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Welcome to another edition of rAVe! I hope you'll join me at the Display Technology Experience. There are two coming up — Anaheim and Chicago — and you can read about them in the special announcements today. Thanks to Nick Dager's contribution this issue. You know Nick as one of the foremost digital cinema experts in our industry. Here, we are publishing his interview with David Wertheimer, the executive director of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California, a collection of brains that help determine the future of consumer entertainment. And today, we welcome a new feature article series — Five Minutes With CEDIA. This edition is a chat with Gordon Van Zuiden. Enjoy the issue! –Gary Kayye, CTS
Special Announcement
Special Announcement Donate to Swim for Smiles – Win a Free Banner Ad in rAVe! rAVe announced an auction for Gary Kayye's favorite charity! The top two highest bidders, offering donations to Swim for Smiles, will win banner ads in two upcoming issues of rAVe. The Swim for Smiles Foundation, co-founded by rAVe Founder Gary Kayye, is based in Chapel Hill, NC, and raises money for the NC Children's Hospitals through youth-oriented, swimming-based athletic activities. Started in 2005, the Swim for Smiles Foundation's most successful fundraiser to-date is its annual Youth Triathlon for kids ages 7-17 held each June. Kayye's dream is to eventually take Swim for Smiles national and to encourage other swim teams around the USA and Canada to start their seasons with friendly competition the Swim for Smiles way and raise money for heir local Children's Hospitals. With more than 2,500 summer swim leagues in the U.S., each has an average of 10 teams, with most team rosters listing more than 75 swimmers. To send in your bid, write to Gary at gkayye@kayye.com with your proposed donation. Submissions must be received by April 1, 2008. For more on Swim for Smiles, go to http://www.swimforsmiles.org/
Feature Article The Big Picture The Digital Cinema Summit is one of the highlights of the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention, which is held every April in Las Vegas. This year Summit is being held Saturday and Sunday April 12-13 and promises to provide a solid update on issues ranging from production and post-production all the way through distribution and exhibition. The Entertainment Technology Center at USC hosts the event with SMPTE. We spoke with ETC-USC executive director David Wertheimer to get an idea of what to expect at the Summit this year. David Wertheimer is the executive director of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California. He was previously the president of Paramount Digital Entertainment and has been immersed in producing content, developing new technologies, and managing organizations for more than 15 years. Wertheimer was appointed in early 2007 to head the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California (ETC-USC), bringing his expertise to bear on the technological and sociological implications of providing content to consumers who desire it at any time and any place. Through this consortium, which brings together all the major motion picture studios and several leading technology, consumer electronics companies and service providers. In addition to his stint at Paramount, Wertheimer was previously the founder and CEO of WireBreak Entertainment, a digital content distribution and television production company. I suspect that most of our readers are familiar with the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California, which you head, but for those who are not please explain what the center is and how it works. The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC, founded in 1993 with the help of George Lucas, is a non-profit organization within USC's School of Cinematic Arts. The ETC brings together the top entertainment, technology and consumer electronic companies to evaluate what consumers really want, which is then translated to the companies that make technology products. The ETC strives to show how technology impacts the next generation consumer, who will improve the consumer experience and will uncover new revenue streams for entertainment-related products. Current ETC sponsor participants include; Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, NBC-Universal, Viacom/Paramount, Warner Bros., along with Cisco, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Inc., Lucasfilm Ltd, and Thomson. The ETC basically does three things: We talk to consumers and find out what they want, what they're doing, and where they're headed. We have laboratories, e.g. the Digital Cinema Lab, or now the Anytime/Anywhere Content Lab, where we look at cutting-edge technologies, assess their effectiveness, and bring consumers into contact with devices and services to get feedback. Most importantly, we bring the decision makers from the studios, the tech, service and CE industries together to talk about how we can work together to solve problems and create new opportunities for consumers. From your perspective, how is the digital cinema rollout to theatres progressing in North America? Is the story the same in other countries? I would really defer to you on the rollout. From an ETC perspective, we're just pleased that the Digital Cinema Lab provided an opportunity to help the industry move from ideas to implementation. And it's taking shape around the world. The Digital Cinema Summit that is held each year in Las Vegas as part of the National Association of Broadcasters convention has become an almost must-attend event. What role does the ETC play in the Summit? We're working together with SMPTE, as in previous years, to produce the two-day event. In the past, we tried to structure the day generally along these lines: Day one was SMPTE's day to focus on the technology, and Day 2 was ETC's day to focus on the creative aspects of Digital Cinema. Now that Digital Cinema is more mature we've blended that agenda and we're working together on the entire event, with SMPTE naturally taking center stage. Without giving too much away, what do you see as the highlights at this year's Summit? There's a lot of excitement around 3D, and we're going to continue to give insights into production and distribution. We're also going to spend a fair amount of time talking about how DI's are changing and what it means for the production and post-production process. Of course, people will also be interested in hearing the cinematographers' viewpoints in the ASC panel. This event has become a must-attend for people who need to find out the current state-of-the-art in Digital Cinema. Nick Dager is the editor and publisher of Digital Cinema Report and is director of business development for CineMuse; distributor of North America's largest library of arts-and-science oriented HD programs. He can be reached at nickdager@digitalcinemareport.com.
