rAVe HomeAV Edition

Nortek Changes Everything - Seriously, Everything!

gary@ravepubs.com (Gary Kayye, CTS) — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:11:12 GMT

Jeremy Burkhardt is gone, Mark Terry is on his way out and and the company is going to make MAJOR changes -- only some of which have been released. What Nortek is saying in public is this:

Mark Terry, president of AVC Group, will leave the company. “Mark and his team have done an outstanding job combining the AVC Group brands together and creating a world class infrastructure to service our customers and dealers,” said Sean Burke, group president of Nortek’s Technology Products Segment. “Mark has decided to move on to other endeavors after providing his full support to this integration effort. I am appreciative of the dedication and high level of leadership that Mark has provided and wish him the very best in the future.”
Jeremy Burkhardt, the founder and CEO of SpeakerCraft has decided to "retire" (using his words) and his exit from the company yielded its own press release and an announcement directly from him, in a video, that said: "“The last twenty years at SpeakerCraft have been an awesome gift,” said Burkhardt, “I am lucky to have experienced it with so many great people. I am beyond grateful. I have been working full time since I was fifteen years old and have decided it's time for me to chill out.” In addition, Nortek said, “Jeremy is a true entrepreneur. His vision and leadership has built the SpeakerCraft brand,” said Sean Burke, group president of Nortek’s Technology Products Segment. “Jeremy has been a champion of high quality, innovative products and his personal interactions have benefited our customers and dealers, which has improved the industry as a whole.”

Note the two commonalities in these announcements -- we'll get to that later.

Keith Marshall has been named interim president of SpeakerCraft.

The AVC Group (which include brands NILES Audio, ELAN Home Systems, Xantech, ATON and Sunfire), SpeakerCraft and Panamax/Furman are being realigned into ONE company or group of products that will be headed up by Bill Pollock, as the president of Panamax/Furman. Paul Starkey will direct marketing, Dave Keller will head sales and Keith Marshall will lead SpeakerCraft/Proficient. This part is way confusing. Why? Well, on the one hand, Nortek is announcing that (using its own words), "The AVC Group, SpeakerCraft, Proficient and Panamax/Furman brands will align under one centralized division with a focus on customer-centric product development, brand innovation and dealer support."

Nothing is mentioned about the other big Nortek AV-oriented brands like Gefen, TVOne, Magenta, Linear or OmniMount.

Remember, last month, SpeakerCraft finally gave up on developing Nirv - pointing out that their sister companies like Elan and Niles already have whole-home AV systems.

So, what's really going on? Well, the truth about it is this:

The economy has NOT recovered in the HomeAV space and each of these once-revered brands has lost mind-share and value over the past few years to less-expensive alternatives and new design techniques. For example, while SONOS thrives, Niles is no longer the market leader. While Tripp Lite shines and has grown, the Panamax and Furman brands have confused the market with which one does what -- money that could have been spent marketing these two killer brands is being spent trying to differentiate them while they carry the same combined parent company names. Magenta used to be the only Cat5 gig in town, but now everyone can do Cat5 distribution. Heck, even Tripp Lite, a company known as a power conditioning company, does Cat5 signal distribution now and Crestron, AMX and Extron do nearly all their stuff via CatX cable. Proficient is the winning brand right now of all these in the HomeAV space.

Jeremy was a pioneer -- a visionary. Bill Pollock and Paul Starkey are in a perfect position to turn this around -- and they can. But, they need to be able to do the following (so this is a message to Sean Burke, group president of Nortek’s Technology Products Segment, that guy mentioned in both the press releases):

You need to form a NortekAV -- or whatever you want to call it. Add Magenta, Gefen, TVOne, OmniMount, Ergotron and Secure Wireless to all the above mentioned brands and give Bill and Paul all of this under one company name -- not just a products group. Follow the Cisco mentality of absorbing the brands into the power of their name (e.g., Tandberg and Linksys). You are overwhelming the AV industry with too much confusion. Sure, each brand has its own following, but the brands, together as one, will have a much bigger pull and can accomplish more TOGETHER through the synergistic relationships. For example, your Niles brand has plenty of commercial AV applications, yet no one from the commercial AV segment of the market even knows who they are. Same with OmniMount and Proficient. And Xantech. Magenta has HomeAV applications, but nearly every user is from the ProAV market. Same with TVOne.

Don't use the name Nortek -- bad, bad name. Come up with a new, cool name and use it across all brands -- you can accomplish this in less than a year. Share sales and marketing, but have two separate channel strategies for HomeAV and ProAV. The support parts of the company can design systems using all the components. Form all product lines that way -- from the start. Right now, as separate companies, there is no incentive for anyone in any of these companies to recommend any of their sister-brands' products.

Align R&D and engineering such that technologically they're working in harmony. For example, SpeakerCraft's integration of Apple's AirPlay was a brilliant idea -- but Niles hasn't figured that out yet. Niles should be doing that, as should Proficient and Elan. Likewise, everyone should be working on CatX systems -- use Magenta technology, but have Niles, SpeakerCraft, Xantech, etc using it so all gear is compatible -- sort of plug-and-playish.

Shift your marketing to social. The traditional marketing methods aren't working. Heck, Jeremy went out delivering a message socially -- via video. And, it was personable, not contrived. It was believable. If you don't know how to do that, send someone to my class at UNC - I teach Social Media Marketing at the University of North Carolina - I'll let them in to the class for free.

So, Sean, give me a call. I've been in this market for 22 years. Call CEDIA and InfoComm if you need a reference. Or, don't call and just do what I said, above. Or, don't listen to anyone outside your company -- do your own thing. It's working for HP, isn't it?

3D Still Not Driving TV Sales

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:10:23 GMT

Sales of 3D TVs are on the rise in the U.S. as first quarter volumes grew nearly 74 percent in units and 64 percent in revenue over last year, according to market research company The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service. 3D TVs accounted for 11 percent of all flat panel TV sales in Q1, nearly double that of last year, and 22 percent of all 40+ inch sets sold were 3D.

While sales continue to grow, the majority of consumers still feel 3D is not a crucial television feature. According to The NPD Group’s most recent 3D 360 Monitor survey (March 2012), just 14 percent of consumers interested in, or expecting to purchase, a flat-panel television in the next 6 months, say 3D is a “must have” feature while 68 percent say it’s a “nice feature to have they may use in the future.”

“3D has been a success for the television market from a sales perspective,” said Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group. “However, few consumers cite watching content in 3D as a reason for purchasing a TV, indicating that other factors such as screen size, resolution and Internet connectivity hold more importance.”

As an experiential technology, displays and demos at retail are an important component to raising awareness and adoption of 3D. In person, many consumers who try 3D rate it positively with nearly three quarters (70 percent) saying they were “impressed” or “amazed” by an in-store 3D demo.

Wearing 3D glasses, the cost of sets and accessories, and access to content remain barriers to adoption. While 3D sets have become more affordable since entering the market (average prices in April 2010 were 33 percent lower compared to April 2010) glasses-free 3D TVs have yet to enter the market, likely deterring the 80 percent of consumers who consider 3D glasses a drawback to owning the technology. Content availability as an adoption inhibitor is waning, though the absence of a nationwide 3D network or channel makes it difficult for consumers to plan 3D viewing. Among consumers not interested in 3D TV, 14 percent say content availability is a purchase inhibitor, down from 21 percent in May 2011.

Audience Launches New Flagship Loudspeaker Line

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:31:31 GMT

Audience is calling its new ClairAudient 16+16 loudspeaker its best speaker ever. The new version of the 16+16 has been upgraded with the addition of eight 6x9-inch custom passive radiators that are used to create what the company is calling a "full-range," one-way, bi-pole loudspeaker. The previous 16+16 was flat down to 80Hz and required the augmentation of a subwoofer, while the new 16+16 is spec'd flat from 30Hz to 22kHz.

The upgraded ClairAudient 16+16 loudspeaker is a bi-pole (front and rear radiating), one-way line source design that incorporates the company's second-generation A3-S2 drivers and 6x9-inch cast aluminum-frame passive radiators. Measuring 15 inches wide by 12 inches deep by six feet tall and incorporating 32 A3-S2 drivers per channel, the ClairAudient 16+16 is available in a choice of exotic wood finishes with a list price of $72,000 per pair.

All the specs are here: http://www.audience-av.com/loudspeakers/index.html

Sanus Ships 90-Degree HDMI Adapter

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:31:50 GMT

SANUS is now shipping the SANUS Elements ELM4900 -- a super slim, 90-degree HDMI adapter. The ELM4900 is designed for HDMI connections in tight spaces, such as behind mounted ultra-thin TVs, because it features an angled connector that is 75 percent shorter than typical HDMI connectors. It's compatible with resolutions up to 4K.

Details are here: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/elements/hdmi-cables/ELM4900

RTI's RTiPanel App Now Available for Android and iPad

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:09:54 GMT

Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) today announced that its RTiPanel App is now available on Android and the new Apple iPad. The RTiPanel App features two-way feedback, a customizable user interface and control over any RTI control system with an XP series control processor.

The App supports connection locally via Wi-Fi and offers remote access via auto-switching Wi-Fi and 3G/4G wireless.

More details are here: http://www.rticorp.com/products/rtipanel.html

Russound Engages OAC Group to Help Rebuild Brand Image

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:07:46 GMT

It's no secret that Russound went from being the dominant player in the whole-house audio and video market to the bottom in less than five years. Companies like Niles, Crestron, AMX, ClearOne and even Sony have larger market shares with new product installs. But, they're not giving up.

Charlie Porritt, CEO of Russound said, "We called on The OAC Group for its track record in high impact strategic consulting and business development. We know from working with them in multiple engagements over 20 years, that they collaborate well with our management, staff and vendors. At the same time, they put their team to work coming up with relevant concepts and designs for new product development, marketing, publicity and sales which they implement effectively."

The OAC Group claims it can do it. Well, we'll have to wait and see -- the company's already made one GIANT mistake. In the announcement of this partnership, the company included the OAC logo, but not the Russound logo. Oops, looks like OAC wants more PR from this relationship at this point than it wants to give Russound...

For additional information on Russound, go to http://www.russound.com

Atlantic Technology Ships TLC Ceiling Speakers

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:19:53 GMT

The new Atlantic Technology in-ceiling TLC-8.2/6.2 (two-way ceiling-mount speakers with a 1" soft dome tweeter), TLC-8.3/6.3 (two-way ceiling-mount speakers with two 1" soft dome tweeter) and the ICTS-6 HT (uses a heavy-duty 6 ½-inch woofer that is angled 15 degrees towards the listening area) are all shipping. TLC, which stands for "Trim Look Ceiling" are in-ceiling speakers that do not use a wide plastic bezel and are designed to disappear when mounted by using a low-profile magnetic grille that hides the bezel.

Here are all the specs: http://atlantictechnology.com/default.asp?NodeId=165

Bang & Olufsen Intros New TV with Built-In Apple TV Slot

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:31:14 GMT

Bang & Olufsen, known for its speakers, just announced its first-ever TV, the BeoPlay V1. The LED-based (edge-lit) 1080p display is available in 32-inch and 40-inch models, and has some pretty cool features, such as a light sensor built onto the front that dynamically changes the display's brightness and contrast ratio based on the conditions of the viewing environment. It has built-in audio (aimed at "liberating the viewing experience from the wall" by limiting wires), including Class D ICEpower amplifiers, and also has a slot for an Apple TV2 inside the connection panel on the back.

Other specs include five HDMI inputs and a 120Hz refresh rate. There's also a colored sleeve you can slide behind the speaker grill to change the look of the TV (in gray, green, yellow, pink and black). It ships with the Beo4 remote, which Bang & Olufsen says can be easily used to control all your devices, as well as a floor stand. The 32" and 40" models list for €2,399 ($3,170) and €2,899 ($3,831), respectively.

For more information, click here: http://www.beoplay.com/Products/BeoplayV1

To see the complete specs, click here: http://www.beoplay.com/Products/BeoplayV1/TechSpec

Sonance Adds Hardscape Subwoofer to Landscape Series

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:37:43 GMT

Sonance has started shipping its all new “Landscape Series” HS10SUB 70-volt Hardscape Subwoofer, designed to be incorporated into outdoor furniture or planter boxes.

The HS10SUB features a sealed non-corrosive enclosure that is constructed from a brown-textured HDPVC (High Density Polyvinyl Chloride), while the 10” (254mm) polypropylene cone driver with rubber surround delivers a frequency response of 35Hz – 100Hz ±3dB. According to Sonance, this speaker is able to deliver scalable "high quality audio" in challenging hardscape environments. The sealed (HDPVC) enclosure is installed above the ground and can be built into outdoor furniture or underneath vented planter boxes.

The HS10SUB can also be used in conjunction with the existing LS10SUB in-ground subwoofer in larger systems, where an installation requires a combination of landscape and hardscape products to achieve an even sound stage.

To get all the specs for the HS10SUB, click here: http://www.sonance.com/products/speakers/detail/625

Key Digital Offers Audio Management Solution via HDMI Matrix Switcher

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:23:07 GMT

Key Digital announced this week a new solution for the problem of managing audio via its KD-HD8X8BT Digital IQ HDMI Matrix switcher.

With the proliferation of a wide variety of audio formats and the increased demand to be able to utilize all of these various formats, it is becoming increasingly difficult to both manage all of these formats and preserve the best audio quality for the consumer. Key Digital's new KD-HD8X8BT 8x8 HDMI matrix switch can help integrators with these issues.

For example, let's assume you use KD-HD8X8BT in three zones with different characteristics:

Zone with a flat screen TV with built-in stereo speakers. For this zone you will need HDMI with a stereo audio signal.
Home theater zone with the latest 7.1 channel AV receiver, speakers, and flat screen TV
Home theater zone with an older non-HDMI 5.1 AV receiver capable of Dolby Digital with flat screen TV

KD-HD8X8BT can help with these zoning requirements through the EDID control feature.

For Zone 1, the installer would make sure that L/R stereo audio is available from every source. On output 1 you would program that output to insert PCM stereo into the HDMI signal instead of any other audio format. The PCM stereo is created and outputted in place of L/R stereo inside the switcher.

