the design phase, giving engineers a clear picture of how each part will behave over the life of the display.

That testing discipline also extends to supplier management. If the manufacturers’ suppliers make any changes to the system, that dvLED manufacturer needs to know about it and be able to test it before they make that change and ship a new display solution using that component.

And finally, make sure your dvLED manufacturer stands behind and supports its product for its lifetime. Ask about parts access guarantees that reach 10 years to ensure you receive full support for the lifetime of your display. The goal should be that you receive a display system that arrives on time, delivers on day one, and performs predictably and dynamically throughout its life.

Summary:

• One Equity Partners is acquiring Nexora—the parent company of Almo Pro AV—in an agreement expected to close by March 2027.
• Nexora will retain its existing management team and continue operating under its current strategy.
• Digital capabilities aim to give customers faster access to information while allowing manufacturer partners to connect their products with a broader target audience.

Almo Pro AV will have a new look in 2027. One Equity Partners (OEP) has begun the process to purchase its parent company Nexora and become its long-term investment partner. Based on the purchasing agreement, the transition to ownership is expected to be completed by March 2027.

For Almo Pro AV’s manufacturer partners and customers, the move supports the distributor’s continued advancements in the digital tools and services that expand market reach and allow business to be conducted more effectively. For Nexora, the agreement supports a larger investment in technology and growth across North America and Europe, with the opportunity to connect manufacturers and customers across all of its businesses. 

“This partnership doesn’t change our direction. It accelerates where we’re already headed,” said Dan Smith, EVP, Almo Pro AV. “Our vendor partners and customers can continue to count on the connections they have today, combined with the specialized support that sets Almo Pro AV apart. With OEP’s investment and experience growing technology and distribution businesses, we now have a much larger platform to build on our strengths and create even greater value for our partners.”

Per Smith, this includes "a more powerful" website and improved bid registration and freight tools, designed to give customers faster access to information and free up our sales teams to focus on relationships. Manufacturers, Smith said, will receive expanded digital capabilities which will help connect their products with more customers.

According to the Nexora press release, Nexora operates through local trading brands, including Almo, Azenn Connect, CapTech, COMM-TEC, Hammer and JAM, all of which have leadership positions in their respective markets. Nexora will continue to be led by its existing management team, ensuring continuity of leadership and execution. The business will maintain its strategy to acquire and accelerate specialist local trading brands to deliver progressive technology which enriches lives.

"Today marks an exciting next chapter for Nexora," said Clive Fitzharris, chief executive officer of Nexora. "As our business continues to deliver strong growth, One Equity Partners are a partner who share our vision and ambition to accelerate the next phase of our strategy and growth."

The new USB Extender xi Series from Extron is now available. This series extends and switches USB signals from peripheral devices to a host computer up to 1,980 feet (600m) through a Gigabit Ethernet network or up to 330 feet (100m) point-to-point over one CATx cable. It supports High-Speed (USB 2) and earlier devices.

[The Human Side of Technology]

The transmitter can be powered by the host computer or included power supply and provides USB peripheral emulation to enable trouble-free booting of a host computer that is not connected to a keyboard or mouse. The receiver features a built-in, active four‑port hub with up to 500 mA of power per port. The matrix controller allows simple setup and control for a distributed USB matrix switching system over an Ethernet network.

"As organizations seek more flexible ways to deploy USB devices in courtrooms, conference and meeting spaces, classrooms, and lecture halls, the USB Extender xi Series delivers streamlined USB extension and switching capabilities," said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer for Extron. "With long-distance USB transport, centralized control, and support for distributed USB matrix switching, the USB Extender xi Series simplifies USB connectivity for demanding Pro AV applications."

The USB Extender xi Series supports a wide range of USB peripherals, including interactive whiteboards, keyboards, mice, mass storage devices, webcams, headsets, and speakers, while USB Extender xi HID models help secure installations by restricting connectivity to authorized device types. Available in multiple form factors for flexible integration, the series can be combined with the USB Matrix Controller xi to create scalable distributed USB switching systems with up to 64 transmitters and receivers while offering centralized management and control. Together, these capabilities make the USB Extender xi Series an ideal solution for extending and switching USB signals in applications that demand reliable, long-distance USB connectivity.

