There’s no doubt that the audio visual industry has proven its ability to survive and thrive in trying times. Global events have facilitated the rapid evolution of audio visual technologies, and these only continue to advance. Here are some audio visual trends for 2022 collected from many sources (click the link colored to text to get to the information source):
Growing consumer demand for audio content: People are listening to all forms of audio content: news, music, podcasts and books. Nielsen reports 75 per cent of people working from home are streaming music every week, with 40 per cent tuning in daily.
Rapid smart speaker adoption: Smart speakers and voice assistants are becoming common home appliances. One-third of U.S. households are equipped with smart speakers and 44 per cent of U.S. adults use voice assistants. Smart speakers let listeners to respond to ads using voice commands. Consumers are rapidly embracing voice to access information, entertain themselves and shop. The ability to instantly answer consumers’ questions and help them solve problems is becoming a key advantage for marketers who lean into audio.
Digital Audio is becoming multi-devices: Historically, digital audio has been widely consumed via mobile devices; it can now also be launched from a variety of new technologies including tablets, connected speakers, TVs and even smart watches.
Prosumer audio: Prosumer audio gear has remained on a steady upward curve over the last few years. With podcasting, live streaming, and at-home work solutions more popular than ever, it’s been a fantastic few years for prosumer audio sales. Their need for reliable, slightly elevated gear to take their content to the next level is proving highly profitable for certain companies.
Content Still Rules: Audiophiles are fiercely loyal to their favorite DJs, hosts, podcasters, artists and stations. As a result, they’re spending more time than ever listening to audio daily. Listeners consume programming on their own terms.
TikTok has caused a seismic shift in the world of content creation, skewing it ever further into a mobile-first industry. To capitalise on the market, more and more mobile-friendly gear is being created, forgoing the need for hundreds of adaptors and plugging straight into AUX, USB-C, or iPhone ports (or working wirelessly).
Many amplifier technologies in use: While classic class AB amplifiers are more and more often replaced with class D amplifier technology, there is still special audiophile markets for class A amplifiers and tube based amplifiers. New technology just coming to the class D amplifiers are GaN-based audio amplifier powered with switch mode power supply. They promise premium audio systems with good sound quality in a small and light format.
Vinyl records: Vinyl is here to stay, it seems, despite all technological advances that would have seemed to threaten it. Vinyl records (and coincidentally, cassette tapes) are selling like hot cakes again. Vinyl sales have been steadily rising for some time, but in 2020 for the first time in 34 years, vinyl has surpassed CD sales.
Streaming has killed CD: CDs sales are continuously and quickly declining thanks to streaming and music flash drives.
The race to wireless zero latency: Companies around the world are racing to find a solution that all but eliminates latency from wireless audio, removing the need for cables in an increasingly space, waste, and aesthetically-conscious world.
Green screens: As events become more hybrid, green screens will play a significant role, enabling speakers to be placed directly in the content becoming part of the message. Green screens are a great cost-effective way to insert branding and infographics, which works perfectly for online events and we will see them become adopted further for conferences. There are also cameras with depth sense features and software that can use pretty many background for green screen type effects without building a real green screen.
Hybrid events: Events have had to embrace the constant mix of who can attend, who can possibly attend and who is not afraid to attend and as such have flipped to hybrid. Although not necessarily an AV trend, hybrid events are unsurprisingly on the increase as people work from home and corporate travel is halted. In those events content needs to be clear and targeted to get the information across efficiently. There is demand for standalone apps that can enhance hybrid events such as Slack, Slido and Survey Monkey.
Touchless Environments: COVID-19 has accelerated the desire for automation and touchless environments from a nice-to-have to a must-have. They minimize the amount that people come into contact with shared surfaces. Following the throes of COVID-19, it appears that touchless building controls are here to stay.
Remote Control And Remote Management: We’re seeing an increase in demand for remote management software that allows one person, or a small group of people, to log into a remote system and review the status of a set of classrooms or meeting spaces. Increasingly in 2022, companies can implement remote monitoring and maintenance for audio visual systems to support the advancement of technology. Whether your organization is expansive or small, remote audio visual support teams can significantly reduce operating costs for your business.
Live Streaming: As more people look to tune into events from home, we’re seeing an increased need for equipment that supports live streaming.
Video Walls: In many commercial spaces, there’s often a need for a large video display. In past years, many spaces have opted for projection screens as opposed to large LCD displays or video walls, solely because the cost was much lower. The price of video walls getting close to similar to a projection screen, and the benefits almost always outweigh the slightly higher cost.
