Be sure to also check out the slideshow, below, for more information on the products.

2024 TNT Commercial Winners

Audio Components

Lenbrook
Bluesound Professional BCS300 In-Ceiling Pendant Speaker

Audio Distribution Systems

Listen Technologies
ListenWIFI

Automation Software

Nanolumens
NanoSuite

Digital Signage Hardware

LG Business Solutions
LG MAGNIT 4K 136-inch Micro LED Display

Digital Signage Software

Samsung Electronics
Samsung VXT

Video Monitors

Sharp Electronics Corporation
PN-LC2 AQUOS BOARD Collaboration Displays

Installer Loudspeakers

Renkus-Heinz
OmniBeam

Display Mounts

Chief
Tempo Flat Panel Wall Mount System

Projector Mounts

Tempest
Fly

Network Management Solutions

Samsung Electronics
SmartThings for Business

Power Conditioning, Surge Suppression and Energy Solutions

Nice
Nice DC-12 IP Smart Power Manager

Project Management and Design / Web Software

XTEN-AV LLC
X-VRSE by XTEN-AV 

Conference Projectors

Christie
Christie 4K860-iS

Specialty AV Cables or Connectors

Pure Fi
Pure Fi Pro HDMI 2.1 Active Optical Cable

Audio Conferencing Components

Crestron Electronics, Inc.
Crestron Flex Pods

Cameras

Jabra
Jabra PanaCast 50

Collaboration

Barco
ClickShare Bar Pro

Interactive Whiteboards

LG Business Solutions
LG CreateBoard with ChromeOS Flex certified slot-in OPS

Videoconferencing Components

Crestron Electronics, Inc.
Crestron Videobar 70

Video Streaming Solutions

Epiphan Video
Pearl Nexus

Category Cable Distribution

Valens Semiconductor
VS6320: HDBaseT-USB3 Extension IC

Coax Video Distribution

ZyCast Technology, Inc.
U5 Single Channel 4K (HEVC) Encoder Modulator with Simultaneous RF and IP Out

IP Video Distribution

Audinate
Dante AV-H

Matrix Switchers

BZBGEAR
BG-8K-1212MA | 12×12 8K Matrix Switcher w/ Audio De-Embedder

Videowall Hardware

Planar
Planar DirectLight Pro Series

Videowall Software

Samsung Electronics
Samsung Signage Setup Assistant

To see a list of all entries, click here!

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on January 31, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post 2024 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Audinate’s connections with Dante OEMs, network hardware manufacturers, consultants and integrators make it uniquely qualified to provide expert guidance, ensuring successful Dante deployments says the company. Available services include discovery, system design, design review and consulting, network migration and upgrade planning, existing network fit-for-purpose evaluations, Dante Domain Manager implementation planning, and customized on-site or remote training.

“We’re excited to offer our customers access to our extensive Dante and AV-networking experience, providing added peace of mind for flawless Dante system deployments, upgrades and long-term, cost-effective ownership,” says Vince Lepore, director of training and professional services at Audinate. “Dante has become the de facto standard in AV-over-IP, and customers have requested these types of services for many years.”

Audinate will bat at InfoComm 2023, booth #2821, in Orlando, Fla. from June 14 to 16.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on June 8, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Audinate Launches Dante Professional Services appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Dante Virtual Soundcard runs on Windows and macOS computers and provides an audio interface to applications for up to 64 Dante-enabled channels on the connected network. It is used extensively in recording and live events, ingesting and delivering 100% lossless audio with minimal latency.

Previously, the Virtual Soundcard installations were locked to a single computer as per the license agreement. The new transferable license option allows a user to overcome that limit and move their license from one computer to another with ease. This is especially useful when purchasing new computers, using disk images to deploy machines, or if a repair causes significant hardware changes to a computer.

The new transferable license option is available for new purchases and is also offered as an upgrade to existing DVS single machine licenses. The cost of a Dante Virtual Soundcard transferable license is $79.99 USD, while the cost of a non-transferable single machine license is $49.99 USD. Single machine licenses may be upgraded to transferable for USD $30 each.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on May 17, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Audinate Introduces Transferrable Licensing for Dante Virtual Soundcard appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Audinate’s New API

Audinate’s latest API allows service providers, integrators, software developers and OEMs to build Dante control and monitoring into a variety of applications. These include management applications, control hardware, automation scripts, help-desk solutions and software-based source switching.

The API provides all the key functionality of Dante Controller. It can query Dante domains, devices, channels, and status, and can be used to change channel subscriptions or to add and remove devices from Dante domains. It allows for configuration of securely managed Dante AV-over-IP systems via third-party applications and products, enabling new capabilities and integrations for a wide variety of installations.

