Sharp AQUOS BOARDS: Helping You Collaborate Better

Sharp AQUOS BOARD from Almo Pro AV

The Next Generation of Sharp Aquos LED Interactive Displays

Recently, Sharp Professional introduced the PN-L703W/603W displays into their suite of AQUOS BOARDS. These brand new wireless AQUOS BOARDS are available only in 60” and 70” making them great for boardrooms and smaller huddle rooms.  In addition, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is easy with a built-in wireless controller. Its intuitive design enables its users to collaborate better regardless of the operating system being used on laptops, phones or tablets.  Another impressive feature about the PN-L703W/603W displays is that they can display onscreen content in TWO ways: in a 2 x 2 split screen or any one of the individual screens can be enlarged full-screen size. All of it done by the built-in wireless controller that allows the PN-L703W/PN-L603W to give off its own SSID once it is set in the wireless mode. Because no data is being stored during wireless connection, you won’t have a problem leaking any confidential info.

Sharp Aquos: Improving Collaboration

Some of the most talked about products that we have been seeing within the Pro AV industry are ones that involve wireless collaboration. Other popular products that get talked about are interactive pieces. Today most display manufacturers have a product that has touch capabilities whether it is a projector or a flat panel display.  With this being said the manufacturers of the wireless collaboration products sometimes try to partner up with the display manufacturers to showcase these collaboration products.  Throughout my travels in the Pro AV industry, I have not seen many all-in-one solutions that involve wireless collaboration and a display with the exception of a few and the ones I have seen did not have touch capability until now.

These Aquos boards have gained a lot of popularity in the education market, along with teaching hospitals. They have become more and more popular in the corporate board rooms for video conferencing and collaboration. With the pen software, you can jot down ideas, save the file as a PDF and email it to colleagues or customers working on the same project. Sharp is primarily known for its display hardware and technology. However, Sharp also excels in software development that compliments hardware products. This is something to take note when specifying a project, do you want your hardware from a company that specializes in software or an Aquos board which is made by Sharp a company that specializes in hardware.

One of the best things about the new wireless capable AQUOS BOARDS is the software needed to collaborate comes free in the box. The SHARP Pen Software is not only easy to use but has a special handwriting recognition function that converts selected onscreen handwriting into standard text.

Sharp has been an industry leader in touch 60” and above with their AQUOS BOARDS products.  So with these new additions, I am looking forward to seeing how they will further evolve over time.

Top 5 Features of the Sharp AQUOS BOARD:

Sharp aquos board 10-Points of Touch

10-Points of Touch

One of the great new features of the next generation AQUOS BOARD is the 10 points of touch. Write, draw and gesture with more than one finger. Combined with the simultaneous annotation mentioned next, users are in a prime position to make the most of their time in any classroom or meeting room.

aquos board with Simultaneous Annotation

Simultaneous Annotation

With a highly responsive design, users now have the capability to simultaneously with up to 4 people. The interactive touch pens may operate at the same time and even write in different colors for further distinction. Each pen has its own function buttons, pressure-sensitive and customizable. What a great way to encourage group learning in the classroom or facilitate a brainstorm session at the office.

No More Input Modules Needed

No More Input Modules Needed

These new models do not need input modules for the various connection combinations. Now, most of the connections are built on the panel allowing the AQUOS BOARD to have more capabilities. It now has multiple HDMI, Display port, LAN connection, audio, and USB. While these units do not have the 9-pin connection for control, it can still be controlled via IP.

Free aquos Software

Free Software

Included is the latest version Sharp Pen Software 3.0, which is, even more, user-friendly than previous versions. The built-in web search (AQUOS BOARD must have an internet connection) and smoother handwriting recognition, along with a multitude of other features, can be customized using its new on-screen menu. The new pen software supports multi-touch and comes with Touch Display link software. Touch Display Link 2.0 is an effective and multilayered communication tool and BYOD. Handwritten notes and drawings are done in real time and can be viewed at the same time on the AQUOS BOARD and mobile devices.

