Click above for more information Welcome to another issue of rAVe HomeAV Edition! Here at rAVe, we're gearing up for InfoComm. While obviously a ProAV show, it's still relevant to you home integrators since we'll see new products, technologies, and solutions that can all be adapted to the home. For example, we expect to see big advances in 3D projection, display, and content production, which will be, and already is in some cases, entering high-end homes soon. We also know that, in a reverse trend from the last couple years, a lot of HomeAV integrators have been considering entering or reentering ProAV since vertical markets like education, government, and worship are staying ahead of the recession the best. If you're one of those companies, don't miss your chance to come to the show and take some classes — the educational opportunities are awesome this year. If you haven't gotten our other emails about it, we're on Twitter! We've been Twittering live from tradeshows since last year, and now we update daily about cool AV news and products. We'll be live-Twittering from InfoComm again this year, so if you can't go, but are still interested in what's going on at the show, be sure to follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ravepubs. We'll also be live-Twittering from CEDIA in September too, of course. Enjoy the issue! –Gary Kayye Back to Top Click above for more information A rAVe Reader Responds to Gary Kayye's 'Atlanta Sucks' Column (and More)
By Jeff Kocher
Systems Designer/Sales Manager, AVIO, Inc. In our last issue of rAVe, rAVe founder Gary Kayye wrote a piece wondering why CEDIA liked Atlanta so much – to put it nicely. If you want to see last month’s column, go here: http://www.ravehome.com/issues/2009/05/rhvol6iss9/index.html#t0277
CEDIA member, and Atlanta-fan, Jeff Kocher of AVIO Inc. responds to that article, and some of our other news stories from that issue:
First, "CEDIA in Suckville"? Don't you think you're being a little harsh on Atlanta? Yeah, I know your mother lives there. I have an Uncle there and visit often, and saw you at InfoComm there a few years back. I think the convention center is OK; in fact, I was more pleased with the concession quality and prices compared to some other venues. If you're willing to explore, the city offers a wide variety of experiences. I'll admit that you need to travel a little from the convention center, but I usually do that anyway, instead of the expensive, bland, tourist traps that normally spring up around convention centers. Try some of the local color, like Little Five Points or East Atlanta, only a few miles east of the convention center. There are also a number of major universities within the city, along with the kind of quirky, independent shops and restaurants you get in university towns. Why not discover some of them, go for the urban experience, instead of getting exactly the same kind suburban experience in Buckhead that you'll get in any other upscale suburb in America? You'll be supporting independent business people like us. Anyway, I don't think badmouthing the place (crap hole?) does any good for CEDIA, the dealers or the manufacturers that are paying the big bucks to be there.
You make amends later by calling anyone who is not going an idiot!? Of course, CEDIA is not a vacation; it's a chance to see the latest gear, update our knowledge, and network with other dealers and suppliers. As technology and the market continue their rapid transformations, CEDIA is an opportunity to brush up on the latest trends and to learn what is and is not working for others. It's a great place to learn how to add value for our clients.
You mention one of those trends in the Epson article – fewer dedicated theaters being built. That may be true, but a there is definite uptick in upgrades to all those existing theaters. Now that 1080p displays are common, many old projectors and displays need updating. Now that most HDMI issues have been worked out, switching, surround processors and receivers need to be swapped out for new units. Blu-ray has entered majority adoption (we have only one demo DVD player now, and that will be gone soon), so the DVD players need to be replaced. Media servers, streaming media, internet radio, photo players, more sophisticated, less expensive control systems – any theater more than a year old is probably a candidate for some kind of addition or update. These are all opportunities to add value for the clients and profits for the integrator.
Speaking of media servers, you state in another article that the new Kaleidescape Mini System "is still way too expensive in our opinion, but with Kaleidescape, you are really paying for the user interface." You are not only paying for the interface, you are paying for something that works- right out of the box, every time, and keeps working. I have even had them call us to say they were seeing increasing errors on one of our client's drives, and were sending a replacement, before it failed. And with Kaleidescape, we don't have to load anybody else's software to get DVDs onto the server, and we don't have to hassle with Windows. It just works. Need to integrate it into your control systems? No problem, they've done the work, instead of just printing their RS232 protocol in the manual. Yes, it's expensive, but it has been getting more affordable, at a reasonable rate. It's actually refreshing these days to have a company not rushing to under price the products we already have on our shelves, like all those display manufacturers. They are adding value for us, and our clients.
