Selling in a Tough Economy: What’s Happening Now

So I hear that the recession is over and that the economy is slowly improving. I don’t know about you, but I’m not seeing signs of that in my own community. Many small businesses have closed in and around my town. Those that are still surviving are struggling with tight credit and lean inventory, the […]

Selling in a Tough Economy: What’s Happening Now

Biamp adds Vocia

DSP company Biamp Systems made a global launch of their new networked media system called Vocia (pronounced vo-chia) via several webinars today. Launched in conjunction with trade show Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), Vocia is aimed at the paging and voice evacuation market. Instead of centralized processing, the Vocia system takes a modular approach that (according to them) makes it easy to expand […]

Don’t (always) believe the hype!

Unless you live in a cave, you probably heard that Apple announced iPad, their long-awaited tablet computer, this week. The iPad’s pre-announcement buzz was a work of art but the not-so-fine print is that you can’t get your hands on one of these for another 60-90 days (depending on the model.) As a news service, we get […]

HD Over Component Video is Dead (Almost)

Everyone’s used component video for HD.  Everyone.  In fact, some surveys find that as many of 85 percent of ProAV installations using HD are still being integrated over component video. Who cares? Well, did you know that as of December 31, 2010 analog outputs decrypted (AACS) content will be limited to 480i and 480p (maximum resolution)? The date is referred to […]

HD Over Component Video is Dead (Almost)

Is the Projector Dying a Slow Death?

In light of the rapid evolution of the large-format LCD monitor, LED-backlit LCD TVs and the rise of the giant-sized LCDs, it’s time to ask the question no one in the ProAV market really wants answered:  Is the projector dying? Since the dawn of the video projection market in the late 1970s, it’s dominated, albeit in different iterations, the presentation landscape […]

Is the Projector Dying a Slow Death?

Have You Considered Becoming a CEDIA ROI?

What’s the ROI?  CEDIA’s Registered Outreach Instructor program enables CEDIA members to provide continuing education to their local design and build industry partners. CEDIA members who take and pass the ROI “Train the Trainer” class can present CEDIA-developed courseware to industry partners within their geographic regions. This grassroots member benefit will impact the member’s ability to develop new business relationships without the […]

Have You Considered Becoming a CEDIA ROI?

Berlin Wall

This week marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.  I guess to most Americans this is somewhat of of a monumental occasion, but for a few AV Geeks (me included) this week brought me memories I’ve never forgotten. You see, the day the so-called WALL came tumbling down in Berlin, there were a […]

NEC’s VUKUNET Will Help the ProAV Market – If We Help Ourselves

Today, NEC launched what apparently was a four-year, top-secret project within the company to develop something that, although aimed at the Digital Signage market, will ultimately help ANY ProAV or DS integration firm that will admit that the future of their company is selling services, NOT gear. Being a DS hardware manufacturer, it is, quite honestly, hard to believe […]

NEC’s VUKUNET Will Help the ProAV Market – If We Help Ourselves

Distribution Wars

I remember back when there were no “real” distributors in the commercial AV market. There were some high-end production video distributors in and around the industry – mostly sending Sony and Panasonic gear, illegally, to South America. Oh, and, back before Belgium-based projector company, BARCO, had US-based dealers, there was a very creative distributor here in the […]

Hey, Manufacturers, some FREE PR Advice…

By Andy Marken, Marken Communications What a world of difference there is in the way “organizations” handle problems when they are caught with their hands in the cookie jar. While usually relatively minor, from a national media standpoint, almost every organization encounters major or minor problems each year as they have “run-ins” with the media. This is especially […]

The Show from Hell

About 25 years ago, somebody gave me the following letter, which is one of the funniest I’ve read in the industry. Can anybody tell me who wrote it, or where it was first published?  JRR Mr. Paul Begosh, Producer Brightstar Productions 73040 La Cienega Blvd. Los Angles, CA 90023 Dear Paul: First, thank you for engaging us to provide AV […]

DirecTV’s SWiM – Fix, Not Feature!

By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about DirecTV’s new SWiM (Single Wire MultiSwitch) “feature”.  Basically, the short-version of the biggest feature (or FIX as I think of it) is that you can now run one RG6 coax line into your DVR-based DirecTV receivers and actually keep both tuners active.  So, with one RG6 run from the dish, you can record two […]

…LOADING …..LOADING …..LOADING ……LOADING

If you’re a Sony Blu-ray user, you know exactly what my title is referring to. What the heck? Hey, you, Sony, I’m talking to you.  I’m wondering what’s going on with my Blu-ray player.  You invented it, it has your badge on the front of it – so I know you know what I am talking about. And, YES, […]

Hey Nintendo and Apple! I Got You All Figured Out!

I’ve seen this before – over and over and over.  When consumer electronics manufacturers drop their price for no reason at all (meaning, the product is selling well even though it’s been on the market a while) that means a new version is on the way. So, DO NOT run out and buy the AppleTV of the […]

What Happened to ProAV Magazine?

While we were at CEDIA, we “officially” got word from the ProAV magazine publisher that they were going to start publishing bi-monthly (every other month).  We sort of thought something was up as there were some combined months earlier this year, but now it’s official.  You may have seen our Tweet from the CEDIA show when we got the news.  Soon after, ProAV’s Editor, […]

The rAVe Home and CEDIA Partnership

Since Day 1 of our rAVe HomeAV publication, CEDIA’s been a partner with us. Every step of the way we have enjoyed an alliance that allows us to help them disseminate important information to their members and high-end audiophiles and videophiles and they help us keep a pulse on the evolving high-end consumer technology space. However, I have never been more excited […]

The rAVe Home and CEDIA Partnership

Are You Selling All Your Services?

