The 12 Most Important Pro AV Products of 2017 (According to Bob Archer)

Bob Archer chooses Polycom, DVIGear, Crestron, Surgex, Stewart Filmscreen, and other pro AV products among his favorite commercial electronics of 2017.

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The 12 Most Important Pro AV Products of 2017 (According to Bob Archer)
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Commercial pro AV products don’t receive the same attention as the consumer counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they are less important in today’s technology-centric world.

Earlier this year, after InfoComm in Orlando, I noted the buzz on the show floor rivaled consumer events such as CES and CEDIA.

I’ll now add that we can look back on 2017 as an exciting year in the world of pro AV products and commercial electronics in general.

Cutting edge technologies such as 4K, AV over IP and laser-based projectors are hotter than Taylor Swift’s new record, and maturing categories like collaboration and media distribution are more user friendly than ever before.

As the market moves into 2018, I think it’s pretty safe to say that AV over IP will remain a hot category for manufacturers with the residential custom installation using these technologies to distribute AV throughout homes, and alternatives to copper gaining momentum.

The residential market’s adoption of AV over IP will benefit commercial electronics by forcing prices down, which will make these systems easier to sell for commercial integrators and easier for their clients to buy.

As for the content these AV over IP systems will manage, another point in the evolution of 4K the market could experience is the adoption of more dynamic HDR formats, and even 120Hz refresh rates for mission critical applications.

Collaboration will also remain hot with the voice technologies that were introduced over the past year, along with diversification of collaboration platforms enticing end users to move into more advanced, easier-to-use solutions.

One other category that dealers may want to examine more going forward is audio.

A recent study from Futuresource estimates the commercial audio market will grow by $1 billion by 2021 with the rental, touring and portable audio markets expected to be key verticals for audio manufacturers.

But enough predictions.

Let’s look back at 2017 with my picks for the best commercial electronics from the following companies:

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