Volume 11, Issue 18 — September 25, 2014
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Awards Editorial Editorial Editorial
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Industry News Audio Control & Signal Processing Projection Lighting
Cables, Furniture, Mounts, Racks, Screens and Accessories
Media Players, Recording & Distribution
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Best of CEDIA 2014 Awards Welcome to the 2014 Best of CEDIA Awards! This year’s CEDIA Expo, held last week in Denver, saw long line for demos, a packed show floor and the best show in the past six years. Unlike last year, which had a heavy commercial influence, this year the show was nearly exclusively HomeAV.
Here is the list of award winners from rAVe that represent the BEST of this year’s CEDIA Expo.
Each each link below is a video we shot of the product from CEDIA and you can hear each winner describing the products in their own words. If you missed anything from this show, we shot 670 product videos, over 650 photos and posted more than 200 news stories and blogs. It all lives on our 2014 CEDIA Expo MicroSite.
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CEDIA 2014: My Day One Observations
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
Having attended probably 15 to 17 CEDIA Expos over the past 20 years, I feel I am comfortable in saying that this year, the 2014 show, is the best they’ve had in the past six years. Don’t get me wrong, last year’s event was well attended and was a good show, but there was a heavy focus away from HomeAV technology and a clear and present push into the commercial AV world — specifically a lot of digital signage gear. In fact, I believe we wrote in our review of the 2013 event that likely 25 percent of the products shown were ProAV products – not HomeAV products.
Not in 2014. This show is nearly exclusively HomeAV.
I think we’re past the 2008 hump, the elongated recession that has plagued the residential AV community since the economic downturn. The aisles are filled, there are more new products on the show floor than I’ve seen int he past 10-years and there is plenty of totally new technology that’s creating a buzz. And, here are my Day One Observations:
The High-End is Getting Higher: My first point that is doubly relevant as we’re in Denver, Colorado. This version of the world’s largest HomeAV show is the highest-end version I’ve seen in a long time — and barely any mention of Apple and its influence. Manufacturers have finally realized that the mass consumer isn’t going to buy into what the CEDIA channel is offering. They’re very focused on app-based control, simplification and entertainment. And, in 2008, 2009 and certainly in 2011, the CEDIA show was filled with app-based products, technology and gear. But, this version has barely any – no one here seems to care too much about what Apple is doing and, in fact, just sees them as a source – not a solution. Thus, there’s a ton of new audio, video and control gear that’s higher-end than high end has ever been. For example, instead of a big push into wireless speakers and wireless HDMI – the majority of what’s here is very systems focused – the way it should be. So, in short, the HomeAV market is back! The Laser Projectors Are Here: The best two laser projectors here are from EPSON and SONY. There are others scattered around the show floor, but those didn’t look as good. But, kudos to EPSON for one-upping Sony. Sony’s was certainly creative (as you can see from my picture) as it’s designed to sit on the floor in front of the screen (only 7 to 10 inches away) and it creates a 100” image – and it’s 4K. But, the EPSON theater was tops in the laser projector — using its new PowerLite Pro Cinema LS10000 3LCD reflective laser technology — no price set yet, but I am told in the $8,000 range.
Forget DTS and SDDS Sound – ATMOS: Dolby has re-established itself as the de facto audio standard with their new ATMOS standard. With a Dolby Atmos system, sound comes from all directions, including overhead. Dolby Atmos is the first audio format based on audio objects rather than channels. It is simply amazing and, of course, everyone in the CI market loves is as you literally install 12-20 speakers (depending on the size of the room) in a home theater to get signal sound to each and ever speaker. And, Integra blew everyone away with their ATMOS sound theater.
Blu-ray is Dead: Streaming everything is all that anyone talks about. Sure, there’s the new 4K version of Blu-ray coming, but even Sony — the inventor of Blu-ray — has all but conceded that streaming 4K is way better than owning is as it also showed its own 4K Media Player in the form of the FMP-X10 for $699. That’s half the price of its original BD-1 Blue-ray player cost in 2007.
Jeremy Burkhardt is Back!: The famous founder of SpeakerCraft launched his new brand here, dubbed Origin Acoustics, and he launched over 100 new products here at the show – including some of the thinnest in-walls we’ve ever seen. Mostly what they have now are in-wall, on-wall and outdoor speakers, but, when asked at his press conference if they’re looking at home theater speakers or even sound bars, his simple response was heard loudly, “we love speakers.”
The New Room is Outside: The new room is your backyard – at least that’s what a bunch of manufacturers are hoping you’ll see it. Stealth Acoustics launched the best integrated system with the Patio Theater, but well over 20 companies here had outdoor everything covered with everything from water-proof TVs that are finally affordable from SunBright to underwater speakers and all-weather speakers.
Network Rulez: If you aren’t a dealer for Pakedge yet, you should be. This company is the AV market’s version of Cisco as it has AV-centric routers, switches and PoE products that you can use on every install you do. But the best product it offers is a service called their BakPak Cloud Management System – a combined hardware/software maintenance and management system that provides complete remote alerts, visibility, management and uptime controls for A/V networks. You can use it to charge a recurring fee to keep systems working!
