Click above for more information Welcome to another issue of rAVe HomeAV Edition! Today's editorial is about what I think you can expect for CEDIA Expo 2009. Even though the show will be smaller than years past, it's important you still go, and I think we'll see a bunch of new products and technologies. Plus, manufacturers are really stepping it up for the dealers by introducing more budget-friendly lines that they can market to budget-sensitive customers, setting up sales and refurb sites, and providing education on making it through the tough times. Kudos to all the manufacturers who are keeping the dealers in mind. When you do go to CEDIA, don't forget to make it really worthwhile and take as many classes as possible. We've finally started getting announcements of product releases for the show, and we've written about several here today. We got the official word on Crestron's new low cost control system, Prodigy, and some news on long-awaited products such as Proficient Audio's M80 receiver and Sonance's In-Ceiling Cinema Speakers. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter! We're Tweeting pre-show information and we'll of course be Tweeting live again from the show floor. Find us at http://www.twitter.com/ravepubs Enjoy the issue! –Gary Kayye, CTS Back to Top Click above for more information Flying – Not Clawing
By Gary Kayye, CTS We’re less than a month away from probably the biggest CEDIA Expo in the history of our market.
Why?
Well, we’re clawing our way out of a recession and since this whole thing started a lot of technological changes have taken place that we really haven’t been able to take advantage of. And, as we head into next month’s CEDIA, I am hopeful we will – and we will dominate them for years to come. Here are some examples:
HD: Everything’s HD now. Consumer TV made the switch to digital TV a couple of months ago and if you’re not broadcasting in HD, you’re missing out. Even local markets are feeling the push – heck, in Raleigh NC, the only non-HD local news (the NBC affiliate) is in last place for its evening newscast in numbers of watchers. People want to see HD. If a game is not on in HD, we notice the quality sucks. We’re set to sell a heck of a lot of HD gear in the coming years. And, with HDMI becoming the norm (remember, anything higher than 480p will NOT work over Component Video on hardware manufactured after 2011), we will have a lot of re-do’s too.
Content: We’ve moved from VHS, to DVD, to DVD rentals, to Netflix and now AppleTV and all the other downloadable content stores. So, content is finally king. That means we’ve got to become creative in access to the content. We have TVs (that’s the obvious one), and theaters with giant screens, but we also have portable devices, luggable devices (laptops) and place shifting gear we can integrate into one SEAMLESS system for the client. Sure, Best Buy sells it all, but they can’t seamlessly integrate it them way a CE does, can they?
Gaming: Gaming used to be for those weird strip mall shops. Not any more. Gaming is the fastest growing segment of the consumer electronics market – and we need to build in gaming places. Right now, the teens are hooked on them. But, parents are getting into the act with the Wii and its assorted adult-based games (heck, Nintendo’s set to launch a horse-riding simulator using the Wii). And, the bigger the screen the better. Nintendo will go HD with the Wii in 2010 or early 2011, so we’ll see a lot more gaming integration come our way soon.
Wireless Everywhere: We aren’t IT guys, but we do borrow their technology a lot, right? Well, why not play in their space? Why wait until the IT geeks come and go when we can do that too. Heck any good quality control system needs IP to function, so we can do that for the customers too. There are all sorts of classes at CEDIA geared around us doing all the integration work – communication and AV layers, both. So, get out there and become an IT freak and geek!
So, this year’s CEDIA Expo is filled with opportunity — opportunities to not just claw our way out of a recession, but literally fly up, up and away. I hope you’re planning on attending as you’ll see the biggest new product line-up you’ve ever seen at a CEDIA – even in this economy – just wait and see!
Back to Top CEDIA EXPO 2009: Why You Can't Afford to Miss It The hot topic on everyone’s minds these days is the economy. People are scaling back expenses to make ends-meet, but at what cost? If you aren’t smart about what you spend money on and what to cut out of your budget, you could be harming your company more than doing it good. In these tough economic times, investments in education, networking, certification, and researching the best equipment can create more dividends for your business in the future.
