Audio Video Solutions has selected Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series for flexible video distribution on Circle Line, New York City’s sightseeing ship.
Established in 1945, Circle Line has hosted over 80 million passengers on their cruises. Passengers can sit back, relax, and enjoy views of the city’s skyline with views on the outdoor deck through huge panoramic views in temperature-controlled indoor cabins. To enhance the experience, Circle Line has standardised AV technology to provide an engaging experience along the route.
Systems integrator Audio Video Solutions was selected to engineer and integrate the AV aboard Circle Line. “The project with Circle Line began as a test case,” said David Slavitt, president of AVS. “Circle Line did not have any prior form of distributed audio or video to enhance their passenger experience. They wanted to integrate AV technology for digital signage that promotes their brand and provides entertainment while passengers are on the boat.”
Slavitt added, “Initially, we started the project on a single ship, but have recently completed our second ship. On the first deck, we integrated four monitors on the ship’s walls. We added a single 86-inch monitor on the second deck. Each of the displays has multiple sources, including two PCs, which are connected to Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series. One of the PCs is dedicated to the onboard CCTV cameras. Specifically, the cameras can broadcast the sightseeing destinations and views from outside. This is particularly useful if there’s inclement weather and the passengers are sitting inside the ship. Additionally, we integrated HDMI inputs for entertainment, advertising, or any other additional information they want to share with the passengers. The system is incredibly flexible with the content that can be distributed and shared.”
AVS implemented Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series, including seven decoders, four encoders and one wall plate encoder on each ship. The system is designed to control various video sources, live camera views and digital signage for the multitude of displays. The PacketAV Wall Plate Encoder provides Bluetooth connectivity for audio distribution. Audio Visual Solutions used network-based technology through the PacketAV Matrix Series for seamless audio and video distribution across multiple decks onboard the ship while eliminating additional cabling infrastructure requirements.