Rational Design Practices For Multi-Zone AV Systems
By Lee Distad
rAVe Columnist In my day, when I’ve been called in to “fix” a system that someone else designed and installed, I’ve seen some strange things.
Some notable “What the heck?” moments include a home that had structured wiring with dual RG-6 and dual Cat5 to a double gang box in every room. And by “every room” I mean just that, including the laundry room, master suite closet and the foyer by the front door.
I’m not entirely sure why you’d ever need or want cable and Ethernet next to your front door, but By George, if that homeowner ever needed it, it was there!
Still, Mr. Oversold Homeowner was better off than some others — at least his system mostly worked. That’s more than I can say for the people whose eight-zones of audio were comprised of speakers connected to impedance-matching volume control knobs that were themselves connected to an eight-pair impedance-matching speaker selector box that itself was connected to the Speakers-B pair on the back of an underpowered Yamaha AV Receiver.
I don’t mean to knock Yamaha, by the way; that AVR just had the misfortune to be an inappropriate choice in a system that was barely a system at all.
Anyway, rather than just regale you all with tales of hilariously ridiculous AV installations, let’s be more constructive, and address some basic design and installation guidelines for multi-room systems.
Rationally determine the client’s needs and wants, and help them make sensible choices. Regardless of your client’s budget you have a responsibility to help them make sensible decisions.
Discuss the balance of needs and wants, get to know your client, and develop a picture of their lifestyle. That will help determine which rooms it makes sense to include in your design.
When assigning zones to the audio and video distribution system, lifestyle will be a huge factor. The kitchen, den, master bedroom, etc. are all obvious choices, but the homeowner may have lifestyle driven priorities that demand other rooms. In one project I designed, in was the prerogative of the homeowner to have HDTV and audio in the laundry room. Why? Because they had six kids, and the wife spent a huge amount of time in the laundry room, so she felt (and rightly so) that she required television and music while she was there.
Another important consideration is cost. Even with some Ethernet based distribution systems, many AV distribution devices operate on multiples of six — six zones, twelve zones, eighteen zones, etc. After your initial consultation with the client, count the zones they have asked for. If they’re at 25 zones, and it’s going to cost several thousand dollars more to add another six-zone black box for only one additional room, you need to explain that to your client so that they can choose to either remove a zone, or add more rooms to their master plan.
Iron out everything that will happen in each zone, and write it in stone in the Function and Scope of Work Document. Prior to your client signing off on the design, it is critical that you go through room-by-room, and secure agreement on exactly what each location is capable of.
For example, say that a zone will have a 50-inch plasma television descending from a motorized lift in the ceiling, as well as in-ceiling speakers for audio distribution. Now, while everything is just on paper is the time to decide: when watching television, will the audio come from the in-ceiling speakers, or from the speakers built into the plasma? Does the client want the option of selecting between either? Since such a simple distinction will have a huge impact on how the prewire is done, it is imperative that you get them to commit to a solution now. Believe me, failing to have the particulars specified exactly will come back to haunt you later.
It will be tedious, and in a huge house there will be a lot of duplication and cut-and-pasting of the various zones in your Function and Scope of Work Document, but if there are any rooms that are “special cases” you will be glad that you put in that much detail when the time comes to start wiring.
Draw it out. In multi-room projects, unless you hammer out every last variable, complexity will breed confusion. The best way to account for every variable is to draw out an entire installation in a diagram. That way, you will know exactly how each device connects to every other device in the chain. You need to go all the way with this — not just the obvious stuff like coaxial digital and HDMI cables, but also the less glamorous but critical stuff like control cables and power cords.
Also, before work begins, you need to know what your exact electrical requirements are, from the total wattage your equipment will draw, down to how the outlets on the power centers are allocated. If you don’t have all those questions answered by the time you get to your finishing phase, you’re screwed.
The key to designing and installing multi-room systems that won’t make other AV people snicker when they see them is to follow the rules, and bring your A-Game in both Design and Project Management. Do that and your work will be a good example rather than a warning to others.
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
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The Second Hottest CE Technology for 2012
By Ken Werner
Sr. Editor and Analyst, Insight Media It’s no surprise that participants in the consumer electronics industry answering a survey in the email newsletter CEA SmartBrief believe that tablet PCs will be the leading must-have consumer electronics technology in 2012, and will also constitute the most significant technology trend at retail. What may surprise you is that connected TVs come in second. Ahead of cloud computing. Ahead of consumer automotive electronics. Ahead of 4G. And way, way ahead of 3D-TV.