Another company that's not "rushing to the bottom" in regards to pricing is Runco. You mentioned their "weird" press release. Like many other display manufacturers, Runco was aiming to remind dealers that there are other options to consider now that Pioneer Elite is gone. Integrators like us who did most of their flat panel biz with Pioneer Elite are in a tough spot. Yeah, we are a HES member and Sony CIS dealer, so we have access to most any major video line. But we were able to make a little money on Pioneer, and we can't on any of the others. I recently went up against an online price from a Panasonic Authorized Web Reseller (Vann's) on a 50" panel. That dealer's sale price was less than our cost through HES.
So where do we go? Runco has always supported the AV and integration specialists. They have a major flat panel manufacturer as a parent now (Planar), supplying them with R&D and support far beyond what they had available in the past. They still support plasmas, which are still demonstrably superior to LCD for most residential applications, and the new OPAL technology on their latest LCDs is demonstrably superior to other LCDs. I don't think they are going to abandon the flat panel market soon. They are doing a better job adding value to the flat panel category than ever before.
Well, I've been ranting. But integrators shouldn't let the fact that CEDIA is not in a vacation spot keep them from attending and looking for the things bring real value to their clients. See you in Atlanta. Atlanta Skyline photo via Flickr user james.rintamaki
Back to Top Click above for more information CU On the Road @ Capitol Sales Learning Institute – Regional Outreach Events June 7 – 9, Radisson Hotel Valley Forge • King of Prussia, PA (near Philadelphia)
In this economy, opportunities may be more challenging to come by, but they are available – and only you can decide whether your business is up for the challenge. This is your opportunity to take part in CEDIA and Capitol Sales’ top notch education program in your area. Gain knowledge and continuing education units (CEUs) while meeting industry experts, all at an exceptionally low price.
CEDIA University & Capitol Sales will deliver:
• Three days of CEDIA core curriculum
• ESPA Certified-EST® Review and Exam
• Manufacturer product training by industry leaders
CEDIA is providing education from three of its industry renowned colleges: Business, Technician, and Designer.
Upcoming 2009 Dates and Locations:
June 7-9, Philadelphia, PA
July 12-14, Chicago, IL
November 15-17, Tampa, FL
Register now for upcoming CU On the Road events at http://www.cedia.org/education/on_the_road.php
Back to Top New e-Learning Offerings On the Way with Reduced Rates! CEDIA University is helping students ease the burden of the economic downturn with a new suite of online courses. CEDIA has reduced rates for all e-Learning courses to $79 per course for members and $99 per course for non-members!
Now through September 23, CEDIA will offer a lineup of webinars from four of the five CEDIA University colleges. CEDIA will host a new live webinar each Wednesday, and courses will range from Marketing 101 to RF Distribution Modulation.
Get the education you need without the travel or the wait. Start now at http://www.cedia.org/elearning
Back to Top CEDIA EXPO 2009 Registration Opens June 1st! Mark your calendars, registration for CEDIA EXPO 2009 begins in less than one month. Starting Monday, June 1 at 8:00 a.m. (Pacific) you can register for CEDIA EXPO 2009. At this year's show, CEDIA will be introducing several new courses, new certification exams, and will also be celebrating the association’s 20th anniversary. Check out the http://www.cedia.org/expo for all the information you need for planning your most effective CEDIA EXPO.
CEDIA EXPO 2009
September 9 – 13
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, Georgia
Start planning ahead of time and see all the great events and education happening at CEDIA EXPO 2009. Detailed information about everything going on that this year’s EXPO can be found in the registration brochure.
Download the CEDIA EXPO 2009 Registration Brochure at http://www.cedia.org/expo/documents/EXPORegBroFinal.pdf
Fax-Friendly Registration Form available at http://www.cedia.org/pdf/EXPO09_RegPages.pdf
Back to Top Upcoming CEDIA University Events Take advantage of the many education opportunities listed below to enhance your business and technical skills. Visit http://www.cedia.org/education/cu_training.php for more information and to register for any of the following events.