The new API is built using the popular GraphQL query language for rapid development with common tools such as Postman, Apollo Studio or Altair. It inherits protections and permissions from the Dante Domain Manager configuration, ensuring secure deployment.

“This feature is probably our most requested, and we’re pleased to make it available to everyone now,” says Laurence Crew, senior product manager at Audinate. “The new API works with Dante Domain Manager to deliver control to third-parties in a manner that is secure and scalable and covers all Dante-enabled products running Dante 4.0 or higher.”

Showcasing the capabilities of the API is new software that brings Dante control to Crestron touch panels:

New Crestron Dante Module

A new Dante routing plugin for 3-series Crestron control processors will be available shortly. This is built on the new API to allow users of Crestron control processors to change Dante audio or video channel subscription routes with a single button press.

Dante Domain Manager 1.5 with the new API is a free update for existing users of Dante Domain Manager with active support agreements. Integrators can request a free 30-day trial and download the software.

AWS Technology Partner Status

Audinate has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technology Partner status and completed the Foundational Technical Review (FTR) of Dante Connect to accelerate AWS engagement.

The AWS FTR enables AWS Partners to identify and remediate risks in their products or solutions. The FTR is led by an AWS Partner Solutions Architect (PSA) who reviews AWS Partner products and solutions against a specific set of requirements based around security, reliability and operational excellence as defined by the AWS Well-Architected Framework. Adhering to FTR guidelines, Audinate can review projects against FTR requirements to select best practices to follow, ensuring the best possible client experience.

Dante Connect is a solution that allows production teams to deploy Dante connectivity on virtual computers running on AWS. It allows up to 256 channels of audio to be captured at remote locations and then mixed, processed and delivered anywhere in the world. Dante Connect is ideal for broadcasters seeking to reduce costs and complexity, allowing minimal equipment on site to capture and send professional quality audio out for production.

Varuni Witana, chief technology officer at Audinate, comments, “…extending Dante functionality to the cloud is a clear win for the entire AV industry. AWS has provided the support needed to achieve this critical step and fast-tracks progress of Dante Connect through the AWS Partner Network.”

Audinate is showcasing Dante AV and its latest products at NAB 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center from April 16 to April 19, 2023 in booth #C5735.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on April 14, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Audinate Unveils New API, Achieves AWS Technology Partner Status appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Dante Studio also shares the well-known Dante control and management platform. Dante Controller handles all device routing, naming and configuration for audio and video devices. Thus, it allows operators to control the entire AV network via a single interface. With Dante Domain Manager, users can secure all audio and video endpoints with user access control, actively monitored and remotely accessed to simplify system maintenance and support.

New Features

New features in Dante Studio 2.0 include:

• Added Dante AV-H (H.264/AVC codec) support in Dante Video RX and Dante Video Viewer
• Dante Video TX now supports sending video flows to Dante AV Ultra devices
• Dante Domain Manager support
• Ability to purchase Dante Studio with monthly subscription

With Dante Video RX, computers can receive a video signal directly from Dante AV Ultra or Dante AV-H transmitters, cameras or other computers running Dante Studio on their network. It also presents video streams as a webcam or video source to applications that support the DirectShow interface. Dante Video RX facilitates a wide variety of networked video use cases. These range from the video production and broadcast markets to corporate and higher education.

Meanwhile, Dante Video Viewer is a standalone application that allows users to see and monitor a Dante video stream from any Dante AV Ultra or Dante AV-H-enabled device or computer sharing its screen with Dante Video TX on the Dante network in real time.

Dante Video TX and Dante Domain Manager Support

Dante Video TX allows users to capture a display connected to the PC. Users can then transmit the captured video over the Dante Network. They can also send this video stream to Dante AV Ultra receivers or another instance of Dante Studio. To do so, users can use either Dante Video RX to bring the video into applications or Video Viewer to view the video in a standalone app.

Dante Domain Manager lets users know exactly what the Dante system is doing at all times. User authentication and role definitions for Dante Controller also ensure that no unauthorized changes are made to the system. Users can also see alerts and notifications that keep them updated on changes instantly, anywhere. Moreover, they can organize the system into controlled groups that are easy to understand.

Dante Studio is available as a 7-day free trial or subscription for $9.95 a month, ensuring the software is always up-to-date with the latest improvements from Audinate.

The post Audinate Launches Dante Studio 2.0 Software Update appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to the team, it appeared to be no small undertaking. Here, staff had to interconnect many spaces. This included multiple stereo studios and their companion mastering suites, a foley stage, and immersive recording studio, Dolby Atmos mastering suite and theatrical mix stage. It also had to connect a colossal 187-channel, AVB-based Meyer Sound Spacemap Go spatial sound system located in the five-story atrium. And all via Dante (with a little help from AVB-to-Dante conversion cards).

Easy, Flexible Routing

Lars Tirsbæk, a lecturer at Sonic College, became instrumental in setting up the new facility. He also helped deciding what spaces would be most beneficial to students and essential to delivering a good grounding in sound design. “[Building the new facility] was an opportunity to start from scratch,” he says. “Our infrastructure needed to not only fit the demands of the space(s). [It] also [had to] provide learning opportunities for our students and give them practical experience working with real-world technologies like Dante.”

“We didn’t have the Dante network in our old facility,” says Tirsbæk. He then counts off a long list of benefits. “Now you can do a mix then easily route it through to the cinema to listen. You can take a stage box anywhere in the building and still communicate back to the control room.”

Also Read: Shanghai NYU Implements Dante Audio Network for Lecture Rooms

Using Dante Domain Manager

Dante Domain Manager allows college staff to manage the large Dante network effectively. With its granular user access control levels, administrators can lock down certain network areas and functionality. At the same time, it still allows students room to experiment within boundaries set by teaching staff and network managers. In this type of educational environment, segmenting domains emerged as a critical feature.

“Students definitely need to know how audio-over-IP works. That’s the way all audio infrastructure will be implemented in the coming years,” Tirsbæk comments. “When our students learn to use Dante, they recognize the inherent flexibility of being able to just move AV hardware around without affecting the network.”

A range of spaces and studios offer students the perfect sonic playground complete with cutting-edge products. As a result, they have a hands-on experience with the top AV, broadcast and studio tools and technologies in commercial use.

“This was a complex project,” says Tirsbæk. “With so many adjacent studios and performance spaces, we had to consider how to isolate parts of the network to prevent unexpected issues from occurring during live performances. Dante Domain Manager’s user authentication and role definition, in combination with its ability to create separate Dante Domains, was essential to our success in managing such an intricate system. In fact, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have [had success] had it not been for Dante Domain Manager.”

This article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator. 

The post Dante Domain Manager Supports Hands-On Learning at Denmark’s Sonic College appeared first on My TechDecisions.

These include AdTechno, AVer, AVONIC, Bolin, BZB Gear, Chingan Technology, Cypress, Lumens, Minrray, Patton, PTZ Optics, ProAVIT, Soundhouse, Televic, Telycam, Tenveo, ValueHD, Yamaha and Yuan. Moreover, several of the OEM partners will introduce new Dante AV-enabled products at ISE 2023 in Barcelona.

Presenting at ISE

Some of the partners presenting at ISE include:

• Bolin: the D2-210H and D2-220H PTZ cameras
• BZB Gear: the BG-ADAMO-4KDA PTZ camera
• Lumens: the VC-A71P PTZ camera
• PTZOptics: the Link 4K 20x PTZ camera

According to Audinate, these add to the ever-growing ecosystem of 15 Dante AV products currently released and available to purchase. Some of the products comprise cameras, encoders and decoders. In addition, several manufacturers will preview pre-production products at the show, including AdTechno, Bolin, Soundhouse and Yuan.

“The network effect is in full force here at ISE,” says Joshua Rush, chief marketing officer at Audinate. “We have seen a sharp increase in demand for Dante AV from OEMs seeking to bring the ease of use and interoperability of Dante to the networked video market, and we’re excited to see more and more of these products come to market and make their way into customers’ hands.”

Dante AV is a family of hardware and software solutions that allow manufacturers and end users to add networked video to the Dante platform. It thus guarantees interoperability between manufacturers, says Audinate. At the same time, it keeps discovery, configuration and control to a single platform for all audio and video devices.

Advantages of Dante

With Dante-management solutions, all endpoints can also be secured with user access control, actively monitored and remotely accessed to simplify system maintenance and support. All Dante AV solutions also provide independent video, audio and control signal routing. With this, signals only get sent where they need to go. Additionally, Dante AV solutions are compatible with the thousands of Dante-enabled products available today.

