Brad Grimes

So You Want to Go Commercial

bgrimes — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:02:00 GMT

It's no secret the housing market has been in the tank, and it's dragged down with it the digital home industry. And custom installers have been struggling right alongside home builders. So how can electronic systems contractors weather the storm? One possibility that's made the rounds lately is for residential integrators to do more commercial work. At Electronic House Expo in March, there was even an educational session devoted to the topic. It just so happens that in my other life I'm an editor of a commercial AV publication, so I've got thoughts on the subject. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. In many ways, things ain't so different. Depending on the "commercial" opportunities you're looking into, many of them look and act a lot like the residential projects you've worked on. Red Dog Pet Resort and Spa, for instance, is smack-dab in one of the Cincinnati area’s residential communities. When the owner, Ray Schneider, wanted to take it high-tech, he brought in Ken Becker of Shootingstar Electronics, a custom installer that's affiliated with the Cincinnati Home Builders Association.

Now, flat-panel televisions foster a sense of home in the dorms and daycares. Cameras allow the pet owners to check on their pets via the web. And a NuVo Technologies multiroom audio system distribute high-quality audio throughout the entire complex. Sounds a lot like a digital home install. Apparently Becker chose a NuVo Grand Concerto system and each zone is controlled by a Grand Concerto Control Pad. Moreover, there are 68 pairs of NuVo’s AccentPLUS speakers, both in-ceiling and in-wall, reaching from the lush lobby to the massage parlor (!) to the pool (!!). Very cool.

Keep in mind, statistically speaking, many of your past and current clients are likely to be small and medium-size business operators. Learn about their companies and begin to visualize the types of systems you could offer them.

2. In other ways, things are very different. For instance, just because you live in the Washington, D.C., area doesn't mean one day you can wake up and decide to outfit conference rooms for various federal agencies. There's an entire cottage industry devoted to helping companies like yours get their foot into government doors. I've talked to many small technology companies that didn't realize the time, money, and effort it could take to get a General Services Administration schedule, which is a common way of getting your products and services in front of government procurement officers. (For a guide to working with the federal government, you can download a PDF piece by PRO AV magazine here.)

And that's to say nothing about the business of commercial projects today. Commercial integrators everywhere feel the brunt of their clients' tight-fistedness (assuming the project still has the green light) in the form of payment delays. Be ready for it. I had lunch recently with David Epstein, chairman of CEA's TechHome division and president of Sound Solutions, which does high-end residential installs as well as a good amount of corporate work. He said his company has had to implement a payment system by which the customer pays for the equipment when it goes in. This kind of pay-as-you-go model can result in price breaks from the manufacturers (they want to get paid, too). Of course, getting paid can be similarly difficult in the residential market, but it can also be a lot harder to collect from companies (or government bodies) you haven't worked with much and are dictating they'll be paying in 120 days.

3. Try churches. Now, there are many AV systems installers that cater specifically to the house of worship market, but the great thing for residential integrators trying to branch out is that your contact in a church is likely to be the same as your contact in homes--literally! Church systems are often run by volunteers, members with a keen interest in AV...basically the same enthusiasts whose homes you may have outfitted. The really big churches, obviously, have AV pros on-staff, but smaller churches can use an installer like you, in part because as a residential integrator you've already honed your personal skills, guiding newbies through the systems, patiently answering their tech support calls, etc. It's a "house" of worship. Not too far afield from your regular specialty.

4. Also try... Conference rooms, small (or large) hotels, and small-scale digital signage applications. This last one is a particular favorite of mine. To be frank, it's the Wild West out there when it comes to taking ads and other messaging and putting them on strategically located flat-panel screens. An enterprising installer in an underserved community could go into the doctor's office, the deli, the local bank, and any other well-trafficked locale and make the case that they should have a digital sign. What runs on it--be it their messaging of third-party ads for which they get a cut--is up for negotiation. So is whether you update them over the Internet or whether you drive to each location once a week and pop in a USB drive with fresh content.

The example might be too simplistic, but digital signage is the real deal. Imagine every sign you see as something that can change dynamically and engage viewers. Then understand you've got as good a chance as anyone right now at being a successful signage integrator. FastSigns, the national franchise company that does printed signs and graphics recently decided it wanted its franchisees to have a chance to sell digital signage. That's potentially 550 small business owners trying to get into this business. So could you.

5. Find out what your European installer buddies think. I've long been told that in Europe and elsewhere, the residential and commercial integration markets aren't so clearly delineated like they are here. When I began to speculate to my commercial readers that maybe the U.S. market could start to resemble overseas markets, I got this response from Randy Lemke, the executive director on InfoComm, which is the commercial AV industry's biggest trade association:

"You pose a very good question about the US commercial and resi markets following the mode of Europe, but you could also pose the question the opposite way: Will Europe adopt the separate channel model found in the US? The US market is bigger and has larger integrated systems vs. a box sales market. It might just be that with growth the demand for more sophisticated commercial or residential engineering could divide the high end market into separate commercial and residential companies just like here in the US. Finally, as we look at the Americas, Europe and Asia we see different business models that all are affected by the same technology introductions but we see very different cultural and historic ways of doing business conducted in very different governmental structures. The uniqueness of the cultures will probably have as much to do with how business is done as the introduction of the same products around the world."

Randy makes good points that ultimately underscore the challenge of residential integrators getting into commercial. Basically, that in this country, business is done so differently in the two markets that you can't move effortlessly between the two until you understand both reasonably well.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

Musings on TechHome Ratings

bgrimes — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:26:00 GMT

It's been about a month since I flew down to Orlando for Electronic House Expo and sat down with representatives of the Consumer Electronics Association to discuss their brand-new TechHome Rating System. Media outlets, including DIGITAL HOME, have announced its existence, but none has broken it down. Our regular writer Dan Daley has been on the job and wrote up a two-part story. But I've been debating internally what I think about the TechHome Rating System. Now I wanted to share my mental deliberations.

But first off, why do I (and should you) care?

The TechHome Rating System, or something similar (no other exists that I know of), is an important concept. Like LEED or Energy Star, it's envisioned to communicate at-a-glance the extent of a digital home's technology systems; to describe to all involved in the designing, building, buying, and selling of homes the value of home technology. As I said repeatedly to the CEA folks I met with at EHX, I want it—or something like it—to succeed. It would be important to builders, installers, and home buyers as digital homes (or homes with electronic amenities built in, or however you want to describe them) gain prominence. I love this stuff; it's important; and home buyers should be able to rest assured their home has the technology required to support all the cool systems they might want.

But for this or any other rating system to succeed, I think some key questions need answering.

1. Who is meant to "consume" the TechHome Rating? Who is supposed to care that a home is TechHome-rated? How are they supposed to get the information? And when? So much of how you react to TechHome comes around to this. Is it consumers? Builders? Realtors? Appraisers?

The more I think of it, the more I think realtors and appraisers need to care about the TechHome Rating System the most. Which means there will need to be a significant education/outreach program, which CEA says it plans. But those are the arbiters of value. If they decide that a family's single-most expensive purchase is worth more because it includes home technology, those families will care, too, and eventually ask for, specifically, structured wiring to every room, the way they ask for Corian countertops.

What about consumers? Shouldn't they be rolling up to a new home development and looking for the TechHome seal? There's a new development up the street from my home in suburban D.C. that has a giant Energy Star seal outside the sales office. Don't we want a similar TechHome seal right next to it to communicate, "Hey, our homes are high-tech."?

Not surprisingly, the Consumer Electronics Association wants consumers to demand TechHome-rated homes. But if consumers are supposed to care—at least right out of the gate—it brings me to a concern I brought up repeatedly with the CEA TechHome team.

2. What actually is a TechHome-rated house? Here's the scenario: A builder has built several homes and they're all TechHome Platinum-rated—the highest rating a home can achieve. A young couple, with a baby in tow, GPS-es their way to the development, listening to their iPods through their car's stereo system, and pulls up in front of one of the TechHome Platinum homes.

