December 23, 2005 | Volume 2, Issue 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Introduction Editorial Special Announcement
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Introduction Welcome to another issue of rAVe Home Edition! The world of technology is now officially iPod-centric. Manufacturers are developing ways to incorporate it into the home theater, which means that, even though it’s a total CE off-the-shelf commodity, the iPod has a significant influence on every HomeAV contractor’s proposals, designs, sales, you name it. So we’ll continue to bring you iPod news here, even though, and because, rAVe is a contractor publication. In my editorial this week, I discuss the technophobe professors who think laptops distract students from learning. Huh? Enjoy the issue! — Gary Kayye, CTS Editorial Are Laptops Bad for College Kids; or Professors? By Gary Kayye, CTS I’ve had the October 14, 2005 issue of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on my desk since the day it came out. I’ve been meaning to write this story for a long time, but just didn’t have the time or opportunity. But, now it’s time. OK, now, I assume you’ve read it, right? Well, you know what I think? Boo-fricking-hoo. What a whiner professor Dennis Adams is perceived to be. I’ve been teaching in environments where 100 percent of the students have wireless internet access and laptops sitting right in front of their faces, and I had the entire audience’s attention for more than two hours. Besides, students have been ignoring BORING class lectures for a lot longer than laptops have been around. Before there were laptops, there was the crossword puzzle in the school newspaper. Before the crossword puzzle, there was doodling on notebook margins and before that, there was watching paint peel. If Professor Adams can’t keep his students’ attention for a 50-minute lecture, maybe he ought to take a look in the mirror – rather than to a computer – to lay blame. Look, there’s no question that we are all fighting for the attention of each and every person we come in contact with every day. Advertising, the Internet, sunshine, snow, catchy songs, iPods, video-iPods, Treos, the phone, the cell phone, Blackberrys – they’re all making attention spans difficult to capture. So what are we to do? Live with it! Laptops may distract the average college student as he hops from class to class, but the benefits gained from having them far and away exceed the personal and psychological expense. When I attended school at the University of North Carolina (the home of the 2005 national champion Tar Heel basketball team, by the way), we had to hand-write all our papers in little blue books. And we’d get points against us if they couldn’t read our writing. Boo-hoo again, right? Well, heck, we even had to do research in the library – and that sucked when it was a frigid 34 degrees outside. I even had to wear a coat sometimes. But, the bright side was the library was where many of the girls also studied. The laptop is a tool that has forever revolutionized education. That, coupled with wireless Internet access on most of today’s college campuses, means you’re carrying around an encyclopedia from every country in the world, every song ever produced, every paper ever written, blah, blah, blah – I could go on and on. And, it all fits in a backpack. The laptop is a college student’s gateway to the world they’re about to enter, and it provides them not only a tool packed with information and access, but also a tool to check facts, hear the other side, and an opportunity to form their own opinions. Would professor Adams recommend we go back to the dark ages of education where we have to believe all the rhetoric of each and every professor we had without regard to reality? What’s next, projectors? Should we think twice about putting a projector in a classroom because it might be used by a couple of rogue frat-boys in the middle of the night to show porno-flicks? Sure, there are and always will be abuses of every system. But, shall we punish the masses for the few? The irony of the fact that the article cites the University of Houston, where professor Adams lectures, the prestigious LIBERAL-arts school known as UCLA, and the University of Virginia as investigating the possibility of blocking wireless-internet access in the classrooms is not lost on me. Should we control what the students see, hear and understand? Come to think of it, isn’t that what some colleges set out to do? Ironic, huh? Click above for more information