Feature Article Series How did you get started in this industry? Who in the industry has been your biggest influence? How and why? Helen Heneveld also warmly welcomed me as a rookie to the industry back in 2001 and has helped guide our company and myself to better understand our representative associations, the manufacturers and the membership. And finally, Julie Jacobsen, for her accurate, timely reporting and insightful opinions on the companies and products that shape our industry. Describe some of your most memorable moments in the industry. What do you think was the greatest advance, event or trend in our industry in the last five years? What trends will affect custom integrators in the next two years? What are three things that custom integration companies need to do to prepare for the next two years? What drives you to be a member of CEDIA and how has it benefited you and/or your company? CEDIA Board Member Gordon Van Zuiden, President and founder of cyberManor (located in California's Silicon Valley) specializes in providing customized audio, video, data, and control solutions for the home for over eight years. cyberManor's focuses on digital infrastructure systems that leverage broadband Internet content and digital media servers to enhance the entertainment, communications, comfort, and security of living in a digitally connected home. Van Zuiden can be reached at gordon@cybermanor.com.
Register to Attend CEDIA's Electronic Lifestyles® Forum Like the saying goes "time fly's when you're having fun!" It's hard to believe, but Spring is here and its time for CEDIA's 3rd annual Electronic Lifestyles Forum. Join us in Dallas April 30-May 2, and be prepared to learn how to create successful working relationships with your industry partners. CEDIA's Electronic Lifestyles® Forum presents entertaining, inspiring, and thought-provoking keynote speaker Connie Podesta. Wednesday, April 30 Let's admit it – people and situations can be challenging. Effective communication can make or break a deal, determine outcomes, and affect our ability to achieve the success we desire. There is no one better to help us understand human behavior than Connie Podesta. Podesta's amazing insight into ourselves and others (including a few who "drive us crazy") will empower you to be healthier, happier, richer, and less stressed! She'll walk you step-by-step through: -General perception of a difficult person About the Speaker: Organizational therapist and expert in the psychology of human behavior, Podesta is internationally known for her high-energy, interactive, and entertaining sessions. With her captivating personality, Podesta has encouraged millions to achieve the success they desire and the personal and professional life they deserve. Her business expertise combined with her talents as a comedienne, human resources professional, author, actress, Licensed Professional Counselor, and radio/TV personality enable Podesta to inspire audiences to reach new heights. Visit www.cedia.org/elforum for more information or to register!
Does Your Work or Products Stand Up To Your Competitors? Who: What: Deadline to Enter: Manufacturers' Excellence Awards: May 9 (5:00 p.m. Pacific) Why: The Manufacturers' Excellence Awards competition has expanded to recognize the outstanding strides in technology that CEDIA manufacturer members dedicate their time to each year. For 2008 there are three categories; Best New Product, Best New Technology, and a Product Hall of Fame, each having different guidelines and criteria (view guidelines here). How:
Tune into Sound & Vision Radio Tune into Sound & Vision Radio every Saturday in 2008 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific for exclusive chats with CEDIA members. As part of CEDIA's efforts to reach the consumer and enthusiast market, a different CEDIA representative will offer their expertise and insight for 60 minutes of each week's three-hour program, which reaches 14 million listeners annually. How do I listen?
