Volume 15, Issue 9 — May 17, 2018
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Editorial Editorial Editorial
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Industry News Audio Control & Signal Processing Cables, Furniture, Mounts, Racks, Screens and Accessories
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What Matters When Selecting New Products
By Lee Distad rAVe Columnist
I mentioned in a brief blog last week that my inbox is deluged every day with unsolicited product pitches. And most of them are garbage.
I’m reminded on a daily basis of two key aphorisms. The first is Sturgeon’s Law: that 80 percent of everything is crap. The other, courtesy of tech entrepreneur James Altucher, is that “95 percent of the time, things don’t work out.” As discouraging as those metrics sound, they’re confirmed as at least reasonably accurate when I survey the products that erstwhile vendors bombard my inbox with.
In fact, I’ve joked that if Theodore Sturgeon had lived to see the modern Internet he would have revised his estimate to say that 99 percent of everything is crap.
It’s in this context, surrounded by a vast howling blizzard of product pitches, that you the technology professional have to venture in search of new product categories for your business. Why? Because you can’t go on selling or installing the same products you have in the past.
At the risk of dogpiling too many quotes into one editorial, in the words of Frank Zappa, “Without deviation from the norm, progress is impossible.”
None of you in the AV channel are still specifying component video switchers or volume control knobs into projects (You aren’t, right?), so that means the need to keep looking for new brands and products is constant. You might not necessarily be looking for the next big thing either, maybe just a bunch of small things that make your work easier and better.
As a rubric, look at the answers to four questions when considering new brands or products.
The first question is: Is it easy to install, or difficult? Beyond any ephemeral cool factor, the number one should be whether a new product will speed up our installs, reduce waste and deliver value to the client.
Does this new brand exemplify the technology it uses? Put it another way, is it the leader in its category or is it just another “me too” product.
I’ll be the first to tell AV pros that the brand you should promote the most is your own. Talk to veteran AV pros and they’ll tell you that in the initial intake with new clients, the emphasis is on promoting their own expertise and not on the shiny equipment that go into their installs.
That’s the big differentiator in AV: For the client, the deciding factor shouldn’t be what kind of TV you sell, but your ability to deliver a finished project as promised.
That said, AV pros typically work with brands that are the leaders in their category. And those leaders are where they are because their products are the best at what they do.
Walk the floor at a trade show and you’ll see how many brands of in-ceiling speaker? What do any of them add to your business? “Because it’s got 80 points of gross margin!”, is a seductive answer, but it’s not always enough.
Perhaps most importantly, find out how this new brand works with your existing control system. One simple sentence, but it matters a lot. Does your control vendor write modules for it? Is there an existing community of nerds with a knowledge database you can mine? Are you going to have to write everything from scratch? Enquiring minds want to know.
This is a surprising oversight for many but find out how good their tech support is. This is something I learned from an old mentor, for whom this was a BIG deal.
If your firm delivers white-glove service, you need to expect the same from your vendors. Professionalism isn’t about not having problems, because that’s unrealistic. Professionalism is about how easily those problems are handled. Ideally, if your vendor is really on the ball, those problems are handled before the client even knows they existed. Leave a Comment
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InfoComm Comes (or Goes) Home
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
AVIXA is going out of its way to say that its new Integrated Life @ InfoComm isn’t competitive to the industry’s defacto HomeAV show, CEDIA. But, I call bulls*t.
First, look at this.
That’s basically the what’s new at InfoComm page — letting everyone know what all the new things AVIXA added to the industry’s top ProAV show. And, note that under the header Integrated Life @ InfoComm, the word “home” appears along with the details of the expanded show.
In fact it reads, “We’re expanding the show to include more technologies for smart buildings, homes and spaces where audio, video, control systems and content intersect.”
That says home. They mean home.
First, the backstory.