Quick view:

• Sacramento Production Services overhauled Sutter Health Park's wireless audio system to handle the increased RF congestion and demands brought on by Major League Baseball broadcasts during the Athletics' residency.
• The new system utilizes 10 Wisycom antennas—including MAT244 RF combiners, LFA wideband antennas, ADFA active directional antennas, and BFL antenna-over-fiber links—placed strategically across the outfield, home side stands, roof, and concourse to ensure complete stadium coverage.
• The fiber-based RF architecture resolved severe previous issues with signal dropouts, dense crowd congestion, concrete pillar interference, and long-distance coverage.

Sacramento Production Services has completed a major wireless audio overhaul at Sutter Health Park, current home of the Athletics (A’s) professional baseball team during its three‑year residency in Sacramento. By deploying a Wisycom antenna and fiber‑based RF distribution system, day‑to‑day operations have fundamentally changed for the stadium’s production team. The upgrade, driven by the arrival of Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcasts and the increased RF congestion that accompanies national media, replaced the park’s previous wireless setup with a fully integrated Wisycom solution designed for reliability, coverage, and remote management across the entire facility.

[Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The installation features a full suite of Wisycom RF components, including the brand’s MAT244 RF combiners, LFA wideband antennas, and ADFA active directional antennas, as well as BFL-T2 and BFL-R2 antenna‑over‑fiber links. In total, 10 Wisycom antennas now cover Sutter Health Park, including four antennas deployed in the outfield via fiber and six others positioned in three pairs across the home side stands, roof and concourse.

“This was game‑changing for us,” said Anthony Brown, project manager for Sacramento Production Services. “We have wanted tools like this for years, and suddenly the technology caught up. The fact that the antennas have telemetry, remote control capabilities, and built-in fiber links is excellent; it’s all just there, ready to go.”

Before the upgrade, the stadium’s minor‑league‑era wireless system struggled under the demands of professional-caliber broadcasts. Numerous frequency scans, dropouts and unpredictable RF behavior were the norm, especially in the concourse, a notoriously difficult RF environment due to dense crowds and concrete pillars every 24 feet.

“When the A’s came in, it very quickly became clear that the existing wireless frequencies were a pretty bad choice,” added Keith Wackford, sales and production manager at Sacramento Production Services. “Minor league games never had the RF congestion that major league broadcasts bring. Things looked fine in rehearsal, but come game time, everything changed.”

The outfield was an even bigger challenge. “They told us, ‘We want our wireless microphones to work in the outfield,’ ” Wackford noted. “That’s about 460 feet from the nearest antenna. Without fiber, it would’ve been impossible.”

One of the most impactful features has been Wisycom’s remote antenna control and filtering. “With the Wisycom antennas, we were able to narrow the bandwidth and lower the noise floor,” adds Brown. “That made the system bulletproof.”

For Brian Webber, who led deployment and configuration, the networking capabilities were a revelation. “The system is rock-solid all the way around the park. The coolest part is the networking. It blew my mind how easy it is to remotely manage all the antennas.”

The result is a wireless system that simply works. “We went from wireless being a problem every other day to it not being an issue at all,” concluded Brown. “Producers and talent can move freely throughout the park, do interviews anywhere and focus on the production instead of the RF.”

Summary:

• Built as the new home of the Salt Lake Bees in South Jordan, Utah, The Ballpark at America First Square features a complete, integrated AV ecosystem by OneRevel engineered to seamlessly support concerts, movies, and community events alongside Triple-A baseball.
• To deliver consistent sound across suites, concourses, and outdoor gathering spaces without bulk, OneRevel utilized Powersoft's UNICA amplifier platform, providing high power density in compact rack spaces, native Dante networking, and integrated DSP optimization for Fulcrum Acoustics speakers.
• The audio infrastructure allows centralized monitoring via Powersoft's Armonía software and offers ongoing flexibility to refine sound coverage and comply with local ordinances as surrounding commercial and residential developments grow around the venue.

