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Volume 2, Issue 11 — November 28, 2011 |

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The AV Industry and Software: Death Spiral or New Hope
By Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED AP
I’ve been an AV consultant for 22 years now, a business owner for the last 15 years and in the custom software business for eight enlightening years. I’ve also written nearly 40 articles over the past eight years, but I’ve never really written one on the software paradox in our industry… until now.
Let me start by warning you that I’ve got some stuff to get off my chest. Before I do, let’s make sure that it’s just us chickens in here. Attention EcoSystems readers: If you are someone from outside the AV industry, say an architect or facility manager, please stop reading this article now. And if you are a customer/end user/buyer/decision maker of any sort, for heaven’s sake, please shut down your computer and just walk away.
OK, now that we are alone, let me state what a fine job we have done over the past decade devaluing software in our industry. If our goal was a race to the bottom, then mission accomplished. For years now, software has been treated as the packets of ketchup that come with the fries that come with the burger. No one charges you for ketchup packets; they just give you as few as possible. That’s more or less been our industry’s collective approach to software: We won’t charge you much — or at all — but we’ll make sure you get what you paid for or less (like that as-built code that you didn’t exactly ask for that properly). You want fancy ketchup? Sorry. We’ve just got plain ol’ ketchup and not much of it.
The irony is that we shout from the highest mountain tops that we are the “integration” industry. It’s all about the integration, man. I mean AV contractors even changed their profession’s name to be called “systems integrators.” Well, what is it then that actually does all that integration? You can put a codec and a matrix router and an audio DSP next to each other in a rack, and they don’t do jack without some software running the show.
However, the hardware meth has been a tough habit to break, and low-bid award crack hasn’t helped the situation either. If everyone in the integration business is basically buying the gear at the same price, what differentiates prices among competitive bids? You can discount your hardware margins to unsustainable levels (not advisable), short change your installation time (it’ll come back to haunt you), or basically give away the software and hope for a miracle. I mean how hard can it be, right? Unfortunately, this third option seems to be one most favored by our industry. The incentives to actually scope out the AV software properly, write a decent software spec, design elegant user interfaces, craft efficient, robust code, and support it throughout the warranty period are all backwards on most projects. If you want the job, you’ll minimize your time on the software and pray for a change order.
However, what this leaves behind are thousands upon thousands of systems that don’t operate anywhere close to what the client was promised at the tradeshow booth when they fell in love with what our industry can do, but all too often, doesn’t do. I see this time and again out there in the wild. In this slow construction economy, a significant number of projects at my firm are renovation/upgrade projects. When we look at the client’s existing equipment racks, it’s all basically fine professional gear. When we go to the touch panel, it’s a horror show. Open the DSP and you’d think monkeys were let loose on the construction site.
So why am I being such a Debbie Downer and what does this have to do with green AV? Well, when I walk a commercial building these days, I’m also reminded of that old quote from Winston Churchill about democracy being the worst form of government except for all the others. The AV industry is the worst at software… except for all the other building trades. And therein lies our hope. We might suck, but we don’t suck nearly as bad as everyone else. So let’s build on that. Believe it or not, we actually have a head start on winning the software world cup; we just have to quit viewing software as a necessary evil to the hardware end game.
And what’s the green angle? Well, most of the really cool stuff we’re going to do in sustainability is going to be done on the software automation side of things. Yes, we should specify energy-efficient products in an energy-efficient way that allows our clients to conduct their business in a lower carbon-emitting manner. But the big money is going to be in imagining, defining, specifying, coordinating and, for some of us, delivering the software to make buildings smart, adaptive and green.
So take a cold hard look at your software future. Do you have a plan? A vision? A partner? A young genius on staff who needs to be empowered? A nearby college graduating a bunch of young geniuses come December? Surely, one of the above is true.
Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED® AP, is president and CEO of Waveguide Consulting, a national AV, IT and acoustical consulting firm. Scott is a past president of InfoComm International, and he currently chairs InfoComm’s AV Sustainability Task Force, which is responsible for developing the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP) rating system. Scott can be reached at swalker@waveguide.com
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The Five Things You Need to Know About the New Green Meeting Standards
Over the course of the last year, I have looked on with envy (sigh, no it wasn’t green with envy) at the column of my compatriot above, Scott Walker, as he has thoroughly explored the InfoComm STEP guidelines. I have been waiting for what feels like an eternity to be able to share the same kind of information for my staging colleagues. But, now my green staging friends, our time has come.