Service And Maintenance: As more commercial spaces look for ways to save, there’s been an increasing demand for AV integrators to handle service and maintenance in order to maximize the lifespan of AV products. Businesses are focussing on reducing the overhead costs associated with maintaining and installing the equipment. Companies having expertise in sectors other than AV cannot have a dedicated team to manage and monitor their AV equipment.
Snake oil: Many audiophiles are infected by the snake oil curse, which causes them to chase endlessly after what is supposedly better sound reproduction. Audio interconnect and speaker cables have become a profitable business built on imaginative marketing and misinformation. This market now extends into power cords, HDMI, and optical cables. Untold sums of money have been wasted on the fanciful claims of cable vendors. There is lots of ridiculous pieces of pseudo-audiophile nonsense out there. Try to avoid this bullshit in 2022. Try to to restore peace of mind, and the enjoyment of music.
Hybrid environment: Although some employees are returning to the office, it is doubtful that society will return to an entirely on-site work environment. Remote workspaces from 2020-21 on will now be ‘Hybrid’ (home and office). AV technologies are playing a crucial role in creating a modern working environment. Hybrid technologies are changing their form, we had just a Skype call before the pandemic and now we have Zoom, Microsoft Team Rooms, Google Meet, etc with more advanced features allowing space for seamless collaboration and communication. Hybrid environments are expected to go beyond that with continuous innovation and development. Remote employees, distant customers, healthcare providers, and educational institutions can utilize unified communication solutions. It is now increasingly important to adopt technologies that make collaboration easier. At one time, frequent video communications, online learning, and compact hardware design were ambitious audio visual innovations that were hard for people to imagine. Today, they’re top priorities for business, educational, and religious spaces of all types, and are critical to how people interact in those spaces.
Silent Video Gains Momentum: It’s estimated that 85% of short videos viewed on Facebook are watched without sound. Yet as much as 41% of video would be incomprehensible to viewers without sound. Video marketers are using captions, context and other “no-audio” tactics to convey information.
Social Media Goes Video-First: video content is one of the internet’s main attractions. Users are being drawn to video-first platforms. One of the most common reasons people use social media is to view video. But with video streaming set to be as much as 82% of total web traffic by 2022, the importance of video content to marketing strategy is massive and still growing.
Digital audio: Digital audio consumption accelerated in 2021 and commercial engagement followed the audiences. In 2022 we foresee three key commercial trends in the digital audio space: Data-led targeting capabilities provide a powerful way to get advertising cut through, Creativity is a constant rather than a ‘trend’ in advertising and Audience Growth is attracting new advertisers. Programmatic audio is divided into three main supply sources – music streaming (through suppliers like Spotify), podcasts (the biggest opportunity for brands), and online broadcast radio (now more attractive with the addition of data overlay opportunities). Amongst these audio heavyweights we can see emerging innovation in the form of conversational and actionable audio ads.
Virtual and Augmented Reality: Although virtual and augmented reality first entered the public consciousness via video games or social media filters, they are now infiltrating every aspect of our lives. Given the rapid evolution of technology, it is inevitable that these advancements will impact the audio visual industry. Companies specializing in the development of VR and AR technologies are noticing an increase in interest from educational institutions wishing to create an enhanced learning experience. Within the healthcare sector, VR solutions are assisting healthcare professionals with socializing medically isolated patients. Virtual reality has been in development within the audio visual industry for many years. In 2022, virtual reality is becoming mainstream. Or at least tries.
Shift from linear TV to streaming: Video streaming goes beyond traditional TV viewing for people under 45. The lion’s share of viewing by those over 45 is still grabbed by linear television.
907 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SC-Facebook-Test-PROS-Gigapixel_ai_SALE-Feb_2022&utm_content=PROS-Test-Saved_Post-LAL0-1%25&attribution=true&fbclid=IwAR2I2oX1zc0zmzF59uBSWllD_t9Nwqcnl2-BRw2B9bdPitqmnZcCtYs7xZ4
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.facebook.com/30911162508/posts/10160148121762509/?substory_index=0
#Kanye West’s new album, Donda 2, is set to be released on February 22, but will not be released on traditional streaming services. It will only be available on the Stem Player device he released with the Donda album in August 2021. https://trib.al/ue31rfS
Tomi Engdahl says:
KANYE WEST JUST SOLD 10,000 STEM PLAYERS IN 3 DAYS… AS HE CLAIMS HE REJECTED A $100M DEAL FROM APPLE
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/kanye-west-just-sold-10000-stem-players-in-3-days-as-he-claims-he-turned-down-a-100m-deal-from-apple1/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ye’s Stem Player was first unveiled in August last year. A handheld circular device co-created by the artist’s own Yeezy Tech, it allows users to split the star’s music (or their own music) into stems, i.e. isolating drums, vocals, bass, samples etc.