Under the TechHome Rating System as it's currently set up, this couple could step into the Platinum-rated home and nothing "tech" will happen. No music playing in the bedrooms; no Shrek on the home theater (when we built our home, Shrek always seemed to be the movie playing in sales models); no lights automatically turning on and off; no control panels/thermostats in the walls set to 72 degrees.

The new TechHome Rating System is, by design, an infrastructure rating system. Homes are rated for what they could do, not what they do do. To get a TechHome Bronze, Gold, or Platinum rating, a home needs to include varying extents of structured wiring—wiring to support networking, multiroom audio/video, control, home theater, etc. It doesn't have to actually include networking, multiroom audio/video, control, home theater, etc.

Now, builders could add all those systems to their sales model on top of what makes the house TechHome-rated (the wiring), but they'll need to explain to the home buyer who wants a TechHome-rated home that the two are separate. Spec builders (are there a lot of those these days?) would also need to be clear that a home they say is TechHome rated doesn't actually do anything high-tech, if indeed that's the case.

I've been repeatedly reminded that the bar for being an Energy Star-rated home is ridiculously low. Granted. But consumers know Energy Star; they can see and touch the appliances that make up an Energy Star home. TechHome is virtually unknown in the building community, for which it's meant. Which means it's totally unknown to home buyers. They'll bring to the table their own expectations, and I just can't get past the fact that they'll expect a house that's TechHome-rated to be visibly, audibly so.

Which takes me back to #1, and the idea that home buyers aren't the #1 "consumers" of the TechHome rating. That said…

3. How is this going to work? In theory, it would seem a TechHome-rated home doesn't meet the standard until it's built and the wiring is behind the walls. A builder can market a home at the various levels of TechHome rating as options ("Now you can choose if you want a Bronze, Gold, or Platinum TechHome"), but until the wires are in place, before the drywall goes up, it isn't, in fact, certified. A model home could be certified and a buyer could say, "I want that" (keeping in mind, again, that we need to be clear when "that" is just the wiring and not the systems the model might sport). For single-family homes, this would seem like a logical use of the rating system.

And clearly, in the retrofit and resale markets, obtaining a TechHome rating would be key. Moreover, in MDUs, the TechHome rating system makes abundant sense, and to me it's the most likely sector where the ratings will take off.

But what about builders who already build what are considered to be digital homes, particularly in their local markets, where tech-savviness varies? I know one custom home builder who's made a name for himself in his local market by offering standard technology packages which, at this point in the evolution of the digital home, are pretty generous by current standards. But they wouldn't necessarily qualify as TechHome Bronze, in part because, while he runs structured wiring to many rooms, it's not always to all the rooms the TechHome Rating System requires. (In a four-bedroom house, TechHome Bronze requires six structured wiring runs for video, control, and networking including one to the kitchen. It also requires a home theater pre-wire that supports digital video and surround sound).

Yes, structured wiring is inexpensive to pull; and yes, I happen to believe new homes should have structured wiring to nearly every room. But communicating that to people who don't live this stuff all the time remains a challenge. I do believe the TechHome Rating System can help with that challenge.

Anyway, these are just some of the thoughts going through my mind as I absorb the enormous opportunity that is the TechHome Rating System. And I said all of this to the CEA team when we discussed the ratings.

Quickly, just to argue with myself: What if the new rating system were more like the old rating system? What if, for instance, it rated homes on what they could actually do instead of on their wiring infrastructure? What if a Platinum home, for instance, actually required lighting control to all rooms, monitored security (which actually isn't a requirement of a Bronze home under the current system, despite the fact that builders say they install security systems more than multiroom audio and home theater pre-wires by a factor of almost 2-1), distributed AV, and a home theater?

Well, I'd probably have issues with that, too. And it's a central crux in all this. There's nothing like installing a home technology system that's outdated in a year. So, indeed, the wiring is the key.

And I wholeheartedly agree with that. So on balance, the new TechHome Rating System is probably on the mark. I guess if my mental deliberations had a central theme, it would be "How are we going to get people to use, understand, and appreciate this or any other digital home certification system?"

Many builders are looking for something like this. Their feedback actually led to the three-tier system (CEA reportedly was looking at two tiers initially). Now we all need to work together to give it teeth, put it to use, and adjust where necessary.

Kudos to CEA and the many builders and installers I know worked hard on the rating system.

Video: Inside an NHL Digital Home

bgrimes — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:01:00 GMT

Here in Washington, D.C., Mike Green is a big deal. In fact, Green and all his Washington Capitals hockey teammates are a big deal, as the team sits atop the NHL's Southeast Conference heading toward the playoffs.

Anyway, the 23-year-old defenseman (with 25 goals to date!) recently tricked out his new penthouse condo with help from NGenius Automation of Harrisburg, Pa. The Caps posted a couple videos of the installation:

First, check out project in progress.

Then see the finished product.

Looks like Green opted for high-end Pioneer Elita plasmas (long live Pioneer plasma) and Control4 automation.

A Day at Electronic House Expo

bgrimes — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:27:00 GMT

Electronic House Expo, also known as EHX, is this week in Orlando. It is perfectly understandable, given the current economic situation, if you're not making the trip. But especially in tough times, sharing knowledge, best practices, and favorite technologies can be worth the cost of a discounted plane ticket and a night or two at a cheap, clean motel. So off I go. Here's some of what I'm looking to learn.

1. More about the Consumer Electronics Association's State of the Builder study. I've blogged about the results before. At EHX, CEA will officially present the final results to the world. At the time I previewed the study with CEA researchers Steve Keonig and Chris Elly, CEA still intended to circle back with some builders to get feedback on some of the results. I'll be interested to hear, for instance, if builders are seeing anything for themselves in offering home technologies. We've established that most builders agree offering home technologies is important, but why is often not clear.

In conversations, we hear everything from a need to compete (keep pace), to a need to differentiate (get ahead). We hear some technology is a throw-in whereas others produced 30-point margins. Here's what builders told CEA (Source: CEA 7th Annual State of the Builder Technology Market Study):

Clearly, it seems the most popular reason is that someone asked for it. And so far (see below, same source), builders in general aren't seeing a big revenue bump from technology. How can we change that?

2. NuVo's Renovia whole-home audio system. I know perfectly well there will be great new products all over the show floor (I've got Control4, On-Q/Legrand, Lutron, and others on my "to-see" list), but I've gradually become a convert to powerline carrier technology. And that's what the Renovia system uses to distribute audio around the house. Granted, my home lacks the structured wiring to support other distributed systems, so of course I'm on the lookout for something fitting. I could go with a wireless solution, but for whatever reason, our home is not RF-friendly and I've taken to my electrical wires as a networking infrastructure. So I'll be interested to see Renovia up close. Here's a diagram, courtesy of NuVo:

3. Status of CEA's TechHome Rating System. TechHome is primarily CEA's installer initiative, hooking up end users with people who can set up systems in their homes. In a related initiaitve, CEA has a builder outreach program. As part of builder outreach, CEA came up with a TechHome Rating System, which started really as a way to raise awareness of home technology, but generated increased awareness through the NAHB's Home Technology Alliance (along with CEDIA), as a way of actually rating how "digital" a home is, sorta the way LEED or the NAHB Green Building Program rates homes' green-ness.

Establishing a rating system for digital homes is likely an uphill battle, and the initial rating system was somewhat simplistic, but CEA has been gathering feedback to come out with a significant revision, which I'll learn more about this week.

4. CEDIA Training. This is kind of a big deal. It's a little like Coke serving a choice of Coke and Pepsi at its own corporate function. CEDIA's obviously the big dog when it comes to training and certification and EHX has always been something of a competitor to CEDIA Expo, where lots of installer training happens. So it's great to see so many CEDIA courses offered at EHX. And really, this makes a ton more sense than Coke serving Pepsi. Not only is the economy wreaking havoc on home systems shows (EHX Fall will eventually take place at the Consumer Electronics Show, and CEDIA's spring Electronic Lifestyles Forum had to be postponed), but both organizations need each other. They serve much the same audience.

