March 14, 2006 | Volume 3, Issue 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
News
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Introduction Feature Article CEDIA Executive Update CEDIA News
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Manufacturers: Do your messages target system integrators? So do ours! rAVe Home Edition is the only eNewsletter written for design and installation professionals working in home theater and automation. rAVe Home Edition, co-sponsored by CEDIA, currently has one opportunity for an annual sponsorship. Sponsorships are limited in number and restrictions apply. To see if your company is eligible, contact Alex Gibson at agibson@kayye.com or (919) 969-7501. Introduction Welcome to another issue of rAVe Home Edition!
With the huge boom in HomeAV, lots of installers are breaking out and starting up their own companies. But what does it take to be successful running your own business? A business plan, for one, and John Stiernberg gives you a blow-by-blow on how to create one. Even if your business isn’t new, you NEED a business plan. This is a great blueprint in either case.
We welcome Don Gilpin to the rAVe Home contributors. Don will be providing an executive update from CEDIA to keep you informed of what the organization is up to.
And in the news, we cover a new DVD-projector combo from Toshiba. This one’s a beaut. Enjoy the issue! — Gary Kayye, CTS Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail Frequently, pro AV people (systems integrators, technicians, rental and staging contractors, designers, etc.) plunge into the integration business with good technical chops but without a business plan. Too often the results are disappointment and burnout rather than creative, technical, and financial success. Can business problems be anticipated and prevented? Can pro AV people learn from the business world and apply lessons without “selling out” or "becoming a suit?” The answer to both questions is yes! Whether you are already making all or part of your living from AV, or just thinking about the possibilities, this article provides fundamental concepts and encouragement for constructing or updating your business plan. Why Have a Business Plan? You may have heard the expression “Fail to plan, plan to fail”. Most businesses (AV-related or otherwise) do not have written business plans. They may have revenue, checkbooks, and even budgets. If they do not have a complete business plan, they are at risk, and many fail as a result. There are seven positive reasons to construct a written plan: 1. Road Map. The plan shows you the best route to your goals and objectives. 2. Measuring Stick. The plan includes financial and non-financial objectives and measurement criteria so you can track your progress along the way. 3. Opportunity Management Tool. The plan articulates what business you are in and how you conduct business. This allows you to identify viable business opportunities, and avoid or manage those opportunities that do not make sense for you. 4. Lower Stress. When you have a plan, you spend less time and energy worrying about whether you are doing the right thing. Your plan helps keep you grounded and calm. 5. Catalyst for Your Best Work. A business plan is like a system design, stage plot, or project schematic. It assures that everyone is working from the same blueprint and performing business tasks in the right order—without compromising inspiration or creativity. 6. Competitive Weapon. Relatively few businesses have plans. When you do, you have an automatic edge on your competition. This helps boost your confidence as you build your competitive position in the market. 7. Essential for Securing Financing. At some point in your business, you are likely to need cash for operations or business development — above and beyond your revenue from regular business operations. Your business plan helps you anticipate cash needs. A solid business plan is a requirement of any worthy financial institution — even your “rich uncle.” What’s in a Business Plan? A business plan is a written system of documents that puts your business and its market environment in context over the course of the next several years. It describes 1) what you are going to do, 2) how you are going to do it, and 3) what the consequences are. The main text is 15 to 20 pages long. In addition, it includes financial schedules and supplemental material that are included in the reference section or appendix. The reason for the brevity is simple. If it is too long, few people will actually read and use the document. Here is a brief description of the contents of each of five main sections or “chapters.” Chapter 1: Description of your company, business, and industry. This is where you talk about the pro AV industry and your role in it. Chapter 2: Description of products, both goods and services. This is where you describe what you do in detail, plus the features, benefits, and advantages of your product vs. the competition. “Products” are what you get paid for. Examples of products include: • Rental and staging technician: system set up, maintenance, show management, etc. • System designer/consultant: pre-design consultation, system design, commissioning, etc. • Systems contractor/integrator: system installation, end-user training, maintenance, etc. Chapter 3: Market overview and marketing strategy. This is where you describe the size and growth of target segments, the competitive environment, your promotional strategy, product distribution channels, types of projects, your salesforce, and target