Print Directly from the AQUOS BOARD

Print Directly from the AQUOS BOARD

We know most people and companies are trying to go paperless, but there is usually always something that needs to be printed – especially in brainstorming sessions where you’re annotating documents. The AQUOS BOARD can easily accommodate this! You can also scan images or documents from a color scanner and import to your AQUOS BOARD all via the pen software, but you’ll need to be connected to an MFP.

My Visit to LG’s Business Innovation Center

Recently, I was fortunate enough to visit the LG Business Innovation Center (BIC) outside of Chicago at LG’s corporate headquarters. It was quite an experience where all of LG’s newest innovations and product verticals are on display to see and feel.  You really get a chance to experience everything that LG has on their commercial display product roadmap, and it’s there specifically for customers and end users to absorb and engage in the future of their technologies.

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For every vertical market there was an LG display suited perfectly for it. Whatever the application, the LG BIC has the full array of products for Hospitality, Healthcare, QSR (Quick Serve Restaurants), Transportation scheduling, Museums/Art Galleries, Indoor/Outdoor Digital Signage, Video Walls, Open-frame OLED technology, LED lighting…it’s all here for the taking.  They’ve even created a new market for “digital décor” which stems from their uniquely designed 86-inch Ultra-Stretch 4K model that is ideal for art galleries, museums and the high-end digital signage projects.

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Most notable was the new OLED display technology that LG recently unveiled. They showcase a cutting-edge 55-inch OLED 4K UHD Wallpaper display that is absolutely unreal! (see Front View) Everyone at the meeting was completely blown away.  No one could believe their eyes when they saw how thin this unit actually is.  This amazing display is literally thinner than a credit card (see side view).  And, not only was it a gorgeous image, but at less than 4 pounds, this stunning display was installed using Velcro (you can also use magnets)!

LG’s 55-inch OLED 4K UHD Wallpaper Display (Front View):

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Yes, I said Velcro! That was not a typo.

You also may notice a black plastic frame behind the actual display (see side view image), but this is not part of the actual OLED display portion and is required for structural stability due to the extremely thin, flexible OLED layer in front of it. This model is truly going to be a game-changer for the industry.  Get ready for a groundbreaking 2016 with LG’s sights set on the future of OLED technology, and the technical developments and advancements that result from those efforts.

LG’s 55-inch OLED 4K UHD Display (side view):

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So next time you are in the Chicago (or Atlanta) area and looking to see the latest and greatest that LG Electronics offers, make the trip to their Business Innovation Center. It will be well worth it, I promise!

For more information on LG’s latest products, please do not hesitate to contact me, Eric Olson, via phone at (888) 420-2566 ext. 4082 or via email at [email protected].

Samsung Broadcast Videowall: What You See Is What You Get

LAS VEGAS - MAY 12 : Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas neon sign with Las Vegas strip road background View of the strip on May 12, 2015

Since moving to Pensacola in 2014 after living in major markets like New York and Atlanta for so many years, flying out of a smaller airport isn’t so bad—with no security lines I can breeze into the airport, grab my regular parking spot right near the elevator in the garage right across from the terminal… and “Who’s bedda than me?” as they say in New York.

Visiting Vegas this time for the NAB Show, (National Association of Broadcasters), it’s the perfect event to showcase Samsung’s new broadcast video wall display solution, the UD55E-S. Looking forward to hearing feedback from dozens of major TV networks and their engineering teams over the next two days, as I deplane I’m immediately greeted by a number of Samsung displays 2 before we even leave the gate area and I’m vividly reminded how rich this destination is for digital signage as it pounces on visitors at every turn. Countless displays clamor for your attention- larger than life images and dazzling graphics promoting the latest acts and long-standing shows on the strip not to mention tantalizing jackpot tickers and even slot machines right in the terminal.  Checking into my hotel, Samsung video wall displays (UD Series) serve as a sleek, gorgeous digital canvas behind the minimalist and modern check-in desk to create the chic, hipster experience at SLS Las Vegas. Samsung displays, tablets and other technology are hard at work supporting the property’s mission for world class hospitality. From the lobby and restaurants, concierge lounge right down to Smart TVs in every guest room, (we’ll save that for another blog).