This last month the Convention Industry Council released the fabulous news that eight of the nine standards for an Environmentally Sustainable Meeting passed the ASTM approval process. For the first time in history, those of us serving the business meetings industry will have a key role in shaping the outcome of a green meeting.
Here are the five things you need to know in order to be a part of the new standards.
- Format: The standards are a checklist-driven, prescriptive list of requirements. They are split into four levels, with Level 1 being the basic level of attainment. The standards are considered nine different standards, individual of one another. In addition to AudioVisual, there is Meeting Venue, Accommodations, Transportation, Destination, Food & Beverage, Onsite Office and Exhibits.
Within each of these standards, the checklist items are divided into eight categories. These include Procurement, Energy, Air Quality, Water, Communications, Staff Management and Environmental Policy, Community Partners and Waste Management.
- Certification: As of now, there is not an official certifying agency available. While there are plans in the future by some organizations to develop third-party certifications, for the interim, self-certification will be the only option. Additionally, you cannot call yourself a “certified ASTM/APEX supplier” – the standards are event-specific, rather than company. The correct phrasing would be, “We were a supplier/partner to the ASTM/APEX certified green meeting…”
- Planner/Supplier Relationship: One really unique feature about these standards is that they require both the planner and the supplier to meet their levels together. This is great for a supplier in the opportunity to build closer relationships with their clients. They will need your full cooperation and partnership well before the event in order to achieve the goals together.
- Access to the Standards: Beginning next month, ASTM will publish all eight of the standards. The can be purchased in the ASTM store, as document E2745.
- Your First Step? If you are interested in becoming a green AV supplier, I recommend the very first step you take is not studying the standards or marketing your organization to meeting planners, but taking a close look at what you’re doing that is “green.” If it’s not a core part of your organization, you will struggle with meeting these standards. You need to begin having the conversations with your teams, building the value and case for environmental sustainability. And, it is imperative that you create an internal environmental policy.

To help you with this first step, next month I’ll give you guidelines on what you should include in your company’s environmental policy.
Midori Connolly is CEO and Chief AVGirl of Pulse Staging & Events, Inc. in Escondido, California. She wrote the first-ever set of Sustainable Staging guidelines after discovering none existed. She is the vice-chair of the AV committee for the U.S. EPA’s Green Meetings Standards and regularly speaks and writes about corporate social responsibility and green practices in live events and meeting planning. Reach her at midori@pulsestaging.com
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The International Green Construction Code and Its Impact on Audiovisual Systems and Design
By Raymond Kent, CTS, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C
You may not know it, despite all the press surrounding the green movement, but there will soon be another commercial building code that will impact what we do as AV and technology professionals. And sustainability initiatives launched by InfoComm International offer us an important vehicle for navigating this pending code.
Last June, Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., executive director and CEO of InfoComm, announced formation of the STEP Foundation, which was established in cooperation with trade associations CompTIA, BICSI and TIA to oversee the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP). The STEP Rating System is a tool for building owners and technology providers to plan for and implement sustainable practices in their technology projects. But although STEP is among our industry’s most significant new initiatives, it’s not the building code we’re referring to.
You see, STEP also represents the AV industry’s best entry into the latest green building program: the International Green Construction Code (IGCC).
Background on the IGCC
If you’ve never heard of the IGCC, here’s the skinny — the IGCC was created in response to recognition at all levels of government and by building code professionals that the green construction industry needed a model code that specifies enhanced building performance in many areas, including energy, water, natural resources and material conservation. It recently went through a second public review and it’s scheduled to be published next March.
The new model code will provide a framework for the integration of sustainability, safety and performance. At its foundation is the International Code Council’s established family of model codes. The IGCC will work as an overlay to those codes to reduce the negative impact of the built environment on the natural environment. In the end, it’s envisioned that the IGCC will be a usable, adoptable and enforceable model for the green building market that goes beyond what is currently captured in rating systems such as Green Globe or the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
The IGCC has been developed in association with cooperating sponsors ASTM International and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) also joined the development, and because of this partnership, ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, which “provides a ‘total building sustainability package’ for those who strive to design, build and operate green buildings,” was integrated into the IGCC as an alternative compliance path. That means jurisdictions may elect to adopt Standard 189.1 as part of their building code requirements. And it’s in the adoption of 189.1 and the IGCC that presents a real opportunity for audiovisual professionals to step into the process and influence the sustainability of a project.
