 The challenges to ISE 2020 were well-documented—from concerns of Coronavirus to hundreds of flight cancellations due to inclement weather. While attendance was down significantly (close to 40%) as a result, I am happy to report that we had an excellent show that, in my opinion, topped last year.
This got me thinking why I believe this came to be.
Firstly, it is a testament to our products which offer AVoIP, RF or video streaming solutions for any and all end-user applications. We know that our brand has benefitted tremendously from being the only manufacturer in the AV industry with such a diverse range of market-proven products.
Secondly, ZeeVee has established itself as a market-leading educator. This is important as we hear in our conversations in the field that much education is still needed regarding the industry’s transition to AVoIP from dedicated and proprietary AV distribution systems. We have always been quick to support integrators with the necessary resources to impart knowledge and share our experiences with real life applications (and occasional struggles) of crossing over to the Ethernet for distributing video.
Finally, our unwavering, continued commitment to the channel is widely recognized. I discussed this during a panel discussion I participated in at the show hosted by InAVate Magazine that posed the question, “Is it okay for manufacturers to sell direct to end users?” At ZeeVee, we work to protect our channel. However, the fact is that we are seeing more inquiries than ever before from end-users and this directly relates to the need for further education. Integrators that are unable to provide factual answers—particularly to knowledgeable and experienced IT professionals confronted with a proposed AVoIP system—risk being bypassed and left out of the equation. Again, we see it as our business to equip savvy integrators with the tools they require to succeed.
That said, we are more than happy to provide support for end-users—together with their integrators—as needed at the system design, installation and implementation stages. I’ve said it before and it’s true—we don’t win unless integrators and their customers win.
Through these efforts, we have built bonds of trust and loyalty among many of the ISE attendees that made it a point to come to our booth. If you were not able to stop by and see us at ISE 2020, either because you could not attend the show or your schedule just didn’t allow it, I invite you to reach out to us at sales@zeevee.com and we can let you in on what you missed.
ISE is moving on from Amsterdam in 2021, and for many of us the move is bittersweet. You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful and hospitable location for the show—and for us as a company, we couldn’t have hoped for a better send-off.
Regards,
Bob Michaels
CEO, ZeeVee
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ISE 2020: We came, We saw, We…
 At ISE 2020, we managed a robust schedule of meetings with partners, integrators and consultants. Our booth remained crowded with attendees wanting to see our AVoIP, RF and video streaming solutions. Of great interest to visitors was our ZyPer Management Platform, which we demonstrated for our ZyPer4K (uncompressed 4K), ZyPerUHD (compressed 4K) and ZyPerHD (compressed H.264) product lines. The enthusiasm booth visitors showed for this presentation underscores our belief that our management platform is a key differentiator for ZeeVee’s AVoIP solutions. We extend a big thank you to all who took the time to come by and see us at the show.
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A ZyPer Management Platform 2.1 Primer
 Here we offer a quick primer on our updated ZyPer Management Platform 2.1—a major release that offers significant benefits to integrators’ and end-users’ operating environments. Our regular updates to the ZyPer Management Platform provide integrators and end-users using ZeeVee components with extra value at no additional cost.
Among the many updated features are GUI enhancements, including a preview mode for source and display panel icons (ZyPer4K and ZyPerUHD), API enhancements, SNMP support and Multiview text overlay. The latest version supports an ever-expanding ecosystem that includes:
- The ability to run on a NUC, ProServer, and VMWare.
- Routing and switching of ZyPer4K encoders and decoders
- Routing and switching of ZyPerUHD encoders and decoders
- Routing and switching of ZyPerHD encoders and decoders
- Support for Google Chrome version 66.0.3359 or higher and
- Configuration from mobile devices (Android tablet 7.0, MS Surface Windows 10, iPad IOS 10.3.2 and higher).
 For more information and guidance on how to download ZyPer Management Platform 2.1, please use this link!