Education: At CEDIA EXPO 2009 you have the ability to take the steps needed to make your business more competitive and drive business with new sales. If you are looking to increase the services you offer, CEDIA University education offers an expansive set of courses on a variety of topics, including:
• the green building and remodeling trend
• customer relations
• security systems
• retrofit installations
Gaining skills in these areas can help you gain new business by expanding your service offerings.
CEDIA EXPO offers courses in one location, at one time, which cuts down on the travel expenses involved in taking education at various times in the year. See all the course offerings available by downloading the CEDIA EXPO registration brochure at http://www.cedia.net/expo/documents/EXPORegBroFinal.pdf.
Networking: Building relationships in the industry is key to lasting success. Networking with industry peers and leaders can offer the opportunity to learn from others’ successes and failures. At CEDIA EXPO there are many opportunities to network and make important business connections before and during the show:
• CEDIA Crosspoint member networking site: http://www.cediacrosspoint.com
• Opening Floor Reception
• daily tradeshow floor activities
• 20th Anniversary Celebration & Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Banquet
Certification: Certification is an important way to add validity to your company, and customers look for it as a sign that your company will do an exceptional job for them. If you want to be taken seriously, certification is the first step. CEDIA EXPO 2009 certification options:
• onsite testing facility
• pre-test assessments and courses
• courses to retain or advance certification
For more information on CEDIA certification visit http://www.cedia.net/education/certification.php and register for certification exams or other courses at CEDIA EXPO at http://www.cedia.org/expo.
Equipment: If you are trying to cut equipment costs or create relationships with manufacturers that will be beneficial to your business, then you really can’t afford to miss CEDIA EXPO. At EXPO you’ll find:
• 400 industry-leading manufacturers on-hand looking for dealers
• manufacturer product training to help you pick the products that best suit your needs
• thousands of company representatives helping you pick the best options for your business
Visit http://cedia09.mapyourshow.com/2_0/search.cfm for a full listing of the manufacturers that will be present at CEDIA EXPO 2009.
Spending money in this economy can seem like a scary proposition. If you invest in things that will pay off in greater customer retention and increased new business, the investment will have been worth it. Attend CEDIA EXPO 2009 and make the smart decision for your business. Visit http://www.cedia.org/expo to register and learn more about CEDIA EXPO 2009.
Follow CEDIA on Twitter @CEDIAnameric for late breaking news on EXPO and other important CEDIA happenings. Back to Top Sharp and Sony Form LCD Partnership The rumors are true. Sharp and Sony will enter into a joint venture to build next-generation LCD TVs together in Japan. Specific details of the venture are not that interesting to the average person, but basically what will happen here is that Sony and Sharp will have access to the same raw LCD material and then each take it and build their own TVs around it – they will not share a look, video or audio processing or input-output configurations – just the raw component LCDs will be the same.
This is a good deal for both manufacturers – especially Sharp because they’ve already started to build the new LCD factory and this will off-load some of the investment in the factory. It’s a win-win as they are two of the leading LCD manufacturers when it comes to quality, and these LCDs will likely be the top of the line in quality.
To read more specific financial details, go to: http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/news/090730.html
Back to Top Hitachi Acquires Maxell On July 28, 2009, the Hitachi Group announced its decision, by way of a tender offer, to acquire the common stock of Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. Hitachi believes that the move to acquire Hitachi Maxell as a wholly owned subsidiary will reinforce Hitachi Maxell’s business and management base and that the joint relationship between Hitachi and Hitachi Maxell will lead to the improvement of the enterprise value of Hitachi Maxell and the Hitachi Group as a whole.
An integrated management of the companies will help optimize all of the Hitachi Maxell businesses, enabling larger scale and more effective investments in resources such as R&D and capital investments. Both companies expect tighter technological collaborations based on the integrated management of Hitachi and Hitachi Maxell, generating greater synergies.
To read more about the acquisition, go to: http://www.maxell.com/
Back to Top Runco to Launch More Than a Dozen Products at CEDIA To quell the rumors that Runco’s not exhibiting at this year’s CEDIA Expo, they issued a clear and concise press release that said they WILL be at CEDIA and, will in fact, launch over more than 12 new products. The rumors? Well, rAVe along with about several other media outlets had all reported that they pulled out of CEDIA. But, it’s official: Runco will be there.
