Shrinkage is one of the most reliable trends of not only the video industry but of technology in general. As video gear takes up less rack space, it’s simultaneously becoming more versatile. Case in point at InfoComm 08 is Wohler‘s new Touch-It Plus monitoring gear, which combines quite a lot of functionality in 3 rack units.

With touchscreen control, it’s potentially both a monitoring and a switching/routing solution. It’s either 8- or 16-channel, with HD-SDI inputs, and it’s got dual 7in. LCD monitors on the front – the left displays up to 16 sources and the right displays a chosen signal at full size. Its Ethernet and RS-422 interface system can be used to enable remote control of routers, switchers, servers, and VTRs. It also can be used to directly control the video switch to playout — which might be appealing to a house of worship or a university cable station. For nontechnical users, nothing could be simpler than touching a video source to switch signals.

Wohler reps mentioned that one of the Vegas casinos had visited the booth and was interested in Touch-it as a monitoring solution for security purposes. As HD PTZ cameras and the associated HD infrastructure gear becomes affordable, security becomes a killer application for the higher resolution of HD. Wohler’s Touch-it is a potential link in this chain: The 8-channel version goes for $7,700 MSRP.