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/kanye-west-just-sold-10000-stem-players-in-3-days-as-he-claims-he-turned-down-a-100m-deal-from-apple1/
There is also a Stem Player app that is being released and you don’t have to buy the $200 player to listen to the album.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Hydrophone Listens In On The Deep For Cheap
https://hackaday.com/2022/02/19/diy-hydrophone-listens-in-on-the-deep-for-cheap/
The microphone is a pretty ubiquitous piece of technology that we’re all familiar with, but what if you’re not looking to record audio in the air, and instead want to listen in on what’s happening underwater? That’s a job for a hydrophone! Unfortunately, hydrophones aren’t exactly the kind of thing you’re likely to find at the big-box electronics store. Luckily for us, [Jules Ryckebusch] picked up a few tricks in his 20-year career as a Navy submariner, and has documented his process for building a sensitive hydrophone without needing a military budget.
Let’s Build Some World Class Hydrophones
https://www.instructables.com/Lets-Build-Some-World-Class-Hydrophones/
Sound Sleuth Hydrophone Build
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ_KqJDaOM4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Immersive Stereo Sound Recording With This Binaural Microphone
https://hackaday.com/2022/02/20/immersive-stereo-sound-recording-with-this-binaural-microphone/
Sound recording has been a consumer technology for so long now that it is ubiquitous, reaching for a mobile device and firing up an app takes only an instant. Anyone who takes an interest in audio recording further will find that while it’s relatively straightforward to make simple recordings. But, as those among you who have fashioned a pair of Shure SM58s into an X configuration with gaffer tape will know, it can be challenging to create a stereo image when recording outside the studio. In the quest to perfect this, [Kevin Loughin] has created a binaural microphone, which simulates a human head with microphones placed as ears to produce ambient recordings with an almost-immersive stereo image.
Sound – A D.I.Y. binaural head microphone project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV7bch5u8zU
Tomi Engdahl says:
Super Simple Camera Slider With A Neat Twist
https://hackaday.com/2022/02/22/super-simple-camera-slider-with-a-neat-twist/
When you get into making videos of products or your own cool hacks, at some point you’re going to start wondering how those neat panning and rotating shots are achieved. The answer is quite often some kind of mechanical slider which sends the camera along a predefined path. Buying one can be an expensive outlay, so many people opt to build one. [Rahel zahir Ali] was no different, and designed and built a very simple slide, but with a neat twist.
This design uses a geared DC motor, taken from a car windscreen wiper. That’s a cost effective way to get your hands on a nice high-torque motor with an integral reduction gearbox. The added twist is that the camera mount is pivoted and slides on a third, central smooth rod. The ends of this guide rod can be offset at either end, allowing the camera to rotate up to thirty degrees as the slide progresses from one end to the other. With a few tweaks, the slider can be vertically mounted, to give those up-and-over shots. Super simple, low tech and not an Arduino in sight.
CAMERA SLIDER WITH OBJECT TRACKING
it can slide and rotate the camera in the same time it can stand in 90 degree + 30 degree
https://hackaday.io/project/184049-camera-slider-with-object-tracking
DIY Camera Slider With Object Tracking- NO Arduino or Coding Needed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slqCsvnURbI&t=1s
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Super-Bright Outdoor TV With Watercooling
https://hackaday.com/2022/03/01/diy-super-bright-outdoor-tv-with-watercooling/
Watching TV or playing a console game is usually not an outdoor activity, helped by the fact that you can’t see anything on your average TV in direct sunlight. However, with some basic fabrication skills, [Matt] from [DIY Perks] demonstrates how to upgrade an LCD TV to be viewable in the brightest conditions by upgrading its backlight, and adding a simple water-cooling system in the process. Full build video after the break.
An LCD panel doesn’t produce any light but acts as a filter for the backlight behind it, which is just a widely spaced array of white LEDs. The core of the build is upgrading the backlight, so [Matt] picked up a large 4K TV with a partially faulty backlight for a very affordable price. The new backlight consists of a set of high-brightness LED panels, screwed to a sheet of aluminum. The LEDs generate a lot of heat, so [Matt] cools the back of the aluminum sheet with a budget-friendly water cooling system built from a car radiator, small water pump, and some clear plastic tubing. Everything is housed in an industrial-looking enclosure made from aluminum sheet, aluminum extrusions, and an acrylic back panel. To protect the LCD panel, it’s glued to a sheet of tempered glass from an old coffee table.
