New Audio/Visual Equipment Going Into Fr. Co. Justice Center This Week

Work is scheduled to begin Wednesday on installing new audio/visual equipment at the Franklin County Justice Center, which is expected to improve the sound and presentation quality during Board of Commission meetings.

At their work session last week, Interim County Manager Terry Harris said there have been some delays in obtaining the equipment.

In January, Franklin County Commissioners approved the hiring of a South Carolina company to install new audio/visual equipment for use during Commission meetings and work sessions.

Complaints from citizens attending meetings prompted Commission Chair Jeff Jacques to ask staff last fall to look into a better audio/visual system.

Those complaints included not being able to hear speakers or presentations nor see graphics for those attending in person as well as poor audio/video quality for those watching virtually via Zoom.

County Clerk Kandy Bond was then tasked with the job of researching to find the best audio/visual service.

Ultimately, the County purchased equipment from ProTech in Anderson, SC

County Clerk Kandy Bond said the the system consists of a mounted cinema contour fixed screen with a short throw laser projector for high-resolution imagery that can be viewed from all areas of the room.

Additionally, it includes a dual interface for the desktop computer currently on stage at the Justice Center as well as a laptop connection for speaker presentations.

And Bond said as for issues with Zoom, the County will continue to use Zoom for those watching virtually.

However, Pro Tech will install a mounted optical zoom camera for enhanced live streaming with a high-performance audio interface which will allow viewers to more clearly hear the commissioners and speakers.

There will also be two mobile microphones with quick connections for easy setup (one for the county staff seating area and one for the speaker podium).