Home Invasion
By Gary Kayye, CTS
 With nearly record-setting attendance at InfoComm (2nd largest at just over 32,000 attendees), an extremely up-beat bunch of manufacturers launching all sorts of new products and a lot of new technology on the horizon, I am seeing an awesome CEDIA Expo in a few months. Get ready for one of the best shows ever -- even if it is in Atlanta again this year! Ugh!
Having spent four days walking the InfoComm show floor talking to exhibitors, interviewing attendees and teaching classes, I noticed something at this year's show I hadn't ever seen - a bunch of HomeAV integrators perusing the show floor. Sure, there were the usual suspects - the crossover integrators that have had both commercial and residential sales people for years, but this year was different. There were a lot of traditionally residential integrators in search of commercial AV gear to add to their arsenal of services. Many of them spent a lot of time in the digital signage pavilion.
Are you looking at the Digital Signage Market too?
This trend will be interesting to watch and monitor and I suspect some of it is due to the market economy and the fact that the digital signage market integrates systems very similarly to the way that HomeAV integrators do now - via the network. But, I wonder if this isn't more than a trend and maybe even a movement or dynamic shift in the market itself. Heck, why not? Why not add digital signage expertise to your tool-set?
I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens at CEDIA. I do know quite a few of the digital signage companies are, in fact, exhibiting at CEDIA Expo this year and manufacturers heavy into the HomeAV market are adding digital signage product lines to their gear (e.g., Gefen, AMX, Crestron, etc.) -- and even HomeAV distributors have added digital signage manufacturers to their line cards (such as AVAD).
And, truth be told, we saw a huge opportunity to serve the digital signage market last year when we launched rAVe DS (or digital signage publication): http://www.raveds.com
Either way, I think CEDIA is well positioned for a big show this fall and we'll see you there - we'll, again, be reporting via rAVe NOW Video and shooting videos of all the new products launched at the show!!!
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Pocket Projectors to Reach 142M Units by 2018
 DisplaySearch says pocket projectors will grow from 0.5 million units and $117m in revenues in 2009 to 142 million units and $13.9 billion in 2018, (a CAGR of 70 percent for revenues and 88 percent for units).
"There were over 130 new pocket projector models released in the market in 2009, along with the first releases of embedded projectors into the market. Despite this, pocket projectors still face challenges of low brightness, short battery life and high price. Continuing progress in all the technologies surrounding pocket projectors will be needed to achieve the expected growth," notes Jennifer Colegrove, Director of Display Technologies at DisplaySearch.
Now the pocket projector market is dominated by stand-alone devices, which will reach 45m units and $8.9 billion in 2018.
But DisplaySearch says embedded/dedicated projector shipments will surpass stand-alone units in 2014, as limitations in consumption, size, brightness and price improve. Embedded pocket projectors will reach 97m units and $5 billion in 2018.
Read the entire report here: http://www.displaysearch.com
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Extron is First in U.S. to Receive Coveted UL Environment Energy Efficiency Certification
 UL Environment, Inc., a global leader in environmental evaluation and certification, announced on June 2nd that Extron Electronics is the first domestic company to successfully undergo UL Environment’s independent testing for U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR performance and earn the UL Environment Energy Efficiency Certification (EEC) Mark for external power supplies and professional audio amplifiers. The mark will appear on two models from the Extron PS Series Desktop Power Supplies and packaging, which have been proven to meet energy efficiency criteria under the ENERGY STAR Single Voltage External AC-AC and AC-DC Power Supplies specification, Version 2.0. The mark will also appear on Extron XTRA Series Power Amplifiers, which meet the new qualifications under ENERGY STAR Audio/Video Specification 2.0 program requirements.
The EEC Mark will appear on both the product and product packaging, and features a leaf encapsulating the familiar “UL” initials with the words “Energy Verified” in black text.
