SAMSUNG CORPORATE AV INTEGRATION – A SEAMLESS BLEND OF STYLE AND FUNCTIONALITY

The brief was to equip the four training rooms in the same style as Samsung's Main Building. The rooms have movable tables – as opposed to a fixed lecture hall configuration – and this posed special challenges. A solution was required to allow maximum flexibility for trainers and to take into account that the rooms would be used by many different trainers; therefore requiring a system that was fool-proof and simple to operate. In short, Corporate AV Integration wanted to create something elegant.

For simplicity and to eliminate multiple buttons, always-on systems were chosen. 7" Crestron TSW-750 touch panels were mounted on each lectern. The TSW-750 wakes up with a touch and then automatically starts a conversation by asking whether you'd like to use AirMedia, or a laptop wired connection, or switch the lights on and off. Choose the AirMedia option and it automatically switches on the nine-screen Samsung video wall and routes audio visual via AirMedia.

The two larger training rooms can accommodate around 40 people and Corporate AV Integration wanted a neat voice amplification solution. They installed a Beyerdynamic GM 304 podium microphone. This mic is always on and provides a subtle, natural lift to the voice. A mute button on the Crestron TSW-750 gives you the option to turn it off. A Beyerdynamic Opus 650 wireless microphone is also available in each room, should presenters want to walk and talk.

Further to the above, Corporate AV Integration combined the control and signal routing in the two main rooms by installing a Crestron DMPS-300-C. This unit handles all microphone input mixing, as well as AV routing to the two 9-screen Samsung video walls. Lighting control in each room is done via Crestron universal dimmer units. Two 2 channel-amplifiers ensure superb audio reproduction via 16 ceiling speakers.

In addition to kitting out the four training rooms, Samsung also requested the option of music playback in the joint pause area; eight ceiling speakers were strategically placed and connected to an always-on amplifier. A 3.5mm stereo input jack was provided in order to have a range of devices (laptop, phone, media player etc.) to be connected.

One of the reasons that Corporate AV Integration was able to complete the project in only three (albeit very long) days was due to meticulous planning and the fact that the venue had been thoroughly prepared by Infinitude Design, a space planning and interior design company. They have catered for all AV requirements, core drills, reinforced dry walls, etc. When the time came to install there were no surprises; all respective tasks were executed diligently and all possible eventualities had been considered. In the end elegance has been achieved by creating a minimalist technological solution: all equipment is housed in the custom built lecterns, or in the ceiling.

This Samsung installation is another big tick for Corporate AV Integration.

Since 2011 Stefan, and his tight-knit team, have been consulting, designing and integrating in various technical areas, including: video and audio conferencing, SMATV head ends and RF reticulation, room automation, boardroom solutions, fibre backbone infrastructure, CCTV systems, evacuation systems, and digital signage – to name but some. Probed on how he keeps clients happy, Stefan answers: "Listening is a very important skill in building strong relationships with your clients. We listen carefully to our clients, and then work with them to find a suitable solution within a given budget." Stefan believes that it's important to collaborate with other industry players, and hence Corporate AV Integration is a proud member of SACIA (sacia.org.za), and adheres strictly to InfoComm (infocomm.org) best practices. "In this business things change fast, so it's crucial to keep in touch with what's happening in the world, and to maintain current international best practice."