What will be the must-have CE technology in 2012? - 41% Tablets
- 18% Connected TVs
- 10% Cloud computing
- 10% In-car technologies
- 9% That is up to the individual consumer
- 7% Technology to improve health and fitness
- 5% 3DTVs
- 4% Applications
What motivates consumers to connect their CE devices to the Internet? - 33% Increased likelihood of finding the exact content they want
- 28% A desire to cut the cord
- 25% A convenient way to try new content
- 10% Cheaper than acquiring over-the-top content
- 6% Other
What do you think will be the most significant technology trend at retail for 2012? - 36% Tablets
- 27% Connected TVs
- 20% Cloud computing
- 13% 4G
- 6% Other
Consumers can obtain Connected TV (or Smart TV or Internet TV) in several ways, including buying a Connected TV, buying a high-end Blu-ray player that incorporates either wired or wireless Internet TV capability, or buying a separate set-top box (Apple TV, WD TV Live, Roku, etc.). In 2011, roughly 25 percent of all flat-panel TVs shipped will have some form of Internet connectivity, according to DisplaySearch. That number is expected to grow to 47 percent (138 million units) in 2015. But at $100 or less, for a set-top box, and not too much more than that for an Internet Blu-ray player, consumers don’t have to replace their TV sets to get hooked up.
Despite the evident appeal of Connected TV and the surging sales, turning your TV into another node on your home network does not offer the simplicity of the traditional plug-it-in-and-turn-it-on, sit-back TV experience. More (and more appealing) on-line services are appearing, but registering for them needs to be simpler (rather than bouncing back and forth between your TV and your PC), system responsiveness needs to be faster, and the user interface needs to be much better.
The industry is well aware of these issues and is working on them seriously. But with the delivery chain spread over many players, this will take lots of discussion and time.
(Internet TV, along with implementation and user interface issues, will be a major topic at the joint conference of the Sociedade Brasileira de Engenharia de Televisão e Telecomunicações (Brazilian Society of Television and Telecommunications Engineering), Latin Display, and the International Display Research Conference, being held August 20-23, 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This information is probably not even on the Web yet, but it will be soon.)
I now have two very different Internet TV boxes (a WD TV Live and a Sony Blu-ray player) hooked up to the big plasma in the family room, and I’m fussing with them. More about that and related issues in January.
Ken Werner is a senior analyst and editor for Insight Media. Reach him at kwerner@insightmedia.info Leave a Comment
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Monthly Production of LCD TVs Rises to Record High, But Mobile PCs Falling As global LCD TV brands ramp up production for the Q4’11 holiday period, LCD TV production is nearing a record high. Of the TV brands surveyed by NPD DisplaySearch for its MarketWise – LCD Industry Dynamics report, production reached a record high of 19.8 million units in October, and is expected to maintain that level in November.
Even though production for most global TV brands typically slows down in November, LCD TV production is expected to be sustained as Chinese TV brands, aiming for monthly shipment growth in November and December, prepare for the Chinese New Year holiday. November is estimated to be the highest record with 19.9M units built by the surveyed brands globally. “In addition to supply chain pull-in for upcoming holidays, we expect Chinese TV brands to fight for market share to make up for shipment targets missed in the beginning of the year,” said Deborah Yang, Research Director for NPD DisplaySearch.
TV demand outlook is turning positive for unit volume in the near term, but the focus is on inexpensive and simple-feature sets. TV brands, including leading global vendors, are planning to carry new TV sizes and low-specification LCD TVs to create business opportunities and drive traffic in 2012. Yang added, “Prices for Black Friday may not influence the market very much, but the price points of new emerging sizes together with simple-feature TV sets cannot be overlooked. These are likely to lead to confusion in the product and value proposition.”
Despite strong sell-through results in North America and China, LCD TV brands are cautiously controlling their inventories. For December through February, LCD TV brands are planning to reduce production to prevent overstocking for the slow season in Q1’12. Global LCD TV production plans of surveyed LCD TV brands will fall to 13.4M in January. LCD TV panel suppliers will need to continuously control their capacity utilization in the coming months, even as panel prices stabilize.
Shortages of hard disk drives (HDDs) caused by the flooding in Thailand are expected to last until Q1’12, impacting production of notebook PCs and LCD monitors. In particular, NPD DisplaySearch foresees mobile PC brands cutting low-margin mobile PC production (netbook PCs or 15.6” mainstream models). “From the beginning of Q2’12, there is a possibility that mobile PC production volumes could increase significantly as a result of channel refilling and new 2012 model launches,” added Yang.