CU On the Road @ Capitol Sales Learning Institute – Regional Outreach
May 17 – 19, 2009
Dallas, TX
EST Basic Residential Boot Camp
May 18 – 20, 2009
CEDIA Training Facility – Indianapolis, IN
EST Advanced Residential Boot Camp
May 21- 23, 2009
CEDIA Training Facility – Indianapolis, IN
ESB Business Night Class Package
May 27, 2009
Digital Sales Group/david llc – Westbury, NY
ESB Business Night Class Package
June 3, 2009
Digital Sales Group/david llc – Westbury, NY
CU On the Road @ Capitol Sales Learning InstituteTM – Regional Outreach
June 7 – 9, 2009
Philadelphia, PA
ESB Business Night Class Package Wednesday
June 10, 2009
Digital Sales Group/david llc – Westbury, NY
Intermediate EST Workshop-Taking Your Skills To The Next Level
June 11, 2009
ADI – Bothell, WA
ESB Business Night Class Package
June 17, 2009
Digital Sales Group/david llc – Westbury, NY
Back to Top Click above for more information Shure Raids Chinese Warehouses, Finds Counterfeit Shure AND JVC Earphones Last Thursday, Shure announced that it has struck another blow against suppliers of counterfeit Shure products. Following an investigation initiated by Shure, officials of the Baoshan Office of the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC) conducted raids on wholesale stores and warehouses of Han Si Appliance Co., Ltd and Run Zheng Digital Ltd on Baoshan Road. Both locations are in the Zhabei District of Shanghai.
In the two raids, large quantities of counterfeit Shure E2c and E4c earphones were seized as well as counterfeit earphones of other brands, including Audio-Technica and JVC. These raids have been officially reported and published on the public website of the Shanghai AIC. The penalties to be imposed by the Shanghai AIC are still being determined.
Shure can be found at: http://www.shure.com/index.htm
Back to Top Global Cache and NuVo Announce Strategic Alliance IP-based control system company Global Cache and hand-held remote control company, NuVo Technologies, have formed a strategic alliance that will have them join forces in both product development and marketing. Although no specific details were announced, it is likely that NuVo will use Global Cache’s GC-100 network adapter to allow all of NuVo’s remotes and multi-room distribution systems to work via “the network.”
If you want to read the entire press release for yourself, go to: http://www.globalcache.com/news/pr-nuvo.html
Back to Top VIZIO Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Funai Seeking both monetary damages and an injunction, VIZIO has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Funai Electric Company, Ltd., a Japanese distributor of digital televisions and related components and its wholly-owned subsidiary Funai Corporation, Inc.
In the suit, VIZIO, a U.S. company based in Irvine, California, alleges that Funai, acting alone and in concert with others, infringes numerous VIZIO patents in its manufacturing, importation and distribution of high definition televisions. Funai manufactures and distributes high definition televisions for declining market share brand names, including Philips, Magnavox, Emerson, Sylvania, and Symphonic.
VIZIO is seeking an injunction prohibiting Funai from importing and selling infringing high definition televisions and is also seeking award of damages for millions of past infringing sales.
Previously, Funai sued VIZIO for patent infringement, resulting in a controversial and long-running court battle between the two companies that has not been entirely resolved. Subsequently, Vizio sued Funai for antitrust and unfair competition, because they thought that Funai had inappropriately acquired the rights to one US patent in particular, and had then “unfairly discriminated against VIZIO in the licensing and enforcements” of the patent.
To see previous rAVe coverage of the lawsuits, go here: http://www.ravehome.com/issues/2009/02/rhvol6iss4/index.htm#in2
Back to Top rAVe Founder to Speak at InfoComm Three Times Don't miss rAVe Founder Gary Kayye speaking at InfoComm:
1. Projection Summit: The first time Gary will speak at InfoComm will be (June 16th) Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Insight Media’s Projection Summit where he will deliver a short keynote:
Not Quite Symbiotic: The display system used to be the most important part of a ProAV integration with a good symbiotic relationship between the display maker and the system integrator. But that has changed radically over the last few years. While AV used to lead with the projector or monitor in the sales call, now, they may actually tell the client to buy the display on the Internet and they will do they integration. We no longer have a healthy symbiotic relationship. How can we return to a more balanced relationship between the display maker and the system integrator? How must the business relationships and product features change? How will these new strategies affect display and component suppliers? The need for symbiosis is critical or we’ll all be out of a job. Seriously. That’s what this discussion will address.
