What are Smart TVs?

OK, so perhaps my morbid prediction of our future is a little over the top. But if you’ve come across the term “Smart TV”, you’ve probably thought two things:

1. “What is a Smart TV?”
2. “When will they become smarter than us, and take over the world, and exterminate all of mankind?”

I’ll leave the second question to greater philosophical minds than mine, and will instead focus on the first question.

A Smart TV is also sometimes referred to as a “Connected TV” and is a term that television manufacturers began using towards the end of 2011 and in early 2012. Whilst some of the features that are seen in Smart TVs have existed in previous years, there has been a trend towards making these features more common and more prominently highlighted as a consumer benefit. The extra features that are included in Smart Televisions include:

• The ability to connect televisions directly to the internet and web browser capability
• The ability to network multiple devices (televisions, computers) together
• The ability to stream user selected content “on-demand”
• The ability to install software applications on the television for the purpose of entertainment, productivity, education
and so forth
• The integration of social networking tools
• The ability to manage and/or store content on a television

All of these features are exciting for the consumer and worrying for television networks (on-demand streaming will, no doubt, impact the amount of users they can reach and advertise to). However, whilst every feature I have listed is an exciting benefit, the way those features are implemented are what tend to make or break the end-user experience. The user experience is becoming rapidly better on consumer televisions, but whilst some features of Smart TV are well implemented, most users may find some things are still easier to accomplish by plugging a computer into their TV set. This brings me to my next point (and an important one considering the context of this article, which is aimed at the Education space).

Beware the Lack of Computer Video Connectivity

A lot of new televisions have dropped the VGA (computer video) connectivity on their televisions. For those of you who are using televisions in a school or commercial environment, this is still a very important feature and something that we’d highly recommend having when considering the purchase of a television. The reason why connectivity has been dropped is not entirely clear. There is some speculation that this is due to VGA being phased out over the coming years. If true, the decision is premature because VGA is still, today, by far the most prominent computer video connection in homes and offices. It could also be that TV manufacturers have decided that because their televisions are “smart”, they don’t need a computer to be able to connect to it. Whatever the reason, at this point in time, it is my recommendation that you continue to look for televisions with VGA inputs to suit your solution.

If would like to discuss this topic further or require assistance choosing the right telelvision, please contact one of our friendly team members on 1300 VIDEOPRO.

This month I would like to give you an insight into the new Education Category within the Apple App Store.

Since the introduction of the iPhone, and more recently the iPad 3, classroom technology has seen a massive trend towards these devices. Apple have not only provided a fantastic tablet solution for personal and business use, but also within the Education field.

With an interface that is so easy to use, and one that is now the most familiar in the world, it is no wonder that the new Education Category within the App Store is sure to be another Apple success.

Browsing through the categories, there are many Apps (some even free or provided at a very low cost) for not only students of all ages, but also for Teachers. Some of these categories include Classroom Management, Curricula Support, Instructional Tools, Personal Organisation and Reference.

There are also hundreds of Reading Apps for students of all ages (there are some very cool interactive books in here), Music, Math and Life Science Apps to keep learning minds engaged and focused.

To browse these Apps, simply go to the App Store on your Apple device and type ‘education’ into the search field in the top right hand corner. You can then sort by category by tapping the field under the ‘category’ listing in the top left hand corner. Then simply choose your category and browse away.

You can find additional information on any App simply by touching the icon of any given listing. Then once inside, you will be given a brief run down, however more information can be found by touching the ‘more’ button.

To purchase the App, click on the price (Don’t worry, you will be asked if you really want to purchase if you accidently touch this), then click ‘Buy App’ and run through the iTunes process.

To return to the search listing, simply click on the ‘search’ button in the top left hand corner.

If you have any enquiries please contact your Videopro Account Manager on 1300 VIDEOPRO.

Hi guys,

A quick note to let you know we have just finished our Avid reseller training event which was a little different this year, all 6 hours of it. First couple of hours was the general session which consisted of company update and product announcement previews. We then spent the rest of the day in breakout sessions which then involved more details of their new products and partner program.

In relation to new products Avid have a truck load this year, some of which include;

It’s exciting times and I’m loooking forward to receiving more information on these products. If you would like to know more please contact me on 1300 VIDEOPRO or via email at d.thompson@videopro.com.au.

Greetings everybody from the land where everything is bigger! Yes, that’s right, I was in the USA attending NAB 2012 in Las Vegas. Tough gig, I know, but someone had to do it, right?

Anyway talking about big, Avid have announced some major promotions which will run for the next two months.

The first promotion is upgrading to Symphony for AUD$1,099. For those of you who have heard of Symphony but aren’t sure what’s different about it, well it’s pretty easy to explain. It’s identical to Media Composer however, you get the extra benefits of secondary colour grading, RGB444 and Boris Continuumm Complete. So, what do you need to qualify for this unbelievable price of AUD$1,099(I had to say it again)? Any version of Media Composer, Xpress Pro or Xpress DV. For our FCP 7 friends you’re in luck as Avid are running the same promo for you however, it’s called crossgrade. Who care’s what it’s called, it’s the same price - AUD$1,099.

The second promotion is for our Mojo and Adrenaline friends. You can use these to trade up to Mojo DX or Nitris DX and get a complimentary upgrade to your choice of Media Composer 6 or Newscutter 10.

Well that’s it from me for now, if you’re after any more information please click here or you can contact me at 1300 VIDEOPRO or via email d.thompson@videopro.com.au.

