Lee Distad

Lee Distad

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

The Power Of No

I’d like to take a moment to speak in defense of negativity. These days negativity gets a bad rap. People build whole careers in social media generating and propagating motivational memes about thinking positive and not allowing negativity into your life. As valuable as that message is, it’s not the whole story. Nor is it […]

The Power Of No

Lighting Control and Automation — A Boon for AV Pros

When people think of automation, they tend to still think in terms of AV control: TV on, volume up, channel selected, etc. Oddly, despite the fact that control of shades and lighting is, in my opinion, the essence of automation, it remains semi-forgotten. It’s probably a disservice to say that. Plenty of vendors have offered […]

Lighting Control and Automation — A Boon for AV Pros

A Big Week In Broadcast

  What a difference a week makes! It was only a week ago that I was writing about how up here in Canada TELUS is coming on strong with their Optik TV promotions, and the week before that how syndicates of broadcasters have rolled out Shomi and Crave, streaming TV services that seek to compete […]

A Big Week In Broadcast

Gaming: Here Come the Steam Machines

  It finally appears that momentum for Valve’s plans to take over gamers’ living rooms appears to be picking up, ahem, steam. For two years now, gamers have been teased with promises of Steam Machines, dedicated gaming consoles for Valve’s Steam online gaming services. The strategy involves partnering with hardware companies to offer a range […]

Gaming: Here Come the Steam Machines

Getting It Wrong

They say that hindsight is 20/20. It’s certainly easy to look back with the benefit of what you know today and ask yourself “what was I thinking?” It’s especially sobering to look backwards and shake your head when you work in the tech media. Occasionally I’ll stumble upon some of my old articles and cringe […]

Getting It Wrong

The Canadian TV Wars: Optik TV Coming On Strong

It makes me so happy when, just as I’m asking myself “what should I write about this week?” the topics for my next few blog posts arrive unsolicited in my mailbox. It’s like the universe is listening! In fact, this week I was spoiled for choice, with more than one topic catching my interest, but […]

The Canadian TV Wars: Optik TV Coming On Strong

Shomi The Money

  This blog will likely be of little interest to readers in the USA, but I’ll take shelter in the fact that rAVe is an international publication. Up here on the frozen tundra of Canada, broadcasters are going hard in the paint to stymie their biggest rival, Netflix. It’s a complicated situation, because our biggest […]

Shomi The Money

Serviceability At The Forefront

If you survey a broad sampling of veteran AV pros you’ll find that they’re united by a common trait: They’re all really good at problem solving. In fact, the best ones love problem solving. There’s a rush that comes from finding a solution and being able to yell out “I FIXED IT!” Call it natural […]

Serviceability At The Forefront

Texting While Driving: Why?

To those who know me it may seem a tad hypocritical for me to complain about how people today are too plugged in; too intimately and permanently implanted with their smartphones. Yet even I think there has to be a limit. Despite the fact that the province of Alberta passed a Distracted Driving law three […]

Texting While Driving: Why?

Don’t Be A J.A. Vendor

There’s a blight that affects every last segment and channel in the industry. It’s so prevalent, so part of the background that, like the sky, you take it for granted and stop really noticing it unless you step back and refocus your perception. It’s a blight that’s holding the entire industry back, regardless of which […]

Don’t Be A J.A. Vendor

Strange ReTales: You Need This

It was a time of crisis. The AV retailer I worked for had an inventory problem. We were literally choking on dead stock. The company had two stock status designations for discontinued inventory in our system. The first, which we called “disco,” short for “discontinued” was noted in our system by the alphanumeric “D.” That […]

Strange ReTales: You Need This

CFL Light Bulbs Can’t Go Away Fast Enough

One of my favorite axioms (and if you’re a regular reader you know that I LOVE axioms) came to me from engineer friends. I find it incredibly apt for many scenarios, not least to AV install and design. The axiom is: “Every solution has two problems.” AV pros need to remind themselves that their equipment […]

CFL Light Bulbs Can’t Go Away Fast Enough

Review: Gefen High Resolution USB to Analog and Digital Audio Decoder

I’m an audiophile, but I’m a frugal audiophile. As delightful as big-ticket stereo equipment is, my Scots heritage and its accompanying frugality informs my preferences. In short, I get thrilled by equipment that delivers best bang for the buck. Gefen is best known as a maker of video dongles for a variety of streaming and […]

Review: Gefen High Resolution USB to Analog and Digital Audio Decoder

We’re Sending Someone In To Negotiate!

“Have you ever spoken with the common man? It is not edifying.” – Johannes Cabal It’s that quote from a character in a work of fiction that I find running through my head this week as a result of trying to sell some furniture on Kijiji. It’s hard to come together on something when you […]

We’re Sending Someone In To Negotiate!

Are You Presentable To See Customers?

I’ve talked about this before, but I feel compelled to further elaborate upon it. Part of putting your best foot forward is making a good impression by presenting a professional appearance. There are two experiences I’ve had that made impressions on me in this regard. The first was at a B2B outbound sales office I […]

Are You Presentable To See Customers?

What Are The Advantages Of Buying From Distributors?

Regardless of whether you’re a residential or commercial AV company your clients needs products, and you need to get them from somewhere. Broadly speaking, your two most common options are to deal directly with the manufacturer, or a distributor. Since nothing in this business is ever simple, some manufacturers only sell to dealers directly, others […]

What Are The Advantages Of Buying From Distributors?

