InfoComm 08

I recently attended a conference called InfoComm 08 during the week of June 18th. The conference is geared towards A/V and Classroom Technologies. Over 350 courses are offered during the show that range from audio, video, projection systems, room design, AV-IT, to digital signage. I attended the Extron Institute School of A/V Technologies for Higher Education at which I was exposed to all new Extron products and a short course on AV and IT merging technologies. The show floor had approx 1000 vendors showing off every new product you can think of that would be used in Higher education and the business world. Big advances in Flat panel displays are happening along with a new standard called display port. Digital Document Cameras and Write Boards are becoming normal parts of classrooms. Now, Write Boards are being coupled with Write Tablets that can be passed around amongst the students during class. I’m starting to see more Classrooms being outfitted with multiple displays and more instructor microphones. Everybody wants more wireless options for video operations. Teacher/student polling response systems are still show favorites. Digital signage has really taken up a large foot print at the show, compared to just two years ago. These systems could be deployed campus wide at key points and updated by several people or organizations to relay vital and fun information to the student body (I attended that course two years ago). Both Extron and Crestron were show casing their evolving projection management systems, that can control classrooms from 1 central point on a campus.
The oddest thing I saw is a remote controlled flat panel MOUNT. You can swivel the flat panel from side to side and up and down for that perfect viewing angle, but maybe it’ll just be a another remote that gets lost (why don’t they make remotes with beepers???)