Building an ULTRA-BRIGHT water-cooled TV…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlFVPnGEb8o
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Brief History of Graphics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyjyWUrHsFc
Nuclear Fruit: How the Cold War Shaped Video Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15dxuAbTC0A
Tomi Engdahl says:
EEVblog 1458 – Microscope Polarising MAGIC!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvFf9RSJUhk
Can’t see those pesky laser etched part numbers on chips? Dave demonstrates what’s happening with the microscope polarising filter lenses on Twitter that’s blowing people’s minds. Does it actually work?
And other tricks of the trade.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WHO urges nightclubs and venues to offer earplugs to audiences
The WHO is asking nightclubs and venues to offer earplugs to audiences.
https://www.newstalk.com/news/who-urges-nightclubs-and-venues-to-offer-earplugs-to-audiences-1317961?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1646320610
The World Health Organisation is urging nightclubs, concerts and sporting events to offer earplugs to audiences to protect against hearing damage.
The global health body issued the advice for World Hearing Day – warning that over one billion young people are at risk of losing their hearing due to “prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music and other recreational sounds”.
The WHO has issued six new recommendations it says venues should use to protect people from hearing loss.
Limit volume to a maximum of 100 decibels.
Employ designated staff to continuously monitor sound levels.
Provide ear plugs to audiences.
Designate ‘quiet zones’ in venues so people can rest their ears.
Optimize venue acoustics and sound systems to ensure safe listening.
Provide training on safe sound levels to staff.
The organisation said millions of teenagers and young people are at particular risk due to the unsafe use of headphones and the damaging sound levels in venues.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/whitepaper/21234973/electronic-design-this-week-in-powerbites-silicon-vs-gan-ref-design-timely-supercap-tips?utm_source=EG%20ED%20Analog%20%26%20Power%20Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220224028&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
This 200-W/ch (max) amplifier reference design based on the MA5332MS doesn’t require additional heatsink or fan cooling for normal operation (one-eighth of its continuous rated power).
The MA5332MS also offers on-chip protection circuitry for functions such as overcurrent, overtemperature, and undervoltage protection with self-reset capability, eliminating the need for external protection components. In addition, a new internal logic scheme to control soft-start operation further reduces click and pop noise.
Infineon offers extensive support for the module, including two evaluation boards:
The REF_MA5332BTLSPS reference board is a one-BTL-channel, 200-W/ch (4 Ω at 40 V) class D audio power amplifier for home audio systems. This reference board requires a single power supply and doesn’t require additional heatsink or fan cooling for normal operation (at one-eighth of the module’s continuous rated power).
The EVAL_AUDAMP25 MA5332 evaluation board is a two-channel, 200-W/ch (4 Ω at ±36.5 V; with heatsink) half-bridge class D audio power amplifier for Hi-Fi audio systems.
The MERUS class D audio-amplifier MA5332MS can be ordered now in a PG-IQFN-42 package.
https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/evaluation-boards/eval_audamp25/
https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/evaluation-boards/ref_ma5332btlsps/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Genelec teki aikamatkan ja päivitti legendan – mutta mikä on designin merkitys ikonisen Suomi-kaiuttimen suosiossa?
https://www.hs.fi/mainos/genelec/art-2000008643016.html
MAINOS Hyvän sinivalkoisen designin tuntee siitä, että se kestää sekä katsetta että aikaa. Mutta miten uudistetaan 20 vuotta vanha design-tuote, joka oli aikaansa edellä jo syntyessään?
Joskus legendan päivitystyö voi avata ovet uusille oivalluksille. Viime vuoden lopulla Genelec toi markkinoille 6040R Smart Active -kaksitiekaiuttimen, joka uudisti klassikkomalli 6040A:n parahiksi sen 20-vuotisjuhlan koittaessa.
Kun alkuperäinen 6040A-kaiutinmalli lanseerattiin vuonna 2001, harva osasi arvata, millaisen vallankumouksen se saisi aikaan. 6040A-malli oli ensimmäinen Genelecin valmistama kaiutin, jossa oli Minimal Diffraction Enclosure (MDE) -kotelorakenteen minimalistinen, pyöristetty muotoilu.
Muotoilija Harri Koskisen neronleimaus oli tuoda valutekniikan mahdollistamat sulavat, pyöreämmät linjat kaiutinsuunnitteluun – ja tähän Koskisen suunnittelemaan muotoon pohjautuu myös suurin osa Genelecin nykyisistäkin kaiutinmalleista. Painevaletusta alumiinista valmistettu kotelo – joka MDE:n optimoidun, mallinnetun ja funktionaalisen muotoilun ansiosta tuotti poikkeuksellisen puhtaan toiston – antoi hämmästyttävän laajan taajuusvasteen kaiuttimen kompaktista koosta huolimatta.
Harri Koskinen kertoo, että kun uuden, uraauurtavan kaiuttimen designia alettiin suunnitella 1998-1999, ilmassa väreili jotain poikkeuksellista.
