Skip to main content
Kramer video matrix units send any video sources to any destination. The Kramer solution was the choice due to its reliability.

Customer

Sports Café

Industry

Entertainment

Metropolis AV & FX has completed a major technical refurbishment at the Sports Café in London’s Haymarket. The project follows on from Metropolis’ design and supply of the complete lighting, sound, and AV system to the latest Sports Café in Manchester, and their long-term servicing of the maintenance contract at the flagship London operation. Upstairs, Metropolis replaced all the old TVs with 28″ and 32″ widescreen televisions, installing a total of 33, plus one of the new Generation 6 Panasonic TH42 PW6 plasma screens – the first in the UK. Two new Sanyo PLC SL15 video projectors were also installed – some of the first in the country – fitted with protective POAP smoke housings to extend longevity.

Metropolis also fitted an additional six Bose Panaray speakers to the existing audio system and re-calibrated the system to spread the sound more evenly around the area. The existing RF cabled network for the video was stripped out and replaced with a full composite video system. This is distributed throughout the building via 10 video distribution amplifiers, fed from two Kramer VS-162V video matrix units that allow any video source/s to be sent to any destination. The Kramer devices were picked for their reliability.

The overall video distribution is controlled via a customized control panel manufactured in-house by Metropolis. This communicates with Alcorn McBride 1064 video controllers that talk to the two Kramer units, allowing independent control of each plasma, projector, and group of televisions. Metropolis also installed three new Bose 1800V professional amplifiers to the existing five, boosting the system’s power capacity.

All the Sports Café’s audio sources are routed via a Soundcraft Spirit Live 4 x 2 console to a new Allen & Heath IDR8 multi-processor for EQ, compression, limiting, etc. The system has been set to run as ‘loud as is safe’, and also has limits set to prevent abuse and overdriving. Metropolis’s project manager was Stuart Clowes, who worked closely with Shane Winterbourne who designed, engineered, and oversaw the installation of the new elements.

Tags:

Entertainment

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

United Kingdom

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

“How to offer our client maximum flexibility with the signal routing so that any source could be displayed on virtually any display device. We invented an ingenious solution using four Kramer ProScale™ Digital Scaler/Switchers.”
Paul Kemp | Operations Manager, T. S. G. Media Ltd.

Customer

T. S. G. Media Ltd.

Industry

Entertainment

The Sheffield-based media programming and systems company, T.S.G, recently completed the AV installation at the new Lloyds No.1 bar Chichester with several products from Kramer included. “We wanted to offer our client better images than is possible with composite video” begins Paul Kemp, Operations Manager at T.S.G, “so we immediately thought of up-scaling the video to match the native resolution of the plasmas, projectors, and LCD Displays that we are installing in our clients’ premises.”

Lloyds No.1 bar Chichester is equipped with a ProMedia hard disk music and media video server that outputs music videos at composite video level, and local advertising and promotional content at VGA level. An additional source is provided by a satellite decoder that also outputs at the composite video level. “The next issue we faced” continues Kemp, “was how to offer our client maximum flexibility with the signal routing, so that any source could be displayed on virtually any display device. One option was to consider a scaling matrix, but this was discounted on the grounds of unreasonable cost, so we invented an ingenious solution using four Kramer VP-719DS ProScale™ Digital Scaler/Switchers.” The two composite video signals are each fed into separate Kramer VM-50V 1:5 Composite video DAs and the graphics signal is fed into a Kramer VP-6xl 1:6 VGA/UXGA DA.

The four Kramer ProScale™ Digital Scaler/Switchers take feeds from each of the DAs and then they up-scale and output the signals. The display devices that receive the up-scaled signals include an LCD projector, 3 plasma screens, and 2 LCD monitors. These displays are divided into 4 groups with Kramer VM-1055 RGBHV DAs reliably providing the necessary signal distribution to the displays whether near or far from the source.

The Kramer VP-719DS scaler/switchers have FTB™ (Fade-Thru-Black) switching which provides a clean, glitch-free transition between the various sources. These Kramer ProScale™ Digital Scaler/Switchers models offer a cost-effective way to simplify multi-signal format installations.

Tags:

Entertainment

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

United Kingdom

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

Quote Icon
“We tested several solutions for delivering the signals to the projectors and Kramer’s was the best. In our long experience with Kramer’s products, they are very reliable, and that was a very important factor.”
Asi Goren | System Integration Project Manager, Protech Integration

Customer

Protech Integration Ltd.