Specifically, what does the IGCC mean for the AV industry? There are several sections that relate to technology and the way we do business. There are also sections that aren’t obviously “green” but are right in an AV pro’s wheelhouse. For example, Section 807 Acoustics says that sound transmission between buildings and tenant spaces must be controlled, meaning designers will now have to design compliant sound systems. Taken together, all relevant sections of the IGCC stand to impact how AV systems are designed and integrated. They also mean forging a deeper relationship with our design team partners: architects, MEP engineers and clients.
Let’s look closer at the current IGCC to learn how it might affect AV.
Inside the Code
For starters, Section 502.3 Storage of Lamps, Batteries and Electronics requires that a space be provided for used gear prior to its being disposed of in the way that the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) requires. This will require planning and communication with the design team to determine the right type, size and other requirements of that storage. It is also a great opportunity to work with the client on exactly how to discard and recycle its unwanted electronics in an environmentally responsible way and to start a technology master plan discussion with your clients regarding end-of-life issues.
Chapter 6 Energy Conservation, Efficiency and Atmospheric Quality has perhaps the greatest impact on what AV pros do. This section regulates the design, construction, commissioning and operations of buildings and their sites for effective use of energy. InfoComm’s pending Energy Power Management Standard, as well as STEP, should play a key role in this area because it is one of the first times a model code has directly dealt with the plug-load side of the energy equation. More specifically:
Section 602 Energy Performance, Peak Power, and Reduced CO2e Emissions provides a zero-energy performance index (zEPI) based on occupancy types. Currently, the zEPI baseline is 51 out of a possible 100 points; however, jurisdictions can elect to demand a higher standard. The prescriptive and performance-based compliance details follow in sections 604 to 612 of the Code.
For example, Section 604 Energy Metering, Monitoring, and Reporting mandates that any building consuming energy shall comply with this Code section, basically requiring that the buildings’ energy use, production and any energy reclamation be measured, monitored and reported. This includes not only the design of power distributions systems that can isolate load types, but also the installation of data-enabled metering systems that provide their information to a public display. This information must be made available to building owners, tenants and the public. Who better to provide the display and communications infrastructure to support these requirements than the AV industry?
Plug loads, as described in Section 604.3.4 Plug Loads (read that to include computers, AV equipment, copiers, cell-phone chargers, etc.), can be measured and reported via a sub-meter or other equivalent approved device. There are manufacturers within the AV industry that have the capability to provide this required feedback right now and it should be part of an overall AV solution. There is opportunity here to be a value-added member of the design team right from the start.
One of the more striking provisions of this code section is Section 604.3.5 Process Loads. This area takes into account and provides separate metering and reporting requirement for any single load associated with activities in a building, provided they exceed 5 percent of the total energy use. This includes data centers, but could also include large AV head-ends that are energy-intensive in applications such as museums, performing arts, command and control or broadcast systems. The metering must be connected to a data acquisition and management system capable of storing three years worth of data and must be available to be displayed in real time. The display (604.7 Energy Display) is called out as a permanent, readily accessible and visible display adjacent to the main building entrance or on a publicly available website. It has to provide the current energy demand for the whole building by fuel type, the average peak demand for the previous day and the same day from the previous year, and the total energy usage for the last 18 months.
Call for Control Systems
Section 609 Building Electrical Power and Lighting Systems of the IGCC details the controls required for energy management. Section 609.6 Plug Load Controls is the section that most directly impacts our industry. Receptacles and electrical outlets are required to be controlled via an occupancy sensor or time switch. There are provisions requiring that switched receptacles for audiovisual systems (609.6.4) — including displays, projectors and audio amplifiers in Group B and E classrooms, conference and meeting rooms and multipurpose rooms — be controlled by an occupancy sensor. This will require some form of room automation system, either from an AV manufacturer that specializes in controls, or a Honeywell, Siemens or Johnson Controls. It is therefore critical for the AV professional to be at the planning table early so that systems are not designed to simply shut off power to the switch without taking into account damage that could result if that plug-load equipment is not properly power sequenced.
Finally (and follow this one closely), particular requirements for installed equipment are detailed in Section 610 Specific Appliances and Equipment. There are a number of components of installed AV systems that would fall into Section 610.3 Portable Appliances and Equipment. These devices, which are not permanently connected to the building energy supply, must comply with Section 610.3.1 Energy Star Appliances and Equipment.