The Ballpark at America First Square is the new home of the Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Opened in 2025 in South Jordan, UT, the venue was designed to support Minor League Baseball alongside concerts, community events and other year-round programming. OneRevel selected Powersoft’s UNICA to support the venue's distributed system architecture across a wide range of event types designed for flexibility as much as performance.

[Friday Night Lights, Camera, Action!]

"What made this project unique was that we weren't just designing for baseball," said Shay Taylor, chief operations officer for OneRevel. "The vision from the beginning was to create a venue that could host concerts, movies in the park, and community events alongside baseball. That meant every technology decision had to support a much broader range of experiences."

The Ballpark at America First Square was one of OneRevel's first baseball venues where it provided the complete technology solution. Delivering audio, LED displays, and digital signage under a single integration strategy allowed the team to coordinate system design across every aspect of the guest experience.

The audio design presented its own set of challenges. Unlike many ballparks where sound reinforcement primarily focuses on the seating bowl, the new venue required consistent coverage throughout suites, concourses, concession areas and outdoor gathering spaces. Because the facility was designed to host year-round programming beyond baseball, the system also needed to support live performances, movies and public events without requiring significant reconfiguration.

The venue's long-term operating environment added another layer of complexity. As residential and commercial development continues around the stadium, the system must accommodate changing acoustical conditions while complying with local sound ordinances and neighborhood considerations.

Meeting those requirements required an amplification platform capable of delivering high output while remaining flexible enough to support a distributed system architecture. Powersoft's UNICA amplifier platform served as the foundation of the audio system, citing its combination of power density, network integration, and compatibility with Fulcrum Acoustics loudspeakers.

"The entire project was built around the UNICA platform," said Taylor. "The power-to-size ratio was a major factor because much of the stadium is served from centralized equipment racks. We needed a platform that delivered significant output while minimizing rack space."

While portions of the stadium are supported from centralized equipment rooms, distributed rack locations throughout the facility required seamless networking and reliable control. Powersoft's Dante integration and onboard processing allowed OneRevel to maintain system performance while simplifying management across multiple equipment locations.

"Reliability was another major consideration," Taylor said. "If power is interrupted, we don't lose our control or DSP settings. Having that level of stability is extremely important for a venue that's expected to operate continuously."

Beyond the hardware itself, Powersoft's Armonía software simplified system management across more than 20 amplifiers deployed throughout the venue. "When you're managing a system of this size, having everything visible in one platform makes a tremendous difference," explained Taylor. "Instead of moving between multiple applications, we can monitor and manage the entire system from a single interface."

Since opening in 2025, The Ballpark at America First Square has expanded beyond a baseball venue, hosting community celebrations, themed events and other public programming alongside the Salt Lake Bees' season. According to OneRevel, the flexibility designed into the audiovisual system has allowed the venue to support that broader mission without compromising performance.

"The feedback has been incredible," noted Taylor. "People walk into the venue expecting a Triple-A ballpark and leave feeling like they've experienced a Major League facility. That's exactly what the client wanted to achieve."

Located in Soho’s cast-iron district, Lightning Society is a New York City-based community that, according to its website, is a "playground for the intellectually adventurous." From live music to immersive events, the Society's home on 45 Howard Street is aimed at sparking connection, curiosity, and wellness amongst its members. Audio plays a big role in bringing members together, and the new home of Lightning Society turned to Sonos to amplify that sound.

The project, which not only spans multiple floors, but a variety of spaces, commenced at the beginning of the year with the ballroom; however, per Matt Emmi, founder of OneButton, the technology design firm selected for the project, it is still a work in progress. "We are still finalizing the adaptive (circadian) lighting scope, but the core audio scope is complete," he explained. "That said, there is now a desire for “concert quality” sound, so we are looking at further incorporating subwoofers into the architecture. The remainder of the floors, which are focused on members' areas and activities, will come online over the next few months."

