DK Productions x House of Magic | It is more than just AV magic

CHALLENGE

It is more than just magic: HOUSE OF MAGIC relies on NETGEAR AV Line switches to stage a production that provides its visitors with a magical experience.

As technical consultant and service provider for the magical interactive experience and adventure museum “HOUSE OF MAGIC powered by EHRLICH BROTHERS,” DK Production was tasked with equipping the entire museum with high-performance, secure and reliable audiovisual network infrastructure which connects individual elements in the virtual world without requiring intensive maintenance or complex matrix programming.

CASE

DK Production built the network in a star topology and chose the NETGEAR AV Line switches from the M4250 series, which are ideal for easy integration with conventional AV devices, for the infrastructure. The innovative M4250 switch series has been specifically designed for professional and demanding audiovisual installations. They also used the Smart Cloud Switch GS752TPv2. The 48-port Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ Smart Switch with optional remote/cloud management and 4 SFP ports (380 W) is a stand-alone smart switch for converged networks with configurable Auto-Video VLANs and VLAN routing.

CUSTOMER PROFILE

DK Production provides specialist planning, integration and implementation of projects in event technology with a special focus on audiovisual technology, media servers and IT technology. DK Production offers individual consultancy, planning and coordination of AV projects as well as a customer-oriented, budget-compatible full package offering everything from planning and installation through to commissioning and maintenance.

BACKGROUND

The HOUSE OF MAGIC powered by EHRLICH BROTHERS is a fascinating adventure museum for the whole family at the Westfield Centro Shopping Center in Oberhausen, Germany. Over 3000 square meters and 19 rooms, it takes visitors on a unique journey into the world of magic. In the magical workshop, you will find mysterious objects such as a transforming unicycle, a book with self-turning pages and a box that never empties. Visitors are dazzled by illusions created using shadows and mirrors.

The HOUSE OF MAGIC is aimed at families first and foremost. Children can ride a toothbrush like a see-saw, hop on a giant tablet and create fascinating light effects thanks to the “shrinking magic” in the EHRLICH BROTHERS’ suitcase, which makes everything around you gigantic. One special attraction is the Virtual Reality Ride, where visitors can test the latest flying brooms. A teleporter gives you the feeling of being transported from one place to another within a matter of seconds, as previously only seen in science fiction films. The HOUSE OF MAGIC gives everyone the opportunity to use their magical powers and immerse themselves in a world full of magic!

The IT infrastructure plays a critical role in the experience. DK Production relies on NETGEAR’s AV Line switches to deliver unique digital experiences. Thanks to this technology, the magic in the HOUSE OF MAGIC can be experienced by every visitor.

CHALLENGE

The audiovisual infrastructure at the HOUSE OF MAGIC plays a critical role in providing visitors with immersive and enriching experiences. DK Production GmbH was responsible for planning and implementing this unique interactive adventure, which comprises 19 rooms. A powerful IT infrastructure has been put in place to ensure fast data transfer and stable connectivity for interactive elements such as virtual reality and AV applications. The integration of touchscreens, motion sensors and speech recognition systems was also essential for enabling seamless visitor interaction. The combination of audio and video elements created an immersive multi-sensory experience, synchronizing visual content with appropriate sounds and music. The audiovisual infrastructure allows visitors to actively participate and interact with the exhibits and makes it easy to integrate new attractions.

SOLUTION

The HOUSE OF MAGIC project is very complex and requires the greatest possible expertise from everyone involved. DK Production’s many years of experience in the events sector is key to ensuring high-quality implementation in all areas. As the project has a time-critical aspect, the network plan was drawn up within two weeks and implemented under high pressure within one week. In total, planning the HOUSE OF MAGIC took nine months, and the upgrade was implemented within three months.

Daniel Kaminski, Managing Director at DK Production, chose the NETGEAR AV Line switches from the M4250 series and the Smart Cloud Switch GS752TPv2 for the switch infrastructure. The AV Line switches offer seamless integration with traditional AV equipment and are ideal for this purpose. The M4250 switch series has been specifically designed to meet the needs of experts using professional and demanding audiovisual installations.

