Volume 14, Issue 6 — March 29, 2017
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Industry News Control & Signal Processing Cables, Furniture, Mounts, Racks, Screens and Accessories Lighting
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Having Your Head In The Game For Troubleshooting
By Lee Distad rAVe Columnist
While everybody has an important role to play, it can be argued that the most important part of AV company are the techs. It’s important that everyone, sales, design, project management, programming and support do exemplary work that their job, but If the install and service techs aren’t an A-List team, none of the rest will matter.
Without installers, nothing gets installed, and without service techs, nothing gets fixed. And in order for techs to do exemplary work, they need to not only be good with their hands, but have the right mental approach to their job. It boils down to having the correct processes in place for every task.
The mantra that was drilled into my head years ago was Proper Procedures Produce Repeatable Results. Whatever the task, from running wires to terminating them, to cutting holes and fishing lines, there’s not only a right way and a wrong way, there’s a best way and an every other way. Repeatability is product of training and practice, making it second nature.
Every subsystem in the installation should have a list of everything that the system is supposed to do, so that the tech can check off and initial each function after confirming it, as well as space to write notes if something is a deficiency is found. A typical checklist has three columns for confirming functions because everything gets tested three times for functionality, by a minimum of two different people. Is checking everything three times overkill? Never. There’s no such thing as overklll.
No matter how consistent the installation team is, errors can and do occur. That’s why it’s imperative to be able to troubleshoot effectively.
“Pride goes before a fall,” as the expression goes. Working with AV/IT equipment stays interesting even after many years because it often finds new and novel ways it finds to not do what you want it to.
The worst faults to troubleshoot are the intermittent faults where, like a pendulum, it’s not working, now it’s working, now it’s not working, and so on. That’s why as important as it is to have a “best way” in all your jobsite processes, nowhere is it more important than when troubleshooting.
Troubleshooting is a five step process: Diagnose. Analyze. Repair. Test. Prevent.
To diagnose the problem, ask these questions: What is the fault? When does it happen? Where does it happen? Answer those and you’ll also find the answers to why and how.
This is important: Make no assumptions about the nature of the fault. Use the evidence you have (“Does it power on?”) to draw conclusions without getting sidetracked. Making unwarranted assumptions will lead you down a rabbit hole and waste valuable time.
In order to successfully analyze, you need to work through a list of potential sources of the problem. Be methodical, begin with the most obvious possibilities (hint: check the power cord first) and work your way through to the least likely causes.
As an aside, your company should maintain a troubleshooting manual that itemizes how best to deal with common faults encountered with your standard equipment. It’s a hugely effective tool for your new hires, and cuts down on the number of times per day that they’ll call you from a jobsite.
The easiest step is repair. Once you’ve identified the fault, fixing it is usually simple.
Next comes test: Don’t just fix it and walk away — test and retest the equipment to make sure that not only have you fixed the fault, but that you haven’t caused others to occur
Last, but most important is prevent: Once you’ve identified what caused the problem, and fixed it, make sure that that it doesn’t reoccur. If something needs to be re-engineered, bring it to the attention of the rest of the team, find a solution, and add it to the company’s collective wisdom so it doesn’t happen again on another jobsite.
My favorite example was a motorized lift where the installer hadn’t left enough slack in the TV’s power cord. It wasn’t coming completely unplugged, just loose enough to make the TV power off intermittently. The solution was to swap for a longer power cord, and make sure it didn’t get pinched in the lift assembly. It was a simple solution, but it took an embarrassingly long time to solve at first. Leave a Comment
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Johnny Mota Delivers 100th Podcast for rAVe RADIO
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
Johnny is THE MAN.
Not only is he one of the most-liked guys in AV but, he’s also a prolific podcaster — out-podcasting even an entire network that only does podcasting — single-handedly.
Mota just handed in his 100th AV Insider podcast for rAVe RADIO but, add that to the 60+ The Trade Show Minute podcasts he recorded for us in 2016, and he’s the Howard Stern of podcasting about AV.
Yes, I said it, Johnny Mota is the Howard Stern of AV podcasting.
Johnny’s first was for AV Insider — a podcast that focuses on people (and their passion products) in AV – was with Randy Kunin — founder of Randall-K Designer Hi-Fi high-end speakers — have a listen (its from way back in 2013). And, his latest is is with Ryan Donaher, VP at Meridian America — a big-time audio company.
Johnny’s roots — and love — is HomeAv technology and people. His father founded a high-end custom install business based in California when Johnny was a kid and his brother is in HomeAV, too.
And, he’s the proud podcaster of the AV industry’s one-and-only podcast with an anagram logo — AV INSIDER — take a look at it:
Johnny will be at InfoComm this year, again, co-hosting The Trade Show Minute with rAVe RADIO host Victoria Barela and we hope you’ll stop by and say hello — we will all be LIVE PODCASTING from the Orange Country Convention Center Lobby right at the entrance to the 2017 InfoComm Show.
In the meantime, THANK YOU Johnny for your incredible work with rAVe RADIO!