I’ve written columns in the past decreeing (more like begging) the virtues of selling services over selling gear. There’s been one on selling design services – sort of like design consultants do for big clients and big systems out there.  There’s been one on selling integration services – basically installing other people’s systems regardless of […]

Are You Selling All Your Services?

Is Runco Relevant?

As we quickly head towards another CEDIA Expo, it’s a time to reflect where we’ve been and where we’re, hopefully, headed.  We’ve had a very tough year – in fact, it’s being called by most CI’s the worst HomeAV economy ever.  Expo 2008 was really the beginning of this economic downturn as we headed into a contentious, divisive presidential […]

Why We Picked Extron’s TouchLink for Best of InfoComm

Some 15-years ago, the first touch-panels debuted for the meeting room market – and the control system market has never been the same since.  Touch panels are slick, cool and have the capability to give you complete control of every function you can possibly imagine you’ll ever need in a room. Yesterday, we released our […]

Why We NEED the Digital Signage Market (and Why You Need an Evangelist)

By Gary Kayye, CTS The ProAV market is slow.  Sure, it’s picking up a little, but it is no where near where it was in 2005 and 2006.  And, it’s now clear that we’re not going to see major movement in this market until at least Q1 2010.  Design consultants in the ProAV market are slow.  Some will hide this […]

Why We NEED the Digital Signage Market (and Why You Need an Evangelist)

rAVe NOW iPhone App Released!

rAVe [Publications] is proud to introduce the newest FREE way to get instant updates on news in the AV industry – the rAVe NOW iPhone App! With an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can read any of our news on the go. The iPhone App will get you instant access to the stories featured in all of our […]

What we can learn from Sprint

If you are a frequent reader of my columns, you know that I have been – for years – saying that the AV business is quickly moving towards a commodity where we will need to focus on services as a profit model.  The good thing is that service is WAY MORE PROFITABLE than selling gear, […]

Do You Live in a Gym?

Why is is that every time I go to the gym – no matter what time of day or what day of the week – there are a few people who are ALWAYS there working out? And, no, they don’t work there – I checked. What do these people do?  What sort of jobs do […]

Best Buy for Business = Best Guy to Steal Business

I am sure everyone out there reading this has purchased gear from Best Buy a time or two.  AV systems sometimes call for consumer-grade gear and Best Buy actually set up a group a few years back, called Best Buy for Business, to handle such relationships. But, if this is their M.O. now, beware! I received […]

Why we’re NOT a Magazine

Yesterday, at a reception for the press sponsored by one of the industry’s largest display manufacturers, we overheard a conversation that perfectly demonstrates why WE (at rAVe) do NOT want to be called aProAV magazine. What did we hear?  Well, the manufacturer was “guaranteed” more editorial coverage and news stories by the print publication if they would […]

If This Show is Smaller – Why Can’t I Get Anywhere?

One thing that’s consistent year after year, show after show about the day before a show opens – it looks like it’s far from being ready to open. Crap everywhere! TO walk from the front of the Hall (Da-Lite/Extron) to the Back (Lighthouse), it took me a freakin’ hour. Crates everywhere, fork-lift drivers that just drive […]

rAVe is proud to announce rAVe NOW!

Hey, we realize that budgets are tight – tighter than ever, in fact – and that this may be the year you don’t go to InfoComm:  BUMMER!  But, if you can’t make it to the “Ultimate AV show” this year, then we’ve come up with something just as good as being there!  It’s called rAVe NOW and you’ve gotta come […]

Yes, We’re Picky

If you’ve been following rAVe DS, you know this is our fourth issue.  As you also probably know, there are more than a few “other” DS publications out there.  But, unlike those, we are picky on which stories we run and what we choose to send to you each month – in other words, just because we […]

Yes, We’re Picky

PCs Suck: The Non-PC Digital Signage Solutions Are Coming!

Using a PC as a content transmitter and receiver for Digital Signage networks sucks. Microsoft and their myriad problems have bled all over the DS market too. And, everyone’s been screaming for non-PC based solutions since the beginning. But, there haven’t been many that have, well, not sucked too. At least Microsoft Windows-based PCs are […]

AVAD to Jump in ProAV Market?

AVAD, well known in the HomeAV market as a distributor of high-end consumer electronics gear, is capitalizing on the ProAV market’s loss of Electrograph last week and is rumored to be jumping into the ProAV market.  But, talk to them at your own risk. Why?  Well, simply providing gear to the ProAV dealer is not the same thing as truly being a distributor.  For example, […]

AVAD to Jump in ProAV Market?

CEDIA in Suckville

LOVE CEDIA.  I HATE Atlanta.  Although this year’s show will be in so-called “Hot-lanta,” it’s still going to be an awesome show!  I am excited for the manufacturers, the integrators and the market as we are just starting to see a turn-around of the markets nationwide and by September, rAVe believes things will start to […]

CEDIA in Suckville

Go to Church

Sure, the economy is down, the outlook is bad, stocks are still falling – heck the news media eats this scare-you-to-death stuff up.  And, we tune in and listen. But, we’re all trying to run a business here, too.  And, in a down economy, not everyone suffers.  In fact, historically, there are some market segments […]