A strong argument in favor of using M4250 AV Line switches is the fact that the AV functionality is available for out-of-the-box use. In addition, they feature a user-friendly interface that allows for easy operation and setup of professional AV-over-IP applications. The NETGEAR GS752TPv2 PoE+ Smart Cloud Switch offers many benefits, such as configurable L2 network functions, VLANs and PoE operational planning, and the ability to use video-over-IP endpoints easily and securely.

Daniel Kaminski, Managing Director of DK Production comments: “AV over IP has the potential to change the rules of the game in these application scenarios, but for many AV professionals, network technology is still relatively unknown territory. It is therefore very important to make implementation and application as simple as possible.”

DK Production placed great emphasis on the flexibility, performance and resilience of the AV-over-IP solutions. For this reason, the company decided to use seven AV Line switches from the NETGEAR M4250 series and four NETGEAR Gigabit PoE+ Smart Cloud SFP Switches from the GS752 range throughout the HOUSE OF MAGIC. The M4250 switch range offers advanced configuration capabilities and functionalities designed specifically for AV installations such as these. NETGEAR’s industry-leading web-based user interface enables more in-depth setting adjustments over console, Telnet and SSH connections, as well as a standard out-of-band Ethernet port. This provides the right level of flexibility, configurability and ease of use. Furthermore, additional features such as static or RIP and PIM routing, DHCP server or PTPv2 enable easy implementation of the specific requirements stipulated by DK Production.

When constructing the IT infrastructure, DK Production employed a star topology. The key component of this design was the AV Line switch M4250-16XF, from which all signals and data were distributed to the individual rooms and to the individual switches and end devices. The star topology guarantees easy management, a high level of reliability, expandability, better performance and improved network security. It connects all end devices to a central hub, enables efficient configuration and monitoring, minimizes downtime and allows for easy expansion. Each connection is unique, ensuring optimal performance and bandwidth. It also provides control over communications and enables effective security measures. Network deployment across multiple technical rooms and the integration of many different end devices requires the use of an additional six M4250-26G4XF AV Line switches and four GS752TPv2 switches.

28 Dante devices, 20 media servers and computers have been seamlessly integrated into the audiovisual network. In addition, 43 interactive displays, 14 smart projectors, a teleporter, 42 VR systems, 14 interactive exhibits and 16 smart light devices were implemented in different rooms and environments. This complex integration provides a professional and high-performance environment for audiovisual content and interactive experiences.

Daniel Kaminski emphasizes: “The individual components have been optimally coordinated with one another using precise planning and expertise, creating a first-class audiovisual infrastructure. The careful integration and configuration of these devices ensured smooth communication, excellent audio and video quality and seamless interaction between the different systems.” The resulting technological environment offers visitors an immersive experience and creates a professional platform for audiovisual and interactive experiences.

Daniel Kaminski adds: “With this project, we were seeking to create a secure, powerful and easy-to-use AV network that would allow smooth transmission of audio and video data while ensuring the highest levels of reliability and security. Possible downtimes should and must be avoided. In the end, the decision to choose AV Line switches from NETGEAR was a no-brainer. They satisfy all our requirements and allow easy installation and configuration. We are delighted with the quality and service that we received from NETGEAR.”

NETGEAR AV Line switches provide an effective and user-friendly solution that directly addresses the challenges faced by AV professionals when deploying AV over IP. The M4250 series AV Line switches used, together with the intuitive and easy-to-use user interface developed by NETGEAR specifically for AV applications, offer the best price/performance ratio in the professional audiovisual industry. Combined with the GS752 range of Smart Cloud Switches that connect the displays and virtual reality devices, DK Production opted for an infrastructure based on NETGEAR switches.

CONCLUSION

DK Production implemented the successful HOUSE OF MAGIC project using its expert knowledge, relying on NETGEAR AV Line products. The ease of integration, reliability and performance of AV-over-IP solutions were vital. The star topology with the AV Line switch M4250-16XF enabled easy management and a high level of security. The integration of various devices created a professional environment for audiovisual content. DK Production has praised the quality and service provided by NETGEAR and emphasizes the ease of installation. The reliable NETGEAR infrastructure enabled the creation of a world-class audiovisual environment.

PRODUCTS USED

• 1 x M4250-16XF as the core element for central network control

• 6 x M4250-26G4XF for the seamless integration of AV signals

• 4 x GS752TPv2 for connecting the VR computers to the network