If you'll be at EHX this week, maybe we'll run into each other. When I'm back in the office, I'll jot down some of what I saw at the show so you can get a little flavor. Keep boning up on the latest home technologies. As my wife keeps telling me when I cry over my 401(k) statement, things will get better. And when they do, it's important to be ready.

CEA State of the Builder Preview

bgrimes — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:13:00 GMT

There's a saying among people who follow or work in the digital home market, which is to say media, builders, installers, and manufacturers. The saying goes something like, "There are those who get it, those who don't, and those who never will." The "it" in this case is the value of integrating home technology in new construction. At first blush, the Consumer Electronics Association's upcoming State of the Builder study—the group's seventh, in conjunction with the NAHB Research Center—appears to support the saying.

Last month at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, I moderated a panel on digital home trends during which Laura Hubbard of CEA presented a preview of the latest study. CEA is finalizing the research as we speak and Hanley Wood will cover it here at DIGITAL HOME and other places like BUILDER.

Most encouraging is the study's apparent support of the notion that there are those builders out there who simply get it. They get that structured wiring, multiroom audio, and other systems add value to new homes. The reason we come to that conclusion is that despite the wretched new home market, the percentage of builders saying they were offering certain systems, such as structured wiring, stayed fairly steady.

Similarly, other technology categories like multiroom audio and home theaters have held up well among builders offering the systems (as opposed to actually installing them, which is a function of buyers asking for them, which could be a function of builders marketing them, which is a whole nuther discussion we'll touch on). See the table below.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The table below reflects the final numbers from CEA. An earlier version of this post included a slide that CEA prepared for IBS with preliminary data that indicated some categories may have been down slightly.]

Now, as mentioned above, the percentage of builders saying they actually installed these systems is a different matter. But even those numbers have held fairly steady. Of note: The share of builders installing home theaters is up dramatically, from 10 percent in 2007 to 18 percent last year. I'd speculate the definition of home theater to encompass media rooms with flat-panel TVs and surround-sound audio systems (in addition to dedicated theater with screens, seating, projectors, etc.) helps this number (also, the CEA study allows builders to answer in the affirmative if all they did was pre-wire for home theater, which would include speaker wiring for surround-sound). Whatever the "theater," we hear frequently of nesting families who require more entertainment options in their home to save money on nights out. It make sense for home theater technology to be on the rise.

Here's a slide on installation trends:

Perhaps the most interesting piece of information in CEA's new research comes from data on the installed price of certain home technologies. As you might expect, builders report the price of a home theater has come down (from an average of $5,100 in 2007 to $3,200 in 2008). That would reflect both an affinity by home buyers for smaller, flexible, media room/home theaters. It probably also reflects the falling prices of things like flat-panel TVs.

But what really struck me was that average installed price for structured wiring was actually up. In 2007, builders said the average structured wiring install sold for $2,300. In 2008, that price was $3,800. What?!

It'll take some reporting and a look at CEA's final numbers, but considering trends today, this actually makes some sense, and even may bode well for digital homes. Sure, some homes may be getting a better package of structured wiring. Perhaps Cat-5e or Cat-6, or additional AV wiring like long runs of HDMI cables to support HD video. But we'd also like to think the home buyers are asking for structured wiring to more rooms of the house. If an average new home maybe had three termination points in the past, today's home should have at least twice that--one or two in the kitchen, one for each bedroom (instead of just the master), etc.

The day is coming where smart meters will help homeowners and energy companies manage a home's consumption. But to take full effect of such technology, a smart grid should be able to reach all the way to the energy-consuming systems, like the washer/dryer. Unless you opt for wireless technology, those appliances will have network ports, and those rooms will have network jacks. Structured wiring to the laundry room? Perfectly plausible in tomorrow's digital home.

Now, quickly back to the flipside of the original premise that some builders get it and some don't. CEA's data on builders offering technology has held pretty steady for a few years now. And it's hard to figure how many new builders "got it" in the lasy year or so because, frankly, there may be some fresh devotees out there who simply couldn't indulge technology because, well, times are too hard. It'll be interesting to see how the first survey post-market meltdown plays out.

But if there's consistently X percent of builders offering technology, then there's consistently 100-X percent that don't--and may never. The percentage of builders in the CEA survey who said offering home technology was "Not at all important" has held steady around 15-16 percent. That's a perception figure, not a measure of actual practice. I'd say those are the 15 percent who may never get it (or simply see things differently).

Also consistent throughout CEA's builder research is the conclusion that the majority of builders in general still don't actively market the home technologies they do offer. In fact, no more than half say they proactively market any one of the technologies they offer. The bulk do it only upon request.

But that's changing. According to CEA, the percentage of builders proactively marketing is actually up from very low figures in previous years. Why? I'd like to think that builders in tough times are pulling out all stops to differentiate their homes. Folks I talk to at CEA, CEDIA, and even the NAHB's Home Technology Alliance, also believe that the long-needed, much-discussed partnership between builders and installers is coming to fruition and beginning to pay dividends. As long as builders have good relationships with electronic systems contractors, much of the marketing can be handled by ESCs, provided they're given the room and resources to work.

But as more builders live they technology the offer, they'll become vital spokespersons for the electronic upgrades. More and more of their buyers do get it, and they'll be looking to someone to ensure their new homes reflect their digital lifestyles.

DTV: Chaos Ahead? Or Opportunity?

bgrimes — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:17:00 GMT

Just prior to the holidays, when electronics retailers were having fire sales, I purchased for my family a pair of new flat-panel LCD TVs. They're nothing like the awesome, Internet-connected, 3D TVs that were on display last week at CES in Las Vegas, but they serve our purposes fine. In both cases, I plugged our coaxial cable directly into the back and began a channel scan. What I found was like a surprise gift in my Christmas stocking.

Our home has digital cable. We haven't yet upgraded to HD because, frankly, I'm not on the best terms with our cable provider and am loathe to give them any more money (my reasons for not switching to fiber or satellite are small, but many, and require a separate blog entry). Anyway, as the TVs were scanning for channels, they began by picking up "DTV" channels before scanning the regular cable offerings. I didn't have an antenna plugged in, but once the scan was done and I started flipping through the stations, I saw that we were picking up local broadcast channels—many in high definition!

Yes, just in time for the holidays, I was able to watch the NFL playoffs in HD, in the comfort of my home, without paying for the privilege. My son watched an amazing documentary about Yellowstone Park on our local PBS station—also in HD.

And it's not just the major channels I'm getting in HD (i.e. NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, PBS, CW). We've been watching past Olympics on some international sports channel I don't recognize, though not in HD. We're getting a few weather-only channels on the in-between stations (4.2, etc.—those created through the efficiencies of digital transmission). One even simulcasts the broadcast of our local all-news radio station.

Now, forget for a minute that all this has only accelerated our urge to adopt HD cable so that all our TV viewing looks so nice. And the technical reason we're getting these channels apparently has to do with our cable company, and virtual channel tables, and QAM signals. It's the way cable companies are supposed to handle local stations, but I'm told not all do. But if my local broadcast channels are operating at this quality, sign me up. Who knew? Suddenly, adding a simple pair of rabbit ears to a 21st-century TV was a no-brainer. What else can I pick up?

In about a month, digital broadcast TV is going to be all there is, as the federal government-mandated switch from analog takes place Feb. 17. (The incoming president and others are agitating for a delay. The FCC isn't so sure.) It's time to get prepared. This isn't your father's broadcast TV. My brother-in-law, a young professional in Boston, sprung for a sweet flat-screen HDTV and to help pay for it, he cut off his cable and added an antenna to pick up ATSC signals. He loves it.