client base. The marketing section is a “plan within a plan,” and is the most important section of the whole document. (Editor's note: We'll include an entire article on "The Seven Links in the Marketing Chain" in an upcoming issue of Gary Kayye’s rAVe). Chapter 4: Management and organizational overview. This section describes your business experience, history, and personnel needs. This is the place to identify key people, their job functions, and credentials — even if it is a one-person business. Future needs refers to people who will be added to the business as it grows. Chapter 5: Financial summary. This section includes $ projections for sales revenue, expenses, sources and uses of working capital (cash) over a three year period. These are summarized briefly in the text of the plan, and shown in full detail in the appendix. Good business plans also include an Executive Summary. This is a one or two page document that includes the essence of the whole business plan. Executive summaries are helpful when seeking financing, especially when many people are reviewing the plan. What If This All Seems Intimidating? You may be a great AV technician, consultant, or integrator, but not necessarily a businessperson. You may find that aspects of running your business are tedious or even scary. That’s OK, but it does not take away the need for a business plan. Here are three key points: 1. Double the planning time and cut the implementation time in half. This is a tried-and-true rule of time management. It’s easier and less costly to do the planning on paper than to learn by the dreaded trial and error. This points to the value of constructing your business plan early in the game. 2. The biggest challenge is competing for attention. We are continually bombarded with information today, and “data overload” is unlikely to change. This points to the value of the marketing section of your business plan in the overall scheme of things. 3. Someone has to handle the business. If not you, find someone who will — or just do AV for fun. This points to the value of identifying your strengths and weaknesses and building your team as your business grows. The Payoff Constructing a business plan is essential for long-term success. Are you thinking about going independent? Your business plan will guide you and help you prevent mistakes and disappointment. Once you are implementing your business plan, you’ll find that you are spending more time providing great AV systems, bringing quality entertainment and communications to new audiences, and making a good living doing something you love. From my standpoint, it’s worth the effort! About the Author John Stiernberg is principal consultant with Stiernberg Consulting, the Los Angeles-based business development firm — http://www.stiernberg.com John has more than 30 years of music and entertainment technology industry experience, including eight years as musician and agent, 12 years working for sound equipment manufacturers, and 13 years as business analyst and consultant. In addition to pro AV industry affiliations (CEDIA, Infocomm, NAMM, NSCA), he is a member of IBMA, NARAS, the Folk Alliance, and the American Federation of Musicians. Contact John via john@stiernberg.com. John's book "Succeeding In Music: A Business Handbook for Performers, Songwriters, Agents, Managers, and Promoters" is published by Backbeat Books. For details, visit http://www.succeedinginmusic.net
March 2006 Time Flies When You’re Having Fun By Don Gilpin Executive Director CEDIA
It’s hard to image that it is already March. Time passes quickly when you’re working off the CEDIA calendar. Just a week ago the CEDIA Management Conference and inaugural Electronic Lifestyles® Forum was taking place in Speaking of new ways to educate, I am thrilled at the development and success of our new education program, CU On the Road. With eight events scheduled this year in the As we move into spring it is once again time to focus on CEDIA EXPO, which is only six months away. CEDIA EXPO not only has become a leading trade show in the industry, I would argue that it is the trade show for companies designing and installing electronic systems in the home. CEDIA EXPO began as a hopeful start up with about 800 participants and has grown into today’s show with a half million square feet of exhibits and almost 27,000 participants. Trade Show Week Magazine has consistently ranked CEDIA EXPO in its annual “Top 200 Trade Shows” listing with CEDIA EXPO 2004 breaking into the “Top 100” ranking at #90. With the development of the Electronic Systems Project Management (ESPM) and Electronic Systems Designer (ESD) core curriculum courses CEDIA University will be offering more core classes than ever before at EXPO 2006. There will be a total of 272 educational offerings not including CEDIA Certification reviews and exams, as well as hundreds of manufacturer product training offerings. If it sounds like you won’t have any time to venture out onto the trade show floor, don’t worry, we are adding an additional day. The show floor will now be open to attendees Thursday-Sunday during EXPO week. Also, EXPO will feature inspiring keynote speakers, exciting giveaways, and exceptional entertainment. Continue to check upcoming issues of rAVe for more details on all the excitement awaiting you at EXPO this year. CEDIA always has something to offer a professional in the electronic systems industry so review the calendar below for events near you. We are always striving to offer the best and the quality of our members proves that everyday. Thank you.