CEDIA Management Conference 2006 Now is Your Time to Profit from Experience The 2006 CEDIA Management Conference will be held February 20-23 in San Francisco, CA. Management Conference has become one of the premier events for business owners, presidents, and decision makers in the custom residential electronic systems industry. If you haven’t been to Management Conference before, now is the time! The conference will feature two keynote speakers, including Harvey Mackay who will teach you how to out sell, out manage, out motivate, and out negotiate your competition. Also, you will witness Jeffrey Fox’s no-nonsense, crystal clear message taught around the world, how to become a Rainmaker. There will also be Cross Industry presentations from top companies in their fields such as Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and Dale Carnegie Institute, as well as Small Group Forums on the following business issues: • Industry SWOT • Customer Relations • Success with Manufacturers • Marketing/Advertising • Production Home Market • Sales Processes • Project Management • Service Department • Skilled Employees • Crisis Management To find out more about Management Conference visit www.cedia.org, click on ‘CEDIA University’ and then ‘Management Conference'. Discriminating custom installation specialists choose wisely. Click above for more information News Have a news tip? Send them to rAVe Editor-in-Chief Denise Harrison — dharrison@kayye.com Industry News
1. NBC Universal Next to Supply TV Shows to iPod Why would we run such a consumer-based story? Well, if you attended CEDIA Expo this year, you know that it could have been labeled the iPod show. It seemed as if everyone had an iPod plug-in – and every audio manufacturer actually did. Well, here comes video content. The desire to make the iPod or Apple’s iTunes the living room’s video player is REAL, and you WILL SEE a wireless video transmitter from Apple in 2006. Thus, the next time around, CEDIA could be the iPod Video show. Watch this carefully as unlike MANY, MANY of the video servers on the market now, the iPod is something even a 5-year-old can use – I know, as my 5-year-old does! Video iPod owners can get NBC Universal TV shows along with the previously-announced deal with ABC. The NBC shows will include primetime, cable, late-night and classic TV shows, including hits such as “Law & Order” and late-night favorites such as sketches from “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” NBC says there are more than 300 episodes of 16 popular TV shows available and they also include shows from NBC-owned Sci-Fi Channel and the USA Network. Those networks have shows such as “Battlestar Galactica,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Dragnet,” “Adam-12” and “Knight Rider.” Apple’s Steve Jobs says that since the video iPod was launched, users Downloaded more than three million videos. Shows are priced at $1.99, just as in the ABC deal. For more information, go to http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/dec/06nbc.html 2. Director Harker Resigns From InFocus This is just the latest change at InFocus, a company that was high-flying just a few years ago but one now struggling in sales, but more importantly, in profit. In September, InFocus announced a restructuring to achieve a 20-25 percent reduction in expenses, including layoffs — http://www.ravepro.com/issues/2005/09/vol3iss17/#in2 – after the company posted a loss the first two quarters of 2005. In the first quarter, there was a loss of $14 million on revenues of $137 million, and in the second quarter, there was a loss of $19.6 million on revenues of $135 million. Then the third quarter earnings were net loss of $6.2 million on $2 million net income. The company previously announced plans to pull out of the displays market, including their renowned DLP rear projection TVs. In the announcement, Harker didn’t say he was “pursuing other interests,” as is so often the boilerplate in these announcements. Instead, he cited a desire for a more leisurely life style, travel and more family time as reasons for his resignation. I had the opportunity to get to know John quite well over the years – as many of you did. For a CEO, he was very “reachable” and personable. In addition, he really had a great handle on technology and while he was in the CEO position at InFocus, they grew exponentially. I wish John all the best and hope he enjoys watching movies on his new LP-777. For more information, go to http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/051129/20051129005375.html?.v=1
3. Panasonic Starts Pilot Production of 50-GIGABYTE Blu-ray Discs, HD-DVD Delayed The new pilot program from Panasonic results in BD-ROM (the other name for Blu-ray) discs with 50GB of storage using dual-layer technology. HD-DVD has 45GB capacity. Sony’s PlayStation 3, due out next year, will read Blu-ray Discs. Other than that leg up, which could obviously be significant, the two technologies will fight it out on the retail shelves, with each side backed by industry heavyweights. For more information, go to http://www.panasonic.com4. New Alliance Seeks to Reduce Remote Controls to One per RoomFor now, I’ll stick with Crestron and AMX, but this is interesting and something to watch. Could it be X10 version 3? A new alliance called the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) is