CEDIA, the association, sold CEDIA, the show, to Emerald Expositions as first reported last January here. In case you don’t know, CEDIA, the show, has historically been the world’s preeminent high-end residential show — while its giant cousin, CES, garners all the attention as the world’s best and biggest consumer electronics or tech show — it’s where all the new gaming systems are launched, where the new TV tech is launched and where nearly everything electronic you use in your home is debuted.
CEDIA, on the other hand, is focused on higher-end residential systems like whole-home audio, smart homes, home theaters and high-quality AV systems.
But, to be perfectly frank, CEDIA, the show, in recent years has lost its compass, in addition to losing Crestron as an exhibitor. In my view, the show has slowly become a hybrid between companies that get lost at CES each year — small DIY app companies and companies trying to copy SONOS — and a high-end cinema theater show. (Note that I didn’t say “theater.” The use of “cinema” is intentional as it’s supposed to delineate between a CEDIA-based projector products and a CES-based projector products. But, even the “cinema” projector companies are at CES now.)
If you find this all confusing, therein lies the problem. It is confusing. And, no one at CEDIA, the show, seems to know what they are, what they want to be or who the right audience is. For years, it was THE home theater and home automation show — it was THE show you’d go to if you did high-end home integration. But, as Apple, Amazon, Google and now Netflix have decimated the traditional home theater profit-centers, CEDIA has straddled the high-end $1,800 tuner market exhibiting next to a start-up the $1.99 home control app company.
CEDIA is lost.
Enter InfoComm (the show). AVIXA pitched this Integrated Life @ InfoComm campaign by casually dropping into a podcast I had with AVIXA CEO Dave Labuskes the last day of InfoComm last summer. It was intentional. Barely anyone noticed, but I asked him about it off-air afterwards. Dave went out of his way to tell me that it wasn’t going to be a mini-CEDIA at InfoComm in future years, but let’s be honest: Integrated Life @ InfoComm is a mini-CEDIA. And, more power to them.
Now, go here.
Left side. See it?
Yep, InfoComm is going to compete with CEDIA, the show. No doubt about it. And, they’ll be successful.
And what does CEDIA, the association, think? Well, this is where things get interesting. The association, technically, doesn’t have any ownership of the show anymore — remember, Emerald Expositions does. And, interestingly enough — in case you didn’t know this — CEDIA and AVIXA (the association that owns the InfoComm show) co-own the ISE show in Amsterdam together. So, they already partner on a show — a big-ass AV show in Europe. Oh, and that show has both a HomeAV and a ProAV side. Hmm.
So, the USA is getting ready to see InfoComm become the ISE of America. InfoComm will slowly add more and more home AV technology to their programs, their expositions and their special events and we’ll all have to wait to see what becomes of CEDIA, the show.
The only real question is how long AVIXA will continue to deny they are competing with CEDIA? Leave a Comment
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Ketra, a Brand Of Lutron
By Johnny Mota rAVe Columnist
When the the daughter of Joel Spira (deceased founder and former CEO of Lutron Electronics) introduced IVALO (at the time, a commercial lighting line only from Lutron), I was a bit skeptical on how it would do as a new brand within the this lighting and controls powerhouse family to be. The cost was extremely high, designs weren’t exactly the traditional wall sconces and linear suspension fixtures you’d find in that time frame’s office environment, which is probably why it has done so well (a ton of other lighting manufacturers now produce similar lighting fixtures). They were very modern, which for the record, I liked very much, but it also started a trend other manufacturers would later follow. Since then, the IVALO line has branched out into some truly impressive LED downlighting that can be dimmed down to 0.1 percent with the help of Lutron made drivers, and of course, their control system (I’ve specified, sold and have installed my fare share of these products — yes, they are this good).
Lutron has always been leading the pack, per se, in the lighting control category, and now with the IVALO line, coupled with the acquisition of KETRA, lighting solutions could be a new category for them to excel in, as well as expand their already impressive lighting control catalog; this is the future of lighting.
Prior to their acquisition form Lutron, Ketra was doing it’s own impressive things, like providing “natural lighting” from an artificial light source; I know, crazy right?
