Newsletter: February 2022
SIGNAL BOOST NEWSLETTER
A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
February, 2022
How to Win Friends and Influence People (in Pro AV)
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
-- Dale Carnegie, famous salesmanship and interpersonal skills guru
The above echoes the approach we take at ZeeVee for it not only makes a lot of sense in business but in everyday relationships as well. It reinforces how we have been able to build relationships with a fast-growing list of customers who have supported us through good times and bad.
I’ve often said to our customers “your success is our success.” In this spirit, we strive to understand what it is that you need to move your business forward. The feedback we regularly receive from the field tells us we’re on the right track and it has been very gratifying to establish true partnerships with those with whom we do business. Many folks throughout the industry like us—and like doing business with us—and the feeling is mutual.
Why is that?
- We’ve got all your AV signal distribution solutions covered with great AVoIP, RF and streaming products.
- Our ZyPer4K SDVoE/AVoIP offerings are rock solid—offering best-in-class signal distribution performance and a high reliability rate with little to no programming required—even for creating jaw-dropping video walls and multiviews.
- AV over coax products still lead the pack. They are designed for the world’s most deployed RF modulation standards, QAM and DVB-T/C and are the most affordable, dependable and widely used solutions for high-quality distribution of multiple HD and SD sources to almost any number of locations.
- We do flexible and reliable HD and SD streaming solutions too. Our video streaming products allow users to quickly and easily deliver television programming, digital signage or any other type of user-generated content to any screen on an IP network.
- We can deliver product! It doesn’t matter how good your products are if it takes forever to deliver them. Due to our tireless production planning, we are able to make our ZyPer4K solution available for shipping in as little as two weeks – not months or quarters like many of our competitors.
- Our warranty is for real: We are very proud of our warranty program which is recognized by our customers for the peace of mind it gives them when they choose ZeeVee products. Of course, with our exceptional reliability rate, you’ll be very unlikely to need it.
- We provide rapid human support: We take this very seriously. When you call ZeeVee, you get a human being on the phone that will immediately direct you to someone who can help, or arrange for a timely call back so we don't waste your time. What’s more, we’re well-reputed for assisting customers with all system issues—even those that do not originate with our products.
- We continue to invest in industry education. Our twice a month SIGNAL Sessions and Certified Solution Partner Training webinars will help you make the transition to AVoIP from traditional matrix solutions. We have the ability to reference a multitude of winning case histories that can serve to confirm an approach to varied AV signal distribution projects, be they AVoIP, RF or streaming-based.
- Our SIGNAL Partner Program is our secret to making good customer relationships better. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to join our SIGNAL Partner program to reap the many benefits, including technical enablement, business development and financial incentives that are essential for success in Pro AV. This includes access to training videos, marketing collateral, sales tools, product brochures, videos, case studies, industry whitepapers and competitive comparisons. We can help you build your prospect list and work to protect the business you bring to the table.
Dale Carnegie also said: “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” As a customer of ours, we sincerely hope you know how much we appreciate you. If we haven’t yet done business, we look forward to an opportunity to show you our superior products and the benefits of true partner relationships.
Here’s to our continued mutual success,
Respectfully,
Bob Michaels
CEO, ZeeVee
Signal Sessions Webinar Series
Mark Your Calendars for Our Upcoming Webinars and Exhibitions
November 18: ZeeVee Certified Solution Partner Training on AVoIP and RF Modulation:
- February 10: Advanced Imaging -- This session, hosted by Art Weeks, will provide a technical dive into how ZyPer4K (SDVoE) and ZyPerUHD (JPEG2000) AVoIP encoders and decoders, as well as the ZyPer Management Platform, work together to enable visually spectacular multiviews, blended projection images and video walls. Attendees will earn one AVIXA CTS credit.
- February 17: ZeeVee Certified Solution Partner Training on AVoIP and RF Modulation -- Are you a system integrator or AV installer looking to become an AV over IP and RF expert? Join us for this informative session and receive up to 3.5 AVIXA CTA credits.
You can get additional information and register for these webinars, and other upcoming events, via this link.