Don Gilpin Executive Director CEDIA
Calendar of Events
Tuesday March 7, 2006 through Thursday March 9, 2006 Location: CEDIA Training Facility –
CEDIA Industry Outreach: Interiors 2006 Thursday March 16, 2006 through Sunday March 19, 2006 Location:
Tuesday March 21, 2006 through Friday March 24, 2006 Location: Crestron Headquarters –
CEDIA Industry Outreach: Home Entertainment Source Friday March 24, 2006 through Tuesday March 28, 2006 Location:
CEDIA Industry Outreach: IDEC Conference Monday March 27, 2006 through Friday March 31, 2006 Location:
Monday April 3, 2006 through Tuesday April 4, 2006 Location: CEDIA Training Facility –
Integrated Systems China 2006 Wednesday April 12, 2006 through Friday April 14, 2006 Location:
Friday April 21, 2006 through Monday April 24, 2006 Location: Media Dynamics –
For a complete list of CEDIA events click here.
CU On the Road – Crestron Don’t miss your chance for great
• CEDIA Designer Certification review & exam • Intensive Business Planning Workshop • How to Market & Sell Profitable Projects Workshop • Free Crestron Manufacturer Product Training for the following products:
— Crestron Experience — Crestron Automation Solutions — Crestron Beyond products
For complete details on CU On the Road – Crestron visit http://www.cedia.org/education/on_the_road.php
For questions concerning any CU On the Road events email cuotr@cedia.org or call 800-669-5329. CEDIA EXPO Keynote Speakers Announced
Opening Keynote – William O. Leszinske, Jr. William Leszinske is the General Manager of the Networked Media Platform Group within Intel Corporation's Digital Home Group. He previously served as the Intel® Viiv™ Technology Platform Manager.
Bill has an extensive background in sales and marketing. In 2004, he formed the Digital Home marketing team within Intel's Desktop Products Group. He also served as director of Chipset and Software Marketing for the same group. Prior to joining Intel, he was a regional applications manager for one of the world’s largest computer companies. Leszinske will speak at CEDIA EXPO Thursday, September 14 from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Annual Meeting & Membership Luncheon Keynote – Steve Forbes Don’t miss this great opportunity to see President and CEO of Forbes, Inc., Steve Forbes, speak at CEDIA EXPO on Friday, September 15 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Steve Forbes is President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine.
Since Mr. Forbes assumed his position in 1990, the company has launched a variety of new publications and businesses. They include: Forbes FYI, the irreverent lifestyle supplement; Forbes Asia; and Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew and Polish editions of the magazine. Forbes also publishes the Gilder Technology Report, as well as a number of investment newsletters.
Visit http://www.cedia.org/expo for more information on both keynote speakers and for the latest information on CEDIA EXPO 2006.
News Have a news tip? Send them to rAVe Editor-in-Chief Denise Harrison — dharrison@kayye.com Industry News
1. Microsoft Designs Handheld PC Look familiar?
Microsoft this week debuted its new personal computer, a little thing weighing 2.5 pounds and just 1-inch thick with a 7-inch screen. Code-named “Origami,” it looks remarkably like Crestron’s Isys i/O, wouldn’t you say? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
This new Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC), shown for the first time at CeBIT in
Pricing will be determined by the OEM partners (right now, they are Founder and Samsung in the second quarter of 2006, with a model debuting from Asus shortly thereafter. Other models from TabletKiosk and PaceBlade
By comparison, the only thing close in the CE retail market has been the Toshiba Libretto, a $1,799 teeny computer (8.2” x 6.5” x 7.1” and 2.16 lbs.) with a teeny keyboard an 7.2-inch screen. Nice, very nice, but this UMPC with its touchscreen looks like a killer app. Plus, it’s pretty hard to find a Libetto anywhere outside
Microsoft intends this for work and play as well as “staying connected” with its built-in WiFi. And they are already hinting that some models could come with digital TV tuners and of course, GPS. Put all that in and it’s going to be amazing. The only thing it’s lacking is Windows Media Center Edition, which would slap the PVR market quite hard.
For more information, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/umpc/
For more on the Libretto, go to http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?coid=-29335&ccid=1291021&rcid=-26367&seg=HHO
For more on Isys i/O, go to http://www.crestron.com/features/isys_io/
2. TiVo Simplifies Pricing Plans TiVo announced the company will now bundle its boxes and service plans into one monthly fee, rather than selling the boxes separately. TiVo says their research shows consumers want simpler pricing structures although honestly, the previous structure wasn’t exactly complicated – sounds like a fancy way of saying we’re raising our prices.
