Existing Auditorium Upgrades AV and Adds Video Distribution

Headquartered in Montreal and operating in 169 locations in 42 countries around the world, Future Electronics has earned an impressive reputation for providing outstanding service and developing efficient, comprehensive global supply chain solutions. With over 45 years of operation, Future Electronics is a worldwide leader in electronic components distribution, and is recognized as one of the most respected and innovative companies in the industry today. For a company that distributes components that will be used to create new technologies, it is paramount that the technology they use in their own offices be as impressive as their reputation. They aren’t named Future Electronics for nothing.

When Future Electronics’ Pointe-Claire, Quebec office decided to renovate some of the equipment in their auditorium they had a list of necessary audiovisual capabilities in mind. The company wanted to revamp the existing auditorium with up-to-date audiovisual technology with support for digital connectivity and wireless presentations. This included being able to use the space for audio conferences. It was necessary to have audio reinforcement within the room and proper acoustic echo cancellation. Audio from these meetings needed to then be recorded on portable media ready for use.

“The number one [goal] was to have a flawless audio conferencing system,” says Pasquale Fantone, Head of Engineering for PFT Solutions. “They have important meetings in this auditorium, they record everything and they bring in people from outside. The equipment wasn’t sufficient at that time.”

It wasn’t just the auditorium that needed to be outfitted with new audiovisual equipment. Due to the breadth and scope of Future Electronics’ business, the company is often hosting large gatherings in order to present to clients and customers. The existing auditorium isn’t always enough to comfortably hold the amount of guests that the building might host at a given time. Two training rooms had been used for overflow in the past, and the company wanted to provide a fresher experience for those that were designated to the training rooms during presentations. It was desired that HD distribution be added to the overflow training rooms where projectors would be installed to stream meetings from the auditorium.

300-feet away in the Main Dining Room, Future Electronics decided it would be worthwhile to install four projection screens that could distribute a broadcast of the auditorium meetings as well. The Main Dining Room needed the ability to use resources available from the Auditorium such as the satellite receiver or Blu-Ray player. Future Electronics hired Montreal-based systems integrator PFT Solutions to implement the install. For over 15 years PFT Solutions has been helping corporations and various institutions in Montreal and across the province of Quebec with the set-up of various systems such as video projection, sound amplification, cabling infrastructure, videoconference, automation, digital signage and lighting controls in various training rooms, meeting rooms and boardrooms. They were the perfect fit to carry out the installation.

In the Auditorium an HD PTZ camera had to be added so that the presenter himself or the stage event could be broadcast to the other gathering spaces. The existing lighting system of the room, which included ceiling incandescent spots, ceiling fluorescents, white LED alcoves, poster panels and architectural RGB LED fixtures, had to be integrated into the new control system. Use of the complete system had to be simple and intuitive for Future Electronics employees to be able to stream live broadcasts across the site.

PFT put in a main rack in the Auditorium and a secondary rack in the Main Dining Room. The main rack consists primarily of a control system, IP video gateway, video matrix, audio AEC DSPs, audio recorder, microphone receivers with an antenna distribution system, preview monitor and television receivers. Within the rack booth is a touch panel for control and local connectivity, and a headphone audio monitor system. The secondary rack consists of a video receiver for Auditorium content, local inputs, microphone receivers, preview monitor and a touch panel for control. An e-mail warning system was implemented in case temperatures rose too high in the rack booth. Future Electronics personnel is informed when the temperature rises so that damage can be avoided.

“Because of our temperature control in the rack, they were justified in putting an air conditioning system in the room,” says Fantone. “Three days later they were getting e-mails that it was going over 85 degrees Fahrenheit.”

The auditorium meeting space was outfitted with two projectors for proper coverage and bilingual presentations, side fill monitors, an HD PTZ camera and stage floor boxes for connectivity. The Main Dining Room was outfitted with four projectors and screens. In the two overflow training rooms projectors were installed together with video receivers for auditorium content and control. These projectors are also available for use within the rooms with local inputs. Sound from the auditorium, including the audio-conference feed, is redistributed to the Main Dining Room and the overflow rooms. The graphic user interface was custom designed with Future Electronics’ IT support team.

Future Electronics is currently enjoying their new AV system, and guests are impressed with the quality and distance of the streaming capabilities. Meetings have never been more well received.