a bunch of companies hoping to design together guidelines for making HD, and particularly, making it secure and easier to use. The companies include Charter Communications, JVC, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics, NBC Universal, Samsung and Sun Microsystems. These content providers, CE companies, service providers and IT experts hope to make everything work together so that one remote can control every AV networked device (on a HANA network) in a room. Additionally, HANA wants to allow users to view, pause and record five or more HD channels simultaneously, and from anywhere in the home and using only one set top box. They want users to be able to share content from PCs to AV devices while retaining content security, and their plans are that users can connect any device to the network with just one cable. In 2006, HANA plans to work with digital rights management technologies to incorporate anti-piracy measures into HANA compliant products, which will include HDTVs, next generation DVD players, personal video recorders, set top cable boxes and home theaters. HANA expects the first commercial of these products to be shipping by CES 2007. For more on HANA, go to http://www.hanaalliance.org/
5. New Connectivity Interface Hopes to Replace VGA The idea behind this movement is to replace the analog VGA connector with something other than the current digital-based DVI connectivity solution – a connector that’s perceived to be way too big, physically. An industry consortium is developing a new connectivity technology, Unified Display Interface (UDI), which they hope will replace the old VGA connector. UDI is for use with desktop PCs, workstations, notebook PCs and PC monitors and should work much better in terms of response times for LCD displays. UDI will be able to use High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology widely deployed in HDMI-compatible products today. As a result, host platforms with UDI connectors will be able to plug into monitors and HDMI-equipped display devices including HDTVs with full content-use rights management and high-definition video compatibility. Why not use HDMI? Well, HDMI is not a captive terminal (in other words, it doesn’t have screws to hold it in place). For end users, UDI will provide a universal video connection from the computer host to the display. For PC and monitor manufacturers, UDI is intended to enable easy integration with both discrete and integrated graphics controllers, letting OEMs build computer platforms and all-digital LCD monitors that are lower in cost, easier to use and higher in bandwidth. The special interest group involved in development includes Apple, Intel Corp., LG Electronics, National Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics and Silicon Image Inc. Contributors are graphics chip maker NVIDIA Corp., semiconductor manufacturer THine Electronics Inc., and cable and connector makers FCI, Foxconn Electronics Inc. and JAE Electronics Inc. The UDI group expects to have the specification completed (version 1.0) in the second quarter of 2006. There isn’t much on the website yet, but you can check back at http://udisigwebsite.org/ 6. Datacolor to Show New Color Calibration Tools at CES The company says that SpyderTV PRO scientifically measures and adjusts the display presets of any CRT, plasma, RPTV, LCD or DLP display, including TVs and front projectors that have gray scale controls in the user menu. The latest version delivers a deeper level of functionality, according to Datacolor. For more information, go to http://www.datacolor.com/
7. Epson Shipping PowerLite Home 20 3LCD Projector The projector has six preset color modes to accommodate different lighting conditions, and the short throw distance allows users to project an 80-inch image from 6.6 feet away. It also has optical/offset lens shift. The projector also comes with an 80-inch pull-up, floor-standing 16:9 screen with its own carrying case. In Epson related news, in my CEDIA review, I spoke about the Epson MovieMate 25 projector. Although it’s the ugliest of the DVD-integrated projectors, it is FAR AND AWAY the best projector with a built-in DVD and audio system on the market! This projector flat-out blows away the Optoma (which is currently being hawked on the Home Shopping Network for under $1300). You can’t make a living selling these to your high-end clients, but why not offer it as a kid’s room upgrade when installing your next client’s home theater? For more information, go to http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/HomeEntertainment/hedetails.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=-13222&category=