When it came to what audio solutions would be used, there was little question Sonos was the right fit. It was a shared vision that brought it all together. "The Lightning Society, Sonos, and OneButton all similarly consider people and connection first," explained Luke Heckl, commercial sales manager, Americas at Sonos. "With that, there was an elevated focus on experience rather than purely focusing on the technology or products, which we are all prone to do in this industry. At its core, the design always revolved around the user experience. Technology solves problems, gets out of the way, and lets human experience take center stage."

Per Emmi, Sonos was the only vendor that could elegantly provide the breadth of experiences Lightning Society desired. "One Button included Sonos because they know we would deliver turnkey solutions for the unique challenges inherent to the project," Heckl said.

One of those challenges was the building itself. Being 100 years old meant architectural integrity was at the top of mind. For OneButton, this challenge wasn't too different from other projects, as every building presents its own challenges; this one happened to be dealing with century-old architecture. "[We] took advantage of the new Era 100 Pro PoE solution to maintain signal integrity to every speaker without having to resort to 70v transformers," Emmi explained. "Further, this optimized wire pulls and minimal power requirements, which is helpful given we could only pull wire through specific channels between historic pillars and beams."

According to Heckl, product selection was achieved through a collaborative process that helped identify how the expansive venue would be used. There weren't simply many spaces to consider, each space accommodated a variety of uses within it. On top of that, the system would have operators with varying degrees of audio expertise, so Sonos was ideal as a system designed with no complicated programming or end-user training required, solving one of the biggest challenges. Yet another challenge surrounding the architecture was that the hardware also had to fit each physical space. "In some cases, those decisions were driven by a scarcity of electrical outlets, whereas in others, decisions were made to adhere to a strict aesthetic mandate," Heckl said.

Per OneButton, the team took a traditional 8Ω, residential approach with the Sonos Amp Multi—the new Sonos multi-channel amp—powering 16 invisible speakers from Sonos by Sonance in the second-floor ballroom. Amp Multi provides flexibility to manage multiple speakers while simplifying the Sonos audio ecosystem. The ballroom has already hosted a Sonos launch event, showcasing high-quality audio throughout the entire room while keeping the loudspeakers hidden within the architecture.

Eight Era 100 Pro speakers make up a zoned system, distributed with PoE throughout the third floor, which features and reading room and a coffee bar. There is also a listening room that utilizes Era 300 speakers, in-ceiling speakers, subwoofers, and a Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar housed in a Leon Tonecase. The fourth floor is broken up into experience rooms; there is a spatial audio listening room, a conference room with ARC theater, an audiophile listening space, and a micro theater with a 100-inch screen and Sonos powering a massive width-matched soundbar. The top floor is an intimate members' space where Sonos FIVES are hidden throughout the space at waist level, making music a character in the conversation between members. Lastly, said, Emmi, the scenic rooftop utilizes outdoor speakers mounted to a broad pergola, keeping members cozy by the fire pit and gardens.

While there is still work to be completed in some of the more specialized spaces before Lightning Society is fully open, all the user feedback has confirmed that Sonos and OneButton checked the right boxes. "The early results have been overwhelmingly positive," concluded Heckl. "The Lightning Society is not yet in full-time regular use, but the wide range of events that have taken place have gone extremely well. "

Get your free copy of SCN's Integration Guide to NDI.

A Shared Language of Connectivity

Metadata is the quiet differentiator behind NDI’s next chapter. Roberto Musso, technical director for NDI, explains how the connectivity technology uses metadata to solve the hardest problems in modern production, because it turns every connection into a two-way relationship instead of a one-way pipe.

At Issue

Industry experts from JB&A, Magewell, and Sony explore how NDI can improve Pro AV workflows in non-production applications.

Download the Integration Guide to NDI.

Read the October issue of Systems Contractor News.

Quick view:

• The Planar Tile features rigid 2:1 aspect ratio module for flat configurations, measuring 320mmx160mmx15mm.
• Planar Tile W features rigid widescreen-format 16:9 aspect ratio, measuring 320mmx180mmx15mm.
• Planar Tile Flex features flexible modules in a 2:1 aspect ratio that support concave, convex and continuous curved display surfaces with a minimum curve diameter of 1 meter (39.37 inches).

