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 September’s here, summer is nearly over and it’s time to get back to work!
But what kind of work environment are we returning to? On the one hand, the news is filled with information on vaccine availability, masking protocols, businesses reopening, increased summer travel and kids returning to the classroom. On the other hand, we’re hearing about the new and highly potent Delta variant which is threatening to roll back some of this progress. Understandably, many in our business have been hamstrung by a sense of uncertainty we had hoped would be over by now.
No doubt, we will all need to remain nimble in our response and flexible in our planning.
Okay, so what can you count on? For one, the availability of our ZyPerUHD and ZyPer4K SDVoE/AVoIP encoders and decoders. Despite the chip and other component shortages caused by pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions, our AVoIP products continue to ship within two weeks. You read this correctly—our remarkable team of production planners have put us in a position to deliver the goods you need to serve the spike in business underway as customers and end-users work through, and plan for, post-COVID life.
You can also count on a revival of applications bringing people together again such as concerts, performance art presentations, festivals and other special events. For these, we are very excited to introduce two new versions of our SDVoE/AVoIP encoders and decoders that offer our award-winning signal distribution solutions in smaller and more flexible form factors. The silent ZyPer4K-XS is prime for those spaces where a quiet operating environment is required; and the ruggedized ZyPer4K-XR can be flexibly mounted when and where required—making it ideal for rental and staging applications.
Lastly, whether you’re a returning customer or a new partner, you can count on our dedicated training, customer service and support teams to maintain their focus on your business. This month we resume our SIGNAL Sessions and Certified Solution Partner Training webinar programs that provide you with everything you need to know about our solutions, and those of our partners, to create the best SDVoE/AVoIP and RF modulation signal distribution installations for your clients. And when you need technical help, or just a bit of hand-holding, that’s where our team shines.
I’ll admit it—I’m getting a little anxious and want to get back on the road and conduct more face-to-face business. I hope this will be possible before too long, but in the meantime, we all need to move forward and keep the lines of communications open so that we can work together as the current business environment sorts itself out. A positive attitude and hard work will pay off in the long run; let us know how we can help.
Stay safe and well,
Bob Michaels
CEO, ZeeVee
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Mark Your Calendars for Our Upcoming Webinars
- September 9: 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.
- September 16: 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.
- October 27-29: InfoComm: Heading to Orlando for this year’s in-person event? Please consider booking a “safely distanced” meeting slot with us in booth 1401. More details here!
You can get additional information and register for these, 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.
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 Tovi Systems LLC of Norfolk, Va., provides turnkey AV solutions for residential buildings and commercial businesses that are efficient, effective and reliable. The firm’s team is experienced in a variety of cabling services, including routing, testing, upgrades and more. The Tovi Systems team recently installed the ZeeVee ZvConnect solution in a conference room at Hermes USA in Virginia Beach.
Planning to be in Moscow this October? ZeeVee will be there, courtesy of our local distribution partner, Brullov  Consulting, which will be an exhibitor at Integrated Systems Russia 2021 running from October 18 – 20 at the Moscow Expocentre, pavilion 8, stand #147. As part of its exhibition, Brullov will feature ZeeVee’s family of ZyPer AVoIP solutions – compressed 1Gb and uncompressed 10Gb.
 Brullov is a distributor of multimedia solutions from the world’s leading manufacturers of conference systems, display systems, sound and control systems, audio and video switching and digital signage systems.
Innovation House, developed by ZeeVee distribution partner, Midwich,  is a one of a kind 50,000 sq. ft technology playground, located a short distance from London Heathrow airport. It allows consultants, integrators and end-users from all over the world to see the latest technology, including over 200 unique products, from the AV industry’s leading manufacturers.
ZeeVee’s AVoIP 10G uncompressed ZyPer4K encoders and decoders have recently been implemented in the Experience Centre where they are distributing high resolution 4K and HDR video content around the showroom floor to various LED walls and displays.