8. Syntax-Brillian 65-Inch LCoS HDTV/Media Center Server Shipping The set is specifically marketed to integrators, and includes integration for leading automation control providers, and free ISF Professional Calibration with each set purchased. The first units of Syntax-Brillian's 6580iFB have commenced shipment to national distributors, including Starin Marketing and Electrograph, and to select regional distributors. For more information, go to http://www.syntax-brillian.com/ 9. Creative Announces 12-Hour Video Player, Zen Vision:M The Zen Vision:M has a 2.5-inch screen and is available in black, white, blue, green or pink. The company claims the 262,144 color screen displays four times the color of the 30GB iPod and that it has twice the battery life. The Zen Vision:M carries up to 15,000 songs, and supports music subscription services including Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Napster To Go and Rhapsody To Go. The Zen Vision:M also supports downloads from online music stores like Yahoo! Music, Napster, MSN Music and AOL Music Now. This model also features FM radio and recording — with 32 preset options, tactile buttons on the face, a new "My Shortcut" Button for quick access to favorite DJ functions, content password protection, a built-in mic, selectable themes, including Marine Blue, Sable Black, Ice Blue, Forest Green, Candy Pink and Pearl White, an organizer, with calendar, tasks and contact lists that sync with Microsoft Outlook, and a clock with wake-to-any-music alarm. For more information, go to http://www.creative.com/products/mp3/zenvisionm/ 10. Tao, SoniqCast, PassAlong Team up on Wireless Portable Player The Tao Wireless Media Player automatically locates and accesses hotspots to allow the consumer to download music, audio books, talk programs, major newspapers, etc. The unit has a 20GB hard drive, and not only allows download from the internet directly to the unit, the technology also lets users share content between two devices. With content and service providers such as PassAlong and SoniqCast, users can access more than 1.6 million songs, 10,000 books and 1,000 publications. PassAlong's p2pREVOLUTION platform controls the player-to-player digital rights management, and PassAlong's Passing-and-Points feature allows users to earn points toward future purchases by recommending and passing songs to friends via instant messenger or email. For more information, go to http://www.taolife.com/wmp_prod.htm 11. More Wireless: MusicGremlin Announces Wireless Digital Audio Store and Player With a MusicGremlin device, users can download music anywhere they can connect to an available WiFi network. The device's WiFi manager scans and connects to available networks in the background, without interrupting the music. When not connected, users can browse and purchase new music in the MusicGremlin Direct store, which is then delivered to their device the next time they connect. Subscribers can choose an unlimited subscription or can purchase individual downloads. Customers can also purchase and download music and manage their accounts through a Web-based, PC version of the service. The store is delivered through a partnership with MusicNet, and MusicGremlin Direct includes content from all four major and 25,000 independent labels. For more information, go to http://www.musicgremlin.com/ 12. XcopyiPod Puts DVD Collections on iPods The software is available via download or CD for $19.99 on the company website. For more information, go to http://www.xcopy9.com/ The HDTV Business Conference will be held on January 4, 2006, the day before CES 2006 begins, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. This one-day executive-level event will cover the hottest topics in the HDTV industry. Topics to include: HD content, ipTV, mobile video, MSO competitiveness, digital rights management, HD DVD vs. Blu-ray, MD-TV, LCD-TV, PDP-TV, retailing and merchandizing, new channels of distribution and who is making money? Confirmed or likely speakers are from Qualcomm, Comcast, Microsoft, Intel, Toshiba, ESPN, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Samsung, Texas Instruments, Tweeter, Syntax-Brillian and SG Cowen. Who should attend? • Technologists and executives participating in related industries • Newcomers to the world of HDTV Why attend? • Hear from top industry executives about the strategic issues facing the Digital TV industry • Understand the key positions of industry leaders and where they are taking their companies • Build knowledge in all aspects of the HDTV industry • Gain insight to make strategic business decisions • Network Reception with the industry’s movers and shakers • Enhance your CES experience For program, conference registration, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.hdtv-bc.com. Or call Insight Media at (203) 831-8464.
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Thanks for reading, and tell your friends by clicking on the “forward” button at the top of the newsletter or sending them to Copyright 2005 – Kayye Consulting – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact us at Kayye Consulting, Inc. Editorial: dharrison@kayye.com Gary Kayye's rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |