From the first slide-carousel system introduced in the early ’70s to the advanced touch screens of today, Crestron has been a leading innovator of control solutions.
When Crestron was founded just over 50 years ago, the man who started the company was a tinkerer — someone who loved odd jobs, the electronic problem-solver. But the first product that put George Feldstein and his company on the map was a control solution, as we noted on the Crestron blog:
There was a time before PowerPoint software, and slides were just that, slides that sat in a carousel in a projector. The best way to present a combination of data and images was to gather one’s colleagues in a dark room, pull down a display screen, and fire up the slide projector. Feldstein saw an opportunity to refine this presentation tool. “The slide projector control went beyond just forward and advance; it also included fades and dissolves; you could incorporate multiple stacks of projectors into a timed presentation,” remembers Crestron VP of Channel Marketing and Sales Enablement Ray Coneys. That interest led to controlling not just the projector but also drawing the shades in a conference room remotely — and ultimately achieving more and more functions without cables.
The Power of a Great Control System
Feldstein and his team soon saw the potential for broader control solutions that were packed with forward-thinking features. Crestron introduced the first control system with an Ethernet port, and Feldstein was an early adopter of the HDMI® connectivity standard. Even as the company expanded into other product segments, Crestron continues to strive to make its control solutions the most innovative, robust, and reliable products you can buy.
The beauty of the right control solution is that any room — in any given situation — can create the perfect environment in an instant. Do I need to share content? Do I need the lights and shades to dim for a video presentation? Can the room be pre-set to the perfect temperature ahead of time? The answer to all those questions is, “Yes — and more.” Imagine a space that’s attuned to every need in such a manner that the end user only needs to press a single button, a literal one-touch solution that creates the perfect experience, almost as if by magic.
While the elder Feldstein certainly predicted that this could happen at some time in the future, we’ve now reached the point where it’s all quite possible. The only limitation to what can be achieved is the imagination of the specifier. If a client can think of it, a dealer can execute it with the tools, systems, devices, and support that Crestron can provide.
Making it All Work Together
There’s another through-line carried from the early days of Feldstein’s forays into control systems. Crestron didn’t make slide projectors when the carousel controller was introduced. At that time, Crestron hadn’t yet ventured into lighting and shading. But the team knew that Crestron controllers had to work with a wide variety of devices from other manufacturers, and it’s a philosophy that’s continued into the present day. The result should be experience-driven: A user walks into a space and the room comes alive, whether that’s through one-touch activation or a completely automated solution.
That notion has never been more important. In the hybrid work environment, with its blend of in-person and remote staff, every space needs the kind of connectivity that was likely once reserved for a few select rooms in an organization. From the smallest huddle niche to the most expansive boardroom or lecture hall, the systems that drive these rooms — from AV to unified communications to lighting, shading, and even climate control — have never been more complex. Simplifying — and automating — the control of these disparate functions and devices is absolutely vital to increasing productivity, alleviating user frustration, and fewer calls to the help desk.
It's a simple equation: When collaborators can focus on their work without struggling to make the gear function, more gets done.
The 80 Series Touch Screens
The latest expression of this philosophy is the new line of Crestron 80 Series Touch Screens. These feature-packed devices deliver purpose-built control solutions across three core applications: scheduling, unified communications (UC), and room control.
The 80 Series Touch Screens boast Crestron’s fastest processor yet and radar-based proximity sensing that “wakes” the device when someone approaches. As for sound, these devices include upgraded audio and intercom features, including far-field microphones and premium speakers. Every device includes an Ethernet port with PoE and PoE+ for clean, single-cable installation and reliable wired performance. Wi-Fi® connectivity is available, too.