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2017 CEDIA Awards Program Opens with New Updates CEDIA has announced that the 2017 CEDIA Awards program is now accepting entries. The 2017 program includes several new and important updates that align the awards program across the globe. Vin Bruno told rAVe that now there is no entry fee – something that rAVe Founder, Gary Kayye, has been pushing for recently.
“We are so excited to launch the 2017 CEDIA Awards,” said Vin Bruno, CEDIA CEO. “We are delighted to offer an expanded and globally aligned awards program that will celebrate the excellence and professionalism of CEDIA members worldwide. With newly revised categories, an improved entry process and the chance to compete as Global Award contenders, the CEDIA Awards promise to be better than ever for all participants.”
There is no longer a cost for CEDIA home technology professional members to enter a project in the CEDIA Awards competition. Additionally, CEDIA has set pre-determined cost categories for Home Cinema, Integrated Home, and Media Room projects. Other home technology professional awards categories include Innovative Solution, Lighting Control and Installation; Multiple Dwelling Unit Design; Showroom; Special Project; and Auto, Marine and Aircraft. Finalists, which will be announced in July, will be considered for additional sub-category awards for Best Documentation, Best Dressed System, Best Lifestyle System and Best Aesthetic Installation. Winners from the CEDIA Americas, CEDIA Asia Pacific, and CEDIA EMEA competitions will once again compete in the Global CEDIA Awards competition.
The CEDIA manufacturer awards have been updated slightly to include three categories: Best New Software Product, Best New Hardware Product, and Product Hall of Fame. Finalist will be announced in August and will then have the opportunity to do a video demonstration for the CEDIA judging panel in place of the booth visits that were previously part of the judging process at the CEDIA show.
Winners will be announced at the CEDIA Awards Celebration, which will be hosted on the flight deck of the USS Midway in San Diego on Wednesday, September 6. Global CEDIA Award winners will be announced at the CEDIA EMEA Awards Celebration on September 29, 2017. Companies may begin their entries here. Leave a Comment
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Atlona Ships 4K HDR EDID Emulator Atlona is now shipping its Etude Sync (AT-ETU-SYNC) EDID Emulator, specifically for video format compatibility, signal integrity and EDID communication in commercial and residential AV systems. It supports HDR (high dynamic range) video as well as 4K/UHD @ 60 Hz with 4:4:4 chroma sampling and provides EDID emulation and Hot Plug Detect communication between HDMI sink and source devices.
In addition to addressing HDMI signal and device-related issues, the Etude Sync reports HDCP compliance at the source and sink and supports HDMI 2.0 data rates up to 18 Gbps (so 4K@60 8-bit color). It can manage EDID communication with the source by delivering EDID from the display or the Etude Sync’s internal memory.
The Etude Sync is designed for AV system troubleshooting and can be powered via USB by an included power supply, a laptop, or any available USB port nearby.
The Etude Sync is lists for $249.99. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Rotel Intros Home Theater Surround Amplified Processor with Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X Rotel Electronics has introduced the RAP-1580, a home theater surround amplified processor. The RAP-1580 supports HDMI 2.0a hardware and Dolby Atmos and DTS-X 7.1.4 processing, its amplifier section is built upon a powerful class A/B design with seven 100 watts per channel and its power comes from their own toroidal transformer.
The RAP-1580 uses Wolfson 24bit/192kHz digital-to-analog converters for all channels.
Inputs include eight HDMI video inputs (2.0a) with two HDMI video outputs all supporting 4K video (4:4:4 @ 60Hz 10-bit color) with 3 of these inputs and both outputs enabled with HDCP 2.2. There is a seven-inch TFT display on the front panel.
Other features include a front panel HDMI input with 4K video pass-through, front panel iPod USB input with 2.1A charging and integrated APTX enabled Bluetooth technology. The RAP-1580 also includes a PC-USB input supporting 24 bit/192kHz audio, a quality MM phono stage input, CD input, XLR balanced input, Tuner input, 3 AUX analog inputs and multichannel input. It lists for $3,800 and will ship in April.
Here are all the detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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Extron’s new HDMI 4K/60 @ 4:4:4 Cable Equalizer ShipsExtron is shipping its new HD 4K 101 Plus, an HDMI cable equalizer supporting video signals at resolutions up to 4K@60Hz with 4:4:4 chroma sampling. Used at the destination end of a long cable run, the HD 4K 101 Plus actively equalizes poor or marginal source signals, reduces jitter and skew and adds output pre-emphasis to reliably extend the HDMI signal. Extron says that when paired with an Extron HDMI Pro Series cable, longer distances of up to 75 feet and 35 feet can be attained for 4K@30Hz and 4K@60Hz signals, respectively. The HDCP 2.2-compliant equalizer supports HDMI 2.0b specification features, including data rates up to 18 Gbps, HDR, Deep Color up to 12-bit, 3D, HD lossless audio formats, and CEC. To streamline integration, the 1/8 rack wide unit can be powered by the connected HDMI source or an optional external power supply.
