AliceCIE-Group has launched a new, online AV training channel named HowToAV.tv – a brand new free online resource aimed at extending education and knowledge in AV technology and integration to the widest possible audience.
HowToAV.tv is completely free and features short, informative and unbiased videos that offer users instant access to solutions to common technical issues, installation advice, and technology tutorials – all in a user-friendly style.
The HowToAV.tv channel launches in July with the first 50 pieces of free educational content, with plans to add another 100 pieces before the end of the year.
“Over recent years, at CIE-Group we have seen a huge increase in appetite for training and knowledge in the audio visual market,” says Chris Edwards, marketing director at CIE-Group.
“We have experienced this in reaction to the free AV training academies we have run across the country. In order to extend this resource to as many professionals and end users as possible, we have enthusiastically backed the launch of this free, non-biased and, most significantly, non-sales based training via a library of online videocasts. Content is aimed at professional AV integrators, home entertainment system end users, plus every level of experience and knowledge in between. A key point to highlight is that the information remains absolutely neutral and impartial – we won’t be selling products and we won’t be promoting brands. It’s simply about answering all those technology questions when and where you need the answers, for example, on-site and available on your smart phone or mobile device.”
Speaking to CE Pro Europe at HowToAV.tv’s recent launch event in London, Steve Collin, group sales director, CIE-Group explained the thinking behind the new offering: “I don’t want to be seen by installers as a company that they’ve got to go to, I want to be seen as a company that they want to go to. I want to make sure that there’s more confidence in the market about CIE, and because we’ve been around for such a long time and have been a go-to company for knowledge, the natural progression was to say: ‘let’s lead the market, let’s change the way things are’. A big part of our business model is our service; yes we’ve got products, yes we’ve got targets we need to hit, but generally that service is going to be our knowledge.”
Steve encourages a variety of professionals to come fourth to speak on the channel, including industry experts, consultants, manufacturers, distributors, customers, AV installers and even people from the publishing world. “The more credible, the better!” he said.
“This is the Woody Allen approach to AV: everything you always wanted to know about AV, but were afraid to ask,” he continued. “So if you’ve been in the industry a long time and think you should know something and don’t want
to go for training, you can go to our site and find the answers.”
The HowToAV.tv channel allows users to browse a wide range of video content with some of the first subjects including the latest installation advice on HDBaseT and AV signal distribution, integrating Audio-over-IP with analogue systems and the lowdown on the new USB version 3.1 and Type C connectors hitting the market right now.
For the non-professional audience, the channel will address simple questions such as understanding HDCP errors, AV signal conversion and HDMI fault-finding.
Other examples of some of the first video casts will include understanding the differences between Power-over-Ethernet and Power-over-Cable, wireless inductive charging, EDID, CEC and near-field communication, as well as tutorials for audio technologies such as 100v line, public address and sound masking.