Go Sign Up for the Projection Summit at: http://projectionsummit.com/
2. AV-2011: We have all heard the buzzwords — convergence, integration, networking, and digital. No matter which word you use, the reality is that we live in an IP-based world and an ever-changing workplace. Not only does the technology constantly change, but the skill sets required to work in this industry are always changing, too. In this new world, what do next-generation technologists need to know as they navigate the A/V and IT integrated environment?
Join Gary Kayye as he explores the latest technologies and advances in our industry. He will also discuss the skill sets employees need to meet the demands of more complex software. Plan the roadmap for your employees now to ensure their future success.
Go sign up for AV-2011 at: https://www.infocommshow.org/networknow/public/SessionDetails.aspx?FromPage=nz_ALSessionSearch.aspx&SessionID=1569
3. How to Compete with Box Sales: In the beginning, it was “trunk-slammers,” then came the “box-houses” and now it’s the “Internet”. Customers have more choices from where to purchase AV Gear than ever before – and box-to-box, there’s no way a systems integrator can truly compete on price. Margins are at the worse level they have ever been. Price erosion has hit every segment of the AV market and we can’t fight it—try, and you’ll run out of time and resources.
But, reposition (or, in some cases, position) your company away from the box-sales mentality into a true systems integrator and design-build firm and you’ll have a winning combination for true profitability and growth well into the 21st Century. Successful companies in our industry have been doing this for years – selling stuff for more than many of their competitors, but all the while maintaining a market leadership position in share and performance. How? What are they doing that you can learn from?
Come hear from someone who’s been helping companies like these and a host of other ProAV manufacturers and dealers stand out from the pack without discounting and price slashing – in fact, their reputation’s built on customer support, quality, performance and people!
Go sign up for How to Compete with Box Sales at: https://www.infocommshow.org/networknow/public/SessionDetails.aspx?SessionID=1545&FromPage=nz_ALSessionSearch.aspx
Back to Top Reminder: rAVe Whitepapers is Free Resource for Manufacturers, Integrators | rAVe Whitepapers – the newest addition to the valuable and free services that rAVe Publications provides the AV industry. The sharing of information, science and research behind cutting edge AV technology is key to continuing the cycle of progress in our industry. By pooling together hard-fought information and discoveries from leading manufacturers we can help benifit every company down the chain – all the way down to the well educated end-user. Together, our research makes us all stronger. Our library of papers is continually growing – if you have information you would like to share with the community, please feel free to e-mail Gary Kaye at gary@ravepubs.com Click here to see rAVe Whitepapers now!
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| | Back to Top rAVe To Report LIVE from InfoComm via Twitter For the 2nd year in a row, we will use the popular micro-blogging site Twitter to report LIVE from the show floor. Last year, we sent out over 100 “tweets” (messages) and reported on new products we saw, new technologies and even sent photos via Twitter to our “followers” anyone who was subscribed to receive our messages via text message, Twitter clients, email, etc.
We will do it again this year! So, whether you’re AT the show or can’t attend you NEED to subscribe to our TWITTER feeds. To subscribe, go to: http://twitter.com/ravepubs
• Why subscribe if you are AT the show? Well, we’re invited to all sorts of pre-show product previews and will report on those – so that you can actually plan your day at the show. For example, last year, we were THE FIRST people to see Da-Lite’s 3D screen technology and twittered about it three minutes after our demo. Thirty minutes later, Da-Lite had a line of people at their booth who saw our Tweet about it. So, subscribe.
• Why subscribe if you ARE NOT at the Show? This will be the ULTIMATE way for you to get news IMMEDIATELY from the show because as soon as we see something we will Tweet about it! We promise. And, unlike those other ProAV pubs out there, we are NOT just reporters re-hashing what a manufacturer tells us. We are giving you OUR observations – from people who have worked in this industry for over twenty years!
So, subscribe to our FREE Twitter feed at: http://twitter.com/ravepubs
Back to Top projectiondesign Launches LED-based Projector Line projectiondesign has announced a new projector line called AVIELO that uses LED illumination (instead of lamps). The company says the first model in their new AVIELO line, the KROMA, can last for more than 100,000 hours. They also claim that their LED technology gives “incredible contrast ratio and an image with a colour spectrum purer than any other technology.”
