A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Get Your Video Distribution Right the First Time!
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Our theme for 2020 that will be highlighted at ISE in Amsterdam next week is “Get Your Video Distribution Right the First Time.” This, of course, is easier said than done. We’ve heard it time and again—big companies make big promises and fall short, often leaving you and your customers to clean up the mess. That’s why we are underscoring our commitment to provide you all that is needed to meet the real-world requirements of your customers, be they AVoIP, RF or video streaming solutions.
Continuing demands for simplicity in control have driven our efforts to incorporate significant enhancements to our ZyPer Management Platform, and these will be a focal point of our presentations at the show. Feedback from the field tells us that the ZyPer Management Platform is a proven differentiator in the marketplace and a key determinant in why so many of you have chosen ZeeVee. Our latest updates to this platform go deeper into providing you with the intuitive controls needed at every step of installing, calibrating and managing systems. Check out the Product Spotlight section of this newsletter for more detail on our ZyPer Management Platform 2.1; I’m very proud of this tool.
I am pleased to announce the launch of our new STBi3 set top box that is ideal for bulk video distribution, IPTV type applications and simplified AV over IP streaming. The STBi3 incorporates a breakthrough as it is the only set top box that offers PoE and video scaling up to 4K/60 for compatible 4K/60 monitors.
In addition, we will be showing several of our recently announced products for the first time in Europe.
- The ZyPer4K unit with Dante offers wider product interoperability by enabling users to route any audio source within a ZyPer4K deployment to a Dante network.
- Our ZyPer4K encoder with loop-out provides the ability to set up confidence monitoring to a local monitor and content streaming capabilities to mobile devices and desktops in additional locations.
- To support the live streaming of content over Facebook Live, YouTube Live and other popular content distribution networks, our ZyPerMX2 and ZyperMX4 multi-source H.264 encoders now offer support for the RTMP protocol.
- And finally, our ZyPer4K Quad Encoder Card for Netgear M4300-96X (formerly ZyPer4K HDMI Module) is now shipping. In conjunction with the Netgear 96-port switch, it is the world’s first Ethernet switch with integrated HDMI connectivity for the distribution of 4K/UHD and HDR content. Bottom line, it provides integrators and end-users with unparalleled options for system customization, cost savings, reduced power consumption and greatly simplified installation and deployment of large IP-based video networks.
As you can see, we continue to do our part to move the industry forward and help our partners and end-users get their video distribution right the first time! There is plenty for us to speak about when you swing by ZeeVee’s ISE booth (10-N197)—and I encourage you to view our full show rundown here and then contact us via the link on that page to make an appointment.
Please look me up and say hello when you’re in our ISE neighborhood!
Regards,
Bob Michaels
CEO, ZeeVee
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 ZeeVee Says ’Get Your Video Distribution Right the First Time!' at ISE 2020 in Amsterdam: This month, we look forward to sharing our latest market-leading AV distribution solutions at our ISE 2020 booth (10-N197). These include our updated ZyPer Management Platform 2.1 and the STBi3 set top box decoder, the industry’s first with Power over Ethernet (PoE) and 4K video scaling. In addition, we are showing our ZyPer4K Quad Encoder Card for Netgear M4300-96X, which enables the world’s first Ethernet switch with integrated HDMI connectivity, as well as our recently announced ZyPer4K AV decoder with Dante, and ZyPer4K encoder with loop-out functionality.
Come see how we are continuing to expand and evolve our AV distribution product lines to support the needs of end-users and our distribution and integration partners. You can view all of our featured show products and then set up an appointment to meet with us at the show via this link.
DataVisual Annual Sales Kickoff:  Last month, ZeeVee’s Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian territory manager, Jim Chordas (pictured front and center), attended the annual sales kickoff for DataVisual, our exclusive Canadian distributor, in Gatineau, Quebec. He joined with Datavisual’s business development team to help set a direction for 2020. Attendees worked on their goals and objectives and shared ideas and best practices – all in a relaxed business setting. The event enabled networking and relationship-building, including an opportunity to visit DataVisual’s head office and meet its inside sales support and purchasing staffs. In the mix also were an array of rugged Canadian activities, including curling, axe throwing and kart racing.