“The ZeeVee technology demonstrates our simple configuration, super low latency switching and custom resolution scaling to The Samsung Wall (Micro LED), Absen LED and Sharp NEC LED walls,” said Charlie Sullivan, U.K. and Ireland business development manager, ZeeVee. “We are also able to demonstrate our built in multiview capability which enables us to send 19 sources to one display. The system is controlled via an iPad which allows for intuitive control by any member of the Midwich sales team via our Management Platform Software.
“The Experience Centre is an extremely impressive facility and designed to serve our partners to improve their technical knowledge and skills, bettering our industry as a whole.”
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ZyPerPad Offers Touch Button Ease to ZyPer Management Platform
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 We are proud to introduce the ZyPerPad IP-enabled keypad controller, an intuitive device that provides a simple means of sending commands to the ZyPer Management Platform (ZMP). The unit's browser-based graphical user interface allows installers to easily configure the unit and it supports DHCP and static IP addresses. It also enables individual button configuration via a simple to use web user interface.
The ZyPerPad's 10 buttons can be programmed to execute any ZMP API command, or series of API commands, including the ability to run “presets” consisting of an unlimited number of commands. System administrators can also customize access to the AV system so that individual users can be granted control of a limited number of displays or sources.
Built-in PoE enables the ZyPerPad to receive power from a PoE-enabled ethernet switch. It is sold with standard US 1-gang box sized, pre-printed button labels. Want to learn more? Contact your ZeeVee sales rep or email sales@zeevee.com.
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Poolside with SDVoE Alliance President Justin Kennington
 For this month’s column, we decided to ask SDVoE Alliance President Justin Kennington about his thoughts on how SDVoE technology is viewed in the U.S. and what it would take to further expand its reach.
What are the biggest misconceptions regarding SDVoE Technology?
Perhaps that 10Gb Ethernet is some kind of fundamental challenge or cost barrier for creating AV systems. Some believe that Ethernet is too complicated to implement in AV. People are scared to get away from the matrix switch to some degree. This is sometimes compounded by the misinformation being spread by certain players in the industry with vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
The fact is that anything can be complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing—so proper training is important. It must be drilled home that 10Gb and 1Gb are exactly the same thing at different speeds. For basic AVoIP applications that involve, say, a dozen devices, neither are complicated. For larger systems, you may need to call in an expert, which is the case regardless of your port speed.
What needs to happen for wider SDVoE adoption in the U.S.?
Training and education are required for AV players to get comfortable with SDVoE. There is an understandable hesitation when it comes to trying anything new. Even for believers “in the know,” the first time you design an SDVoE system may seem like a giant leap of faith. We’re in the late phase of the early adopter stage, so industry professionals are starting to see more successful SDVoE implementations which helps build their confidence in recommending it for their clients’ projects. Getting them to acknowledge the wide ecosystem of interoperable product support available to them also helps. This interoperability is common sense for IT folks, but not necessarily the way AV folks are used to working. But the benefits of this are clear to all.
What are some of the coolest examples of SDVoE applications in your eyes?
The Samsung Experience Center in the U.K. is a fantastic example of SDVoE’s performance strength. That Samsung, makers of the most advanced monitors in the world, chose SDVoE for signal distribution in this state-of-the-art product showcase is a great endorsement. They are going to go with what they feel will make their monitors look great in every application from their movie theater to interactive video wall. Another great example is the Quadram Institute in the U.K. SDVoE powers several endoscopy suites in the facility that require 4K video with near zero latency for critical medical procedures. There can be no visual artifacts that could be mistaken as tumors or color distortions that may lead to a misdiagnosis. The video must be perfect.
What benefits of SDVoE provide the “a-ha” moments when you discuss them with people?
First and foremost is the performance. SDVoE performs identically to the matrix switch. There is no compromise or trade off in image quality. Second, I would say is the wide product interoperability, as SDVoE is supported by 52 manufacturers of more than 700 products. That means any SDVoE component in your system, from encoders and decoders to monitors, projector and video walls, work together seamlessly.
