Drake AV Blog
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Control for Dummies
You’ve all seen the pile of little black chocolate bars with buttons all over them. Now, which one will turn on the TV?
Manage all your AV from a Single Control Panel
We at DrakeAV like to install wired button panels. We can put clear labels on each button – ON, OFF, LAPTOP, VIDEOCONFERENCE. The knob controls the volume with an indication on the panel.
Most people, even your MD, will understand this immediately. It’s mains powered, so you don’t have to borrow batteries from somewhere else. It’s fixed so it never goes off in someone’s pocket. It’s always there and ready. It’s also self-contained and doesn’t need internet or cloud services for it to run.
The bonus feature now is that we can network these simple panels so that with your WiFi and an iPad you can have a lovely, wireless, control system that doesn’t cost thousands of pounds. You only need to put the IP address in a browser, so you could also have remote control from your desktop.
The panel will control up to four devices using RS232 or IR, an electric screen or blinds using relay contacts and several more using IP network control.
You can even control all this from your ‘phone – is that cool enough?
Of course if you have a lot of gear then you can’t put enough buttons on a simple panel and you will need a touchscreen controller. Touchscreens can be much more customised with your corporate logo and colour scheme. You can offer different functions to different users. Many can also have a monitor window so you can have confirmation of the image you are displaying.
We can still let you control this from the iPad to add the flexibility of wireless control.
Oh! Don’t forget to lock away the pile of old remotes you no longer need.