The HD 4K 101 Plus compensates for poor HDMI source signals and low-quality cabling. It can be used in conjunction with products such as the Extron HD 4K 110 Series to provide a cost effective solution for extending 4K video signals between the source and the display. DDC channels are actively buffered, allowing pass-through of EDID and HDCP information between source and display. EDID pass-through ensures that the source video is at the optimal resolution for the display, and HDCP 2.2 compliance enables extension of encrypted content from Blu-ray players, satellite and cable TV tuners, DVRs, laptop computers, and other HDCP-enabled sources. These capabilities and other features such as a compact enclosure and ability to be powered by the source device make the HD 4K 101 Plus an indispensable addition to AV designs and existing systems with 4K video requirements.
Here are the specs. Leave a Comment
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RTI Enables Video Intercom Support Across a Range of DevicesRTI today announced new video intercom support for select RTI controllers and third-party intercom-enabled devices. Ideal for front door access, security gates, intra-office and room-to-room applications, this new capability allows users to conveniently and safely communicate from point to point via their RTI devices.
RTI’s video intercom capabilities are supported on the KX3, KX7 and KX10 in-wall touchpanels, the CX7 and the upcoming CX10 countertop/under-cabinet touchpanels, as well as the company’s flagship T3x — delivering the company’s first video intercom-enabled handheld controller. Via a free firmware update, dealers can also leverage video communications on compatible devices that support H.264-based video intercom via SIP. These devices also support auto answer or do not disturb modes, while a push-to-talk audio mode lets users communicate via voice only from device to device.
All the details are here. Leave a Comment
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Audience Intros Three New powerChord ModelsAudience announced the introduction of its Au24 SX power Chord, Au24 SE-i powerChord and powerChord SE-i, three AC power cords specifically designed for high-performance audio systems.
The flagship is the Au24 SX powerChord, which utilizes newly designed internal wire made from six-nines-pure OCC copper. Two 13 AWG wires per leg are used in the 10 AWG Au24 SX powerChord — and uses shielded construction. Each of the two ground wires is separately shielded and hand-wrapped with Teflon. The Au24 SX powerChord is insulated with the XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) dielectric material. The Au24 SX is terminated with the Furutech Pure Transmission Fi-50M NCF Piezo Ceramic AC connector.
The Au24 SE-i powerChord is a step up from the Au24 and Au24 SE powerChords. It has been upgraded with Audience’s proprietary power cord connectors, which the company says provide a more refined and smoother musical presentation. All previous Audience Au24 SE and Au24 powerChords can be upgraded to the latest Au24 SE-i version.
Audience’s new powerChord SE-i is an improved version of the powerChord. Its six-conductor geometry has been reconfigured for what Audience says makes for better sound.
All three new powerChords are designed to eliminate or reduce the traditional weak points of conventional power cords: More often than not, power cords will behave in a reactive manner and introduce capacitance, inductance and resistance into the electron flow, which will compromise the interface between the component and the power source. The Au24 SX, Au24 SE-i and SE-i feature a high-current, low impedance, wide bandwidth design for fast response, accurate reproduction of macro and micro dynamics, articulate bass, superior imaging, exceptional harmonic integrity, lower background noise and additional sonic benefits.
The new Audience Au24 SX powerChord, Au24 SE-i powerChord and powerChord SE-i are currently available. The six-foot Au24SX 10 AWG powerChord carries a suggested retail price of $4,600, +/- $180 per foot. If purchased as an option with any Audience Adept Response power conditioner (in place of the standard powerChord SE-i usually supplied), the optional upgrade price is $4,200.
The powerChord Au24 SX MP 13 AWG medium-power version powerChord (for use in audio components that require up to 150 watts of power) is available at $3,500 suggested retail for a six-foot power cord, +/- $150 per foot.
A six-foot Au24 SE-i powerChord has a suggested retail price of $2,560, +/- $150 per foot. The powerChord SE-I is available at $915 suggested retail for a six-foot length, +/- $30 per foot.
More information is here. Leave a Comment
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Pro Control Now Offers Z-Wave Control and Lighting Solutions Pro Control today announced it is now shipping its all-new Z-Wave solutions. The Pro.zwi Z-Wave interface module utilizes Z-Wave RF technology to enable what the company says is simple and cost-effective monitoring and control of Z-Wave-enabled systems and devices via a Pro Control system. The new solutions include a line of switches and modules to enable users to manage lighting elements both locally and from a Pro Control user interface.
The Pro.zwi module provides the communication interface between a Pro Control system and Z-Wave wireless lighting control devices, residential door locks, thermostats and other electronics. Featuring programming capabilities, the solution eliminates the need for a different app for each Z-Wave device, providing users with unified control and monitoring over all systems without any Z-Wave licensing or monitoring fees.
Designed for new construction and retrofit installations, the product line consists of light switches, dimmers, a lamp module and receptacles, and does not require any new or specialized wiring. For instance, the innovative battery-operated “Anyplace” switch eliminates the need for wiring, offering flexible installation possibilities.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe HomeAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100% opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the high-end HomeAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter – instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas: Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe Publications has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004.
To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top |
Copyright 2017 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – 919/969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe HomeAV Edition contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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