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Samsung’s UD55E-S displays are calibrated specifically for use by broadcast studios. Factory-calibrated to a low 2,800˚-6,500˚ K color temperature, UD55E-S monitors are in sync with nearly all broadcast cameras and lighting, giving you the confidence of knowing the image on your studio’s videowall is precisely what your audience at home will see. UD55E-S displays also maintain a sharp image and accurate color when viewed off-axis, and the ultra-narrow bezel-to-bezel width of just 3.5mm (about 1/8″) delivers a near-seamless videowall, with maximum impact, clarity and accuracy. In the below images taken at ISE by our VP Marketing, Melody Craigmyle in March, you can see the difference in the images through the eyes of a viewer at home watching a broadcast with a traditional video wall display (right) and UD55E-S broadcast video wall display (left).  Notice how crisp and vivid the content appears on the broadcast videowall unit compared to what the majority of studios are using today.

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For a limited time, we are offering special pricing on IN-STOCK UD55E-S broadcast videowall units, while supplies last. We can help you save money on the product AND reduce installation labor by more than half of typical requirements for traditional videowall panels with Samsung’s extensive factory color calibration and advanced color expert software (included free) and with every UD55E-S. Give me a call or email me today with details about your ON-CAMERA videowall application or studio set client who is ready for an upgrade and I’ll help you confirm if this solution is right for your specific project.

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So whether you call it “Sin City” or “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” Vegas is totally a Samsung town!

Here’s a picture of Almo’s Business Development Manager, Apryl Lamberti and Nancy Onffroy, Samsung’s Channel Manager at NAB on the show floor.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Why would anyone take a perfectly good desktop stand for a computer and throw it away? After all, the stand was included with the computer monitor and replacing it with another option will cause additional expense.

It may seem like a small thing. But for me it meant more space and greater productivity. I use a treadmill desk with a decent size work area – but no matter how I positioned my monitors, using the space was cramped.

Before:
Before

I decided to try the Chief K1D220B dual monitor arms clamped to my desk.  My thought was this would free up the space otherwise consumed by the stock monitor stand.  It worked better than expected.  Not only have I gained desk space, but now with the tips of my fingers, I can position my monitors at the exact height, distance, and angle that works in any given moment.  I am less fatigued at the end of the day from poor monitor placement and I no longer struggle to get everything positioned on my desk.  As an added bonus, I can keep my blinds open longer throughout the day as the sun no longer washes out my monitors.

It may seem like a small thing, but after using these fully adjustable mounts, I don’t want to go back to old way. The next step is to put these on my traditional desk at work and home.  After experiencing the difference of using adjustable monitor arms, I can’t foresee ever using conventional desktop stands again.

After:
After

 

 

WOW – Another E4

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Wow; another E4 season is underway. There are so many things I enjoy about working the E4, from meeting great people, to sharpening technical skills in CTS RU certifies classes, to seeing new products up close with factory experts on hand to dig into the details. I look forward to E4’s every off-season and just wish they were longer when they do roll around. The kickoff in DC certainly did not disappoint. From a product perspective alone we saw a number of cool new items that are starting to make noise; some quite literally.

It’s not often a product creates a new market. This is exactly what Panasonic has done with their innovative Space Player. This was a huge draw at ISE in Amsterdam and the Almo E4 may have been the first time it appeared in public in the US. This highly anticipated little projector mounts to a standard lighting track and has built in SD Card slot and Wi-Fi for media playback. Being that it is about the size of a track lighting fixture, it is ideal of retail signage applications and flexible ambient techorating. Panasonic showed the unit mapped onto stationary products with active content highlighting the subjects. If you have customers looking for you to bring creative solutions, check out the video for further applications to get your imagination going. (Make sure to look for the butterflies in the restaurant.)