But, in a very different way – here’s what Runco told rAVe: Since last year’s CEDIA EXPO, Runco has focused its efforts and made significant investments in successful dealer-centric programs and promotions. “Our goal has been to be laser-focused on our dealers when making decisions about where to invest and focus resources, and the resulting programs have helped our dealers create incremental revenue during challenging economic conditions,” said Bob Hana, Runco’s vice president of sales and marketing. “Our CEDIA EXPO plans will continue to be linked directly to our dealer’s feedback, namely to bring some exciting, differentiated products to the channel and provide time and space for each Runco dealer to be trained effectively. As a result, we will have both a booth on the show floor and two large training rooms, as has been our practice for many years.”
Runco’s booth will be slightly different than in past years. Instead of incorporating multiple partners over a large footprint, the booth will focus on serving Runco’s dealers. Runco’s booth on the show floor will be a dealer-exclusive Runco Dealer Red Carpet Lounge, a meeting space “oasis” that will offer face time with Runco’s sales team, tech support, marketing and inside staff, who will take dealers through the new products, programs and services in detail and help each customize Runco’s offering to their dealership.
Although no specific details are available on the dozen or so products to be launched at CEDIA, rAVe NOW (or live, on-show site service) will be Twittering, Blogging and uploading videos of all the Runco gear on Day One of the show: https://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1262&Itemid=206
Back to Top Avocent Launches Outlet In a unique, recession-aware move, Avocent has launched an Outlet Store for dealers-only that will see discontinued and over-stock product up to 50 percent off. This is a creative way to sell at a discount without devaluing their inventory of other products.
It’s not a totally new idea, many manufacturers have been using B-stock (returned or scratched products) offerings at discounts for years, but in the middle of this recession, it’s a good idea to ramp this up. Sharp’s been selling older inventory of products to employees and their families for a while, too. Sony employs the idea of a company store.
If you want to see how Avocent is doing this, go here.
We’re wondering if more manufacturers will try this in the future. Recession or no recession, this is a great idea.
Back to Top Cirgon To Upgrade to Encore II at CEDIA rAVe has a source that has leaked details of the Cirgon Encore II to us – pre-CEDIA. As you may already know, Cirgon's ENCORE is promoted as an affordable media server for easily managing digital media including photos, music, and movies. But, what’s different about Encore is that it’s PC-less and MAC-less! Powered by an Intel Atom processor, the Encore II is Cirgon’s upgraded Media Server for the home (adding 1Gb RAM and an ION graphics chipset). Other features include:
• HDMI 1.3, HDCP compatible
• 7.1 HDMI or 5.1 Optical Surround Sound with analog out for distribution
• Improved Music Management – You can now manage all music by Album, Artist and Genre. All categories plus song title are text searchable.
• Import DVDs – DVDs can now be imported to the internal 1 Terabyte RAID 1 storage or to an external NAS storage device.
• RS-232 Control – The system supports RS-232 remote control using IP commands.
• Web Interface – ENCORE is now accessible via a web browser.
• WiFi 802.11 g/n – Optional WiFi connection directly to the server
• RAID1 – 1 Terabyte of RAID 1 storage (now standard)
• 1 Gigabit Ethernet
Read more at: http://www.cirgon.com/products/products.htm
Back to Top Sonance to Finally Ship In-Ceiling Cinema Speakers by CEDIA Sonance has announced that they plan to start shipping the newest members of the Sonance Cinema Series, the In-Ceiling LCR1S, LCR.5S, and SUR1S, and the LCR1 Cabinet model by CEDIA – if not earlier. Sonance says that their Cinema speakers are identically voiced, so that performance levels and speaker models can be combined in the same room providing the ultimate home theater experience.
Read about the new Cinema Series In-Ceiling by visiting the Sonance website at: http://www.sonance.com/products/speakers#10
Back to Top AudioControl Launches Maestro M3 AudioControl says they are attempting to raise the industry standard with their new premium theater pre-amplifier, the Maestro M3. The Maestro M3 delivers a combination of theater processing plus it allows users the unique ability to extend video and audio signals over CAT-5/6 wiring via AudioControl's Active Balanced Outputs.