• Dante AV Ultra is a hardware-based solution offering 4K60 video encoding and decoding for high-quality, visually lossless video. It also features subframe latency and tight time synchronization between endpoints. This makes it ideal for real-time events with the exactitude for clean effects transitions, videowalls and multi-image projections. Users can enable content protection with a fully validated implementation of HDCP 2.2 over IP.
• Dante AV-H is embedded software that manufacturers can add to their Ethernet-enabled H.264/H.265 cameras, encoders and decoders. This effectively turns them into Dante AV endpoints. Integrators and end users also gain all the benefits of Dante. These include automatic network discovery and IP addressing. Moreover, it eliminates the need for fixed point-to-point connections. Best of all, manufacturers don’t need to make hardware changes to new or existing products to implement Dante AV-H.

Audinate also noted that it will showcase the latest Dante products at ISE 2023 in Barcelona in Hall 3, booth #3R100. The event will take place on Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2023.

This article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator. 

The post Audinate Dante AV Adoption Accelerates with New Partners at ISE 2023 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Audio Network Challenge

At the start of 2020, the pandemic forced educational leaders around the world to transition from in-person to remote learning, including the administration at NYU Shanghai. This presented many challenges for the University leaders and its almost 2,000 students, including improving the audio setup in 57 lecture hall-style classrooms. Each of the classrooms had existing loudspeakers to reinforce the sound for in-person attendees, but it lacked the proper audio equipment to capture sound and broadcast to remote learners. The University tasked a project team consisting of members of the IT and instructed them to create an audio system capable of delivering high quality performance.

Criteria for Choosing A New Audio Network System

The project team had several key criteria when choosing its new audio network system. First, it needed to ensure the upgrade fit within a required budget. Second, they wanted to select products from reputable vendors and brands who would provide the support it needed. Finally, reliability was critical as the system needed to last 5-7 years. When the team began researching equipment, it met with several representatives from different audio component hardware manufacturers and one brand consistently received endorsement in conversations as the choice for audio networking distribution —Dante.

Sunny Qi, senior IT helpdesk manager, was one member of the University’s project team tasked with evaluating Dante. Qi is responsible for communications services in the IT department, which includes classroom audio and technical IT support. When the team received proposals from different manufacturers, they were apprehensive about making a change given their comfort-level and experience with the existing, traditional point-to-point system. “Our team was not as familiar with Dante as we had experience mostly with analog connections,” says Qi. “When we determined our solutions required for hybrid teaching, it became clear Dante was the best choice for our campus.”

Selecting the Dante Platform

The Dante platform is a complete AV-over-IP solution that allows audio, video and control data to be transported over standard 1Gb Ethernet networks. Supported in more than 3,500 Dante-enabled products from more than 500 manufacturers, Dante replaces point-to-point analog and digital connections with software-based IP routing, allowing users to send AV channels anywhere on the network with perfect digital fidelity.

The University chose Dante-enabled equipment to improve the sound quality within the lecture rooms. Qi and her project team selected Dante-enabled Digital Signal Processors (DSP) from Extron for audio processing. The Extron DSPs also provide the ability to add high-quality effects including voice recognition, noise cancellation and surround sound capabilities.

The team also selected Dante-enabled Shure ULXD4D Dual Channel Digital Wireless Receivers with lapel microphones, and later added Dante-enabled ceiling microphone arrays from Shure and Sennheiser to provide better audio coverage and consistent sound during lectures.

Using Dante-enabled products, the team could connect different hardware brands with the latest products using standard Ethernet cables. This allowed them to directly integrate the products into their existing data network.

One other important factor for the team was selecting manufacturers with a solid track record of customer service. The presence of an Audinate customer service team based in China gave them added confidence in their choice. “The local Dante customer service team has been very responsive, and we are pleased with their support,” added Qi.

Dante Domain Manager

With numerous Dante products on the network, the university IT teams also use Dante Domain Manager, a server-based software solution that provides a centralized view of the entire deployment. The software allows the team to divide the system into groups to manage broadcast traffic more efficiently on the computer network and improve maintenance efficiency. Through a centralized view, the team receives alerts when issues arise in the system. Then, they can access the system from anywhere, determine the problem and solve it remotely.

“The Dante Domain Manager user interface is very straightforward, and has been simple for us to use,” says Qi. “With the ability to see all the devices at once on the network, it’s easier for us to monitor and manage our systems. Being able to access the network remotely also allows us to work more efficiently and keep our classrooms operating smoothly.”

Today, the NYU Shanghai project team is now both more familiar and comfortable with Dante serving as the backbone for their audio network. As new audio needs arise, the University will continue to look to Dante-enabled products to provide flexible, scalable networked audio and video.

The post Shanghai NYU Implements Dante Audio Network for Lecture Rooms appeared first on My TechDecisions.