It’s important to note that the Code does not require that all installed products in a building must be Energy Star products — but, where applicable, they must be Energy Star eligible. This could include monitors, projectors and other devices seeking Energy Star certification. It also could include some Class D amplifiers, D to A converters, network server equipment such as switches and routers, and other electronics that may be part of an audiovisual system.
Frankly, the IGCC is a lot to take in. But there is nothing in the Code that is beyond comprehension or good common sense. Still, it’s an important development and will certainly require the inclusion of AV and technology designers as part of the framework of a building project. And that’s good for the industry as a whole. If you want to read on the latest developments of the International Green Construction Code, click
here.
For more information about the Sustainable Technology Environments Program, visit the new
STEP Foundation website.
Raymond Kent, CTS, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA, is the co-chair of the STEP Foundation’s Technical Committee and Associate Principal and Director of Innovative Technology Design at Westlake Reed Leskosky.
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Intelligent Building Technology Report Available
The market for global intelligent building automation technologies is expected to increase from $130.46 billion in 2009 to $167.41 billion by 2015, registering a CAGR of 4.34 percent during 2010-2015. The main forces driving the market are the ability of intelligent buildings to reduce CO2 emissions, reduce maintenance and operating costs, and enhance the life of the building and improving the safety and security of its occupants.
Intelligent building automation technologies are segmented based on systems, services, and information technology. Systems and services are further classified as facility management systems/services, life security systems/services and physical security systems/services. Information technology is classified into computing hardware, computing software, computing and network services and network equipments.
Amongst all the technologies discussed, energy management technologies are registering a high growth rate, followed by emergency response and light management technologies. The increasing concern for global warming and increasing energy consumption by buildings are the major factors due to which intelligent buildings are gaining traction worldwide. North America led the global intelligent building automation technologies market with a share of close to 40 percent in 2010; followed by EMEA region, which had a share of more than 34 percent in the global intelligent building automation technologies market in 2010.
For more information please go here:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/a351b4/global_intelligent_building_automation_techno
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New ViewSonic Projector Features Campus-Wide Network Management and Smart Eco Technology
ViewSonic’s new PJD6 Series DLP projector line (PJD6223, PJD6253 and PJD6553w) are Crestron- and AMX-enabled and specifically designed for classroom and corporate environments. Equipped with Crestron RoomView and AMX’s InConcert, the new line is also integrated with Smart Eco technology — the projector raises and lowers light output based on the ambient lighting in the room, thus saving energy by using less power when in a dimly lit room.
The projectors are spec’d with a longer lamp life (6000 hours in Eco mode) and 3500 lumens (2700 lumens on the PJD6223). Connectivity includes HDMI and multiple PC and video inputs, a dynamic movie mode for image contrast, digital keystone correction and a 10-watt integrated speaker.
The PJD6223 and PJD6253 are both networkable XGA 1024×768 projectors, while the widescreen PJD6553w offers a WXGA 1280×800 native resolution. Full specs are here:
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/pjd6253.htm
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E-Waste Recycling Options Grow
Proposed federal legislation to restrict export of toxic electronic waste (e-waste) from the U.S. will spur expansion of the domestic recycling industry and create tens of the thousands of new jobs, leaders of the Coalition for American Electronics Recycling stated this week.
“The U.S. lacks a robust domestic e-waste recycling industry, and the quality jobs that come with it, because our laws promote unrestricted, unfair and unethical trade in toxic electronic scrap,” said Jim Taggart, CEO of ECS Refining. “E-waste exports not only poison the environment and people in developing countries across Asia and Africa, they limit the ability of responsible recyclers to expand our businesses and build our workforce in the U.S.”
The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, introduced in June, would restrict toxic e-waste exports to developing countries that lack adequate safeguards for the environment and workers. The House bill is co-sponsored by Gene Green (D-TX), Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Steve LaTourette (R-OH). In the Senate, similar legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
The Coalition for American Electronics Recycling includes 29 U.S. companies involved in all aspects of the domestic electronics recycling and disposition industry, with 74 recycling operations in 34 states. The legislation is also supported by major electronics manufacturers and retailers, including Hewlett Packard, Dell, Apple, Samsung and Best Buy, as well as the Electronics Takeback Coalition, an environmental organization.
“We are advocates for environmental safety and are dedicated to educating businesses and consumers about the hazards of improperly disposing of old and unused electronics,” stated the 4th Bin co-founder John Kirsch. “As a member of the Coalition we can work with like-minded businesses to raise awareness on e-cycling, lobby on e-waste policy, and support initiatives that create long-term job growth.”