 Here’s a rAVe NOW Video where we interviewed Extron’s Dave Pincek, who explains why UL EEC is so important and why Extron is committed to it: http://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_ravevideo&view=ravevideo&ravevideo_id=678
You can read about the new UL Environment standard here: http://www.ulenvironment.com/ulenvironment/eng/pages/
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CEDIA Publishes Best Practices White Paper
 The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association’s (CEDIA) Industry Best Practices Action Team has released a new white paper on the topic of inbound marketing. The document was developed to give CEDIA member companies and industry professionals a framework for understanding the concept of inbound marketing as well as the basic structure of an inbound marketing campaign. The document is available to CEDIA members free of charge and to non-members for a nominal fee.
The paper outlines the key elements involved in inbound marketing, complete with tips for execution. The document also includes CEDIA member testimonials designed to help the reader determine whether inbound marketing is appropriate for their company. The paper was developed under the guidance of subject matter expert Mark Komanecky, owner of Westborough, Mass.-based CEDIA member company simpleHome.
The Inbound Marketing White Paper is targeted toward companies with no experience in inbound marketing as well as those with limited to moderate experience who are looking to build on their knowledge of the concept. The paper is available to CEDIA members at no cost via CEDIA Crosspoint (www.cediacrosspoint.com) and the CEDIA Marketplace (www.cedia.org/marketplace). It is also available to non-members for a fee of $25 through the CEDIA Marketplace.
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Sony Showcases Rollable, Flexible Screen
 At the Society for Information Display International Symposium in Seattle, Sony's R&D labs showed a rollable organic screen, tiny enough for cell phone or movie display. You can roll it up and slip it into your pocket.
The display, made up of organic thin-film transistors, is about 4" wide and functional when flat or rolled-up. This Sony screen offers a resolution of 432x240 pixels, about what other mobile phone screens do today.
This moves display tech closer to the exploding world of mobile gadgets. We can already see prototypes of pcs/gadgets that can wrap around your wrist or reside in your clothing. But the power of flexible screens goes far beyond novelty and it seems inevitable that displays must go as mobile as the rest of technology.
'Nuff said. Let's watch the video and see if the quality is half as good as Sony says: http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201005/10-070E/index.html
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rAVe NOW Shoots More than 470 Videos at InfoComm 2010
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Sonos Launches iPad App
 Although Sonos launched an iPad interface for their wireless whole-house music system earlier this week, it won’t be available until August. However, it is a very sleek use of the iPad technology integrated into a HomeAV application. If you want to see the demo, go here: http://www.sonos.com/landing/ipad/default.aspx?rdr=true&LangType=1033
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Audio One Launches Custom In-Wall and In-Ceiling Speaker Line
 Almost every audio company has added an in-wall and in-ceiling line of speakers and now it’s David Frangioni’s turn. A professional musician and founder of Audio One, Frangioni launched his own personal line of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers last week, specifically designed for the distributed audio market.
With broad off-axis dispersion (-6 dB at 45 degrees), a weather resistant design and an aluminum frame, Audio One claims these high-performance surface-mount quality speakers for inside the wall.
To be perfectly honest, there aren’t many specs on these speakers, but if you want to see all they do have, go here: http://www.audio-one.com/frangionisystems.php
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Crestron Intros New Cameo Wireless Dimmers for the Home
 Crestron released its new Cameo lighting and control solutions, featuring InfiNET EX wireless mesh network technology. Crestron says that infiNET EX technology builds on the foundation of its predecessor, infiNET, by supporting up to 100 devices connected to a single gateway. Each unit functions as a wireless expander, increasing effective range and reinforcing the complete network by providing multiple redundant signal paths. The latest Cameo wireless switches and dimmers are very affordable and elegantly designed to complement any décor. Variable-intensity white LED indicators provide instant lighting feedback, with illumination levels that automatically adjust for optimum visibility in all lighting conditions. A wide selection of popular colors, field replaceable bezels and rockers, and custom engraved buttons delivers maximum convenience and flexibility.
If you want to see the entire line, go here: http://www.crestron.com/products/show_products.asp?type=commercial&cat=1041
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Nevo Now Includes 2-Way and Lutron Control
 In addition to adding 2-way IP, RS-232, and/or Z-Wave device interfaces for AV receivers, media servers, IP cameras, etc., Nevo has also added 2-way control of Lutron’s popular RadioRA2 wireless RF lighting control system. Nevo says they accomplish “true 2-way control” of a Lutron RadioRA2 system through IP communication from a RadioRA2 Repeater.