Upcoming CEDIA University Events
American custom installers must confront a depressed housing market that won't return to its peak levels for several years; a depressed home-remodeling market, competition from electrical contractors into the custom market; and indifferent home builders, says Consumer Electronics Association economist Sean DuBravac. New-home sales, DuBravac said, fell 25.7% in 2007 and will fall again in 2008 by 20.3%. Housing starts fell 27.7% in 2007 will fall in 2008 by 23.8%. Existing-home sales fell 13.3 percent in 2007 to 5.62 million and will fall in 2008 by 14.4 percent to 4.81 million. "The glory days are gone," added Steve Koenig, CEA's industry analysis senior manager. "Installers have to think strategically about [which builders] to go after." In its 6th annual builders' survey in conjunction with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), CEA found small builders in USA are 2X as likely to install a home theater than a large builder. In 2007, the number of builders saying they used electrical contractors grew, and the number of builders saying they used custom installers, or integrators, declined slightly. In 2007, 72% of builders used electrical contractors for custom installs, up from the previous year's 63%. Fifty-eight percent used custom installer/integrators in 2007, down from 2006's 62%, CEA's survey found. Installers have to think strategically about multiple new strategies. One of the articles about the speech can be read at http://www.twice.com/article/CA6541202.html?desc=topstory
HDTV Services to Rise by 17 Million Homes by End of 2008 A new report from Pike & Fischer and covered by Broadcast Engineering Magazine suggests that the number of households with one or more HDTV services will increase to more than 47 million by the end of this year, an increase of 17 million over last year. The report also indicates that number will reach 103 million by 2012. The report includes those who are renting HD equipment or paying for HD services, such as on-demand or premium HD channels. The story goes on to say that the demand for HD video will translate to $2.6 billion in annual revenue for video providers by the end of 2012. The article is at http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/mass_adoption_hdtv_0318/ The report can be purchased at http://www.pf.com/marketResearchPDInd.asp?repId=585
InfoComm Registration Opens InfoComm announced that registration is now open for the show. The exhibition includes three halls, two shows (InfoComm and NXTcomm08 networking) and the integration of the NSCA Systems Integration Expo. InfoComm takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center June 14-20. And don't forget: Projection Summit, EduComm and Digital Signage Technology Summit '08 conferences require separate registrations! Gary Kayye will deliver the keynote at EduComm this year. To register, go to https://registration.expoexchange.com/ShowINF081/Default.aspx?HTTPSProxyDetectIteration=4
Check Your Rating! Experian announced a new service called ContractorCheck, explained as a new combination report package that provides home-improvement professionals with access to their ContractorCheck report. While they are no doubt focused on roofers and painters, you'd do well to see if your company has made its way into this rating list as well. This includes a full year of "business credit report access and monitoring to proactively manage their business profile." Also of note: Experian also announced it is teaming with Angie's List to make ContractorCheck products available to its consumers and contractors they rate. So it appears to be a sales vehicle as well. They are, of course, charging for the service — $12.95 per month or $99 per year. For that you can get detailed accounts of your business credit report, and email alerts of any changes in the credit report that affect your rating (new credit inquiries, late trade payments, or major events like liens, judgments and bankruptcies). For more information, go to http://www.contractorcheck.com/pro JVC Projector Upgrade Delivers 15,000:1 Contrast Ratio, Two HDMI 1.3, Vertical and Horizontal Lens Shift JVC says the company upgraded its D-ILA Reference Series home theater projector. The newly-introduced model, the DA-RSX1, was shown for the first time at EHX in Orlando. The DA-RSX1 is specified at 15,000:1 contrast ratio and uses proprietary 0.7-inch 1080p D-ILA devices and optical engine in a three-chip design. Upgraded in this model are the DLA-RS1X's two HDMI inputs, which now comply with version 1.3 specification connectivity. The 2x manual zoom lens has a range of 1.4 – 2.8:1, for screens 60" to 200" inches wide. Also, it has adjustable 80% vertical and 34% horizontal shift lens. MSRP is $5,995 and it is shipping now. For more information, go to http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?model_id=MDL101764
New WUXGA Projectors From projectiondesign Two projectors from projectiondesign are getting the WUXGA treatment. The F10 and F30 are now available with 1920 x 1200 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. These are DLP-based projectors. The F10 and F30 projectors both feature a variety of projection lenses, and up to 3500 and 4100 lumens respectively. More model variants and custom options will be available in the second quarter of this year. For more information, go to http://www.projectiondesign.com/Default.asp?CatID=1673
