Volume 14, Issue 7 — April 12, 2017
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Industry News Control & Signal Processing Cables, Furniture, Mounts, Racks, Screens and Accessories Projection TVs
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THE ISE 2017 Awards Are Announced
You can’t enter a product in them.
You can’t ask us to nominate you.
And, you can’t get an award by advertising or sponsoring us or paying for it.
We literally sent reporters to EVERY booth/stand at ISE 2017 and we selected the TOP products in every possible product category for our 2017 Best of ISE Awards. No other publication, or entity for that matter, literally goes to very booth at the ISE show and sees every new product demo’d or launched at ISE in Amsterdam annually – so these are THE BEST of THE BEST.
So, if you are wondering which products were the best at ISE and outperformed the others in their respective categories, this is it: the 2017 Best of ISE Awards. And, if you are a manufacturer who won an award, be proud as you were hand-selected by our editors and reporters after evaluating every new product shown at ISE in your product category. We didn’t just pick these “on the show floor” during the show or by using spec-sheets distributed prior to the show – we picked these by actually looking at each and every product and comparing them to the competition. In fact, this is why it took us en entire month to award these… You truly are the BEST of ISE!
Congratulations to all the winning companies and products!
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Staying in Control
By Lee Distad rAVe Columnist
AV install professionals like to see themselves as completely different from the mass-market consumer electronics retailers. Exterior details may vary from upscale retail storefront, or by-appointment-only showrooms and they take pains to present an impeccable image of expertise and professionalism that sets them apart from the look and feel of a big box store.
The inconvenient truth that AV pros have to wrangle with is that the AV install business is affected, sometimes negatively, but many of the same market forces that retailers struggle with.
Let’s review, for a moment, Porter’s Five Forces Theory:
- Threat of new entrants
- Threat of substitutes
- Bargaining power of customers
- Bargaining power of suppliers
- Industry rivalry
On my mind today (and many other days, actually) is the second one: threat of substitutes.
At the rate at which technologies evolve and mature, the race to stay on top of industry developments never ends. A frequent conversation that I have with my own dealers involves reflecting on product categories that were big margin bread and butter five or ten years ago (or even two years ago, in some cases) are now either low-margin, low-demand or completely extinct. What was hot is now not.
When it first opened, the AV install company I used to work for sold and installed C-band satellite systems. As you might imagine, that business dried up over a period of years and the dealer principal evolved his business through big-screen rear projection and Hi-Fi sales, surround sound, to ever more ambitious home cinema and audio distribution systems. Eventually, he grew a company capable of executing enormously sophisticated whole home installations.
All of that evolution, thirty years’ worth, required getting in front of new technologies.
It’s depressing to contemplate how many technologies that used to be profit centers are now cheap commodities. Not only can customers buy a flat-panel television at the drug store, but the drug store will probably offer to install it too.
Multi-zone audio faces its own threat of threat of substitution in the widening popularity of wireless music solutions like Sonos.
At least so far, control systems have defied commoditization.
Specifying, designing, installing and programming a control system has necessitated a consultative, professional approach and a close client/vendor relationship that helped to protect the domain of the AV pro.
AV pros have been fortunate so far that price compression and competition from big box has been nominal. While the retail consumer electronics channel continues its race to zero by conditioning shoppers to expect steep discounts, AV pros have been able to keep control profitable with the level of service, design skill and competent project execution the category requires.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that the hardware itself is un-glamorous, utilitarian and not shiny. Featureless black boxes don’t sell themselves: finished and functional installations sell them.
Of course, AV companies that offer control systems also face challenges from both the threat of substitution and the other four forces. I’ll talk more about that next time.
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SnapAV Brands Available on SpringDeck AppSnapAV has partnered with the SpringDeck app to deliver streamlined, updated product content for all their most popular brands, including Episode, Luma Surveillance, WattBox, Araknis Networks, SunBriteTV and OvrC remote management. SnapAV dealers can now take advantage of a free exclusive download for a SpringDeck account; they can use these extra sales tools to present products on the go from an iPad, an online browser or from any connected device.