And, that’s just Day One! I can’t wait to write about Day Two and how I got to meet The Cake Boss! Keep following all our CEDIA coverage here or on Twitter here. Leave a Comment
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CEDIA 2014: My Day Two Observations
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
Usually, the second day of a show is slightly less crowded for a plethora of reasons (e.g., training classes, meetings, people who pop into a show for only one day usually attend Day One, late night Day One parties, etc). But CEDIA 2014 enjoyed a busier second day than the first. No doubt. And, the lines for all the demo theaters, live presentations and giveaways were as long as I’ve seen them at any show in years. CEDIA is back!
Here are my Day Two observations:
Barco and Christie are both going high-end: Both debuted at CEDIA for the firs time with big booths and big projectors. Christie focused mostly on their Cinema-centric line (you know, the same one’s they use in movie theaters) to demonstrate their capabilities in the high-end home and Barco focused on their biggest differentiator – a 2.35:1 aspect ratio projector known as the ORION. Both Christie and Barco are focused not he highest-end of homes and both will help drive the custom installer into a more profitable segment of the market. I think Barco has a bit of a head-start over Christie as they have models already for sale but both companies won’t have a complete portfolio until some time in 2015. In Christie’s booth, they had a killer demo of a complete theater included with Dolby ATMOS sound — it was stunning and, by far, the best theater on the show floor. Barco demo’d their CinemaScope capabilities with a very creative rear-screen super-wide-screen 120” image from a 12” throw — perfect for urban dwellers.
CORE Brands Dominates Buzz: Nortek’s CORE Brands was the most visible of the holding companies on display here at CEDIA and all their brands had very significant introductions. SpeakerCraft’s new AIM Series 2 were some of the best looking (and sounding) in-ceiling speakers introduced here while everyone was happy that Niles is finally shipping their AURIEL Controller – long overdue. But, the highlight of day-2 for me was meeting The Cake Boss himself, Buddy Valastro, during ELAN’s 25th birthday celebration. Right across the aisle from CORE was another Nortek company, OmniMount who had the biggest new product launch at CEDIA in years.
The Finest Brands: The most fun booth of Day 2 was The Finest Brands, which is which is focused on differentiating its HomeAV dealer by providing them with access to cool things like pool tables, ping-pong tables, pin ball machines, massage chairs, etc. I love this company as, as I mentioned, they are providing differentiating products for AV dealers at high margins.
Speaking of Differentiating: There’s a carpet company here called Joy Carpets that is a company that EVERY HomeAV dealer should engage with. All they do is patterned carpets — perfect for home entertaining and home theater spaces. They started as a commercial office and gaming space carpet company, but for the past two years, they have provided a dedicated line of home theater carpet that’s profitable and very cool looking — hundreds of styles, too! And, the best part is that you can actually make three times as much selling the carpet for a theater versus the projector you install. Check them out!
Nexus: There are probably 200 companies named Nexus – according to Google – so, how do you stand out? Name yourself Nexus 21! That’s what Jeff Meskan and Cory Lovett decided when they formed the best “hide AV gear” company I’ve ever seen – dubbing their expertise “concealment systems.” And, they can hide anything, anywhere. We shot a few videos of their new stuff but this is the kind of creativity that any AV dealer should make part of the product portfolio.
Pyng: That’s the name of Crestron’s new App-based control system. Really it’s a configuration simplifier as you still need a Crestron control system, but it is simple to use! It’s was one of the most popular things here at CEDIA.
Universal Remote Control (URC): Most of us old-timers remember the days when URC was just an OEM remote company making handhelds for DirecTV, TiVo and a plethora of TV companies. But now they’re a full-fledged control company and they told us at CEDIA 2014, they’re taking aim at the big guys in custom control with their new ccGEN2 total home control system. They actually called it a Crestron killer.
Do you use PowerBridge? There’s a tiny company based here in Colorado called PowerBridge that has the coolest, timesaving, simplest idea ever for CIs. PowerBridge provides extended power and allows for external surge-protection and UPS-backup power to expensive televisions, standard electrical outlets installed cannot — and, although you’re running Romex inside a wall, it can be installed by low-voltage integrators! I love this company!
Stealth Acoustics LRG: Stealth has been known for years as the best invisible speaker company in the industry, but their LRG line uses a really cool proprietary face panel that makes it super-low profile and they actually use a woofer in their in-wall speakers – most don’t.
And, that’s Day Two! Sure, there’s no way to cover everything in one blog, so that’s why we have a handy dedicated CEDIA 2014 microsite that already houses over 500 videos, 500 show floor photos and nearly 250 new product news stories – all in one place. Leave a Comment
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CEDIA 2014: My Day Three Observations
By Gary Kayye rAVe Founder
Day three of the 2014 CEDIA Expo was still a busy one, despite the fact that many attendees probably already returned home. As I have said all this week, the HomeAV market is BACK and this year’s show featured a number of new products for the home, many of which are impressive.
With that in mind, here are the things that impressed me the most on Day Three:
The Basalte Sentido Switch: The light switch has been re-invented via Balsalte Sentido. The switch has four different surfaces and every surface controls a different function. But when you touch more than one surface at the same time the switch will turn on and off all of the lights. The switch comes in a number of different finishes and it works with Lutron’s HomeWorks QS system also. Check it out here.
Want a private IMAX Home Theater?: I spoke with the president of IMAX, Larry O’Reilly on Saturday and got some more details about the company’s home theater experience. IMAX, via its Private Theatre, will provide the technology for the room; the screen, the projection, the sound, the controller, the theater design and the training. And IMAX is taking it one step further and will provide a 24/7/365 monitoring service, so your private home theatre will work, always. If you want to know more about the IMAX home theatre watch the interview here.