For Zone 2, you would pass the HDMI signal (containing authentic audio) with its highest quality available audio format. For sources sending DTS-HD, DTS-HD would be the preferred audio format for this zone. The flat screen TV can be connected to the HDMI output for the AV receiver associated with this zone.

For Zone 3, the HDMI output is programmed to insert Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The PCM coaxial output will provide Dolby Digital to the AV receiver. This zone will only have audio available from the AV receiver and speakers, the flat screen TV will ignore the Dolby Digital audio and display only video.

To see all the specs of the KD-HD8X8BT HDMI matrix switcher, click here: http://www.keydigital.com/items.asp?ItemCode=KDHD8X8BT&Company=KEY

How Does 40 Percent Off Sound?

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:27:55 GMT

40 percent off sounds pretty awesome right? Especially when we’re talking about that kind of massive savings on your CEDIA EXPO registration. It’s true CEDIA has adjusted the pricing structure for CEDIA EXPO 2012, if you register before July 13 you will be eligible for 40 percent off tradeshow access, a la carte education, and even the Members Only Education Pass.

The savings really add up. As an added bonus, attendees who register July 13 will be entered to win a complimentary hotel upgrade to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Registration for CEDIA EXPO 2012 will open on May 30 at www.cedia.org/expo.

Pricing is not all that’s new at this year’s CEDIA EXPO, check out some of the offerings that have been specifically designed with your business in mind.
Security Solutions Pavilion:

According to CEDIA’s 2011 Size and Scope of the Residential Electronic Systems Market, ESCs are looking to expand business in the areas of web cams/IP video cameras and security alarm systems.

So whether you are already dabble in the business of security or you’re looking for a new business opportunity, CEDIA is bringing you a brand new pavilion with the solutions you want to learn about. The Security Solutions Pavilion, sponsored by SDM Magazine is a brand new area on this year’s show floor. Talk with the experts about security and find out if this venture is one your company is prepared to take.

High Performance Experience Rooms

Most people in this industry geek out over the high end audio products, even if it’s not something clients request on a normal basis. CEDIA has created a new area for these products, High Performance Experience Rooms. These dedicated rooms will allow you to have a true and intimate experience with some of the most sophisticated audio and video products in the industry. Truly experience powerful audio and video performance from companies such as Polk Audio, McIntosh Labs, D&M, Datasat Digital Entertainment, Meridian Audio, Steinway Lyngdorf, and Wisdom Audio.

Future Technology Pavilion

The Future Technology Pavilion is returning to the show floor for a third year, but as a completely new and integrated and intuitive home. You will have the opportunity to see the functionality of the initiative home as it interacts and reacts to the homeowner’s needs. This show-stopper is a must see.

Learn more about CEDIA EXPO 2012 at http://www.cedia.org/expo.

LCD TV Panel Inventory in China is Increasing, But Still Healthy

reply@ravepubs.com (Vera Wang) — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:53:30 GMT

China is the largest LCD TV market in the world and Chinese TV makers are buying many panels from Korea, Taiwan and of course China. Since the North American and European TV markets slowed down a few years ago and demand from China started to drive the global industry, attention has been shifting to the LCD TV panel inventory in China, and furthermore, the panel strategies of the so-called five big brands in China – TCL, Hisense, Skyworth, Konka, Haier and Changhong.

In China, seasonality in the TV market is strong, and TV brands tended to build inventories before the Western New Year, Chinese New Year (late January or early February), Labor Day (May 1st), and National Day (October 1st) Golden Week holidays to fulfill demand, especially for a massive geographic market with varied transportation quality. These inventory builds have as strong influence on LCD TV panel makers’ shipment performance. While the inventory builds are good for panel makers, there is always concern over whether the sell-through results justified the inventory. Chinese set makers bought a high volume of panels for the 2012 Labor Day Holiday, but according to some observers in China the sell-through results were not good. The worries of over-stocking in China rise.

In our MarketWise – LCD Industry Dynamics report, we developed a special index to track the state of panel inventories in China, by comparing monthly panel shipments to Chinese TV brands to monthly LCD TV shipments by those brands into the Chinese market.

Source: MarketWise – LCD Industry Dynamics

Our analysis shows the inventory level is still healthy even though the Labor Day sell-through was not as good as expected, due to the following points:

In April, as global TV brands were preparing new product launches in regional markets for the upcoming London Olympics, LCD TV panel shipments to China were constrained and less than previously forecast. Panel shipments to China are likely to stay flat.
Our research indicates that panel shipments to China will be flat or slightly decline in May, then build gradually in preparation for the October 1st holiday promotion.
Due to pre-promotional efforts and stronger demand from rural cities, the LCD TV sales result is likely to come in at low single digit growth for the May Day Holiday.
Sunning and some other Chinese retailers have extended the promotion period after the May Day holiday, so we expect that the inventory will fall from the current level.
If Chinese TV makers control panel purchasing in the coming months, panel inventories may not reach a risky level, and the supply/demand result will be much different from the pattern in 2H of 2011. Unlike last year, the gap between panel and set seems to indicate that Chinese TV companies are maintaining reasonable levels of inventory.

This was reprinted with permission from DisplaySearch and originally appeared here.

Favorite Jobsite Tools

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:49:00 GMT

The right tools and the skills to use them are at the heart of AV and control installation. Professional installers take their tools seriously, and those of the male persuasion are often inclined to add to their tool kits at every opportunity. One of my former co-workers was so fond of his tool collection (he lugged three suitcase-sized tool boxes with him to job sites) that when tool vendor catalogs arrived in the mail we would tease him at every opportunity. “Hey Mike,” we’d yell. “Your PORN just arrived!”

There are certainly plenty of specialized tools that are particular to our industry, and I’ve often lamented that at industry trade shows tool vendors often get very little press for their booths and wares compared to display makers, speaker companies and automation brands, an injustice that I always seek to rectify when I’m covering a trade show.

In that same spirit, in this column we’re going to spotlight some tools for installers that are neither new, nor exciting (despite really liking tools I stop short of labeling them as “sexy”), yet are indispensable and quite possibly overlooked by some installers.

Keeping the jobsite clean and tidy is an often underrated best practice. In a world full of slovenly contractors one sure way to gain positive word of mouth from your clients is to be fastidious on the jobsite. These tools will help you do that:

Hand vacuum cleaner: It’s entirely likely that the brand of electric drill you favor has a whole line of hand tools that use the same rechargeable battery. If so, there’s likely a hand vac available. Buy one, keep it in your tool kit and clean up your debris after sawing drywall and boring holes.

Drop sheets: They’re not just for high traffic areas; in retrofit installs you should put all of your equipment boxes on them when you’re unpacking product.

Painters Tape: More than one installer I know uses it when roughing out on-wall TV and speaker locations, and use it on the corners of furniture that they’re working near.

Then there are tools that actually get the job done. The following tools are indispensable.

A digital multimeter: If you invest in a rugged, expensive one, it will last you forever. Multimeters can be used to pin-point the exact issue with a circuit, whether it be a fault, distance, bad output or input and should always be in your tool kit.

4-inch high quality wire snips and 4-inch precision needle nosed pliers: It’s actually quite astonishing how much you can get done with just these two tools.

A high grade ratcheting, self-adjusting pair of wire strippers: Treat yourself to an expensive pair. Don’t think you need to spend the money? Use a crummy pair and a good pair one after the other and you’ll be convinced.

Precision screwdriver set, often known as jeweler’s screwdrivers: From adjusting DIP switches to terminating phoenix connectors, a good quality set makes all those little jobs easier.

Multi-bit high quality screwdriver with Robertson, Philips, flat, torx, and hex bits in multiple sizes: Don’t be stingy; buy a high grade one from Klein Tools, or another premium brand.

A utility knife, like an Olfa or similar box-cutter: A sharp knife is a tool you don’t always need, but when you need it, you really need it. It’s essential that it’s easy to make safe, and that you do so after using it.

A ladder: Ladders aren’t just for small guys and satellite installers. There is always a need for a ladder, especially when going to a site you have not been to before. Some ceilings are very high; some things are “just out of reach” others “need to be moved higher for reception.” You never know when you will need one and that’s why you should always have one in your truck.

Now that you know (or have had your knowledge validated) how crucial not just tools, but good tools are to getting the job done there’s you’re justification to go to the hardware store or the websites that cater to installers and treat yourself to some new ones!

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

Savant Ships Latest Keypads

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:00:23 GMT

Savant's three new keypad styles, Metropolitan, Circa and Echo allow for AV, climate, window treatment and lighting control or can be customized for any control application. All three offer an array of custom engraved backlit button layout options. There are 13 field-changeable LED colors to make each keypad in the home unique. They include:

Three standard paint faceplate finishes (black, white and almond - gloss)
Three button finishes (black, white and almond - gloss)
Three premium faceplate finishes (satin nickel, polished chrome and dark bronze)

Circa is available in column, wide and square styles and offers up to six points of control per single-gang keypad. The Echo lineup, offering up to ten points of control per single-gang keypad, is available in column (vertical) configuration. Metropolitan keypads, offering up to nine points of control per single-gang keypad, come in both column and wide (horizontal) configurations.

Here are all the details: http://savantsystems.com/keypads.aspx

AT&T Enters Home Control Market

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:54:29 GMT

When you see the logo for AT&T's new Digital Life system, it might be at CEDIA -- or at least, it should be. Digital Life is AT&T's newest offering that basically allows the company to help you control your entire home via a Web browser, your cell phone or even via RFID. Sounds a lot like what Crestron, AMX and Control4 do, right?

In fact, the way AT&T describes its newest service is that it's a "web-based home automation, energy monitoring and security management system for your house." That sounds even more familiar.

But, the company's not stopping there. AT&T says it will also expand the system to businesses in the future.

If you're interested in becoming a dealer, click here: http://digitallifeservices.att.com/Pages/default.aspx

And if you want to understand more about how it works, go here: http://digitallifeservices.att.com/howitworks/Pages/default.aspx

Optoma Adds Its EcoBright Line of Projectors

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:38:17 GMT

Optoma has expanded its EcoBright line of lamp-free projectors with two LED projectors -- the 300-lumen TL30W and the 500-lumen TL50W. Aimed at mobile users, both projectors offer Wi-Fi and come with a built-in MS Office Viewer. MS Office Viewer supports the most commonly-used Microsoft Office files, including past and present versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel, as well as Adobe PDF files, JPEG, and BMP images, and most common video file formats. The projectors offer mini-HDMI and VGA ports, as well as 2 GB of on-board memory for truly PC-less presentations.

Both the TL30W and TL50W are native WXGA (1280x800) resolution, are small (7.2” x 1.8” x 4.4”) and weigh about 2 lbs. In addition to using 1/20th the power of a normal projector, they have an EcoMode during which they power right up and down without any wait. The TL30W carries an end-user price of $549, while the TL50W is available for $649.

Here are all the specs: http://www.optomausa.com/products/detail/TL50W

Eragy Announces New Family of Energy Management Applications for Control4 Systems

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:37:16 GMT

Eragy has introduced a new suite of energy monitoring and management Apps specifically aimed at Control4 integrators because they offer energy monitoring of any of their control systems. These include:

Eragy Energy LITE: A new $49 App that works in tandem with a TED 5000, eGauge, or BLI power sensor and requires the Eragy Energy driver. This App provides all the features of Watt’s On FREE plus real-time whole house energy monitoring and basic energy cost information.
Eragy Energy PLUS: This App is basically an update you have to pay for. This $199 App works in tandem with a TED 5000, eGauge, or BLI power sensor and requires the Eragy Energy driver and an Eragy subscription ($96/year).
Eragy Energy PRO: This $399 energy management App works in tandem with an eGauge power sensor and requires the Eragy Energy driver and an Eragy subscription ($96/year).

You can see all the details of each app here: http://4store.com/?q=node/37

CEDIA Announces CEDIA EXPO 2012 Opening Keynote

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:34:14 GMT

CEDIA has announced that Dr. Michio Kaku will give the Opening Keynote Presentation at CEDIA EXPO 2012.

Dr. Kaku is an internationally recognized authority on physics and predicting trends based on the latest research in science. His book Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 was recently named one of the “Top 25 Tech Books” by VentureBeat. This book also spent five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

His keynote presentation, The Intuitive Home of 2016: What’s After the Smart Home, will center around the concept that most smart homes are not smart, but well-designed homes installed by smart electronic systems contractors (ESCs). Dr. Kaku will discuss how the smart home is set to evolve into the fully intuitive home with the help of next-generation future technology such as IPv6, RFID devices and artificial intelligence.

We think this is a can't-miss keynote - Physics of the Future is one of rAVe founder Gary Kayye's all-time favorite technology books.

The keynote will take place on Wed., Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Wabash Ballroom at the Indiana Convention Center and is free to attend.

CEDIA EXPO 2012 will be held Sept. 5-8 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Registration will open May 30 at www.cedia.org/expo.

Optoma Intros 2500-Lumen Home Theater Projector

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:07:05 GMT

Optoma has announced its newest home theater projector, the HD23, which will only be sold by Best Buy starting later this month. The HD23 is a 1920x1080p projector (DLP) that's priced at only $999 and has a specificed contrast ratio of 5000:1. It includes two HDMI inputs, a VGA port and even a component video port. The 6.4-lb. projector's lamp is rated to last up to 4,000 hours in standard mode or 3,000 hours in "bright" mode and includes a rapid shutdown feature.

So, what do you think? Comment below and let us know and. Check out the specs here: http://www.optomausa.com/products/detail/HD23

CEA-CEDIA Committee Approves Home Theater Video and Smart Grid Installation Standards

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:03:44 GMT

The CEA and CEDIA R10 Residential Systems committee today announced new standards to enhance the home theater experience and to provide the industry with an understanding of the issues related to smart grid devices.

The updated CEA/CEDIA-CEB23-A: Home Theater Video Design standard will help professionals design, install and calibrate home theater systems to meet consumers’ growing needs and maximize the home theater viewing experience to meet or exceed the commercial theater experience.