Planar has launched the Planar Tile Series, expanding its portfolio of creative LED display solutions with flexible and rigid LED modules designed to bring custom shapes, curves, and configurations to life.

[Tackling a New HQ]

“Planar Tile Series builds on our experience in flexible LED while giving designers and integrators more building blocks for bringing creative concepts to life,” said Robert Detwiler, senior director of product management at Planar. “With flexible and widescreen-format rigid module options, including the ability to create tight concave and convex curves, Tile expands the range of projects where creative LED can be considered.”

Building on a decade of experience deploying flexible LED display solutions, including the highly successful Planar CarbonLight CLI Flex Series, Planar Tile Series expands Planar’s creative LED portfolio with new module sizes, configurations and design possibilities. Joining the recently introduced Planar Mosaic Series and Planar Chameleon Series, Tile gives designers and integrators even more options for creating display arrays beyond traditional display formats.

Available in 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.5mm pixel pitches, Planar Tile Series offers three module options for a broad range of creative designs including: Planar Tile, Planar Tile W, and Planar Tile Flex. Together, the module options provide versatile building blocks for creating custom dimensions, shapes and configurations. Select models are also available with a fully encapsulated surface for enhanced durability and touch interactivity.

Planar Tile Series incorporates a streamlined Type-C proprietary interface to deliver power and data between the compact control unit and LED modules. It features flexible cabling with locking connectors for easy routing and secure connections within custom structures, while the control unit can be installed in multiple orientations to accommodate specific installation requirements.

If you have ever attended a corporate town hall or a large-scale hybrid meeting, you likely know the familiar, awkward dance of the microphone. A presenter fumbles to clip a lavalier onto their jacket, or a handheld mic is clumsily tossed around the audience for Q&A, accompanied by awful handling noise and feedback screeches. Let’s not forget the dreaded phrase, "Is this on?"

For decades, professional audio has been defined by the physical tether between the speaker and the hardware. But working for an audio company and as an expert for wireless spectrum, I can tell you that we are in the midst of a profound paradigm shift. The future of audio in hybrid meeting spaces, corporate auditoriums, and boardrooms is becoming entirely invisible.

We are seeing massive, parallel developments in how we capture human voices and how we transport that data through the airwaves and across networks. The ultimate goal? To make the technology disappear entirely, leaving only natural, effortless communication.

Contactless Audio

The first major development reshaping our spaces is the advent of "contactless audio." The concept is exactly what it sounds like: capturing pristine, broadcast-quality audio without requiring the user to interact with a physical microphone at all.

Instead of relying on goosenecks on podiums or clip-on transmitters, modern corporate spaces are integrating sophisticated microphone arrays directly into the architecture—disguised in ceilings, mounted on walls, or hidden within light fixtures. These aren't your standard microphones. They house dozens of tiny audio capsules that rely on advanced digital signal processing and beamforming technology.

Think of beamforming as an invisible, highly focused flashlight for sound. Rather than listening to the whole room (which captures unwanted echo and HVAC noise), the microphone array actively seeks out the person speaking and creates a tight acoustic "beam" around them in real time.

For the presenter on stage, this is liberating. They are granted the ability to pace, turn their head, gesture naturally, and interact with the audience exactly as they would in a small living room, unencumbered by gear. This fosters a far more authentic and engaging performance.

But perhaps the most dramatic impact of contactless audio is felt in the audience. In a hybrid town hall, remote participants often feel disconnected because they can't hear the in-room audience asking questions. With intelligent ceiling arrays, when an audience member stands up to ask a question, a beam instantly locks onto them. The audio is captured cleanly and automatically, eliminating the agonizing wait for a runner to bring them a handheld mic. It democratizes the conversation, making hybrid meetings feel truly equitable.

Wireless Spectrum Evolution

While ceiling arrays handle the architecture, presenters who need absolute zero-latency, high-fidelity mobility still rely on wireless systems. Here, we run into a major challenge: The airwaves are shrinking. Over the last decades, the UHF radio frequencies we traditionally used for wireless microphones have been aggressively auctioned off to telecom companies for cellular broadband.

