Topics: AV, HDMI, Active Optical Cables, 8K, 4K, DisplayPort, Video Communications, cosemi, Cosemi Technologies, AOC, AV Innovation, VCOM

‘Tis the Season for the dreaded “Cold Pull”. During the winter months Liberty typically sees claims of cable jackets cracking and splitting from customers. In almost every instance the product exhibits splits and cracks every couple of feet. This is not a defective cable but is an example of incorrect installation procedure by the installer. Plenum compounds are very stiff due to the additions of chemicals to prevent flame spread and smoke generation. Cold temperatures cause this to become very brittle and when the cable is flexed – the jacket shatters and/or cracks as shown below:

Topics: Technical Bulletin,, plenum, cold, cable cracking, plenum cable, cold weather

How to get the most out of your Wireless Networks
By Arthur de Jager, CEO of Niveo Professional

The (non-)sense of heat maps

We regularly receive requests to, based on a blue print of a building, to create a heatmap. Although the customer is always right, we should not give poor advise. So, we advise on suggested temporary placement of a few AP's, followed by a site survey.

Topics: Wireless,, Networking, Access Point, wireless network

By Arthur de Jager, CEO of Niveo Professional

Less than one month after the WannaCry ransom-ware attack, many companies and institutions were hit by Petya. The Petya attack spread very rapidly affecting many companies in a very short time-frame(1). It nearly paralyzed operations of one of Europe's largest container terminal and has seriously disrupted the operations of companies like TNT Express(2).

Topics: AV Integration,, AV over IP, AV Security, Ransom Ware Attack, Data Security, Audio Visual Security

By Arthur de Jager, CEO of Niveo Professional

Building speakers in garages...

Our industry is filled with fantastic stories of Custom Installers having started their business by building fully customized speakers from their garages. Just because what the mass market manufacturers produced wasn't good enough. These pioneers of our industry added real value to their passionately created audio installations. I have never seen a industry with so much passion and I am proud to be working in that industry.

Topics: AV over IP, Cedia, Networking, IoT

100-Ohm twisted pair cabling has come a long way since the first launch of the 568 standard. Categories 1, 2, 4, and 5 are obsolete. Category 3 hangs on by a ripcord and Category 5e has already lost its market lead to Category 6. Category 6A is moving out of data centers and demand is increasing for even higher performing cables. Category 7 is officially skipped in the US market and Category 8 is in the ratification process.

Topics: UTP, twisted pair, cat 6, cat 6a, cat 7, cat 8, PoE, cat 5e, HDBaseT, STP, FTP

AV Technology in the classroom is no longer a phenomenon. Just visit your own child's school and classroom, and you notice how technology is playing a key role in K-12 education today. According to the U.S. Department of Education, computers are in 97 percent of classrooms every day, and the adoption of new easy-to-use technologies by teachers is growing.

Its not just K-12. Classroom technology is a perfect fit for higher education, training facilities and more.

Topics: AV, classroom AV, learning, K-12, higher education, classroom technology

With the convergence of AV and Networking continuing to trend upward, installation of networked AV capture and streaming technology is another opportunity for professional AV integrators to take advantage of.

Topics: Remote Workforce, AV, HD Video Conferencing, remote learning, av capture, streaming, lecture capture, distance learning, lecture recording, sharing, on-demand

Huddle rooms are one of the hottest trends in the AV industry today. Wainhouse Research estimates the potential for huddle rooms to be between 30 and 50 million rooms. As a professional integrator, you can provide great benefit to your customers by educating them on the flexibility and cost effectiveness of huddle rooms.

Topics: Wireless,, BYOD, video conferencing, remote working, Remote Workforce, AV, HD Video Conferencing, Huddle Room, huddle rooms