SamanthaD

Silent disco kit might suit your needs?

As DSE assessments are done on an individual basis and we have no knowledge of the individual's needs as to why this has been suggested perhaps we should answer the question as asked and not judge the reasoning behind it?

You can use a hardware controller to output IP addresses - we use Extron for this in all our teaching spaces and they have an IP driver for your screen available. If you want an easy to use interface to control the screen as opposed to telnet etc they're a great solution.

The cylindrical barrel lock pick off Amazon is great once you've got the hang of it. Any locks we can't find the key for don't stand much of a chance once I get involved! The only downside is once it's picked unless you're very careful you can't use it again, but I guess for this it's not really a problem.

How long is the cable run to the projector and are you running HDMI direct to the projector or converting it (say to CatX). Longer HDMI cables are usually active and rely on an amplifier at the device end to power it. If you're going through a faceplate and an adapter the device may not be giving enough power, or there might be a fluctuation in the power?

At the screen. And Owl must recognise that themselves as they have a videobar themselves!

As far as we're concerned the Owl is a piece of junk. The users in the room like it but the end user experience is awful. You lose the engagement as people are looking at the screen, not the camera, so the end user feels they're being ignored. The movement can make people seasick, and since the security issues (they have been resolved) I just don't trust it. Stick an all in one video bar below the screen and be done with it, it works and doesn't come with any of the above problems. Logitech Meetup is a great little product and I've been impressed with the Sennheiser TC Bar (they come in 2 different sizes, small and medium). That's where I'd spend my money.

If you want a top down view the Wolfvision Eye14 camera is great, we use them in our medical facilities as they have proper mounting options for ceiling tiles. They also have a cool laser dot to help with alignment that pulses out of sync with the camera frame rate so although you see the dot, the camera doesn't....

In case you haven't seen it.... https://somersetcounciltraining.co.uk/Article/160824 Time to start investing in laser or display screens, or at the very least ensure you have a stock of lamps available. Unsure what this will mean for disposal of these lamps, but now is the time to start worrying about it.

As said above, a lot depends on the room size and use. As Christie are normally associated with large projectors, I would guess this is for your main hall? If so, what else is the hall used for? If there's a likelihood of balls flying around for PE then I would stay away from the screen route. Laser projectors these days are pretty good and getting cheaper than they were a few years ago. Screen size is difficult to say as it should factor in various things such as the distance to the furthest viewer and the font size typically used. AVIXA's DISCAS calculator works out all the maths, I typically use 24 point being 3% element height (at 1080p) and 1.77 is 16:9 ratio expressed as a decimal ;-) I do say should though as this is best practise and many on here are bound more by what they can afford or fit into a space. I've been there too, but I've always said at least understand the rules before you break them.

IMO do not go wireless. You're already experiencing problems, with an ever increasing density on bandwidth and devices any solution found today will only crop again later. (I've been bitten too many times with wireless where rehearsals etc are fine but then everything goes wrong when there's an audience all with phones on hunting for WiFi!) Take the time and run a cable. Thank me later. Options - Copper HDMI can run to about 7m without equalisation / boosting. There are active HDMI cables that run up to about 20m, if you go this route buy decent quality (Van Damme etc). Also bear in mind that's a direct connection, not a flylead. Conversion is probably best, there are many options such as the generic HDBaseT or manufacturer specific such as Extron's DTP line which take the HDMI and send it down a CatX line - this is not IP data though, just point to point. Some systems (like DTP) are fussy with cable type, but HDBaseT isn't too bad and also works with most projectors (ie plug the CatX straight in without a decoder box!). These solutions can also send power to the other encoder / decoder so you only need to power one end (useful if you use an encoding faceplate then power the receiver by the projector?) Another option is AV over IP, where the HDMI signal is encoded and sent out via IP to a receiver. This can be point to point or part of a bigger system that allows any transmitter to connect to any receiver, very powerful but also can get very complicated quickly! It's also quite expensive and if going over your network requires certain protocols to be in place (IGMP Snooping, Fast Leave enabled etc). This is from experience of around 250 rooms in use daily - most use the DTP system but where the runs are short enough we use the Active Copper HDMI, and get very few failures.

We have a Denon Envoi that has lasted for years - no longer available. I think the equivalent these days is the LD Systems Roadbuddy system - includes wireless mics receivers built in, bluetooth, speaker out (albeit on a jack connector) and other useful bits like another 2 channels (more mics or instruments?), a 3.5mm jack for non bluetooth devices and a USB player as well. Quoted at 8 hours battery (our Denon envoi would easily do 4/5 hours on a single charge) but the battery life does depend on how loud it's driven (louder = less time!). If you don't want mics then maybe consider the EV Everse range. I have used the Everse 8 and it's amazing for such a small speaker, they've just released the Everse 12 and it looks awesome. No built in mics but they have a power output so you could power a receiver from the speaker. These also do wireless streaming to a second speaker, not something I've used but something you mentioned. Worth a look.

Depends on your needs! Sorry to turn it back on you but without some context of the use, the type of equipment you already have and clarification of the skill level of who will be using it we'd be guessing, not very much use to you at all I would suggest. So some questions. How many mics / sources do you need to connect it to? What it is connecting to? Amplifier? Powered speakers? Unpowered speakers? Who is likely to be using it? How tech savvy are they? How much room do you need for future proofing? (ie do you run events that use hired in microphones, so buying a bigger desk now would save on hiring options?) Any other information you can give would help! Thanks.

