Audiovisual systems are the key sensory elements of the way anyone consumes content in the 21st century (that is until it’s possible to send aromas and tactile sensations long-distance). As a business, the success of your content and your entire online communication depends on it. With that in mind, here are some of the latest trends in commercial AV systems and how you can get the most value from it.
1. Ultimate immersion formats
AR and VR are amazing because they erase the boundary between the digital and physical worlds. This way, you get the ultimate immersive experience, which is the whole point that the original content creator was trying to achieve.
This will be an amazing opportunity for trends like browsing and virtual tours in the retail, real estate, and hospitality industries.
Namely, you won’t have to travel long distances to see the piece of property that you intend to buy. Instead, you’ll be able to visit them before you invest virtually. This will already make a world of difference in terms of your conversion rate. This is what virtual tours can do for you.
As for the hospitality industry, it’s important to mention that there’s only so much you can see online. Most often, you just show people the storefront and the menu; they must envision the rest for themselves. This is suboptimal since you don’t want to rely on someone else’s sense of immersion.
As for the retail, imagine choosing paint for your wall and just pointing your phone’s camera in any direction to see what it would look like after the painting. You can also check what your room will be like when you buy that new armchair or a vase. In other words, it could give you an experience far closer to an actual in-store shopping experience.
2. More immersive audio
The traditional stereo and surround systems are rudimentary concepts that fail to fully encapsulate what immersive audio could become. Sure, you get a general idea of where the sound comes from, but what about the depth of perception?
Modern audio formats have a far easier way of capturing sound objects, spatial cues, etc. All of this stimulates the experience of being in the middle of action. This creates a more realistic and captivating experience, but it does rely on your customers having more sophisticated audio equipment.
You see, hardware is gatekeeping most people from getting deeper into this. Still, there’s a silver lining to it. Since the format of podcasts blew up, a lot of people are investing more heavily in their audio equipment. A lot of people consider starting a podcast of their own, but some are just realistic about how much time they spend listening to these things.
Same as with the screen resolution, you can create content with as high quality as you like, but if your audience can’t keep up with it, it just won’t be financially viable. When it comes to the sound quality, even your connection and cable quality can affect the end result.
3. 8K videos
8K videos are a controversial topic for several reasons. While they undoubtedly provide a higher texture quality, greater immersion, and overall seem smoother, the problem is that this format is so resource-heavy.
First of all, the majority of users don’t have the screens or the projectors capable of sending an image in 8K (most don’t even have it in 4K). At the same time, you want to be an early adopter and cast a wide net. This is why commercial AV systems always go one generation ahead of the regular use.
When it comes to B2B interactions, the majority of companies you’re doing with are decently equipped. If they’re going to play your promotional offer or stream a meeting, they may be able to do it in 4K or 8K. Streaming as heavily as you can doesn’t hurt, but allowing the recipient to lower the quality on the other end doesn’t hurt. This way, you’re making the content more inclusive.
Remember, digital conference rooms are an important factor you need to aim for, and you want the images you’re sending/playing there to be crystal clear.
The same goes for you, as well. Invest a bit more in the right hardware in your own studio or conference room since you never know when you’ll need it.
Of course, this increases the costs of production, streaming, and uploading, but this is going to become a standard at one point, so why wait?
4. AI and machine learning
Modern AI analytical tools can provide you with a greater insight regarding how your audience is actually interacting with your content. This way, you can get valuable insights that you can use in your future content creation. Keep in mind that writing a script and editing videos greatly enhance the UX, which is pivotal for the success of your content.
Another thing you can do is find AI editing tools. This way, even without too great graphic skills, you can use a descriptive language (a great prompt) to enhance any video, animation, image, or audio recording that you make. This way, polishing of content becomes far more effective in hands of people who are not specialized editors.
Editing for incredibly high resolutions and noise experience is even more complex and demands a far greater computing power. Fortunately, with the help of AI tools and so much examples fed into the machine learning pool, this will be far from impossible.
The use of generative AI should never be downplayed or underestimated. Namely, instead of just analyzing and sharpening content, you can use the AI to create content. In other words, while making a prompt, you can insist on a specific resolution or sound settings.
Overall, AI is expected to transform many industries and content creation will definitely not be an exception.
Wrap up
Ultimately, as a business, you need both the software and hardware to keep up with the quality standards of the modern tech world. Here, expectations are transferable and it doesn’t matter if the rest of your industry isn’t particularly tech-savvy. The expectations of users come from their collective experience of the field, not just their interactions with your brand.
