Having served in a variety of staffs, from the squadron to a Marine Force component as an S6/G6, there were few technology solutions more difficult to fully utilize than video teleconference systems (VTCs) and the video wall displays in both garrison and tactical conference rooms. Video walls and their remote control systems had never been standardized, so the variations I experienced were vast, but the problems were similar:
- Unfamiliar and/or difficult to operate user interface
- Screens that flicker or do not work reliably
- Poorly documented systems with little or no user guide help
- Countless other network gremlins that show up at only the most important meetings
Inevitably there was always an issue that just made the video wall not work unless a special contractor with magic fairy dust made it suddenly work. Given their expense, video walls were not easily replaced without proper budget planning. They were also heavy, delicate, and not expeditionary – even the video walls we put into bulky, often homemade, embarkation cases, and deployed anyway. CineMassive would have answered my prayers back then, so they may be the answer to your prayers now if you’re struggling with an outdated, difficult to operate, or even broken video wall.
CineMassive’s video wall offerings are impressive and they offer full-service support for them. For brevity, I will only focus on their expeditionary and tactical visualization systems although they have solutions that support fixed rooms as well. The heart of their expeditionary capability is their Alpha FX Stryke or Alpha FX Stryke SR processors.
The Alpha FX Stryke processor is rugged (no moving parts, MIL-STD-810G certification pending), man-portable (fits in a backpack and weighs 12 lbs), will work on battery backup if needed, and can support four 4K HDMI inputs and outputs. Pre-loaded with the CineNet control software, it’s intuitive to set up varying screen layouts that the user, or command center, or commander’s conference room support, can easily understand and configure without calling for technical assistance.
The Alpha FX Stryke SR processor is semi-rugged, weighs 5 lbs. (fits in a backpack), and supports four 4K HDMI inputs and outputs. The Alpha FX Stryke SR is equipped with CineNet control software.
The Alpha FX Stryke and Alpha FX Stryke SR will work with any display (or projector). As an additional option, CineMassive has two kits that provide a ruggedized carrying case and a 2 X 2 industrial-grade 4K LCD video wall display (that’s four 22-inch LCD displays with 1920X1080 resolution).
If you need a larger video wall and you don’t have to hand carry it all in, you can opt for the Scalable Mobile Display (SMD) option. This turn-key video wall system comes packed in rugged transport cases, requires no tools to put together, and includes the Alpha FX video wall processor, 10-inch touch screen with CineNet software, CineView LCD displays, mounting frame, all cables, and connectors. The SMD option comes in 2 X 2, 4 X 2, or 6 X 2 display configurations with standard 12 video capture ports (can go up to 28). Those video capture ports are where the various PCs/laptops, TV tuners, and VTC codecs plug in to be displayed simultaneously. The COC can be up in minutes.
As easy as the SMD is to set up, configure, and operate, I would still recommend getting their onsite training package and GuardianCare 24/7 support. CineMassive will support training OCONUS and will provide both remote and on-site support via GuardianCare.
It’s everything I needed, but just did not have, for an expeditionary video wall.