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MCA Communications and ZeeVee Go to School – Texas Style
 Since its founding in 1983, MCA Communications has been providing communication technology solutions for some of the largest corporations in the world. Today, the Houston-based firm is a recognized leader in the international technology integration industry, specializing in commercial new construction projects. MCA has grown its business around its clients, rather than markets, to coincide with the constantly evolving world of communications and related technologies. The company’s reputation for paying attention to detail, quality work and exceptional customer service has withstood the test of time.
One of our most valued integration partners, MCA Communications is one of the first firms to receive our ZyPer4K Quad Encoder Card for Netgear M4300-96X. In fact, it is pictured above in the rack with Ricky Cortez, MCA Communications president (left), and Chuck Flournoy, MCA’s Manager (right). MCA recently completed AVoIP projects for the University of Houston, including a mind-bending video wall for the famed Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Delcom Targets Large-Scale Institutional Market
Delcom Group is a pioneering full-service technology integration  company serving large-scale institutions throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and beyond. It partners with private and public customers to provide full IT life-cycle support from practical guidance and procurement to provisioning and deployment. Delcom and ZeeVee were recently selected to drive the AV system of the Carroll Independent School District in Texas.
Houses of Worship and Schools Go Eternal in Texas
 Eternal Media Solutions, just outside of Houston, Texas, is a full-service audio, video, lighting and acoustic design integration and sales company that has served churches and schools in The Lone Star State since 2007. The wide range of projects it has completed include adult and youth worship centers, classrooms, fellowship halls, chapels and many others. The firm regularly employs our ZyPerUHD solution for church and school venues throughout the state.
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ZeeVee’s Complete Video Streaming Solution
ZeeVee offers a complete video streaming solution that allows 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. Our product offerings include the ZyPerMX2 and ZyPerMX4 H.264 encoders which stream up to two and four channels, respectively, to our newly announced STBi3 set top box that supports playback from both IP and RF sources. Add to this, our web-based ZyPerMX Player with electronic program guide which enables the easy management of content.
Here’s a quick primer on each of these components:
ZyPerMX2 and ZyPerMX4
 Our ZyPerMX2 and ZyperMX4 multi-source H.264 encoders support HLS, RTP, UDP and RTMP, the most used protocols for live streaming on sites such as Facebook Live, YouTube Live and other popular content distribution networks. Able to stream two or four sources of multiple streaming formats simultaneously over IP networks, these encoders greatly expand the range of devices each channel can support. This extensive protocol support extends the ways customers can use our products for streaming live content and gives them the freedom to choose the distribution method – direct or via a CDN – that suits any situation.
The ZyPerMX2 and ZyPerMX4 also support AAC, a widely used and often preferred audio compression format, in addition to supporting MP2 and AC3 formats. By recently making key features available via a free firmware upgrade, we gave customers already using these encoders new capabilities without additional cost—which is our approach to offering value whenever possible.
ZyPerMX Player
Our ZyPerMX, a free web-based multicast player, delivers an engaging television-like experience on the desktop for distributed content, which can include live broadcast TV, movie channels or in-house programming, without having to install software. The player is also available with an optional electronic programming guide, which dealers can offer to customers for a monthly or annual fee. The programming guide is fully customizable to correspond to the client’s content offerings and programming schedule.
STBi3 Set Top Box
Who is that cute and pudgy little box with built-in Power over  Ethernet? Meet STBi3, ZeeVee’s new set top box designed for bulk video distribution or IPTV type applications and simplifies AV over IP streaming. It can be used in conjunction with the ZyPerMX2 and ZyPerMX4, as well as ZeeVee’s Quad-Channel H.264 encoder as part of the HDBbridge3000. This provides an easy and affordable way to create a digital head-end for distributing large numbers of AV sources to an unlimited amount of displays.
The STBi3 supports UDP and RTP streams (with MPEG-4 encoding), as well as QAM and ATSC 2.0 for the North American market. It is the only set top box that offers PoE and scales video up to 4K/60 for compatible 4K/60 monitors. Deployments are simplified thanks to auto-discovery of ZeeVee generated IP streams that enable simple plug-and-play connectivity to the network for viewing channels. The STBi3’s architecture also allows for easy expansion as system requirements change. Not bad for the new kid on the block!
