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InfoComm 2011

jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
in AMX General Discussion
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!
http://amx.com/products/categoryNewProducts.asp

What can I say? I think AMX hit a home run even though I can already hear people griping about some of their release times. Hey, at least they're not on RTI's schedule!

So let's see: New panels. ISCLan. Phone control interface. More panels. Big, huge switchers. Did I mention panels? Sexy panels. Hawt-momma panels. Wow!

Anyone there that can shed some light on them (the panels)? And does anyone else think they look like Android devices? I actually kinda hope so, because that'll mean they're upping the ante with the whole Java thing. I can't see how TPD4 will handle it to be honest; I think we're looking at a TPD5 next year. Anyone else want to speculate?

Comments

  • rfletcherrfletcher Posts: 217
    I'll have to head over there after my class and check it out
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    That looks like a fab batch of new products!

    Very cool TPs!

    The ICSLan boxes (if the pricing is right) are just what we need. Rather than using GC or serial IP units.
  • PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    Awesome. I'm definitely in the bad books with the girlfriend at the moment as I spent the morning drooling over the press releases rather than spending time with here (I literally woke up like a kid on Christmas thinking "Yay, day 1 of InfoComm" and reached for the laptop).

    The touch panels looks wicked. Capacitive overlay, tick; multi-touch, tick; gestural interaction, tick; new UI toolkit, tick. Looks as though [post=42547]this post[/post] might have actually meant something. Does anyone have any info on the RFID in them - is it a reader, tag etc? Any other additional sensors?

    Also, ICSLan sounds [post=50795]somewhat familiar[/post].

    Who says AMX don't read the forums.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The X touch panels is coming only in 2012....
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    jason.lim wrote: »
    The X touch panels is coming only in 2012....

    The new WIDE ones are coming in months, price and booking orders now posted, but the 5/7/10 are next year.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    John Nagy wrote: »
    The new WIDE ones are coming in months, price and booking orders now posted, but the 5/7/10 are next year.

    i wonder how they look like in life.
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    If you take the link on the home page, you can see a video. Or go to:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/AMXtalk
  • AvargasAvargas Posts: 57
    No revision for NS....excelent......
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    I'm curious - based on the images / videos - does't it kinda look like they went the Android route? Has anyone heard anything on that? Surely they would not have reinvented the wheel and created a new engine from scratch.
  • a_riot42a_riot42 Posts: 1,624
    Nothing new in the remote department I see. I think AMX is really missing out here as there is a lot of demand for cool handheld remotes and having the R4 as the only product offering seems weak for a company devoted to AV control.
    Paul
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    I'm thinking it's just a start to things really - CEDIA is only 90 days away. Hopefully they'll do something with the remotes, I couldn't agree more - not a very strong offering.
  • viningvining Posts: 4,368
    jjames wrote: »
    I'm curious - based on the images / videos - does't it kinda look like they went the Android route? Has anyone heard anything on that? Surely they would not have reinvented the wheel and created a new engine from scratch.
    The word I got is that it isn't Android based, of course they wouldn't say what is was. I'd love to know.
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    vining wrote: »
    The word I got is that it isn't Android based, of course they wouldn't say what is was. I'd love to know.

    I'd assume they wouldn't admit it even if it was Android - too easily hack-able.
  • rfletcherrfletcher Posts: 217
    Avargas wrote: »
    No revision for NS....excelent......

    Yes there is. 3.3 is coming later this year. Supposed to have lots of bug fixes and some new features.

    I didn't see a full demo, but one thing is that you can now generate a report on all the devices in the online tree.
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    Not to mention that 3.3 should (only guessing here) coincide with a full release of master firmware 4.1 - which if anyone wanted to see the features to check out the PI for the NI-700/900. Apparently, it was release back in December, though I see no signs of it on the site, and tech support will only give it out in special circumstances - that's no fun, eh?! I believe the Enova runs a version of 4.1 as well which also includes these features. When downloading the firmware, I recall there being a new Netlinx.axi file in there - so it's conceivable that the new mathematical features do not need a new version of Studio, just a new version of Netlinx.axi. Again - why this isn't being implemented or distributed is beyond me, and frankly doesn't rub well with me. My guess would also be that with a new VxWorks / JVM framework that'll also include an update to Duet. I can only read this as something beyond Java 1.4 (about time!!)

