TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2022 NAB Show?

BOB BOSTER: It is likely that the continuing trend towards IP-based operations, as well as cloud and hybrid models for media production will continue to be a driver in new technological developments.  What we have seen happen to the market during COVID-19 will be top of mind—remote production, hybrid workflows and the like. That being said, I think people are also going to simply be thinking about how to get projects completed given the ongoing challenges caused by the global supply chain issues. In that context there will be a lot of thought around how to achieve a necessary workflow by reconfiguring existing infrastructures, with minimal additions and costs.

TVT: What will be your most important product news?

BOSTER: We’re most excited about bringing our new Arcadia Central Station to the show, so people have the chance to demo it in person.

Arcadia is a scalable IP intercom platform that integrates wired and digital wireless partyline systems along with third-party Dante devices in a single rack unit. The system scales to meet varying production needs, offering a base level of 32 IP ports, which can be expanded to up to 96 IP ports (and beyond in future releases).

Customers have been eager for a version of Arcadia with HelixNet integration, and at the NAB Show, this will be available for demonstration.

TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?

BOSTER: Arcadia really offers a unique combination of market-leading solutions all in a single unit, and it’s applicable to a number of key workflows including smaller-scale broadcasting, media production, corporate video production and live event, broadcast and streaming hybrid productions.  No other product on the market offers the same range of capabilities.

TVT: How has the pandemic affected your company's business over the past two years and how will it impact how you exhibit at this year's show?

BOSTER: We have been fortunate enough to remain fully operational during these last couple of years. COVID-19 increased demand for some of our products that enable remote production workflows, which were already being used at many broadcast facilities, but were needed in higher quantities. We saw many of our live events partners convert from live event production to virtual event and hybrid event production—in many cases, they were able to supplement their existing Clear-Com products with an LQ IP Interface, Agent-IC Mobile Intercom App or Station-IC Virtual Desktop Client.  

Of course, some of the secondary COVID-19 effects, like the global supply chain crisis and labor shortages have been impacting us, our partners, our suppliers and our end users in complex, unpredicted ways. At this point, I think we are all figuring out how to move forward through these challenges and come out stronger. We look forward to sharing with all those groups in person in Las Vegas after what feels like a VERY long time apart.

ALAMEDA, CALIF.—A lot has changed in 50 years for the broadcast industry and during that time Clear-Com has been around to help consumers meet those changes. The California-based company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018 and has a couple of things planned to recognize those who helped them reach this point, both staff and customers. Current Clear-Com President Bob Boster shared some of those plans with TV Technology.

With the 2018 NAB Show quickly approaching, Clear-Com will use its booth on the show floor to serve as a quick stop for people to recognize the company and staff. Two staff members in particular will hopefully be present: Charlie Butten and Bob Cohen. Butten is Clear-Com’s founding technologist, while Cohen was described as Butten’s “counter point” by Boster in the company's founding. Boster confirmed that Button would be in attendance, though as of our interview it was not confirmed if Cohen would also be present. The pair are slated to be in the booth on Monday, April 9, to meet with visitors.

Also taking place at the end of the day on Monday is a planned toast to Clear-Com. In addition, there will be social media-based opportunities to recognize Clear-Com’s history preceding and throughout the NAB Show with pictures or videos. Similar activities will take place later in the year during InfoComm and IBC.

Outside of these events, Boster says it will be business as usual for Clear-Com at the NAB Show, where it will show new products and seek to inform attendees about its offerings.

About a week after the show on April 18, Clear-Com will officially turn 50, though Boster says there will not be any official kind of celebration. Instead, he expects and hopes that all of Clear-Com’s offices will acknowledge and celebrate its birthday through social media or other ways.

Looking back at the company’s history, Boster believes that Clear-Com has had a range of impact across different industries. “It was probably almost a decade in before Clear-Com really discovered its application in the broadcast market,” he said. Other areas of focus included live performance and live event, as well as working with military, government and aerospace sectors.

[Chris Willis Appointed as Clear-Com's VP of Sales]

Now, as the company sets out toward the future, Boster says the vision remains the same as it has the last few years, which is a “high-degree of investment in new technology with a focus on IP, a focus on wireless.” He also stressed the importance of maintaining the level of customer service that he believes has been integral in Clear-Com’s success to this point.

Clear-Com will be located at booth C6908.

TV TECHNOLOGY: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend at the 2016 NAB Show?

Bob Boster

BOSTER: In the broader broadcast market— video-over-IP standards. I foresee some major conflicts there in terms of new workflows and conflicting standards that promise to bring some electricity to the proceedings. In the intercom market, wireless intercom and general scalability of intercom to fit different workflows are both important trends and strongly on our minds as we prepare for the show.

TVT: What will be your most important product news?

BOSTER: While I can’t reveal any details just yet, you can anticipate further development of our award-winning FreeSpeak II products. In addition there are a host of other product releases we will be featuring at the show that conform to the trends noted above in terms of analog and digital network Partyline products, expansion of our LQ intercom-over-IP interface family, other wireless intercom offerings beyond FreeSpeak II and, importantly, intercom peripherals which always tend to spark some excitement.

TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?

BOSTER:FreeSpeak II is already a best-in-class product in terms of audio quality, frequency management, physical form factor and coverage area. The enhancements we will be introducing at the show will naturally fit into our broad wireless product offerings. While I don’t want to give too much away the advancements we are bringing will maintain FreeSpeak II’s position as the most powerful and flexible wireless intercom product available. With such intense uptake of the product as we have been experiencing, we will have a lot of stories to tell about solving unique and dramatic problems for our customers, which have informed this product development overall.

TVT: What is it about the NAB Show that brings you back every year?

BOSTER:NAB is the best place to capture the imaginations of the broad spectrum of the broadcast marketplace for a wide swath of the globe. It also functions as a milestone in our product development year to drive our innovations into the marketplace, which serves a key function internally to our business. Plus hanging out in the desert with 90,000+ of our closest friends every year becomes habit forming.