Monitor brands that have high attach rates to desktop PCs or have higher presence in the China market are being impacted strongly by the HDD shortage and the slowing demand outlook, while stand-alone monitor brands are less affected. However, in the China DIY (PCs built by consumers) market, demand is weakening due to increases in HDD prices.
In addition to LCD TVs, the NPD DisplaySearch MarketWise – LCD Industry Dynamics report tracks mobile PC and desktop monitor applications for large-area TFT LCD panels. The report delivers concise, relevant information for decision-makers who need to quickly understand the entire large-area TFT LCD supply chain. Presented in a dashboard format, the report highlights the status of every aspect of the supply chain, from components to the end-market, covering the ever-changing dynamics of panels, brands, capacity, production, prices and more.
This article was reprinted with permission from DisplaySearch and was originally printed here. Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top CEDIA Annual Membership Meeting Online December 27 Want to know who will be leading CEDIA next year? Interested in finding out how your dues have been invested over the last year and what initiatives are coming? Looking for industry data on the electronic systems industry that is specific to your business? Join CEDIA Chairman Randy Stearns on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 12 p.m. EST online for the annual CEDIA membership meeting.
The annual meeting provides you with an opportunity to be aware of what your association has planned for your business and the industry.
Meeting details include: - 2012/2013 Board of Directors and Executive Committee
- Financial Status of Association
- 2012 Top Initiatives and Association Direction
- Size and Health of Electronic Systems Industry – Data Reporting from CEDIA's Industry Market Sizing and Member Benchmarking Studies
Sign up here: http://www.cedia.net/members_only/AnnualMeeting.php?utm_source=MembershipWebinarBlast&utm_medium=Email_12.12&utm_campaign=MembershipWebinarBlast_Email_12.12 Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top CEDIA Says HomeAV Install Market Size Nearly $14 Billion CEDIA has released findings from the new CEDIA market research report, Size and Scope of the Residential Electronic Systems Market in the U.S. in 2011. Findings indicate that the industry is optimistic about the future.
The report features data on the characteristics of companies working within the residential electronics systems industry in the U.S. The report is an expansion of CEDIA’s research offerings, which are designed to provide CEDIA members and other key stakeholders with market data that will enable them to make better business decisions and identify new opportunities.
CEDIA’s Size and Scope of the Residential Electronic Systems Market in the U.S. in 2011 report offers details on the state of the industry as well as current opportunities and threats. The findings of the study indicate that there are 20,000 to 22,500 companies in the U.S. that are installing CEDIA portfolio products in residential environments.
In addition, the data reveals that the residential electronic systems industry represents $13 – $14 billion in annual installation revenue, based upon the estimated number of installation companies in the industry.
Findings indicate the traditional electronic systems contractor (ESC) company represents the majority of the size and revenue for the industry. However, the market and CEDIA membership is a diverse group that CEDIA anticipates will continue to expand and change.
Half way through 2011, survey respondents across all dealer types reported high optimism about what their year-end numbers would be for 2011. All expected increases in gross revenue, number and size of projects. In addition, ESCs forecasted the highest increase in gross revenue from 2010 at 4.6 percent.
“CEDIA research initiatives bring tremendous value to CEDIA members and to the industry,” said Randy Stearns, CEDIA Chairman. “CEDIA is committed to providing quality data specific to the residential technology industry to help our members make the best business decisions year over year.”
CEDIA’s goal is to provide this report on an annual basis. CEDIA members and media can request top-level findings here. Project participants will receive the full report.In addition, CEDIA Chairman, Randy Stearns will present some of the findings during CEDIA’s Annual Membership Meeting webinar on December 27 at noon Eastern. The full report is not for sale in 2011. Questions about CEDIA’s research initiatives can be directed to research@cedia.org. Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top Chief's Certified Partner Program Launches Two New Training Courses Chief has added two new online training courses to its Certified Partner Program: the Automated Classroom and Elite Home Theater.
With more than 2,000 active users, Chief’s Certified Partner Program offers courses that help improve business results, differentiate businesses and improve overall mount and rack product knowledge. Each track is focused on a specific need and walks through scenarios in common applications.
Automated Classroom: In today’s world, technology in classrooms is more important than ever. Chief is offering the Automated Classroom Training course as a way to understand the number of solutions available for classroom environments. The Automated Classroom focuses on the Interactive Short Throw Projector Mount, Kontour Monitor Arms and the SL220 Automated Projector Lift.
Elite Home Theater: The Elite Home Theater explores solutions available for high-end home theaters, including the PXR Automated Swing Arm Wall Mount, Raxxess® E1 Enclosed Racks, and the Thinstall Series of Ultra-thin Swing Arm Wall Mounts and Accessories.