Through an exclusive download code, the SpringDeck app is automatically hardcoded for SnapAV’s extensive product library, which is divided into two categories — brands and solutions. In the brands category, dealers can find content organized by SnapAV’s brand line, to see an overview of products specific to top names such as Luma, Araknis or OvrC. The solutions category takes a more conversational approach to the sales process and is where dealers can browse content based on the specific solution their customer may want — outdoor audio, surveillance, networking and more.
Any SnapAV dealers who want to claim their free SpringDeck account can go here. Leave a Comment
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AVAD Adds LG Business Solutions AVAD today announced an alliance with LG Electronics USA Business Solutions, providing AVAD dealers with access to cutting-edge LG commercial displays. Groundbreaking new displays, led by new LG OLED commercial models, will be available to AVAD dealers across North America for the first time.
LG Business Solutions offers the industry’s broadest commercial display portfolio, including an expanded line-up of the award-winning commercial LG OLED family, unique 86-inch LG “Ultra Stretch” displays, 4K Ultra HD monitors, outdoor signage systems and advanced video wall displays. The addition of products from LG Business Solutions provides AVAD dealers with access to a wide array of unique, advanced displays for retail stores, restaurants, hotels, airports, schools, churches, sports arenas and more.
“LG is dedicated to providing solutions that create incredible end-user experiences, while helping commercial customers improve their businesses and bottom lines. And AVAD’s customer-focused dealer network will play a key role in supporting LG’s rapidly expanding digital signage business in the United States,” said Clark Brown, vice president, Digital Signage, LG Electronics USA Business Solutions.
“Our new alliance with LG Business Solutions will provide our dealers with a respected, reliable line of innovative solutions for their commercial installations.” said Jon Zabel, vice president of sales and vendor management for AVAD. “This is a prime example of how we’ve invested in partnering with industry-leading brands to provide our dealers with more product options than ever before, as we look forward to the growing future of AVAD.”
In addition to LG commercial displays for B2B markets, LG home entertainment products for the B2C market will also be available from AVAD.
AVAD is here: https://www.avad.com Leave a Comment
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Core Brands Ships New Flush-Mount Wall-Kits for Touch Panels Core Brands today announced that it is now shipping a new line of ELAN Flush-Mount Wall Kits for its TP4, TP7 and gXP12 touch panels. These Wall Kits are ideal for projects where a nearly-flush installation is desired.
The ELAN Wall Kits provide maximum ease-of-installation, with a straightforward install process that can be done in minutes. The Wall-Kits for the 4″ and 7″ touch panels are compatible with the equivalent Niles and SpeakerCraft models. Each kit is available in gloss white and gloss black for an elegant match with the touch panels.
- XTP12RBKT-B Flush Mount Kit for 12” XP12 Touch Panel in Black
- XTP12RBKT-W Flush Mount Kit for 12” XP12 Touch Panel in White
- TP7RBKT-B Flush Mount Kit for 7” TP7 Touch Panel in Black
- TP7RBKT-W Flush Mount Kit for 7” TP7 Touch Panel in White
- TP4RBKT-B Flush Mount Kit for 4” TP4 Touch Panel in Black
- TP4RBKT-W Flush Mount Kit for 4” TP4 Touch Panel in White
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Crestron Ships New Line of UL 1449 Certified Power ConditionersCrestron announced today it is now shipping a complete family of professional-grade UL 1449 certified power conditioners. Rack-mountable, the Type 3 Listed PC-100, PC-200 and PC-300 are for 120-volt AC power distribution, switching, surge protection and EMI/RFI noise filtering for AV systems.
UL 1449 is the UL safety and performance standard for Surge Protective Devices (SPD), formerly known as Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS).
RMS voltage and current monitoring enables technology managers to log and report line voltage, current, power and energy usage at the input. The external temperature sensor keeps tabs on heat conditions within the equipment rack or room. Network connectivity allows for setup and operation using a web browser, and extensive custom control and monitoring capabilities are enabled through integration with a Crestron control system.
