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The day AV Over Potatoes went viral
The Problem:
Kramer was set to participate in ISE 2019, the major annual trade show in the ProAV field, just as they had for the past 20 years.
With around 1,000 companies exhibiting their products, most of which were black or gray boxes, standing out was a challenge. The show was expecting around 80,000 visitors, making it crucial for our booth to attract attention.
The Goal:
My aim was to make Kramer's booth outstanding. Despite having a good budget for the show, there wasn't a dedicated budget for a special show activity like other companies.
For instance, Panasonic, whose booth was always behind ours, consistently put on huge shows, integrating their products into activities like a bowling alley, dancing show, or computer game contest.
In the image: Panasonic's display at ISE 2019 features a dance show within a large, inflatable half-dome screen, perfectly synchronized with several 4K projectors.
The Idea:
I wanted to do something different. One of the gray boxes we were showcasing was the TP-752, pair of devices capable of extending a full HD HDMI signal up to 600 meters using "any two wires." For context, a regular HDMI cable typically runs up to 15 meters. Because these devices could work with any two wires, they could use old, unused cable infrastructure to transmit a digital video signal, such as VGA, CAT, phone, or power cords.
Then I had the idea: transmit video over... two potatoes. Potatoes are commonly used in basic demonstrations of electrical principles and circuits in educational settings.
The unexpected presence of potatoes at a technology trade show was both funny and memorable.
The Result:
THE CABLE CHALLENGE... also called "AV over Potatoes" (a play on the popular "AV over IP" technology) was a hit.
Visitors were both surprised and amused by the sight of potatoes in our exhibit, finding the concept humorous.
The video transmitted over potatoes attracted large crowds, and for the first and only time, Kramer was listed among "The Showstoppers" by Inavate magazine, a leading publication in the ProAV field.
The Waves:
The AV over Potatoes concept received extensive coverage in magazines, social media, blogs, and more.
It became a talking point, and everyone wanted to try it out.
UniversalAV:
"(...) However the prize for the most innovative technology of the day goes to Kramer and their use of the common potato.
Designed to show the robust nature of their HDBaseT solutions and the ability to send any AV signal over a two core cable of any quality or even a potato, without the loss of signal or resolution."
And then everyone wanted to try it.... everywhere...
Hong Kong
USA
Sweden
UK
Russia
Mexico
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