”Kukaan alalla ei ollut valmis panostamaan designiin niin kuin me. 6040A oli lähtölaukaus uudenlaiselle muotoilulle sekä Genelecille että koko toimialalle”, toteaa Naghian.
”Toinen avainasia oli pyrkimyksemme luoda kestävän kehityksen tuote, joka on aidosti ajaton.”
Genelecin omalla tehtaalla Iisalmessa suunniteltu ja valmistettu, korkeimpien ympäristöstandardien mukainen uudistettu 6040R on jalustakaiutin, joka sisältää nyt saman bassoelementin ja Genelecillä suunnitellun D-luokan vahvistimen kuin Genelecin ammattilaiskäyttöön tarkoitetut kaiutinmallitkin.
”Onnistuimme luomaan siron kokonaisuuden, joka istuu jalustalle ja olohuoneeseen”
”Uudistetun painoksen” teknoparannuksia ovat mm. sekä analogiset että digitaaliset tulot, digitaalinen lähtö, kaikille verkkojännitteille sopiva verkkovirtaliitäntä ja hienostunut sisäinen DSP, joka mahdollistaa jokaisen 6040R-kaiuttimen tarkan kalibroinnin mihin tahansa akustiseen ympäristöön GLM-ohjelmiston avulla.
Toimitusjohtajan mukaan teknologiajohtajuus yhdistettynä designjohtajuuteen on ollut Genelecin ei-enää-niin-salainen ase jo pitkään.
”Tämä yhdistelmä vaikuttaa siihen, mitä valintoja teemme yrityksenä – ja viime kädessä myös siihen, miten tuotamme uusia innovaatioita markkinoille.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Crestron TSS-752 Teardown
Tearing down a Crestron display conference room controller, the second.
https://hackaday.io/project/184118-crestron-tss-752-teardown
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://snugs.com/
“Probably The Best Consumer Earphones In The World” | Dragons’ Den
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3p6ZJU6-24
Tomi Engdahl says:
CNBC:
Disney announces new ad-supported tier for Disney+, which will launch later this year in the US and expand internationally in 2023
Disney+ to launch cheaper ad-supported tier later this year
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/04/disney-to-launch-cheaper-ad-supported-tier-later-this-year.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
If You’re Using an Oscilloscope to Set Azimuth Here’s a Really Handy Program Courtesy WAM Engineering
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/heres-really-handy-program-courtesy-wam-engineering-if-youre-using-oscilloscope-set-azimuth
If you’re using an oscilloscope to set azimuth you are well aware of the math hassles involved. First you have to convert the derived voltages into dBVolts then you have to subtract the smaller number from the larger to determine the crosstalk and you have to do it twice: L-R, R-L.
Of course you need to do this at least five times starting a few degrees on one side then one degree off and then with the headshell parallel to the record surface and then twice more to the other side, each time doing the math.
Now, thanks to WAM Engineering’s Excel-based program you just plug in the numbers read off the oscilloscope and it does the volts to dBV calculations and all of the math. It makes the procedure so much easier!
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thomann.de/blog/fi/hans-thomann-senior-100-vuotta-juhlablogi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.engadget.com/how-to-build-a-budget-home-theater-setup-140010399.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thomann.de/blog/fi/9-taerkeaeae-kaeaennekohtaa-populaarimusiikin-historiassa-osa-2/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This DIY Audio Setup Simulates Human Hearing with a Pair of Microphones
Also known as binaural audio, this dual-microphone arrangement lets listeners experience the same sounds as the original listener.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-diy-audio-setup-simulates-human-hearing-with-a-pair-of-microphones-e883a91103aa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rice University researchers have developed a lens-free camera capable of capturing cellular-level images with 3D details, even through the skin of living creatures: Bio-FlatScope.
Bio-FlatScope, a Lensless Microscope, Can Take Pictures of Your Brain While You’re Running
https://www.hackster.io/news/bio-flatscope-a-lensless-microscope-can-take-pictures-of-your-brain-while-you-re-running-8a6802251f18
Building on the earlier FlatCam project, Bio-FlatScope captures seemingly-random noise, processing it into a clear microscope image.
