AV Technology - March 2008 - (Page 17)

the companies I spoke with, I have yet to find a support infrastructure as deep and as advanced as those associated with computers and end-users. Logically, when one considers networkable devices and end-user support, it seems that IT should be the parent of AV. related to audio tuning and testing that can only be learned from years of experience or specialized training. Video signal distribution is quite different from network distribution. Instead of the infamous 295-foot buffer for Ethernet communications, AV specialists SHOULD AV BE THE IT DEPARTMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY, SHOULD IT BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF FACILITIES, OR SHOULD THERE BE A SEPARATE AV DEPARTMENT ALTOGETHER? Interestingly enough, in the corporate world, few people ever asked the question: What about having a separate AV department? Here is why it might be a good idea: IT specialists come from a different background than AV enthusiasts. Most IT devices are PC-based or non-active components. There are specialized skills that are have learned about video distance limitations and how they relate to signal bandwidth. AV specialists are trained and used to dealing with optics, wave theory, lighting, acoustics, and even color. AV devices don’t need occasional rebooting, but rather cleaning and testing. In general, AV specialists are a different breed from IT specialists. Many AV experts have a background in music, sound, acoustics, audio production, or video production. There are other reasons, too. Some enlightened organizations like NASA, Sandia Labs, Cal Berkeley, UCSD, the Eisenhower Library, UCSF, Sun, Oracle, and others have realized the logic of a separate AV department. Why? It’s because as the march of technology carries on, more and more things need to get displayed, more and more things need to be heard, and users need to be able to depend on these audio and video display technologies to work 100 percent of the time. We’ll always need IT, we’ll always need facilities, but soon we’ll also always need AV. Joey D’Angelo is a principal consultant with Charles M. Salter Associates in San Francisco, CA, and specializes in AV/telecommunication systems. Joey is also a musician in a punk rock band where he plays guitar and performs lead vocals. He can be reached at joseph.dangelo@cmsalter.com. http://www.dvigear.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AV Technology - March 2008

AV Technology - March 2008 Contents Precedent Corporate: Whose Job Is It Anyway? Education: There’s No Business Like Show Business Government: Technology and the New World Order Buying a Videoconference System They Will Actually Use AV After Hours The Sound of HD Conferencing Assembling the Design Team Concert Hall Acoustics on a High School Budget Audio Architecture Keeping a Watchful Eye Product Spotlight Tech Horizons Product Review New Products AV MO

AV Technology - March 2008

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