Vanti

Thanks BennyG!

That's very cool. Are the USTs blended or just edge aligned?

Thanks for your kind words, Chris

Vanti specialises in delivering first-class Audio Visual (AV) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) to organisations based in the West Midlands and London. Vanti HQ can be found at Birmingham Science Park in Aston, just upstairs from the café, in an open plan office where we maintain a friendly yet professional attitude with our colleagues, clients and everyone else we interact with. Our goal is to work with a select number of clients who are looking for best-of-breed technologies that allow them to improve the way they operate now and in the future. We’re all about the long-game, and we’re looking for those who have the mental stamina to help get us to where we need to be. We’re passionate about creating solutions that not only answer the initial brief but create an experience that truly ‘wows’ people. Our perfect candidate will be able to rapidly skill themselves up on new technologies, won’t flake out managing fundamental problems and certainly won’t mind the occasional big hairy issue that takes patience to work through. We’re looking for a self-starter with experience working in a helpdesk environment, delighting users with the speedy and accurate resolution of their problems. They need to be mindful of the wider organisational issues these problems can present because the technology we implement often underpins how our clients operate on a day-to-day basis. We need someone who knows the importance of good communication and creating lasting relationships. We’re offering the right candidate the opportunity to develop their knowledge and experience as well as play a healthy part in contributing to our continuing success. This role will be predominantly office-based but you’ll have the tools to work effectively wherever the role takes you. You should also be looking forward to the next step of your career – managing a team of people. While this won’t be required of you immediately, you can expect it to happen within six months of joining (training available for the right person). You’ll definitely needed to have had experience communicating with, co-operating with, and successfully supporting lots of different people (internal and external), each with their own wants and needs. So, are you the next technology superhero to join our team? Find out more and apply online, here: Vanti - Careers: Systems Administrator and Project Consultant

We've been using the Sanyo VCC-HD5600 for our classroom observation suites. Pound for pound it's the best value camera we've found with the following features: IP camera MPEG4 stream Plug in an audio feed to add audio to the stream Motorised pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) Optical zoom is exceptional (we can read the handwriting on students' exercise books from the ceiling) Has Composite output as standard, can add HDMI (mini connector) via an option board Probably less useful in your scenario but you can add local storage (CF card) to the camera to record locally Hope that helps, Mike

Hi Laura, Unfortunately I don't think we're allowed to post up case studies to show you the theatres, drama studios and school halls we've equipped previously in both new builds (off plan) and retro-fit but I'm happy to try and help with your original question. As Andrew_C said, at the moment this is a case of how long is a piece of string. Here are some things you may want to consider to narrow this down towards a workable solution: 1. An obvious one but budget is going to limit your options pretty quickly. 2. How frequently is the system going to be used? Will it just be once a term for a school production? 3. Will lessons be taught in the space? If so, which subjects? 4. Do you have in-house expertise to run a lighting and sound rig? If the space is going to be used by subject teachers are they confident on such equipment? Do they have the inclination / capacity for training? 5. I assume you're having other AV equipment in the space- have you thought about integrating this system with other equipment to provide users with a single control interface? 6. If you're teaching drama / performing arts in the space, are students required to complete any technical components as part of their courses? Eg. Light rigging, sound stage configuration, etc 7. Will the space be used in different configurations? I.e. Could the point from which you control light and sound vary? Hope that provokes some useful conversations. Let me know if you need anything further from us. Kind regards, Mike

Hi There are several different ways of getting round this: A Passive VGA Splitter - these are cheap @ ~£5 and work quite well with shorter distance VGA projector cabling Where the VGA cabling is longer you may require an active splitter as you have already mentioned, there are however USB powered splitters on the market. These work quite well and do not need a power socket, something like this: USB-Powered VGA Splitter - 2-Port | StarTech.com United Kingdom Another option would be to make use of the 'monitor out' port on your projector (if it has one), run a second vga cable and present a second VGA port in the AV plate dedicated for the workstation monitor We find these have been very popular: Sahara Presentation Systems > Sahara Cable Kit 5m They are reasonably priced and quick to install There are also some AV Input plates on the market which integrate this technology in a AV input plate. Something like: Product Details - ABtUS Singapore - Total AV solutions Programmable Integrated Projector Controller Switcher#page=page-1 These units are good in that they integrate an audio amplifier, projector controller, video switcher (could also have a visualiser, etc) and a usb port for connectivity of a interactive whiteboard They are more expensive but you have total control of all your classroom AV components in one unit Hope this helps!

Thanks Chris

It's also worth ensuring your presentations are set up for the correct aspect ratios (16:9 or 16:10 normally). Nothing worse than seeing a great looking presentation that's been set up in 4:3 let down by two huge black bars either side of the screen. Click Design on the Ribbon >> Page Setup >> "Slides sized for:" dropdown >> Take your pick

Just to echo Craggus2000 - upgrading to MagicInfo-i is definitely worth it. Failing that, you could see if there are client upgrades available to what I assume is MagicInfo Pro over at Samsung LFD Monitors (you'll need to register but it is free). I put a comparison together over on our blog a little while ago, which may be useful, especially if you're running any set-back boxes (SBB-NTs): Samsung MagicInfo Digital Signage Version Comparison | RTS Technology Solutions

Hi jsimpson, This is certainly possible. Do you have the model code for the panels? We can check with the manufacturer if they have suitable control codes to perform all of the functions you need. If not, using infrared would be the next option. Many thanks, Mike

Hi Katie, I think you need to move your post to the Our Advertisers forum before we're officially allowed to say we can help... Don't know if a mod wants to clarify or move the thread? Cheers, Mike

Result! Always a pleasure Little-Miss

Thanks for your kind words Little-Miss, happy to have been of service

Have you thought about using Microsoft Data Protection Manager at all? That could manage everything for you. See: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/dataprotectionmanager/en/us/default.aspx