Volume 4, Issue 6 – March 29, 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Welcome to this edition of rAVe Home! Did you see the price on Epson's new 1080p projector? For a relatively new technology, 1080p prices are dropping far faster than expected. We have a few highly-competitive companies, such as Epson and Mitsubishi, to thank for that. Read about it below. Also this issue, Denise Harrison starts a series on feature film downloading so that you'll be equipped with answers when your customers ask. Enjoy the issue! Gary Kayye, CTS Video Download Services Finally Arrive By Denise Harrison So, where do customers go to download newer feature-length movies, and how does it work? Whoever answers the phone at your company had better be prepared for the question about downloading movies. And as tempting as it is to say "You don't want to do that, the video quality stinks!" – DON'T DO IT. Audio systems, security, you name it and you can offer it, as a result of that phone call. That call is a MAJOR opportunity for your company to install everything from AV furniture to media jukeboxes, and even whole-home networks with automation. So, over the next few weeks, rAVe will offer a primer, of sorts, about the download services currently available. We'll cover CinemaNow, Movielink, Amazon Unbox and Netflix "Watch Now." And, finally, Gary will cover Apple TV as he was probably the first person on the planet to install it. If you know of a feature film download site not listed here, let us know and we'll check that out too. Stay tuned…
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The new Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 is priced at an amazing $2,999 – easily falling in the category of, or at least darn close to, commodity pricing. This new model is a 3LCD projector specified at up to 12000:1 (wow) contrast ratio and up to 1200 lumens. The new projector can yield an image up to 120 inches, and Epson says the company's AccuCinema lens system takes advantage of 14 lenses, including two aspherical lenses, for its uniform image quality. It also has lens shift of 96-degree vertical, and 47-degree horizontal, for more flexible installs. For more information, go to http://epson.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=126 TI Demos Pico Projection at CTIA It will be a long time before any of these small projectors pack enough power for formal presentations, if ever, but for small meetings or entertainment, these are expected to do well. Market projections are ambitious – shipments are expected to surpass 1 million units by 2010. For more information, go to http://www.dlp.com Recent LCD Sales Double That of Plasmas Mark my words: this trend will continue as LCD prices continue to plummet. For more information, go to http://www.pacificmediaassociates.com/ New TV Furniture Line From Sanus The stands have large wire management channels, and some models have adjustable shelves. If you compare these to TV manufacturer prices for their stands, these are priced very competitively, from $300 to $430 US. For more information, go to http://www.sanus.com/us/en/ New Automatic HDMI Switch Auto-Detects Devices in Use This unit instantly locks and transfers the audio and video content to the connected HD display. It has two input ports. Let's hope a 4 x 1 is on the way. The HDMI 2 x 1 Automatic Switch retails at $169.95. For more information, go to http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=pressreleases&ID=181
Altinex introduced the DVI Sniffer, for use when you have no picture and don't want to spend hours finding out which connection point is the weakest link. The DVI Sniffer is a palm-sized gadget that shows the digital signal strength at any connection point. It runs on two AA batteries. You can buy it directly from Altinex. The price listed on the website is $99.95. Altinex is also offering a free 30-day trial. For more information, go to http://altinex.com EZBracket Line of Universal Speaker Brackets Fit Round, Rectangular, In-Wall and In-Ceiling The company says these products universally adapt to fit most models from leading custom and architectural speaker manufacturers and replace the 10 to18 different bracket sizes typically used with each brand of speaker. Installation is done with only a staple gun, and just two brackets are required. Suggested cost is $13 or $14.50 depending on configuration. For more information, go to http://ezbracket.com/index.html Nexus Audio Systems Launches C-4.1 Multi-Room Controller at EHX Four sets of audio input jacks and IR jacks are housed in a wall plate that is installed in whichever room the source components will be stored. The plate is then connected to the controller via CAT5. This also features lower pricing. MSRP for the C-4.1 is $2000 and includes four keypads. The company also introduced a four source/four zone model. The news announcement indicates the C-4.4 is priced the same as the one zone model. For more information, go to http://www.nexusaudiosystems.com/ Audio Authority Introduces HDMI Distribution Amplifiers, Switchers The new switchers come in two- and four-position models with four different control methods. The switcher has multiple control options to make them suitable for applications such as whole house audio/video system as well as home automation and even commercial applications. These are priced at $209 and $249. For more information, go to http://www.audioauthority.com/ New Single-Gang Wall-Mount IR Button Panel From Calypso It has an onboard serial programming port and on-board IR learning. Once an IR code is learned, it can be assigned to a button. Also, a complete, fully-programmed CB-1000 configuration can be automatically copied to additional units via the same serial port. MSRP is $249. For more information, go to http://www.calypsocontrol.com/ Niveus Shipping Vista-Based Media Centers The boxes allow consumers to have one-way cable programming and they can view and record premium digital HD content without needing a set-top box. Instead, it uses the Niveus Digital Cable Receiver; an external, dual CableCARD receiver unit that can be paired with any Digital Cable Compatible Niveus Media Center. The company says they offer 1080p playback. Niveus Media's 2007 Summit Series – Rainier Edition and Denali Editions have MSRPs starting at $3,199 and $7,999. MSRP of the Pro Series n7 and n9 start at $7,999 and $15,999. For more information, go to http://www.niveusmedia.com/ New Installer-Friendly Home Theater Loudspeakers These also use 12-Volt trigger activated bi-pole/di-pole switching, pivoting midrange/tweeter pods and resonance-controlling cabinets for more accurate imaging. Pricing varies greatly depending on style, but the max price is around $2,400 a pair. For more details, go to http://www.nilesaudio.com/product_selection.php?catcdID=13 Well, that's it for this edition of rAVe! Thank you for spending time with me as we muse the industry's happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write to me at gkayye@kayye.com or for editorial: Denise Harrison at dharrison@kayye.com A little about me: Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry. Gary Kayye's rAVe was launched in February 2003. The rAVe Home Edition co-sponsored by CEDIA launched in February, 2004. To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to http://www.kayye.com Copyright 2007 – Kayye Consulting – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact Kayye Consulting, 400 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 425 – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – 919/969-7501. Email: 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. |