Industry

Entertainment

Jerusalem’s iconic Tower of David is located in the magnificently restored Citadel in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. Within the Citadel’s walls, the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem in Israel initiates and undertakes projects that add new dimensions to the usual museum experience. A spectacular night show joins a long tradition of exhibits and projects that juxtapose the ancient and modern.

The night show, created by Skertzo, envelopes the spectator in a powerful multi-sensory experience. Its dynamic collage changes the visitor’s perceptions of time and place using motifs connected to the city’s history projected on the very walls, archeological ruins, bridges, and hidden pathways where the history unfolded.  The show, which draws many thousands of visitors to the museum annually, runs at least four times a week under almost any weather conditions.

The installation was extremely demanding. Sensitive electronic equipment and a high-resolution DVI signal distribution system needed to be installed over a distance in an outdoor venue that withstands severe climate changes throughout the entire year. More challenging was to install the system in an archeological site that dictated complex physical conditions, strict aesthetic demands, and extremely difficult cable routing.

The installation was extremely demanding. Sensitive electronic equipment and a high-resolution DVI signal distribution system needed to be installed over a distance in an outdoor venue that withstands severe climate changes throughout the entire year.

As soon as the project was confirmed, Protech Integration had less than three months to decide on equipment, install infrastructure, design and assemble weather-proof projection rooms, lay fiber optic cables for video and control, and design command rooms. Projectors were placed in several locations, at various distances from digital sources.
Protech Integration, a leading company of digital display and video in Israel, selected Kramer’s solution to distribute DVI signals and to deliver these signals over fiber optic cables for high-quality transmission regardless of distance or climate conditions.

Medial on Manager controls all AV equipment used in the show, including twenty projectors driven by ten Only view servers and ten Adtec high-definition players. An Alesis hard disk audio player is used for the multichannel soundtrack and the sound system is produced by NEXO.
Every projector in the setup receives its signals using Kramer 621T and 621R DVI over fiber optic cable transmitter/receiver pairs and Kramer LC-4 optical cables to ensure the highest-quality DVI transmission. 20 VM-2HDCP 1:2 DVI distribution amplifiers provide continuous monitoring of the show over local monitors.

“Because of the impossible time schedule, we had to install equipment and design the system at the same time, the only way to succeed was to work using a very precise timetable” said Asi Goren from Protech Integration. “We tested several solutions for delivering the signals to the projectors and Kramer’s was the best. In our long experience with Kramer’s products, they are very reliable, and that was a very important factor.”

Tags:

Entertainment

Connectivity

Signal Management

EMEA

Israel

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

Quote Icon
“They needed a video network, primarily for advertisement purposes, but they also wanted to provide station information inside the train cars.”
Serge Dmitrenko | Chief of Technical Support, Kramer

Customer

Kyiv Underground Railway System

Industry

Enterprise

When the Kyiv Underground Railway System wanted to update its 44-year-old passenger communication system, they turned to Kramer for a solution that would provide high-resolution video in every car and withstand the rigours of the Underground environment. With more than 1.5 million passengers daily, the Underground saw an opportunity for advertising and easier information dissemination, but they needed just the right product combinations to make it a reality.

“They needed a video network, primarily for advertisement purposes, but they also wanted to provide station information inside the train cars,” said Serge Dmitrenko, Chief of the Kramer Technical Support team in Russia. “They intended to use hardware made locally in Kyiv but were unable to get the required signal quality underground. So, they began searching for a branded solution.” As the officials at the Underground searched for their ideal products, they established requirements that would ensure the highest quality signal for difficult-to-reproduce items like text and graphics. The requirements included computer XGA resolution at the same level and quality in every car, along with small product dimensions and performance stability for optimum use in the noisy environment of the subway which is filled with electrical interference. In addition, the Kyiv Underground team wanted a quick production response and permanent technical support in the city speaking the native language.