TV Manufacturers Shrink to Demand MarketWatch reports that Japanese TV manufacturers are shuffling production to accommodate a lower demand for large screens in favor of smaller panels of 26-40 inches. Sharp, Sony and Matsushita are all switching their focus, according to the report. The global economy and weak U.S. dollar are partly to blame, says MarketWatch. The article is at http://www.marketwatch.com
Some Plasmas Still Sold With Burn-in! Just when you think plasma manufacturers have conquered the old burn-in bad rap, apparently, here comes a company producing an obviously vulnerable panel. CNET got their hands on an Insignia plasma fat-panel and pretty much slammed them for lingering images. To see the video, go to http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/insignia-ns-pdp42/4505-6482_7-32717895.html?tag=prod.txt.1
TiVo Plugs Into YouTube Content, Other Internet Video TiVo announced that subscribers can now watch video content from the internet directly on their TVs. Using a software upgrade of TiVo's Desktop Plus PC software, users can subscribe to and watch a broad range of video content available through Real Simple Syndication ("RSS") feeds, including everything from network nightly newscasts and The Sesame Street Podcast to Daily Headlines from MTV News and College Humor from CHTV. The application also gives consumers access to niche interest and hobbyist videos covering areas far more specialized than cable and satellite channels, explains the company. The new web video capability requires TiVo Desktop Plus 2.6, an update to the Windows application which also converts TV shows recorded on a TiVo DVR for viewing on portable devices including iPod and Sony PlayStation Portable. TiVo Desktop Plus 2.6 is available for a one-time fee of $24.95, and is a free upgrade to earlier versions. TiVo adds that the company continues to work with Roxio on delivering equivalent functionality on the Mac platform. The way it works is users choose web videos downloaded on the home PC with browsers, RSS clients or other download software. Videos then automatically copy to the DVR Now Playing list, ready for viewing on the TV. For more information, go to http://www.tivo.com
Motorola, Avail Team to Accelerate IPTV Rollouts Avail Media announced the company is in cahoots with Motorola to help get IPTV in more homes in North America. They are delivering MWAVE, (MPEG-4 Wide Area Vdeo Etertainment) as a bundle of equipment and services that will let IPTV service providers launch new entertainment services over their data networks. MWAVE is capable of transporting Avail Media's more than 200 standard definition channels and more than 20 channels of high definition content for access by operators who want to quickly launch a suite of television services without the capital expense and time constraints of building a complete video system themselves. The company says MWAVE brings together all the elements required to launch competitive IPTV entertainment services to end customers. MPEG-4 content distribution is provided via Avail Media's Avail Connect service, which originates at Avail Media's state-of-the-art super headend uplinks in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Toronto, Canada. Avail Media's service is combined with elements of Motorola's extensive IPTV portfolio, including set-tops, encoders, systems integration services, and program management for video hub office components, including third-party middleware and digital rights management. Service providers adopting MWAVE will construct their local video hub offices where local content, such as off-air channels, public, educational, and government (PEG) channels, and emergency alert services are merged with the supplied national linear channels to construct a comprehensive channel lineup. To accelerate network build-outs, Motorola offers "pre- packaged" video hub offices so that fully-configured and compatible equipment can be integrated and deployed rapidly in service provider serving areas to offer service in customers' targeted communities. For more information, go to http://www.availmedia.com/press/2008-01.asp
Companies Emerge to Meet Demand for Color-Matching Devices So far, Apple has been about the only company to incorporate great aesthetic design into their products. To combat the black box syndrome, two companies have stepped up with custom color solutions. The Home Technology Store in Minnesota announced custom coloring service of any home theater equipment to match any color. This new service, called Hu, is a custom coloring process that will blend the Flat Panel TV, speakers and other electronic equipment into the room decor. They claim they can match the wall, match the room accessories, or even match a favorite sports team colors. This process takes any standard paint swatch from any paint. Then using color matching technology Hu will match your electronics to the paint swatch. For more information, go to http://www.home-technology-store.com/hu/ ColorWare is another company offering painting of electronic devices. Their services go so far as to even pain cell phones. They offer the products in pre-determined colors, but a lot of them — 22 standard colors, on HDTVs, phones, music players, computers, and game consoles. The website is a lot of fun because you can try out color combinations.