The Maestro M3 is equipped with an unprecedented number of video and audio inputs, which support all of today's digital and analog audio formats, including HDMI v1.3 (1080p) including all of the latest HD surround formats from Dolby and DTS. The AudioControl Maestro M3 is also one of the first theater products to utilize Dolby Volume technology, which provides a consistent volume level across all sources and content (very cool), and a reference-quality listening experience at any volume level. For those looking to enjoy their LP collection, a Moving Magnet phono input is also provided on the back panel.
To read all the specs or to tour the product (through their back-door confidential dealer-only site) for yourself, go to: http://www.audiocontrol.com/t36/28912/563561/Accolades-From-Everyone/Cedia-2009.html
Back to Top Anthem Launches Two 1080p LCoS Projectors Manufacturer of music, home theater and distributed audio products, Anthem, has decided to get into the crowded projector market – but with LCoS projectors rather than the fall-back position of nearly every other me-too projector company – DLP. There will be two LCoS (reflective LCD) models (both 1080p), HDMI 1.3, outfitted with lens shift and specified with a contrast ratio of up to 50,000:1. Dubbed the LTX 300 and LTX 500, both models output about 900 ANSI lumens.
On a side note of interest, the PR firm that represents Anthem is Caster Communications – one of the largest and best PR firms in the HomeAV market. They also represent Runco – a big projector manufacturer. We wonder if they will still be representing them both after CEDIA now that they are competing for the same market of projector buyers?!? Or, is Runco making these projectors for Anthem – or vice-versa?
Until they’re posted to the Anthem website, you can read all about them here: http://www.castercomm.com/prView.cfm?cid=111&id=304
Back to Top Point, Click, Project: Pico Projector in Nikon's Coolpix Later this month, Nikon will ship the Coolpix S1000pj ($430 suggested retail), one of the world's first combinations of a digital camera and LCoS Pico projector.
The Coolpix S1000pj, featuring a built-in video projector for displaying still images and video clips on the go, combines the ability to shoot high-resolution photos and play them back instantly on a screen up to 40", virtually anywhere a white background can be found.
The projector uses LCoS display technology and LED lighting to produce an image brightness level of up to 10 ANSI lumens. The camera will not include inputs for external source devices. The playback function will include a built-in slideshow presentation with music effects and creative transitions.
Key features in the combo camera include 12.1-megapixel resolution; variable wide ISO range, including 64 to 6400 speeds; a 2.7" wide-angle LCD; 5-way vibration reduction (VR) image-stabilization system; subject tracking; and movie mode.
See it for yourself at: http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-Camera/26186/COOLPIX-S1000pj.html
Back to Top Proficient Audio to Finally Ship M80 Receiver Earlier this week, Proficient Audio announced that its new M80 receiver has gone into production. The company expects the product to be available to dealers September 2009. Yea!
The M80 is one of only a few receivers — and probably the only one in its price range — specifically aimed at custom installers. This state-of-the-art receiver includes all technologies necessary for accurate reproduction of Blu-ray Discs, video games and other advanced media. It features DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD lossless audio, four HDMI inputs, and Faroudja DCDi Cinema video processing. Seven 130-watt high-current Class AB amplifiers deliver superb audio quality and a high damping factor, for precise control of any speaker.
A cast aluminum faceplate gives the M80 a muscular, high-end look unique in its category. This feature is common in audiophile products but almost never seen in receivers.
For some reason, the M80 is STILL not on the Proficient website, but when it is, it will be here: http://www.proficientaudio.com
Back to Top Onkyo Debuts HT Series AV Receiver Onkyo has introduced a killer, affordable new family of AV receivers called the Onkyo HT Series. The new HT lines are extensions of AV receivers developed for the company's packaged systems line. The first of these new models, the HT-RC160, is a 7.2-channel receiver with five HDMI inputs, Dolby ProLogic IIz and many more features, and is currently available at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $549. A step-up model, the HT-RC180, a 7.2-channel THX Select2Plus Certified receiver with advanced networking capabilities, including streaming internet radio from Pandora, Rhapsody and others, will be added to the line in August with a $1049 MSRP.