Available Credits:
Both courses offer two tracks: Product and Install. The tracks for each course are accredited by InfoComm for 0.5 CTS RUs and by CEDIA for 0.5 CEUs. The additional credits bring the total for the entire Certification program up to 13.5 CTS RUs and 8.5 CEDIA CEUs. That’s almost half of the needed 30 CTS RUs at no cost. Along with free industry credits, Chief’s Certified Partners also receive exclusive benefits, including access to a Certified Partner Portal that includes hundreds of videos, tips and tricks and a new rewards site coming soon.
A complete listing of all courses are here: http://www.certification.chiefmfg.com/selectCountry.aspx Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top Retrofitting: The Final Automation Frontier The global custom-designed and installed home automation system market is seeing a fundamental shift, according to ABI Research.
The majority of installations is taking place as retrofits and renovations, rather than in new homes. The analyst says new builds now represent only 40 percent of global mid- to high-end automation installations, down from approximately 90 percent before the recession.
The boost in retrofits comes due to two main factors — the development of more reliable wireless technologies (primarily ZigBee and Z-Wave) and the collapse of residential construction in a number of key markets. Custom installation vendors will also benefit from the entry of service providers (like home security companies) in the automation space. Service providers bring "vast marketing budgets," and with that greater exposure to the technology.
ABI predicts WW home automation service subscriptions (provided from home security companies) will increase from around 513,000 in 2010 to more than 10M by 2016.
To read the report, go here: http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3818-60%25+of+Mid-+to+High-End+Home+Automation+Installations+Are+Now+Retrofits Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top Crestron Ships Single-Gang Touch Screen for HomeAV This week Crestron unveiled a new line of "petite" 2.8-inch touch screens that's already shipping. Available in two models, the TPMC-3SM (for pro applications and TPMC-3SMD (for home applications), both provide the same control functionality as the Crestron TPMC-4SM line. Fitting in a single-gang switch-sized in-wall box, the TPMC-3SM still allows for one-touch control of lights, climate, home theaters, multiroom audio and AV control.
For home applications, the TPMC-3SMD enables customizable touch screen graphics and icons for controlling lights, temperature, home theater, multiroom audio, security cameras, iTunes libraries and more.
For the TPMC-3SMD, go here: http://www.crestron.com/resources/product_and_programming_resources/catalogs_and_brochures/online_catalog/default.asp?jump=1&model=TPMC-3SMD Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top Blue Line Innovations and Smartenit Debut Real-Time Power Meter Monitor You can't mess with or modify the power meters on the outside of your home, but you can monitor them in real-time with this new product from Blue Line Innovations and Smartenit (formerly known as SimpleHomeNet). Smartenit’s ZBPCM provides the bridge between the Blue Line Innovations PowerCost Monitor electric meter sensor, and wireless HA/SE ZigBee and INSTEON home area networks. This unique combination allows true energy management by providing not only energy monitoring, but also control of devices based on energy information.
The Blue Line Innovations PowerCost Monitor puts the power to save electricity into the consumer’s hands by turning almost any electric meter, old or new, into a broadcasting Smart Meter offering whole house energy information. The Smartenit ZBPCM device allows this whole house energy information to become part of a home control network using the proven ZigBee and INSTEON wireless protocols.
This solution feeds instantaneous demand (Kw) and consumption (Kw/hour) for the whole house control systems via ZigBee and INSTEON protocols. Based on this information, the consumer can customize parameters to allow for automated responses that will save energy. Smartenit also manufactures ZigBee plugs and load controllers that report energy usage to give the consumer an even deeper layer of energy management capability. This data from the meter or smart plugs is then displayed over dashboards for the customer’s viewing. Therefore, you now have the information you need in real-time, so you can then set very specific parameters as to when energy adjustments are to be automatically executed via a control system, truly smartening the environment.
For more information on Blue Line, click here: http://www.bluelineinnovations.com/
For more information on Smartenit/SimpleHomeNet, click here: http://www.simplehomenet.com/OEMSolutions.asp?page_id=SmartenIT
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Share Article Back to Top Platinum Tools Intros Overhead Hanging Tools Platinum Tools has launched of its new line of hanging hardware options for hanging ceiling wire, jack chain, threaded rod and eye lag screws. All made of steel, the hardware options are powder actuated for fastening to concrete and also include threaded and non-threaded holes to accommodate jack chain, ceiling wire or threaded rod.