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s Time to Disappear Cables – PeakDo Wireless HDMI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kojTyPdhp3s
Can a sketchy company make a good product? We tried out PeakDo’s wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver and the results might surprise you.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Audacity Open Source Audio Editor Has Become Spyware
Read More: https://www.slashgear.com/787715/audacity-open-source-audio-editor-has-become-spyware/?utm_campaign=clip
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing The Ones + Aural ID Offer
https://www.genelec.com/offer
Tomi Engdahl says:
NL2 vs NL4 vs NL8 [Neutrik SpeakON Speaker Cable Connectors]
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oPtJetBt1DI
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung and Omnivision Claim Smallest Camera Pixels Each has made CMOS camera chips with pixel pitches of just 0.56 micrometers
https://spectrum.ieee.org/cmos-image-sensor-pixel?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&socialux=facebook&share_id=6945769&utm_medium=social&utm_content=IEEE+Spectrum&utm_source=facebook
Last month, two companies said they have reached the next stage in shrinking the pixels on CMOS camera chips. Both Santa Clara–based Omnivision and South Korea’s Samsung claimed pixels with a pitch of just 0.56 micrometers (measured from the center of one pixel to the center of the next), which is about as large as the wavelength of green light.
Samsung currently produces camera chips with 0.64-micrometer pixels, Omnivision released a 0.61-micrometer sensor in January. Omnivision says a 200-megapixel-resolution image sensor with the new 0.56-micrometer pitch will go to customers later this year, and consumers can expect to find them in their smartphones in 2023. Samsung did not say when its imagers would appear, describing the innovation at IEEE International Solid-States Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in February.
Light enters a CMOS imager pixel via a microlens, then passes through a color filter before striking a silicon photodiode. In the photodiode, the light causes charge to accumulate, which is then sensed and the amount digitized by separate circuits. Making all this smaller leads to a host of potential problems.
For example, small pixels are more subject to cross talk, where light entering at a slight angle to the pixel passes through to its neighbor, reducing contrast. So engineers have to build structures that will block this cross talk. Both companies rely on technology called deep trench isolation for this. That is, each pixel’s silicon is separated from its neighbor by a barrier that runs all the way down through the silicon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uutuusprosessori skaalaa televisiokuvaa reaaliajassa
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13294-uutuusprosessori-skaalaa-televisiokuvaa-reaaliajassa
BXE-4-32 -grafiikkaprosessori hyödyntää Imaginationin omaa IMGIG-kuvanpakkaustekniikkaa. Se pystyy pakkaamaan kuvakehyksiä häviöttömästi. Näin televisio osaa määrittää ja optimoida kuvanlaadun ja vähentää merkittävästi järjestelmän kaistanleveyttä erittäin herkän käyttökokemuksen saavuttamiseksi.
Kehyspuskurin pakkaus pyrkii vähentämään kaistanleveyttä ja virrankulutusta, kun renderöintikohteita luetaan ja kirjoitetaan järjestelmämuistiin ja sieltä digitaaliseen TV-järjestelmään. IMGIC pakkaa kuvainformaation tyypillisesti 50 prosenttia pienempään tilaan ilman, että laatu kärsii.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How 3D Tech Advances Will Impact Robotics Vision Systems in 2022
March 14, 2022
Demand for advanced imaging technology is affecting robotics in scores of industries. What innovations in 2022 will further sculpt this fast-moving space?
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21236082/orbbec-how-3d-tech-advances-will-impact-robotics-vision-systems-in-2022
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/13/augmented-realitys-half-decade-of-stagnation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.axios.com/cd-sales-grow-for-first-time-since-2004-0745a5ce-a2f3-4ed3-8b1e-14b20f0b218e.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.tvbgone.com/shop/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mia Sato / The Verge:
Several Patreon creators say Vimeo is forcing them to pay thousands of dollars per year for a custom plan, as Vimeo shifts its focus to large corporate clients — Popular Patreon creators are being hit with unexpected Vimeo price hikes as Vimeo shifts corporate strategy
Vimeo is telling creators to suddenly pay thousands of dollars — or leave the platform
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/15/22979126/vimeo-patreon-creators-price-increase?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Popular Patreon creators are being hit with unexpected Vimeo price hikes as Vimeo shifts corporate strategy
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kim Mackrael / Wall Street Journal:
The EU approves Amazon’s $6.5B MGM acquisition, saying the deal won’t reduce competition as their production doesn’t overlap and MGM content is not a must-have
Amazon Purchase of MGM Gets Green Light in EU
Regulators conclude deal wouldn’t significantly harm competition in Europe
https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-purchase-of-mgm-gets-green-light-in-eu-11647361866?mod=djemalertNEWS
European Union antitrust officials gave a green light to Amazon.com Inc.’s AMZN 3.89% proposed $6.5 billion acquisition of movie studio MGM, clearing one hurdle for the e-commerce giant ahead of a deadline for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to deliver a verdict on the deal.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and its top competition regulator, said Tuesday that it has approved the deal without conditions. The commission said the deal wouldn’t significantly reduce competition in part because the two companies don’t significantly overlap in content production and that MGM content “cannot be considered as must-have.”