You can read all the specs of each receiver here: http://www.onkyousa.com/prod_class.cfm?class=Receiver
Back to Top Crestron Launches HDMI DA Earlier this week, Crestron announced the release of its new HD-DA-2-QUAD, which integrates four independent 1-to-2 HDMI distribution amplifiers. Crestron says the HD-DA-2- QUAD is the perfect complement to the latest Crestron HD digital solutions, allowing sources to be shared between a DVPHD and an AMS, or to expand the outputs of an HD-MD8X2. All Crestron digital HD solutions, including the new HD-DA-2QUAD, are HDCP compliant and are supported by powerful DM Tools software. DM Tools automatically performs HDCP and Data Rate checks and performs EDID resolution management to enable installers to configure the system quickly and reliably.
The HD-DA-2-QUAD is a single rack-space unit containing four independent 1-to-2 HDMI distribution amplifiers. It is designed to split up to four HDMI, DVI, or DisplayPort Multimode signals to feed separate displays or processors, and is ideal for adding "loop-thru" capability to the inputs of a Crestron DVPHD Digital Video Processor. The HD-DA-2-QUAD supports HDMI 1.3a w/Deep Color, handles 1080p60 HDTV and WUXGA computer resolutions, and multi-channel HD lossless audio.
To read more about the HD-DA-2QUAD, go to: http://www.crestron.com/products/show_products.asp?jump=1&type=commercial&model=HD-DA-2-QUAD
Back to Top Panamax/Furman Announce BlueBOLT Taking a page from the SurgeX playbook, Panamax/Furman announced BlueBOLT, an IP-based control protocol for the Panamax and Furman products. In other words, you can now control their power conditioning products – the one’s that have IP-ports – via the Internet. Following SurgeX’s launch of this technology at InfoComm earlier this year, BlueBOLT allows you to do anything via IP from simple system reboots to comprehensive monitoring of power status — from anywhere in the world.
One totally unique feature of BlueBOLT is their graphical user interface that allows installers to monitor multiple installations across multiple locations. There are no static IP addresses to obtain, port numbers to remember, or new ISP accounts to configure. Unlike traditional IP systems that require a dedicated IT professional or programmer to set up, BlueBOLT offers what Panamax calls “true plug-and-play operation.”
Learn more at: http://www.mybluebolt.com/ (when it goes on-line in Q4, 2009)
Back to Top Sanus Ships LCD Mountable Combo Power Conditioner/Surge Protector Sanus Systems announced it is now shipping the Sanus Elements ELM205 Flat-panel HD Power Conditioner and Surge Protector. The ELM205 is the latest addition to the Sanus Elements accessory line, offering protection for home theater equipment and audio systems from damaging power surges, and is the first product in the series to offer noise filtration for superior quality signals. Features include:
• ClickFit compatibility for attaching directly to Sanus VisionMount LT25, LL22 and LMT15 TV wall mounts
• 1.31-inch depth allows the ELM205 to sit behind a mounted TV or piece of AV furniture
• Combo Ethernet and phone jack supports up to 100Base-T connection speeds
• Dual stage EMI/RFI filters eliminate noise from 20-50 dB (100 kHz-1MHz)
• Includes 1-foot and 6-foot power cords
You can read all about the ELM205 at: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/elements/surge-protector/ELM205
Back to Top Crestron "Officially" Intros Prodigy In our last issue of rAVe Home, we told you about an impending launch of a new control system from Crestron called Prodigy. Well, it’s official, Prodigy is a new line of home control products from Crestron, that’s aimed at the “simple to install, easy to use, and exceptionally affordable solution” crowd as it does not require any special wiring, programming (that’s what they said) or expensive custom installation. Prodigy home automation solutions include home theater, audio distribution, lighting and climate control.
Using a Crestron software tool called Prodigy Composer the system guides you through a few simple steps using basic drop down menus and check boxes (basically, a configurable control system for the home). The software provides all the logic and creates touch screen interfaces automatically in the background. The wizard is intuitive so anyone can get a system up and running in minutes without any training.
You can see prodigy for yourself at: http://www.crestron.com/solutions/prodigy_affordable_home_automation/
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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