AV control systems are essential for managing and automating audiovisual components in Indianapolis corporate, education, healthcare and entertainment environments.
They come in four basic “flavors”:
1. Hardware-based
These systems use dedicated processors, touch panels, and button controllers to manage AV devices.
2. Software-based
These options use apps, cloud-based interfaces or network-based controls to manage AV devices.
3. Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC)
UCC control integrates with video conferencing platforms for seamless AV control.
These solutions are designed for flexible and cost-effective AV automation.
Choosing Which AV Control System is Best For You
Choosing the right AV control system depends on the complexity of your AV setup, your user needs, whether or not you need scalability, your budget, and your integration requirements.
Here’s the process we use at Midwest Audio Visual to help our Indianapolis clients decide on a control system.
Define your needs
Do you need basic, advanced or enterprise AV control?
- Basic is for small rooms with simple setups, where you need to control a projector, display or a few audio devices.
- Advanced is for boardrooms, auditoriums or multi-room setups that require automation, scheduling and multiple device control.
- Enterprise is best-suited for large-scale, multi-building or remote management situations, where you need centralized monitoring, remote troubleshooting and network integration.
Consider your environment
Corporate settings, classrooms, patient rooms and stadiums each have different control requirements.
- Conference rooms and boardrooms often need seamless integration with video conferencing platforms and easy user interfaces.
- Classrooms usually require instructor-friendly touch panels, remote access and automation.
- Healthcare settings are best served with secure and hands-free control, and easy-to-use touch panels.
- Entertainment venues need high reliability with multi-zone audio and video control.
Think about the user experience you want
Options include:
- Touch panel control
- Mobile and app-based control
- Physical button controllers
Consider integration
- Does the control system need to integrate with video conferencing (Zoom, Teams, Webex)?
- Will it control multiple AV devices (displays, speakers, microphones)?
- Is cloud-based control or remote monitoring required?
Do you need scalability?
- Is your AV setup small, but growing?
- Do you need enterprise-wide AV management?
Take a close look at your budget
AV control systems come in economy, mid-range and high-end varieties. The right choice for you right now depends in large part on your budget.
Your Indianapolis Midwest Audio Visual team will take all of the above into consideration when offering recommendations from the many systems for AV control available for your need. Contact us today to learn more.