The approval of the new joint CEA/CEDIA-CEB29: Installation of Smart Grid Devices standardwill provide a basic understanding of many of the issues related to the proper installation, protection and connection of smart grid devices.

The updated CEA/CEDIA-CEB23-A: Home Theater Video Design and the new CEA/CEDIA-CEB29: Installation of Smart Grid Devices are available in the CEDIA Marketplace at http://www.cedia.org/marketplace or from CEA at http://www.ce.org/Standards/Standard-Listings/R10-Residential-Systems.aspx

Yamaha Adds Apple AirPlay to High-End Receivers -- Plus, They're Green!

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:15:05 GMT

Yamaha recently added two new network models to its RX-V series AV receivers -- the 7.1-channel RX-V573 and 5.1-channel RX-V473. Both models feature Apple AirPlay compatibility with Apple iOS devices, featuring direct connectivity to iPads, iPhones and iPods, as well as the company's proprietary YPAO system calibration. System control is via the Yamaha AV controller App, which includes native iPad and tablet versions, for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire devices, or via an included IR remote or the network. Both are also capable of delivering audio from Internet radio and DLNA-certified devices.

Yamaha will announce additional models in the popular RX-V series later this month.

The RX-V573 has seven discreet assignable amplifiers that enable a system to deliver 7-channel surround sound in one zone, to bi-amp and double power to main speakers, or to provide audio to Zone B. The RX-V573 also has a Virtual Presence Speaker function for achieving full CINEMA DSP 3D surround without front presence speakers.

The RX-V573 and RX-V473 both have multi-language on-screen displays that overlay onto HD and 3D video signals to depict system control and set-up prompts. Data, such as song titles, from connected iPods, iPhones, iPods or USB drives is shown on the receivers' attractive on-screen displays. Connected iPods, iPhones and iPads will also charge automatically for later use on the go.

Additional features include:

ECO Mode that reduces the model's power consumption by 20 percent. The model has extremely low power consumption in standby mode and Auto Power Down can be set for 2, 4, 8 or 12 hours
YPAO system calibration that ensures more accurate room measurements by confirming the subwoofer is fully responding before making audio adjustments
A subwoofer level adjustment that enables listeners to increase the bass without changing the system's crossover point
A High speed HDMI switching function that remembers the settings of all connected sources (EDID-like), eliminating the time it normally takes to adjust to each when they are selected
Four convenient SCENE Mode buttons that automatically power on the appropriate components and make system adjustments for specific entertainment options

See all the specs here: http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v573_black_u/?mode=model

RTI Releases ESC-2 Ethernet-to-Serial Converter

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:41:43 GMT

Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) just announced that the company is now shipping its ESC-2 Ethernet-to-serial converter that expands the RTI XP series control by adding two additional bidirectional serial ports over Ethernet.

The ESC-2 works with RTI's Integration Designer programming software for setup and multiple modules can be utilized for virtually unlimited control of serial devices. Two RJ-45 jacks allow standard Cat5 cabling to be used between the converter and the device being controlled. The ESC-2 is then connected to the local Ethernet network with a standard Cat 5 cable for full two-way control, as if the device were wired directly to the control processor.

The ESC-2 lists for $149. Complete specs are not available because it's not on the RTI website yet.

Russound FINALLY Ships Bluetooth Wireless Adapter

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:11:34 GMT

Russound's lllooonnnggg awaited BSK-1 Bluetooth Source Kit, a wireless audio kit for enabling all portable Bluetooth-equipped devices to stream content to any multiroom audio system regardless of brand, has started shipping. Russound says the BSK-1 is specifically designed for residential and commercial system integrators but also says in its press release that it's also for, "consumers who refuse to trade performance for price" -- so, it's apparently for EVERYONE.

The BSK-1 features a two-piece design comprising of a Bluetooth transceiver and separate audio interface receiver with built-in active balanced line drivers for maximum signal clarity; this design enables the units to be placed up to 300 feet apart.

Features:

Enables Bluetooth audio streaming - like Apple AirPlay does, but using Bluetooth instead
A two-piece design with built-in active balanced line drivers, eliminating the requirement for external audio balun transformers
Audio receiver and Bluetooth transceiver may be separated by up to 300 feet using a single CAT5 cable
Bluetooth wireless range capable of receiving device signals up to 100 feet away when installed in line-of-sight applications
Allows for custom device naming and security pass code support with BSK-1 programming application
12-volt trigger input and output offers control of audio video equipment

Here are all the specs: http://www.russound.com/product_detail.php?i=3280

Sony Ships 4K Resolution Blu-ray Player

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:45:53 GMT

Dubbed the BDP-S790, Sony's latest Blu-ray player is a 4096×2048 (4K) player capable of upscaling content to 4K resolution or even displaying native content (via Internet streaming) at 4K resolution.

Built-in Wi-Fi for streaming, a dual core processor, Blu-ray Disc playback (including 2D to 3D conversion), 4K upscaling, two HDMI outputs, Skype capability, 16-bit video processing and IP noise reduction (which Sony claims improves internet video playback) are all features touted by this $250 Blu-ray. In addition to all the HD standards, it's also capable of 24p output and other aspect ratios. This way you can duplicate all the film aspect ratios or convert all content to 16:9 format and even convert 24p to 60Hz for completely flicker-free movie watching.

Here are all the specs: http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666436490#specifications

Russound Sells Colorado vNet

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:34:11 GMT

Yesterday Russound announced the sale of Colorado vNet Corp., a home automation company, to a new company created by Russound's own former Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mike Anderson.

Colorado vNet, founded in 2002, was purchased by Russound in 2009 for an undisclosed amount after the company almost went out of business.

Anderon is relocating the company to Florida in June 2012, when the brand will relaunch.

"As the VP of sales for Russound and Colorado vNet, I've seen how the Colorado vNet brand has its own unique place in the market," said Anderson. "Colorado vNet integrators have needs unique to themselves and having the opportunity to set this company apart -- under its own direction once again -- is an opportunity to provide those integrators with the support they deserve. We look forward to reestablishing the vNet brand and dealers can be assured that our team is excited and working hard to strengthen our relationships with them and to deliver on all the promise the brand has always held."

For more information about Colorado vNet, click here: http://www.coloradovnet.com/

Communication And Client Disagreements

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:10:33 GMT

It’s said that the first casualty of every battle is the plan, and that’s just as true of business as it is of warfare. The reality is that no matter how meticulous and organized you are things don’t always go smoothly, and that can impact your clients.

Naturally the best way to deal with client complaints is to not have any complaints. That makes for a great Vaudeville punch line, but it’s not very practical advice.

So then, what’s really the best way to deal with complaints? The answer is two-fold. First, ensure that your communication with clients is crystal clear. Secondly, be pro-active rather than reactive with your communication.

What do I mean by proactive versus reactive? Simply that you be the first one to bring up a subject, especially if it’s a sensitive one.

Here’s a perfect example of a common issue: due to a scheduling problem, the client’s job has to be pushed back on the calendar, and he’s not happy about it. Everyone reading this can related to this, because it happens all the time.

Whereas the reactive response is to try and calm down the client after he’s already steamed, the proactive solution is by having the project manager lay out the realities of scheduling right from the start. Only one person on your staff (the PM) should ever discuss scheduling with clients, in order to avoid confusion. In addition, smart PMs build extra time into the schedule to account for the unknown. That means that the worst case scenario is that no one is greatly inconvenienced, and the best case scenario is that jobs get finished ahead of schedule.

Here’s another example of something gone wrong: the speakers/patch panel/TV are in the wrong spot, or not there at all. This is what happens when the clients’ expectations and what was in the design documents don’t meet.

What if it’s genuinely your company’s fault? Well, suck it up, fix it and move on. Apologize too.

What if it stems from bad communication? Just like with scheduling, right from the outset only one team member should discuss change orders with the client: the project manager. It has to be abundantly clear to the client that if he want to make changes, he doesn’t speak to an installer, the sales designer or even the owner of the company; he goes to the PM. Keep that clear right from the start, and you’re a lot less likely to run into problems like this at all.

The bottom line here is that resolution and prevention of most issues lies in effective communication, both when setting expectations, and then later working out a solution. Communication helps every relationship, and business ones are no different.

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

Attachment Selling As Part Of The Experience

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:49:46 GMT

What really differentiates the specialty AV retailer from big box stores is the way that they create a complete experience. Central to that is attachment selling, not just as something sales clerks have been badgered to do, but an integral part of the entire sales experience.

It’s not enough to just sell products. You need to create an experience. More than that, you need to go all the way, so much so that you stop having customers and start having clients.

So how does that happen? It comes from listening, really listening to what clients tell you. You have to look beyond what they’re asking for, and find the wants and needs they’ve got that they probably don’t even realize they have, never mind being able to articulate it to you.

The key to fully integrated attachment selling is raise awareness in your client’s mind of solutions of which they were previously unaware. This is an important part of good salesmanship.

Odds are, most of the people who come into your showroom to talk about building a media room are barely aware that lighting control exists. Yet when you demo for them in your theater room, and your iPad dims the lights and opens the drapes in front of the screen now they’ve got a need that they didn’t know they had five minutes ago. And so on. From a client’s perspective your showroom is an Aladdin’s Cave of treasure just waiting to be discovered.

I’ll warn you though, big box stores are starting to clue in to this. Walk through a Best Buy and see how their room settings are more sophisticated than they were a couple of years ago. If something works, it’s only a matter of time before the big guys take notice and start to adopt it for themselves.

Don’t despair, though. That just means that you have to do it better than they do. Do it with more empathy, better listening skills, better products and a greater degree of professionalism.

By showing your client the extent of your expertise, you open up new windows into enhancing the client’s lifestyle, and your bottom line.

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

NAD Ships New Amps

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:09:03 GMT

NAD Electronics is now shipping its 150-watt C 375DAC ($1,600) and 80-watt C 356DAC ($900) amps. These amps are designed for applications like improving the sound quality of the Squeezebox or Sonos systems, or for directly connecting a Mac or PC to stream 24/96 HD music. The MDC DAC's Optical S/PDIF input upgrades the sound of disc players or music streamers while the asynchronous USB device side input allows direct connection of a computer.

Features include:

Modular design with a DAC factory installed
Optical S/PDIF Input upgrades the sound of Disc Players or Music Streamers
Flexible - asynchronous USB device side input allows direct connection, PC or MAC
USB compatible - supports 24/96 HD music playback
High Performance - 24/192 DAC and high quality OPAmps for superior performance
PowerDrive amplifier technology
Modular Design Construction (MDC)
Front panel Media Player (MP) input for attaching portable MP3 Player
Custom compatible with RS-232 interface and 12-volt trigger output

Here are all the specs: http://nadelectronics.com/home

An Atomic Amp?

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:03:34 GMT

Antelope Audio has just introduced Rubicon, a 384 kHz digital audio preamplifier which integrates a 10M Rubidium atomic clock. According to Antelope, Rubicon is the first DAC to integrate a Rubidium atomic clock, which is spec'd to be 100,000 times more stable than a traditional crystal oscillator. Coupled with a 64-bit acoustically focused clocking technology, the Rubidium supposedly achieves a breakthrough in jitter management, improving the sound quality.

In addition to the 384 kHz DAC, Rubicon also includes ultra-high sample rate A/D conversion. These functionalities, together with the USB recording capability, provide the users with the ability to digitize their favorite tracks while keeping the "warmth" of the original analog recordings. In addition to the 384 kHz USB streaming, Rubicon offers extended flexibility and smooth user experience provided by the implemented DLNA capability. The DLNA streaming gives users the opportunity to wirelessly push audio files from their smart phone, PC or NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server and play the content through the high-sample rate DAC.

Inputs include:

1x PHONO Input on RCA
3x Inputs on RCA
1x HiZ Input on RCA
1x Combo Balanced Input on XLR/¼ TRS

Here are complete specs: http://www.antelopeaudio.com/en/products/Rubicon-Atomic-AD-DA-Preamp

SANUS Ships 100 Percent Drill-Free Mount

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:21:29 GMT

SANUS is now shipping the FMS01 Furniture Mount System, also known as the FMS, a new product that allows consumers all the benefits of a mounted TV without having to drill holes in the wall. The FMS attaches directly to the back of compatible SANUS furniture and includes a built-in tilting mount for 32"-60" TVs weighing up to 130 lbs.

A wide assortment of home theater accessories and components can easily attach to the back of the FMS pillar kit. These include wireless routers, surge protectors, wireless HD adapters, media streaming devices, HDMI Splitters, wireless speaker kits and a wide variety of furniture pieces.

Here are all the details: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/fms/

Control4 Ships HC-250 Controller

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:22:12 GMT

Control4 just started shipping its HC-250 Controller, a small one-room-only control system. Using a 1GHz processor, the HC-250 uses Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity and fits easily behind a TV, on a shelf or in a rack. It allows users to browse very large media libraries, activate lighting control, and control an entire home from their TV instantaneously.

The HC-250 supports both digital audio and video over HDMI (two audio outputs -- one analog and on HDMI, plus one analog audio input), and offers integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi and ZigBee for high-performance wireless networking. The HC-250 Controller also includes support for up to four IR (or four IR and four serial ) devices as well as a USB port for outboard connection to external storage of music, pictures and more.

Go here for more info: http://www.control4.com/residential/products/controllers/HC-250

Epson Debuts 720p Projector for $650

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:02:21 GMT

Yesterday Epson broke a price-barrier with the industry's first 3LCD 720p true home theater projector that's priced at $650 -- the PowerLite Home Cinema 710HD. With a giant zoom ratio that allows the projector to be mounted anywhere from 3.5 to 35.5 feet from the screen, the Home Cinema 710HD offers new "Easy-Slide" image correction, an optical horizontal keystone adjustment slide control bar that allows users to place the projector off-center from the screen and easily center the image. It's spec'd to output 2,800 lumens.