“Dante Domain Manager has become a critical solution in the AV industry, allowing for user authentication, role-based security and audit capabilities for Dante networks,” says Joshua Rush, chief marketing officer at Audinate. “In addition to lowering the up-front costs of acquisition, the subscription model allows buyers to treat Dante Domain Manager as an operating expense rather than a capital expense ensuring it is even more accessible.”

Dante Domain Manager Subscription Plans

Available in three editions, Silver, Gold and Platinum, Dante Domain Manager can be tailored to meet user needs and budgets while maintaining the agility, scalability and security necessary to create a trusted audio network, says Audinate.

Dante Domain Manager Silver Edition supports 20 Dante devices in two Dante Domains. It is thus an ideal solution for smaller installations such as houses of worship, recording studios and broadcast facilities. The Silver edition is available in the following editions:

• Annual subscription with ongoing support and maintenance: $398/year
• Perpetual license including one year of support and maintenance: $995

Dante Domain Manager Gold Edition supports 100 Dante devices in 10 Dante Domains, and is perfect for medium-sized installations, including schools, small businesses and larger houses of worship as part of a comprehensive AV management strategy.  The Gold edition is available in the following editions:

• Annual subscription with ongoing support and maintenance: $1,598 per year
• Perpetual license including one year of support and maintenance: $3,995

Dante Domain Manager Platinum Edition supports 250 Dante devices in 50 Dante Domains. It thus provides enterprise AV management for the largest mission-critical systems found in universities, stadiums, public spaces and corporate offices. The Platinum edition is available in the following editions:

• Annual subscription with ongoing support and maintenance: $3,998 per year
• Perpetual license including one year of support and maintenance: $9,995

Add-on packs are available to match the number of Dante Domains and required devices.

This article originally appeared on MyTechDecisions’ sister-site CommercialIntegrator.com.

The post Audinate Adds Subscription Model for Dante Domain Manager appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Portland, Ore. company says new tools enhance Dante Studio, an application within the Dante AV ecosystem that integrates PC applications with AV-over-IP. The new tools are Dante Video TX, a virtual transmitter, and Dante Video Viewer, an application to view a video flow.

The tools will work with Dante Video RX and are designed to give system designers, integrators and end users a complete networkable AV workflow, the company says.

Audinate says Dante AV is a growing family of solutions that allow OEMs and users to deliver high-quality AV-over-IP over standard Gigabit networks. Dante Studio brings Dante AV Ultra, the family’s premium solution – and soon Dante AV-H – into AV production workflows, making them easy and reliable.

Dante Studio allows the use of high resolution, low latency Dante AV video directly in AV production applications, such as OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) or platforms such as Teams and Zoom, the company says. This allows IT and AV managers to monitor all Dante AV cameras and sources on the network for confidence, helping to simplify troubleshooting.

According to Audinate, Dante Video TX allows users to create a Dante video stream directly from the PC by capturing the Windows display output. Users can share their entire PC screen to the network as a Dante AV flow.

The company says the receiving channel, Dante Video RX, enables Windows PCs to receive video from any Dante AV-enabled source. Dante Video RX and TX supports 1080p resolution, 60 frames per second and system timing and synchronization along with separate routing of video and audio elements. The tools will soon support 4K video and fit easily into Dante-based environments operating on standard 1 Gb Ethernet infrastructures.

Meanwhile, Dante Video Viewer is a standalone application designed to monitor video signals coming from products on the Dante AV network. With this tool users can monitor Dante AV signals without the need for a dedicated video-related application. Additionally, Video Viewer can be used to display a video flow full screen on a PC computer, turning it into a Dante AV receiver.

Laurence Crew, senior product manager at Audinate, says Dante Studio provides interoperability between software and hardware products in the Dante AV ecosystem. The new offerings give end users and service providers professional-grade tools for better, specialized video networks, Crew says.

“Dante Studio was a natural progression of our vision to layer features and functionality onto connectivity and interoperability through software,” says Crew. “We saw that the PC was going to be playing an increasingly important role in corporate, worship, education and even production customer ecosystems, and we knew we needed to bridge the divide between AV and PC beyond simply connecting devices. The tools introduced today will facilitate frictionless workflow and provide advanced functionality to serve the emerging needs of our customers.”

Dante Studio is compatible with Dante Controller for consistency throughout the AV-over-IP system. It is available on a free trial to qualified professionals by going to Audinate.com/studio to sign up and download.

The post Audinate Launches New Dante Studio Tools for Better AV Workflows appeared first on My TechDecisions.