Let me break that down for you:
The planet’s natural lighting comes from our sun, and our moon (sun’s reflection of off our moon); one obviously brighter than the other. The sun rises in the morning, and when it does, you can see amber skies (approximately 3200K) that continually shift CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) throughout the day, afternoon(approximately 5500K/6500K), and evening(approximately 3200K), as the sun eventually sets. Throughout your day, your body adjusts to the light changing via this kelvin shift, and notifies you when to get up, and to go to bed.
Now, not every day and night are the same, nor are they always good nights full of sleep and/or days full of energy. Sleepless nights cause sleepy and tiresome days — but did you know that lighting can influence how well you sleep, stay alert, your reaction times, mood and/or when you feel like you’re running at 110 percent? Your brain has an internal clock that tell you when to sleep, get up and it can cycle (sleep/wake cycle) often in a 24 hour period; this is your circadian rhythm. The more blue light we subject ourselves to at light, the more or sleeps and days become effected; other studies also suggest far worse medical issues, but that is another story.
Ketra has taken this cycle and created lighting products that can reproduce natural lighting from an artificial source. Products that paired with it’s comprehensive controls, can mimic the sun’s rise and setting, with the same smooth kelvin shift. That being said, they aren’t the first company to create a light fixture or lamp that can shift kelvin, but they are the first to provide a great solution to our world’s blue light problem and a great system to control it with.
Enter Lutron, an already thriving controls/energy management systems provider; from natural light to artificial light, Lutron has solution for you, and a plethora of color options to to please your favorite designer. OK, nobody has enough color options, fabrics, etc. to please every designer or even most designers, but Lutron does offer plenty of options. Lutron acquires Ketra and these two lighting solutions leaders embark on what our futures lighting will be; are they creating the new standard for society? Probably not, but I bet they help shape it.
If you read the press release from Lutron, then you know that Ketra products are only available through select US-based lighting showrooms A/V dealers. Is it weird that a lighting/Lighting control company works with A/V dealers? A little, but a lot of those A/V dealers are also electricians by trade that came to A/V. This too is now normal; even if you don’t like it, that’s the truth of this industry now. Adapt or die.
Lighting is a huge in automation, which encompasses A/V, and more A/V dealers have adopted lighting, or hired someone who can do it for them so they can offer a full bid. If you’re in the AV Industry, and you’re not already providing lighting and control of it, it’s never to late to start. As far as Lutron goes, nice one; I see what you did there. I’ll be looking forward to new innovation, new control systems, lighting solutions and a longer, happier, more alert and healthier life full of better wake/sleep cycles because of it. Leave a Comment
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Control4 Opens 140 Certified Showrooms Worldwide Control4 Corporation is opening of 140 Control4 Certified Showrooms at Control4 Authorized Dealer locations across the U.S., Canada, UK, China, and Australia. Consumers in cities around the world can find a Certified Showroom location here and register to attend a local #C4Yourself Day event.
The Control4 Certified Showroom program is designed to direct homeowners, architects, and designers in the market for smart home solutions to a location where they can experience Control4 in an ideal showroom environment and find the right installation partner for their needs and lifestyle. Control4 Certified Showrooms are a way of engaging consumers through personalized and interactive home automation experiences.
Each independent Control4 Certified Showroom Dealer has met a series of elevated standards and are well-versed in creating inspiring demonstrations of Control4 smart home experiences. Control4 Certified Showroom Dealers are experts in helping homeowners through interactive storytelling, visually-stunning displays, and hands-on demonstrations, and they have a deep understanding of how to properly convey the real-life benefits of living in a truly automated, personalized Control4 smart home.