Inputs on the Home Cinema 710HD include HDMI, Component and S-Video (um, if anyone still uses that). It also has a 5,000-hour lamp. Full specs are here: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&sku=V11H475120

Will We All Soon Have ADHD?

reply@ravepubs.com (Aldo Cugnini) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:26:21 GMT

No, I'm not referring to some new form of advanced-digital high-definition-whatever. I do mean the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to a recent study by the Nielsen Company, 88 percent of U.S. tablet owners and 86 percent of smartphone owners said they used their device while watching TV at least once during a 30-day period. For 45 percent of U.S. tablet users, using their device while watching TV was a daily event, with 26 percent noting simultaneous TV and tablet use several times a day. U.S. smartphone owners showed similar dual usage of TV with their phones, with 41 percent saying they use their phone at least once a day while tuned in.

Nielsen determined these numbers in a Q4'11 survey of connected device owners in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Italy. Device owners in the U.K. similarly paralleled TV watching at 80 percent for tablets and 78 percent for smartphones. And, 24 percent of those surveyed claimed to use their device several times a day while watching TV.

When asked if they never use a tablet while watching TV, Americans scored the lowest rating at 12 percent followed by those in the UK at 20 percent. Italians and Germans came in at 29 percent. (Gee, could tablet overload be an affliction limited to English-speaking countries?).

This data also surfaced at the Technology Summit on Cinema, which was held just prior to the opening of NAB, with speakers wondering when and if portable devices would be used in the theater (see further coverage in the upcoming May issue of Large Display Report).

Across all countries, the most frequent tablet or smartphone activity while watching TV was checking email -- either during a commercial break or during the show. But device owners also seem to engage with content related to the TV too, either by looking up information about the show or looking for deals and general information on products advertised on the show.

Analysts at Forrester Research uncovered similar numbers in their own survey, with 85 percent of U.S. tablet owners using their tablets while watching TV. But another interesting trend is developing: a surprisingly high percentage of tablet owners -- 18 percent -- say they connect their tablets to their TVs via HDMI or VGA cables, relegating the big screen to a dumb display. (So much for Smart TV.)

Forrester also found that 32 percent of tablet owners say they won't buy a TV smaller than 24 inch in the future, compared with only 7 percent who say the same about large TVs. But, they also say they watch more online video overall since getting a tablet.

People just can't get enough of their tablets, apparently, something the TV broadcasters have noticed. I'm writing this from the 2012 NAB conference in Las Vegas, and scanning down the broadcasters' conference program, there's no shortage of sessions about tablets, second screens and multi-platform business models. Is this the new norm? Will moving pictures increasingly pervade every device and surface with which we come into contact? Will we all soon crave media walls in our homes? Is the unending display of entertainment content, emerging from every conceivable transducer, sapping our ability even to concentrate on just one? What happened to the good old days of the couch potato entranced by the idiot box?

OK, let me calm down. Perhaps it's just the jet lag. All is not lost -- we can still thank the FAA for 10 minutes of zero personal electronics during aircraft ascent and descent, right? But seriously, put the smartphone down when you're driving, please?

Aldo Cugnini is an analyst for Insight Media. Reach him at aldo@insightmedia.info

Sanus Ships New AV Stand

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:21:12 GMT

New to the SANUS furniture line is the Basic Series BFV546 Audio Video Stand. Offering a contemporary asymmetrical design, this unit is constructed of hardwood with both light and dark walnut finishes.

Product features include:

Large middle shelf for accommodating a center channel speaker or two components
Dual pull-out media drawers for storing remotes, gaming equipment or other devices
Removable panels for quick access to the back of components
Adjustable feet for level positioning
Quick and easy assembly -- no tools are required
Compatible with the ELM701 Anti-tip Strap
Compatible with the FMS01 Furniture Mount System

The BFV546 details are here: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/av-foundations/av-basic/BFV546

Crestron Adds Pandora Support

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:37:01 GMT

Crestron announced today that its Internet Radio Tuner Card now supports Pandora. All the familiar Pandora setting are there -- thumbs up and thumbs down gestures and full meta-data feedback, including album art. Customers simply enter the name of any musical artist, song or composer and Pandora instantly creates a "station" streaming related music for listening pleasure. They can save up to 99 stations and recall them on demand from a Crestron touch screen. Touch screen control lets users view the current song, artist and album cover, and provides controls for creating or browsing stations and pausing, skipping and bookmarking individual songs and artists.

To get the latest firmware so you can add Pandora, click here: http://www.crestron.com/resources/product_and_programming_resources/catalogs_and_brochures/online_catalog/default.asp?jump=1&model=ATC-AUDIONET

New Trends for the Display Industry

reply@ravepubs.com (Norbert Hildebrand) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:02:55 GMT

It is more common to talk about new trends that could shape an industry at the beginning of the year than in the middle of spring. There is no rule about this, it just seems right to do it at the beginning of the year. However, this does not mean that the industry does not develop new products and technologies throughout the year, which in turn create new trends. Today I will talk about an old technology that could indeed turn into a new trend for the display industry.

I am talking about HMD or virtual displays. They have been around for a long time and seem to be a favorite of all movie makers. Products from several manufacturers are available in the market. However, so far this technology has not reached the status of mass adoption by any means.

As with many product introductions before, the first one to release a product is not always the market leader, or even the survivor, in the long run. Typically the company that can bring the product, together with the right message to the consumer, wins out in the market. We are just experiencing this in the tablet market. Apple was by no means the first to develop a tablet computer or bring it to market for that matter. They are still the most successful company in that market and will be for years to come, if we believe the market research firms and their crystal balls.

This brings me to the reason I believe that the virtual display has a chance this time. A big company with consumer mass appeal, and a track record of finding new technologies and being competitive in the market, is one of the key ingredients for a successful product introduction. While Sony was indisputably this company in the 1990s, Apple is the leader of the pack today. The companies that come to mind after that are Samsung, Amazon and Google. Of these companies, Google has the reputation of entertaining many new ideas and spending money on product development like no one else. On the other hand, Google is also known to shut down new ideas should they not pan out and make money at the end of the day.

Google is the one to come forward with a project called ‘Project Glass,’ Google’s research and development program to prototype and build an augmented reality head-mounted display. For the first time, someone is promoting a head-mounted display for something other than watching a movie or flying a fighter jet. While we have many other options for watching a movie than viewing via a head-mounted display, very few of us will ever find ourselves seated in the cockpit of a fighter jet. Now, Google takes the head-mounted display and adds augmented reality technology to it, thus creating a product that actually has the potential to catch the consumer’s interest.

In recent weeks, several reports stated that Google is actually testing these ‘Goggles’ in the Google HQ. Google also posted pictures of people wearing these glasses, as shown in the attached picture courtesy of Google. I really don’t know of many headquarters that employ fashion models, but Google certainly has the money to do it.

Google also published a video (available on YouTube) that demonstrates what this product could do for people. The following link will take you to the video. http://www.youtube.com/Google Glasses

Google seems to see this as a first step toward an electronic assistant that could help people in many ways and make life easier for many people. Just think of the implication for the elderly or otherwise handicapped person, and what a difference this could make to their lives. Google definitely seems to see the potential in this technology as they are even working on solutions for people wearing corrective glasses. This seems to be beyond the stage of concept development.

All this together gives the head-mounted display a real chance to penetrate the mass market this time around. A large company with a vision combined with the right technology and enough money to bring the message to the consumer may be all it takes to make the HMD a success this time. Many of you may not agree with me for various reasons, but it is not the industry specialist who drives the market; it is the large corporation with the marketing budget that makes things happens.

Besides being just cool, there are actually quite a few really good ideas of what this technology could offer people. Check it out and let me know why you would or would not buy such a product.

Norbert Hildebrand is an analyst for Insight Media. Reach him at norbert@insightmedia.info

Niles Introduces New Line of Outdoor Rock and Planter Speakers

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:44:18 GMT

This month Niles introduced its next generation of outdoor speakers. The Niles GeoRealistic Pro Series Rock and Planter Speakers are engineered to deliver the highest quality audio fidelity and weather any outdoor climate, according to the company. The new line is available for immediate delivery to dealers.

The GeoRealistic Pro Series speakers feature a new protective finish and a new four-layer fiberglass weave, which Niles says makes them at least five times more durable and long-lasting than the current model of rock speakers, even under the most extreme UV conditions. The advanced conformal coatings on the crossover boards will protect the speakers against moisture, dust and chemicals. The speakers are able to withstand temperature ranges from 50°F to 185°F (-45° to 85° Celsius).

They are available in four different models: the 5” RS5Pro, 6” RS6Pro, 6” RS6SiPro with dual tweeter, and the 8” RS8SiPro with dual tweeter. Each model is available in five different colors -- granite, speckled granite, sandstone, coral and shale brown.

The Niles Planter Speakers are designed to blend into any outdoor environment. Available in two types, the PB6Si Pro rectangular box shape, and the PS6Si Pro circular planter, each speaker is available in two colors, terra cotta and weathered concrete.

For more info on the GeoRealistic Pro Series, click here: http://www.nilesaudio.com/product_detail.php?recordID=Weatherproof%20Rock%20Loudspeakers&categoryID=Speakers&catcdID=1

For more information on the new planter speakers, click here: http://www.nilesaudio.com/product_detail.php?recordID=Planter%20Loudspeakers&categoryID=Speakers&catcdID=1

Crestron Announces Eighth Annual Integration Awards

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:25:26 GMT

Crestron announced a call recently for entries for its eighth annual Integration Awards, which honor the "most innovative and creative residential installations featuring Crestron solutions." Crestron dealers can submit projects for nomination in thirteen creative categories including Biggest, Baddest Home, Home Sweet Home Theater, and Ultimate Connected Home. Contest finalists will be notified by Aug. 1, 2012. Winners will be announced and recognized at CEDIA 2012, held Sept. 6-8, 2012 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Eligible projects must have been completed between July 2011 and June 2012. Entries must be received by June 29, 2012.

To download an awards application or get more information, click here: http://www.crestron.com/integrationawardsinfo

The Business Case for an Enterprise-Grade Wireless Infrastructure Strategy

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:03:17 GMT

As more wireless devices are used to control and interact with automation systems, electronic systems contractors (ESCs) face a substantial challenge: selling and supporting a robust wireless platform that can service the client’s automation system and general wireless computing needs.

Providing reliable, consistent wireless access requires a keen understanding of enterprise-grade Wi-Fi technology. ESCs must also have the skill to design, program, and implement this type of wireless networking platform.

The good news is, there is a strategy available that offers an opportunity for both greater project profitability and system reliability: enterprise-grade managed Wi-Fi with a centrally managed wireless controller.

To help ESCs develop this service offering, CEDIA’s Technology Advisory Group is creating a new Mobile Devices in Residential Systems Integration white paper series that both examines and recommends best practices for the adoption of mobile devices as being core to a company’s strategy for a converged IP ecosystem in the home.

The first installment in this series, titled The Business Case: Why Your Business Needs an Enterprise-Grade Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, is now available. This document focuses on why an ESC business needs an enterprise-grade wireless infrastructure strategy.

“Mobile device integration is a very real part of our industry’s future. It’s not going away,” said Dave Pedigo, senior director of technology. “Through these white papers, we hope to provide our members with guidance to navigate this emerging market opportunity.”

The new white paper is available free of charge for CEDIA members and $9.99 for non-members in the CEDIA Marketplace. Additional white papers on this topic will be released throughout 2012.

Kaleidescape Loses: But Is It A Tempest In A Teapot?

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:51:23 GMT

As everybody even remotely involved in the AV and CE channels knows by now last week Kaleidescape lost its attempt to appeal the injunction ruled against the company in its seven years-long battle with the DVD-CCA.

Saxe Brickenden, president of distribution company Evolution Home Entertainment points out that the ruling against Kaleidescape underlines a shocking double standard that has come to exist in the two big stored media worlds: music versus movies. He points out rather tartly that Hollywood and the music industry have demanded treatment of their products that is inherently in conflict. Says Brickenden: “Empirically, they are both stored bits of information purchased by consumers who wish to transfer their purchases to stored memory for convenient playback when, and where, they wish. Even if we take the same example in two analogous scenarios -- music and movies, and we look at applications for an individual's own enjoyment only, as opposed to using them for resale, or to sell tickets to their friends, we will see two very different treatments by the law.” He further points out that in the case of music media, iTunes is most often the software choice of the consumer. But due to the very different evolution of copy code implementation, movies are treated differently by the law, and he thinks that’s silly.

He further asserts that the implications of the Kaleidescape decision will be felt by the clientele and their integrators. “Another hardware category, and the services sold to support it, will disappear,” he says.

But integrators would be well advised to embrace the change by re-thinking the type of services they provide, and that’s a positive in his book. He says, “While there will undoubtedly be an accelerated adoption of Apple TV, and a skipping of the extra step of ripping an obsolete spinning technology, the more widespread and almost universal use of iTunes means that the progressive integrator will be spending less time toiling simply, "making it work," and more time getting creative and, ‘making it cool!’” He backs that up with the observation that he’s seen the same thing with the adoption of Savant by his dealers. “Our integrators are spending less time writing code to make it work, so they could dedicate more time to making automation do what the client wants it to do, in the way they want to interact with their devices.” As with many things in life, every scenario, even the death of DVD ripping, has an upside.

However, at least according to some industry veterans, the decision appears to be Sturm und Drang, with few real ramifications. When asked for his feelings about the ruling, Igor Kivritsky, owner of high-end Vancouver shop HiFi Center replied with two words “WHO CARES?”

Actually, he responded with a lot more words than that, but that was just his opening salvo. In Kivritsky’s opinion, the last seven years have been an colossal waste of time and money. “Like bitter relatives, the DVD-CCA can’t even remember why they’re fighting,” he says. “They even acknowledged, in writing, that Kaleidescape’s technology has not negatively impacted their business. Instead it’s been a legal catfight, probably prompted by their lawyers, pushing the right buttons in order to keep the billable hours rolling.”

