An AREC a Day Keeps the Dentist Cheering All the Way!

Lodge Dental, a respected dental practice in the UK, recently required a new AV system, which was installed by integrator Spartan Audio. This project serves as an excellent example of how professional healthcare institutions can utilise AREC devices to produce high-quality presentations and recordings, all without the need for specialised training.

Lodge Dental is a private dental practice situated in the picturesque town of Abergavenny, Wales. Renowned for its award-winning care and highly skilled team, the practice has earned a strong reputation in the region. As a result, Lodge Dental has become a centre for sharing industry knowledge and showcasing new technologies, regularly hosting guest practitioners who perform demonstration surgeries and deliver guest lectures.

To enhance the visual appeal and ease of management of training and guidance sessions at the clinic, Lodge Dental began exploring professional AV solutions. The primary requirement was simplicity, where the system needed to enable practitioners without a technical background to present and record lectures effortlessly. At the same time, the solution had to produce visually engaging content that would make presentations enjoyable to watch.

From a hardware perspective, the system also needed to support multiple HDMI inputs from various sources throughout the building, including Mac and Windows laptops, Canon cameras, and surgical cameras. Spartan Audio, a leading system integrator in Wales, delivered precisely what was required, installing a system based on AREC technology alongside a selection of complementary products from other brands.

The AREC LS-860 Media Stations fully satisfied these requirements and formed the cornerstone of the entire solution. These powerful devices offer four HDMI inputs, enabling seamless connection of a wide variety of hardware. The Media Stations perform several essential functions: they facilitate source switching for smooth transitions between cameras and laptops, provide customisable video layouts, including split-screen and picture-in-picture, and incorporate graphic effects and branding for a polished finish.

Presenters at Lodge Dental can easily select which source, or combination of sources, to display thanks to the Media Station’s versatile output options.

Additionally, the LS-860 enhances visual flow with built-in production features such as customisable fade-in and fade-out transitions, which contribute to a more professional presentation while helping to mask camera movement. When recording is required, the LS-860 captures both the mixed video output with its custom graphics and layouts, as well as each individual video source separately.

The stations at Lodge Dental were configured for straightforward control via multiple methods. A key component is the Symetrix Prism, which grants access to essential LS-860 functions as specified by the clinic, while also managing audio routing—including background music, the outdoor terrace speaker system, and wireless microphones.

Further control is provided through the LS-860’s Online Director web interface, which offers additional options for graphical customisation and source previews. A mobile-friendly version of this interface is also available, requiring no special software; users can access it directly through any standard web browser.

At Lodge Dental, video sources are connected to the LS-860 using Blustream’s HDBaseT products specifically, HEX11WP-TX transmitters and HEX70CS-RX receivers. Multiple pairs of these devices have been installed throughout the clinic to ensure near-zero latency in content transmission.

The transmitted video is displayed on Optoma 86” Interactive Flat Panels, with an additional monitor situated in the surgery room. This arrangement enables dentists to monitor their work in real time and adjust the cameras as required.

Lodge Dental is extremely satisfied with the installed system and continues to use it regularly with great success.

Is your clinic or hospital seeking a solution that simplifies training and procedure capture? Contact us and we would be delighted to discuss how we can assist.