“These features were not unique by themselves, but combined, they are a very rare find with a single manufacturer,” Dmitrenko noted. “We addressed their needs with a number of product trials and unique solutions. We also provided detailed attention to their market, with the project support they needed.” Kramer was selected to provide line amplifiers and high-resolution XGA distribution amplifiers for the project. The result: more than 2,000 Kramer machines run on the Underground Railway. The Product Network The Underground installed 15-inch LCD PC monitors in each of the five cars of 110 trains, plus 20 spare cars, for a total of 570 cars with monitor access. The Underground provides source material that includes text on the monitors with station names and transition station information, as well as alarm messages. It also showcases advertisement blocks throughout the day and beautiful, calm pictures during the remaining times. The VP-300N high-resolution distribution amplifiers were selected for their video bandwidth, which exceeds 400 MHz, ensuring that the machines remain transparent even at high-resolution graphics modes such as UXGA. The amplifiers accept one input, provide correct buffering and isolation, and then distribute the signal to the two or three monitors in the train cars.

The VP-300N high-resolution distribution amplifiers were selected for their video bandwidth, ensuring that the machines remain transparent even at high-resolution graphics modes such as UXGA.

They are ideal for this multi-monitor application, and each car on all of the Underground trains has three VP-300N DAs, distributing signals to the five or 6 monitors in each car. The amplifiers are housed in additional monitor cases within the trains to protect them. The VP-200xl Line Amplifier/Distribution Amplifier was also selected for its ability to handle remote monitor applications. The unit accepts one input, provides correct buffering and isolation, and distributes the signal to two identical outputs. It has a video bandwidth of over 405 MHz and remains transparent even at the highest resolution UXGA modes. Each car on the train houses one VP-200xl in protective/decorative covers under the roof of the train car. Kramer also provided numerous 5-coax shielded cables and 15-pin HD-15 connectors for the XGA signal distribution.

All of the power supplies were changed out to those used specifically for underground trains. Not only did Kramer meet the stringent and unusual requirements of the Underground project, but the products also stood up to the dust, dirt, and vibration presented by the Underground environment. According to Dmitrenko, no changes were needed on the products themselves. “Kramer made no special adjustments to the products to be used on the Metro. Because of our excellent quality and attention to detail, the product already met all of the specifications,” he said. Kramer’s tight manufacturing quality control ensured the quality of every machine, every time. Regular Kramer features like sturdy and reliable construction made Kramer products stand out in the product review. Kramer’s ability to provide very detailed mechanical information on its products to support the integration of the project and to supply cables for use with the XGA signals that have excellent shielding from Interference also made Kramer a natural fit. The outcome of the project, which was completed by the Moscow Kramer team over a six-month period, not only includes the 2,000 amplifiers, but also 33,000 meters or 25.5 miles of cable (300 meters or 984 feet per train), 9,900 connectors (90 per train) and a high-quality XGA signal that is the same on every one of the 3,200 monitors.

Tags:

Enterprise

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

Ukraine

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

Kramer distribution amplifier plays a part in an interactive stand that runs a presentation about various water facilities.

Customer

Saint Petersburg Museum of Water

Industry

Entertainment

The opening of the museum for the public is dedicated to various water-related technologies (water use, conditioning, and purification) and Kramer’s VP-300, RGB distribution amplifier, plays a part in an interactive stand that runs a presentation about various water facilities.

The presentation system, built by “A Screen,” uses 61’’ and two 42’’ plasma screens with interactive touch screens. Dedicated software allows starting a video playback on the large screen with a touch of a corresponding icon on a 42’’ panel. The second 42’’ panel is used for running a presentation, accompanying the video, or displaying any other related information. This significantly simplifies the guide’s job, who acts as a mere operator of the system. The narration is voice-overed by an “interactive mannequin,” a wax figure, whose face is animated by the projection of a specially prepared video. The voice-over comes from ceiling speakers synchronously with the mannequin’s byplay that includes blinking of eyelids and tilting of eyebrows. In addition to the plasma panels and the projector, the system includes a DVD player, a DVD-VCR combo, a mixer/amplifier, a network switcher, and 3 computers for the system and interactive touch screens control.

Tags:

Entertainment

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

Russia

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

In their tours worldwide, the Watoto Children’s Choir uses the Kramer VP-719DS ProScale™ Digital Scaler/Switcher to switch between video and PC images.

