Unlimited (well 200 Displays) HDMI distribution from Just Add Power

It looks like the gang over at Just Add Power have cooked up a device that will let you manage multiple HDMI sources without the limits of traditional HDMI switches (and no, it isn’t an HDMI Balun). The Projector Connector consists of an encoder unit that converts your HDMI source signal to IP packets and a networked receiver that decodes the signal at the display end. Add a managed switch and you can keep adding sources and display devices to your heart’s content (up to 200 displays). Controlled by a PC over HTTP, this is definitely a product that will see more use in large organizations than it will in home theater setups. But still, what HD aficionado wouldn’t love to get his hands on something this powerful and (relatively) inexpensive? The encoder (VBS-HDMI-308A) sells for $299, while the decoder (VBS-HDMI0108A) will run $250 — you’ll have to buy your own switch. Supports 1080p, HDCP, and up to 5.1 digital audio.

via [engadget & ce prop]

Wireless HD or WiHD Launched (Officially)

While some form of wireless HD video has been demonstrated before, a group of heavy weight consumer electronics companies have partnered to build what they hope is the next wireless HD video standard – WiHD has been talked about since 2006 (or so, I think). At the moment, Wireless HD 1.0 can reach 4Gbps, which seems enough to accommodate 1080p videos. We’ll take a closer look on the products that will be announced at CES.

The partnering companies are: Intel, LG, Matsushita, Panasonic, NEC, SAMSUNG, SiBEAM, Sony and Toshiba. That’s a good chunk of the display market right there. I wonder how soon this will extend to computer displays as well… Press release,

Pre CES : Aztech aims to simplify Powerline networking

(Credit: Aztech)

Even in this age of Wi-Fi ubiquity, nothing beats a wired network for enhanced security and guaranteed bandwidth, especially in A/V applications. The latest iteration, Powerline, taps on your existing in-house power grid for data transmission. To further simplify installation, Singapore-based Aztech is debuting two products from its HomePlug series during CES 2008.

The HL109RN is possibly the world’s first all-in-one WiFi-N router with integrated Powerline connectivity. Not only does it eliminate the need for a dedicated Powerline adapter, but it also minimizes cable clutter while supporting up to 200Mbps of theoretical fast data rate for standard- and high-definition video streaming. Another cool feature is a USB port capable of supporting multimedia playback on portable storage.

Running at a similar speed is the HL109EP, another Powerline network adapter with AC connectivity and “Simple Connection” functions. The former allows an electrical appliance to draw power directly from its onboard three-pin socket, while the latter is a one-touch button that automatically pairs a group of powerline adapters.

via [crave]

All provide elegant yet simple solutions that may renew interest in this slow-moving networking technology.

Thiel showing off IP-based, high-end multiroom audio

High-end speaker manufacturer Thiel is showing off THIELnet, its new IP-based audio distribution system developed in conjunction with Bicom. It’s a system indeed, with multiple parts to mix and match: the distribution processor (dB1), speakers (SCS4D) and subwoofer (SSD1) are all IP-addressable, there’s an IP adapter (dS1) for bringing third party speakers to the, um party and there’s PC-based software (Streamer) to tie into your library. Maximum capacity for the setup is eight zones, each with eight speakers, and synchronization is done between zones to get rid of nasty echo effects. Good stuff, but we think what really sets this approach apart is that Thiel has kept everything digital right up to the speaker cones; each speaker has its own digital crossover and 250-watt amplifier. The outfit expects to be spreading this IP / crossover / amplifier module across its lineup, but it’s kicking things off with the SCS4D. Pricing is still unannounced, but expect a high-end style ticket befitting the Thiel sound quality and name.

via [Engadget]

Microsoft Roundtable reviewed by TMC

 

Microsoft RoundTable is a very cool videoconferencing system featuring 360° panoramic views powered by its 5 built-in cameras. Microsoft sent me a RoundTable system for review. I figured I may as well install it in one of TMC’s two conference rooms to have some “real world” testing scenarios. After plugging in the various cables, including a USB cable to the host PC, I then installed the Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 (LM 2007) beta software client, which was designed to handle the RoundTable’s 360° panoramic cameras. I should point out that Microsoft is offering both a hosted model for Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 as well as a CPE (customer premise equipment) solution, namely Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS 2007). The RoundTable can work with either. However, I tested it with a Microsoft Office Live Meeting online beta account.