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Shootout at the SDVoE Corral!
At ISE 2020, our ZyPer4K encoders and decoders will be included in a “shootout” between two video systems—a sample multi-vendor SDVoE AVoIP platform and a traditional matrix switch—at the SDVoE Alliance booth (1-F40). Each system will consist of four 4K displays arranged in a 2×2 video wall. A single touch panel and control system will drive both video systems simultaneously.
The point of all the video gunplay? Visual proof that the AV industry’s future is Ethernet-based, as it supports the performance that integrators and end-users have come to expect, as well as capabilities not previously imagined. Visitors to the SDVoE Alliance’s booth will see (and learn) first-hand:
- Built-in multiview compositing capability without added hardware
- Synchronized video wall processing that eliminates image tearing and motion jitter
- Instant switching for seamless content transitions
- Source image preview on the touch panel
- Image scaling without the usual one- or two-frame latency penalty
- A standardized API that makes it simple to manage SDVoE devices via legacy control systems
- Multi-vendor interoperability that reduces the risk of stranded investment as business needs change
- Substantial cost saving for installation, maintenance, system changes and expansion
As a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance, ZeeVee is proud to participate in this demonstration!
 ZyPer4K Hits the Road with All-in-One Evaluation Kits
Interested in putting our SDVoE signal distribution solution to the test? We now have evaluation kits available that provide four ZyPer4K encoders, two ZyPer4K decoders, video sources and a Netgear switch that you can connect to your monitors to see its performance for yourself. Grab some popcorn; you can view a video that provides additional information on what is included via this link.
Please note, these kits are in high demand, so if you’d like to get a free two-week trial, please contact sales@zeevee.com today to join the list!
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Insight Presentation Systems Empower Leading Pharmaceutical Company with State-of-the-Art AV
This month we shine our spotlight on Insight Presentation Systems, headquartered in Midlands, UK and with a warehouse in Warwick. Insight is a ZeeVee Trained and Certified Partner; it recently completed a ZyPer4K uncompressed installation at a leading pharmaceutical company in the UK. The project called for the distribution of 4K content with no latency from a large auditorium to multiple areas of the building allowing for overflow purposes. In addition, the Insight team was able to provide picture-in-picture mode and leverage built-in multiview functionality without the time and expense of installing video wall processors. ZeeVee’s rich API, in conjunction with the Netgear M4300 Series switch and a third-party control system, made for a powerful and intuitive system. Intuitive is a regular user of our ZyPer4K, ZyPerUHD and ZyPerHD solutions and more projects are in the works.
GV Multimedia Brings Teesside University Student Building to Life
GV Multimedia, one of the largest integrators in the UK and specializing in the higher education market, recently used our ZyPer4k uncompressed solution for a project at Teeside University’s Student Life Building in Middlesbrough, UK (North East England). The facility is designed as a technologically-enabled environment for a variety of learning styles, activities and attendance patterns, for which it offers a range of spaces for social and collaborative learning. The system that the GV Multimedia team created offers a flexible and scalable solution for the distribution of 4K content with minimal latency to video walls and break areas throughout the new £13M facility that benefit school administrators, instructors and students. GV Multimedia is headquartered in Hounslow, England with offices throughout the UK.
 SKC Communications Creates Robust Digital Signage Extension for Texas Education and Health Institutions
SKC Communications was founded in 1986 as a headset distributor by Paul Ammeen. Headquartered in Kansas City, and with offices in seven additional U.S. markets, the firm has developed into a leading designer, builder and manager of technology solutions for enterprise collaboration using video, voice and AV technologies. SKC recently completed two major digital signage extension projects for the University of Texas Arlington that utilized more than 120 ZyPerMX2 dual-channel H.264 encoders. In addition, they used the model for a new operating room scheduling system at Christus Trinity Mother Health System in East Texas.