The Panasonic AVC-Ultra family of codecs continues to grow and ensures that Panasonic has a strong future from the highest Master Quality 12bit 4:4:4 image acquisition to high efficiency low bit rate images easily transferred across mobile networks. They also announced two new AVC Long G (long GOP) codecs that will deliver 10bit 4:2:2 image quality at 25 and 50Mbps. Advances in coding mean the compromises of older Long GOP codecs are a thing of the past. Also unveiled are the plans for a Total 4K Production Workflow. Not just a 4K camera. At the heart of this solution will be the 4K Varicam. At the show a mock-up version is on display. As the AVC-Intra Class 4:4:4 profile of the AVC-Ultra family won’t be ready until later this year they still have time up their sleeve to get the imager right. Panasonic have investigated many existing 4K sensors, but have found none that can match the P2 based capabilities of the 4:4:4 profile of the AVC-Ultra family. Further details are yet to be released but I can confirm that the Panasonic factory is hard at work on not just a 4K camera but a family of 4K Master Quality production products.

Other exciting news includes:

Click here for the Panasonic press conference releases.

Well thats it for the moment stay tuned for next month’s edition of Wayne’s word or contact me via email at w.newton@videopro.com.au.

The Monodpad is an amazing new product that combines multiple technologies into a single device, and will change the way we collaborate and communicate forever. Built on an open architecture platform, the Mondopad allows users to customise the device to be application specific. A comprehensive demonstration of the Mondopad’s capabilities will be presented at this launch, so don’t miss out on this special event!



One device, multiple inclusions…

Event details:
DATE: 26th April 2012
LOCATION: Videopro, 37 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm
SESSION TIMES: 9am - 11am, 1pm - 3pm, 6.30pm - 8.30pm

This is a must-attend event! Register early to avoid disappointment!

In this month’s edition of Pat’s Space I’ll be taking a look at how you can use a green screen in iMovie. I make quite a few videos so I’m always on the lookout for fun and easy ways to enhance the end result of my productions. When I came across the green screen functionality in iMovie, I was blown away by how easy it was use. Essentially, filming in front of a green screen allows the user to take out the green background and replace it with another video clip. This means you can put yourself right in the thick of your favourite action film, out in the middle of the jungle or even on an island paradise. The possibilities are endless!

Check out the link below if you’d like to learn more.

After attending a conference held by Frontrow last week I quickly developed an understanding and appreciation for reinforced sound in the classroom. The long and the short of it is, children hear differently to adults and they don’t have a developed bank of words to fill in the gaps when they miss a word here and there. Whereas adults can piece together a sentence if parts of it are missed. Adults also have a better ability to lip read if they are having trouble hearing. Children can often have trouble adapting to new teachers because of the tone differences in their voice, for example if a lady has a high pitched voice and the relief teacher has a deep voice they might not be able to pick up the inflections in the voice easily, therefore missing out on words in sentences.

Student learning aside, a large number of teachers experience vocal strain at some point in their career resulting in sick days and work cover claims. A sound field system allows a teacher to talk normally without strain, the only problem they might encounter is… forgetting to turn the microphone off when going to the toilet!

I have personally looked into a number of Sound Field systems, and Frontrow provides the best quality hardware and support along with a passionate team of hearing enthusiasts. Check out the convincing statistics here on what good quality classroom sound can offer students.

If you would like to receive information on Frontrow Systems, you can contact me at d.macready@videopro.com.au or on 1300 VIDEOPRO.

This May the Cancer Council Queensland is encouraging schools to make a difference by writing a creative story, hosting a morning tea or running a baking stall.

Students that wish to enter the creative writing competition are to write a one to two page story entitled ‘My magnificent tea party’ and email it through to abmt@cancerqld.org.au. There will be three official winners from the state who will be awarded prizes, including theme park tickets and books and thanks to our friends at VIDEOPRO the major winner will go home with a Sony Reader™ Wi-Fi® Touch with stylish cover* (RRP $224).

A fun way to fundraise for the campaign is to invite parents along for a morning tea day, where the kids can read them their magnificent tea party stories. You can help those affected by asking guests to make a donation at the morning tea. Baking stalls are also an easy way to fundraise. Have students bake their favourite morning tea treats and bring them in for a market stall day. Invite parents and teachers along for the day and donate the proceeds back to Cancer Council Queensland.

With one in two Queenslanders being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, it’s time to tea up your school, raise awareness and help those affected by cancer.

Register your school now at biggestmorningtea.com.au or phone 1300 65 65 85.

Think VIDEOPRO…

VIDEOPRO is excited to announce that we will be holding information sessions on interactive whiteboards and other educational technology exclusively for kindergartens.

Resident experts, who specialise in assisting the education sector with their audio visual needs, will be available on the day to showcase popular educational technology, and Patrick Byrne, VIDEOPRO’s Emerging Technology Specialist, will provide an interactive whiteboard demonstration on the market leading Hitachi FX-Trio interactive whiteboard.

When:
Thursday 3 May 2012

Sessions:
1.00pm - 3.00pm
4.00pm - 6.00pm

Where:
VIDEOPRO HQ, 37 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm QLD 4009

RSVP:
Please contact Julia Donovan at j.donovan@videopro.com.au.

If you don’t work at a kindergarten, but your school has an associated kindergarten, or if you know someone from a kindergarten who you think will be interested, please feel free pass this invitation along.

Catering will be provided, so an RSVP is essential. We look forward to seeing you there!