    But again - why are they holding this back on other masters? I'd assume that the new footprint would be too big for the NI-x000 series, but there's no reason why there can't be an upgrade for them to support the new math commands. Being a programmer at heart, I prefer these types of advances over hardware - because even if the hardware is awesome yet the software is lacking and you can't make the hardware sing then they've wasted quite a bit of time. That's kind of my fear with the new touch panels, which I hope doesn't come true! I'm really hoping that they are completely configurable and not some pre-configured or limited-option device (i.e. drop down choices.)

    Anyway, here's what 4.1 will include at the least (edited to show the good stuff.)
    12/15/10 v4.1.347
    Prerequisites
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    To use the new features described below, you must compile
    your code using NetLinx Studio version 3.3 or higher.
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Changes in this release
    - Upgraded version of the VxWorks Operating System, including
    new versions of:
    + OSGi framework
    + Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
    + SSH/SFTP Client
    - Added the ability to use an external LDAP server for user
    authentication into the Master
    - Added new NetLinx Math Functions, including:
    Exponent, Natural Log, Log, and Square root
    - Added SMTP email support so you can send emails directly
    from NetLinx or Java
    - Added NetLinx Logging APIs (AMX_LOG)
    - Added a Startup Log to capture a settable number of log
    entries at startup (this is turned off by default)
    - Added Telnet "downgrade" command to support reverting to
    pre-4.x.x firmware.
    - Removed IPSec and SNMP support

    Again, why AMX isn't release it - although it apparently was released 7 months ago - is beyond me.
  • the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    - Added SMTP email support so you can send emails directly
    from NetLinx or Java
    - Added NetLinx Logging APIs (AMX_LOG)
    - Added a Startup Log to capture a settable number of log
    entries at startup (this is turned off by default)

    These alone are worthy of a new release. Why isn't this available yet?

    Does the SMTP email support include any encryption to work with locked down ISPs? If not, can we get AMX to host an SMTP server for use with AMX masters?
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    Have you any idea how critically tested this software has to be before a full release on all platforms? If it fails to support any devices in any situation, support explodes, dealers and customers scream, and everybody is furious and lawsuits are bandied about. Do not presume that product managers are vacant-headed or deliberately messing with you. Their contractual and release cycle obligations and constraints are far more complex than it may appear from outside.
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    John - why so testy about this? Don't you realize you're preaching to the choir?

    On the other hand . . . 7 months? It's already running on the Enova product, and would (does?) run on the 3101-SIG.
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    Because I've been on both sides. As a customer, begging for a release, as a customer demanding to know why a release doesn't work right. As a product manager, being yelled at constantly to RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE, and then being yelled at for WHY ISN'T IT WHAT I EXPECTED. The public has little patience or understanding that company resources are limited, especially in rough financial times, and things have priorities that must put things like revenue in front of technology. Not actually testy, just a different take on why things don't just arrive when we want. Without perspective, it's tempting to imagine that things are being stupidly or maliciously withheld. Ask any child who wants candy before dinner.
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    So we're children? (j/k!)

    I get it, and like I said - you're (most likely) preaching to the choir. I for one want things to be working great, but I also don't want to wait another two years.
  • PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    If the Enova's are running it it is because they are a new(ish) product that was able to be developed alongside the firmware. As John said, any manufacturer would be committing market suicide to release firmware for a product that has a reputation for its stability unless they are 100% certain it will not break on any device variation under any circumstances.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    DXLink

    Time to add a new word into your AMX dictionary, DXLink. Learn it and love it.

    DXLink = digital video, digital audio, NetLinx ICSLan, Ethernet & power all on a single UTP Cat 5e cable that can run up to 100 meters. (You might loosely think of it as the digital version of the AMX Endeleo UDM signal.)

    DXLink is available on the new Enova DGX 16x16, Enova DGX 32x32, and Enova DVX-3150... with SmartScale on all video outputs. New InstaGate Plus make HDMI w/HDCP routing "analog simple."

    Did anyone notice that the new Enova DGX switch has an embedded NetLinx 3100 processor? :D
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