The RoundTable actually installs two USB camera devices. The first is the Active Speaker which uses the RoundTable’s 6 microphones to locate where in the room the active speaker is and then focus one of the 5 cameras onto that person. I suspect it may actually use 2 cameras to focus on a person, since it always appears that the speaker is “centered” which probably would require at least 2 camera images and then the images are “spliced” together, processed, and then transmitted over the USB cable. The second USB camera device is the panoramic camera which combines the 5 camera images into a single panoramic image.

Next, I initiated a Live Meeting session in the conference room and went back to my desk to join the meeting. Unbeknownst to me, by the time I got to my desk, some TMC sales team members walked into the conference room to start a meeting. When I launched my LM 2007 client I saw Anthony Graffeo, one of TMC’s sales staff staring right into one of the 5 triangular mirrors located just above the cameras. I headed over the conference room to tell them I could see and hear everything that was going on. After giving a brief demo, Anthony said, “that thing is awesome!”. I heard similar comments from other TMCers over the next few days – including “That thing is cool” and “Wow! What is that?”

During my tests with Office Live Meeting 2007, I was able to see the entire conference room in the panoramic view. The other video view is the “active speaker” and it would change to whoever was speaking. It was actually quite accurate and surprisingly fast. When I tested it with Rich Tehrani, Joe Fabiano, Mike Genaro, and Dave Rodriguez, we all took turns speaking and the camera view would almost instantly switch.

Overall, the video quality was excellent, Very smooth. Later on I did some more tests with just me in the conference room. I tried to trick the cameras by snapping my fingers above the microphone and the video wouldn’t switch. I figured it must be using a combination of audio and video cues to determine the active speaker. A quick glance in the manual reveals, “To avoid switching to a non-human sound source, the video functions to assist in determining whether the sound detected is coming from an attendee or some other source.” Answers that question!

Below is a Flash demo demonstrating the active speaker functionality. When I ran this test, I did it by myself and just walked around the conference room while continuing to speak. I will make a 2nd video with several fellow TMCers if I can get some volunteers. This would better demonstrate the active speaker feature. Also, the video I did record appears much jerkier than it actually was live. Part of that is because it was my first time using Camtasia Studio to capture the screen & audio, so I only had it set to 15fps (not 30fps). Secondly, the PC I was recording on isn’t the greatest, so I’m sure Camtasia skipped a few video frames since it the processor was taxed. Nevertheless, this video gives you a good feel for the active speaker functionality.

he base has an LCD touch-screen that serves as a dialpad and to configure various options. An external dialpad is available as well, but I didn’t get one with my unit, so not sure if that’s an extra option. The LCD touch-screen dialpad seems good enough to me. Physical buttons also exist to increase/decrease speaker volume, a mute audio / halt video button, Flash button, on/off hook, and an Information button. There is also a privacy cap that goes on top of the unit to block the cameras and prevent anyone from viewing the conference room.

Although the Microsoft RoundTable was designed for Office Live Meeting 2007 & OCS 2007, since it is simply 2 separate USB camera devices in the Device Manager, I figured it would most likely work with other videoconferencing, audioconferencing, or VoIP software. So I fired up Skype on the conference room PC and went into the video wizard. I tried the panoramic device first, but all that was displayed was a black screen. Then I changed it to the active speaker USB camera device and it worked. I made a test Skype call to the Microsoft Roundtable, again with some fellow TMC’ers and the active speaker functionality worked just as well in Skype. Obviously, it’s the RoundTable hardware performing the video switching and not LM 2007. Also, I was able to use Skype’s “full screen” video mode and it had extremely high-resolution video with very fast frame rates. Here’s a screenshot of Skype in action viewing the RoundTable video:

Microsoft designed RoundTable to equalize the varying light levels when one part of the conference room is darker than another. In fact, TMC’s conference room has sunlight coming in the window and I noticed the RoundTable was able to do a pretty good job equalizing the light across the entire room.

The Microsoft RoundTable features both an RJ11 (phone) and an RJ45 (network) jack. The RJ11 wire lets you connect to a PSTN line and use the RoundTable as a high-end conference room speakerphone. The RoundTable lets you place outgoing calls, answer an incoming call, conduct a video conference with audio from the microphones or a video-only session with no audio from the microphones. In the video-only mode you can use the PSTN line or even your cell phone for the audio portion.

I like the aesthetic design of the Microsoft RoundTable. It is one cool looking device. Reminds me of the alien spaceships in H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds movie (the original 1953 movie, not the Tom Cruise remake). Compare for yourself! Both have “eyes” and both have a long neck connected to the main base.

