ADENA Hack: How to bundle AREC Media Stations for more effective installations?

Our core products — Media Stations — are standalone, all-in-one AV production systems with a wide range of applications across various industries. However, they shine even brighter when combined with other elements of the AREC ecosystem. In this post, we’ll explore some of the effective ways to bundle them for enhanced performance and features.

AREC CI-21H and CI-22H cameras naturally complement any Media Station thanks to their built-in tally lights that are integrated with AREC Media Stations. When recording is in progress, the lights on the connected cameras automatically turn on, providing a clear visual cue. This is especially valuable in installations where it is important to inform the audience of an ongoing recording.

AREC DS-AC1 control stations are also a great pairing for any Media Station for several reasons. These versatile devices can output and switch video sources on Media Stations, stream individual video sources, and send RS-232/TCP commands. Additionally, the DS-AC1 features a dedicated interface for Media Stations, similar to the Online Director, offering an intuitive and comprehensive monitoring and control environment.

The AREC DS-4CU and DS-9CU speaker tracking stations, supporting 4 and 9 channels respectively, enhance any setup with advanced capabilities — without the need for programming. Their primary function is to control cameras and automatically display active speakers using integrated discussion systems. When paired with Media Stations, the DS-4CU and DS-9CU can manage video recording and streaming through theme switching — a unique integration between our products. Additionally, they can function as video mixers for Media Stations, combining multiple inputs, such as cameras, document cameras, and computers, and delivering them through multiple outputs.

The DS-9CU excels in this role, as it can simultaneously manage up to nine video sources connected via HDMI, USB, or network inputs, while outputting video in 4K. Up to four of its sources can be in 4K quality, making it the perfect companion for the LS-410, our 4K Media Station. With the DS-9CU, the LS-410 can record up to five 4K video sources simultaneously in ultra HD while also benefitting from additional local and network output options.

There are many more combinations you can make with AREC. Contact us at www.a-dena.com and let's discuss ways to make your installations special with our products!

ADENA Hack: How to hide the GUI on AREC stations?

Every AREC Media Station from versions 2.6 and newer comes with an inbuilt way to control it — the graphical user interface, shortened to GUI. We covered this interface in detail in the very first ADENA Hack, and mentioned additions to it in subsequent posts. GUI can be opened and closed easily by left-clicking anywhere away from it with a computer mouse or by touching on a USB-connected interactive display. You can also use the dedicated hide/show buttons in the corners of the GUI. Starting from firmware versions 2.11 and on stations with the MCU version 4.3 or 4.4, it is now also possible to completely disable the GUI until it is needed again. To do so, open the “Administrator” web page of your station, go to “Media I/O” -> “Display”. You will find two settings dedicated to this: “OSD Menu'' and “OSD Menu - Playback Video”. Toggling off “OSD Menu” will shut down the GUI until this option is toggled on. Toggling off only “OSD Menu - Playback Video” will keep the GUI, but remove the playback feature from it. If you want to keep the GUI available, but remove the ability for your operators to see previously recorded videos, make sure to toggle off this option.

As of May 2024, the option to completely disable the GUI is available on LS-2, LS-200, LS-300, LS-400, LS-410, LS-860 and KL-3T models, with plans to include it in LS-110 and LS-US2 in the coming months. Would you like to know more about this or other AREC Media Station features? Make sure to reach out to us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to arrange a call with you!

Case study: Advanced healthcare training with AREC at SIMNOVA, Italy

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we have a case study from SIMNOVA, a centre for healthcare studies at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy. Completed by our distributor Prase Engineering, and integrators Tagliabue Sistemi and Tecnovox, the university’s setup ensures continuous 24/7 streaming from the operational rooms and automatic backup to Google Drive. Read how it was done below.

The Interdepartmental Centre for Innovative Teaching and Simulation in Medicine and Health Professions, known as SIMNOVA, was established several years ago at the University of Eastern Piedmont. Its mission is to conduct research in the healthcare sector, provide advanced training and related programs aimed at improving the quality of care, enhancing patient safety and minimisation of their health risks. To achieve these goals, SIMNOVA offers a wide range of courses in numerous subject areas, which are delivered in specially equipped simulation rooms. The university required an easy-to-use solution that could connect these rooms, record the operations, and upload them to cloud storage. Thanks to the efforts of our partners, the AREC Media Capture System was proposed and successfully implemented, along with audio systems from Shure.

There are a total of 6 simulation rooms at SIMNOVA, and AREC systems are utilised in all of them. Depending on the number of video inputs, a different AREC station is used for recording the operations. In rooms with 4 video inputs, the university uses LS-860 stations, while LS-300 models are employed in those with fewer sources. These stations capture audio and video content from various medical devices and microphone arrays, combine it with network camera feeds, and mix them into videos with custom layouts. In the control room, the operator can select any of these mixed Media Station streams and view them through the DS-X01 Media Decoder. This setup ensures continuous streaming from the operational rooms, and the graphical user interface (GUI) present on the DS-X01 lets the operator easily switch between different room views with a single touch.

LS-300 Media Station

LS-860 Media Station

DS-X01 Media Decoder

The chief technician responsible for the AV systems at SIMNOVA, Antonio Scalogna, shared the following regarding the installation:

With AREC, I can schedule each session and manage video recording backups in a highly flexible manner. Of course, I can also send the recordings to the instructors who conducted the simulations through Google Drive. Since the Center acquired AREC, I use it practically every day to fine-tune the streaming graphics and discover new features.

With the system in place, each training and simulation done at SIMNOVA is recorded and saved for further study and other purposes, ensuring that the goals of the university are achieved. Would you like to recreate this experience for your university? Reach out to us at www.a-dena.com, and we will be happy to discuss it with you.