But enough about me and my family. The point of all this is that digital broadcast TV should be a part of every future digital home installation. For many homeowners, it may be something they do themselves, provided they understand they either need a TV with an ATSC tuner or one of those converter boxes the government has been handing out coupons for. In new homes, though, especially those that plan on multiple video sources, builders and installers should be offering to ensure that buyers can also receive over-the-air digital TV. Sure, there will be some redundancies, but I had my "ah-ha" moment when our cable went out for the umpteenth time and we were still able to pick up all our broadcast DTV channels.

The DTV transition next month could be a bumpy one. PRO AV Magazine columnist and HDTV expert Pete Putman has been on the front lines, answering phones on behalf of a local TV station in his area (PRO AV is a sister site of DIGITAL HOME Online). He's got thoughts about Feb. 17. He's also written a thorough primer on ATSC for installers or anyone who might want to understand it better.

After the transition, when broadcasters jump around frequencies (also part of the federally mandated transition, in order to free up spectrum), I may be frustrated in my search to rediscover the ATSC DTV stations I'm currently enjoying, but it will be worth it.

When I was a kid living near Princeton, N.J., our home had a giant antenna array on the roof. Using a dial inside our house, we could rotate it to pick up New York City, Philadelphia, and local New Jersey broadcasts. To a kid like me at the time, it meant watching back-to-back-to-back broadcasts of The Brady Bunch emanating from different stations at different times.

I feel like a kid again.

What Would the Appraiser Say?

bgrimes — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:04:00 GMT

We think we know it intuitively. That adding electronic systems to new homes—whole-house audio, lighting control, security—adds value. Builders can make more money and home owners, when they sell, can, too. But is it so? I mean, who decided granite countertops added value? Certainly home owners who demanded such amenities drove the market for them. But home appraisers gave their seal of approval by factoring them into their valuations, right? So DIGITAL HOME asked appraisers what they made of home technology.

First, imagine those relatives of yours who just bought their first flat-panel TV the day after Thanksgiving. Or who still don't own an iPod. Or who own an iPod and just love the $50 iPod dock they bought for the kitchen to listen to their tunes.

Now imagine those relatives are home appraisers (and some of them may be). Consumer electronics are everywhere, but not everyone has embraced them to the point they could explain them, understand them, or put a value on them.

What would be even harder, then, assuming a home appraiser can put a value on a home system, is estimating what a home buyer who loves an existing house for its location, eat-in kitchen, and finished basement, but doesn't care about in-wall speakers, thinks of the technology.

As DIGITAL HOME contributor Dan Daley found out when we spoke to appraisers for our online-exclusive feature, even young, tech-savvy appraisers don't always know what to do with digital systems. Said one, "I understand the costs associated with putting the technology into the house because I'm familiar with the technologies being used. But that's not enough – you have to try to determine the actual value of the overall house to someone for whom these technological amenities may not mean much."

And that will vary from market to market. What home buyers in California's Silicon Valley value in a home (and expect), may be different than what they value in the Midwest.

It will also vary based on the technology itself. Appraisers who do understand electronics are already hip to the fact that if a home buyer can take it with them when they sell, it doesn't add much value. A 50-inch plasma may help sell a home, but it's the in-wall speakers—electronics that are actually part of a home's structure—that will add value. (For more thoughts, read our 2007 piece on rolling electronics into mortgages.)

But if you ask me, the biggest variable—and one we've been banging on here at DIGITAL HOME since the beginning—is the useful life of electronic systems. Technology companies take great pride in innovation. I bought my son an iPod last Christmas that I couldn't even find in a store today. So how can we put a value on home systems that might be out-of-date in a few years or less?

It's not an insurmountable issue. First, the value is in the application, not the technology. It's in the ability to turn off all the lights from a single control panel, not in the lighting control system itself. That said, the technology must provide a clear and simple upgrade path—one that can be articulated to a home buyer and (ideally) handled by the buyer if necessary. The same DIY-er who replaces light switches with dimmers should be able to update the hardware/software in his/her whole-house audio system when there's technology that improves its sound.

Adoption of digital homes has begun as a reaction to market demand—buyers who expect technology at their fingertips—and as a way for builders to differentiate themselves. When the housing market turns around, the hard part will begin—educating buyers, real estate agents, and home appraisers (and in many case collaborating with them) about high-value home technologies. We know from various builder surveys that buyers will pay more for homes with certain electronics, but putting a value on those systems is the bigger picture.

How are you finding that people value home technology?

Prepping for the Builders' Show

bgrimes — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:16:00 GMT

Last week I finally booked my travel reservations for the NAHB's International Builders' Show in Las Vegas next Jan. 20-23. You haven't yet? Well let's see if I can entice you. Besides being the biggest show each year for home builders and the folks that work with them to meet, learn, and see new products, this year's IBS will offer a couple killer educational sessions on digital home technology.

Shameless plug? Maybe. At next January's IBS, Hanley Wood's Digital Home and NAHB's Home Technology Alliance will offer a pair of sessions intended to shed light on the value of integrating various technologies into new homes. We've assembled a great bunch of speakers, including builders (and former builders), electronic systems contractors, and manufacturers with first-hand experience.

The first panel, which will take place the Tuesday of the show, focuses on real-world research and case studies demonstrating which technologies add the most value to new homes. Analysts from Parks Associates, which has been working with Hanley Wood on research into multiple dwelling units, and the Consumer Electronics Association, which will be previewing its annual State of the Builder study, will kick the session off with presentations that demonstrate what today's builders and developers are doing with home technology.

From there, we'll segue into a roundtable discussion among builders--big and small--and installers to describe what works, what doesn't, and exactly how the partners work together to integrate and sell everything from structured wiring, to multiroom audio, to home automation. On the roster to appear:

Bill Ablondi, Director of Home Systems Research, Parks Associates
Steve Koenig, Director, Industry Analysis at Consumer Electronics Association
Theresa Lynn, Area President, M/I Homes
Shawn Smith, President, S&S Electric
Aaron Gee, Senior VP for Information Technology, Ginn Clubs & Resorts
Ralph Corbo, President, The Corbo Group

In the second session, called "Greening the Digital Home" and held the Wednesday of the show, we'll talk about how positioning home technology as a "green" solution can help improve sales. We'll also talk specifically about how home automation, lighting control, HVAC control, etc. saves energy in a home when integrated properly. Again, a couple of my favorite digital home builders have agreed to join me for the session, plus we'll have the program manager of NAHB's Green Building Standard on-hand to talk specifically about how systems can earn a new home points in NAHB's scoring system.

Swing by to hear the latest from:

Jacob Atalla, Director, Business Development, KB Homes
Peter Beucke, SunPower Corp., AIA architect and former SVP, Lennar’s Bay Area group
Jay MacLellan, President, Home Automation Inc. (HAI)
Kevin Morrow, CGP, Program Manager, NAHB Green Building Standard
Kevin Pozo, President, One Way Electric

Now here's where you come in. These groups and I will be hashing out the agenda for each session based on what we see in the market and how we best think the information can help builders and electronic systems contractors succeed today. But that doesn't mean you can't tell us directly what you want to know now. That way you can rest assured we'll tackle your questions when we all meet up in the Nevada desert.

Use the Comment feature below or send me an email. We'll use your feedback to flesh out our sessions. Both panels are excited about what they'l be discussing. Hope to see you at IBS.

The Network You Already Built

bgrimes — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:26:00 GMT

Builders, whether they're building digital homes or not, install a computer network infrastructure every time they put up a house. And I'm not talking about the air over which radio frequency enables so-called Wi-Fi wireless networks. I'm talking about the home's electrical wiring. And it works great.

According to our friends at Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates, the market for wireless and powerline controls (powerline networking being the technology for transmitting data over electrical wires) is set to balloon as homeowners warm to intelligent control applications. According to Parks Associates, the installed base of these systems should reach nearly 60 million by 2012, with U.S. revenues generated going from $740 million this year to over $3 billion in that timeframe (see below).

Wireless is projected to make up the majority of that market, but powerline's share will still be impressive.