And in all that time, during which the DVD-CCA was trying to stop Kaleidescape from breaking the DVD codec in order to store movies on servers, the world has changed, and passed DVD ripping by. “Let me put this in perspective,” Kivritsky explains. “The minimum buy-in to get your own Kaleidescape is fifteen grand. If you have that much money to spend, you’re spending fifty, one hundred, five hundred-thousand on your AV system. Those clients who are spending that kind of money want the best AV experience possible. DVD just isn’t good enough anymore.”
Kivritsky further asserts that “in the past year one hundred percent of our Kaleidescape business has been either Blu-ray Vaults for new clients, or existing Kaleidescape owners upgrading to Blu-ray Vaults.” More specifically, they’re paying HiFi Center to rip out their old DVD RAID servers and replace them with Blu-ray management. So what are his clients doing with their old DVD collections if they’re moving to Blu-ray? “They’re giving them away or throwing them away,” Kivritsky states bluntly.

“Kaleidescape lost a court battle against them for a business that they’re not even in anymore,” concludes Kivritsky. “If that doesn’t make the DVD-CCA look like a bunch of clowns, then I don’t know what does.”

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

Is Service Compatible the Answer to Broadening 3D Adoption?

reply@ravepubs.com (Chris Chinnock) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:10:53 GMT

For those of you who are not familiar with the term "service compatible," this refers to a new broadcast standard that could augment, and maybe replace, the current 3D broadcast standard called "frame compatible." The frame compatible format has allowed cable and satellite providers to deliver 3D content to 3DTVs with minimal upgrade to their existing infrastructure. But there are trade-offs to this approach, which service compatible formats will address - and may be the key to broader acceptance and viewing of 3D content.

The frame compatible format takes full resolution left and right eye images and packs them together into a single video frame. The most common formats are side-by-side and top/bottom. This approach reduces the resolution of the original stereo pair so that the decoded 3D image will have some loss of fidelity when viewed on the 3DTV. Several companies have proprietary methods to reduce fidelity loss, but these do not seem to be widely used at this time.

The other big trade-off with frame compatible is that the 3D signal is not viewable on a 2D set -- you will see a side-by-side or top/bottom formatted image. Therefore, 3D content must be broadcast on a separate channel from the 2D version - thus doubling bandwidth and creating separate telecasts that are less accessible and visible to consumers.

The service compatible formats under consideration in various standards bodies address the two primary issues of full resolution to each eye and the need for a second broadcast channel.

While a number of formats are under consideration (more details are available in our IMU course on the topic), MVC (Multi-Video Coding) is now the frontrunner within the DVB standards-setting task force, said David Wood, deputy director of the European Broadcast Union Technical Committee in an email to Insight Media. MVC is the standard used to create Blu-ray discs. To encode a 3D movie, the codec first calculates the "difference" between each pixel in the left and right eye images. The metadata representing this pixel difference is then attached to the original left eye image and encoded into an mpeg stream that is recorded on the disc. The Blu-ray player decodes this and restores full resolution left and right eye images to offer 3D signals for a 3DTV, or the original left eye image for a 2DTV. 3D Blu-ray is the image quality standard for 3D today.

To adapt MVC for broadcast, Wood noted that, "MVC is a specification already done in MPEG so we don’t need to wait... we just have to add appropriate signaling."

Note that a broadcast version of MVC will deliver full resolution per eye, and allows a single stream to deliver both the 2D and 3D versions of the content. However, the service compatible system will require the deployment of new set-top boxes - an infrastructure investment.

Cable and satellite operators will only consider such a rollout if they think it will have a return on investment. Improved delivery of 3D may be part of this equation, but other advanced features on new set top boxes could also sway the decision.

I also want to highlight a key point that Corning’s technology development manager, Robert Boudreau, made in an email exchange. His point was that in the transition from black and white TV to color TV, major shows were broadcast in color on the major networks to help spur adoption of the technology (remember Disney’s Wonderful World of Color?). Viewers saw an icon that identified the show as being broadcast in color, which was visible if you had a color TV, but shown in black and white if you did not. This created huge mainstream awareness of the color technology and a desire among consumers to upgrade their TVs.

The service compatible format has the potential to do the same thing for 3D. If major sporting events and prime time network shows were available in 2D or 3D on the same channel, this would make it a lot easier for the consumer to watch 3D content -- and a greater array of high quality content.

Woods said they should have a draft service compatible document this summer, so rollout could not be that far away -- at least in countries that use the DVB standard. The ATSC committees working on 3D and other advanced standards are likely looking closely at MVC, too.

So, the service compatible format, in combination with broader availability of 3D content, could easily combine for a second wave of 3D enthusiasm in 2013/2014.

Chris Chinnock is a senior analyst and editor from Insight Media. Reach him at chris@insightmedia.info

ClearOne Releases Crestron and AMX Control System Modules for StreamNet

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:39:36 GMT

ClearOne just announced it has finally released free control software modules that enable AMX or Crestron integrators, making it easier to integrate these systems with StreamNet to deliver AV over IP for any size commercial control and AV distribution project.

Each of the integration software modules allows customization so integrators can create their own graphical user interface for any StreamNet system using a sample program source code and instructions that come with the modules.

Both the AMX and Crestron integration software modules are available for download from ClearOne website here: http://www.clearone.com/

Bryston Updates Flagship Amp

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:08:07 GMT

Bryston has replaced its flagship (B-100) amp with the introduction of the B-135 SST. This amp is spec'd to output 135 watts per channel into 8 ohms with seven high level inputs, a pass-through feature (typically for home theater applications), one tape loop and a pre-out/main-in feature. The $4,695 B-135 SST also includes an option for an onboard DAC for an additional $1,395 and the optional moving magnet phono stage for an additional $600. It will be available in May.

Other B-135 SST features include:

30,000 MFD of filter capacitance per channel
Three new ultra-low-noise power transformers - two for analog circuits, one for digital circuits
Totally separate ground paths for digital and analog sections
Two quick-connect 12 Volt output triggers – (one programmable)
New digitally controlled analog volume dial
Four assignable digital inputs
R232 and IR control

Complete specs are here: http://www.bryston.com/products/power_amps/B135.html

Philips and TPV Announce Television Joint Venture Named TP Vision

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:58:53 GMT

Philips Electronics today announced that the transaction to create a Television joint venture with TPV Technology Limited has been completed. The joint venture will be called TP Vision and will be 70 percent owned by TPV and 30 percent by Philips. TP Vision will develop, manufacture and market Philips branded TV sets. So, Philips is back, again, in consumer TVs.

TP Vision will be responsible for the design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sales of Philips’ Television worldwide, with the exception of mainland China, India, United States, Canada, Mexico and certain countries in South America. As part of the transaction, the Philips Television innovation and manufacturing sites, commercial organizations, headquarters and employee base of close to 3,300 will transfer to TP Vision.

The key terms and conditions of the transaction are in line with the announcement made on Nov. 1, 2011, which can be viewed online via the following link http://www.newscenter.philips.com/main/standard/news/press/2011/20111101_tpv_signing.wpd

Philips Television has operated as a standalone business within Philips Consumer Lifestyle since Jan. 1, 2012.

HAI Intros ZigBee Remote for Kwikset Door Locks

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 01:29:20 GMT

HAI's MicroControl is a standalone remote control for ZigBee wireless door locks that provides homeowners or building managers a status ofor each lock and the ability to lock or unlock specific door locks. HAI says the ZigBee integration has been specifically verified with the Black & Decker Kwikset SmartCode locks, but it should work with other locks that support the standard ZigBee Home Automation profile lock cluster.

The HAI ZigBee lock integrations are shipping now. They are compatible with all Ethernet-enabled Omni and Lumina controllers, including Omni Pro II, Omni IIe, Lumina Pro, and Lumina, utilizing firmware version 3.10 or later. The ZigBee integrations require usage of HAI's MicroControl, HAI part number 81A00-2WHZB, or the HAI Zigbee Interface Module, HAI Part Number, 81A00-3ZB, running firmware 14.08 or later.

Here are all the details: http://bit.ly/H7deUi

Crestron's New Waterproof Remote Is, Well, Out There

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:59:22 GMT

Crestron's new UFO Waterproof Remote Control is a buoyant saucer-shaped remote that includes rubber-coated buttons for macro functions, as well as a color LCD readout. Crestron is marketing it for indoor and outdoor use in or around pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, spas and on yachts.

The user interface features customizable menus with color icons and is molded in a rugged, rubberized outer skin which Crestron says makes the UFO resistant to damage from chlorine, salt water and sterilization solutions.

The UFO also provides extended wireless coverage and two-way feedback from a 2.8" active-matrix color LCD display. Using Crestron 2.4 GHz RF wireless technology, Crestron says it allows extended coverage performance up to 200 feet indoors, and 1,000 feet outdoors using the optional Extended Range RF Wireless Gateway.

Here are all the stats: http://bit.ly/H78AWp

To Infinity... and Beyond

reply@ravepubs.com (Matt Brennesholtz) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:51:12 GMT

If not to Infinity, at least to 4K and beyond. 4K? You can see that in your local multiplex, if they have Sony Cinema projectors or one of the new 4K DLP projectors. 5K? Piece of cake. Just buy a new Epic or Scarlett camera from Red with the 5K Mysterium-X sensor. 8K? NHK has discussed their new UHDTV sensor at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, (ISSCC2012 ) with 8K resolution. The Sony F65 camera also uses a sensor with pixels on an 8K pitch, although the the goal was to over-sample in order to produce better 4K images for the cinema. Better 4K images than regular 4K images? They should be pretty good.

High resolution displays are here in the form of 4K projectors and QFHD LCD panels. These high-resolution displays can provide better images than "low resolution" 2K or 1080p displays, even when the input is 2K or FHD and the content needs to be up-scaled. The content creators are not lagging behind, however, and they are beginning to make moving images with resolution of 4K and other properties such as higher bit depth and faster frame rates that are higher than any current standard, including DCI.

I recently attended a SMPTE New York section meeting titled "4K and Beyond: Developments in Cameras and Workflow." The main emphasis was on producing the best possible movies (I can’t call them films -- no film involved!) to be shown on 4K projectors in the cinema.

There were four speakers at the meeting, including David Leitner, an independent filmmaker and director of photography with experience in making movies with digital cinema cameras, Hugo Gaggioni from Sony Electronics, Larry Thorpe from Canon USA and Stuart English from Red Inc. The meeting was held at the AbelCine space in Manhattan and drew a standing-room only crowd of about 100 people. With four speakers and such a compelling topic, the meeting lasted longer than most such meetings, almost three hours. Thank goodness there was beer, soda and snacks available -- most attendees including me, missed dinner.

David Leitner’s and Larry Thorpe’s talks were mostly tutorial. Leitner talked about the requirements for 4K and beyond from the filmmakers point of view. Leitner believes 4K is required to take viewers beyond historical quality levels. According to him, 4K is really a legacy format -- it is the quality of the camera negatives generated by silent movie producers over a century ago. He added that even 2K cinema is an improvement in the viewer’s experience who never saw the 4K camera negatives. After multiple copy steps, the Multiplex movie viewer rarely sees more than about 1.3K pixels if he is watching a film. Leitner added 4K was the "harbinger of the Retinal Display." There have been several births in his clan recently and he speculated that as these children grow up they will never see a pixel -- every display they will ever see in their lifetime may have higher resolution than the limiting resolution of the human eye. This may even be possible -- the current younger generation has probably never seen the artifacts introduced by NTSC or VHS tape, nor have they seen a CRT scan line.

Larry Thorpe discussed how a 4K or 8K camera alone wasn’t enough: the lens had to have a high enough MTF for the filmmaker to actually benefit from a high pixel count camera. This MTF, he says, corresponds to roughly 80LP/mm in the image plane, when the camera sensor was the same size of Super-35 film. This sized sensor is the preferred size by moviemakers because it preserves the relationship between aperture and depth of focus they are accustomed to.

Hugo Gaggioni and Stuart English discussed how the Sony and Red cameras respectively met these needs of the moviemakers. Both Gaggioni and English provided as much of a tutorial as a sales pitch and emphasized many of the same points:

The importance of oversampling in generating high resolution images in a single-chip camera with a Bayer filter array.
The color gamut of a cinema camera should be at least as good as and preferably better than the DCI P3 requirements. In the end, however, the colors seen on the Multiplex screens are determined in post-production, not by the camera.
The camera must have all the accessories required by filmmakers, including lenses, storage, power supplies, monitors, digital interfaces, etc.
The output of the camera must fit into the workflow of the post-production house. Both companies offered stand-alone software for processing their RAW video and plug-ins to standard video/cinema editing software to simplify the editing of their camera outputs.
In 2012, going beyond 4K doesn’t really mean showing content at higher resolution than 4K. From the content creator’s point of view, going beyond 4K means making the best possible 2K or 4K content for display to viewers in the cinema or the home. Insight Media is glad to see the industry isn’t getting stuck in a century-old paradigm -- create the content at 4K and then show it to viewers at 1.3K.

Matt Brennesholtz is an analyst for Insight Media. Reach him at matt@insightmedia.info

Westinghouse Suit Settled with VIZIO, Announces Patent Deal

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:39:45 GMT

Westinghouse has settled its patent dispute with VIZIO with Westinghouse Digital, LLC becoming a licensee under VIZIO’s QAM patent portfolio by virtue of a cross-license between the two companies. VIZIO owns a substantial worldwide patent portfolio directed to digital television technology. The parties have not disclosed financial terms of the agreement, under which Westinghouse has agreed to make royalty payments to VIZIO for sales of licensed products.

The signing of the QAM License with Westinghouse Digital, LLC also concludes actions brought by VIZIO.

Kaleidescape Faces Big Loss in Long Court Battle with DVD CCA

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:34:12 GMT

Kaleidescape will be forced to stop selling its DVD movie servers next month, per a new court ruling issued earlier this week.

Earlier this month, Kaleidescape had lost another fight in a long and on-going court battle with the DVD Copy Control Association (CCA), which licenses the technology that controls the copy protection for DVDs. The DVD CCA sued Kaleidescape in 2004 for breach of contract (not copyright violation), saying that the license did not permit Kaleidescape's movie servers to play movies from copies of the DVDs stored on a hard disk.

