“Everyone is used to video switching but the draft room has multiple touchscreen monitors,” notes Peterson. “Our programmers worked to allow USB switching over a network product for all the touch routing. As far as I know, no one has a network-routable USB system and certainly not one that coordinates with a video switcher/controller set up. This new, improved, totally cool USB switching includes the ability to switch the touch interface: When monitor #1 is switched to monitor #2, the touchability follows. The client loved this, and so do we.”
The conference table features multiple ports that feed into the switching system to route laptop signals throughout the room.
Control and configuration changes are managed via custom program panels residing on a pair of Microsoft Surface tablets for wireless ease of use.
Electrosonic installed its ESCAN Remote Monitoring service to provide 24/7 real-time monitoring of the draft room’s AV systems. “A draft room is like a war room: It has to work and work all the time,” notes Taylor. “ESCAN allows us to remotely track the health and performance of the monitors, projectors and control systems.” Critical alerts and configuration data enable fast troubleshooting and fault resolution.
The new equipment room provides generous access to both the front and rear sides of racks. Large flush-mount wall boxes were used behind the monitors to ensure plenty of space for power and cabling terminations.
Electrosonic selected a Polycom RealPresence Group 700 teleconferencing system for the room, which “integrates nicely over the network and is very control friendly,” says Guest.
Electrosonic also supplied sound reinforcement gear to deliver clear audio for teleconferencing. Speakers are ceiling mounted as are microphones.
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