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Tools of the Trade / Re: Improvised com system?
« on: Oct 18, 2017, 11:13 am »That's good to know, Mac. The licenses look kind of pricey for some community theatres but there are a number of scenarios that I can see a package like that being very useful in.
I'm not intending this to be confrontational but I would say this is about as cheap as you're going to get for a reliable, purpose-built wireless communication system. It's certainly not free, but aside from a mac mini and a wireless router (a few hundred dollars) it leverages existing hardware, i.e. the cell phones of the end users, so minimal capital outlay is required up front. As the license fees are per seat the cost scales proportionally with the size of the deployment (versus a traditional intercom system that requires a large capital outlay up front for base stations, cabling infrastructure, etc... and lower costs per beltpack/headset). All of these are distinct advantages for smaller organizations that don't have the capital to purchase a more traditional intercom system up front.
Having a system that is both purpose-built for entertainment / events / broadcast and free (which seems to be what many people mean when saying "cheap") is an incongruous proposition.