As a spectrum expert, I can assure you that navigating this crowded airspace in a dense corporate environment is a monumental task. The solution isn't just better antennas, it's fundamentally rewriting the standardized technology of wireless transport.

Enter WMAS (Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems). This regulatory schema and technological approach is an absolute game changer. Historically, wireless microphones operated on narrowband transmission—one mic, one specific slice of spectrum. WMAS shifts this to a wideband approach, allowing users to multiplex dozens of audio channels onto a single, wider block of spectrum. It is incredibly spectrally efficient, meaning we can operate far more microphones in a much smaller sliver of the RF spectrum without interference or dropouts.

Concurrently, we are seeing the rise of DECT NR+. Operating in the dedicated 1.9 GHz band, this standard is essentially a non-cellular 5G technology. It creates self-healing, mesh-like wireless networks with ultra-low latency and massive reliability. For professional audio, implementing DECT NR+ means devices can communicate flawlessly without stepping on the toes of the company’s Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

Both technologies overcome the limitations of traditional narrowband solutions. In-band control enables remote device management and real-time monitoring—crucial features in corporate environments. These standardized wireless interfaces ensure next-generation audio is bulletproof, no matter how congested local airspaces become. Furthermore, expanding spectrum allocation for WMAS and DECT NR+ remains a vital, ongoing international discussion.

Network Convergence

Once the audio is captured, it needs to go somewhere. This brings us to the crucial role of audio over IP (AoIP).

Routing audio used to mean pulling miles of heavy analog copper cables. Today, audio simply rides on the company’s existing IT infrastructure via standard Ethernet cables using protocols like Dante, AES67, Ravenna, or ST 2110. Standardizing the interface for audio transport has seamlessly bridged the gap between AV and IT. Audio is now simply network data, easily routed from the town hall stage to overflow rooms, into the broadcast mixer, and out to a Zoom call with a click.

Herein lies the beautiful paradox of the modern corporate audio landscape: an intense need for standardized underlying technology, driven by customer demand for completely customized solutions.

Corporate clients want spaces that perfectly cater to their specific workflows, like an auditorium that transforms into an immersive training center at the push of a button. By relying on highly standardized, interoperable backbones—like AoIP protocols and regulated WMAS schemas—AV architects can mix and match sensors, processors, and speakers to build highly bespoke spaces.

The days of the "AV guy" running down the aisle to fix a squawking microphone are ending. We are entering an era of elegant, invisible technology. Through the marriage of contactless beamforming, highly efficient wireless spectrum management, and network-based audio transport, we are removing the friction from corporate communication. In the modern auditorium, the technology fades into the background, allowing the message, and the people sharing it, to finally take center stage.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Joel Mulpeter, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Crestron

As far as this segment’s concerned, the products we make at Crestron move content and ready it for the display, whatever that might be. With solutions such as DM NVX AV over IP, we can help ensure that the signal is lossless, reliable, secure, and moved at near-zero latency. The goal is to deliver the best possible experience—no matter the vertical and no matter the screen—whether it’s a Jumbotron at a sports venue, signage in a retail space, or the screen in a huddle room.

To do that, we need to deliver more than a black box; we need to deliver a system that’s future-ready—specifically, that is, able to handle needed firmware updates.

We strive to provide products that can essentially function anywhere—not on a room-by-room, case-by-case basis. The best and most versatile solutions lean into building- or campus-wide network infrastructure that will reduce the need for rip-and-replace solutions in the future. If you can swap out a single encoder-decoder or change a screen at an endpoint to suit the changing needs of a space, the right network infrastructure will deliver the best experience no matter how the display hardware may change.

When you have that network architecture in place, other options open up: You can switch any content to any endpoint in the building, and you can monitor everything in the same, consistent way. Control doesn’t change from space to space or building to building, either; it remains familiar to the user throughout the organization. Furthermore, your IT and AV staff will have that same kind of familiarity, no matter the space—and that’s bound to save time and money should an issue pop up.

