FSR Inc. is focusing on workplace connectivity—the spot in the room where data, AV and power converge—at InfoComm 2018 in Las Vegas this week with the theme Boxes Done Right evident throughout its booth inside the Las Vegas Convention Center [booth C2128].
At the show, FSR will debut its Symphony Table Box line, introduce a set of extra-large wall boxes, a new floor box, show box covers that marry form and function, present a new charging option and demonstrate dozens of new features incorporated into the Flex builder.
And that’s just the start of it.
Even better news for those who like what they read here: every FSR InfoComm 2018 product will ship within 90 days. [related]
“We don’t like vaporware,” says FSR director of global sales Chaz Porter. “It’s heartburn for integrators and heartburn for us.”
Many of the design changes and updates to FSR’s products came as the company works more closely with furniture manufacturers, even exhibiting at NeoCon in Chicago the week after InfoComm, says Porter.
“AV is all about function while contract furniture is about design and form,” he says.
FSR engineers spent 12 to 18 months working with designers to craft three new table box lines that Porter describes as “cleaner and simplistic” to help them mesh with the demands of furniture manufacturers.
“They loved our products, but they didn’t always like the looks,” he says.
Enter the CT6 and CRT6 table box covers.
The “C” stands for “contemporary,” as the products replace the T6 and RT6 table boxes of FSR’s past.
The new versions include matte finish anodized covers with radiused edges, aesthetically shaped doors and openings, covered control buttons and locations for system instruction on some models.
FSR InfoComm Mantra: Think Outside the Box
The new Symphony table boxes was designed with the contract furniture market in mind, says Porter.
Gently curved shapes allow for large cable to bulkhead AV connections, while remaining faithful to the aesthetics that interior designers demand.
They come in 12 color combinations and include a choice of full insert AC outlets, USB charging ports, and low-voltage openings.
The Symphony Line is available as a clamp-on or mounted in the table with frame and cover, or mounted under a table, shelf or chair.
Porter sees Symphony fitting best in “spaces where aesthetics are critical,” including corporate and higher education applications. They will start shipping by the end of July.
FSR is adding extra-large versions of its PWB-320 and 323 wall boxes, expanding them from 14.5 to 22.5 inches. Expect to see the XL boxes early in July and integrators will likely use them in digital signage applications, among other uses, says Porter.
“The days of having a rack closet are over,” he says. “The question becomes where do you put the rack? The answer is behind the display or in the ceiling.”
FSR is launching HuddleVU collaboration bundles, a series of prepackaged configurations offered in five different prepackaged systems that accommodate two to four users. Each bundle includes a table box, a switcher and all the necessary cables, but can be upgraded with optional cable retractors.
Systems can also include FSR’s HuddleVU Air, a wireless 4-input auto-switching presentation unit featuring 2 HDMI in, 1 VGA in, and one wireless input.
Porter is excited about FSR’s DR-EDID emulator, which is designed to manipulate the EDID information provided to a connected HDMI source or any device connected prior to the unit in the HDMI chain, and is shipping now.
The DR-EDID is a self-powered bidirectional device that can be inserted onto either end of any HDMI cable.
It allows the installer to modify the information with a rotary switch to select between 16 pre-installed settings or copy the EDID from any device.
FSR InfoComm booth will also feature DisplayPort and HDMI 2.0 digital ribbon fiber-optic cables.
If all of this sounds overwhelming or you don’t think you’ll be able to figure out how these products can help you, be sure to check out FSR’s virtual reality showroom within the FSR InfoComm 2018 booth.
The VR showroom allows users to walk through a corporate space and see how FSR’s products can enhance the experience.
