Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1327492
January/February/March 2021 I 49 The Bowling Alley FIGURE 4: Typical long and narrow conference room. HOW DO I ACCOMMODATE FOR ODD ROOM SIZES? It is also important to consider the viewing angle of the display or projector screen so that, depending on the room layout, the screen activity can be viewed by everyone in the audience. This may require multiple displays or screens at the front of the room or even auxiliary displays on adjacent walls. Keep in mind, having multiple displays does not necessarily mean smaller displays. It is important to still apply the same methods regarding maximum viewing distance and usage model even in multiple display applications. Rooms come in different sizes and shapes, but every room has a specific purpose. It is important to keep viewers in mind while ensuring the purpose of the room stays intact when planning for AV elements. One typical type of odd-sized room is the long and narrow conference room, which is often referred to as the "bowling alley" layout. In this room, the presenter is at one end, and there is usually a ceiling-mounted projector or a projector on the table. While it is important to maintain the focus on the presenter at the front of the room, the people at the far end might have a harder time seeing the details on the screen. One way to resolve this is by adding displays on the opposing walls to provide details to all the participants (Figure 4). Using four displays for participants may be solution. This might not always be realistic due to windows or objects on the walls, but at least two additional displays can help immensely in this scenario. The setup in Figure 5 shows FIGURE 5: Four display setup for supporting a long and narrow conference room. A. Flat screen displays, B. HDMI splitters, C. HDBaseT extension, D. HDMI cables. connected displays using two HDMI splitters and an HDBaseT extension link over category-rated cable between the splitters. Shown in schematic form, the splitter or splitters may be located outside the room, above the ceiling, or in the wall behind one or more displays which may be some distance apart. If the HDMI signal approaches or exceeds its practical 15-meter limit, HDBaseT extenders can be used to preserve high- resolution capabilities.