Uniquely Designed Speakers: We saw this company at last year’s CEDIA but this year FLOW has introduced its Director Series speaker using DuPont Corian. These speakers have an awesome design using the Corian for the grill design so there are plenty of design and color choices.
Show Off Your Work and Installs: Sanus has created a new website called Sanus SPACES where dealers and installers can show off their own projects and communicate with users. Before and after pictures and portfolios live digitally on the website so users can re-imagine any space and link directly to you via social media and business profile pages. Oh, and its all for free!
So in short, the HomeAV market is back and that’s clear from this year’s CEDIA Expo — kudos to Don Gilpin and his team there. If you want to get a super-quick look at the show floor, here’s a video we shot covering the floor. Also be sure to check out all of our coverage as we shot over 500 photos, over 700 product videos and posted news from the show. And it all lives on our 2014 CEDIA MicroSite here.
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Leviton Announces Acquisition of BitWise Controls Leviton today announced the acquisition of BitWise Controls — a manufacturer of control and monitoring solutions for residential and commercial applications. Leviton has been carrying BitWise Controls’ automation controllers for some time and is excited to welcome them into Leviton.
As part of the acquisition, Leviton will bring BitWise Controls’ entire product line into the Leviton family of solutions, including its iPhone/iTouch/iPad and Android app-based GUIs that are easy to use and simple to install with drag and drop programming, and the recently launched hand-held remote control. Additionally, Leviton will offer the Bitwise app on its’ popular OmniTouch 7 for applications when fixed touchscreens are required.
“Bitwise brings customizable Audio/Video controls to our product portfolio” said Jay McLellan, president of Leviton Security and Automation. “Bitwise and Leviton Installers now have affordable solutions for home theater, restaurants, boardrooms and classrooms that are modular and expandable.”
“Leviton is a perfect fit for BitWise and we are very excited to be part of their team” said Lance Beck, CEO of BitWise Controls. “We look forward to providing continued innovation for our customers.”
“The Bitwise deal, following on the heels of the recent acquisition of ClickOn Technology, demonstrates Leviton’s commitment to strategic growth and innovation through acquisitions,” remarked Daryoush Larizadeh, Leviton COO. Leviton has evolved its business into a global provider of electrical wiring devices, data connectivity solutions and lighting and energy management systems for a variety of end-use markets.
Leviton is here and BitWise is here. Leave a Comment
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CEDIA Announces 2014 Manufacturers’ Excellence Award Winners CEDIA has announced the winners in its Manufacturers’ Excellence Awards. Honorees include 10 Best New Product winners and one Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation winner.
Best New Product Winners:
- Basalte – Sentido
- Control4 – Control4Composer Express
- Crestron – 4K DigitalMedia Receiver and Room Controller
- Crestron – Crestron Pyng
- Lutron Electronics – Lutron Sivoia QS Triathlon Roller Shade
- QMotion – QMotion Motorized Drapery Rods
- Savant Systems, LLC – Savant Smart Host
- Sonance – Sonance Architectural Discreet Opening System
- Sony Electronics – VPL-VW600ES 4K Front Projector
- Wilson Electronics – PRO 70X
Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation Winner:
- Savant Systems, LLC – Savant SmartClimate
The winners were selected by a panel of home technology professional judges, and will also be recognized at the annual Electronic Lifestyles Awards Celebration on Saturday, September 13. The Electronic Lifestyles Awards Celebration will also recognize Frank White as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, as well as winners in the Designer Awards competition, the CEDIA/HGTVRemodels.com People’s Pick Winners, and the 2014 Product Hall of Fame inductees.
More about the awards is here. Leave a Comment
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Pakedge Intros Line of Entry-Level Home Networking Gear Pakedge Device & Software is announcing a range of four “value-priced,” enterprise-grade complete AV network systems designed for use on smaller network deployments or on budget constrained projects.
The four systems include Pakedge network components, and are based on two platforms — a standard platform and a power-users platform with TruStream (for users with higher multimedia streaming needs). Each system comprises of the RE-1 four port 4K/UHD ready gigabit router, an 8 port gigabit switch (unmanaged or managed), the P8 eight outlet intelligent power distribution controller, a Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector, and a high power, high throughput wireless access point.
The standard platform provides plug and play installation, while the power-users platform provides configuration options for a more customized deployment. Each system provides both wired and wireless connectivity. The P8 power controller provides self-healing capabilities to ensure proper network operation. It auto pings the connected devices at specified intervals, and if it receives no response, it will power cycle the network device to clear the fault. The wireless access points come in two options — a single band 2.4 GHz version, and a dual band 2.4/5.0 GHz version.
The four complete systems are as follows:
Standard system:
- S8Wpde 8 port gigabit unmanaged switch
- RE-1 four port gigabit router
- P8 8 outlet Intelligent Power Distribution Unit
- W6 2.4 GHz high power, high throughput wireless access point
- PI-04 – PoE power injector
Standard System with W7 Dual Band Wireless Access Point:
- Same as Standard System but with W7 2.4/5.0 GHz dual band high power wireless access point
Power Users — designed for users with higher streaming needs than standard users:
- S8Mpdp — 8 port gigabit managed switch with TruStream (Priority/Quality of Service)
- RE-1 four port gigabit router
- P8 8 outlet Intelligent Power Distribution Unit
- W6 2.4 GHz high power, high throughput wireless access point
- PI-04 — PoE power injector
Power Users with W7 Dual Band Wireless Access Point:
- Same as Power Users System but with W7 2.4/5.0 GHz dual band high power wireless access point
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Stealth Acoustics Adds New Image Series Art Speakers Stealth Acoustics has introduced the Image III speakers, which allows custom images to be placed over a flat-front, on-wall speaker with no grille, while also improving the audio performance to an even higher fidelity than the previous Image II speakers.
