Does anyone else feel like 2023 flew by, unlike any other year in the past? I'd swear I was just in Barcelona attending ISE, yet I'm starting to set up meetings for ISE 2024, which begins in a little more than seven weeks. Yipes!
Speaking of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the AV industry show takes place in Barcelona from January 30 to February 2, 2024, and it's not just for our European AV/IT counterparts. Many new products will be announced, and new trends begin to emerge.
I don't know about you, but I get totally energized from being among our industry peers and immersing myself in everything AV/IT. And who couldn't use a boost of energy and inspiration in January? If you haven't booked your flight to beautiful Barcelona, I'm giving this to you on good authority: ISE is the perfect way to kick off the New Year. Plus, I always spend an extra day or two to see the city.
[A Remarkable Journey: SCN Hall of Famer Mike Blackman Reflects on 20 Years of ISE]
Going Big in 2023
There are trends, and then there are behemoth stories representing the culmination of everything we love about Pro AV. I'm guessing you've heard about it, the Sphere in Las Vegas. It's so spectacular that it has taken the top spot for the most clicked-on article on AVnetwork.com in 2023 and probably many other websites.
From the physical structure to infrastructure, massive media servers, power supply, immersive sound, haptic seating, and spectacular content creating an unforgettable experience, the Sphere is a Pro AVer's dream come true.
The exoskeleton of the Sphere is 366 feet tall and spans 516 feet across, making it the largest spherical structure in the world. The Exosphere comprises approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, each containing 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors. Before its official opening in September, as part of a special show to celebrate the Fourth of July, Sphere's 580,000 square foot fully programmable LED exoskeleton was completely illuminated.
On September 29, 2023, U2 (Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton with Bram van den Berg) lit up the Sphere stage with a mind-blowing opening night, reinventing the live music experience with the launch of the immersive venue driven by a slew of innovative Pro AV.
At 16K x 16K resolution, the interior LED display plane soars to a height of 240 feet, and more than three acres of display surface, the screen wraps up, over, and around the audience to create a fully immersive visual environment.
Check out our ongoing coverage of all things Sphere.
AI and AV in 2023
One of the most significant trends in 2023 was that more manufacturers and solutions providers incorporated artificial intelligence into product portfolios than previously. Following are excerpts from some AV/IT industry experts interviewed for AV Technology throughout 2023 on the impact of AI in AV.
My video interview with DTEN's head of marketing, Nia Celestin, sets the stage for the discussion on artificial intelligence. "There's some confusion around the definition of what constitutes an AI technology versus a smart or an intelligent technology," said Celestin. "Sometimes defining AI is also defining not just what it is, but also what it is not. What it is not is pattern recognition, for example, counting faces in a meeting room, knowing how many people are in the room, and things of that nature. That's not AI; that's smart technology. AI really rests on learning algorithms built into the technology that evolve over time based on the user's interaction with the technology." Listen to my full interview with Celestin here.
There's hardly a technology or experience within the AV/IT space that won't be touched by and benefit from artificial intelligence. Several applications benefit from incorporating AI, but none were more quickly embraced than the hybrid meeting space.
AI Facilitates Collaboration
While discussing Yamaha UC's new CS-500 and CS-800 soundbars, Holger Stoltze, director of Product Management at Yamaha Unified Communications, said, "As one of the first companies to have entered the video soundbar space, we knew that any new soundbar we developed would need to provide industry-defining technology to our users. Utilizing innovative AI algorithms based on gathered video and audio information, all via a simple HDMI connection, we can provide a frictionless and superior conferencing experience in beautiful 4K."
Yamaha UC's field sales engineer, Balazs Boldog, added, "We've undoubtedly entered the age of AI in AV, where digital signal processing combined with microphone technology like human voice activity tracking (HVAD), automatic room EQ, dereverberation, and adaptive echo canceling significantly make up for the lack of acoustical treatments and open and reflective architecture," Boldog said. "We can bring out the best in the available technology by following some guidelines."