Interestingly, the RoundTable doesn’t aim its 5 cameras directly at you. As previously mentioned, it uses triangular mirrors. I’m not sure if this was done because people are more relaxed and natural if they don’t think a camera is staring right back at them or if it was simply for aesthetic design that Microsoft chose to use mirrors. I did some research on the history of the RoundTable and discovered it was previously called the Ringcam. During Microsoft’s research, they had some interesting “beta” versions before the final RoundTable, including these two below. Note how both models point cameras directly outward. I definitely prefer the less obtrusive “mirror” version in the production model. I tried to take apart the RoundTable to see the inner guts of the camera head, but the damn thing is glued on or something since I couldn’t find any screws.

Even more interesting in a Microsoft Research PDF article it talks about head-size spatial equalization. That is, making sure everyone’s head is equally big in the videoconference even if a person is further from the camera. The article has several diagrams and complex trigonometry formulas (sin & cos functions) that bring back high school. The article states the following:

In the past a few years, there has been a lot of interest in the use of omni-directional cameras for video conferencing and meeting recording. While a panoramic view is capable of capturing every participant’s face, one drawback is that the image sizes of the people around the meeting table are not uniform in size due to the varying distances to the camera. Figure 1 shows a 360 degree panorama image of a meeting room. The table size is 10×5 feet. The person in the middle of the image appears very small compared to the other two people because he is further away from the camera.

This has two consequences. First, it is difficult for the remote participants to see some faces, thus negatively affecting the video conferencing experience. Second, it is a waste of the screen space and network bandwidth because a lot of the pixels are used on the background instead of on the meeting participants. As image sensor technology rapidly advances, it is possible to design inexpensive high-resolution (more than 2000 horizontal pixels) omni-directional video cameras [1]. But due to network bandwidth and user’s screen space, only a smaller-sized image can be sent to the clients. Therefore how to effectively use the pixels has become a critical problem in improving the video conferencing experience.

Spatially-varying-uniform (SVU) scaling functions have been proposed [2] to address this problem. A SVU scaling function warps a panorama image to equalize people’s head sizes without creating discontinuities. Fig. 2 shows the result after head-size equalization.

Note how the guy in the white shirt is larger after head-size equalization. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that the RoundTable I’m testing incorporates the head-size equalization, since none of the heads in the conference room appeared to be equalized. Guess my head (& ego) will have to continue to be the biggest. I read up on this some more and according to this Microsoft article, RoundTable “uses visual cues to pinpoint, enlarge and emphasize the face of the speaker”. So it sounds like it does have this feature. I’ll have to test this further.

Conclusion
All in all, I was pretty impressed with the Microsoft RoundTable. With its panoramic view and active speaker video switching functionality, you almost feel as though you are there in the conference room. I do wish the panoramic USB camera device worked in other applications besides LM 2007 and OCS 2007, but at least the active speaker video works. Although not released for general availability, the Microsoft RoundTable is expected to retail for around $3,000 putting this in the category of high-end videoconferencing systems. However, with fuel costs and other travel expenses, a high-quality, high-end videoconferencing system can pay for itself very quickly.

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/microsoft/microsoft-roundtable-review.asp

via [tmc]

Speco Technologies New IP Cameras Are “Intense”

 

Speco Technologies introduces a new series of IP/Network Cameras featuring built-in servers that work with Internet Explorer. No special software is required for basic viewing, control and recording. The models with “INT” in the part number also features Speco’s Intensifier Technology which amplifies and maximizes existing light to generate color pictures in darkness where other cameras can’t! The Intensifier functions are accessible over the internet as well.
IP/Intensifier Series includes bullet cameras, dome cameras and a traditional camera for C & CS type lenses featuring:

 

Linux Operating System: No virus threats

Dual Streaming: Both MPEG-4 and JPG CODECS included

Analog output includedSupport of Dynamic and IP addresses

Free DDNS Server

IT Manager Friendly – will not slow down network performance

NVR software – free

Changeable/Selectable Ports: Allows one IP address to handle multiple cameras

Selectable Resolutions: 704 x 480, 352 x 480, 352 x 240

Multiple Levels of Password Protection

Built-in Motion Detection with eMail notification

16 Camera Premium Software Included – At No Extra Cost

RS-232 Pass Throughand much more

Go to Speco Technologies’ website, http://www.specotech.com

via [scv – the briefing room]

Panasonic adds new Web Cam’s to line up

Panasonic introduced three powerful new members to its family of Pro-Line network cameras. The new megapixel BB-HCM515A network camera offers users a simple plug-and-play connection using the Power Over Ethernet (PoE) standard, and high-quality video in MPEG-4 and MJPEG formats at up to 1280×1024 resolution. The powerful unit, is joined by the new BB-HCM511A and the outdoor-ready BB-HCM531A.