Thickness on the Image III has been reduced to 2.5″, making it a perfect on-wall adjunct speaker to thinner modern flat screens. The Image III can be used in any home music system where other speakers do not fill the requirement, either aesthetically or functionally. It’s based on Stealth’s LRG invisible speaker technology platform and has no grille, ports or other openings. The solid and durable fiberglass-like Fidelity Glass speaker front is a flat surface that becomes a canvas for artistic creation. Image III is available in a stock white finish that can be used as is, or can then be painted without concern for blocking sound or damaging the speaker components. Using advanced vinyl graphic materials and high-resolution, UV protected printing, the Image III can be fully wrapped in any image imaginable to perfectly match the environment or create a unique artistic look.
The Image III speakers retail for $1,000 a pair and all the details are here. Leave a Comment
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Balanced Audio Technology Intros New Amps at CEDIA 2014The VK-3000SE integrated amplifier from Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) serves as the heart of a music system, combining a vacuum-tube preamplifier and 150 watts-per-channel solid-state stereo amplifier into one component. The VK-3000SE employs balanced circuit topology, which BAT claims amplifies musical signals while blocking unwanted electronic noise, to ensure total signal purity.
The VK-3000SE is available in black or two-tone silver/ black finish and lists for $7,995 or $8,995 with phono stage.
The REX II Reference Linestage Preamplifier is what Balanced Audio Technology dubs an audio control center. It employs fully balanced circuitry and only a single Unistage gain stage to provide an unrestricted signal path with what the call “extraordinary sonic purity.” BAT’s approach to a two-chassis design — basically, a power supply has a positive and negative phase. Without getting overly technical, the positive side generates less electronic noise than the negative side. The REX II places the negative side of the power supply away from the signal tubes, resulting in quiet operation where music emerges from a “black” background of silence. Conceptually, it’s explained here.
The preamplifier incorporates the 6H30 vacuum tube and custom-designed amorphous core output transformers rather than conventional output capacitors. Additional features include BAT SUPER-PAK custom oil capacitors, a proprietary electronic shunt volume control with 140 steps of 0.5dB resolution. Pricing is set at $25,000.
The REX Power II Mono Power Amplifier features a fully symmetrical design from input to output with a high current, all-triode vacuum tube, zero-feedback topology. Think of it as two single-ended amplifiers per channel with their signals summed at the output transformer, a configuration that enables the use of a wide-bandwidth output transformer with low distortion. It uses custom oil capacitors in the power supply section for increased energy storage and spec’d at 160-watt power output, extended frequency response and a list price of $39,800 for monoblocks; it’s also available in 80-watt-per-channel stereo configuration at $19,900.
Here are the detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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Atlantic Technology Intros 44-DA Speaker Module for New Dolby Atmos Sound TechnologyDolby Atmos is a new technology developed by Dolby Laboratories that adds a degree of realism to movie soundtracks. Dolby Atmos is an object-based audio format that allows sound mixers to accurately define the specific location of an audio object in a three-dimensional listening space. This represents a significant departure from the confines and limitations of channel based audio mixing and playback formats. The Dolby Atmos “renderer” in a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver adapts the soundtrack to the individual speaker layout in a home theater system. With Dolby Atmos, sound comes alive from all directions, including overhead.
To fully realize the benefit and effect of this sound technology in the home, and recreate the layer of sound above the listener, specially engineered speakers with extremely precise frequency response and directional sound radiation characteristics are needed. Atlantic Technology has developed an attractive and compact Dolby Atmos enabled “module” that could be added to its own existing systems or, any existing home theater system.
The new Atlantic Technology 44-DA Dolby Atmos-enabled loudspeaker module utilizes a 5 ¼” woofer and 1″ silk dome tweeter in a concentric driver array (CDA), firing from the top of the speaker enclosure at a precisely-determined angle, to achieve the optimum effect. Particular attention has been paid to delivering a “controlled acoustic scatter” in an effort to dramatically broaden the sweet spot of the sound reflected by the ceiling, allowing for greater placement flexibility within the listening room.
Measuring just 5 ½ x 8 3/8 x 9 ½” HWD, the Atlantic 44 DA compact speaker module is designed to fit perfectly on top of Atlantic’s THX-certified 4400 LR speakers, creating an integrated, “one-piece” look. The Atlantic Technology 44-DA loudspeaker will be available in Q4 of 2014 and list for $499/pair.
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Wharfedale Ships Jade Series SubwoofersSound Solutions, the exclusive U.S. distributor of Wharfedale loudspeakers, said that the Jade Series subwoofers are shipping. The Jade 10 and Jade 8 subwoofers each feature dual drivers but the Jade 10 has dual 10-inch woofers and a built-in 500-watt amplifier, and the Jade 8 has dual 8-inch woofers and a built-in 350-watt amplifier. The subwoofers employ a dual-woofer arrangement in which the woofers are mounted opposite each other and mechanically reinforce each other’s motion claiming a low-frequency response to 30Hz. Like every
Available in Rosewood Cherry, Vintage Cherry and Black Oak veneer they include a dimmable front-panel LED screen, continuously variable low-pass crossover point, crossover slope and a phase control to help with integrating with the main speakers and the acoustics of the room. And, stereo and mono (LFE) line in and speaker-level inputs are provided.
