PCD had the opportunity to install the Audio and Video for the ground-up construction, Berkeley based The Shalleck Collaborative designed, 470-seat Westmoor High School Theater. The theater design includes the exclusive L’Acoustics speaker system plus a Digital Projection 10,000 lumen projector and a 20 foot wide Draper screen for video presentations. A second 10,000 lumen projector is used for “digital scenery” projected on the back wall. The control room features a Yamaha QL-5 mixing console.

PCD is well known for their work installing sound systems into stadiums around the Bay Area. In recent years, we have installed the PA/ sound systems at Benicia High School, Piner High School, San Rafael High School, Hayward High School, Tennyson High School, Mt Eden High School, El Cerrito High School, San Joaquin Delta College, Elsie Allen High School, Analy (West County) High School , Sonoma Valley High School and San Marin High School.

PCD had the opportunity to install the Audio / Video and PA system at the NEW EPA Center in East Palo Alto, a creative youth arts and music center.

PCD is celebrating 40 years of excellence as an Audio / Video Integrator. Companies are not around for 40 years without many satisfied clients. We would like to share some comments we have recently received:

Today, AV has rapidly grown to become a staple in the workplace. As such, there will likely come a time when you require audio video equipment maintenance. This is particularly true because technology changes constantly.

John Rudolph

Vice President / General Manager of PCD, John heads up the Sales team. John started his career in consumer audio with Shoreline Stereo managing the Santa Rosa store in 1976, then Pacific Stereo sales and then management from 1977-1979. John then proceeded into the professional audio world at Sound Genesis in 1979 – 1983 in San Francisco working with a team of professionals building and designing radio stations, recording studios broadcast TV and private production systems as well as commercial audio video systems. In 1983, John went back into the consumer AV industry working for The Good Guys starting in 1987, first as a store manager and then headed up the development of the company’s custom installation business until 1999 when he left to join PCD as General Manager and Vice President.

When classwork begins or a big meeting is planned, the last thing you should worry about is the operation of your audio / video system. PCD offers a “No Worry” experience providing proactive support and maintenance of your system. In addition, with the AVaaS program, you are able to put together a system that fills your needs without worrying about having the capital budget to make the purchase. AVaaS allows a system that is based on a monthly payment that meets your operational budget and scheduled maintenance to provide “worry free” operation.

If you were tasked with installing office lighting, would you save a few bucks by specifying fewer fixtures and thereby creating a workplace environment with annoyingly inconsistent lighting? Probably not. But sound masking system designers sometimes under-specify the number of loudspeakers needed to achieve a uniform masking system. And while it’s true that fewer loudspeakers means a lower cost, it also means poor sound masking performance. That’s because without the proper number of speakers—installed in a consistently spaced grid pattern—there’s little to no uniformity, which results in a sound masking system that’s noticeable, thereby becoming a distraction that adversely affects employee comfort and productivity; which totally defeats the purpose of sound masking!

Most wireless microphones, transmit via radio waves in locally vacant TV channels primarily in the Ultra-High-Frequency (UHF) range.

It might be scaled back to 150 worshippers right now due to Covid, but that did not stop the 700-seat Central Peninsula Church in Foster City, CA to install a new d&b A-Series loudspeaker thanks to the efforts of PCD Audio/Video system integrators based in Santa Rosa.

Business is heating up and PCD is looking for some GREAT people.  

Senior Technician – requires certification and experience with control systems and DSPs. Crestron and Extron certifications are required. The ability to program, from scratch Biamp, QSYS and BSS DSP systems. SMAART Live certification and CTS are desired. We need someone who can hit the ground running. This is an IBEW position.

At PCD, our crew of highly-certified installers and technicians stand out because of their experience and knowledge of audio, video, and communications systems. PCD’s installation team are all members of the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) union. The Northern California JATC training program for Apprentices is run through the Union as well, giving our staff consistency throughout their training and preparing them with the technical aptitude they need to succeed in an ever-changing technological world.

PCD offers Maintenance Agreements beyond the initial PCD warranty.  This enables our clients to have an audio / video system performing at the highest level while being able to build the costs into their annual budget.

Recently, PCD released a solution to our clients’ common AV issues by introducing AV as a Service (AVaaS). AVaaS provides options for customers to pay for audio visual equipment and services monthly, without a large cash payment up front. Customers can opt in to an AVaaS contract for a recurring fee and receive the flexibility to add or remove services or equipment after an initial contract term is completed and as their AV needs fluctuate through the years.

The latest in digital signage includes LED walls where the space is adequate, and the budgeted dollars are available.  

We would like to think that when we flip the calendar to January 1, 2021 all of the turmoil of 2020 will be behind us. Of course, that is not true. The COVID virus does not identify a new year, we can only hope that with the advancements being made, that our world will be a safer place soon.  

Did you know? Hot and humid atmospheres affect your sound system installation in ways you may not have considered. The sound will travel through the rooms of a health club, spa or gymnasium differently than through a dry space such as an office or classroom. For this reason, having the right AV equipment installations for your space is key.

Each customer PCD completes an installation for has unique Audio Visual needs for their space. Whether large or small, public or private, many customers now utilize all-in-once conferencing solutions at their offices. Your staff, business partners, and clients alike benefit from these conferencing solutions while increasing productivity and profitability. Gone are the days of expensive business trips and continual face to face meetings. Businesses have been trending towards conferencing solutions for virtual meetings for the past few years, and are relying on them now more than ever due to the novel coronavirus and recently restricted travel.

By now, your integration firm should be videoconferencing experts and should be having conversations with your customers about what their meeting rooms will look like when they return to the office.;

Design

PCD’s in-house engineering staff works with the latest design/build applications. Our engineers also work with the best award-winning consultants in the Bay Area, such as The Shalleck Collaborative, Salter, and Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, taking their initial design to a working set of plans.