Pointless Digressions

At a guess, 90% of my job role at work is communications. It might even be higher than that. Almost everything I do at work comes down to both how well I understand what my customers are asking for, and how well I can make myself understood. Consequently I put a lot of thought and […]

Pointless Digressions

Strange Re-Tales: Salesman Fuel

  With the Christmas season come and gone (and Ukrainian Christmas just around the corner), I fell to reminiscing about my years in retail, and the annual chaos of the Christmas selling season. More to the point, reminiscing about how I survived the Christmas selling season. Two words: Chocolate and coffee. Years ago during busy […]

Strange Re-Tales: Salesman Fuel

Seasons Greetings And Client Outreach

This time of year always makes me think about relationships, both personal and professional. Just like personal life, business relationships are a two-way street, and you’ll get out of them what you put in. Lasting, loyal client relationships don’t just happen by accident. You have to put in the time, and build the trust necessary […]

Seasons Greetings And Client Outreach

Mobile Charging Bags For Traveling AV Pros

The secret to not just surviving but thriving on business travel is to take care of both yourself and your equipment. Just like we need adequate rest, food and hydration to enjoy traveling, our gear needs to stay charged. For AV pros who find themselves constantly on the go, there are plenty of options. The […]

Mobile Charging Bags For Traveling AV Pros

Strange Re-Tales: Gotta Have It!

Retail sales associates have a term of endearment for the people who often visit the store, ask lots of time of the various salespeople, but seldom, if ever, buy anything: Tire kickers. Many times they visit the store on such a regular basis that they’re practically a fixture, similar to how neighborhood bars and taverns […]

Strange Re-Tales: Gotta Have It!

Why “Extreme Gadget Obesity” Is Preposterous

I get a lot of press releases. All of them get skimmed, believe it or not, but most of them don’t pass through the first filer (“Is this interesting?”) and end up in the deleted folder. One that I recently received declared in breathless tones that “42% OF AMERICANS ARE SUFFERING FROM EXTREME GADGET OBESITY!” […]

Why “Extreme Gadget Obesity” Is Preposterous

Strange ReTales: Suspicious Behavior

One of my personal weaknesses is the lengths I will go for a joke. Sometimes it’s gotten me into trouble. I used to work at a place that had a monstrous, top-heavy bureaucracy. Like all monstrous, top-heavy bureaucracies it generated mountains of paperwork. Mind boggling amounts, stuffed into bankers boxes and squirreled away into filing […]

Strange ReTales: Suspicious Behavior

It’s Almost December — Are You Prepared?

In the time that I’ve been in distribution, it’s been a mental adjustment for me to get used to the fact that, on my side of the business at least, December is a low-key month. Indeed, in direct contrast to all the previous years, I don’t have to work very hard in December. I don’t […]

It’s Almost December — Are You Prepared?

The Right People In the Right Place

Last week I went on a tirade in my blog about how much I hate buying cars, and why. This week I wanted to expand further on a takeaway that was buried in my screed: People make all the difference. It’s all about having the right people in the right places. Yet why are so […]

The Right People In the Right Place

A Review of SurgeX SEQ Power Bank and Envision PCS Remote Diagnostic Unit

Serendipity strikes at opportune times. A couple of months back the eleven year old power conditioner connected to the system in my media room died. Shortly after I had blogged at rAVe about the troubleshooting exercise I treated it as, sharing with readers the apathy of the vendor’s help desk towards such an old product, […]

A Review of SurgeX SEQ Power Bank and Envision PCS Remote Diagnostic Unit

Business Acumen: Here’s What Not To Do

I believe that bad examples are just as valuable learning experiences as good examples, if not more so. In order to keep growing personally and professionally, it’s useful to take the lessons the universe presents to you and learn from them. I’m not in the car business, and I’m not writing for an audience that’s […]

Business Acumen: Here’s What Not To Do

Scenesters: Then And Now

Most editorials about “kids today” typically take the tack that things were better in the old days. This isn’t one of those editorials. Instead I’m going to marvel at the advantages the Internet age has presented to culture vultures worldwide. None of these observations are new, novel, or earth shaking, but I find myself thinking […]

Scenesters: Then And Now

Smart TVs and How AV Pros Need To Be Smarter Still

I loathe the word “convergence.” For nearly two decades, it’s been a byword that has been beaten to death. Yet for the longest time it was also a word that didn’t deliver the goods: so much talk about convergence, with little to show for it. I’m willing to admit that it’s changed over time and […]

Smart TVs and How AV Pros Need To Be Smarter Still

The Slow Death Of Retail

I’ve reached a stage in my life where I don’t really fit into any particular demographic group. I look at print, television, and online advertisements with a critical, professional eye and, more often than not, I think “Wow, that ad is absolutely not directed at me.” That said, beyond age, gender, and income if there’s […]

The Slow Death Of Retail

Do You Know Who I Am?

One of the hazards of vending high end systems is dealing with clients who have a rock star attitude. I’ve mentioned before that it’s been my experience dealing with both luxury goods and high end home AV installations that the clients with the highest net worth are the ones who are the most normal, reasonable […]

Do You Know Who I Am?

Product Review: StarTech.com 3-in1 Thunderbolt Adapter

Right up front I’m going to admit that I have a soft spot for widgets and dongles. I blame it on my borderline-obsessive fascination with troubleshooting and problem-solving. If there’s a problem, there needs to be a solution. This is where various widgets and adapters come into play, specifically adapters. StarTech.com’s new 3-in-1 Adapter lets […]

Product Review: StarTech.com 3-in1 Thunderbolt Adapter