Detail are all here: http://www.platinumtools.com Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top iRoom Motorized iPad Dock Ships If you're using iPads as touch-screen controllers in your installs, you may be interested in this in-wall docking station — it's motorized (so the iPad folds into and out of the wall) and locks it into place for security. In addition to continuously charging the iPad while docked, the dock allows you to install it in landscape or portrait mode and has a nice black (aluminum) piano-type finish to it. Connection for network, power, audio and a docking release are all integrated into the mounting system. It even has an integrated proximity sensor that detects motion and turns the iPad on when someone gets close to it.
For complete specs, go here: http://www.ipad-dock.at/index.php/idock-basic.html Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top Community Adds More Pendant Loudspeakers Community has introduced the newest addition to its Distributed Design Series of ceiling and surface mount loudspeakers. Featuring identical componentry to the D6 ceiling model, the DP6 pendant loudspeaker is a true coaxial loudspeaker with an HF compression driver, offering Community's patented Carbon Ring Cone Technology and Tru-Phase high-frequency waveguide for consistent, wide dispersion up to 16 kHz. Uniform voicing allows the entire range of Distributed Design ceiling, surface and pendant mount loudspeakers to be combined in a single installation with what Community claims is no compromise of consistency from zone to zone.
The DP6 is equipped with a built-in autoformer, allowing the loudspeaker's full output and performance to be realized with 70V or 100V distribution lines. An easily accessible selector switch on the face of the loudspeaker makes it simple to choose between 8 ohm or 70V/100V operation, while the integrated rear cover conceals wiring and hanging hardware for a clean, aesthetically pleasing installation. Two 15-foot high tensile galvanized steel wire rope suspension cables with integrated spring clips are included.
Available in standard black and white finishes, the DP6 specs can be found here: http://www.communitypro.com/index.php/product-list/394-distributed-design-pendant Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top Artcoustic Builds Beautiful Speaker, Again Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Artcoustic has finally announced the launch of the new SL Series of 67 mm (2.6-inch) deep array speakers. Designed for the very finest high-end home audio and commercial applications, the SL Range claims in its press release to have "raised the bar for what is possible in loudspeaker design" and we'd have to actually agree with them.
Click here for the specs [PDF]: https://www.ravepubs.com/utility/documents/spitfire-sl-owners-manual.pdf Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top CES Determined to Make CES 2012 Totally Green The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) this month announced the adoption of several new sustainability practices at the 2012 CES, the world’s largest technology tradeshow, to be held in Las Vegas Jan. 10-13.
New this year, attendee badge holders are made from repurposed vinyl show banners from last year’s show, and CEA will collect those badge holders at the end of the 2012 CES to recycle them again. Furthermore, CES general services contractor Global Experience Specialists (GES) will produce signs using a reusable, recyclable kraft paper honeycomb material. CEA will also seek to collect even more magnetic, vinyl and cardboard show signs for repurposing through a partnership with Repurpose America, a local nonprofit focusing on tradeshow recycling.
Last Year, Repurpose America collected roughly 18,000 pounds of magnetic signs from the 2011 CES, nearly 15,000 square feet of vinyl banners and more than 150 foam boards. In addition, CEA worked with contractors to recycle 289.6 tons of the solid waste generated at CES and increased the event’s recycle rate from 68 percent to 77 percent, several points higher than the average recycle rate of trade shows held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Along with the greening of the International CES, CEA also supports local green non-profits. Last year, CEA gave $75,000 to Green Chips, a local Las Vegas charity supporting solar power installations. That money was used to install solar panels at a Las Vegas non-profit facility, resulting in substantial savings that allowed the organization to devote more money to serve those in need. CEA plans to make another donation benefiting Las Vegas and the environment at the 2012 International CES.
The International CES also allows attendees to reduce their carbon footprint by gathering in one location. With each attendee reporting an average of 12 business meetings per CES, CES participants collectively avoid more than 960 million miles in business trips that they otherwise would have to take. As a result of attending CES and consolidating trips, the estimated net savings in travel is more than 549 million miles.
For more information on sustainable materials used at the 2012 International CES and other information on the greening of CES, please go to: http://www.CESweb.org/green Leave a Comment
Share Article Back to Top D-Tools New Online Store Now Open D-Tools' online store for users of the company's System Integrator software is now open. To see the store, click here: http://www.d-tools.com/store To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Soundcast Systems Announces New Website Soundcast Systems has announced a new dealer-centric website, which can be found at http://www.soundcastsystems.com. To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Adam Audio to Showcase Classic Speakers at CES Adam Audio will showcase the Classic Mk3 Series speakers, its most popular speaker line, at CES in January in Las Vegas. To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top 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 2011 – 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. |