Their independent dealers will open Control4 Certified Showrooms in more than 25 markets around the world beginning today and all reflect a significant investment by these dealers who are passionate about Control4 brands and delivering best-in-class smart home experiences to homeowners. Each Certified Showroom showcases the Control4 magic through demonstrations that include:
- Family room entertainment
- Multi-room audio and video
- Smart lighting
- Safety and security, “peace-of-mind”
- Comfort
- Voice control
- Intelligent home networking
Control4 invites consumers and building/design professionals worldwide to #C4Yourself Day on Thursday May 31, 2018. Again, register here. Leave a Comment
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CEDIA Adds More Education Leadership
CEDIA has announced that Thomas Darling will join the CEDIA staff as the senior vice president of development and education. This newly created role will lead CEDIA’s professional development department, specifically focusing on strengthening the education programs and increasing the scope and quality of CEDIA’s curricula.
Darling brings significant experience in higher education. For the last eight years he served as the executive portfolio manager for career and technical education at Pearson Education and prior to that served for five years as the executive director of workforce, economic and community development for Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, Ind.
Over his tenure with Pearson Education, some of Darling’s notable accomplishments included creating localized vocational courses for various global audiences, surpassing the overall revenue goal for his team, and winning large bids for state career and technical training. While at Ivy Tech Community College, he worked with public and private companies as well as state government agencies to drive accessibility to training, which led to an increase in workforce certifications from 368 to 4,600.
“Tom’s background and skills align incredibly well with CEDIA’s strategic plan. We are putting substantial emphasis on enhancing the overall education experience through refining, curating and developing new, relevant and compelling courses,” said Tabatha O’Connor, CEDIA global president and CEO.
In addition, CEDIA has also hired a new director of education. Samantha Ventura joined the CEDIA team in late March. Ventura is a PhD candidate in organizational leadership specializing in virtual leadership and cultural intelligence and also has her master’s degree in teaching.
Ventura’s entire career has been dedicated to developing and implementing learning programs both in California and Indiana. Most recently as the Director of Learning Initiatives for the DevOps Library, she designed and developed online offerings supporting open source learning for a global audience. Over her tenure in the education field, Ventura has worked as a consultant for several companies, including McGraw-Hill, Eli Lilly and High Point Global and has published online learning in the field of automation for O’Reilly Media.
“Having two individuals with such a deep understanding of post-secondary educational programming and online education formats join our team is exactly the leadership we need to drive our education to the next level,” said David Humphries, CEDIA chairman. “We are anxious to get them up to speed so they can hit the ground running.”
CEDIA is here. Leave a Comment
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Savant Partners with USAI Lighting for Home Lighting Offerings to Integrators Savant has partnered with USAI Lighting to provide integrators with end-to-end lighting solutions for their integrators. Savant integrators will be able to offer their clients a selection of residentially focused USAI Lighting fixtures from six unique, popular product families encompassing hundreds of fixture options.
The collaboration between Savant and USAI Lighting is focused on how tunable white and WRGB lighting can be configured and controlled. Savant’s TrueImage allows users to experience virtual lights in any room from photographs taken and stored on their mobile devices. Users can easily change dimming levels, kelvin temperatures and WRGB colors from their phone, tablet, Savant touch screens and Pro Remote as well as Savant Scene access via voice command. Savant and USAI Lighting will be utilizing Savant’s scene engine and USAI Lighting’s color research to serve up pre-defined light color and scene content that can be implemented as is or easily adjusted based on personal preference and project design.
Light regulates many biological responses, including an ‘internal clock’ that heightens alertness during the day and makes us sleepy at night. The daily changes in our physical, mental and behavioral states that respond to a light-and-dark cycle are commonly known as our circadian rhythm. Mimicking this natural rhythm indoors optimizes circadian health and overall wellness by delivering the proper color and intensity of light to align correctly with time of day.
USAI Lighting’s tunable white light and WRGB technologies, combined with Savant’s intelligent automation will allow lights to not only be set to certain levels and color temperatures based on executed scenes, but also allow for a single room or even the whole home to be put into a default circadian rhythm mode mitigating circadian disruption and promoting wellness.