 

These new models offer high-quality video in MPEG-4 and MJPEG formats at up to 30fps at 640×480, with the mega-pixel BB-HCM515A offering resolution up to 1280×1024. With a simple plug-and-play connection using the PoE standard, users can monitor from a cell phone, PC or PDA, raising the bar for true Zero-Distance Management. Zero Distance Management is a new business style made possible by Panasonic network cameras, allowing safe, smooth, economical business management that is totally free from conventional distance and time limitations. The network cameras PoE capability allows units to be installed in locations that don’t have nearby power outlets. This enables safe, smooth, economical business management that is totally free from conventional distance and time limitations.

The new megapixel BB-HCM515A network camera’s improved imaging allows users to check corner-to-corner images even when they are enlarged to fill the screen. When recording in situations with strong contrast, such as backlighting, the camera automatically compensates for the dark and light parts of the image. In addition, the entire 2007 line of cameras comes equipped with high-speed 100-degree-per-second remote pan/tilt and digital zoom control that allows users to monitor larger areas and more angles simply through remote control functionality.

These compact cameras can easily be placed where there is an Ethernet (10/100 BaseT Switch) connection, and can be monitored from the camera’s built-in Web page for viewing from virtually any location. For easy access to the camera’s video, special software embedded in all Panasonic network cameras can create a personal, permanent Web address using the free Viewnetcam.com service, or other compatible DDNS services. Up to 30 users can view images simultaneously, and access to the camera can be password-protected with different access privileges for up to 50 different user IDs. Control software and e-mail software (SMTP) are included.

Other camera features include image date, time and text overlay, audio and video recording onto an SD Memory Card with the built-in SD Memory Card reader slot, built in motion detection, a two-way audio feature and the ability to capture live video in low-light situations. Additional optional features include: two way audio using the built-in microphone and a separately purchased speaker; optional connection to other security devices, such as a motion sensor or smoke detector that can be programmed to e-mail an alert when the alarm has been triggered.

The BB-HCM515A, BB-HCM511A and outdoor ready BB-HCM531A are currently available from select distributors.

More …. http://www.panasonic.com

via [SVC The Briefing Room]

Mircosoft moves further into the AV/Communication Hardware Area

As we have all know the convergence of AV/IT has been happening for the last 10 years but at a slow place and nothing like what the early Pundits predicted……but it is gaining speed.

Read the press report via Reuters which outlines Microsoft moving into the communication area of AV…….last week the announcement of the tie up with Polycom, now hardware released specific to MS products…..

How does this affect the AV Industry? Video conferencing and audio conferencing is going to change further….it is going to be fully streamlined into IT departments of the corporates and is going to make much heavier use of the corporate WAN and the Internet and become a fully integrated item in communication infrastructure of the company.

Is this good? I think so, it certainly is logical to have unified communication infrastructure and now our challenge as the AV industry is to develop value add solutions and to become more knowledgable about the use of AV over IT than the IT experts themselves…..

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp. introduced on Sunday phones, headsets and other devices to work with its software that aim to replace the traditional office phone and deliver e-mails, instant messages and phone calls over the Internet.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, said it worked with nine technology manufacturers including Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and NEC Corp. to develop hardware to work with its unified communications strategy.

Instead of one system for phones and another for e-mails and instant messaging, Microsoft wants all communications to run over Internet networks on its Office Communicator program.

Microsoft forecasts that the shift to Web-based phone systems will gain momentum during the next three years, eventually generating billions of dollars in new revenue for the company.

The new hardware products will be unveiled at this week’s Microsoft Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Los Angeles.

The new products include an Internet Protocol phone from NEC that connects to a computer’s Universal Serial Bus and a Bluetooth headset that connects via wireless technology to the Office program made by LG-Nortel, a joint venture of LG Electronics Inc. and Nortel Networks.

Other hardware manufacturers working with Microsoft are ASUS, Plantronics Inc., Polycom Inc., Tatung Co. Ltd. and Vitelix.

Polycom and Nortel enter into Alliance

In today’s competitvie market. alliances can be as important as channels in marketing strategy. So the announcement that Nortel and Polycom will jointly deliver immersive telepresence and high definition (HD) video conferencing solutions to enterprises worldwide under a new agreement is significant.

Nortel will resell and service Polycom video solutions as part of its new Multimedia Services portfolio. Nortel video conferencing services featuring Polycom solutions will enable global organizations to create a more efficient, effective and productive environment for collaboration among geographically dispersed employees, customers and suppliers.

The non-exclusive agreement with Nortel covers the entire line of Polycom video conferencing solutions, including telepresence, conference room and desktop video for multipoint conferencing; video network management and scheduling; and recording, streaming and archiving of video conferences and content.