The proposed deal, which was announced last May, would give Amazon access to an extensive film and TV catalog, including James Bond movies, that could better position its Prime Video streaming service to compete with more-dominant rivals such as Netflix.
Amazon notified the EU about the deal in February, and antitrust regulators set a provisional deadline of March 15 to approve it or decide to open an in-depth investigation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sara Fischer / Axios:
MPA: streaming made up 72% of the $99.7B global streaming and theatrical movie market in 2021, up from 46% in 2019; streaming subscriptions hit 1.3B, up 14% YoY
Streaming boom propels film industry’s pandemic recovery
https://www.axios.com/streaming-boom-propels-film-industry-pandemic-recovery-23bbb7e8-0afb-4e35-b640-591cb3ef87ef.html
A sharp uptick in paid online video subscriptions and original content production for streaming platforms has helped the movie industry recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report.
Why it matters: The global streaming and theatrical movie market raked in nearly a combined total of $99.7 billion in 2021, eclipsing pre-pandemic sales.
That number excludes Pay-TV subscriptions, which shrank over the last two years as more people adopted streaming alternatives. Pay-TV includes cable, satellite and fiber TV subscriptions.
By the numbers: In 2021, the digital movie market accounted for 72% of the combined theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market, compared to 46% in 2019, according to the annual report from the Motion Picture Association.
The global theatrical market, which decreased significantly in response to COVID-19, was worth $21.3 billion in 2021, compared to $42.3 billion in 2019.
Subscriptions to streaming services, which jumped 14 percent in 2020, reached a global total of 1.3 billion, a new record high.
In the U.S., the estimated number of films that debuted online exclusively was 179, up from 113 in 2019.
The number of original series in the U.S. ballooned to 1,826, up from 1,646 in 2019, thanks to investments in original content by streaming companies.
The big picture: The pandemic pushed more Americans to stream content from home. Since the beginning of 2020, 53% of U.S. adults said that their streaming service viewership had increased.
Hispanic survey respondents in particular tended to report a higher viewership across digital streaming services, the report added.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft unveils the Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera, which uses AI for automatic reframing, image correction, lighting, and more, available for $799 on May 31 — Microsoft’s latest camera has a lot of smarts — Microsoft is launching its first AI-powered camera for the Surface Hub 2.
Microsoft’s first AI-powered smart camera launches for the Surface Hub 2
Microsoft’s latest camera has a lot of smarts
https://www.theverge.com/22980664/microsoft-surface-hub-2-smart-camera-price-release-date-features?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fabric Microphone Converts Audio Into Electrical Signals
Designed from a “piezoelectric” material, the acoustic fabric is capable of converting audible sounds into electrical signals.
https://www.hackster.io/news/fabric-microphone-converts-audio-into-electrical-signals-f97bc5727553
Engineers from MIT and the Rhode Island School of Design have developed an acoustic fabric that acts similar to a microphone – converting sound into mechanical vibrations, then into electrical signals. All fabrics vibrate in response to sound, only they do so on the nanometer scale and are often far too small to be sensed. To capture those imperceptible signals, the researchers created a flexible fiber that bends with fabric, similar to seaweed floating in the ocean.
A fabric that “hears” your heart’s sounds
https://news.mit.edu/2022/fabric-acoustic-microphone-0316
Inspired by the human ear, a new acoustic fabric converts audible sounds into electrical signals.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thomann.de/blog/fi/synestesia-musiikki-vaereinae/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon completes MGM merger, will add studio’s films and TV to Prime Video
European Commission approved $8.5B deal, and the FTC hasn’t challenged it in court.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/amazon-completes-mgm-merger-will-add-studios-films-and-tv-to-prime-video/?utm_social-type=owned&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_brand=ars
Tomi Engdahl says:
H.264 is Magic
https://sidbala.com/h-264-is-magic/
H.264 is a video compression codec standard. It is ubiquitous – internet video, Blu-ray, phones, security cameras, drones, everything. Everything uses H.264 now.
H.264 is a remarkable piece of technology. It is the result of 30+ years of work with one single goal: To reduce the bandwidth required for transmission of full-motion video.