The Wharfedale Jade 10 and Jade 8 subwoofers list for $1,599 and $1,199, respectively and full specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Denon Adds Spotify and Takes on SONOS with HEOS Denon Electronics is taking aim right at SONOS with its new HEOS wireless multi-room sound systems by offering its users the ability to stream their favorite music with Spotify Connect. Working with any existing home Wi-Fi network, HEOS sound system connects easily to a home network. It also connects seamlessly to Spotify Connect.
The new HEOS by Denon product line includes three wireless multi-zone music players:
- HEOS 3 ($299) wireless speaker is a compact yet fully featured wireless stereo speaker system that plays the user’s favorite music from a range of streaming services including Spotify Connect, from a smartphone or tablet, and from a USB drive too. Ideal for smaller spaces such as bedrooms, offices, dens, kitchens and dorm rooms.
- HEOS 5 ($399) wireless speaker is a discreet speaker that produces detailed wide range high fidelity. It is ideal for medium to large rooms such as dining rooms, larger bedrooms and offices or smaller living rooms.
- HEOS 7 ($599) a wireless speaker is able to produce true wide range high fidelity stereo sound, the HEOS 7 can deliver room-filling volume even in larger spaces such as living rooms, great rooms and open area floor plans.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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All New SpeakerCraft Line Debuts at CEDIAThe new SpeakerCraft solutions look totally different that their past line starting with their new AIM speakers. The totally redesigned AIM series have three new technology enhancements to give the speaker line improved fidelity, audio direction and sound isolation. Acoustic Isolation Technologies reduce mechanical energy and the next generation Waveplane design broadens the power response over a wider listening area. But the most visible design change is the new Tweeter Array which delivers maximum sound coverage and dispersion. In addition, the speakers offer improved pivoting design to direct sound as well as upgraded materials and design to suit a wider range of installations. Dubbed the AIM Series 2, they come in 5”, 7” and 8” with a black and red color scheme.
A new multi-source, multi-zone controller includes six audio sources and six zones, with four amplified zones for 240 watts of total power. Its two pre-amped zones can pair with the new SpeakerCraft stereo amps, available soon in 50, 100 and 150 watt-per-channel configurations or even the new 12 or 16 channel amplifiers to handle the largest projects.
Both can be seen here. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Launches Totally New Control System for the Home Called Pyng Crestron today unveiled Crestron Pyng, an app-based control system. As we all know, so far, all home automation apps have been add-ons to control systems that are programmed using computers.
Setting up a new home is streamlined by pairing Crestron Pyng accessories with the app. Accessories include Crestron wireless lighting controls, shading solutions, thermostats, and Yale wireless door locks, as well as security systems. Unlike home automation apps that control one device, or offer limited, “DIY-level” performance, Crestron Pyng controls the same high-end Crestron products found in homes now.
A compact hub connects accessories with the app, runs scenes and events even without the presence of an iPad, and continuously backs up all home settings to the cloud. Once the initial set up is complete, anyone can modify settings or create new scenes right from the app.
Any Crestron technology can be easily added to a Crestron Pyng system, including DigitalMedia, distributed audio, and more. Seamless compatibility with the rest of the Crestron product line enables the Crestron Pyng app to run right on a TSW touch screen, and for events in the AV system to trigger environmental scenes within Pyng.
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RTI Unveils Next Generation Control System Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) today announced its lineup of new products at CEDIA EXPO 2014, including a 10-inch KX10 in-wall touch panel with HDMI video, the ZW9 Z-Wave interface and the XP9 control processor featuring an HDMI output with support for on-screen display (OSD) capabilities.
The 10-inch wide-scrreen (WXGA) KX10 in-wall color touch panel allows for customized of both entertainment sources or environmental conditions and it includes an HDMI input as well as composite video input. Using a new low-profile design, the unit is capable of controlling devices directly via IR or RS232, and features two-way control and feedback when used within a complete RTI control system.
The ZW9 Z-Wave interface is branded by RTI as cost-effective monitoring and control for Z-Wave-enabled systems and devices. Using the Z-Wave wireless protocol, the module provides the communication link between RTI systems and lighting, door locks, security cameras, thermostats and other Z-Wave-enabled devices. Eliminating the need for a different app for each device, the ZW9 — combined with an RTI XP processor — provides users with unified control and monitoring over all devices directly on their RTI remote control or mobile device with the RTiPanel app.
Debuting an all-new control processor here at CEDIA, RTI’s new XP9 now offers HDMI output with support for onscreen display control capabilities. In addition, the processor features control options such as nine routable IR ports, eight two-way RS232 ports, eight sense ports, eight relays, a multi-tasking operating system, an astronomical clock and more. For simpler software downloads, the processor is equipped with an Ethernet connection, which also enables IP control and support for the RTiPanel and Virtual Panel apps.
Here are the details on the KX10.
Here are specs for the ZW9 and XP9. Leave a Comment
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ELAN Debuts g1 Control System ELAN has a new control platform called g1, which ELAN calls the most-affordable in the company’s history. The controller is designed for media rooms, smaller projects, secondary homes, production builder packages and as a hand-held universal remote alternative.
