Why would I want one?
AV systems can be as simple as a projector; screen and
laptop connection plate but often they involve multiple sources from computers,
visual presenters, video conference systems and the like. Associated with these
are things such as audio feeds, device controls and switching systems.
In the home environment the selection of sources and
control of levels or channel selection is usually taken care of in the TV or
with a receiver amplifier. In the AV world there are often quite a few devices in
the signal chain that the user never needs to see, but still need to be in the
correct state or at the right setting for things to work. This is where the
control systems comes into play. Basically the term control system is used to describe
the user interface and the ‘brain’ that talks to all the devices.
A simple control system may include a wall plate with
buttons for system power, source selection and level controls. Advanced control
systems usually include some form of touch screen and links to many devices,
often over IP networks for remote administration and monitoring by technicians.
So why would you want one? Basically the aim is to
simplify the user experience. It doesn’t really matter how complex a system is,
if the user experience is intuitive and the system does what the user expects
it to do when they expect it to happen the world is a happy place!
Many people overlook the fact that the purpose of almost
any environment equipped with an AV system is to allow users to do something,
and that something is often a lot more important than the technology. A teacher
may want to show a computer presentation, a sales manager may need to show a
spreadsheet or a board of directors my need to have a video conference with an
investor. None of these people care much about the technology, however expensive;
they just want to get on with what they expected to do. That is why we have
control systems, they allow all the complicated things to be hidden behind a
simple interface so that people can get on with the task at hand.
As a wise woman once said to me “if I need an instruction
book it’s too complicated”, I agree.
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| Typical User Interfaces for Control Systems |