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Comprehensive Introduces New 4K60 4:4:4 18Gb Commercial Plenum HDMI Over Fiber Cables Comprehensive Connectivity Company launched its new Pro AV/IT HD18G series of 4K60 4:4:4 18Gb HDMI over Fiber Plenum Cables for system integration and other commercial applications. These cables offer a low smoke and fire-retardant plenum jacket, as well as full Ultra HD, 18G 4K 60 4:4:4 end to end performance.
They enable high-speed, plug-and-play HDMI signal transmission up to 100 feet. Perfect A/V distribution for conference rooms, classrooms, digital signage or other commercial applications. Comprehensive Active Optical Plenum HDMI Cables use active components in the connectors to perform electrical-to-optical signal conversion, drawing power from the HDMI port.
Each Active Optical Plenum HDMI Cable is thin, light, flexible and plenum rated to make it easy to pull through conduit. Comprehensive plastic optical fibers can accommodate very tight bends with no loss of signal, unlike glass optical fibers. Pro AV/IT Active Optical Plenum HDMI Cables send video using light pulses, which provide higher immunity to EMI/RFI interference and electromagnetic noise. HDR, EDID, CEC, HDCP and RoHS compliant.
Features:
- Full UHD HDMI 2.0b 18G, HDR, 4K@60Hz 4:4:4, with all audio support — all lengths
- Available in pre-terminated lengths up to 100 feet
- Thin and flexible with indefinite long-term bend radius of ~0.2″
- Strong pull tension (up to 100 pounds)
- UL CMP-OF/FT-6 rated for all plenum applications
- Active connectors require no external power supply
- Polymer optical fiber technology provides low power consumption and low EMI
- EDID, CEC and HDCP compatible
- RoHS Compliant
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Clare Video Doorbell Ships Clare introduces a Wi-Fi HD video doorbell to its ClareVision+ line of IP surveillance cameras. The Clare Video Doorbell comes with on-board storage, is set to record on motion, and auto-configures for remote viewing within the free, redesigned ClareVison+ app. The camera functions as a stand-alone device to replace virtually any doorbell.
The Clare Video Doorbell provides a view to the front door from anywhere via the free ClareVision+ or ClareHome apps (iOS and Android). See and speak with whoever is at the door, built-in motion sensors detect movement and can trigger instant mobile alerts to begin HD video recording. For consumers who wantwhole home monitoring and additional storage, the doorbell cam can integrate with a ClareVision+ NVR for multi-camera systems.
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Epson Launches 4,200-Lumen Home Cinema 1450 3LCD Projector
Epson today introduced the Home Cinema 1450, a 3LCD native 1080p (1920×1080) 4,200 lumen projector aimed at home theaters or home entertainment.
The Home Cinema 1450 projector includes two HDMI ports, one MHL 3 port and component video as well as USB. The Home Cinema 1450 ($1,499 list) will be available April 17. The projector includes features line four different pre-set color modes, the ability to watch two sources side-by-side at the same time, a built-in 16-watt speaker, wireless streaming via MHL from Roku or Chromecast and a feature that allows the projector to be powered on and off quickly.
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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NEC Unveils New Set of E Series of Professional Signage Solutions NEC Display Solutions Europe today unveiled a new generation of its E Series entry-level professional displays. Now in its sixth generation, the Energy Star-rated E Series digital information displays come in 32-, 43- and 55-inch screen sizes using newly added S-IPS panels and 50- to 65-inch sizes using S-PVA panels. The updated E Series displays feature a slim-bezel design, cleaner OSD and an integrated USB media player for instant use and plug-and-play stand-alone operations.
Content can be played directly from a USB drive and the displays can be programmed with an embedded autostart time schedule function, to turn on the screen and play content automatically at a certain time.
The E Series supports infrared lock to ensure content security and continuity of the display. The feature allows users to disable the infrared remote control sensor, blocking unauthorized persons from accessing the display and interrupting the display output. Screens can instead be controlled centrally via RS232 commands over a cable connection. Furthermore, Energy Star 7.0 certification reduces running costs and the device carbon footprint, delivering low overall cost of ownership.
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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.
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Copyright 2017 – 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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