Shipping now, the ELAN g1 System Controller is a controller configured with three IR outputs, one IR input, one bi-directional RS232 input, one sensor, one HDMI output (720p/1080p) and one audio output. Its built-in Wi-Fi enables all of its functions to be IP controlled. PoE enabled, it uses dramatically less energy than conventional controllers. It is shipped complete with a hand held remote, IR sensor, three IR emitters and a serial adapter.
The g1 features integration of up to 16 zones of security, two door locks, media that that can control one AVR, 32 displays and an unlimited number of ELAN zones. It also offers controls for lighting (24 devices and up to 24 custom g! keypads), climate (three stats), video (three IP cameras), irrigation (16 groups and 256 zones) — plus the ability to add on an unlimited number of ELAN and Core Brands attachments.
Here are all the details and specs. Leave a Comment
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Control4 Introduces Composer Express for iOS and Android Aimed to Simplify Home Automation Installation Control4 is shipping its new Composer Express, a mobile configuration tool that enables Control4 dealers to supposedly simplify and accelerate the set-up process for home automation systems. According to Control4, a technician should be able to configure most one-room home theaters quicker, or set up hundreds of devices in the most complex whole-home installations in a few hours. Using a Wi-Fi-enabled tablet or smartphone and simply walking around the building, the technician can install devices with Composer Express auto-integrate them into the Control4 system.
Large smart home automation projects can have hundreds of devices that need to be configured — a process that in the past could take days to complete. Now, with Composer Express a technician can walk through the project with a smartphone or tablet and integrate all the devices within a few hours.
Composer Express uses Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP), Control4’s powerful Internet-Of-Things discovery protocol, to automatically discover all SDDP-enabled devices on the network and lets the technician integrate devices into the system with a single touch. Composer Express also provides easy access to an online library of thousands of devices (including ZigBee devices) such as light switches, dimmers, keypads, and sensors, so that a broad range of devices can be seamlessly connected.
Composer Express enables a Control4 Dealer’s authorized technicians to quickly add new customer accounts, register controllers, update the system OS, easily install Control4 and third-party devices, map the control and audio-video connections among devices and verify the system to ensure that everything is networked correctly. And all this can be done on-site, right from an iOS or Android tablet or smartphone.
The Control4 Composer Express app for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets is available worldwide for immediate download to all authorized Control4 dealers and on the App Store and Amazon Marketplace. Technicians can go through online training for Composer Express certification. For more information, go here. Leave a Comment
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Xantech’s New Universal IR Kit Is Teeny-TinyCore Brands is introducing the new flagship Xantech EN85K Ensemble universal infrared (IR) kit. Engineered to send IR signals easily from a remote control to devices in separate locations, these IR kits now provide a new micro-sensor, more housing options and the brand’s dependable circuitry to provide high performance, flexibility and design to any single- or multi-zone installation.
The new Xantech EN85K Ensemble universal IR kit leverages the same receiver chip as the Xantech DL85K and now features a small micro IR sensor — no larger than a dime. While traditional A/V installations and electronics require line-of-sight for enabling IR remote control, the new compact sensor allows users to reroute the IR signals to any separate location — enabling equipment to be hidden out of sight yet operated in areas such as behind cabinet doors or inside equipment closets. The kit utilizes the new sensor design packaged along with the Xantech hardware (connecting block and IR emitter).
The all-in-one IR kit now also includes several housing options which snap-in-place to attach onto the back of any display (no tape or screws), projection screen or other minimal surface. These include a surface mount option, allowing users to easily affix the sensor directly to a TV bezel or any flat visible surface, and a TV mount housing — specifically designed for zero-bezel screens that can be connected onto the rear surface of a display or curved TV screen. Also included is a flush mount housing that allows the sensor to be snapped directly into a cabinet or in-wall installation, while the kit’s shelf-top housing can be easily snapped into place within any shelf or tabletop installation.
Here are the kit’s details. Leave a Comment
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Epson Unveils 3LCD Reflective Laser Pro Cinema Projectors Epson today announced a line of new Pro Cinema projectors with 3LCD Reflective laser technology. It includes the PowerLite Pro Cinema LS10000 4K Enhancement Projector and the Pro Cinema LS9600e Wireless 1080p Projector – both with 1,500 lumens of color brightness and 1,500 lumens of white brightness.
These groundbreaking projectors (these are the first home theater projectors using reflective 3LCD laser as a light source) combine Epson’s new 3LCD Reflective technology and a laser light source to project what the company calls “Absolute Black” contrast ratio and one of the industry’s largest color gamuts. The Pro Cinema LS10000 adds 4K Enhancement Technology3 for increased sharpness, clarity and detail, shifting each pixel diagonally by 0.5 pixels to double the resolution and surpass Full HD image quality without visible stair-stepping or pixel gaps.
The projectors are designed for installation convenience with 2.1x power zoom, power focus, lens shift up to 90 percent vertical and 40 percent horizontal, and lens position memory that can store up to 10 settings for standard 16:9 or 4:3 projection areas, and 2.35:1 wide cinema ratio. The laser light engine offers up to 30,000 hours of life with rapid warm-up or cool down time for fast, quiet operation. For added installation and operation flexibility, a WirelessHD transmitter connects up to five HDMI devices simultaneously, with one HDMI out connection and one optical port for switching between sources, and MHL connectivity to display content from MHL-enabled tablets and smartphones (LS9600e only).