Our SIGNAL Partner website provides access to past SIGNAL Session and Certified Solution Partner Training webinars. To learn more about becoming a ZeeVee SIGNAL Partner, go to this link or contact sales@zeevee.com.
Product/ Application Focus
Key Vertical Markets for ZeeVee’s SDVoE Signal Distribution Products: Casinos and Museums
Recently, ZeeVee signal distribution products have been deployed in a rapidly growing number of vertical markets and applications. In this edition of the newsletter, we will explore major casino and museum projects that selected our ZyPer4K SDVoE/AVoIP solution.
Westgate Resort & Casino, Las Vegas:
The Westgate Resort & Casino is home to the world’s largest sports book, the “Super Book,” featuring the gaming industry’s largest 4K video wall (18.8 feet high and 260 feet wide). To keep the venue at the vanguard of Las Vegas splash and style, Westgate enlisted the assistance of its integrator, NMR Events, to take its AV system to the next level.
The team decided to upgrade its video wall with a fully new SDVoE/AVoIP infrastructure, while enhancing the RF modulation system that feeds monitors throughout the cavernous venue and improving overall system control and back room maintenance.
The massive video wall was taught some new tricks as NMR deployed ZeeVee ZyPer4K encoders and decoder that enabled the engineering of 175 different multiviews—equaling a dozen multiviews per screen—that display a seemingly endless combination of images simultaneously. This was accomplished with less devices, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in multiview processing alone and taking up a significantly smaller footprint. In addition, ZeeVee HDbridge 3000 RF encoders/modulators were deployed to feed over a hundred TVs scattered at seats throughout the sports book, at the betting windows and in multiple locations throughout the casino floor.
National Museum of the United States Army, Fort Belvoir, Virginia: The new National Museum of the United States Army is a 185,000-square foot facility located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It provides the only comprehensive portrayal of Army history and traditions through the eyes of the American Soldier.
A major challenge for all museums is to find ways to engage visitors, encouraging them to look up from their cell phones and learn the history and lessons from stories being presented. To keep visitors’ attention, the museum’s administrators enlisted the AV integrator Design & Production to install a SDVoE signal distribution solution, including ZeeVee ZyPer4K encoders and decoders, to provide high quality video with near zero latency to power engaging interactive exhibits in its Revolutionary War, War of 1812, World War I and World War II galleries.
The system also supports the museum’s blended projection exhibits, where multiple projectors are used in tandem to generate a single large images of battle scenes without “sparkling” or other distracting visual effects—which is used to dramatic effect in the museum’s D-Day display. The Fellow American exhibit has pylon displays with video screens that tell the stories of individual heroes. The Inventions and Innovation exhibit features AV “sliders” that are affixed to rail tracks in front of the artifact cases so visitors can move them to the right or left to view information related to the pieces behind glass.
AV Pro Tricks
Time to Download Updates for Your ZeeVee Gear?
This new newsletter feature will explore issues our customer service team handles during incoming calls they receive from AV integrators and end-users. The goal is to provide you with information that may help you with your questions or troubleshooting issues.
This month, Michael Tavares, our Support Manager IP Products, provides insights for those performing firmware and software updates to our ZyPer4K, ZyPerUHD AVoIP and HDbridge3000, HDbridge2000 and ZvPro RF modulation products.
Michael indicates that the performance of all of ZeeVee’s products are central to the applications for which they are deployed, and an unsuccessful update could end up derailing the performance of new features or even disabling one of these crucial devices.
Managing Updates for ZyPer4K and ZyPerUHD Products and ZyPer Management Platform
Each ZeeVee product line has its own requirements for completing updates due to varying interfaces and the nature of the products. For instance, for ZyPer products, firmware updates are required for both encoders and decoders, as are software updates for the ZyPer Management Platform. It is imperative to have alignment with the right server version with the right end-point update to get the full benefit of the latest update.
The ZyPer4K and ZyPerUHD have separate sets of updates and each can be enacted via the graphical user interface (GUI) of the ZyPer Management Platform or through a command line in scripting when external control systems are being used. ZyPer4K and ZyPer Management Platform updates are not made available to the general public and must be accessed through the ZeeVee Signal Partner Program portal or by contacting ZeeVee customer support. Another reason for contacting ZeeVee when updating the ZyPer Management Platform is that different updates are required for each of its three versions (VMWare virtual machine, ProServer enterprise appliance and NUC)—and you’ll want to make sure you are using the right one.
Updates to all other ZeeVee product firmware and software updates can be found on ZeeVee.com by clicking on “Support” and “Firmware Updates.” Here you will access a page that lists the supported platforms and version specifics, as well as a link to ZeeVee’s latest comprehensive release notes. In all cases, it is important to read the release notes—which are the most detailed yet for all of our products—as it outlines everything that has changed in each update version.
Managing RF Modulator Updates for HDbridge3000, HDbridge2000 and ZvPro
On the RF side, there is a whole other set of firmware updates for each of the modulators, but updates are simpler in that you only need to perform the task for the headend.
It is important to understand the relationship between the last update of your RF device and latest one you are trying to install. Visitors to the RF firmware update pages on our website will see a message that states: “if your last firmware update is older than v2.9.x, contact us before you proceed to update version 2.14.4.” The issue with skipping intermediate updates is that devices and software have undergone significant changes that may not be able to be reconciled by the latest version. For this reason, we would help you employ a “stepped” approach to performing a series of updates to get your device up to date and functioning properly.
Questions about updating our products will be quickly addressed when you contact ZeeVee customer support at 877-493-3833 between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM ET or via this link
Live Wire
Installation Magazine
Exclusive: ZeeVee CEO on AV over IP in Corporate Settings
January 12, 2022
The need for sophisticated AV solutions in the corporate sector has never been greater. Whether for presentations, project collaboration or general communications, video has become a mainstay, with employees needing to share visual content throughout their offices – on monitors, wall-mounted smartboards and embedded conference systems at each seat – as well as to remote audiences globally. Link to the entire story.
Hotel Business Magazine
Visual Storytelling is Key to Providing Memorable Content
January 17, 2022
Any guest that has stayed in a hotel in Hawaii has likely viewed 
in-room channels content provided by NMG Network, a creator of custom media experiences for luxury and leisure travel, hospitality and premium residential partners.
One local partner is Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, a chain of beachfront resorts, hotels and vacation rentals in Hawaii, as well as Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives. Outrigger has turned to NMG Network for not only in-room content, but digital displays and advertising on its new Digital Passport mobile app.
The company installed the ZeeVee ZvPro820i modulator/encoder at each property to deliver content to guest channels. It enabled NMG to program up to two channels with each mod, which connects to the head-end/guestroom entertainment (GRE) platform on the property. Link to the entire story.
Industry Buzz
Welcome to Industry Buzz, a new section of our newsletter highlighting interesting AV industry stories in the media.
Commercial Integrator
How AV Navigates Global Supply-Chain Constraints
January 17, 2022
The industry has always faced external cyclical and exceptional challenges, and AV is no different. Avian flu restricted Asia travel and supply chains in the 1990s; neodymium shortages forced loudspeaker manufacturers to pivot to alternative materials in the 2010s; and volcanic ash in the atmosphere grounded transatlantic flights and led to sparse attendance at North American trade shows in the same decade.
Today, AV—and most other electronics industries—is being affected by semiconductor supply-chain issues. The root of the issue is a reallocation of limited fabrication resources from consumer electronics, commercial AV and other applications, such as automotive. Anyone who sought to purchase a gaming console over the holidays knows exactly what I’m talking about. Link to the entire story.
Systems Contractor News
A Tale of Two TVs
January 25, 2022
Like some of you, my family and I have cautiously ventured back out into the world of travel, albeit equipped with enough hand wipes and sanitizer to disinfect a small college campus. Recently, we stayed in two hotels—both solid brands and well-maintained properties—that were equipped very differently for in-room entertainment and services.
During our stay at the first hotel, I had the rare opportunity to see my pro football team play on a Monday night. My plan was simple: Watch the first half in the hotel lobby with a raucous crowd of fans, allowing my family some time to relax without hearing me yell at the TV, then stream the second half to the TV in our hotel room and listen to the broadcast with my wireless headphones.
Let’s just say my plan … did not go according to plan. Link to the entire story.