What do you like most about heading up the SDVoE Alliance?
I like the freedom to be creative in how my team and I tell the SDVoE story. I like pushing the envelope, taking new approaches and doing things that haven’t been done before to get the attention of our key audiences. For example, the SDVoE LIVE! show was created out of our discussions on what could we do during COVID to reach people we’d normally be addressing face-to-face at trade shows and in their offices.
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AV Technology Online
Preserving History at the Tennessee State Museum
July 29, 2021
The Tennessee State Museum,  which opened in October 2018 on the corner of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and Jefferson Street in Nashville, has already become a must-see attraction. A key component of the museum is a flexible and feature-rich AV system that brings to life the history and stories it shares throughout its seven permanent exhibits and a rotating roster of temporary and seasonal exhibits.
To provide the necessary level of technical performance for the exhibits, the museum’s technical team chose a ZeeVee and Juniper Networks-driven Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE) AVoIP solution to distribute the wide array of AV content throughout the facility. Here is the link to the entire story.
Sound & Video Contractor
Tech Showcase: Signal Extenders
July 30, 2021
 In July, the ZeeVee ZyPer4K-XS joined the uncompressed, SDVoE ZyPer family. The smaller footprint encoder and decoder models bring the performance and reliability of SDVoE and AVoIP signal distribution solutions to space constrained and noise sensitive environments for corporate, higher education, performing arts, yachts and government applications, among others. Here is the link to the entire story.
InAVate APAC
No chips, high stakes?
July 29, 2021
There is a global chip shortage, and everyone is concerned . The automotive industry is braced for shortages and PlayStations have been in short supply since Christmas last year. But what does this mean for the AV industry? Stephen Metzger, vice president of hardware and operations at ZeeVee, says: “The issues with chip shortages began much before Covid-19, in early 2019 when the US pressured fabricators to cease production of chips manufactured for certain Chinese companies, such as Huawei. The knock-on effect of that was the fact that a lot of chips manufactured by TSMC for Chinese companies, including those built for HiSilicon, Huawei’s chip-making arm, were no longer available to system fabricators because of that governmental pressure.” Here is the link to the entire story.
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Employee of the Month – George Konefal
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 George Konefal is ZeeVee’s Inside Sales Manager and September’s employee of the month. While no two days are alike for George, he often spends his time pursuing business leads with the sales team and consulting with his management, product, finance and technical support teams. Most importantly, he enjoys getting on the phone or Zoom and helping customers.
“At ZeeVee, our customers are always our number one priority. We built our foundation on solid communication, technical prowess, and attention to detail. From sales calls to product design inquiries, we work to ensure that our customers are getting the best quality products, advice and service in the market,” said George. “Putting our customers first is how we’ve assembled the industry’s widest array of AVoIP, RF modulation and video streaming technology and solutions that address the specific needs of virtually any AV project."
While George has had many notable achievements during his nine-year tenure at ZeeVee, he feels most accomplished when he’s able to ease the minds of customers by answering their questions about the company’s products and solutions. He also takes special pride in personally following up with customers to ensure their satisfaction.
He also thinks that one of the positive things to come out of the pandemic and lockdowns was a greater appreciation for video. Now, as businesses begin to reopen, he believes there is a growing acceptance of video being more critical than ever – within a business – to maintain social distancing. He’s eager to offer multiple video solutions ZeeVee can deliver for anyone needing to change their working environment.
“What some people may not know about ZeeVee is that we treat every customer like they’re our best customer. Not only do our customers motivate us to design the most innovative products, but they also help us build a more interconnected AV community. Personally, interacting with customers every day is what makes my job at ZeeVee exciting, rewarding and downright fun,” said George.
When George is off the clock, he’s spending time with his wife, kids and six-year-old Beagle/Lab mix (which resembles a Foxhound). On weekends, George and his family transform their backyard into a sports arena where they play games such as basketball, catch, touch football and wiffleball.
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