ADENA Hack: How to efficiently modernise a conference room with AREC?

As time goes by, new technologies and solutions are introduced, often leaving previously installed AV systems incompatible and end-users with no choice but to replace them completely. This can happen even with brand new installations, where some additional features are requested at a later stage. Upgrading can become costly, as more and more elements have to be replaced for the system to work properly.

Take, for instance, a typical conferencing room with a discussion system or ceiling microphones. Automatic speaker tracking can be added in several ways – by replacing cameras, adding a control system, or, for some discussion systems, by purchasing a licence and installing software. All of these methods require either replacing products that may still be working well or, in the case of licence upgrades, limiting the potential of a system by forcing the user to purchase or keep certain elements permanently.

But there is another way to upgrade a system – one that allows you to keep using the original equipment while adding a lot of new and needed functionality. AREC products are designed with backward compatibility in mind – they support a wide range of interfaces and protocols to ensure that as many other devices as possible can be connected and used. Furthermore, our products receive firmware updates that expand their functionality throughout their life cycle.

Returning to the example of a conferencing room, you could add automatic speaker tracking with the DS-9CU speaker tracking station. This device can process USB, HDMI, and network video sources, including computers, standard and network cameras, visualisers, phones, tablets, multiviewers, and switchers, among others. The station automatically selects a video source assigned to a microphone and triggers user-defined PTZ movement, showing the speaker as they begin talking. It can display up to nine speakers at the same time and has no limit on the number of microphones or speakers it needs to track. Moreover, it doesn’t just display the active speaker – it does so together with user-defined graphical elements. These include text-based overlays, which could feature the speaker’s name and title, and picture-based backgrounds and overlays, where an organisation’s logo, branding, or other information may be shown.

There are many reasons why the DS-9CU stands out from other ways to upgrade a system, one of which is its wide compatibility with other hardware. The station can receive video via RTP, RTSP, RTMP, NDI|HX, SRT, and ONVIF Profile S network protocols, as well as HDMI and USB interfaces. It can send PTZ commands via RS-232 and TCP ports using PELCO-P, PELCO-D, VISCA, VISCA-over-IP, NDI, and ONVIF Profile S protocols. This means the DS-9CU works effectively with both modern hardware and equipment from decades ago.

Another reason is its growing list of supported discussion systems, which expands year by year. The system is integrated with the latest products from Televic, such as D-Cerno and Confidea, the Shure MXA series, the Bosch Dicentis line, and Audio-Technica’s ATND and ATUC models, among many others. At the same time, it also supports discontinued models like the Sennheiser ADN CU1, Bosch DCN-CCU2, and Shure DDS 5900. With all of these models, the configuration process is essentially the same – simply select the model from the list, enter its IP address, and define what should happen when a microphone is activated. Thanks to these integrations, no specialised technical experience is required to configure the DS-9CU, making installation fast and accessible to everyone.

What’s more, having a discussion system in the first place becomes optional with the DS-9CU, thanks to its support for manual mode. Users can control which video sources are displayed and which PTZ presets are activated using the station’s web interface. This can be accessed via any standard browser and includes a specially adapted version for mobile devices, with no need to install any apps. The DS-9CU can also be controlled via RS-232 and TCP commands, making it easy to set up with control panels from brands such as Crestron, Extron, QSC, AMX, and others.

Another major reason to upgrade with a DS-9CU is how much it adds to any project on its own. This device shares several key functions with our main line of products, the Media Stations. The DS-9CU can livestream to any RTP, RTMP, or SRT platform, such as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vimeo, Castr, Dacast, and many others. Streaming with the DS-9CU is straightforward and does not require an operator – it makes creating webinars, sharing organisational news, reaching customers, and other streaming tasks as easy as possible.

Furthermore, the DS-9CU caters to your local audience as well, with four physical video outputs that all function simultaneously. One output shows the active discussion view – displaying speakers with active microphones, or defined video sources when no one is speaking. Another output shows every connected source and can be used to monitor their status. It can also be used to select a specific source for display on the third output, the focused view. The fourth output is a loop-through – it duplicates the video source connected to the HDMI 2 input, allowing for the same view to be shown on multiple displays. For example, this can be used for conferencing software, presentation slides, or even voting results.

Thanks to its built-in support for NDI|HX, the DS-9CU does not require any accessories to integrate into an existing Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms, or other conferencing system setup. It can be used directly as a webcam in all systems compatible with NDI|HX and can simultaneously accept NDI|HX sources. With the DS-9CU, users don’t need to try to capture the whole room with a single camera, switch between cameras during a webinar, or search for special effects in a conferencing app – the DS-9CU takes care of all that on its own.

In addition, the DS-9CU is a device that ensures future upgradeability of a room through its native support for 4K. It can accept up to four 4K sources, output 4K through its physical outputs, and stream in 4K. This support guarantees a seamless experience with modern interactive displays, 4K-capable network cameras, and other types of video sources. Even if an end-user currently lacks 4K equipment, it is only a matter of time before they adopt it, as 4K products and technology become more affordable and ubiquitous.

Lastly, the DS-9CU is integrated with every current AREC Media Station model. This integration allows the DS-9CU to change recording and streaming themes (combinations of video source layouts, backgrounds, and overlays) on a connected AREC Media Station, depending on which microphones are activated. This makes the user’s system even more automated, to the point where no one needs to interact with the devices as they switch sources, control PTZ, record, stream, and backup videos on their own.

With all these features, the DS-9CU is a natural choice for any conferencing project, especially for price-conscious users who need to get the most out of their investment. Contact us at www.a-dena.com to arrange a live demonstration of this device and discuss its applications for your customers.