Customer

Watoto Children’s Choir

Industry

Entertainment

In their tours worldwide, the Watoto Children’s Choir uses the Kramer VP-719DS ProScale™ Digital Scaler/Switcher to switch between video and PC images. In 1983, Gary and Marilyn Skinner, Canadian missionaries, established an English-speaking church in the heart of Kampala, Uganda, where approximately 2 million children have been orphaned by the civil war and AIDS. In 1992, Skinners started Watoto Child Care Ministries to address the Ugandan orphan crisis. “Watoto” (pronounced: wah-toe-toe) means “children” in Swahili. Funding for Watoto Child Care Ministries is raised exclusively by the Watoto Children’s Choir.

Since 1994 Watoto Choirs have toured internationally, accompanied by a team of adults. Together they present Watoto’s vision and mission through their music and dance, an energetic fusion of contemporary gospel and traditional African rhythm. Watoto Children’s Choir has had two unique opportunities to perform for the President of the United States and various members of his cabinet. On June 10, 2003, Watoto was invited to perform at a ceremony in the Rose Garden at The White House in Washington D.C.

The choir also sang for the President and First Lady at their request on July 11, 2003, at an AIDS event in Entebbe, Uganda as part of Bush’s five-nation tour of Africa. As a result the choir was in the spotlight of the international media appearing on CNN, the BBC, ABC Nightly News with Peter Jennings, and on the cover of The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, and the African edition of TIME magazine among many others.

Tags:

Entertainment

Houses of Worship

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

Uganda

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

ITM Group Installs Kramer products in Birmingham’s Technology Innovation Centre

A “Content Creation Facility” at the University of Central England’s Technology Innovation Centre provides access to cutting-edge digital media creation and management tools for local businesses and students.

ITM Group has built, designed, and installed a ‘Content Creation Facility’, worth an estimated £500,000, for the University of Central England’s Technology Innovation Centre (the tic) which will provide access to cutting-edge digital media creation and management tools for local businesses and students.

In addition to installing the Content Creation Facility, ITM was also able to successfully create a bespoke system allowing content from the TV studio to integrate into the Digital Asset Management facility – which was one of the key requirements demanded by the tic.

By combining audio-visual and IT solutions, ITM Group enables businesses and public sector organizations to leverage their existing infrastructure and intellectual property, and offer existing and new content to a far wider audience in a vastly more efficient and effective manner. This in turn reduces the overall cost of delivery and vastly increases its reach.

Kramer Equipment featured in the installation includes:

Tags:

Education

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

United Kingdom

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

The brief deckorum’s client wanted to refurbish completely a regency property in London. As part of this refurbishment a home automation, lighting and entertainment network was required. This was to include a security system, sophisticated telephone network with whole-house intercom and a wireless LAN.

Control was a key requirement of the system. As the property spread over five floors, it was essential that the technology was controllable from any room in the house. In order for children and guests to get along with the system ease of use was also high on the priorities list. The solution To give the level of control required a Crestron touch panel system was installed throughout the house. Lutron lighting was provided to give ‘scene’ and security lighting controls as well as whole house on/off buttons, useful on the upper floors. Plasma screens allow the display of photographic artwork as well as video images around the home. A basement room was designated as a dedicated home cinema with an automated electric screen and DLP projector. Ceiling speakers were installed in almost all areas of the home for general audio.

Three different CDs and two different radio stations can be heard in any room at any time as well as Sky+, DVD etc. Floor standing speakers from B&W and Linn in the Family room gave a fuller sound for parties and leisure time. Weatherproof speakers were hidden in the garden wall for outdoor listening. In order to achieve high quality video images on the plasma screens, YC signals were used. 2 Kramer VS-88V units were linked together to perform as an 8×8 YC matrix and route the different video sources to the screens. With more audio sources and zones than video it was necessary to select a larger audio matrix, and so a Kramer VS-1616A was chosen. The 16 inputs and outputs gave ample flexibility. Finally, in order to achieve volume control for the diferent zones, and to avoid deafening listeners when switching between sources with different output levels, a Kramer VA-16xl volume control unit was installed. This unit provides gain and attenuation for all the 16 outputs from the matrix. When a new source is selected from the matrix, a command is sent to the VA-16xl simultaneously to reset itself to -30dB. Listeners can then adjust the volume up or down to suit from the control panel.