HDCP over OWLink's DLI Fiber Optic Links OWLink's DLI Fiber Optic Links gets Digital Content Protection (an Intel company) approval for transmitting high definition digital content protected (HDCP) video signals. OWLink Technology is a provider of technology that transmits high definition digital video, audio and control signals over a single transparent DLI Fiber Optic link. By adhering to the HDCP standard, OWLink ensures that all the video, audio data transmitted on DLI link is secure and protected. "We are delighted to have our DLI technology approved by DCP for secured high definitional video transmission," says Paul Tzang, president and CEO, OWLink. "Adherence to a video transmission standard like HDCP is critical for digital home entertainment equipment makers to achieve in order for customers to fully benefit from their investment. " Digital Content Protection, LLC, which manages Intel's HDCP standards adherence, reports that HDCP over DLI has become the latest standard interface for encrypted HD video transmission. All video data transmitted over DLI output is protected by the HDCP encryption scheme. For more on OWLink, go to http://www.owlink.com/ For more on HDCP, go to http://www.digital-cp.com/
SI Boasting Triple Contrast on New Black Diamond Screen Screen Innovations took a new screen to EHX called Black Diamond. SI says it is especially suited to dark rooms, reducing light scatter and offering greater contrast while still useful in brighter rooms as well. SI says they also designed the screen materials to look like a flat-panel TV when it is off so that it is more attractive. The maximum seamless sizes are — 2.35:1 133" diagonal — 16:9 110" diagonal — and –4:3 90" diagonal. It is available in two gains: 0.8 and 1.4. MSRP is $2,599. For more information, go to http://www.siscreens.com/
New On-wall, In-Ceiling, Outdoor Speaker From Artcoustic Artcoustic announced the Diablo Target, a new on-wall, in-ceiling and outdoor speaker. This is a compact speaker and the company says it is easy to install, has a contemporary design and you get metal grille or match system design options of eight different colors. It uses one rippled dome tweeter, and Artcoustic says it is capable of an extended frequency response of up to 40kHz at 92dB (1w +/-2dB) and high sound pressure levels, even from low-powered (20W+) amplifiers. The Target features one 5 ½" mid / bass unit and can also be used in conjunction with an Artcoustic subwoofer. Artcoustic says this is designed for small to medium sized rooms, such as bars, restaurants, corporate presentation facilities and home cinema. For more information, go to http://www.artcoustic.com/
New Kitchen Screen Combines HDTV, Cookbook, Digital Photos Pandigital has a digital photo frame that also serves as an HDTV and cookbook. The new Pandigital Kitchen HDTV/Digital Cookbook/Digital Photo Frame is a 1280 x 720 15-inch monitor with 512MB of memory that lets users watch a cooking channel and any other TV show while working in the kitchen. There are preloaded recipes as well as the ability to store additional recipes in the frame's internal memory. Images for the photo frame are loaded using a memory card reader or by connecting to Google's Picasa photo sharing website. The Pandigital Kitchen HDTV/Digital Cookbook/Digital Photo Frame is expecting a June release date for $399.99. You can read more at http://www.bornrich.org/entry/hdtv-digital-cookbook-digital-photo-frame-packed-in-a-single-frame/ 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. rAVe ProAV Edition was launched in February 2003. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-sponsored by CEDIA, launched in February, 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to http://www.kayye.com Copyright 2008 – 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 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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