The result is a slightly higher monthly subscription fee, such as $19.95 a month for a box and one year of service (or $225 prepaid). A box and two years: $18.95 a month or $369 prepaid. A box and three years of service is $16.95 a month or $469 prepaid. And the lifetime service option? Kaput.
Is this a good idea for TiVo? If shoppers are comparing DVR boxes from TiVo and the many other manufacturers now offering them, perhaps they’ll see value in getting a “free box.” But consumers may balk at paying close to $20 a month when they think they can get basically the same recording ability for free with just an up-front purchase from another manufacturer.
Bottom line: TiVo needs to hawk their unique capabilities. The setup is unbelievably simple, and even setting up the networking is almost a no-brainer. The
In other TiVo news, the company announced the subscription base has grown to 4.4 million and they’re looking at 45 percent annual growth. The company also had its first positive cash flow from operations this quarter, and announced a partnership with Verizon Wireless for mobile programming (TiVo users can schedule their TiVo programming from a Verizon phone similar to how they can schedule from the Yahoo! TV schedule), and a distribution agreement with Radio Shack.
For more information, go to http://www.tivo.com/5.3.1.asp
3. Mobile TV Usage Surprises Researchers The results of a new study conducted in
Each of the pilots involved Nokia and a broad spectrum of companies, including broadcasters, mobile operators and broadcast network providers. Each pilot also involved broadcasts of live digital TV content over DVB-H networks to the Nokia 7710 smartphone.
Interim results from the pilot in
New prime times for broadcasters and advertisers also emerge from the pilots. The
The surprise in HOW they used mobile TV was that many users watched it in their homes, sometimes just feet away from their regular TVs.
For more information, go to http://press.nokia.com/PR/200603/1038209_5.html
Integrator Solutions 4. VESA Revises Standards for Flat-Panel Mounting
The revisions focus on the size of the screw mounting surface interface dimensions and the mounting hole pattern specifications. For example, rather than requiring four mounting holes in a specific spacing pattern relevant to smaller screens, the changes in the standard enable spacing to be wider or narrower depending on the chassis used with the large screens.
Also, in place of a single 100mm x 100mm pattern for screen mounting, which applies to smaller screens, there are variations of different patterns that can be used for larger screens and which will comply with the VESA standard. The pattern variations will be useful for mounting companies which are developing products to accommodate the screen manufacturers.
For more information, go to http://www.vesa.org/press/fdmiv1r1.htm
5. New Motorized Mounts From Draper Draper announced two new motorized mounts, The Phantom and The Orbiter. The Phantom allows the projector to be mounted into a framework above the ceiling then, when activated, a trapdoor opens and the projector lowers into position. The projector is aligned with the screen during installation.
The Orbiter is a mount that conceals the projector above the ceiling, and the user uses a switch or wireless transmitter to place the projector into “show” position. Draper says the mount can fit into small cavities.
Both the Phantom and the Orbiter include a universal projector mounting bracket.
For more information, go to http://www.draperinc.com/
6. Zobo Launches Plasma Pop-Up TV Furniture Collection Consumers love this stuff. The ability to hide a TV set until they want to watch it, plus the cool factor of raising and lowering a TV into a piece of furniture, are features that should make these easy sells for the HomeAV dealer.
Zobo announced a new line, the Selwyn Furniture Collection with the Selwyn Plasma Pop-up TV Cabinet and a matching end table for audio/video equipment. Both are sold online at http://www.zobo.tv and at the Zobo.tv retail store at Carolina Place Mall in
Zobo says they designed this line to have as small a footprint as possible. The Selwyn Plasma Pop-up cabinet is 20 inches deep and 36 inches tall and houses flat-panel TVs up to 50 inches wide. It has a lift mechanism with a rack-and-pinion design and the lift automatically raises and lowers when the television turns on and off – very cool. There is also a safety pressure sensor that detects obstructions in the lift's path and causes it to reverse direction if there is a problem. It uses built-in IR, and also ships with an RF remote for manually raising and lowering the lift.
The Selwyn Plasma TV Pop-Up Cabinet also has DVD/VHS/CD storage in the front.
The matching Selwyn End Table provides housing for components such as DVD players, surround sound receivers and set-top boxes. It is designed with an adjustable base so you can route cables out the sides or back. The end table also has hidden vents.