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10Gb vs. 1Gb: Manufacturers Take Sides
AVNetwork, February 3, 2020
 “No other company has the experience or has made the investment we have in developing AV-over-IP products. ZeeVee is a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance and one of the first manufacturers to offer these products. Where many manufacturers have been introducing AV-over-IP products in the last two years, our third generation line of award-winning HD to Ultra-HD/4K solutions for the pro AV and IT marketplace have been battle-tested, honed, and shaped by end users and integrators for more than five years and are serving users on five continents in a variety of challenging applications—including operating room theaters, higher education, large enterprises, museums, retail, bars and restaurants, and even high-end residential and yachts. Our management platform requires no programming nor training, enabling integrators and end users to configure a system in minutes,” said Bob Michaels, CEO, ZeeVee. LINK TO FULL STORY
Why You Need to Got to the ZeeVee Stand at ISE 2020
rAVe Publications (Video), February 7, 2020
LINK TO FULL INTERVIEW
ISE 2020 Panel: Is it ok for manufacturers to sell direct to end users?
InAVate Magazine (Video), February 17, 2020
LINK TO VIDEO
ZeeVee debuts new AV distribution products at ISE 2020
AVNation, February 10, 2020
ZeeVee is at ISE 2020 (booth 10-N197), is displaying its market- leading AV distribution solutions including the industry’s first set top box decoder, with Power over Ethernet (PoE) and 4K video scaling; enhancements to its popular ZyPer Management Platform; and numerous other feature additions and upgrades. “ZeeVee’s video distribution product suite continues to expand and evolve in order to support the needs of end-users and our distribution and integration partners,” said Rob Muddiman, EMEA Sale Director, ZeeVee. “We’re also grateful for the wide range of industry accolades our technology continues to receive including our recent SDVoE Alliance Members’ Choice Award for project excellence, underscoring the performance of our ZyPer4K solution.” LINK TO FULL STORY
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David Feng, Principal Engineer
 What do John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and David Feng have in common? They’re all “founding fathers.” Admittedly, the first three created something quite radical in their day – but Dave is quite proud of the radical changes he helped usher into the professional AV industry.
As a principal engineer and part of ZeeVee’s launch team in 2007, he has been closely involved with the technology developments of the company since its inception. He is particularly proud of being part of the engineering team that designed and implemented the core of ZeeVee’s RF-based products, as well as more recently being involved in the move to IP technology with the ZyPerMX2, ZyPerMX4 and MPEG-4 Quad Encoder Blade (for the HdBridge 3000) that works in concert with the encoders and STBi3 decoder (which recently replaced the MXE+).
“I’ve been at ZeeVee since day one and it’s been a blast of a ride,” he says. “We’ve gone through some ups and downs—but through it all, our can-do attitude and a laser focus on our customers have guided us to become the leader in video distribution solutions.”
Dave is most excited about the industry’s fast-moving transition from dedicated and proprietary AV distribution technology to the well-established open standard IP/Ethernet represents. This development lowers the cost for high end AV distribution and allows ZeeVee to innovate and more quickly deliver the features its customers seek. While the adoption of IP infrastructure to replace proprietary matrix switches for AV distribution continues to grow, he believes RF is not going anywhere soon due to its price point and ease of installation.
Prior to joining ZeeVee, Dave already had deep video and IT engineering experience. He was a principal engineer for Acopia Networks and Sonus Networks, as well as a software engineer at Xedia Corp and Integrated Computing Engines.
Dave received a M.S. Degree in computer science from Boston University, and a B.S. degree in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He lives in Westford, Mass., with his wife of 32 years and is the father of a grown son and daughter.
An avid runner, Dave has competed in the Boston and New York City Marathons and other road races. He’s also an avid biker, tennis player and fan of music festivals.
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