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ZyPer Management Platform 2.1
 Leading up to ISE 2020, we announced a significant update to our ZyPer Management Platform—the most comprehensive and easy-to-use video distribution control system in the pro AV arena. From the beginning, the ZyPer Management Platform has been a key differentiator for us in the pro AV marketplace. Our latest updates go deeper into providing integrators and end-users with the intuitive controls they need at every step of installing, calibrating and managing systems.
Among the ZyPer Management Platform 2.1 newest features is a video preview function (demonstrated here) that makes it easier to identify content before it is routed to any endpoint in the system. Also, a new multiview text overlay function enables users to add varied descriptions, custom labels and branding simultaneously over onscreen video delivered to multiple monitors.
Additional features of ZyPer Management Platform 2.1 include:
- Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) reports to monitor system configuration and status
- The ability to add ZyPer encoders and decoders not located on the VLAN to an AV system
- The ability to enable or disable Telnet access, as desired, for added security
We invite you to come to our ISE 2020 booth (10-N197) to see a full demonstration. You can make an appointment to meet with us via this link.
ZeeVee’s regular updates to its ZyPer Management Platform provide integrators and end-users using ZeeVee components with extra value at no additional cost. ZeeVee provided a glimpse at the ZyPer Management Platform’s road map for the second quarter of this year that includes an expanded multiview capability—for the monitoring of up to 20 videos from the current nine. This update will also enable users to create presets for any API command and then schedule them via a defined set of commands. An unlimited number of schedules can be set up per preset.
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 ZeeVee Pairs with Itochu Cable Systems in Japan
ProAVL Asia, January 7, 2020
ZeeVee has appointed Itochu Cable Systems as its exclusive distributor for Japan. Itochu Cable Systems is a division of Itochu Corporation, created to be a ‘one-stop’ solution provider as well as a distributor and systems integrator for AV products.
Hidetaka Osuga, general manager of the cross-media solution division at Itochu Cable Systems, believes that Ultra HD video distribution will be highly desired after the 2020 Olympic games. He also expects medical imaging applications to increase. “What attracted us to ZeeVee was its solutions for distributing uncompressed 4K with near zero latency,” he said. “This intrigued us as we knew these products would help us to quickly expand our business into the pro AV market and support our ambition to become the leading systems integrator specializing in video, communication and sound.” LINK TO FULL ARTICLE HERE
ZeeVee Selects Distributor for India
InAVate Asia Pacific, January 21, 2020
ZeeVee has named Supertron Electronics [Supertron] as its distributor in India. Headquartered in Kolkata, Supertron is one of the largest IT distributors in India. The company’s pan-India presence includes 36 branch offices and warehouses and 19 satellite offices spread across all 37 states and union territories…V.K. Bhandari, Supertron chairman and managing director said: “When we began in 1993, the IT industry was unorganized, and our business was focused on peripherals and hardware. We’ve taken the lead among others to make it an organised and mature ecosystem. Now, with the arrival of the digital era, we have reshaped our business where the growth delta is much better. ZeeVee is a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance and a Global Presence Alliance Technology Partner. Together, we will offer something new and exciting for India’s AV partners who will enjoy a true combination of innovation, solutions, reputation and value.” LINK TO FULL ARTICLE HERE
ZeeVee Will Demonstrate Enhancements to ZyPer Management Platform
rAVe Publications, January 28, 2020
 At ISE 2020, ZeeVee will demonstrate the latest enhancements to its ZyPer Management Platform for its ZyPer4K, ZyPerUHD and ZyPerHD product lines and the ZyPer4K Quad Encoder Card for Netgear M4300-96X (formerly ZyPer4K HDMI Module). With the ZyPer Management Platform 2.1, one of the newest features is a video preview function that makes it easier to identify content before it is routed to any endpoint in the system. This is particularly useful for live productions and venues such as restaurants where content needs to change regularly. Also, a new multiview text overlay function enables users to add varied descriptions, custom labels and branding simultaneously over onscreen video delivered to multiple monitors. ZeeVee’s regular updates to its ZyPer Management Platform provide integrators and end users using ZeeVee components with extra value at no additional cost. LINK TO FULL ARTICLE HERE