Another first for Almo were the ongoing live demos of the Bose F1 Flexible Line Array system. (My apologies to the 11AM Interactive E4 Experience…. perhaps we got a wee bit too loud with the EDM.) The venue’s octagonal room and dome ceiling certainly would have presented significant challenges for lesser systems. This self powered unit brings the advantages of line arrays to the portable market. Proving very popular in HOW, education, and performance spaces, the flexible vertical control makes it a great option in diverse setups and integrated systems, too.

QSC showed their super efficient Energy Star qualified SPA series of multi channel power amplifiers that provide up to 200 watts into low-z applications and 250W into 70V – and they fit in half a rack space. We’ll be hearing more about these amps as the word continues to spread.

Harman Professional brought their new interactive “virtual rack” to sit alongside their stacks of gear. This touch screen-driven self-guided demonstration allows attendees to dig deeper into many items from the extensive product families of JBL, Crown, dbx, and others. With product experts at their side, the virtual rack allowed attendees to experience a broader range of solutions than typically available on a show floor.

From the “you can teach an old dog new tricks” department, Chief brought along the new SYSAU Suspended Ceiling Projector System. “It’s just another mount” you say? Wrong! How about a system that includes everything you need for 90% of all projector installs – all in a single box. No more finding the right ceiling plate, length of extension column, trim ring, etc, etc. This makes spec’ing, quoting, and installing projectors faster – period. Plus, if you inventory mounting components, this will make life much easier. (Yes – another video.)

With so much to see and do, I’m sure I missed some of the highlights. Please share yours and I look forward to seeing on the next stop of the E4 AV Tour!

Laser Projectors – A Game Changer

z9870u_fcs-our_690x460While lampless projectors are not brand new, the technology has evolved and continues to improve as time goes on.   Imagine an installation grade projector that can run 24/7 with virtually no maintenance and no lamp changes and carry a three year warranty.   Imagine not waiting for your projector to warm up or cool down, where the projector will reach maximum brightness and turn off almost immediately. Combine this with advanced features like projection mapping, edge blending, and an HDBaseT input packaged in a bright enough projector for large venues and you have quite a value proposition for your clients.

Laser projectors offer several benefits over traditional lamp based technologies. Let me clarify that laser simply refers to the light source, so the projection technologies like 3LCD are still a major part of these new projectors.   Traditional lamp based projectors require the lamp to be replaced roughly every 1500 to 6000 hours depending upon the projector and the mode you run it in, while the average lifespan of a laser based projector is 20,000 hours.

Additionally, with most traditional lamp based projectors it takes a few minutes for the projector to warm up after powering on, and can take up to thirty minutes to provide a stable brightness level and often need to remain plugged in after powering off in order to properly cool the lamp.   With laser based projectors they are ready to go almost immediately after being powered on and do not require a connected power source upon powering off with no worry of damaging the projector’s light source.

As far as the light source, projector lamps lose most of their brightness in the first half of their lifecycle whereas with a laser based light source the brightness loss is linear over the 20,000 hour lifecycle.   What does this mean?   This means that if you compare a laser based projector with a lamp based projector, both with the same light output rating (lumens) that within a very short period of time the laser projector will have the brighter image.   Furthermore, even lamp based projectors with higher light output ratings than a laser based projector will quickly provide a lower light output than the laser projector due to the steep curve in degradation of the lamps brightness.

Epson’s popular Pro G and Pro Z installation grade projectors will soon be joined by the new Pro L series of laser based projectors with multiple choices ranging in brightness from 6,000 lumens to 12,000 lumens and multiple lens options with all of the features that users of the Pro G and Pro Z models have grown to love.   Expect to start seeing these shipping in June of 2016. I know I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

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For more information on Epson Projectors contact Brian Rhatigan at [email protected] or 888.420.2566 x6546

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