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June 27, 2017

InfoComm 2017: Biggest Yet

Shared by Joanne Ladio, NBS Audiovisual Solutions Specialist

June 14-16, 2017 – Orlando, FL

Over 44,000 people attended the InfoComm audiovisual trade show and conference this year – a record-breaking number!  They should have counted the equipment displayed.  I think it would have been a record-breaker too.  It was impossible to see everything and try to take some classes too – but here are some of the highlights for me:

  • 4K is here to stay.  It’s happening faster than anyone predicted.  Even though there’s still not a lot of content in 4K, displays in 4K are everywhere now.  Just because it’s newer/hotter doesn’t mean 4K is good for everyone, so please check with your AV specialist.
  • OLED sets are incredible.  Without going into all the reasons, OLED sets are VERY thin, very bright and display the blackest blacks you’ll ever see in a display.  There are wall-paper OLED sets that unroll. Back-to-back displays are about ¾ of an inch thick total, perfect for signage.  They are flexible so you can have curved walls and sets that go around columns.  Designers, we need to talk!
  • Projectors aren’t going anywhere.  Sorry.  They are still the cheapest way to have a display over 100”.  The big news is laser projectors.  These don’t need lamps.  They are still in the “big brightness” stage, but they are getting smaller.
  • Skype for Business was everywhere.  It’s the predominant conferencing product now, though most products usable for Skype for Business will work with Zoom, WebEx, Go-to-Meeting, etc.  (The real label is Unified Collaboration –UC.)  Products include all-in-one room conferencing systems that include cameras, audio, and content-sharing inputs.  Crestron, Polycom, Vaddio, and Logitech are the manufacturers in this arena.  There were also a million individual cameras, microphones, conference phones, etc. The Polycom Pano is one of these all-in-one systems that was also a hit at NeoCon.  The Microsoft SurfaceHub is another.
  • AV and IT are fully merged now.   Yes, IT is our new best friend.  Virtually everything AV connects to the network now – some can only work over the network, some devices are just controlled over the network – but they all touch it somehow. 

 

Despite the fact that Orlando was experiencing its 21st straight rainy day, we had a good visit and look forward to implementing many of these new products and solutions for our clients.