Features include:
- 4K Enhancement Technology (LS10000 only)
- High color brightness and high white brightness: 1,500 lumens of color brightness and 1,500 lumens of white brightness (Pro Cinema LS10000); 1,300 lumens of color brightness and 1,300 lumens of white brightness (Pro Cinema LS9600e)2
- Laser light source ensures high-speed contrast control and wider color gamut with rapid warm-up and cool down
- Instant Off — content appears onscreen and turns off with virtually no wait
- High-speed contrast control for both bright and dark scenes
- Up to 30,000 hours of use4
- 3LCD Reflective technology for what Epson says is: “improved pixel density, increased aperture ratio and fast performance for incredibly smooth, film-like picture quality”
- Absolute Black contrast ratio delivers zero lumens during full-black scenes
- Super Resolution with Detail Enhancement and frame interpolation technology deliver a viewing experience in Full HD 1080p 2D and 3D
- Superior image quality with ISF calibration tools and THX Display Certification ensure accurate and exceptional performance
- Lens position memory to store up to 10 settings in the projector memory, including zoom and focus positions for standard 16:9 or 4:3 projection areas, and 2.35:1 wide cinema ratio
- Expansive color space for broad color reproduction with DCI and Adobe RGB modes
- Cooling system featuring premium materials including thermal-conductive copper piping
Here are all the details. Leave a Comment
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Barco Launches Into Residential Market with CinemaScope Projector Barco’s first residential product, dubbed the Orion, is truly a one-of-a-kind in that it’s the industry’s only 2.35:1 aspect ratio (CinemaScope) projector on the market. The Orion Cinemascope uses a new high-capacity DLP chip, developed by Barco engineers in partnership with Texas Instruments, which allows an image of 2,560×1,080 resolution to be displayed in the home without the use of additional anamorphic lenses. The format uses 78 percent more pixels for native 2.37:1 versus a standard 1080p projector with a Blu-ray disc 2.37:1 format movie. This increase in resolution is achieved without compromising image quality: When the image goes from 1.78 to 2.35, the projector uses increased native resolution to expand the width and height uniformly.
Inputs include DVI, two DisplayPort, an HDMI 1.4a port, one HDBaseT port and BNCs. Brightness is spec’d at 1,500 or 3,800 lumens (depending on the lens) and it’s powered by a 350W UHP lamp.
More details will be posted here after CEDIA. Leave a Comment
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Epson Intros New Epson Home Cinema 3000-Series Projectors Epson today launched new additions to its Home Cinema projectors: the PowerLite Home Cinema 3600e, Home Cinema 3500, and Home Cinema 3000. Featuring up to 2,500 lumens of color brightness and 2,500 lumens of white brightness with up to 70,000:1 contrast ratio, Epson’s latest Home Cinema line offers native 1080p and 3D, and includes vertical and horizontal lens shift, 1.6x zoom lens and a 26 percent smaller footprint than earlier models.
Whether you are mounting to the ceiling or moving the projector from room to room, all three of the models feature Epson’s dial-adjusted lens shift technology that enables positioning flexibility with an incredible range of up to + or – 60 percent on the vertical axis and up to + or – 24 percent on the horizontal axis. In addition, all three models are designed for installation on a ceiling or for easy set up on a table, or tucked inside a shelving space.
The flagship Home Cinema 3600e adds a WirelessHD transmitter that connects up to five HDMI devices simultaneously, with one HDMI out connection and one optical port for switching between sources and MHL connectivity to display content from MHL-enabled tablets, smartphones and streaming sticks.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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URC Announces “Screw-in Simple” LED Wireless Lighting URC today announced URC LED Lighting, a ZigBee based wireless lighting control system that the company says is so easy to install that no high voltage experience is required. These new, affordable products are installed as part of a Total Control or ccGEN2 whole-house home automation project.
The initial URC LED Lighting products include an A19 standard lamp bulb, a BR30 “high hat” lamp bulb and the TRF-GT1, a ZigBee controller that can sit anywhere on a network. The new URC LED Lighting lineup is being announced simultaneously with URC’s also new Vivido two-way designer RF lighting solutions.
A few key features of URC LED Lighting include dimming capability when installed as part of a Total Control or ccGEN2 installation, user-adjustable lighting scenes and status feedback of availability on a smartphone, tablet or any URC interface. Bulbs can be “grouped” so that up to 4 lamps can be dimmed Up and Down, and sent On and Off commands as if they are one single bulb. The new URC LED light bulbs save energy and are expected to last longer than 20 years based upon normal usage.
Here are the specs. Leave a Comment
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FX Luminaire Introduces the VE Down Light FX Luminaire released this week the new VE, a hanging LED fixture that complements both commercial and residential landscapes with soft, overhead illumination.
The VE is available in a choice of four metal finishes on a copper sleeve, and ten powder coat finishes made of anodized die cast aluminum with 1 or 3 LED for any application. An optional perforated sleeve can be used to create a starlight effect. Each fixture includes four colored filters (amber, blue, green, and frosted) for color temperature customization. The VE is zone-able with the Luxor controller and dimmable as an option.
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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URC Announces Vivido Two-Way Lighting Solutions URC today announced the Vivido Series of two-way designer lighting solutions for Total Control and ccGEN2 whole-house home automation systems. The new lineup includes everything needed for integrated lighting including master and accessory light dimmers, switches, a lamp dimming module, an appliance switching module and more. URC systems will control and dim all loads including LED, Compact Fluorescent, MLV and others.