Want to understand this better? Go here (this page includes complete technical specs as well as an audio podcast demo of the new interface): http://www.mynevo.com/kbase/questions.php?questionid=106
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Extron Shows rAVe DXP Digital Matrix Switcher for HDMI Routing
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Sanus Offers New Small TV Mount
 Sanus launched a new, small monitor mount dubbed the VisionMount VST15 – a tilting TV wall mount for flat panel TVs from 13" to 26" and up to 50 lbs.
The $49 VST15 fits VESA 100 and 200 mounting patterns, sits just 1.8” away from the wall and includes a safety latch lock. You can see the complete specs here: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/visionmount/tilting-mount/VST15
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SurgeX Launches Partnership with Chief Manufacturing
 At InfoComm 2010, SurgeX announced a strategic partnership with Chief Manufacturing that will pave the way for both SurgeX and Chief dealers to purchase a bundled solution combining Chief’s line of Raxxess racks protected with SurgeX technology. This will position both companies as formidable competition to Middle Atlantic’s domination in rack management in the ProAV market. You can read a complete news story about the partnership here on our website.
Check them both out at:
 SurgeX: http://www.surgex.com/
Chief: http://www.chiefmfg.com/
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Runco Launches Digital Cinema Quality Service – For the Home
 Although Runco isn’t certified to provide Digital Cinema solutions for the movie theaters themselves, there’s no reason they can’t offer it for the high-end homeowner – and that’s basically what this is. Dubbed Runco’s Digital Cinema Concierge, it’s what Runco is calling “a complete solution providing Runco dealers with everything they need to service their most influential clients.”
According to Runco, their sales engineers will personally review plans for every new installation and develop a complete solution tailor made for each project, complete with a DCI-compatible projector ideally suited for the job, lens options, and a proprietary Runco Digital Cinema Media Server (DCMS). The Runco DCMS is compliant with Digital Cinema Initiative specifications enabling the playback of locked content, including Texas Instruments (TI) CineLink 2 encryption, MXF and JPEG2000 Interop specifications. In compliance with student standards, it offers 2048-bit RSA encryptions and forensic watermarking support with Civolution NexGuard. The Runco DCMS will support both DCinema and ECinema content formats in 2k and 1080p resolutions. Its web-based user interface shows status and can allow for transport control, scheduling, content ingest, key management, media management, as well as setup and maintenance.
Want 3D? The Runco DCMS also enables a variety of 3D playback, including optional Dolby 3D upgrade.
Want more information on this? Go to: http://www.runco.com
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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
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or for editorial ideas: Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at
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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 http://www.ravepubs.com
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Copyright 2010 - rAVe [Publications] - All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. - Chapel Hill, NC 27517 - 919/969-7501. Email:
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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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CEDIA is offering a week packed full of education at d.a.v.i.d. llc’s Westbury, NY training facility. Course offerings will target professionals at a variety of skill and experience levels. The beginning of the week is dedicated to home theater design courses with offerings of ESD131: Fundamentals of Home Theater Design and ESD360: Comprehensive Home Theater Design Workshop July 12 and 13. ESD131 will cover the basic terms, elements, and requirements of home theater design. Learn how components control and communicate with each other and electronic interfaces bring designs to life.
Make your educational experience at CEDIA EXPO that much more powerful when you take advantage of web-based CEDIA University training before the show. CEDIA’s Power Hour webinar series can help you lay the foundation by meeting key prerequisites and earning valuable CEUs. Keep up with the Power Hour schedule year-round at 
CEDIA education provides numerous benefits for industry professionals at every skill level. For over 20 years CEDIA has been providing education, access to experts, and pathways to various electronic systems careers. Hear what other CEDIA members are saying about CEDIA education at the July 6 Power Hour webinar powered by Survival of the Fittest. Learn how ESCs have integrated CEDIA education into their careers and how companies have made CEDIA education available to their employees.
The HomeAV Market finally has a truly 100 percent HDCP key compliant HDMI matrix switcher! Check out the rAVe NOW Video we shot of it at InfoComm 2010 