• English
• Svenska
• Norsk

Impact Enhances Sotheby's Experience

Working closely with Impact for the last two years, Sotheby’s has invested in audio visual technologies to enhance its customers’ experience. The new technology is apparent from the reception and information area through to the auction and private rooms in the new Bond Street premises. Within the fast-moving environment of one of the world’s busiest auction rooms, the quality of the audiovisual is of paramount importance.

Heath Cooper, Head of Photography, Sotheby’s, London, said: "Here at Sotheby’s we strive to offer our discerning clientele the highest quality of service. The audio visual system in place can be a key differentiator when it comes to the world’s leading auction rooms. An auction house for the 21st century."

"We wanted the highest possible performance with real-time transmissions," explained Cooper. "Zero transmission delays are vital in a live auction environment. Impactf worked closely with us to overcome the technical challenges and develop a system that was of the highest quality but could guarantee no transmission delays." Sotheby’s has an IP backbone with a combination of CAT cables and fibre optics to ensure the best vehicle for its HD content. The auctioneers have their own production team in house and it is constantly renewing its photos and graphics gallery online and on site. Although state of the art in its day, the original equipment was based around a TV distribution system that relied heavily on a mixture of traditional television, early plasma screen technology and a cube rear projection video wall in the main auction room. This was proving costly to maintain with a high power consumption.

Sotheby’s has a green policy and, although all pieces of art need to be well lit and displayed and screens are needed for auctions, it tries when possible to be environmentally friendly. Its HD videoconferencing system, together with the efficient HD imagery, allows bidders to feel closer to the objects and place their bids without needing to be in the same room – sometimes also saving bidders from travelling.

The main auction room at Sotheby’s now has a 103” Panasonic plasma screen, suspended from a reinforced ceiling. The screen provided the auction room audience with a high quality HD image, a better viewing angle and a reduction in the amount of reflection. The system used on the screens throughout is a digital signage-style of screen splits that shows the object together with specific information and price. The Sony HD 3-chip video cameras, placed in strategic points in different rooms can record auctions within the main auction room, capturing and relaying the crystal clear, detailed images.

This allows the auction house to send live HD broadcasts from the main auction room to any one of its five newly-appointed, private meeting rooms. These rooms can be used by clients wishing to partake in auctions yet remain anonymous. Sotheby’s five private rooms are stylish, comfortable spaces where VIP clients can meet and watch the auctions on 50” screens. The room systems have AMX controls and are decorated with specially commissioned art.

The auctioneer’s main reception areas feature three HD NEC 46” LCD panels with an Extron switcher that allows for the screens to show live coverage from within the main auction room. Julian Phillips, managing director of Impact, commented: "When people are making buying decisions, which can be in excess of a million pounds, high quality images of the pieces on auction are of the up-most importance. Sotheby’s is a renowned name across the world and this reputation needs to be maintained."

Reproduced with kind permission of AVInteractive.