Sonia Ochani, business insights manager, Business Communications at Sennheiser, said, "To ensure consistent audio quality, AI-driven audio calibration optimizes sound settings based on the room's acoustics, which helps stabilize the different environments a meeting can take place." Ochani suggested, "When making purchases, AV/IT managers should consider adaptable AV solutions for varying room sizes and configurations that offer cost-effectiveness and future-proofing; bring-your-own-device (BYOD) AV solutions that accommodate a wide range of devices and operating systems, empowering participants to share content effortlessly; AI-powered audio solutions that can identify and eliminate background noise and echoes, enabling participants to focus on the conversation; AI-driven audio calibration that optimizes sound settings based on the room's acoustics, ensuring consistent audio quality in different environments; and AI-powered video features such as auto-framing, person tiling, gesture recognition, and capturing room data. These components are growing needs in facilitating effective communication and collaboration in modern meeting environments."
Brandon White, director of product development at Vanco, suggested, "For larger enterprises, as well as organizations with a high degree of turnover, technology managers must build flexibility into their technology stack. You can't dictate how people are going to collaborate most effectively, but you can offer a curated set of options that allows teams to choose the modes that work best for them." White suggested, "Perhaps most meetings should take place using a video conferencing platform with built-in AI transcription and summary capabilities."
For several years, I've been covering the ability to collect actionable data from room control systems. Data held the promise that AV control systems were worth even more than just automating rooms and tasks because now they can inform device and room usage, people counting, and so much more. But what ensued was a hot potato of who would set up the data collection and be responsible for analyzing and creating action items. Artificial intelligence might hold the key.
"Technology innovation advances continue with room cameras and video conference software platforms that utilize artificial intelligence," said George Astacio Jr., regional sales manager of Client Experiences at Jupiter Systems. "These technologies enhance meeting analytics, presentation delivery, and engagement."
"Networked AV and control is poised for future growth," said Scott Norder, RGB Spectrum's chief operating officer." As technologies like 4K and 8K video, AI-driven analytics, and IoT integration become more prevalent, the demand for robust networked solutions will continue to rise.
AI Informs and Serves Content
Mark Bohs, director of sales, Americas at Datapath said, "Certain triggers can now change content automatically with AI applications, such as gender-related advertising due to footfall in a shopping center. The same displays can also have the potential to be used for security messaging, wayfinding, or bespoke promotions. This flexibility supports a safer environment, improves foot traffic, and provides additional revenue streams."
"Creating dynamic content increasingly relies on embracing AI integration and regenerative content that adapts to real-time events, trends, or user behavior," said Robert Luther, product manager, LED at Ross Video. "And by utilizing data-driven insights, brands can personalize content to cater to individual preferences and create a sense of relevance, further enhancing the audience's engagement.
Trends come and go, but artificial intelligence is here to stay. "The future of digital signage will be utilizing AI technology to target viewers' potential needs more accurately," said Paul Harris, chief executive officer at Aurora Multimedia. "Currently, when signage is displayed, it is generalized with the hope it is received by a certain percentage of people that can relate to the content. With AI, a camera can be used to help determine the number of people, age ranges, genders, ethnicities, and emotions in order to select the proper content to display at that moment. This will deliver a new experience with a higher probability of accurately displaying the individual's needs and deliver valuable data for the reactions to the content."
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are making their mark in the AV/IT landscape," said Daniel Prax, global director, Digital Marketing at Black Box. "AI and ML can learn from user behavior and create highly customized interactions, making these advancements highly attractive for future investment. These technologies can assist with automation, personalization, and improved user experiences."
"Decision makers should pursue solutions that leverage AI to optimize content delivery and measure audience engagement, said Patrick Prothe, director of marketing at Audinate. "Content personalization continues to be a significant factor in most interactive experiences. Consumers are influenced in their personal lives by online shopping experiences and social media content curation that caters to their desires and interests. That curation is created by cataloging prior activity on the platform: What did they look at, like, or buy? What was their dwell time on the page? Did they leave a comment or review?"
Looking Ahead
I’m looking forward to learning about what is in store for 2024, and I will begin that journey at ISE in Barcelona. Stay tuned!
