Month: February 2021

When choosing a PTZ camera, Minrray or other mdoel, it is important to understand which lens options are available. Before we dive into the specifics, let us look at what “field of view” (FOV) is and how it impacts the overall viewing experience.

FOV can be described as: “how much of an object is visible after viewing it through an optical lens”.

It is important to understand that there are two different specifications to consider – Horizontal FOV and Vertical FOV. Below is an example of Horizontal FOV with a lens, having 6.3 degrees FOV (tele). We can observe at 15 feet from the subject, there is 1.7’ visible when the camera is zoomed in, and 22’ when zoomed out.

The notion that “bigger is always better” does not hold true when selecting a lens. Careful consideration MUST be taken to match the environment and the needs of the installation to the correct lens type.

The chart below can be used as a “general guideline” (distance from camera to subject):

Lens options are available in resolutions supporting Full HD (1920x1080p) up to 4K.

There are many online tools available to aid in lens calculation, but caution should be exercised as specifications between manufacturers can widely vary. When in doubt, please consult with your local Techni-Contact sales manager or technical specialist for further assistance.

The Xilica Solaro QR1 is the little brother in the line of fully configurable, open architecture DSP Processor.  The QR1 has a wide range of optional card slot available from USB audio, GPIO, AES/BEU, analogue in and out to relay cards.  Standard 4×4 Dante networking comes standard as does AES67 connectivity. 

As many integrators are challenged with “where can I install the AV equipment” in many boardrooms. The QR1 is literally so small, it can be installed right under the boardroom table, in a cabinet, above the ceiling.  Literally anywhere. This little powerhouse does not require to be installed next to an electrical outlet as it can be powered by a POE switch.  That is right!  This DSP is POE powered which makes the QR1 extremely flexible for installations. 

As this is an open architecture design platform, the QR1 will easily fit the requirements from a boardroom/conference space to a small facility with multi-zone paging/BGM solution. When a client requires an AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancelation) there is no requirement for extra hardware, simply request an AEC license for the client to unlock that feature.  A little reprogramming of the design in Xilica Designer (Open Architecture DSP software) and the client is set to go.

 For larger channel I/O (larger than 16 channels), the FR1 would be the solution to use.

With the same DSP power as the big brother Solaro FR1 and the control scripting abilities of LUA over IP, the QR1 has shown to be a true Powerhouse with its innovative design and features.

Voice lift for video conference applications in board rooms or lecture halls can be tricky and do require a little planning and expertise.  At the outset, ignoring the type of room that we are working with, particularly the nature and location of hard surfaces. may lead to undesired results for the client.  Additionally, if the space is lively, room acoustical treatment may be required. 

Additionally, placement of the microphone array should not be near a noise source such as an HVAC duct, a fan, noisy lighting, etc. Other considerations include, building code, using proper cabling, conduit requirements, raceways and of course accessibility of the ceiling. This all needs to be taken in to account when designing and installing conferencing microphones.

A leading go-to solution is the beyerdynamic MPR 210 Ceiling microphone.  This array device has 17 capsules that are engineered to build an audio corridor pickup pattern.  As an example of this powerful technology, one can be as little as 2-3 feet from the MPR 210 and talking normally. While speaking at the same level, 15-20 feet away, the microphone would have very similar properties.  This is of course based on room acoustics.

The below images exemplify 2 typical MPR 210 installations. Notice the audio corridors generated by each of the MPR 210 array microphones.  Audio from the local side (near end) does not usually get transmitted to the near end speakers as this would cause issues with the microphone.  The audio from these microphones is transmitted to the remote end (far end) as to not interfere with the local audio.