For IEC units keep the total load under 10A - that is the maximum load a C13 / C14 IEC connector is rated for. Also look at the cable size - a lot of IEC ready made cables are only made using 0.75mm CSA cable with a maximum load of 6A. For 10A you need 1mm minimum. Some use Powercon connections (blue and grey connections that look like speaker plugs) - these are rated at 20A (with appropriate cable) but the older (more popular) versions are not rated to connected / disconnected under load so, by rights, the circuit should be dead before you plug / unplug them. Pain as it means doing the wiring first then powering it all up to be addressed afterwards, rather than wire it, power it, address it and off to the next fixture! Pedantic stuff and it may seem pointless, but I was always taught if you're going to break the rules at least know which ones you're breaking and why you're breaking them.

If you're going full LED you will not need any dimmers, dimming is done on the unit, so only hot power is required. Chances are you can re-purpose your wiring to get power up to the bar, just make sure you have the relevant protection in place for the circuits (breakers etc). You will have to get DMX up to the bar as well for control, please go wired for this as wireless may test ok during rehearsals etc but when you fill your hall with parents etc with all their devices it's almost guaranteed to fail. Wires work every time! For control the Quick-Q series is pretty good and being Chamsys there's lots of online videos. I use the MagicQ software myself almost exclusively (unless I'm forced to use Avolites) and love it for the simplicity and versatility. Glad to hear other users here are seeing the same thing!

How much control do you need? If none after setup then perhaps an audio matrix mixer with no user interface might be better, we use the Extron DMP range for "set and forget" installs in our lecture theatres to great effect. Otherwise tablet controlled devices like the Behringer X-Air range are pretty good (don't use the in-built Wi-Fi though, it's awful!) Alternatively - have you looked to repair your Behringer unit? We used lots of these and found there was an issue with the power supply - replacing a power cap that cost a few pennies each fixed a lot of issues for us....

Just to add a few thoughts on everything already mentioned. That many antenna bunched into a small space will more than likely cause issues. You've not extended them to their full length which doesn't help either. Antenna distribution will help massively. From your reports it sounds like you may be using unlicensed frequencies caused by the changes in the frequency spectrum. Have a look at Ofcoms PMSE section (Program Making and Special Events) which covers microphone use for the letter of the law. As others have said the free to use band Channel 70 covers 863 - 865 MHz. You can fit 4 frequencies on there comfortably, but it's a free for all. Channel 38 is the standard UK General paid for license and covers 606 - 614 MHz, but also gives you access to the "duplex gap" of 823 - 832 MHz. This isn't well known and not often mentioned as Channel 38 kit generally can't tune that high, but Channel 70 kit can go down to it. Worth looking at is it is often free. The final alternative for RF is using the "interleaved spectrum" which is the gaps between the TV stations, and is a location specific license agreed with Ofcom. We have 3 interleaved licenses, but these are on frequencies normal UK kit can't tune to so getting hold of the kit is a little more difficult. I've found this chart from Shure is really useful for visualising all of this. In addition you have digital microphones such as Sennheiser EW-D, some work in the 1.9 GHz range (DECT frequencies), others in 2.4. Research before committing to a purchase! Expect the Sennheiser G3/G4 secondhand market to be flooded soon as it goes end of life at the end of the year and companies will be making the jump to EW-DX. 8 systems with 2 ASA units (antenna splitters) and remote antennas might cost a few thousand now, but will last you a good while yet.

Perhaps if exam guidelines are being so stringent they can suggest what software would be appropriate?

Just be aware Sharp have merged with NEC - I'm due to see them at a conference end of April so will be taking a close eye at their offerings!

Don't risk it - put real ones in. Issue with fake cameras is if something else happens in the room that needs the footage reviewing you then have to admit to them being fake, making them pointless. We had CCTV in my old secondary school's IT suites, and damage was quickly picked up and vandals brought to SLT. Never had anything huge to deal with.

Been using lasers for around 5 years. We're starting to see failures, mainly due to lack of maintenance on our part (our room usage is at 100% pretty much everywhere giving us zero maintenance opportunities). Clogged filters is the main culprit. But for life they're great, we also have the issue of them being left on overnight / over weekends / over Christmas break and they just keep going! If you go down the laser route though it's worth over-speccing the brightness, then turn the brightness down. This gives a constant level of brightness throughout the life of the projector rather than starting at max and heading down the curve pretty much instantly. I think Epson call it constant brightness in their menu settings?

Though I'm no expert if your file management is all done via SharePoint and One Drive - do you require a VPN? We have a VPN that we use only when we need to access On Prem stuff, but otherwise if we're off site just internet access is sufficient.

Off the top of my head have a look at WolfVision's Cynap Pure Mini. Definitely an approach we're looking at quite seriously.

I tried that bag but found having the weight on one side was tiring pretty quickly, I prefer to have a rucksack style so I can spread the load over both shoulders and not twist my back. But I walk a lot to my jobs, if it's a quick "from the car to the job" it might suffice for some. I stopped that when it was pointed out the knife on a multi-tool is normally illegal as it's a locking knife, though the law says you can carry it if you have good reason to. As part of a multi-tool carried on a "just in case" basis wasn't enough justification for me, so it stays in my toolbox nowadays.

I have one of these... Product link it's a bit heavy but has survived a few years of abuse, though I swapped the insert out for my old Stanley Fatmax insert as it laid out my screwdrivers better.