Justin Orton says, “Deckorum chose the various Kramer units because of their unique combination of: broadcast heritage (meaning quality and reliability), functionality, and cost effectiveness.” Some highlighted features of the installation include; (room by room) Jacuzzi and Gym Where a Crestron colour touch panel mounted in the wall allows control of audio, video and lighting in the Jacuzzi, hallway, gym and garden Dining room Which boasts a wall mounted Plasma screen, showing Sky(+), DVD and CCTV and has a dining table which will seat 12 people, with a removable top so it can also be used as a full size snooker table Piano room Where the Steinway piano was fitted with a pickup system from the USA. Connected into the multiroom system, a pianist can be heard via the ceiling speakers through the house or the piano can be left to play itself during a party! Kitchen Where an icebox was installed under a cupboard, which allows a CD or DVD to be played locally (and via the ceiling speakers), TV to be viewed on the flip-down screen and Internet surfing and Emailing to take place all whilst cooking Garden Where four Bose all weather speakers were installed for audio while barbequing or partying, with scene lighting that can be controlled from neighbouring rooms and a large fountain that can be operated from the Kitchen or Gym Cinema Which features a 7ft electric automated screen which descends from the ceiling when in use. An Infocus DLP projector mounted on the ceiling and A THX certified combination of Liberty THX cable, Rotel processor and amplifier and M&K THX speakers for a heart-thumping surround sound Bar area Which boast a wall mounted Plasma screen for viewing Sky(+), DVD and CCT, a combination of floor standing and in-ceiling speakers and anLCD flat panel screen which ‘follows’ the cinema for uninterrupted viewing while attending to refreshments. For more information on this installation look out for the press, visit Deckorum or contact Simon Callis.

Tags:

Home

Control

Room Control

EMEA

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll we’ll connect you.

Customer

HMS

Industry

Hospitality

Kramer products have been installed aboard the world’s largest cruise ship, the newly finished Queen Mary 2. HMS, the company charged with the conception and installation of audio-visual systems aboard the Queen Mary 2, choose several Kramer products to incorporate into the ship’s AV systems. Specifically, HMS employed Kramer products for all signal distribution, switching, and conversion aboard the ship, products such as FC-4041C, FC-4044, VM-3Vxl, VM-50V, 104L, VS-421, VS-24, VS-5×4, VS-4E.

The large selection of products in the Kramer line and their reliability made them an ideal choice for this rather large and complex installation. HMS is a French company that specializes in the conception, design, and installation of audio-visual and lighting systems. HMS has subsidiaries all around the world.

Tags:

Entertainment

Hospitality

Control

Signal Management

EMEA

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.

Visitors might see special video clips, the output of a broadcast station, or even a live show that is being captured and sent through the Kramer audio-visual system.

Bertelsmann, the media powerhouse, has turned the old Gendarmerie Building of Berlin into its House of Representatives and an advanced interactive multimedia center with a Kramer switcher at the heart of the system. The building was originally built in 1650 as the first building on “Unter den Linden” street. Since 1799 and during the “Weimarer Republik” it was the “Stadtkommandantur,” which meant it was the headquarters for the “Stadtkommandant” (police commissioner). In the Second World War, the building was heavily damaged.

In 2002 Bertelsmann renovated the exterior in the original 17-18 century classic style and the inside in a modern high technology style. Now the building serves as the Bertelsmann AG and Bertelsmann Foundation “House of Representatives,” where conferences, presentations, and charity events are held. It is also now home to a multimedia center. There are 106 plug & play connectors installed on the blue walls of the buildings foyer. Here, visitors can plug an LCD-Panel into any of these connections and receive visual information about Bertelsmann”s activities.

There are 106 plug & play connectors installed on the blue walls of the buildings. Visitors can plug an LCD-Panel into any of the connections and receive visual information about Bertelsmann”s activities.

The information the visitors to the building might see varies. It might be special video clips, the output of a broadcast station, or even a live show that is being captured and sent through the system. The switching of the various sources to the 106 output connectors on the wall is performed with a Kramer Tailor Made Matrix Switcher (40×106). The Kramer switcher along with other equipment was supplied by VIDELCO GmbH to the installers Pro Video and TSM. Bertelsmann is a leader in the world of media. They are an owner of numerous TV and radio stations. They also own several publishing houses, including Random-House.

Tags:

Enterprise

Signal Management

EMEA

Germany

Got a question for one of our AV experts? Contact us here, and we’ll connect you.