Kirsch continued, “By providing a simple and inexpensive means of rescue, disposal and recycling, at the 4th Bin we fully practice the three Rs.”
The U.S. generated more than 3.1 million tons of e-waste in 2009, according to U.S. EPA statistics. Electronic scrap contains high concentrations of toxic materials such as lead and cadmium and is classified as hazardous by the U.S. EPA and many states. However, a large percentage of e-waste collected for “recycling” is actually exported to developing countries that lack environmental and worker safeguards.
For more information on e-waste solutions, visit
http://www.4thbin.com
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Arrive Shows Configurable RoomPoint Multi-Array Matrix at Another Show, Claims It’s Not Vaporware
Although Arrive can’t give us any customers names with working installs, they continue to show their so-called control system of the future. Exhibiting at InfoComm MEA last month, Arrive showed its RoomPoint Multi-Array Matrix (MAM), a collection of modular blades that can be field configured, providing flexible combinations for AV cross point matrix scaling and switching of analog and digital video signals, unbalanced stereo, wired and wireless 802.11n network and AC-DC power distribution.
The RoomPoint MAM is comprised of modular blades that provide scaling and switching of a combination of video signal VGA, HDMI, DVI-I, composite, S-Video (Y/C) and component video (Y Pb Pr) inputs and outputs.
RoomPoint MAM is made up of a monolithic shell (crafted from a single sheet of recycled aluminum) that protects the internal hive-like structure and also acts as the heat-sink. Its naturally aspirated hive of modular and fanless blades uses convection airflow to cool internal electronic components. It’s also Power-over-Ethernet (PoE).
It is specified to draw zero watts in standby power, which essentially means that it powers down all connected AC/DC devices. Depending on the number of slots provided for the modular blades, the Arrive RoomPoint Multi-Array Matrix comes in four configurations.
To learn more about Arrive’s RoomPoint MAM, click here:
http://www.arrivesys.com/arrive-roompoint.php
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Noventri Launches Green DS Player with Integrated Software, Will Plant a Tree if You Buy One
If you’re interested in a simple, still-image player from a company that has a reason to say it’s green, the new Noventri SF-100e may be the perfect digital signage player for you. The company claims this is the industry’s “greenest” digital signage player — a simple embedded media software engine with a network port in and a DVI/HDMI/VGA port out, no moving parts, no fan, no hard drive and, best of all, for every one sold, the company plants a tree in the buyer’s honor. The no-hard-drive solution has a USB port (and is packaged with a 1GB USB memory stick) that plays all the content sent to it via an Ethernet network and outputs it either analog (VGA) or digital (via DVI or DVI to HDMI adapter) in any native resolution from 640×480 to 1920×1200. The player has a profil of 4″ x 5″ x 1″ so it’s also pretty small.
Input is 5-volt (so can be powered over Ethernet) and only uses 4 watts of power total (compared to a PC-based DS player that usually averages 200-300 watts). Noventri claims that the $599 SF-100e (that’s less than half the price of the SpinetiX HMP200, even though the SpinetiX player does video) can operate in ambient temps from -40°F to 185 °F (-40 °C to 85 °C) at an altitude of up to 16,000 feet and humidity range from 0 – 80 percent.
Full specs are here:
http://www.noventri.com/simple-digital-signage.php
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iPod Creators Focus on the… Thermostat?
When iPod creators Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers left Apple to start their own company back in 2008, many thought the two would work on a next-gen music player. Instead, they revealed the Nest, an intelligent (and rather i-stylish) thermostat.
The company says the thermostat will slash household heating and cooking bills by 10-35 percent by using fuzzy logic and “learning” customer habits — if the user turns the thermostat to the same temperature at the same time for a few days in a row, it will start setting it to the same settings automatically. Six far-field sensors will also detect human presence through temperature, ambient light, humidity and motion — turning heating (or air conditioners) down if no one is around.
Temperature control comes through either the rotating outer ring or Wi-Fi connectivity (allowing one to adjust thermostat settings via Internet-connected devices).
The company also claims installing a Nest thermostat will take all of 20 minutes. It’s scheduled to start shipping this month.
Go here for more information:
http://www.nest.com/
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Global Caché and Cortexa Partner
Global Caché and Cortexa Automation (known for its home automation controllers and energy saving products) announced a “strategic alliance” allowing Cortexa to include Global Caché hardware as part of its solution.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cortexa, it has a so-called Home Automation Ready (HAR) system designed to bring home automation system at all cost levels. Its claim to fame is a plan the company says is designed to save a homeowner time and money through energy-savings, while allowing the installer to quickly get in, get out and get on to their next job. Using their software and HAR subsystems such as a Global Caché control system, INSTEON, Z-Wave, The Energy Detective or others, home-owners can expect to cut their energy bills, according to Cortexa.