The case has been through a series of wins and appeals, with Kaleidescape originally winning in 2007, but the win being overturned in 2009. On March 8th, the court ruled that Kaleidescape had violated the contract as the DVD CCA claimed, with presiding Judge William Monahan issuing a permanent injunction, which would prevent Kaleidescape from selling the movie servers -- at least as they currently exist. Kaleidescape immediately appealed the decision, saying in a statement on the company's website that the company "believes that under California law the injunction order should not come into effect unless the California Court of Appeal affirms Judge Monahan's decision."

Kaleidescape requested a stay in order to continue selling the DVD movie server while it appealed the case, but this request was denied on March 26th. The injunction goes into effect on April 8, 2012.

This ruling explicitly concerns Kaleidescape's DVD movie servers and does not affect any of Kaleidescape's other products, including its Blu-ray movie servers.

To see Kaleidescape's statement on the case from March 12, click here: http://kaleidescape.com/news/pr/legal-update.php

To see the full injunction order, click here: http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/legal/DVDCCA-vs-Kaleidescape-Injunction-Order-20120308.pdf

HAI Snap-Link Mobile for iPhone and iPad is Customizable

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:07:58 GMT

HAI has announced that a new version (1.07) of its Snap-Link Mobile App is now available in the iTunes store. This App includes the ability to remotely control audio/video equipment when used in conjunction with an HAI Home Theater Extender (HTX2).

The HTX2 (HAI part number 86A00-2) allows for AV control using iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch (iOS devices) integrated with HAI's Snap-Link Mobile. Additionally, HAI's free HTX2 Mobile Designer software allows for the creation and/or customization of GUI (Graphical User Interface) "remote control" pages that are used for controlling AV equipment via an iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. HAI provides generic templates that can be customized for TVs, Blu-Ray/DVD players, AV receivers, satellite/cable boxes, tuners, projectors, CD changers and more. Advanced users can modify the provided templates, design their own templates or purchase templates from third parties. Users can even create macro buttons like "Play Movie" to activate a chain of commands so that all of the applicable audio/video devices are set accordingly with the touch of one button. AV devices can also be separated by room using PC Access so that when the homeowner selects the Living Room, for example, he only gains access to the AV devices within that room.

The iOS device sends the command to the HTX2, which controls the AV equipment using serial ports, IR ports, IP (TCP/UDP) and SPDT relays. Over 300,000 IR codes are built-in, and additional codes may be added using the IR Learner.

You can download it here: http://www.apple.com/mac/app-store/

LG to Ship 55" OLED Next Month

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:13:04 GMT

LG's famed 55" OLED will start shipping in late April, costing about $8,000. The LG 55EM9600 debuted at CES and is the largest OLED to ship so far. OLED offers better blacks (and also, whiter whites) than LCD technology and less power usage due to its structure, which is basically a 100 percent solid-state compound of very thin organic molecules that generate light (and color) just by applying electricity to them. The amount of electricity is amazing as it typically uses about 40 percent of an LCD's power usage. In addition, the structure needed to generate an image for OLED is about 50 percent less than that needed for LCD (see the chart below from Kodak).

The LG 55EM9600 will weigh only 16 pounds (really!) and is less than a half-inch thick. It's 3D capable, is native 1080p and will be spec'd to have a 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio -- 50 times that of the best LCD.

Here are all the details that exist so far on the 55EM9600: http://www.lg.com/us/oled/index.jsp

SANUS Ships New Basic Series Stand

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:20:12 GMT

SANUS is now shipping the Basic Series BFV348 AV Stand. Offering what SANUS says is quick and easy tool-less assembly, this piece features a distressed black finish for a classic, lived-in (distressed) appearance.

Product features include:

Removable back panels for quick and easy access to components
Vented shelf to maximize airflow to equipment
Adjustable shelf to accommodate equipment of varying heights
Compatible with the ELM701 Anti-tip Strap
Compatible with the FMS01 Furniture Mount System

Go here for all the details: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/av-foundations/av-basic/BFV348

NAD Adds Three New Home Theater Pre-Amps

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:15:51 GMT

NAD Electronics is shipping three new home theater products -- the NAD T 187 AV Surround Sound Processor ($3,000 list), plus the T 787 ($4,000 list) and T 777 ($3,000 list) AV Receivers. All feature the company’s exclusive so-called Modular Design Construction (MDC) designed to help prevent early technology obsolescence.

The T 787, T 777, and T 187 all have seven HDMI inputs and two outputs, as well as support for HD and 3D video at resolutions up to 1080p at frame rates of 24, 50 and 60FPS. All three models follow the resolution of the source component up to the limit of the display device with zero processing (no scaling up to 1080p). In addition to IP control, there are IR outputs, 12V triggers and an RS232 port for easy connection to home automation systems. Speakers may be added in other rooms or zones and with a simple on-screen setup, the supplied second zone remote (zone output can be redirected to back surround channels) can fill any room with sound. You also have the option of adding the NAD IPD 2 Dock for iPod for control, charging and media display.

The T 787, a 7x120-watt system, includes two high-current Toroidal transformers. One power supply is dedicated exclusively to the front left and right channels for dedicated music listening with the inclusion of high performance loudspeakers. The T 777 is a 7x80-watt AV receiver that can power high-end home theaters to lifelike listening levels with ease.

Here are all the specs: http://nadelectronics.com/home

Atlantic Technology Adds Trimmer In-Ceiling Speakers

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:32:21 GMT

Atlantic Technology has introduced five new ceiling mounted loudspeakers for home theater and whole house distributed audio systems.

The Atlantic Technology ICTS-6HT is an in-ceiling home theater speaker designed for use as the front left, center and right channels of a home theater system. The 6-1/2-inch polypropylene woofer is mounted at a 15-degree angle so it can direct midrange and vocals toward the listener for improved imaging and intelligibility. To further enhance imaging, the tweeter can be pivoted up to 30 degrees so the full frequency range of the front channels remains perfectly focused. The speakers have built-in tweeter level controls and a woofer-level/boundary compensation adjustment.

Atlantic Technology is also introducing four new Trim-Look Ceiling speakers with thin magnetically-attached grilles that are nearly invisible to the casual observer. These highly-efficient speakers offer exceptional sound quality for music and home theater applications. The top two models, TLC-6.3 and TLC-8.3, are Tri-Mode speakers with dual-voice-coil woofers and two pivoting tweeters. They have separate left- and right-channel input terminals, input jumpers and a built-in bipole/dipole switch. These allow the speaker to be used for mono, single-point stereo or as a surround speaker. The two base models, the TLC-6.2 and TLC-8.2, are conventional, single-channel 6-1/2- and 8-inch two-way speakers with 1-inch soft dome tweeters that can pivot 30 degrees for optimal imaging.

The Atlantic Technology ICTS-6HT In-Ceiling Theater Speaker are now available with a suggested retail price of $400 each. The Trim-Look Ceiling Speakers are also shipping the last week of March. The Tri-Mode models TLC-6.3 and TLC-8.3 will have suggested retail prices of $325 and $450, respectively, while the two-way TLC-6.2 and TLC-8.2, will have suggested retail prices of $250 and $325, respectively.

All the details are here: http://www.atlantictechnology.com/default.asp?NodeId=165

Projector Or Flat Panel?

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:52:11 GMT

It’s the age-old question your clients ask you: “Should I get a flat panel or a projector?”

But as they say, your mileage may vary. The basic answer is obviously, “It depends,” and that’s when you actually have to put on your thinking cap.

This isn’t a Tastes Great/Less Filling argument, but there are pros and cons to both applications.

On the plus side for flat panels, the size/price equation has improved. Remember when a 42-inch plasma cost ten grand? Now they’re four hundred dollars.

For that matter, nowadays a 42-inch screen is basically a bathroom TV. When a 70-inch flat panel sells for $3,000 pretty much anybody can get an immersive video experience in a normal sized room.

And then of course it’s always possible to go bigger still with flat panels. I’ve in fact been told by someone at AVAD that Panasonic’s 84-inch Plasma has cannibalized some of their sales of the 103-inch screen, due to its lower cost and greater ease of installation.

Personally, I’m looking forward to a new model 103-inch (or bigger!) screen that’s re-engineered to not require a dedicated 220v AC line run to it. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

Of course, if you want to go over 90 inches in screen size, it’s possible to do it more economically with a projector and a screen. It’s also possible to spend enormous sums, but from the perspective of a typical consumer, a 120-inch screen and projector doesn’t have to cost more than a few thousand. Even so, I have long asserted that even with upper tier products, the cost of a projector and its screen divided into the screen’s diagonal size delivers a tremendous size/value equation. While most normal rooms seem to require a screen between 84 to 106 inches in diagonal size, how else are you going to deliver to your biggest clients a 130-inch, 150-inch or even bigger screen?

Let’s not forget lifespan. Although LED-illuminated projectors are bridging the gap, the need for replacement lamps for projectors can be an Achilles Heel for projector installations when you look at the cost of operation, compared to a minimum of 40,000 hours operating life (and these days typically much more) of flat panel technologies. That said, it’s always been my experience that if you’re up front with clients about lamp life and replacement costs, they’re cool with it.

As an aside, I used to have a couple of co-workers who were roommates. When they weren’t working, their main recreation was chain smoking and playing HALO on a 100-inch projection screen. Their high usage, combined with the foul air in their apartment (you’d have to see their projector’s air filter to believe it) meant they needed a fresh lamp every other month. For them, that was just the cost of doing what they loved.

Every installation is different, and so is every client -- so just keep an open mind.

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

Onkyo's New Mid-Range Receivers Add 4K Output

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:28:01 GMT

Onkyo has introduced two new mid-range receivers in the form of the TX-NR717 and TX-NR818, which are both 7.2 network-connected home theater receivers with THX-certified sound. The TX-NR818 also offers the audio calibration capabilities of Audyssey MultEQ XT32.

The dual core video engine combines an HQV Vida VHD 1900 video processor core for upscaling all inputs to 1080p using the Marvel Qdeo processor, which can also upscale to four times that resolution (4K) for digital sources.

Features on both receivers include InstaPrevue and MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) technologies DTS Neo:X, Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX audio processing, eight HDMI inputs (one front, and seven rear) two outputs, Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity, a rear-panel and front panel USB port. They have list prices of $999 for the TX-NR717 and $1,999 for the TX-NR818.

Full specs are here: http://www.onkyo.com/

China Increases its LCD Import Duty; Time to Move Fabs to China?

reply@ravepubs.com (David Hsieh) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:52:51 GMT

China's Ministry of Finance has officially announced changes in import duties on certain products, among them LCD TV panels. As we discussed last December, discussions have been ongoing for some time about changing the LCD import duty, currently 5 percent on all modules and 3 percent for 26" and larger TV open cells and cells (semi-finished modules). Effective April 1st, the duty on 32" and larger TV open cells and cells will be increased to 5 percent.

Why the focus on 32" and larger LCD TV open cells and cells, and why only 5 percent? What might the impact on the industry be? Some background will help.

Years ago, the Chinese government encouraged domestic LCD TV set manufacturers to adopt the BMS (backlight-module-system) model for more vertical integration capability. That's one of the reasons why brands like TCL, Changhang, Konka, Hisense, Haier and Skyworth built module assembly facilities (some in joint ventures with panel makers) and purchase LCD open cells (which are panels without backlight or other module parts). This has encouraged panel makers like Chimei Innolux, AUO and Samsung to ship open cells to China instead of modules. The relatively low 3 percent import duty on open cells was meant to encourage this.

However, as Chinese panel manufacturers like BOE, ChinaStar and CEC-Panda have built Gen 6 and 8 LCD fabs, optimized for 32" and larger TV panels, focused on domestic markets, they have asserted the need for protection from Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese competition. Their campaign to increase the import duty has been going on for a long time, and some have asserted that it would be increased as high as 10 percent. In that sense, the new 5 percent rate is a kind of compromise.

Domestic TV makers have opposed increases in the duty, as they will face higher panel prices while the domestic supply matures. while the direct impact will be a small additional cost, the Chinese TV market is very competitive so every penny matters. China is the world's largest LCD TV market, but there is very harsh competition between the domestic brands who account for more than 70 percent of the market, as consumer behavior and channel structures make it very difficult for international brands to expand their share.

The increase to 5 percent might not be enough to force Korean and Taiwanese panel makers to build fabs in China, according to our cost analysis. However, if domestic suppliers build more LCD TV panel fabs as planned, the import duty might be increased further. For political and business reasons, foreign panel makers are starting to seriously consider LCD fabs in China. However, as opposed to previous plans to "build", it is now possible that they might "move" existing fabs, because overcapacity in the industry argues against building new capacity. Some think that Samsung is considering moving a Gen 8 fab from Korea to Suzhou, and that LG Display may also be considering such a move. Meanwhile, AUO's Gen 8 construction in Kunshan is ongoing but AUO has not discussed specifics with equipment makers yet, which could be an indication that AUO might also be thinking about moving fabs to China.

This article was reprinted with permission from DisplaySearch and originally appeared here.

HDTV Sales Decline

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:52:26 GMT

In 2011, worldwide TV shipments fell for the first time since NPD DisplaySearch began tracking global TV shipments in 2004, slipping 0.3 percent to 247.7M units. As reported in the latest NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, LCD TV shipments increased by 7 percent to just over 205M units in 2011 -- a substantial slowdown from the double digit growth in previous years. With plasma TV shipments declining almost 7 percent in 2011 to 17.2M units, the largest decline yet, and CRT shipments falling 34 percent, LCD growth was not enough to offset these declines.

"The causes of slow demand in 2011 were complex, and although LCD TV showed growth, results were well below industry expectations," noted Paul Gagnon, NPD DisplaySearch director of North America TV research. Gagnon added, "The low level of shipments were partially caused by excessive inventory levels early in 2011 for the US and European markets, as well as a sharp drop in demand in Japan following the end of the government sponsored Eco-Points program that caused a surge in replacement activity during 2009-2010."