The furniture comes in Pecan or Black Walnut finishes, both which have antiquing with subtle distressing. The Plasma Pop-up is priced at $2,499 and the end table at $345.
For more information, go to http://www.zobo.tv/c.284473/site/static/index.html
7. Cool-stack II Designed for Larger Racks, Larger Heat Loads Active Thermal Management introduced Cool-stack II, a 2 rack-unit high air exhaust system designed for larger racks and more heat reduction. This unit has six 120mm fans and an 18-inch depth and the company says it pulls up to 130 CFM of hot air out of tightly-packed racks, without a lot of noise.
Cool-stack II has three temperature-controlled speeds and is installer-programmable to switch between any two speeds as rack temperature changes. The company says the programming accommodates both commercial and residential racks and in both cases, heated air can be expelled through the perforated front panel, or through ports on the top or rear panels. Also, tubings and fittings channel exhausted hot air from its top and rear exhaust ports to nearby closets, attics, utility rooms, etc.
Cool-stack II is shipping with MSRP of $649.95
For more information, go to http://www.activethermal.com/Cool-StackII.htm
Projection
8. Toshiba Raises Bar on DVD-Projector Combos Toshiba is the latest company to introduce a DVD-projector combo unit, but this one, the Toshiba et20, may just accommodate ProAV as well as HomeAV with its 5.1-channel audio, Realta HQV video processor and short throw lens (about 6.5 foot image from 3.2 feet away).
This is a category that a year ago had only one or two players. Now, it’s getting a bit crowded with something like five DVD-projector combos on the market. Toshiba’s, though, will more readily find its way into the presentation market (the others are decidedly HomeAV projectors) although the 854 x 480 specified resolution mentioned on one of the Toshiba web pages — http://www.toshiba.de/projektoren/pages/super_neuheiten.asp?ActiveMenue=3# — is a bit low. The 2000:1 contrast ratio is fine.
It is priced at about $400 more than the highest priced DVD-projectors on the market — MSRP on the et20 is $1,900.
But here’s the thing: at rAVe, we’ve long applauded Optoma’s MovieTime for its great-looking design, which was by far the best looking of the bunch. Toshiba about outdid that design with this projector. It’s absolutely awesome looking. Decent specs, excellent design – the et20 is HOT.
The direct link from the website to the press release with projector specs isn’t working as yet, but we’ve learned this is a DLP model. It is not yet available in the U.S.
For more information, go to http://www.toshiba-europe.com/projectors/
Audio 9. Apple Announces iPod Hi-Fi Apple announced a new stereo system for the iPod. The iPod Hi-Fi, controllable by the Apple Remote, is an all-in-one design that Apple says has an isolated enclosure, two custom designed wide-range speakers and a tuned, ported bass system that minimizes vibration.
The Hi-Fi is designed to be portable with power from six D-cell batteries or from AC.
There were so many companies coming out with iPod stereo systems that you can’t blame Apple for designing their own. But why announce this the same day as the Mac mini and not integrate the two?
For more information, go to http://www.apple.com/ipodhifi/ Displays 10. Plasma Prices Plummeting Prices on plasma TVs are coming down quite quickly. VIZIO is the latest to announce lower pricing for the company’s HD TVs. The 42-inch model is now $1,499 and the 50-inch is $2,299. VIZIO TVs are sold at Costco, Sam’s and BJ’s.
The VIZIO P42HDTV is a new 42-inch high definition plasma design that is 4 inches deep and specified at 1024 x 768 resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, and 231 billion colors. The VIZIO P50HDM is specified at 1366 x 768 resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio and 231 billion colors.
The company also announced two new LCD TVs at very affordable pricing and both with integrated ATSC tuners.
The L32HDTV LCD TV has a QAM digital cable tuner and is specified at 1366 x 768 resolution and 8 ms response time. It has PIP/POP, 3:2 pulldown, 3D-comb filter, motion-adaptive deinterlacer, component, VGA-type PC and HDMI video inputs along with multiple video settings and it’s priced at $999 and ships March 20. The 37-inch L37HDTV is available now for $1,499.99 at Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's and online.
For more information, go to http://www.vizioce.com/site/index.html
Media Distribution and Control 11. Move Over MCE, Apple’s in the House! As you likely know by now, Apple announced a new computer, the Mac mini, designed to serve as a digital media server. This computer uses the Intel Core Duo processor, making it four times faster than previous models.