Savant is here. Leave a Comment
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John Penney to Be CEDIA 2018 Keynote Speaker Today CEDIA announced that John Penney, executive vice president of Consumer Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for 20th Century Fox will deliver the 2018 CEDIA Expo Keynote. Penney’s keynote will focus on how the proliferation of direct-to-consumer services in tandem with the powerful hand of human and machine-based personalization will accelerate change in the content and distribution landscape and bring about business opportunities for integrators.
Penney says, “I am hopeful the keynote will deliver a holistic view of the home as a dynamic and evolving environment — one where hardware, software, and services requiring integration come together to provide consumer experiences that are even richer and more compelling.”
“Entertainment projects continue to represent a very large segment of CEDIA work. Getting an inside look at how augmented reality and artificial intelligence will add both value and complexity to the systems CEDIA members design will be an incredible opportunity to prepare for the next wave of innovation in this segment,” said Dave Pedigo, CEDIA VP of Emerging Technologies.
Penney has spent his career in the entertainment field focusing on digital content. Prior to joining 20th Century Fox, he spent seven years at STARZ and seven years at HBO respectively. Penney’s expertise in this area has been lent to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences where he serves as a Founding Member of the Vision Council: Interactive Media Peer Group. Members of this council are tasked with identifying trends and disruptions, defining and addressing challenges, and recommending solutions for Academy members.
The 2018 CEDIA Expo Keynote is free for CEDIA Expo attendees and will take place on Wednesday, September 5 at 5:30 p.m. in room 20A at the San Diego Convention Center. CEDIA Expo will be held Sept. 4-8 at the San Diego Convention Center. The show floor will be open September 6-8. Registration is now open here. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Partners with LG Electronics for Video Integration With Its Crestron Pyng Residential Platform
Crestron today announced its Crestron Pyng Luxury Home Automation platform now includes support for third-party A/V devices. Crestron has once again partnered with LG Electronics to extend IP control of their world-class Enterprise displays into the Luxury Residential market for LGs 2017 and 2018-series consumer OLED, SUPER UHD and UHD TVs. LG’s TVs are the first displays to be included in this release. Support for Pyng video is scheduled to release in the summer.
According to Bob Bavolacco, partnerships manager for Crestron, “Choosing LG as a launch partner for this enhancement was a no-brainer.” LG and Crestron have partnered to provide IP control of their displays for several years with great success in the Enterprise market, and when we were looking to extend that into the residential market, the decision to launch with LG was immediate.”
“We are very pleased to work with Crestron to broaden our relationship to include IP control of our consumer LG TVs including our category-leading LG OLED, LG SUPER UHD and LG UHD TVs”, said David Park, Sr. Product Marketing Manager for LG. “With the rapid growth of AI, the TV has become an increasingly more important player in whole-home solutions. LG TVs deliver the ultimate combination of world-class picture quality and access to the world’s leading AI platforms. The addition of the Crestron Pyng Residential platform further builds on value of an LG TV in the connected home environment.”
Here are more details. Leave a Comment
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Savant Launches Ambassador ProgramSavant has launched their Ambassador Program, designed to identify and recognize integration firms for their knowledge and proficiency across key Savant product categories. Savant Ambassadors are also recognized for their supportive role leading to product design enhancements and evaluating new technologies, including participation in Savant’s extensive Beta program. The Savant Ambassador Program officially kicks off in April, 2018 with a redesign of savant.com, where homeowners and building professionals can search for a Savant Ambassador near them.
Along with Savant’s renowned control platform, integrators have been adopting class-leading solutions from Savant such as audio and video distribution, high-performance Artison loudspeakers, innovative remotes and user interfaces such as TrueImage, lighting, shades, climate control and energy management. In addition to being highlighted on savant.com for their depth of experience across these categories, Savant Ambassadors will also receive the highest level of support from Savant, including early access to new products and software as well as priority technical assistance. Additionally, Savant Ambassadors will receive one year of HTA certification dues. Integrators can apply for HTA Certification here.
“HTA Certification provides a much needed independent vehicle for custom integrators to distinguish themselves from the competition,” stated Savant EVP JC Murphy. “We are pleased to offer this benefit to Savant integrators that have committed to demonstrating the full spectrum of Savant technologies to their clients.”
