Whether you use your yacht for work or pleasure, it has never been more important to stay connected while on board. With offices in Amsterdam, Ancona, London, Moscow, Viareggio and Milan, systems integration specialist Videoworks is perfectly placed to meet the connectivity, audio/visual and communication needs of the yachting industry. With more than 20 years’ experience, the Italian brand has worked with high-end residential and business clients, as well as yachts, and prides itself on offering a combination of cutting-edge technology and fine design that enhances rather than disrupts interior décor.
Nowadays, having a single synchronised on board system that takes care of audio, video, room lighting and IT operations is one of the key requests made by superyacht owners and charter guests. Watching a football game on a large high-resolution monitor, listening to music on connected high-quality speakers that can be operated room by room or throughout a yacht, controlling lights and curtains, managing multimedia content, changing the temperature and being able to safely and reliably surf the internet have all become must-haves of modern system integration.
Among Videoworks’ many impressive clients are some of the most elegant yachts on the water, including the 74 metre CRN Cloud 9. Debuted last year, she was a highlight at many of the 2017 yacht shows for both her beautiful lines by Zuccon International Project and her exquisite interior by Winch Design – the effect of which was added to by the highly customised and easy-to-use approach Videoworks took to her audio/visual, home automation, entertainment, lighting and IT equipment.
The challenge posed by CRN and the designers was to offer excellent sound quality without impacting the efficiency of the systems thus requiring the use of Revolution Acoustics SSP6 multiducers. This high-tech product can be embedded into a range of materials and allows a large surface to act as a speaker, making the surface vibrate and creating a smooth 3D audio effect. For this project, Videoworks’ experience was crucial in selecting a DSP audio processor capable of equalising the sound at a frequency matching the speaker surface. For example, in Cloud 9, four units of SSP6 were connected to aluminium surfaces on the port and starboard furniture around the pool, creating an ideal surround sound listening area with no aesthetic impact.
Videoworks also developed an external cinema with video projector, screen and speakers in the aft cockpit of the owner’s deck and a cinema area in the main deck saloon with a 120in Stewart screen and a 4K video projector. For everyday entertainment, iTunes was made available on Apple TVs, iPhones and iPads throughout the yacht for music and movies. Videoworks also installed a professional IT network with security systems, bandwidth management and a server farm, which can be monitored remotely 24 hours a day if requested. Finally, Kerio Control network security, firewall and anti-virus solutions allow the client to manage bandwidth speed and consumption and protect the onboard systems from viruses and intrusions.
Another key recent Videoworks project was the Perini Navi sailing yacht Seven, a 60 metre ketch that was awarded Best Lighting Design at the Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 for its warm and comprehensive scheme that mixes direct, indirect and backlit illumination with perfect balance. Again, Videoworks’ insight was key to the choice of light fixtures during the design phase, with each decision based on the desired atmosphere of the rooms they would be located in. This allowed for great flexibility in the commissioning phase and has assured the system will always have enough light available while, at the same time, offering ambient illumination to bring out the beauty and elegance of the project.
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