Now, to be clear, control networks riding wireless or powerline communications are different from data networks doing the same. The former doesn't normally require the same sustained bandwidth as the latter in order to transmit on/off commands, locked/unlocked, etc. Wireless (Z-Wave, ZigBee) and powerline networks are robust enough to handle home controls, provided the platform is interoperable enough to accommodate devices from many manufacturers.

But your home buyers will likely be as or more interested in data networks, if only because they don't equate a home's ability to control its systems with technology that requires a communicating network. Data networks mean Internet, media sharing, and more that they already live with every day.

There's a chance you might recall a long time ago when I wrote that when we built our new home in 2001, I passed on structured wiring in favor of the bathroom upgrades my wife wanted because I knew a lot about wireless networks and quickly built one for our home's several systems. As you know, the Internet, media sharing, etc. have come a long way since 2001. My iTunes library grew into something I wanted to stream from my office PC to other locations. As a result of our growing network needs, I was continually swapping out pieces of our wireless network.

To the point it stopped working.

The fact is, when it comes to data networking—files, songs, video—wireless networking simply isn't reliable enough yet. Aside from the fact my family could rarely get even the latest wireless networking gear to operate at anything near reliable speed, simple interference in the house (microwave, cordless phone) would knock it out, and I was gradually troubleshooting more and more problems, like why the PC in the living room kept locking onto our neighbor's wireless network instead of ours.

Eventually, our main wireless router died, or I should say the wireless receiver stopped working altogether but the wired ports worked fine.

So I started by breaking out a 2-pack of Linksys HomePlug AV-based powerline adapters (a kit you can buy for as little as $130 these days). These adapters plug into electrical outlets and build a network over the home's wires. After 10 minutes (seriously, that's how long it took to set two of them up—one connected to the router that distributes our cable Internet signal and the other to the troublesome PC in our living room…my office PC is wired directly to the router) I'm a powerline convert. The network is far faster than anything we've enjoyed before, even when our 54Mbps wireless network was operating at top speed (which is never 54Mbps, mind you). And it's always on.

I've also now got a PC-based home security camera called WiLife (purchased recently by Logitech) that rides the HomePlug network (HomePlug is a consortium of powerline manufacturers that publish a technology specification by the same name). Also, no problem to set up, although to be truly useful, we need to be running a PC around the clock for the camera to record goings on in our home—might need a new server for that (we tend to turn all our PCs off at the end of the day, if not earlier).

In short, powerline networking works. Could there be problems the more you add to it? Sure. The HomePlug group has been constantly working on its spec to make devices interoperable, improve bandwidth, and minimize issues like interference on the line. In my experience, none of these has yet been a problem.

And powerline opens a slew of possibilities. Unlike Ethernet jacks, electrical outlets are everywhere in most homes anyway. Take the ill-advised TV cutout we asked our builder to put in above the fireplace (the fireplace, you might guess, has gone unused for six years now). We like the TV there, but with no network jack and given the cutout's distance from our wireless router (and my aforementioned issues with our wireless network), we never added any set-top box to stream video. Now we will with another HomePlug adapter in the outlet behind the TV. Current technology operates at up to 200 Mbps, with faster speeds coming.

Now for the caveats. First, depending on the house, the systems it will include, etc., structured wiring still often can't be beat. And for tech-savvy buyers who want a future-proof home, structured wiring is still probably the correct call. And yes, I still need to get my wireless, albeit now limited wireless, network running again because I do use a notebook PC on the back deck, or in bed, and I won't be running any type of wire to those locations.

But for retrofits, new homes still on the market, or flexible options, a few powerline adapters can be a low-cost solution that quickly connects several rooms in the home.

When it comes to the home controls Parks researched, wireless or powerline each have their strengths (product selection would probably be an overriding decision factor), but for data networks, I'm currently in the powerline camp.

You?

More New Products from CEDIA

bgrimes — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:23:00 GMT

As in our other running blog post of CEDIA new products, we present unvarnished announcements from the manufacturers themselves. DIGITAL HOME can't attest to each product's features and capabilities, but we do present some of the new products we found most intriguing.

New LG HDTVs Are Customizable

High-definition LCDs and plasmas with custom and pre-programmed calibration settings highlighted LG Electronics’ product line at CEDIA EXPO 2008. LG demonstrated advanced technologies such as Intelligent Sensor in its LCD HDTV line, including the 1.8-inch thin LGX series and the LG90, an LED backlit LCD with ultra-high dynamic contrast ratio. LG’s flagship PG60 HDTV plasma series with THX Display Certification were also on display.

“Integrators have seen an increasing consumer demand for custom technology. They expect electronics to multitask and seamlessly fit into their home environments and lifestyles,” said Peter Reiner, senior vice president of marketing and strategy for LG Electronics North America. “LG LCD and plasma HDTVs offer sophisticated design, smart technology and advanced calibration options to help custom installers tailor the video and audio to the users’ taste, type of content and viewing environment.”

Highlighting its commitment to delivering a premium product across the entire line, LG Electronics incorporates four core LG technologies: AV Mode, Clear Voice, Invisible Speakers and Expert Mode in all LCD and plasma series (models above 26-inch class). LG’s AV Mode technology provides special options to optimize picture and sound based on “Cinema,” “Sports,” or “Game” content. Unlike other similar modes, LG addresses audio settings along with video. The AV mode settings are easily accessible through the remote control, making the customization of the TV based on content type as simple as pushing a button.

Clear Voice technology enhances dialogue when background noise – such as an action sequence – swells. Additionally, all LCD and plasma HDTVs feature an invisible speaker system custom tuned by audio expert Mr. Mark Levinson. This unique system provides a clean, polished look and an enhanced auditory experience by increasing the “sweet spot,” providing a wider field of sound.

Lastly, LG’s Expert Mode enables a more detailed calibration capability, based on lighting conditions or type of event. With more than 25 fine adjustment points consumers have the ultimate choice in displaying their content. Installers appreciate the individualized viewing experience they deliver for customers every time they turn on the television.

LG’s entire line of full HD 1080p LCDs offers an automatic option for picture adjustment called Intelligent Sensor. This feature automatically adjusts the picture based on room-lighting conditions. Intelligent Sensor not only senses the brightness of ambient light, but also evaluates color characteristics of the light, and uses this data to adjust brightness and several other picture settings, such as color, contrast and sharpness.The resulting picture is better suited to the room environment for an optimized viewing experience and automatically adjusts as conditions change.

Additionally, Intelligent Sensor can save energy since brightness is automatically lowered in dark environments. Among the models on display with Intelligent Sensor are the newest addition to LG’s LCD line, the LG90 and LGX.

The LG90, a 47-inch class (46.9-inch diagonal) LCD with LED backlighting, uses local dimming technology to produce ultra-dark black levels offering a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and superior picture quality. Housed in a sleek cabinet with blue color accents and invisible speakers, the LG90 is a truly striking unit, even when turned off. The LGX series takes slim design and advanced technologies to a new level with a 1.8-inch deep cabinet and unique red accenting. Both the LG90 and the LGX feature LG’s Super IPS panel and 120Hz TruMotion technology. Together, these two technologies provide a more natural, fluid picture for an enhanced viewing experience at almost any angle.

The combination of performance and style is not limited to LG’s LCD models. The flagship PG60 series, available in 50- and 60-inch class (49.9- and 59.9-inch diagonal) screen sizes, boasts a slim, elegant single-layer design that mimics the appearance of a pane of glass creating a sleek, sophisticated look to complement any home décor. The PG60 series also has a non-reflective internal cell structure to help minimize excessive glare typically caused by harsh ambient light and further enhancing the consumer’s home entertainment experience.

Demonstrating excellent performance capability, both PG60 models attained THX Display Certification. Among the first in the industry to achieve this certification, the PG60 plasmas offer consumers exceptional image quality for a more immersive movie, TV and video game experience from the comfort of their homes. In addition, all 1080p LCD and plasma models are ISFccc certified, providing the detailed adjustments necessary for a professional ISF calibration. A 10-point white balance adjustment and color management system allows for custom calibration of individual home theater environments and ambient lighting which can be saved in ISF “Day” and ISF “Night” modes. LG has 22 models with ISFccc capability.

