New From Extron Converters & Classroom Stuff
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The Extron DVS 605 is a five input HDCP Compliant scaler that can integrate HDMI, RGB and other video sources into your classroom. It has seamless switching, simultaneous HDMI and analog high resolution video outputs and lists starting out at $4390. Options include audio switching and 3G video support.
The Extron DTP HDMI 301 Extender can send HDMI and control over a single CAT 5-type cable at full 1080p/60 or 1920×1200 x 60Hz up to 100 meters.
The Extron DVI 110 DVI Signal Regenerator can fix marginal or noisy DVI signals at the source, is HDCP compliant and supports resolutions up to 1080p/60 or 1920×1200 x 60Hz.
The Extron SME 100 Streaming Media Encoder can be used for overflow video during events using standards based H.264 and AAC encoding. It also has an integrated three input AV switcher and buffered input loop through. Available in SD or HD models.
I know that we don’t currently use Extron TouchLink but since this was new and I thought it was a really cool idea, I thought I’d include it in my report.
Tiny HD Camera
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The camera head for the HD1200 HD Camera from Lux Media Plan weighs in at only 4.9 ounces and measures 5.5 x 4.7 x 1.2 inches but still produces resolution up to 1080p/60 through its 2/3 inch, 2.1 megapixel CMOS sensor. It’s small size and light weight might have interesting applications in research or capturing video in athletics where space is at a premium.
If that’s not small enough for you, they also have the MicroHD camera system
Calibre & Eiki Warping 3D
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Eiki and Calibre were showing an interesting approach to better project 3D imagery. They made the two projectors as co-incident as physically possible then warped the screen to try to give it more natural curve when projecting. Then using the Calibre HQView hardware, adjusted the overall image to more perfectly fit the screen. It might have interesting application for larger venues where you want to project 3D and allow people to have differing views of the imagery depending on location.
nicter – visualization of darknet monitoring to counter cyber attacks
0nicter – Network Incident Analysis Center for Tactical Emergency Response was showing a real-time cyber attack visualization engine. Made zero sense to me, but looked pretty impressive. This was another research project from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan.
Glasses Free 3D Is Almost Here
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There were a few glasses free 3D vendors on the floor, which might make my prediction of seeing this in 5 years a bit too generous. SONY demonstrated a 46″ prototype TV that looked amazing – not 100% there but still a big step forward. They also showed a lenticular screen that’s available today to put on your laptop with Blu-ray disc capabilities to watch your movies in 3D on the computer with no glasses. It even had head tracking to adjust the 3D to where you were looking – it’s designed for a single person of course.
Philips and Dolby also demonstrated glasses less 3D on televisions as well as phones, tablets and computer monitors. The image seemed much sharper than Sony’s glasses free display, or for that matter, any 3D display WITH glasses, but the 3D didn’t seem as pronounced as on those other systems. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the subtle 3D actually added depth without being overwhelming which could be more satisfying to those folks that have trouble watching more traditional 3D rendering.
The National Institute Of Information And Communications Technologies showed their 200″ glasses free display. What was most incredible about this display was the fact that you could walk from side to side and appear to see different angles of the image – as if you were standing in front of a real object. They had a car with it’s door open and you could walk around and see inside the door as you walked around. The image wasn’t overly sharp but considering it was so large and there were no glasses, it was incredibly impressive. You could also for the bee example below, walk around the bee to see the side you cannot see standing in front of the screen.
Elecard was showing some really impressive 3D conversion software and hardware that was converting 2D imagery into great 3D content in real time. They also have tools such as StereoTrack that allow you to process 2D into 3D with more creative control over the process.
Free-viewpoint Immersive Networked Experience
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The Free-viewpoint Immersive Networked Experience (FINE) is researching and developing the concept of live free-viewpoint content which will allow remote viewers to place a virtual camera in a real live-action scene and move it freely in space and time, heightening the sense of presence and reality. I’ve seen several examples of this over the last few years but it seems like this type of viewer control is closer than ever. I can imagine in a teaching and learning environment, allowing students to explore different viewpoints of media content.