“We are excited that Savant is offering one year of certification fees to HTA Certified Savant dealers as a benefit to their Ambassadors. It is a clear display of confidence that their top-tier integrators meet the gold standard of HTA Certification. This investment that Savant is making in their dealer’s success is a win-win for the entire channel.” Josh Christian, Director of Certification, Home Technology Association
“As long-time evangelists for the Savant brand, it is particularly rewarding to know that Savant is leading the charge with innovative, best-in-class hardware and software solutions as well as encouraging HTA certification for integrators. We believe the relationship with our most important vendor should be a two-way street and we salute Savant in rewarding top dealers with the Ambassador program. Ed Gilmore, Principal at Gilmore’s Sound Advice
“We are excited to be amongst the first selected to participate in the Savant Ambassador program! Savant has always taken the lead with best-in-class products and software, and the Ambassador program is clearly a preeminent dealer support initiative.” Matt Milstein, M2 Multimedia Inc.
Integrators can apply and learn more here. Leave a Comment
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4K UHD Drives Worldwide TV Sales Up 5 Percent in 2018
Consumer demand for TV sets is poised to return to growth in 2018, according to the latest Worldwide TV Market Report from Futuresource Consulting. The recovery of several markets linked with a transition to 4K UHD models will drive trade value up by 5 percent to $85 billion. “We believe 4K UHD TV sets will ship over 100 million units this year, equivalent to two-thirds of the entire large screen market,” comments David Tett, market analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “Consumers increasingly want larger screens, and this is playing nicely into the 4K UHD proposition.”
The world’s two largest markets, China and the US, both saw falls in 2017 but have a positive outlook in 2018, with a significant mix of large screens and 4K UHD sets. “They have been ahead of most other markets in terms of adoption of 4K UHD and large screens generally. Over three quarters of sets that sell in the US and China this year will be over 40,” adds Tett. However, other regions are now catching up and Western Europe is on course to match the 44 percent Chinese household ownership of 4K UHD TVs by 2022.
With a substantial installed base of 4K UHD TV households to target, content is now becoming available across markets. “Our Living with Digital consumer research shows that there has been a significant step-up in the proportion of 4K UHD TV owners who say they have watched this content at home. This is the result not just of an expanding number of SVOD subscribers, but also a growing choice of content via linear TV,” says Tett.
Inclusion of voice is the latest weapon being deployed by the biggest vendors in the heated battleground of premium TV. The most popular Voice Assistant (VA) platforms, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, are being incorporated into the latest TVs from LG, Hisense, TCL and Vizio. Samsung, meanwhile, will be utilising its in-house Bixby assistant in its 2018 QLED range. With Smart Home and IoT becoming a focus for many brands, Futuresource expects the inclusion of VAs to grow rapidly in TVs.
Also, in pursuit of better margins, most vendors have introduced either QLED or OLED display technology to larger screens. “The two largest TV vendors are currently on opposing sides; Samsung is the driving force behind QLED and LG is OLED’s primary backer,” adds Tett. Futuresource expects a 41 percent CAGR between 2018 and 2022 of these technologies, resulting in around 8 million sets shipping in 2022.
Amongst other findings, the report shows that HDR is expected to be present in 60 percent of 4K UHD sets this year. HDR 10 is the most commonly found solution currently across vendors but the availability of a range of technologies including HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Advanced HDR and Dolby Vision is leading to some consumer confusion. Leave a Comment
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THX Launches THX Standard as Consumer Electronics Rating Resource
THX Ltd today announced the launch of THX Standard, a consumer electronics rating website that provides objective and data-driven evaluations of the audio and visual fidelity of consumer electronics to help consumers make informed purchase decisions.
Using industry standards and a proprietary testing methodology, THX engineers evaluate the factors that influence the audio and visual fidelity of consumer electronics. THX then publishes test scores based on scientific measurements.