Rounding out its comprehensive line of 1080p Full HD displays, LG is showcasing the PG30 series of plasmas and the LG50, LG60 and LG70 series of LCDs at CEDIA this week. All four of these HDTV series displays utilize LG’s four core technologies for an enhanced listening and viewing experience.

Runco Debuts Widescreen In-wall Projection

Runco unveiled its CineWall CW-95HD in-wall projection system. Combining the best of front projection’s exceptional image with the aesthetic of a giant flat-screen display, the CW-95 provides a high-performance 2.35:1 in-wall projection solution for rooms of distinction where high ambient lighting conditions exist.

Runco’s CineWide 2.35:1 achieves the same video quality that, until now, only front projectors could achieve. Runco’s CineWall CW-95HD incorporates the industry’s most advanced video technologies and Runco proprietary engineering. The native 1920 x 817 (1080p) CW-95HD features Runco’s SuperOnyx DMD chipset with ConstantContrast frame-by-frame contrast correction to provide stellar black levels and rich color saturation even in bright ambient light viewing. Runco’s CinOptx lens system incorporates O-Path light path enhancement for sharp-looking video, while Vivix II internal processing ensures the best video performance, and its CineWide technology.

The Runco CW-95HD is a completely self-contained video reproduction system featuring a 95-inch, 2.35:1 aspect ratio front screen to bring Runco’s CineWide 2.35:1 big-screen perfection to rooms where optimal front projection performance cannot overcome ambient light challenges or shorter throw distances exist. Further, the design of the CW-95HD lends itself to the appearance of a giant flat-screen TV at a fraction of the weight and half the price. It is the only fixed-screen 2.35:1 solution available in an enormous 95-inch diagonal.

The CW-95HD is easily installed and integrated into any space thanks to a two-piece design. The unit’s low-profile design with sloping side panels provides increased installation and integration flexibility by enabling smaller spaces to fit the rear assembly into a wall area, requiring less than 33 inches in depth. The CW-95HD delivers uncompromised reproduction of CinemaScope content so viewers can enjoy movies in high-definition in native 2.35:1 aspect ratio – the size that the majority of directors in Hollywood use.

In addition to wider viewing angles with increased brightness and colorimetry consistencies, the CW-95HD provides significant technology and video quality enhancements when compared to like-sized plasma or LCD products. Runco’s CineWall in-wall projection system reduces ambient light glare by 20 times and achieves a contrast ratio 300 percent greater than standard flat panels. The system’s passive cooling allows for virtually silent operation and requires a mere 20 percent of the power of flat panels in similar size.

The Runco CW-95 system also features a strategic internal engine cooling design that reduces the need for excess cooling fans for low noise when in use. Like all Runco products, the CW-95HD system features an Installer-Dependent design, including ISFccc calibration controls suite, extensive connectivity (HDMI w/HDCP, DVI w/HDCP, Component (RCA), HD-15 (PC), S-Video, Composite and RS-232), and an effortless installation process to ensure Runco dealers benefit from significant time-savings and profitability and their customers revel in legendary Runco theater experience.

All Runco products are available only through its authorized dealer network. Runco CineWall CW-95HD was previewed to Runco’s exclusive dealer network at CEDIA Expo 2008 and has an MSRP of $49,995 and will be available November 2008.

Digital Projection Shows New Models

Digital Projection International (DPI) announced important product additions to its all-DLP projector lineup, as well as a program that assures rapid availability of its most popular displays.

A few examples of the company’s recently launched displays include:

TITAN and LIGHTNING Ultra Contrast displays, delivering up to 5000:1 contrast, exemplary dark area detail and saturated, vivid colors.
iVision 30 and dVision 30 WUXGA displays, presenting a 16:10 aspect ratio and capabilities of displaying full 1080p video with no scaling required.
TITAN 700 Series displays, a natural extension of the popular 600 Series, with major enhancements including higher brightness, standard HD-SDI input connectivity, longer-life HID lamps and improved rigging flexibility

Core models within Digital Projection’s lineup are more adaptable for a wider variety of applications than other more specialized products. In order to enhance customer access to these more popular displays, DPI has introduced the QuickShip designation. Projectors with this designation are generally held in DP inventory, typically available to ship within days. DPI offers more than a dozen QuickShip models, each selected based on current application trends and historical demand. Digital Projection estimates that more than 80 percent of their customer’s applications can be best served by one of the QuickShip products.

Sunfire Makes a Media Server

Sunfire, a specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of home theater goods for the custom specialist and retail markets, debuted a cutting–edge server solution befitting the company’s luxury reputation. The Theater Grand Media System is a high performance, modular and scalable media server for music and movies with storage options ranging from 1TB up to 6TB. Systems start at $10,699 MSRP.

The TGM-100 system is easy to use and sophisticated. Customers load their entire collection of DVDs and CDs onto a highly reliable, enterprise-level storage solution. Artist, album, genre, film, director, even cover art, are downloaded automatically using Gracenote online metadata - making it a breeze to sort through extensive collections. An animated TV interface provides intuitive and instant access to the collection – all at your fingertips from the comfort of your favorite seat.

Best-in-class video performance upconverts the users existing DVD library to near-HD 1080p quality. And with the system’s scalability and TGM-100C client version, they can enjoy the same experience in up to 7 different rooms in the home.

In addition, the server features a dedicated DVI output with a Graphical User Interface for intuitive third-part controllers such as the ELAN Via touch panels. Because of its easy integration, the Theater Grand Media system will be available to select ELAN dealers.

Whether you’re looking for a music-only system to store your precious CD collection, or an enterprise-level multi-terabyte solution for mixed media including music and movies, Sunfire has a solution. The TGM-HD1 ($699) is a 1TB, RAID 1 system that offers single redundancy backup for smaller libraries.

For larger collections and even more robust backup, choose from 3TB and 6TB options that can store up to 900 DVDs in one chassis (TGM-HD3 and TGM-HD6, respectively). Enterprise-grade RAID 6 hard drive solutions, fully customized for the CI industry, bring critical application performance only seen in financial, medical and scientific markets.

This platform boasts dual redundant hardware that creates a real-time backup of your precious library. Dual redundant, field replaceable power supplies, fans, and hard drives ensure that that the system will be ready to entertain when you are. And scalability means that you are able to increase capacity as your library (or family) grows – up to 1,800 movies and beyond.

What’s more, both the 3TB and 6TB systems feature intelligent remote diagnostics. This early warning system alerts the user and dealer of important system conditions – in many cases preventing problems before they occur.

In addition to the TGM-100 at $9,999 MSRP, Sunfire also offers the TGM-100C client at $3,499 MSRP. Systems start at $10,699 (1TB) and go up to 3TB at $21,599, and 6TB at $24,249 MSRP. All models are available to order now and will be shipping in Q4 2008.

CEDIA Expo, a Week Later

bgrimes — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:23:00 GMT

If there were any builders, architects, or interior designers at last week's CEDIA Expo in Denver, it wasn't immediately apparent. By informal accounts, attendance was down, but only because the many electronics installers who send people to CEDIA every year sent a couple fewer in these economically challenging times. Many in attendance said that was a good thing—fewer folks there just for the trip; more who really wanted to further the adoption of digital homes. (CEDIA recently confirmed attendance was down 14 percent.)

I did spend a good amount of time with one builder, though. He also happens to be a CEDIA-certified installer, thus he and his son, who's also his project manager, were attending classes and exploring new products. He builds $1 million+ custom and spec homes in New England and told me he was currently sitting on an inventory of 10 lots and two homes. Now, as a CEDIA installer, his company builds in a certain level of technology standard, including structured wiring. Venture into one of his home and you see termination plates on the upper corners of certain rooms where speakers, once the buyer choose them, would go in.

