Murideo is exhibiting at ISE 2016 and rAVe EUROPE took the opportunity to visit with this American supplier known for its expertise in test, connect and calibrate. Below our editors pose questions to Murideo’s Matt Murray.
Murideo will be at ISE 2016. What’s the mission? What are you hoping to achieve?
At ISE 2016 we really wanted to just share these new products. Sometimes, simply reading about something is just that. Our products are impacting the entire AV industry and we really wanted to debut this brand to EMEA markets with a physical presence. At this point a lot of people have heard of “Murideo” but we want people to see our products and technologies first hand. As a new brand, we have to prove ourselves and fully intend to make a splash at ISE 2016.
Your expertise is in test, connect and calibrate. Can you tell us how that came about? How did you get into this niche?
This is a really interesting evolution!...I would love to discuss this in detail sometime, but long story short - Collectively, we have 60+ years of experience in test and measurement, T&M has always been a specialty for us, and we work with some of the biggest names in the business to bring high impact test products to them. But what really makes us special is that we actually know, use, embrace and fully comprehend what we sell. We use test gear daily. Connectivity equipment is a natural extension of that because of the fact that we really understand the “test bed” for all of these products that come to market. We are really great at selecting and developing products to represent because we actually “put them to the test” so to speak. We really believe in testing everything we sell, so there are no surprises when stuff goes into our customers’ homes or businesses. Calibration is the final piece of the puzzle – If you don’t calibrate your customer is not getting the full picture. They are getting only a third of it. The calibration of systems is very important to the customer and we think it should be for any serious integrator. Test, Connect, Calibrate is the full picture. If you do those 3 things you will have great success in this business and build lifetime customers on a basis of trust.
What are the biggest problems today for AV installers in terms of test, connect & calibrate?
Really, the problem isn’t “test, connect, calibrate.” That is the solution. Our industry is fueled by ever changing technology and, by nature, CHAOS. This chaos is really why we are all here. The AV industry need professionals and always will as long as it is one of the most cutting edge businesses in terms of technology it will be chaotic. We have to be able to function in the midst of this chaos, and the only way to do that is to “test, connect, calibrate”. Test your system, connect it properly, and calibrate to your customers wants/needs…It is really that simple, BUT you need the right tools. If you look at our website we mention this statement often “One of the biggest challenges for integrators today is determining what infrastructure to put in the systems they design and further verifying that all of the components will work together. Over the past few years UHD TVs have been a mix of HDCP 2.2 and 1.4 – even to the point of varying by port.” And this is a reality, more so than ever we need proper tools, connectivity products and calibration methods to make all of the legacy systems cohabitate with UHD, HDR, HDCP, HDbaseT, HDIP, and any number of technology currently available. Not to mention the ones coming…
Murideo Fresco SIX-G seems to provide a lot of value for the money. How has it been received? How will you follow it up?
The Fresco SIX-G is the flagship product, and it does pack a punch. It is a very stout generator product and I would not hesitate to put it up against anything else out there. We knew the value proposition would be “too good to be true” for some that is why we offered up our product to scrutiny by third party test labs like DPL Labs and ISF to confirm our claims. The truth is we are pioneers in the 18GBPS HDMI space and have really embraced the importance of this evolution. As far as how folks are receiving it, it has been great! Customers and industry leaders really think it fills a missing gap, it brings high end test gear to everyone. Packing it all into a piece of equipment that is actually feasible to take to the field is a bonus too, not to mention the 6+ hour battery.
As for follow up…Murideo is not a one hit wonder. We are constantly evolving the SIX-G via firmware as we built in some head room intentionally. In addition we are currently launching an analyzer in the same “field size” form factor at ISE, check us out, and have the SEVEN series products in the works. You will also see some pretty unique game changing color processing products coming out. We really want to address HDR the way it needs to be and make all that hard work our friends in Hollywood are doing impress the masses.
How does the Prisma video processor differ from what’s in the market?
What is really unique is the customization capabilities and the network access with WebOS. You can store more LUTs than anything else allowing more flexibility among workgroups. The WebOS allows for very simple customization, upgrades and firmware enhancements. We made it to be very flexible for all types of users, from post production to home cinema. The WebOS also allows us to add other proprietary technologies like the Prisma Sight Color Vision Deficiency Compensation Profiles. It is things like this that make the Prisma a truly special product and not just a “LUT Box”.
We know you are active in the new ISF Class, coming to Amsterdam just after ISE 2016. What’s “new” about this ISF Class and why is it so important for integrators and others?
The biggest addition, as you can imagine, is the implementation of HDR. This is a must class for anyone wanting to be ahead of the curve of the UHD/HDR roll out. There is no doubt that this will become a standard, I think anyone who has been to a trade show or has seen 4K HDR content, it’s good…REALLY good. Consumers will latch on to this technology and it is already in Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Sony displays and everyone else is working on it. We already have content sources provided directly from the smart TV’s and external sources like the Nvidea Shield and Samsung has a UHD HDR Blu-Ray that is being shipped on the 12th of Feb. All of this means that we, as professionals, need to have as much knowledge and understanding on how to deal with this technology and make the pictures really perfect. It’s an entirely different process than in years past. It not you “grandpa’s ISF” so to speak!
Anything else you want to mention?
The one thing I would like to reiterate is how passionate we are about these test tools. Even if they are not Murideo products, everyone in the field needs to own SOMETHING to tell them what is happening in the system they are integrating. Sometimes it is the only difference between success and failure. I see it all the time, a system goes up and the integrator plugs in a Blu-Ray player and he sees a picture, so he is done right? Until the customer plugs in his odd ball PC…
That’s just an example – we collectively make the entire industry better if we learn to rely on professional tools, like it or not, they are smarter than we are.
Go Murideo