All Vivido Series lighting products are fully controllable from familiar URC Total Control or ccGEN2 interfaces, an extensive assortment that includes wand-style, simple and full-featured keypads and gyro-type controllers. Additionally, all can be controlled while on-premises-or while away-using the newly announced URC Mobile app and an Android or iOS device. And with the battery powered, stick-on-the-wall-anywhere dimmer this line is ideal for retrofits.
It’s not on the URC website yet, but when it is, it will be here. Leave a Comment
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Crestron Intros New Motorized Shades Crestron is demonstrating at CEDIA Expo the new Digital QMT 3 Series shade motor (CSM-QMTDC-163-1), which expands its industry-first line of brushless motors with solid-state controls. The new motor features a smaller diameter than the 5 Series (CSM-QMTDC-256-2), enabling placement in narrower window jambs and shallower pockets. Crestron says it delivers tremendous torque with virtually silent operation, powering shades up to 8’ wide or as small as 17.5” wide. Both motors are available with Cresnet or wireless infiNET EX communications.
New shade hardware is also on display for 3 Series and 5 Series Digital QMT motors, in both the Décor and Architectural styles. This includes new adjustable brackets, pockets, and fascia for a full range of installations. Décor style brackets are now available for inside mount as well as outside mount. Architectural brackets are now available for dual-roll configurations. The System 3 bracket is designed to fit pockets as small as 3”x3” for a single roll; 5 Series brackets fit pockets as small as 5”x5”.
Also, Crestron is introducing more than 100 new fabrics, making the company’s total offering mover than 450 fabrics in a full range of styles and textures. The company has also added an exclusive line of textiles from designer Hartmann & Forbes.
Everything can be found here. Leave a Comment
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IDEAL VDV II Verifies and Troubleshoots Voice/Data/Video Cables IDEAL NETWORKS is debuting its new VDV II Series of affordable cable verifiers at CEDIA. Available in three versions, VDV II verifiers check the integrity and detect all wiring faults in low-voltage copper cables commonly deployed in residential, commercial or industrial voice, data or video installations, including telephone wiring, LAN (CAT 5 to CAT 7, UTP and STP) and coaxial cabling.
Designed to fit comfortably in the palm of the hand, VDV II Series verifiers identify wiring errors instantly, capturing comprehensive details on faults such as opens, shorts, reverses, miswires and split pairs that can slow a network or take it down completely. The integrated RJ11/RJ12 (voice), RJ45 (data) and F-Type coaxial (video) connectors help the user achieve faster testing of most types of low-voltage cables by eliminating the need for separate testers or adapters. Intelligent technology lets the unit know if it has been plugged into an outlet where potentially damaging voltages are present.
All three VDV II Series models — the VDV II (basic), VDV II Plus (advanced) and VDV II Pro (professional-grade) — provide wiremapping capability. In addition, the VDV II Plus offers a larger 2.9-inch display with backlighting, hub blink, cable length measurement and distance-to-open. The flagship VDV II Pro offers all this, plus uses a TDR to quickly determine where cable damage is located by identifying the distance to opens and shorts. The VDV Pro will also display mission-critical network connectivity information without the need for a PC.
By detecting the presence of voltage and checking polarity, the VDV II Pro quickly determines which type of media service is running over the cable, such as ISDN, PBX and PoE (Power over Ethernet) resulting in faster fault diagnosis. Troubleshooting active Ethernet networks is also made easier with in-built network detection that displays network rate and duplex information.
Here are the detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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DVDO Shows Tiny Wireless HD Transmitter for Home and Pro ApplicationsToday DVDO announced the expansion of its Air3 WirelessHD adapter series with the Air3Cand Air3C-Pro. The Air3 series adapters connect audio/video (AV) gear wirelessly to TVs or projectors and deliver full 1080p60 HD content via HDMI. The Air3C is a consumer version of the wireless adapter to provide an easy, do it yourself (DIY) connectivity solution for home entertainment systems without professional assistance. The Air3C-Pro is designed for professional installers and integrators providing professional setup, monitoring and customization tools that may require complicated installation.
The Air3C and Air3C-Pro are listed at a list of $189.99 and $299.99, respectively, and full specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Russound Announces MCA-88X Streaming Multizone Controller Amplifier Russound has announced the new MCA-88X Streaming Multizone Controller Digital Amplifier, an eight source, eight zone controller with built-in XStream Technology that streams content from the cloud, home network, tablets and phones, all from a single component.
Scalable up to 48 zones by combining multiple controllers, the MCA-88X is part of Russound’s next generation of controllers that claims to be delivering super-fast response time, an array of digital inputs and quicker configuration. The unit offers plentiful options to fit the distributed audio needs of most residential and light commercial environments. In addition to its analog, digital, and paging sources, the new MCA-88X is also Bluetooth compatible. This enables use of Russound’s BTC-1X Bluetooth Extender to wirelessly connect portable media players, smartphones and similar devices, located anywhere in a home to the MCA-88X. The unit also features full system control via the My Russound app on both Android and IOS mobile devices, and is fully compatibility with Russound’s advanced keypads and TS3 touch screens.
The MCA-88X features six zones of digital amplification at40 watts per channel, all channels driven, and offers maximum integration flexibility with fixed/variable line-level outputs for outboard amplification, wireless expansion and subzone use for up to eight zones per chassis. Built-in Serial and IP control allow easy bi-directional integration with 3rd party control systems.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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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 2014 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – 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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