Technically, it is very interesting. This post will give insight into some of the details at a high level
Tomi Engdahl says:
The last black & white TV ever made
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dlk9G2ADjs
A look at the last type of black & white TV ever made, commonly advertised as “5.5 inch black & white TV with AM/FM radio” and sold under dozens of different brands (and generic unbranded ones) from the mid-1990s to early 2010s for as low as $14.99 — even after analog-only TVs were no longer legally allowed to be sold.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mitchell Clark / The Verge:
After some creators speak out, Vimeo caps the monthly bandwidth usage at 2TB instead of charging the top 1% of users; creators have at least 30 days to appeal — Before, creators were suddenly told they may have to pay thousands of dollars — Vimeo has announced that it’s making …
Vimeo is sorry, and here’s how it’s changing
Before, creators were suddenly told they may have to pay thousands of dollars
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/18/22985820/vimeo-bandwidth-policy-changes-2tb-cap?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Vimeo has announced that it’s making some major changes to its bandwidth policy, after several creators spoke out about how the company pulled the rug out from under them by demanding large sums of money if they wanted to keep hosting their videos on the platform. The new policies replace nebulous terms with definitive ones, and guarantee that creators will have time to prepare for changes.
In a post outlining the changes, Vimeo says that its new cap for monthly bandwidth use is a flat 2TB. Previously, the policy was applied to users who were repeatedly “in the top 1% of bandwidth usage,” which Vimeo itself admits could’ve been more transparent. The company also says that it’ll alert users when they go over that 2TB limit, so you theoretically have time to figure out how to cut back on data use, or at least prepare for your bill to go up.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SparkFun Launches Compact Breakout Board for the Knowles SPH8878LR5H-1 Analog MEMS Microphone
On-board op-amp introduces a bias and boosts the signal ready for direct connection to your microcontroller’s ADC pin.
https://www.hackster.io/news/sparkfun-launches-compact-breakout-board-for-the-knowles-sph8878lr5h-1-analog-mems-microphone-bf53268a4091
Tomi Engdahl says:
What are your recommendations for free AI image upscalers?
I recommend a free AI image upscaler.
Yes there are good ones, but if you have the money I recommend the best paid ones are from TopazLabs. I do it frame by frame so use Gigipixel by TopazLabs. I do some tricks as well which you can do with any system, which is superscale it up past what you need, then use image processing techniques to blur (I use a better smugge tool) then edge sharpen, then scale back to your desired look. Looks amazing.
I’m using Reshade. It’s free, does batch processing and does a great job.
https://www.reshade.net/
Visions of Chaos will do it. Need to install libraries for machine learning.
Waifu2x is great, but focused on illustrations. For anything else I use Topaz (It’s paid but not as expensive as others)
Ccupscale is probably the best free option. It’s easy and is updated regularly.
Ccupscale is probably the best free option. It’s easy and is updated regularly.
wdym upscaler
Cupscale
ersgan
BigPip also works fine https://bigjpg.com
https://letsenhance.io/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Firefox Extension Helps Bring Movie Magic To Theaters Near You
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/extensions-addons/firefox-extension-helps-bring-movie-magic-to-theaters-near-you/
Firefox is about to let you in on a little known industry secret…did you know some of the leading visual effects studios including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), utilize Firefox to help make movie magic?
Color calibration — the process of adjusting colors in order to display images consistently in color and brightness across monitors — is a critical component of visual effects. As visual effects studios and their vendors transitioned to remote work due to the coronavirus pandemic, this process that was easy to manage in-office suddenly became difficult to achieve. Over the past year, Firefox worked with Industrial Light & Magic to build a game-changing solution and developed the Extended Color Management Add-On.
Firefox by default uses color management from the operating system to optimize and render colors and images to enhance the browsing experience of its users. With the extension, creators and their vendors can now disable color management, then simply restart the Firefox browser so that the colors of graphics or videos are consistent, even across different operating units. This allows media engineers to make consistent and reliable assumptions about the color pipeline between the content shown in a browser and the actual pixel values sent to the computer’s display.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/extended-color-management/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2022/03/23/huippumuunnin-hifitoistoon/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teachers love YouTube for the instructional videos, but hate it for the classroom distraction. Parents are fed up.
YouTube Is a Huge Classroom Distraction. Teachers Are Reluctant to Banish It.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/youtube-is-a-huge-classroom-distraction-teachers-are-reluctant-to-banish-it-11647656643?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwAR3F5b8wJQ4h_E_THInQ5Wds2xz0Wz3B44pdRmbQHgj0earSHiIPDEIA5uQ
The pandemic made Google’s video megasite an educational mainstay, and now students are distracted, parents are angry and teachers are caught in the middle
There’s YouTube, the lifesaver for teachers during the pandemic that continues to provide useful videos for students. Then there’s YouTube, the endless distraction that followed kids back into the classroom. Together, they’re causing tension between parents and educators over the role technology should play in school.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thomann.de/blog/fi/thomannin-huoltokeskus-pa-valot-ja-video-fin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vimeo is sorry, and here’s how it’s changing
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/18/22985820/vimeo-bandwidth-policy-changes-2tb-cap
Before, creators were suddenly told they may have to pay thousands of dollars
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.reshade.net/