Enhanced ZeeVee ZyPer Management Platform Comes to ISE
Essential Install Commercial, January 28, 2020
ZeeVee will be demonstrating the latest enhancements to its ZyPer Management Platform at ISE 2020 on both 10-N197. The platform is an easy-to-use video distribution control system for the pro AV arena for the manufacturer’s ZyPer4K, ZyPerUHD and ZyPerHD product lines and the ZyPer4K Quad Encoder Card for Netgear M4300-96X (formerly ZyPer4K HDMI Module). “From the beginning, the ZyPer Management Platform has been a key differentiator for us in the pro AV marketplace,” says Rob Muddiman, EMEA sales director, ZeeVee. “Our latest updates go deeper into providing integrators and end-users with the intuitive controls they need at every step of installing, calibrating and managing systems. With all its new sophisticated features, the ZyPer Management Platform remains true to its key selling point of supporting simple system configuration enabling AV over IP installations to be completed in hours – not days. It’s this system design and ease-of-use that generates the greatest buzz from our partners and end-users,” LINK TO FULL ARTICLE HERE
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ZeeVee Management Platform Proves Secure for Government Agency Projects
Following on the GSA Certification we earned last year, our  engineering team went proactive by having our ZyPer Management System, as well as our ZyPer4K encoders and decoders, tested by a Nessus vulnerability scanner. This ensures our ZyPer4K product family is secure for use in government agencies and other environments where security is tantamount. We’re happy to report we aced the three-part test which revealed zero vulnerabilities to hacking or compromising access to system endpoints.
We are committed to serving the federal, state and local government markets and will continue to take all measures necessary to meet all current and new requirements. It’s almost our civic duty!
Thailand: All in for AVoIP Training with Netgear
 We recently co-sponsored an AVoIP training event with Netgear for our integration partners in Bangkok. The all-day session drew a full house of attendees who were taught how to design and construct AVoIP signal distribution systems from the ground up. Participants earned ZyPer4K and Netgear managed switch certification. We appreciate everyone who took the time to meet and learn with us!
We Say ‘Cheers’ to JB&A at its National Sales Meeting in Sonoma
We always look forward to the JB&A national sales meeting, and  this January’s event was no exception. The firm is one of our most important distributors and a long-term partner. This year’s event was held in Sonoma, California. It was capped off with a special event at a winery where good times were had by all!
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George Vlismas, UK Technical Consultant
 This month’s Employee Spotlight features George Vlismas, ZeeVee’s UK-based technical consultant. He has been on our team for four years this month and has been closely involved, from initial concept to final completion, in some of our earliest and largest AVoIP projects installed anywhere on dry land.
Being at the forefront of emerging AVoIP technology and influencing its general adoption are points of pride for him. As for working at ZeeVee, he appreciates the company’s engineering orientation and ability to listen and quickly adapt to market requirements. He also enjoys his landlubber associates.
What excites George most about today’s pro AV industry is the diversity and scope of clientele—in terms of industries and projects—with whom he regularly works.
“I don’t think I’ve come across a single customer requirement in any vertical that could be attributed to being a ’cookie-cutter’ experience – they’re almost all bespoke in the way the AVoIP systems have been implemented and used. That’s a real testament to their flexibility and ease of use.”
A network specialist with IP networks for most of his career, mainly in the telecoms’ VoIP and unified communications markets, George notes with interest how AV is following the progression to IP.
“I come across the same apprehensions and concerns I experienced when VoIP was an emergent technology,” he says. “But we’ll get them there; it’s just a matter of time.”
As for future AV industry trends, he sees artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a factor. He notes more sophisticated audio and video products that are being introduced with predictive technologies that are user- and audience-centric. He sees this as transforming how integrators and end-users consider how AV is experienced.
When not working with integrators and end-users on their AVoIP signal distribution systems, you’ll find George spending time with his family, competing on tennis courts or freediving (as pictured here). He lives with his wife and sons in Newbury, Berkshire, in the UK.
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