October has already started with some big Pro AV news as yet another acquisition was announced last week. TD SYNNEX has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire BlueStar, a specialty distributor recognized for its expertise in digital signage, data capture, and security technologies.

The combination is expected to provide customers and vendors with access to broader technology offerings, expanded resources, and specialized capabilities while preserving the expertise that has defined BlueStar’s success. Ryan Girvin, CEO, BlueStar, said the opportunity to join TD SYNNEX would allow the company to maintain those strengths and expand "the resources, capabilities, and opportunities available to the partners we serve." You can read our full coverage from last Wednesday here.

There was plenty more to go around. Get caught up with this week's Pro AV Newsmakers.

People News

USSI Global Names Ed McGivern Chief Revenue Officer

USSI Global has appointed media technology and transformational executive leader Ed McGivern as chief revenue officer (CRO). McGivern now leads USSI Global’s go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition and revenue expansion. 

McGivern brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience to USSI Global, with a track record of building high-performing sales organizations, accelerating revenue growth and helping technology businesses successfully navigate periods of transformation. His experience includes senior commercial leadership positions with some of the broadcast and media technology industry’s most recognized brands, including Harris Broadcast/Imagine Communications, Grass Valley/Snell Advanced Media and Tektronix.  Most recently, McGivern started and served as president and general manager of Appear U.S., which he launched in January 2022. 

Watchfire Names Doug Waldal as CEO

Watchfire has appointed Doug Waldal as its new CEO. Succeeding former CEO Steve Harriott, Waldal brings deep experience leading businesses that manufacture complex electronic, electromechanical, and engineered-to-order products, and he’s developed a keen understanding of tech-enabled manufacturing and commercial models.

Most recently, Waldal was CEO of 80/20, a provider of premium, configurable modular framing solutions for a range of end markets. Prior to 80/20, he was COO for Echo Engineering & Production Supplies from 2019 to 2021; president and CEO of Nortek's GTO Access Systems from 2015 to 2018; VP and general manager, broadcast and AV solutions for Belden for six years; and held commercial leadership roles of increasing responsibility for Newell Brands.

Events and Collaborations

Cotswold Outdoor Group Expands In-Store Retail Media Strategy with Broadsign and IUF

Broadsign and in-store media integrator IUF announced a collaboration with U.K. retailer, Cotswold Outdoor Group, to expand its retail media network (RMN) with a scalable in-store advertising infrastructure. The upgrade provides a unified workflow that streamlines media planning, management, and measurement in-store and across onsite and offsite channels. It enables Cotswold’s brand partners to seamlessly execute omnichannel ad campaigns that engage shoppers at the point of purchase and beyond.

Broadsign, Cotswold Outdoor Group, and IUF designed the network with long-term growth in mind. It presently includes 149 till, shelf, totem, large format, and front-of-store displays across 23 stores, which are powered by the Broadsign Platform (specifically the Broadsign CMS and Ad Server) and support a range of media.

The Broadsign Platform is helping to streamline operations and centralize content management and network health monitoring. The technology is also advancing screen monetization opportunities by scheduling ads, automating yield, and balancing complex campaign rules to help Cotswold Outdoor Group capture optimal revenue. With IUF’s ongoing deployment and support, the infrastructure allows the retailer to manage and scale in-store media operations efficiently while maintaining a reliable shopper and advertiser experience.

Korbyt to Host Inaugural Partner and Customer Event 

Korbyt wil host Korbyt Connect 2026, the company’s inaugural partner and customer event. Taking place Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the event will be held at Korbyt’s headquarters, which has been reimagined as a living showcase of the company’s digital signage and space management solutions.

Korbyt Connect 2026 is designed to bring the company’s customer and partner community together for direct access to Korbyt’s leadership team, hands-on certified training and a firsthand look at where the company’s product roadmap is headed. It is sponsored by Crestron as Platinum Sponsor, along with Gold Sponsors BrightSign, NEAT, Avocor, and Sony Professional Display Solutions, with additional participation from Korbyt’s systems integrator and technology partner community.