Q4'11 shipments were down 4 percent Y/Y globally to 74.2M units, with LCD TV shipments rising just 1 percent (also the lowest growth rate since NPD DisplaySearch began tracking shipments). Plasma TV units were down 8 percent and CRTs were down 43 percent. The decline in units was most pronounced in Japan and Western Europe with only mild growth in North America. Collectively, TV shipments in the developed regions (North America, Japan and Western Europe) declined 21 percent Y/Y in Q4'11. TV shipment growth in emerging regions continues to be strong though, increasing 12 percent Y/Y in Q4'11 with LCD TV unit shipments rising 20 percent.

The LCD TV shipment share increased to a record 86.5 percent of global TV shipments in Q4'11, up from 83 percent in Q3'11 and 82 percent one year ago. LCD TV shipment growth is strongest in larger screen sizes with very aggressively priced models shipping for the holiday season. Shipments of 40" and larger LCD TVs rose 20 percent Y/Y while sub-40" fell 7 percent. Average prices for 40/42" LCD TVs were down 11 percent Y/Y, and 60"+ average LCD TV prices were down more than 16 percent Y/Y. LED backlight penetration continues to grow slowly, rising above 50 percent of LCD units for the first time in Q4'11, although only about three percentage points higher than in Q3'11. The high premium for edge-lit LED LCD TVs is still an inhibitor to adoption, but new low-cost direct-lit LED models arriving in 2012 will help speed adoption.

Plasma TV unit shipments continued to decline, falling 8 percent Y/Y in Q4'11 after a 14 percent decline in Q3'11 and 6 percent decline in Q2'11. This decline demand coincides with a shift to larger screen sizes and focus on greater profitability, with the 50"+ share of plasma TV shipments increasing more than 50 percent for the first time in Q4'11.

Get the full report here

Security System Pros And Cons For AV Integrators

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:28:00 GMT

It sometimes seems as if there are two kinds of AV integrators: ones who resign themselves to offering their clients security systems and monitoring, and ones who loathe security and want nothing to do with it.

That’s a totally unfair assessment, but as I said, sometimes it seems that way. Excepting for the security integrators who do security systems all day, every day, most of the AV guys I’ve ever known would rather subcontract it out, and specify their automation requirements to the sub, but otherwise keep their hands off the security.

How do you, the AV integrator, decide whether to offer security in your portfolio of products and services? Like any business decision you have to weigh the pros and cons.

Pro: Recurring Revenue

How does that sound? I like money, and I’m guessing that you like money too. The cardinal business reason for doing security installs is receiving a residual check every month from the monitoring company that your firm deals with.

Now, from an integrator’s perspective, the flipside of that is the way that the big national alarm companies practically give away the hardware and the installation and seek to profit on the residuals of the monitoring contract. I still remember an instructor at CEDIA Expo ranted to us for more than fifteen minutes about how recurring revenue was terrible, and how it had ruined the business.

What you have to overcome is the perception, thanks to the big alarm company business model, that there’s no inherent value in the security install. I’ve actually had clients laugh at me when the quote for the security subsystem part of the project was a couple of grand, as opposed to “FREE.”

Anyway, back to recurring revenue; shop around for an alarm company that you can work with. As an AV company, you won’t be able to retire on your residuals, but it will be a welcome addition to your P&L every month.

Staying In Control

The most compelling reason to take on security jobs is to maintain control over every device in the house. You always need to check with your automation vendor for a list of security panels that they know are compatible with their controllers. Just because a panel has an RS232 or RS485 port doesn’t mean that it’s going to easily integrate for two-way communication with your controller: some brands use quirky control language. A non-approved panel will take hours and hours of programming code to allow the controller to poll the panel for its status. By contrast, your automation vendor will already have modules written for approved panels.

Sometimes the client already has a relationship with a security contractor, such as for his office, and he wants to have them handle his residence as well. In those situations, you need to partner with the security company, and politely ask them to use a panel from your automation vendors’ approved list.

Con: Tiny Little Projects

You don’t want to be pigeonholed as a security contractor when your real expertise (and profit center!) is AV. It’s one thing to install a security system as part of a whole-home A/V project, and you might get away with doing a security job or two as a “favor” for a long-time client or family friend, but do too many of them, and you’ll either lose tons of money, or you’ll wake up one day and find that your company has transformed into a commercial/industrial security firm.

There’s not only a bottom line, but also a top line minimum cost to each project you do that will make you profitable. If it’s $20,000, then you literally can’t afford to be in the business of doing $1,500 residential security installs, end of story.

It’s A Tough Racket

Like I said earlier, national alarm companies low-ball their installations at break-even or even lower, in order to secure long-term monitoring contracts, which is where their profit lies. This has had the effect of making life really difficult for small installation companies, unless they partner with, or sell out to, the monitoring company.

There’s two reasonable ways to deal with this. The first is to not offer security at all. The other is to be blunt and straightforward ahead of time that due to the nature of the security business, it costs you “X” to do security installs, whereas a big alarm company will practically give away the install to get the monitoring contract. If you’re honest about the realities, your client can choose to give you the business because he has confidence in your value as an integrator, or he can opt to save his pennies, and get the alarm company to tackle that part of the job, and you can work with them as I said earlier.

Ultimately, you’re going to be the best judge of whether doing security installs is right for your company. Some owners love it, and others hate it. Figure out what’s going to work for you.

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

Pioneer Adds AirPlay, Again

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:14:17 GMT

Pioneer's newest line of receivers integrate Apple's AirPlay in a big way with four new models. All four also support DLNA, but AirPlay is the big news here with Pioneer betting on Apple's continued integrated success into the HomeAV world.

The four new models include three models with six HDMI inputs with the differentiator being the audio channels: the VSX-822 is a 5.1 channel receiver, the VSX-1022 is a 7.1 receiver and the new VSX-1122 is a 7.2 channel receiver that also offers four digital inputs for audio as well. The fourth model is the VSX-522 and offers four HDMI inputs and only two extra digital audio inputs. All four models handle 3D video, have stand-by pass-through, ARC audio, front panel USB ports and include on-screen or iPad control. List varies from $250 to $600 and all will ship in March.

For complete specs on each, go here: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-1122-K

What Can Apple Teach Us About Selling?

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:29:26 GMT

A lot of people (technical people, in particular) HATE Apple products.

There, we said it. Those folks think the beloved fruit company's products are overpriced and under spec'd. They think it's insulting that Apple doesn't let consumers change their own batteries. They think iTunes is limiting. The list goes on...

But one thing that can't be said about Apple products is that they lack focus. The user experience they provide is the #1 reason for their success... and the #1 reason compromises exist in their designs -- which makes some people hate them.

So, what's the point?

Whether you love or hate Apple products, user experience is important to, well... users. And while many dealers spend a lot of time focused on the user experience of their system designs, the same isn't always true of their sales processes.

Here are a few examples:

Let's say your customer has a large room—much too big for a single pair of speakers to cover adequately... but your customer doesn't want to pay for another pair. Do you:

Explain, "Mr. / Mrs. Customer, the size of this room requires two pairs of speakers for adequate coverage. I don't want to put my name on a system that's designed incorrectly.
Say, "OK, but I don't think you'll be happy with the result... it just won't sound very good. I'd rather see you downgrade the speakers to put two pairs in for the same price as a single pair of what I originally specified."
Ask, "Have you ever been to a party and had to move somewhere quieter to have a conversation, because the music was too loud? Two pairs of speakers will ensure that everyone in the room will be able to hear the music, but nobody will find it too loud to talk over."

Now let's pretend your customer is asking why it costs so much for you to program a remote. They say, "For that much money, maybe I'll just switch back and forth between remotes." You explain:

"A professional quality product requires professional programming. This is a very fair price and I would put it to the test against any other professional's price."
"OK, I can point you in the direction of a remote that you could program yourself... It won't be as good a result, but at least it will stop you from switching back and forth between remotes."
"I understand that it sounds like a lot of money, but the remote is going to be the only way you interact with your system. When I custom program it, we can include things like a command to ‘watch a movie at night' which will calibrate the system so that the subwoofer won't wake the kids up during an action scene."

You're helping a client choose between a 60" TV and a front projection system. In explaining the pros and cons of each, you:

Discuss the superior performance of a flat panel TV when ambient light is present.
Explain how with a 1080p projector, even a very large image will still look natural and detailed.
Discuss how one of your clients has a family movie night each week and that a front projection system really makes it a special event for the whole family. They make popcorn together, turn off the lights, and everyone brings blankets and pillows into the theater. The kids like it better than going to the movies with their friends.

If it's not obvious, the user-experience focused choice is "C". It has nothing to do with system design... it has to do with how you sell the benefits of a system using consumer-speak. Think about this as you watch the Apple commercial below.

Selling (not just designing) with a singular focus on the customer experience means making the technology real to them. It's about telling stories and relating to the real-life situations that your clients are trying to enhance by hiring you. It's not about technology... scare tactics... or negotiations.

The best thing about focusing on the user experience? It means you're not focused on price. So whether you personally love or hate Apple products, there is a reason they are the world's richest company.

How do you sell? Do you have creative techniques for media distribution, surveillance or other categories?

This column was reprinted with permission from SnapAV and originally appeared here.

Parasound Debuts Half-Rack Width CD Player

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:59:33 GMT

Parasound has introduced what it is calling the Zcd Compact Disc Player as part of its popular Z Custom line of rack-mountable components, which are half the width of a standard 19-inch equipment rack. The Zcd includes a Cirrus Logic DAC and a fully independent power supply for the analog circuits and built-in preamplifier functions while playing both conventional Compact Discs as well as MP3 files from a CD-R. It also functions as a basic DAC-preamplifier with a USB input for MP3 files on a flash drive.

The Zcd has fixed and variable line outputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio outputs and the Zcd volume adjustments are controlled by an independent analog volume control IC, not digitally inside the DAC.

The Zcd uses a 24-bit, 192 kHz-capable Cirrus Logic CS4353 DAC with a Cirrus Logic CS8416 digital receiver. The circuitry boasts fifth-order multi-bit delta-sigma architecture with low latency digital filtering. It also includes analog filtering and differential linearity along with a high tolerance to clock jitter.

For custom installers, the Zcd has a rear-panel IR input and one-way RS232 serial control port. There are three turn-on options: manual, automatic when AC is supplied, and 12V trigger. There is even a 12V trigger output to turn on a Zamp v.3 amplifier automatically.

Go here for all the specs: http://www.parasound.com/ParasoundZ/

Kaleidescape Loses Court Case, Ordered to Stop DVD Storage

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:05:01 GMT

Kaleidescape's been fighting a court battle to keep its DVD-server business alive nearly since its inception back in 2001. The company started out as a $50,000+ DVD server company that aimed its wares at the high-end HomeAV market (i.e., CEDIA) and even added Blu-ray (and HD-DVD way back when) to its ripping and storing services so that anyone can serve up their DVDs whenever they wanted across a home network or in a home theater.

Not any more, said Judge William J. Monahan of the California Superior Court, who ruled last week in favor of the DVD CCA (DVD Copy Control Association). The court ordered Kaleidescape be enjoined (instructed) to stop immediately. The DVD CCA is a corporation controlled by the six major motion picture studios in concert with the largest consumer electronics and computer companies. The DVD CCA licenses the copy control system used on DVDs.

Kaleidescape's founder and CEO, Michael Malcolm, said "not so fast" and plans to file an appeal, but in the meantime the company will have to wait out an appeal decision. He went as far as to compare their plight to Apple's iPod and the Sony Walkman saying, "Imagine a world where Apple wasn’t allowed to build the iPod because Sony wanted a 'level playing field' for the Walkman" and called it a "ruling against the consumer."

Kaleidescape won its first trial in 2007 when Judge Leslie Nichols of the California Superior Court found that Kaleidescape's products comply with the CSS license agreement. The DVD CCA appealed to the California Court of Appeal, who in 2009 sent the matter back to the California Superior Court for a second trial.

Judge Monahan entered his statement of decision and injunction order on March 8, 2012. Kaleidescape filed its appeal on March 9, 2012. Kaleidescape believes that under California law, the injunction order should not come into effect unless the California Court of Appeal affirms Judge Monahan's decision. Kaleidescape is confident that when the Court of Appeal reviews the facts of this case, particularly in light of the complete absence of any harm to the DVD CCA or its members, that it will reverse the trial court decision. The appeal process may take one to two years.

Here's the legal injunction over Kaleidescape: http://www.kaleidescape.com/files/legal/DVDCCA-vs-Kaleidescape-Injunction-Order-20120308.pdf

Is Apple’s Television the Yeti of Consumer Electronics?

reply@ravepubs.com (Paul Gray) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:09:32 GMT

It’s now the second time we have had a refresh of the Apple TV box and both launches have been preceded by increasing chatter about Apple’s imminent entry into the television market. Yet again the faithful have been disappointed.

Apple almost certainly buys large displays in sample quantities to build concept TV products, and no doubt a call from Apple for samples is welcomed by a display vendor. Any sales manager would like to be famed as the one who won the Apple business. No doubt these tales then circulate through karaoke bars and leak into the media, gaining in credibility each step of the way.

However, the question of Apple’s living room strategy remains. Apple does not play in low-margin businesses and TV set making remains stubbornly challenging. Apple would need to find enough space to re-shape the experience, which in turn could revolutionize the market, as it did in audio. However, there are significant limiting factors:

Most people watch broadcast TV most of the time – which limits what Apple can control.
Most people watch fewer than 20 TV channels, so the navigation problem is an order smaller than a music collection.
Premium content access is controlled by pay-TV providers. At the same time, just as Apple has not generally put FM radios into its products because it does not provide a revenue stream compared to iTunes, it is not clear that broadcast TV content would be of interest. Apple can’t escape the challenge of tackling the media companies head on – one of the failures of Google TV was that it was blocked by Hulu and Internet services from ABC, CBS and NBC.
While iTunes is dominant in audio content, it is not in TV content, and Apple will need to trade off a desire to keep users in the iTunes environment (or approved streaming services like Netflix) against allowing access to the open Internet to download content and install apps. So far, Apple TV has been focused on iTunes and has not included Safari or other browsers.