Music For The Deaf
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Ryerson University was demonstrating two very interesting experiments: The Vibrochord and the Emoti-Chair.
Both are designed for a new type of “music” for those without the ability to hear. They determined since music and sound in general was vibration, why not create music that can be sensed by other vibration senses without using your ears. As a former music major, I really appreciate this approach as music really is a collection of rhythms and tones are really just different frequencies. It was interesting to hear them talk about trying to create different emotions using this new set of tools.
While the Vibrochord emulated a more traditional piano like interface to make this new type of music, the Emoti-Chair used the XBOX Kinect as the interface to control the frequencies sent to the chair.
Infomedia Radio Tuner/Streamer
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The Radio Streamer from Infomedia in China offers an easy way to stream any radio station via Flash Media Server. It can also record to an internal flash memory card and upload to an FTP site. It can be controlled via a web browser or from the front panel interface.
Audio Technica Wireless Desktop & Podium Microphones
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Audio-Technica’s SpectraPulse UWB Wireless Microphone System are designed for conferences or classrooms and operates in the sparsely populated 6-10 GHz range out of the range of TV signals and white space devices. You can install up to two Audio Control Interface (aci707) units for a total of 14 separate microphone channels. Optional encryption package meets the AES 128-bit encryption standard developed by the U.S. government for securing sensitive material.
New Microphones From Sampson
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Sampson’s Meteor Mic has one of the largest condenser diaphragms (25mm) of any USB mic available. Its cardioid pickup pattern, smooth frequency response and 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz resolution give you professional audio results no matter what you’re recording. Meteor Mic’s chrome-plated body includes a fold-back leg design that adjust to the optimal position for any recording application from acoustic guitars to vocals or speech. It also contains a stereo 1/8-inch headphone output for no latency monitoring and headphone volume knob as well as a microphone mute switch for privacy while video conferencing. There’s an integrated a mic stand adapter into the bottom so you can mount on a boom or desktop stand.
The Meteor Mic can plug right into your iPad with Apple’s USB connector.
The Zoom H2n features four unique recording modes: Mid-Side (MS) stereo, 90° X/Y stereo, 2-channel and 4-channel surround sound. The H2n is the first handheld recorder to offer Mid-Side stereo recording, a technique used for many years in film and broadcast, where ambiance and surrounding noise are crucial. Mid-Side recording combines a uni-directional Mid mic that captures sound directly in front of you and a bi-directional Side mic that captures sound from your left and right. By increasing or decreasing the level of the Side mic, you can control the width of the stereo field, which gives you incredible flexibility over your recordings. If you record in RAW mode, you can even adjust the stereo width after recording.
The onboard 90° X/Y stereo condenser mics are arranged with the right and left mics on the same axis. This design ensures that the mics are always equidistant from the sound source for perfect localization and no phase shifting. The result is brilliant stereo recording with natural depth and accurate imaging.
Using the H2n’s Mid-Side and X/Y mics together, you can create stunning 360° surround sound recordings. Choose between 2-channel mode, which combines the Mid-Side and X/Y mics, and 4-channel mode, which records two separate stereo files, allowing you even more post-production capability. No matter which mode you use, you’ll get perfectly balanced, surround sound recordings.
The H2n also functions, including Auto-Gain, a compressor/limiter, time stamping and a new data recovery function. Whether you experience battery loss or an accidental power-down, this feature will automatically restore your data the next time the H2n is powered on.
The H2n provides over 20 hours of continuous operation on just two standard AA alkaline batteries. The built-in reference speaker lets you know your recordings have been captured. With its 1/8-inch stereo output, you can also playback your recordings on your home audio system or listen to your masterpiece using your favorite pair of headphones.
The H2n can accommodate up to a 32GB SDHC card for over 50 hours of recording time using the 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV format. With 128kbps MP3 format, you get an incredible 555 hours of stereo recording. The H2n comes with a 2GB SD card to get you started.
The Sampson Go Mic is a portable recording microphone that clips to your laptop or sit on your desk. It features a switchable cardioid and omni polar patterns and is compatible with Mac or PC.