Go here to learn more:
http://www.cortexa.com/
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NEC Launches 46″ Outdoor LCD
NEC Display has added a new 46″ monitor to its X Series, the X462HB, that’s spec’d as a 24/7 operation display for outdoor digital signage, drive-thru menu boards and video walls.
The new X462HB offers a quarter-lambda polarizing film, which allows for outdoor viewing with polarized sunglasses in both landscape and portrait orientations. This is essential for quick-service restaurant (QSR) owners to ensure their customers can easily and clearly read the drive-thru menu with any type of polarized eyewear. Using a 1920×1080 LCD, the monitor claims a brightness spec of 1200 cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 3500:1 and uses a max of 320-watts of power. It also has NEC’s AmbiBright ambient light sensor to automate brightness according to existing lighting conditions. Inputs include DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort and a network port.
The X462HB lists for $3,899 and full specs are here:
http://www.necdisplay.com/p/x462hb
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NEC Adds 27″ to LED-Backlit Line
NEC Display announced today a new 27-inch, LED-backlit monitor in the form of the MultiSync EA273WM, which is up to 30 percent thinner and 25 percent lighter than the company’s previous 27 LCDs. It boasts a 130-mm, height-adjustable stand and future-proof connectivity such as DisplayPort and HDMI inputs. Other improvements include the redesigned On Screen Display (OSD) controls, user-friendly OSD menu and streamlined cable management. The EA273WM is packed with green features, including LED backlight technology, which reduces power by more than 40 percent compared to select previous generation EA Series models. Other eco-friendly highlights include ECO Mode and smart sensing technology, including an ambient light sensor and human sensor, which detects user activity in front of the monitor and reduces its power up to 95 percent with inactivity.
Using a native 1980×1080 HD LCD, the new 27″ has a spec of 25,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness and has an integrated four-port USB 2.0 HUB. It’s Energy Star 5.0 compliant as well as TCO 5.1 and lists for $499. Full specs are here:
http://www.necdisplay.com/p/ea273wm-bk
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Best Buy Debuts Energy Portal
Dubbed the Home Energy Learning Center, Best Buy is taking rAVe’s suggestion to heart and has launched a energy portal to sell green AV gear. The site not only lists products with green features and energy saving functions, but also includes recycling resources, the Best Buy sustainability plan and practices you can adopt, tutorials on reading Energy Star green labeling and more. We have to say, it’s very impressive!
You can check it out here:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/regularCat%3Apcmcat256900050024/Home-Energy-Learning-Center/pcmcat256900050024.c?id=pcmcat256900050024
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Blue Line Innovations Hardware Products and Eragy Software Platform Raise Bar in Energy Reporting and Control for Consumers
Blue Line Innovations and Eragy today announced a strategic partnership for delivering home energy management solutions. Under the terms of the partnership, Blue Line Innovations and Eragy will be providing a suite of home energy monitoring and control solutions for consumers, energy efficiency professionals, Control4 dealers, and utilities.
With existing PowerCost Monitor hardware, Eragy’s free myEragy application offers several layers of engagement options for homeowners including web and smart phone data presentation, enabling homeowners to save up to 20 percent or more off their monthly electric bills. The PowerCost Monitor features a universal optical sensor that slips over the outside of virtually any electricity meter and then feeds that energy data in real-time up through a Wi-Fi gateway to Eragy’s secure web portal. It’s a simple, step-by-step installation process with no electricians required.
To learn more about it or to become a dealer, contract Peter Porteous, Blue Line Innovations,
pporteous@bluelineinnovations.com or Mark Komanecky, Eragy,
mark@eragy.com
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Well, that’s it for this edition of rAVe GreenAV Edition! Thank you for spending time with us as we muse the industry’s happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter – instead, write to Publisher Gary Kayye at gary@ravepubs.com or Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of rAVe and 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 Pro Edition launched in February 2003. rAVe Home Edition, co-sponsored by CEDIA, launched in February 2004.
rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007.
rAVe Ed [Education] began publication in May 2008.
rAVe DS [Digital Signage] launched in January 2009. This publication, rAVe GreenAV, was launched in August 2010.
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