As a complement to the existing THX Certified program, THX Standard also features consulting services to help manufacturers improve their product scores and make them more competitive in the market.
THX Standard allows users to visually compare the test results and scores ofpopular TVs, amplifiers, and speakers at launch, with more products and categories coming soon.
Here is where you can look up a product. Leave a Comment
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MSE Audio Ships SoundTube STNet Pendent Speakers
MSE Audio, parent company of SoundTube Entertainment, Soundsphere, dARTS, Phase Technology, Induction Dynamics, SolidDrive and Rockustics, has announced the STNet IP enabled Pendant speakers are now shipping.
The first pendants in the industry with Dante capability, the IPD-RS62-EZ and IPD-RS82-EZ use SoundTube’s BroadBeam Ring high-frequency dispersion technology for clear, understandable messaging and music over a wide area, even off-axis from the speakers. The high-power IPD-HP82-EZ uses a BroadBeam HP compression driver with waveguide for use in rooms with extra high ceilings. Applications for STNet pendants include any facility with high or open ceilings, such as houses of worship, schools, hotels, meeting spaces, bars and restaurants.
All speakers will be available in a black or white (paintable) finish. Hanging hardware is included.
With digital signals plus power sent directly to the speakers via standard category cable, SoundTube’s STNet bi-amped pendant speakers are DSP managed with the crossover, time correction and EQ all done in the digital domain and because they are on the Dante platform they are interoperable with a host of other products worldwide. They may be used with SoundTube’s ST-Net Switch, offering up to 40 watts PoE to each speaker or with standard PoE or PoE+ switches.
The fIPD Speakers can be found here. Leave a Comment
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Focal Adds New Grande Utopia EM Evo and Stella Utopia EM Evo Loudspeakers Focal added the Grande Utopia EM Evo and Stella Utopia EM Evo loudspeakers to its line this week. Using TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension and the NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit), the structure of the speakers have been strengthened by the new MRR (Machined Reinforcement Rings) system around the speaker drivers. Like the first models in this line (Maestro Utopia Evo and Scala Utopia Evo), Grande Utopia EM Evo and Stella Utopia EM Evo are available in new finishes like Metallic Blue, Ash Grey and British Racing Green. In addition to these colors, the whole line is also available Black Lacquer and Carrara White.
The TMD suspension provides a linear frequency response curve between 1 and 4kHz, while reducing distortion in this range.
The structure of the speaker adds rigidity using solid aluminum parts positioned between the front speaker and the speaker driver basket. This sandwich technology is used in the form of rings for the 6″ and 11″ speaker drivers of the Stella Utopia EM Evo, and on the 6″ speaker drivers of the Grande Utopia EM Evo. The 13″ (Stella Utopia EM Evo) and 15″ woofers (Grande Utopia EM Evo) also use segments of solid aluminum.
Grande Utopia EM Evo will retail for $120,000, Stella Utopia EM Evo for $65,000, Maestro Utopia Evo for $32,500 and Scala Utopia Evo for $20,000. Here are more detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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ATEN Eliminates Bulky Docking Stations with Plug and Play USB Mini Dock
ATEN Technology today launched its USB-C Dual-HDMI Mini Dock (UH3233), helping to transform SMB and consumer USB-C devices into dual monitor workstations. The slim and lightweight design of the mini dock makes it an ideal solution for individuals with businesses who want to maximize their workspace while easing their ability to travel.
Supporting dual display mode and using USB-C connections to deliver reliable highspeed data transfers, the UH3233 mini dock can route video from the source device to two HDMI monitors, splitting the video transmission for a dual-view display via a single cable while maintaining a high-quality resolution up to 1080p. Users can connect up to 128 additional peripherals, including Dual HDMI and USB 3.1 Gen1 devices.