The 1080p native resolution single chip KROMA DLP projector is specified to have 600 ANSI lumens, a 7500:1 contrast ratio and has all the inputs you could possibly need for HomeAV integration (including HDMI 1.3a). As with most of the projectiondesign products, it’s one of the coolest looking projectors on the market and is also network controllable.
To see a preliminary spec sheet, head to: http://www.avielo.com/pdf/avielo%20kroma%20EN%20web.pdf
Back to Top It's Official: Sanyo Debuts Wireless HD Projector rAVe broke this story earlier this month (here: http://www.ravehome.com/issues/2009/05/rhvol6iss9/index.html#t0291) via sources that wouldn't go on the record, but Sanyo has officially released a wireless HD projector. The new PLC-WXU700 is an LCD-based WXGA (1280×800) resolution, specified at 3800 ANSI lumens LAN-base projector that has one totally unique feature – wireless HD transmission and reception.
By inserting a special USB stick that Sanyo includes with the projector into a MAC or PC, you can transmit your computer's content via 802.11n technology. Anything that's on your computer screen is projected wirelessly to the projector (even video files like MPEG2, MPEG4 and WMV files). Other features include 500:1 contrast ratio, RS232 control, VGA ports and it weighs about 8 pounds.
This projector isn't on Sanyo's website yet, but when it is, you can see all the details on the projector at: http://us.sanyo.com/Commercial-Projectors
Back to Top Cabasse Shows New Altura MC Series of Floor-Standing Loudspeakers Cabasse has announced the Altura MC, a new series of floorstanding loudspeakers that feature some weird names (but nice looking designs) such as the Iroise 3 and Egea 3. Retail for the Iroise 3 is $3,450 each and the Egea 3 comes in just over $3,000 each.
In writing these up, I attempted to separate the marketing-speak from the true technological specs, but I was left with very little. So, I would prefer you read about them for yourself at: http://www.cabasse.com/us/range/idea/alturamc
Back to Top NAD Launces "Paradigm Breaking" M2 Direct Digital Amp Claiming their new M2 Amplifier is “superior to any previous digital amplifier,” NAD says the M2 is more of a digital-to-analog converter that directly drives a loudspeaker. Capable of delivering 250 Watts of power for each channel, the M2 is rated at 500 Watts IHF dynamic power. The M2 is priced at just under $6000.
NAD wrote a white paper to describe the new M2 at: http://www.jbstanton.com/Resources/M2White2Paper.pdf
Back to Top Extron Debuts Surround Sound Processor Last Thursday, Extron debuted their new SSP 7.1, a high performance, five-input Surround Sound Processor designed to provide up to eight channels of surround sound. Although they target it for what they call “pro A/V applications in corporate and commercial environments,” this surround sound processor will find its way into the high-end HomeAV market like most Extron products do. Although it doesn’t have all the bells-and-whistles that most HomeAV theater-level 7.1 processors have, it would be perfect in a game room, bonus room or even living room environment as the SSP 7.1 automatically detects and decodes audio content in various Dolby and DTS formats from DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and HDTV broadcasts. It also offers Dolby Pro Logic II/IIx and DTS Neo:6 processing to provide surround sound from two-channel stereo. The SSP 7.1 features coaxial and optical digital inputs, plus an analog balanced/unbalanced two-channel input. It’s enclosed in a half-rack width enclosure has RS-232 control and balanced/unbalanced line level outputs.
To read all the SSP 7.1 features and specs, go to: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=ssp
Back to Top Key Digital Announces Red Iguana This issue seems to be all about weird names and marketing-speak. Here we go again with Key Digital announcing a new line of HDMI cables called Red Iguana. With specs like “precision internal windings” and “14.9 Gbps Super Sonic Speed,” the new line does include Plenum CL3 Rated cables and they say 12-bit color depth compatibility. Oh, and gold-plated conductors. Literally!
Wanna see for yourself? Go to: http://www.keydigital.com/IW_Products.m4p.pvx?;PRODUCTS_NO_TREE?cat=RDIGUA?company=KEY
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 2009 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 510 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 376 – 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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