Ever-changing technology and the AV professional

click here to read the original article in ProSystems Africa News July/August 2017

Technology is a major dynamic of the 21st century. For the audiovisual professional, the challenge is the crazy pace of communication technology development around audiovisual applications and how this impacts the men and women specialising in this vibrant industry.

The modern world’s digital systems will never completely substitute its analogue predecessors. The reason, as mentioned in a previous article, is simple – humans are analogue beings. Digitisation, however, is considered to be a breakthrough and technologically superior to conventional analogue ways. This is not entirely true and many old-school technicians and audiophiles will gladly debate the
difference in quality between analogue audio, for example, compared to the compressed digital versions. The reality is that analogue and digital signals are applied differently from one another.Human communication is reliant on the analogue spectrum. Our eyes see light through an optical system that distinguishes between different colours in various shapes and sizes. Our vocal cords produce sound waves which we manipulate with the cavity of our mouths, throats and lips. We do this in order to produce a compilation of sounds in concert, to deliver a message. Our hearing systems identify audible vibrations, which are used to recognise a message. None of the above systems are digital – humans cannot comprehend digital signals.

Digital signal technology pertaining to audiovisual applications was developed to overcome the challenges related to analogue signal distribution, duplication and storage. This is due to physical elements which cause analogue signals to lose energy or be absorbed by noise all around us and thus become unidentifiable by a recipient. In response, the architecture of digital signals are designed to only have two states, on/off, yes/no or more realistically, ones and zeroes. If only two states need to be transmitted, it can easily be done with a positive and negative polarity or amplitude of an analogue wave. The wave will erode over distance, as any analogue wave would, but as long as the receiving end is able to identify whether the wave is positive or negative, no information is lost and by means of an analogue to digital converter, the entire wave can be reproduced. The challenge (and this is where the audiophiles will have you for breakfast) arises in the level of detail that gets transmitted.

So where do humans fit in? It is common knowledge that technology replaces the human element in many fields on a daily basis and the  industry as a whole changes with technology developments. Due to the cost of technology decreasing by the day, consumer patterns are changing and more people are exposed to, or are using audiovisual technology on a daily basis in residential or corporate environments. Digital processes simplify operations and as a result, the professional skillset is perceived to no longer be required in order to perform basic duties. However, when it comes to customised, high-end audiovisual applications, experience and skills are what raise the bar.

Within audiovisual system designs and applications, there will always be a requirement for specialised knowledge. That means someone with experience and relevant application logic that can assess a specific customer requirement and respond with an adequate design, as well as not exceeding said requirement or the available budget. Apart from the design element, the implementation needs to be executed by a technical professional that can accurately configure and/or programme products and

systems. This technician should be able to identify possible challenges or faults and provide solutions when required. Most senior professionals within the industry are very capable but are facing the challenge of adapting to and maintaining knowledge in an ever developing industry. It will never cease to grow and the sooner one gets involved the easier it is to keep up. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the younger generation has some challenges of its own. They are entering an industry that is already at full pace with digital technology. Because of the technology driven lifestyles of the modern era, young technicians will easily grasp modern audiovisual processes. The difficulty they face however, is to fully comprehend the concept of digital video and audio for example, without understanding the analogue components thereof. The same challenge applies to the understanding of digital signals such as DVI, SDI and HDMI without knowledge and experience of Composite and Component Video, S-Video and 5-cable RGBHV. The in-depth theory of these can be explained a million times but the practical exposure will be minimal or none.

To add to the above challenge, audiovisual training material/curriculums are largely excluded from the average university arsenal. A graduate with a communications degree could add much value to the industry on a certain level but will be an expensive resource for one and may not know how to perform basic functions such as calculate the screen size of a custom auditorium for example, or overcome challenges pertaining to HDMI signal distribution. In the AV industry there are a shortage of training programmes. Many industry stakeholders such as product manufacturers are offering training courses in order to transfer knowledge and skill but these are mostly biased and likely to form part of a marketing strategy to promote their products and inflate sales.

This is where the global institution InfoComm made a name. Locally, a professional body, SACIA (Southern African Communications Industry Association), fulfils this role. Although SACIA represents many sectors in the communications industry, its education offering pertaining to professional AV is of excellent value to the aspiring young AV professional.

SACIA was established by a number of industry pioneers with an objective to establish a member base that would promote the adoption of professional standards and ethical business practices. SACIA offers a range of professional designations for various sectors of the communications industry. SACIA is recognised by SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority), as the certifying body for the AV/Communications sector and operates under regulations defined within the National Qualifications Framework Act. The organisation is responsible for developing and awarding professional designations that recognise competence in the communications industry. SAQA is an organ of state, designed to oversee the further development and implementation of government’s education policy and therefore the professional designations offered by SACIA, are widely recognised. All the SACIA professional designations are listed on the NQF (National Qualifications Framework) of South Africa. SACIA professional designations are also recognised by all SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) regions and are listed on the RQF (Regional Qualifications Framework). In order to maintain a professional designation, individuals need to participate in a programme of continuing professional development so that any individual with a designation stays up-to-date on the latest technology shaping the future of the AV industry.

SACIA is also promoting transformation in the industry and does not exclude any individual who wishes to partake in training and development. Thanks to SACIA, school leavers now have additional

options to confuse them and a great opportunity to become part of this exciting industry filled with toys and technology.