Key features:
- Plug and play – no additional drivers or external power adapter required
- USB 3.1 Type-C compliant
- Connects a computer to two HDMI monitors with dual-view output
- Supports 4K (UHD) resolutions via single display output
- Supports dual-display video output up to 1920×1080 simultaneously
- USB 3.1 Gen1 port with data transfer rates up to 5 Gbps
The USB-C Dual-HDMI Mini Dock is available for $110 and here are the tech details. Leave a Comment
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Atlona Debuts 8×8 HDMI Matrix Switcher for 4K and HDR Content
Atlona has a new 4K matrix in the form of the AT-HDR-H2H-88MA — a 1RU eight input and eight output using HDMI 2.0b and support for all video resolutions, audio formats and color spaces in the HDMI 2.0b specification.
The HDR-H2H-88MA supports 4K/UHD video at 60 Hz with 4:4:4 chroma sampling and HDMI data rates up to 18 Gbps (10-bit color). Stereo, unbalanced audio outputs are paired with each HDMI input, enabling two-channel PCM audio to be de-embedded and sent to whole-house or commercial audio systems.
The HDR-H2H-88MA has front-panel buttons and a built-in LCD or you can control via the Atlona Management System (AMS 2.0) software and their Atlona Velocity AV control platform via IP or RS232.
The HDR-H2H-88MA is here. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Ships Horizon Keypads
Crestron announced today its new line of Horizon keypads are available to order. Available in configurable single-gang models that combine up to four across, the new line offers designer aesthetics, better button feel, four different button styles, programmable multi-color backlighting, interchangeable custom top and bottom trim pieces and Cresnet wired communications.
The Horizon line is available in single-gang and up to four keypads can be ganged together. Dealers can choose from four button styles: single, side-to-side rocker, small up-down rocker and large up-down rocker. Top and bottom trim pieces are interchangeable to suit any décor and provide the ultimate in style and elegance.
For better readability under any lighting conditions, every model in the Horizon line includes multi-color backlighting that illuminates the laser engraved text on the buttons. If desired, when the button is pressed it can glow up to two to three times brighter than the inactive buttons. Moreover, each button can be programmed to glow in any color — it’s completely customizable.
The Cresnet bus is the communications backbone for Horizon keypads, along with many Crestron lighting controllers, shade motors, sensors and other devices. Cresnet is a simple, yet flexible four-wire network that provides bidirectional communication and 24VDC power for Cresnet devices. Cresnet supports up to 252 keypads and other devices.
Horizon keypads accessories with a similar aesthetic will be available for a 120VAC outlet, a 120VAC outlet + USB charger and keystone jack. Here are all the details. Leave a Comment
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Draper Launches Ambient Light Rejecting Surface for Ultra-Short Throw
Draper has announced TecVision XH800X UST ALR and CS1000X ALR, the latest additions to their TecVision line of ISF-certified, 8K-ready viewing surfaces. The TecVision XH800X UST ALR will debut at InfoComm 2018. TecVision XH800X UST ALR is a premium ambient light rejecting surface formulated for use with Ultra-Short Throw (UST) and short throw projectors in moderate to high ambient light applications for improved contrast and color saturation. This surface can reject 57 percent of off axis ambient light while still being able to support extremely wide viewing angles. Available in NanoPerf up to 102” image height, the TecVision XH800X UST ALR works with lens throw distance ratio of 0.25:1 or longer for best brightness uniformity.
In addition, the TecVision CS1000X ALR includes Draper’s TecVision with 82 percent ambient light rejection, making it designed for spaces where there’s high ambient light with no way to control it. The TecVision CS1000X ALR’s half gain angle is 20 degrees and should be viewed within 30 to 35 degrees off-axis. A lens/throw distance ratio of 1.6:1 or longer is recommended.
TecVision is available in sizes as large at 23 feet by 67 feet wide. Boasting what Draper says is better off-axis performance than similar products, TecVision surfaces offer minimal variance in gain spec and optimal uniformity for better ambient light performance qualities. All TecVision surfaces are engineered for high contrast, precise resolution, color accuracy and the broadest possible view cone while providing superior quality, consistency and uniformity.
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