What was he doing at CEDIA Expo besides his installer duties? As a builder, he said he was looking for an edge. He figured in the coming month or so there would only be a couple buyers in his price range, but there were double-digit $1 million+ homes for sale in his area. How would his stand out? Despite all he knows about audio (he's a former musician, and his company' working on a couple high-end home theater retrofits to keep going in this soft market), he said he was at CEDIA Expo to explore new lighting control solutions, which he thought could be the difference maker. The plan was to go back into his existing spec homes and install the controls. The hope was that if the lighting controls cost one month's interest, and their addition sold the home a month faster than without the controls, he'd end up with money in his pocket. This is a builder who truly understands the impact of technology in his local market. Here's hoping his plan succeeds.

Also spent some time with an installer buddy and talked about his company's progress in engaging builders. He said it's hard these days (not surprising) and that his company was focusing its outreach on architects and interior designers for now. What was he interested in technology-wise? He said his company was working on a residential project where the interior design couldn't accommodate control panels on the walls. They just didn't want them anywhere, though they want the benefits that wall panels could bring. So he was investigating various TV-based controls from companies like Control4 and Lifeware.

What else was there to see at CEDIA? Here are a few things I couldn't help noticing:

Everyone has an iPod interface. Ever since SpeakerCraft rolled out a control interface for the iPhone and iPod Touch less than a year ago, you can't toss one of those Apple gadgets on a show floor and not hit a manufacturer that has on of its own. AMX, Crestron, Control4, HomeLogic, Lifeware, Lutron. If you're thinking of showing one off to home buyers, factor into the equation whether the interface is downloadable to the iPod, or it runs off a Web server in the house. The former (and more popular model, by an informal survey) should offer faster response.

IP keeps getting better. In the past I've warned that a potential downside to integrated home systems is technology obsolesence. The systems must be easily upgradable or the homeowner has something outdated as technology advances around him/her. Internet protocol offers some of that investment protection. NetStreams, which makes IP-based distributed AV systems, was talking about upgrades to some of its products, such as amplifiers. The noteworthy part is they made a lot of the upgrades simply by rewriting some software, which was then downloadable. Now their audio systems sound better and no one had to replace any hardware. The company is pushing the IP model as a type of investment protection and software upgrades as a way for installers to build a relationship with their clients. It makes sense.

IP also makes me nervous. If the iPod interface was one thing I couldn't escape at CEDIA Expo, Ethernet ports on consumer electronics was another. Every flat-screen display maker is pushing the ports as a way to receive content directly from the Internet (they all seem to tout YouTube as some great feature, too, like I can't get that on any PC anywhere already). Ethernet ports are also going onto other devices you wouldn't normally think of as networkable, like AV receivers, etc. While this all makes sense, I cringe when I hear a manufacture tout IP connectivity as a way of automatically upgrading the features.

Yes, I know I praised the feature in one breath only to cringe the next. I like the possibility of IP-based upgrades, but the thought of all my electronics calling out to servers for software upgrades also makes me nervous. How often have you sat down at your computer, booted up, and sat there through sluggish performance will your operating system, virus protection, and other software programs automatically began updating? It seems to happen to me every other day. If a flat-screen TV maker touts IP connectivity, ask to see it in action. Ask how often the TV's firmware might be upgraded. Etc. Technology can offer great benefits; it can also be overkill if not implemented well.

Other quick hits:

Great to see companies like Moen, Schlage, and Black & Decker at CEDIA Expo—companies builders know well. As they start to sell home technology solutions, it raises awareness for the whole category.…Speaking of NetStreams, Atlantic Technology became the second company to build IP speakers to run on the former's platform, a cool development….Working on an MDU project where system racks may not fit in every unit? Crestron has begun shipping in the U.S. DIN-rail modules, which are smaller versions of its control systems built to fit in structured cabling-sized boxes that can hang in a closest or other tight space....Love this idea: Cables to Go is selling a new USB over Cat-5 solution. Know how we encourage pre-wiring most rooms in a house? Cables to Go wants you to add a USB port in every room. I'd seriously appreciate coming home in the evening and synch-ing by iPod from a USB port in the kitchen wall than down in my office. Interesting.

New Products from CEDIA Expo

bgrimes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:41:00 GMT

Despite a difficult housing market, CEDIA Expo in Denver has offered a treasure trove of new digital home products. Below is a running tally of new releases, straight from the manufacturers' mouths (with a little light editing to remove especially egregious self-promotion):

Atlantic IP Speakers

Atlantic Technology, a manufacturer of home theater and architectural loudspeaker systems, announced plans to introduce IP-Ready loudspeakers that are compatible with the NetStreams StreamNet whole-house Internet-Protocol (IP) AV distribution technology. Atlantic’s StreamNet-Ready speakers deliver better audio performance, say the companies, because the NetStreams system produces a synchronized digital signal from the source that provides a pristine signal to the speaker’s voicecoil.

Atlantic has modified three of its most popular in-wall systems—the IWTS-4 LCR, the IWTS-7 LCR and the IWTS-14 LCR to have a special “A-B” connector switch that allows the speaker to either be connected conventionally via the regular speaker terminals, or, when the switch is thrown into the NetStreams position, the speaker connects via the NetStreams Euro-style barrier connector. When connected to the NetStreams system, the speakers are bi-amplified using either NetStreams 2-channel or 4-channel SpeakerLinX room amplifiers, taking advantage of the cutting-edge digital equalization that is built into the NetStreams system architecture. The net result is dramatically improved dynamic range and sound pressure level from the speaker.

“NetStreams is committed to producing and delivering state-of-the-art Internet Protocol systems to provide top-quality audio and video program content throughout the home," said Sanjay Castelino, VP Marketing & Business Development. "We are particularly excited to be working with Atlantic Technology, since their reputation for quality sound, ease of installation, and reliability is a perfect fit for our goals with our IP-based systems.”

Chuck Kittelson, Atlantic’s Director of Strategic Planning, adds, “As the consumer electronics market continues to evolve, we’re always on the lookout for business opportunities and new partners that reflect the changing sales/distribution environment. NetStreams’ cutting-edge approach to whole-house digital content distribution represents an ideal fit for our speakers. Our new IP-compatible speakers will leverage the potential of NetStreams’ newest systems.”

Atlantic Technology expects to ship the first of these products to its dealers in the 4th quarter of 2008.

New NetStreams Touchpad

NetStreams introduced the TouchLinX TLA250, a new amplified touchpad at CEDIA Expo. NetStreams’ new touchpad features a built-in 50-watt per channel amplifier reducing installation time and costs, while offering designer friendly glass finish faceplate that can be tailored to compliment virtually any home décor.

“Our new touchpad offers sophisticated technology and innovative design elements,” said Kevin Reinis, President and CEO of NetStreams. “The glass finish product provides designers and architects with a very easy form to work with, enabling it to be a compliment to their design goals rather than something that needs to be worked around.”

The new glass faceplate features a completely flat look, operating with only touch-sensitive buttons. Further, a design layer under the glass can be matched to virtually any surface, design or accent, thanks to a variety of standard and designer color options.

The TLA250 features many of the control features of the NetStreams touch screens, TouchLinX TL430 and TL700, offering user-friendly features such as an Intercom for whole house paging, room-to-room paging, and room monitoring. The LCD screen can display meta-data (song, artist, album name), control any audio / video source connected, as well as any lighting systems, HVAC, and other home automation functions. The front of the unit includes an IR receiver to enable control from a universal remote, including the ability to pass through IR commands to control sources anywhere on the DigiLinX network.

In addition to its control capabilities, the TL250 features the audio functionality available in the SpeakerLinX zone amplifier and controller products. The unit is powered by a 50-watt per channel, high efficiency amplifier, and features Burr-Brown analog to digital and digital to analog converters, as well as an EIM port for connecting local audio in a zone. The combined functionality of a TouchLinX and SpeakerLinX make this an ideal product for those zones where metadata is required but where a touch screen controller is beyond the available budget.