These standards-based solutions are part of the Polycom UltimateHD* architecture, which offers the high quality, scalability and backwards compatibility necessary to provide an unrivaled user experience.

“These solutions can seamlessly connect multiple locations in a virtual meeting experience so real participants will almost believe they’re in the same room,” said Dietmar Wendt, president, Global Services, Nortel. “Teaming with Polycom, Nortel can deliver comprehensive video conferencing solutions and services that provide more efficient and effective communications across the globe, improving an organization’s productivity and business reach while delivering significant savings in network operations.”

“As companies move toward more global business operations, maintaining effective communication and collaboration among knowledge workers, customers, partners and suppliers becomes more challenging,” said Robert Hagerty, chairman and chief executive officer, Polycom. “The good news is that there are amazing new tools like Polycom’s RealPresence Experience (RPX) and HDX video conferencing systems to help enhance communication and collaboration among dispersed teams, mobile workers, and telecommuters.”

“Using instantaneous collaboration tools such as voice and video to meet and share content enables faster decisions, raises productivity, enhances relationships, and improves knowledge access and transfer,” Hagerty said. “We are teaming with Nortel to drive increased adoption of these technologies among customers around the world.”

Additional information about Polycom RPX HD telepresence and HDX video conferencing solutions is available at www.polycom.com/RPX and www.polycom.com/HDX.

via [VideoConference Insight]

Another look at 3D Telepresence this time from Telepresence Technologies

Once in three years it seems, the name of Duffie White pops up again with a new 3D videoconferencing technology. His products are now in their seventh generation resulting from product design, field testing and commercial applications of each generation in pilot projects and large scale international deployments. We find them unusual, interesting and now a more mature product. The picture shows the realism achieved with a 3D picture on a Teleportel system.

His latest company, TelePresence Technologies, LLC with HQ in Dallas and an office in Brussels, Belgium, claims to be the world’s leader in 3D TelePresence with systems currently in operation in Belgium, China, England, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. TelePresence Tech products are produced in a 114,000 sq. ft. fabrication facility in Dallas, Texas using state-of-the-art computer aided manufacturing. (Previously Duffie White was CTO of a company called TeleporTec acording to Wainhouse).

 

TelePresence Tech  has just announced that the company has developed a 3D TelePresence Room to expand its existing product line of 3D TelePresence systems. TelePresence Rooms are currently being built simultaneously in Dallas, Texas and Brussels, Belgium for international demonstrations of the revolutionary technology.

The company’s innovation in the telepresence field is based on development work undertaken in the last year since TPT Director, Duffie White, was granted US patent 7,057,637. This patent covers an extensive range of configurations of telepresence solutions achieving eye contact with participants from a distant location appearing life-size in a three dimensional setting.

The TPT technology overcomes the problems of eye contact video conference systems in a “teleprompter” format, where a displayed image is reflected in a semi-reflective glass or stretched film mirror (see www.teleprompters.com). Systems that reflect the displayed image cause a backwards mirror image and are prone to color shifts and other aberrations caused by viewing the image indirectly. This is particularly unfortunate when used with HD displays.

By contrast, the format covered in the granted U.S. patent for TelePresence Tech systems relies on a direct view of the displayed HD images overcoming the problems of being reflected. The three dimensional backdrop for the image of the participant or participants is superimposed at a physically measurable distance behind for a true depth relationship.

Teleportal products were demonstrated by Imago using Sony codecs and the Sony HD codec at the AV in the City  in London on 2 May and will be shown at the Telepresence World conference in San Diego from 4-6 June 2007.

Teleportel has also evolved two models of its system – a 42in screen ‘rollabout’ and a desktop system with a 20in screen. Imago is planning to offer the two system alongside its own ‘Virtual Presence’ service, an on-demand 24×7 service based on ‘migration’ from ISDN. (Wainhouse says the TPT  component for a 32-inch screen will sell for about $20K, or about $26K for a complete system; for an additional $5-10K you can get a system with a 42-inch screen.)

Ian Vickerage Managing Director of Imago Group PLC thinks 3D TelePresence is a revolutionary technology. “This kind of technology used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “Now TelePresence technology is accessible to smaller businesses as well as professions for whom personal contact is important, such as retail and medicine. Imago is highly privileged to be able to bring such a unique technology to a wider market.”

For more about TelePresence Tech go to www.TelePresenceTech.com. Contact Duffie White at duffie@TelePresenceTech.com for scheduling demonstrations this summer.

via [VideoConferencing Insight Newsletter]