4 Types of Audio and Visual Equipment Organizations Should Have

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What audio and visual equipment should organizations consider?

Audio and visual equipment can help companies brand better, help educators teach better and help both communicate more effectively. AV solutions do this by combining visual and audio data, which is more engaging and more memorable. According to University of Minnesota research, people process visual data 60,000 times faster than audio data alone, and AV is designed to leverage that. There are many AV solutions that help businesses and educators unlock that potential, including:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1594842963880{margin-bottom: 12px !important;}"]

Digital signage and displays

Modern digital signs and displays offer organizations a powerful visual communication tool, whether that tool is used for internal or external communications. Current generation digital displays run on LED technology, which is the most sophisticated display option there is. It’s more efficient, more durable and longer lasting than older alternatives, and it’s capable of producing vivid, high contrast imagery. This visual power can be used to great effect for meetings, presentations and training, and it’s also useful in a support role. For example, a school district could install digital displays in its council chambers and use them to display information about propositions, upcoming district events or voting results. It’s an effective way to engage audience members and help them remember everything being discussed. This engage and recall advantage is also essential for training and teaching, which is why digital displays are rapidly finding their way into classrooms.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1594843088143{margin-bottom: 12px !important;}"]

Interactive displays

Interactive displays add a third sense to the AV experience, combining audio, visual and tactile information to further drive engagement. Interactive displays are valuable collaborative and teaching tools, so they make sense in meeting rooms, classrooms, training rooms and huddle rooms, where quick collaboration is key. Traditional interactive whiteboards use a short or ultra-short projector and a flat white surface (a dry erase board, an empty wall, a bedsheet) to drive the interactive experience. This approach is still used by many organizations, and modern projectors can output high resolution imagery at large sizes. Another option is an interactive flat panel, which looks like a standard commercial display but functions like a high-quality touchscreen. Some interactive flat panels only function this way, but top manufacturers like Clevertouch and Promethean build multiple features into their products that facilitate instruction. For example, the Clevertouch is designed with an intuitive interface that borrows from familiar Android devices. This means anyone can use the display with light training, and most won’t require any training at all. The Clevertouch and Promethean’s ActivPanel are also paired with award-winning educational software to make the most of the technology. This includes whiteboarding software, mathematical and scientific modeling, creative software and presentation software, so students can send a project from their device to the display.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1594843003201{margin-bottom: 12px !important;}"]

Audio and video conferencing equipment

As AV solutions are, at their core, about better communication, audio and video conferencing equipment is one of the most common AV solutions available. Video conferencing is becoming standard for enterprise businesses, common for small businesses and useful for individual professionals, like attorneys and doctors. That’s because it can be scaled up or down to fit the needs of any organization. For a remote employee or individual, conferencing can be used to connect with other team members or with clients. For a small business, conferencing solutions can unite smaller teams and, again, be used to connect directly with important clients. For large companies, conferencing solutions are a powerful tool for progress update meetings, quarterly and annual board meetings, and for partnering with other companies in a joint venture. As conferencing solutions scale down, they may be as simple as a piece of software, a webcam and a simple microphone. When scaled up, conferencing solutions may include several large LED displays, an array of ceiling-embedded microphones and intelligent camera systems that track and respond to someone speaking. There’s a fit for every organization. Modern conferencing solutions offer life-like video and audio quality, along with features that enhance and streamline the call. For example, many of Poly’s RealPresence products are designed with NoiseBlock and Acoustic Fence features. NoiseBlock automatically mutes microphones when they are not being used, so they don’t pick up ambient noise. Acoustic Fence uses microphones to detect when outside noise is infiltrating a meeting space, and suppresses it accordingly. These features ensure audio or video quality doesn’t affect the call.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

AV control systems

Since AV solutions are designed with entire companies in mind, they must be intuitive enough for anyone to use, regardless of their technical skill. AV control systems help facilitate this approach and represent the point of contact between user and technology. As such, an AV control system could be something as basic as a switch plate with a few buttons, or something as sophisticated as a large touchscreen interface. More and more organizations are opting for the latter, as control system interfaces are easy to read, easy to understand and easy to use. They are also much more flexible, in that the interface can be customized for particular users or large user groups. This ensures everyone can operate AV technology with little more than a basic overview of the controls. Further, it prevents people from accessing configuration settings that could affect system performance, so the equipment works as intended, every time.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Modern audio and visual equipment can help an organization communicate in a variety of ways, using technologies like advanced displays and conferencing systems. When these technologies are also handled by an experienced AV integrator, they will provide those communication benefits for years to come.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1594843122398{margin-bottom: 12px !important;}"]

FAQ

[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="What organizations can benefit from interactive displays?"]Any organization that relies on collaboration or teaching can benefit from the multisensory approach that comes with an interactive display. Interactive displays were first widely adopted by educators, but businesses are now choosing them for better training sessions and meetings.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="How can audio and visual equipment help with meetings?"]AV technology can help teams connect through conferencing systems, drive collaboration with interactive whiteboards and support delivered information with vivid digital imagery. AV solutions also include room scheduling systems, which help team leaders find and reserve a space for meetings.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="How can an AV integrator help with audio and visual equipment?"]AV integrators are experts in selecting and comparing equipment options, as well as designing custom AV solutions, integrating them, configuring them and supporting them for years after installation. In effect, an experienced AV integrator can serve as their client’s primary technology partner for as long as they are needed.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row]