Apple could doubtless make a TV which would be slick and beautiful. At the kind of margins Apple is accustomed to, that means a niche high-end product, like those of B&O or Loewe. While Apple aims for the nexus of a highly profitable product with high volumes, most TV buyers are not early adopters. So it would be a challenge to match the success of the iPhone or iPad. The other aspect of Apple’s formula for success is to offer only one model (with a few variations for memory configuration or screen size) to the global market. The TV market on the other hand requires wide product ranges (the combination of four sizes and four digital broadcast standards alone requires at least 16 different models worldwide) even before you consider color or styling choices – compared to the sparse ranges of Apple’s other products.

For the time being, Apple can sell a $99 box which extends its iTunes universe into the living room, while the CE world continues to ship displays at low margin. Those same CE vendors are also compelled by their consumers to develop iOS apps for their Smart TVs. Apple probably does not consider that to be a bad outcome. As Daniel Danker of the BBC iPlayer noted, while the BBC has twice as many connected TVs as iPads accessing iPlayer, those iPads generate four times the traffic.

The column was reprinted with permission of DisplaySearch and originally appeared here.

Crestron Courts Interior Designers

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:05:23 GMT

Crestron recently announced a new Interior Design Partner (IDP) Program, which connects designers with the resources and tools to incorporate integrated technology as part of their designs and deliver the best client experience. By partnering with Crestron, designers stay informed of the latest integrated technology developments.

The IDP Program provides benefits to interior designers that include preferred access to the Crestron Design Showroom at the D&D Building in New York and Pacific Design Center in California, direct access to Crestron design consultants, partner rewards, website directory listing, VIP invitations to exclusive events, marketing support and much more.

The IDP Program presents interior designers with the latest technology solutions that seamlessly blend into their designs. Ultimately, clients enjoy optimal convenience, security and energy savings.

Authorized Crestron dealers can also participate and benefit from the IDP program by becoming part of the IDP referral network.

If you’re an Interior Designer or Authorized Crestron Dealer interested in learning more about the Crestron Interior Design Partner Program, visit http://www.crestron.com/idp

DisplaySearch Says 21 Million 3D TVs Were Sold in 2011

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:30:40 GMT

Shipments of 3D LCD TV panels spiked to 7.8 million in Q4’11, up 26 percent Q/Q. As a result, total 3D TV panel shipments in 2011 reached 21.2 million, accounting for 10 percent of all LCD TV panels shipped According to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT LCD Shipment Report – Advanced LED + 3D, panel makers are targeting very strong growth of 138 percent for 2012, which would lead to 3D LCD TV panel shipments of 50 million units, for a penetration rate of 21.6 percent of all LCD TV panel shipments.

“As brands continue to promote 3D, end-user awareness and interest is growing. While there are still concerns about the lack of 3D content and services, as well as end-users' needs, LCD TV panel makers have pushed 3D capability via lower prices and the introduction of new, cost-effective technologies,” noted David Hsieh, vice president, Greater China Market for NPD DisplaySearch. Hsieh added, “Many TV brands have started to list 3D as a basic feature for their models above a certain level. This, along with reduction in 3D panel premiums, will be the main driver for 3D penetration in TV panels. Meanwhile, improvements in patterned retarder film manufacturing and lamination stability will increase output through yield rate enhancement.”

According to the report, shutter glass technology use is still larger than patterned retarder technology, with 6.2 percent penetration in total LCD TV panel shipments in 2011, with patterned retarder accounting for 3.9 percent. According to the NPD DisplaySearch estimates of panel makers’ shipment targets, 2012 penetration rates will increase to 11.6 percent for shutter glass type and 10 percent for pattern retarder type.

In addition to TV, panel makers are aggressively promoting 3D monitor panels, especially for consumer entertainment and gaming PCs. In 3D LCD monitor panels, pattern retarder manufacturers are more aggressive than shutter glass makers. Panel makers are targeting shipments of more than 1.5 million per quarter from Q2'12 onward. This is up from 235K in Q4'11.

The complete report is here: http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/quarterly_large_area_tft_lcd_shipment_report.asp

Aurora Debuts HDBaseT Extender

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:27:33 GMT

Aurora's new DXE-CAT-S2 is an HDBaseT extender that can uniquely do Power over Ethernet (PoE) or you can place an AC adapter on the transmitter or receiver end. With a single CAT 5e/6/7 cable, Aurora claims the DXE-CAT-S2 can go up to 330 feet at 1080p 60Hz 48bit color depth with bi-directional RS-232, IR and LAN. It offers 340MHz bandwidth with support for 4Kx2K resolutions and is housed in a 4"x3" compact metal enclosure.

More details are here: http://auroramultimedia.com/?section=products&id=228

Microsoft Demo's Wearable MultiTouch Projector

gary@ravepubs.com (Gary Kayye, CTS) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:59:50 GMT

Microsoft Labs has started to demo a new "wearable" projection technology - and I have to say I am impressed. Everyone knows that the future of advertising is displays everywhere, but who would have thought, just 10 years ago, we'd be tethered to our phones to keep us connected to everyone and everything?

Well, it happened.

Flash forward to 10 years from now and we'll see us not only using personal information displays as our windows of the world, but we'll likely be using them to display our own personal content to anyone, anywhere. We've seen phones integrated with projectors, but now Microsoft brings bodies with integrated projectors:

SANUS Ships EcoSystem

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:42:31 GMT

SANUS is now shipping the SANUS EcoSystem, a multi-volt power supply and suite of AV rack accessories designed to create a seamless interaction between racks and low-voltage devices.

What is included with the SANUS EcoSystem?

   • Multi-volt power supply
   • Front and rear light control switches
   • Master power switch
   • 12 outlets with both 12V and 5V options
   • Three back side 5VDC USB charging ports
   • Six back side 12VDC ports with always on, switched and triggered options
   • Thermostat kit to actively monitor air temperature inside the rack
   • Automatically activated, temperature-sensitive fans
   • Front side task light port and rear side task/work light
   • Cable management channel

Here is more information: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/EcoSystem

Top 10 Challenges Facing the 3D Industry

reply@ravepubs.com (Chris Chinnock) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:52:33 GMT

For today’s Display Daily, I have recorded a video to detail my top 10 challenges facing the 3D industry. It is a short video and there is obviously lots more to save about these challenges, but perhaps this provides a useful quick summary.

If you have comments, please let me know.

Here is the link to the YouTube posting: http://youtu.be/g5zs5pND068

Chris Chinnock is a senior analyst and editor for Insight Media. Reach him at chris@insightmedia.info

Monitoring Services On The Rise

lee_distad@shaw.ca (Lee Distad) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:31:50 GMT

One of the best parts of the AV and automation channel is how technology turns dreams into reality. I still recall situations in years past where I looked at a site survey and thought “Damn, I wish I had an easy way to do this,” -- only for those solutions to be commonplace a few years later. Wireless transmission of AV and control is one such solution. Another is IP based remote hardware and system monitoring.

I still recall the first APC power centers we specified into systems at my old job that were network-enabled and allowed us, even on basic installations, to do power cycle locked up control processors and HD-PVRs at a client’s house without leaving our desk.

This is not to mention the ability even years ago on our larger Crestron systems to log in to our clients system to make and test changes without rolling a truck. One time, my colleague was on the phone to a client, playing with her lighting control, unaware that while she was in her place in Victoria BC he was logged into the system for her Calgary home. He realized his error, but not before he scared the client’s Calgary housekeeper half to death: with the lights going on and off on their own she thought the house was haunted!

And today integrators can do so much more. But where it gets hairy is that as IP connectivity continues to increase, the performance potential of integrated AV and control systems, it increases the complexity and the potential for service issues. Fortunately, the technology that increases system complexity also provides an avenue to monitor and maintain those systems. The major hurdle for integrators is scalability, especially if they have a large number of active systems installed in the community. That’s why there are companies bringing that scaling to market: third party remote monitoring of integrated systems, and the promise of decreased service costs and potential recurring revenue for integrators.

It’s practically a whole new sub-channel to integration, and in several cases is the baby of integrators who began devising solutions to monitoring their own systems, and then turned their solution into a product. Hagai Feiner, CEO of Access Networks, took his fist foray into monitoring when a commercial integration client of his asked him to install “the exact same” IT network in his residence that Feiner installed in his office. The concepts his team developed on that project led to a new business.

Talk to other principals at integration monitoring companies, and they all tell the same story. Companies I’ve come to know include ihiji, Varan Monitor and Nuage Nine. All of them started as integrators.

The cardinal advantage of third party monitoring is repeatability and outsourcing the hard stuff. As Michael Maniscalco, president of ihiji explained to me, the value of a solution provider like ihiji is that the integrator
doesn’t have to have an IT genius on staff, but just needs to understand standard networking. The monitoring vendor does the rest.

For integrators, there are two primary motivations for adopting remote monitoring: decreased expenses through increased service efficiency and increased revenue through monitoring contracts. The bottom line with service efficiency is that remote monitoring and control pre-empts the truck rolls that integrators have to make for issues both major and minor. Time is money, and the productivity lost to rolling a truck is money that can be better spent elsewhere.

At the same time, getting in depth analytics and troubleshooting from the monitoring system means that when a truck does roll, the technician knows what to load up on for the job, further increasing efficiency.

Considering that hardware margins seem to evaporate, and what’s profitable to sell and install one year may not be the next “recurring revenue,” has appeal. With monitoring comes the need to sell service contracts. This is old hat to commercial AV and security integrators, but relatively new to the residential channel. Whereas service contracts are commonplace in industry for everything from security systems to elevator repair, HomeAV clients often have a very retail-centric view of service. As a result, some may also that the service is included free, forever, because "that’s the integrator’s job." Education and a little bit of salesmanship is required to get past that and promote the benefits of a monitoring contract.

As with anything, dealers need to do their homework, and pick a monitoring vendor partner that’s right for them. Make a solid choice and integrate it into your business, and you and your clients will benefit.

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com

Image via ihiji

Acer Intros New Green Home Theater Projector

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:48:35 GMT

Today Acer announced a new home theater projector, the Acer H6500. The 1080p H6500 offers 2,100 ANSI lumens in brightness, which can be dimmed to 1,680 lumens to save power, and has a specified contrast ratio of 10,000:1. Inputs include composite, component, USB, D-Sub and HDMI, plus a multiple-PC source input so several PCs can be connected to the projector at the same time. With the installation menu, signal input from a notebook is no longer required to enable the on-screen display (OSD) menu, making projector installation on the ceiling quicker and easier.

The IR remote control features the Acer Empowering Technology key, which provides instant access to all Acer projector technologies that include ePower Management, eTimer Management, eView Management and eOpening Management. With Acer eView Management, adjusting projector settings to suit any environment and content is fast. eOpening Management allows users to easily create a customized start-up screen for their projector, which can include favorite photos. This model also comes with Acer SmartFormat Technology, which supports comprehensive wide-format PC signals, so there is no need to change the resolution of a wide-format notebook and wrestle with "signal not supported" issues.

This Acer projector, a GreenAV product, also provides up to 3,500 hours of standard lamp life, 5,000 hours in ECO mode and as long as 6,000 hours in ExtremeECO mode.(1) With ExtremeECO, the power consumption of the projector can be reduced up to 70 percent and the lamp life can be extended as well. The projector will automatically enter ExtremeECO mode for saving power if there is no signal input.

It weighs in at just 5.6 pounds and has an MSRP of $899.99. To see all the specs, click here: http://www.support.acer.com/acerpanam/projector/2011/acer/H6500/H6500sp2.shtml

Atlantic Intros Sub with Woofer Vent on the Bottom

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:25:34 GMT

Atlantic Technology has introduced what it is calling a "down-firing" sub - basically, the woofer and bass vent are on the bottom of the speaker cabinet. Dubbed the SB-900DF, it's designed to be somewhat compact and can be squeezed into tight spots behind furniture with no concern of the output being muffled by the back of furniture as might be the case with the original SB-900 front-firing subwoofer.

While the new Atlantic Technology SB-900DF is relatively small, it's deep. The 8-inch long-excursion woofer has an oversized surround and high-energy magnet. It includes a 125-watt power amplifier and all the basic range of tuning controls to improve the system's interaction with the room, including an adjustable crossover and a phase switch. Auto-on sensing saves power and the need to manually turn it on and off.

The Atlantic Technology SB-900DF has a peak output of 102 dB SPL in a 2,000 cubic-foot room and a frequency response for 32 to 200 Hz, ±3 dB. The black-finished cabinet measures 10-7/8 wide, 13-1/8 high and 13-1/16 deep, and weighs 28 lbs. The SB-900DF and SB-900 (front-firing version) are both shipping and list for $349.

More details are here: http://www.atlantictechnology.com/default.asp?NodeId=164

Sanus Ships On-Wall Component Shelf

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:56:49 GMT

SANUS has just started shipping the VMA401 - an on-wall component shelf with a tempered-glass desogm that mounts to the wall directly below an HDTV. The VMA401 supports up to 15 lbs. and is designed for holding DVD players, gaming systems, cable boxes or audio gear. It features an integrated cable management system that hides and organizes cables, is 1.34" thick and includes a micro-adjustment feature so it can be fixed to level with all sorts of walls.

Complete details are here: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/av-foundations/av-vertical/VMA401

SAVANT Acquires LiteTouch

reply@ravepubs.com (rAVe Staff) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:35:28 GMT

Savant Systems, known for its Apple-based HomeAV and ProAV control systems, has acquired LiteTouch, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah, a manufacturer of residential and commercial lighting control systems.

Savant, already considered a major player in HomeAV control, along with AMX, Crestron and Control4, will now have to be respected in ProAV control too - a market currently dominated by Crestron, Extron and AMX.

Savant CEO Robert Madonna said of the acquisition, "LiteTouch brings to Savant a comprehensive lighting control system including a broad range of aesthetically pleasing keypad solutions from a respected and recognized supplier and our sales channel has been asking for a lineup of lighting control and integrated keypad products from Savant that operate in concert with Apple iOS devices to manage and control a vast array of connected home and commercial technologies."

Well, Mr Madonna, congrats, you just did that!