The Mac mini starts at an attractive $599 and comes with Apple’s iLife ’06 suite of digital lifestyle applications, including the Apple Remote and Front Row for playing music, viewing photo slideshows, watching DVDs, iMovies and music videos as well as TV shows. And users can access those files from throughout the home with Bonjour, what Apple calls a “zero configuration” wireless networking function including in Mac OS X.
The Mac mini includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi for 54 Mbps wireless networking, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and a total of four USB 2.0 ports, twice as many as the previous generation. Mac mini includes a DVI interface and a VGA-out adapter, and now features both analog and digital audio outputs to easily connect to a home stereo.
iLife ’06 has new versions of iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and the new iWeb, a new iLife application that makes it easy for users to create websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on .Mac with just a single click.
The downside appears to be in the TV capabilities, such as getting the Mac mini connected to the TV in the first place. It requires a separately-sold DVI-to-TV adapter. Then, once connected, it looks like users are limited to the low-res iTunes video content – the Mac mini is not a DVR for recording anything on TV. But I suspect people will complain loudly about these issues and Apple will announce fixes shortly. At least, we can hope.
For more information, go to http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/feb/28macmini.html
12. The First Real Threat to Netflix Blockbuster, Amazon – plenty of companies are trying to grab some of the success Netflix enjoys with its no late fee, postal service delivery and return model. Netflix subscribers line up a queue of films on the website and as soon as the consumer returns a rented movie in the postage-paid envelope, the next one in the queue is automatically mailed, and usually received in about two days. It couldn’t be easier. Or could it?
MovieBeam looks like one of the best competitors to this market yet. Movies are beamed wirelessly into the consumer’s home using the company’s own digital signal, indoor antenna and cabling and the MovieBeam player. MovieBeam will deliver up to 10 new movies a week.
The concept is better than video stores because consumers won’t find that films are out of stock. It’s also better than Netflix because consumers won’t receive the occasional damaged DVD, and they also don’t have to mess with mailing a movie back (although that’s not a big deal). And MovieBeam is better because there is no wait. It’s also better because there is no subscription fee, you just pay for movies as you rent them.
Why it’s not as good as Netflix is that once you rent a movie from MovieBeam, you have only 24 hours to watch it. You also have to buy the MovieBeam box ($199.99, or $249.99 before $50 rebate) and pay a $29 activation fee. Then you pay for rentals individually – new releases are $3.99, or $4.99 for HD. All other movies are $1.99 or $2.99 for HD.
Another downside is that MovieBeam has a warning on their website that while many of the new releases arrive at the same time as home video releases “others may take up to 30 to 45 days, depending on the applicable
Yet another downside is it is not available everywhere. According to the website, MovieBeam is available in 29 metropolitan across the U.S.: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington D.C. and is not available outside those areas.
And, the billing system requires users connect the box to a land phone line.
The box comes pre-loaded with 100 popular movies. Other movies are sent to, and stored, on the box as time goes by.
Still, an interesting concept for those who get tired of paying for unreliable premium digital cable for new movies, and if selected as a replacement, consumers would eventually save money compared to satellite and cable premium pricing. But in terms of movie rental selection, Netflix still has the edge.
For more information, go to https://www.moviebeam.com/opencms/opencms/Pages/ Players 13. Converting Your DVDs to Your iPod Avanquest Software announced new products that give users more options for what they can watch on their iPods.
First and foremost is the DVD2POD, a DVD and movie file conversion program that allows users to convert personal DVDs for play on the iPod Video, as well as format any AVI video files.
DVD2POD has two operation modes: The automatic wizard mode assists the user in selecting the source to format, designating the best video and audio settings. With the advanced mode, users can select from video and audio parameters including 2 pass encoding for smoother motion and compression rates to control the file size and quality.
The other software is the PodMediaCreator, which lets users customize their own multi-media programs. Users can compose, edit and personalize home videos, combine photos, sound and text to create video slideshows, edit photos and combine and mix MP3 files with added sound effects.
Pricing on these software programs is $29.95 and they are available online and at retail stores. Also, a full free demo version of each product is available on the company website.
For more information, go to http://www.shop.avanquest.com/usa/index.php?category=-1&subcat=-1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thanks for reading, and tell your friends by clicking on the “forward” button at the top of the newsletter or sending them to Copyright 2006 – 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. |