Workplace of the Future Brings Personalized Immersive Experiences to New York City

Zenapptic will present “Workplace of the Future” at TAD in New York City on October 14, 2026. Sponsored by Nanolumens, Salamander Designs, and One Times Square, the event invites guests to explore how immersive environments and interactive technology can create more personalized, connected workplace experiences.

The showcase will explore a workplace where spaces recognize participants and respond as they move through the office. From a personalized lobby welcome to an immersive environment and a collaborative meeting room, demonstrations will connect individual moments into a coordinated journey across spaces.

Powered by Zenapptic’s ZEN3 Experience Management System (XMS), demonstrations will bring together real-time 3D environments, live content, presentations and video conferencing. Coordinated screens and interactive controls will illustrate how workplace experiences can adapt to the people using a space and the activities taking place within it.

Company News and Notes

Ampetronic | Listen Technologies Appoints SKMac as Mid-Atlantic Manufacturer’s Representative

Listen Technologies and Ampetronic have enlisted manufacturer’s representative firm SKMac to represent them in the Mid-Atlantic United States. SKMac will support Listen Technologies’ and Ampetronic’s growth in this region by selling their full suite of assistive listening solutions. These include hearing loop, ListenIR, ListenRF, ListenTALK, ListenWIFI, and the Auracast broadcast audio-based system, Auri.

Maryland-based SKMac is a 100-year-old manufacturer’s representative firm serving the professional audio, video, lighting, and security markets. Their territory includes New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The firm’s longevity is a result of its deep knowledge of AV products, experienced sales team, and reputation for bringing exceptional customer service and technical support to every engagement.

SoundPro Names to 2026 Dallas 100 List

SoundPro has been named to the 2026 Dallas 100 list, recognizing the 100 fastest growing privately held companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The recognition adds to a year in which SoundPro was also named to the Dallas Business Journal's 50 Fastest Growing Companies list, underscoring a sustained period of growth for the company.

Over the past 12 months, SoundPro made a strategic investment in technology and operational infrastructure that fundamentally changed how the company operates, serves customers, and scales as a business. SoundPro overhauled its systems, streamlined supply chain processing, and built a reporting and analytics foundation that gave leadership real time visibility into business outcomes.

The momentum generated by this operational transformation positioned SoundPro to acquire its largest regional competitor, ProAudio.com, elevating SoundPro from a regional AVL distributor to a national industry presence. SoundPro also expanded its depth of expertise by bringing on seasoned industry veterans and gained increased customer scope in the broadcasting segment, further diversifying its market reach beyond its already established verticals.

AVT Question: Please share insights on how to immerse audiences, collaborate across campuses via the cloud, use AI to drive targeted messaging and gather data, increase sustainability, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Thought Leader: Daniel Renne, Director of Emerging Technologies at Hall Technologies

For decades, we have thought of the display as the destination in the AV signal chain. Content travels through an increasingly sophisticated technology ecosystem, but ultimately the display has one job: present that content to the audience. I believe that definition is rapidly changing.

The next generation of displays should become intelligent participants within the broader enterprise technology ecosystem. Cloud connectivity, IoT technologies, and AI give organizations an opportunity to better understand not only what content is being displayed, but how, when, and where their AV environments are being used.

That intelligence can fundamentally change the audience experience. Digital signage can adapt messaging based on location, time, events, occupancy, or other organizational data. Across campuses, centralized platforms can coordinate content and experiences while still allowing individual spaces to respond to local needs.

The same data can provide tremendous operational value. Understanding display utilization, operating hours, device health, energy consumption, and content effectiveness can help AV and IT teams identify problems earlier, automate workflows, reduce unnecessary energy usage, and make better lifecycle decisions.

AI will accelerate this transformation, but its effectiveness will depend heavily on the quality and context of the data available to it. The goal should not simply be to add AI to displays, but to build an ecosystem where displays, AV devices, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems can securely share meaningful information.

Ultimately, maximizing the value of a display means looking beyond resolution, brightness, and specifications. The most strategic display may be the one that helps an organization better understand, automate, and continuously improve the environment around it.