NetStreams has also designed its latest TouchLinX to be easy to install and program. When mounted the faceplate is slightly larger than conventional dual panel light switch, yet offers a 2-gang box configuration. Encased in ‘slim line hardware,’ at only 1½” in-wall depth (installed), it is one of the slimmest.

Control4 Midsize Touchscreen

Control4 announced the introduction of the Control4 7-inch Portable Touch Screen at CEDIA Expo 2008. The new touch screen expands the product family, consisting of the Control4 10.5-inch Portable and Wall-Mount Touch Screens, 7-inch POE Wall Mount Touch Screen, and the Control4 Mini Touch Screens. Combining new ergonomic styling with an easy-to-use interface, the Control4 7-inch Portable Touch Screen offers convenient control of whole-home automation, including home theater control, multi-room music, advanced temperature control, security integration, smart lighting, and more.

“By expanding our touch screen family with a 7-inch Portable Touch Screen, we provide increased flexibility on price, size and functionality for additional rooms in the home,” said Will West, Chief Executive Officer at Control4. “We’re pleased to offer our new industrial design in a portable version to the touch screen family with this release, adding elegance to the whole-home automation experience along with increased performance capabilities.”

The Control4 7-inch Portable Touch Screen comes equipped with an added power management program that utilizes an intelligent, motion sensing system. If the touch panel sits idle for a period of time, it goes into sleep mode and wakes up ready for commands when someone picks up the touch screen. The new 7-inch Touch Screen is a 16x9 format that has three times the display area of the Control4 Mini Touch Screen and has four custom buttons for programming.

The Control4 7-inch Portable Touch Screen is priced at $1,495 retail for the US Market and is expected to ship by the end of the year.

Control4 Affordable Multizone Amp

Control4 launched Control4 Multi-Channel 4-Zone Amplifier. A complement to Control4’s 8-Zone/16-Channel Amplifier, this new amp offers Control4 system owners the option of an affordable 4-zone Amplifier or can be added to 8-Zone Amplifiers enabling additional music zones.

“We are increasing the flexibility of our audio solution design,” said Will West, Chief Executive Officer of Control4. “By introducing a competitively priced, fully featured four zone amplifier, we are making multiroom music possible for an even larger audience of potential home automation buyers and continuing to reinforce our position as the platform for the digital home.”

This state-of-the-art digital amplifier delivers a high-quality sound to any room. Each amp offers full control over the maximum volume in all four zones at 60 watts per channel with support for 8 ohm and 4 ohm loads. With full matrix switching from any of the four input sources to any one of the four zones, no separate audio switch is needed.

The included parametric equalizer allows for speaker frequency adjustment, giving homeowners targeted control over each band to best match the speakers and listening preferences in each audio zone. Using the Control4 media scenes, the 4-Zone Amp can also control multiple audio zones as a single zone.

Shipping in November 2008, the Control4 Multi-Channel 4-Zone Amplifier will retail for $1,195.

On-Q Unites Several Systems into One

On-Q/Legrand previewed a product its expect to revolutionize the home systems industry at this year’s CEDIA Expo. The newest addition to On-Q’s Studio Collection, the Unity Home System, combines three popular stand-alone systems – multi-room audio, intercom, and camera – to produce one integrated home system that’s easily controlled via an attractive user interface.

Earlier this year On-Q/Legrand unveiled The Studio Collection, a group of products inspired by color and design trends from around the world. These products combine innovative functionality with elegant design to create home systems that bring enhanced value to the homeowner through increased convenience and attractive design. The Unity Home System is the newest component of the Studio Collection – a way to integrate all Studio products together to form the ultimate home system.

“Homebuyers in the production market currently have little to no choice in terms of integrated home technology,” said Dan Tarkoff, vice president of product management and engineering at On-Q/Legrand. “Higher-end home automation and control systems are simply out of their price range. Unity is the first and only truly integrated home system designed for the production home market. nd it includes an attractive user interface that’s roughly 50 percent of the cost of most other user interfaces on the market. The innovative functionality, beautiful design, and unprecedented value of this system guarantee that it will change the way people think about home technology.”

Unity is composed of two key pieces – the Integration Module and an LCD Console. While the Integration Module houses the “brains” behind the system, the LCD is the primary part of Unity a homeowner would interact with. It includes an easy-to-use but powerful graphical user interface (GUI) which enables control of their home system – intercom, audio, and camera – at the touch of a button. The GUI is displayed on a high performance screen and operates similar to a cell phone or iPod, with simple, menu-driven navigation. In addition, Unity allows users to listen to digital music from a networked computer without any custom hardware, and enables the display of metadata like album artwork on the LCD screen.

The Integration Module includes convenient RJ45 connections for audio, intercom, and camera systems. It not only facilitates direct connection between these systems, but it also enhances the existing systems to deliver additional functionality. For example, when On-Q’s Selective Call Intercom system is connected to the Integration Module, users are able to leave messages for family members in select rooms, or set up alarms and wake up calls throughout the house or in specific rooms. Unity also enables the intercom system to work with On-Q’s camera system to perform automatic camera viewing via the LCD screen when the door button is pressed.

A typical Unity system would include four rooms of intercom, four zones of audio, and one camera. It would also include one LCD Console or TV Display Interface, both of which enable convenient system interaction via graphical user interfaces. This standard system can also be expanded to accommodate a system of up to 32 rooms of intercom, eight zones of audio, four cameras, and eight LCD Consoles or TV Display Interfaces.

Based on standard Cat 5 wiring, Unity is surprisingly easy to install. It features RJ45 connections and does not require complicated programming like higher-end home automation systems. Instead, it uses On-Q’s plug-and-play functionality to enable easy, one-person installation and provide significant time and cost savings for the installer.

Unity is scheduled to be available in mid-year 2009.

Lifeware Debuts High Density TV

Lifeware, makers of whole home automation and entertainment solutions, have done just that, unveiling a new “High Density Television” initiative that brings in more high definition entertainment and distributes it around the home more effectively than ever before.

“High Density TV reinvents how we will move and/or view high definition entertainment around the home,” said Seale Moorer, Lifeware’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is the first solution to provide a whole-house entertainment server that provides unparalleled capability in terms of HDTV tuners, HDTV streaming and Digital Media management for consumers.”

Several new Life|edia units highlight the effort, headed by the company’s new Lifemedia LMS-810, which has 8 HDTV CableCARD tuners and can support up to 10 Media Center Extender devices.

“The 810 is a very powerful Media Server,” said Moorer. “It deftly handles the high-definition feeds from eight CableCARD tuners and provides HD streaming to ten extenders over the existing home network." The 810 provides 12 terabytes of RAID 5 storage which provide the disk space for a huge digital library of recorded TV, movies, music, photos and videos.

“The Lifemedia LMS 810 is the centerpiece of a digital entertainment solution as we all envision it,” said Pat King, senior vice president of Seagate’s Consumer Solution Division. “Seagate’s Pipeline HD hard drives are designed specifically for this type of scenario. With HD video optimization, exceptionally quiet acoustics and power management, Pipeline HD drives enable the LMS 810 to provide a reliable way to enjoy digital entertainment."

Also being unveiled at CEDIA Expo is the Life|tuner series of HDTV CableCARD tuner devices that work with Life|ware’s Lifemedia media servers, allowing the addition of up to six additional HDTV tuners to the Lifemedia experience.

“Lifetuner is another product that makes life easier for our dealers,” said Moorer. “Obviously, TV tuners themselves are nothing new, but this product allows the easy addition of two, four or six CableCARD tuners to our Lifemedia servers.”

Lifemedia media servers feature two CableCARD TV tuners. By adding the six-tuner Lifetuner unit to a high-end Lifemedia, a consumer has a remarkable 8-tuner DVR solution.

Lifeware also announced the Lifemedia 170 series, the company’s first media server using AMD-based CPUs. The 170 series is powered by AMD RS780 chipset and AMD processors. “AMD is pleased to provide the power and support for innovative products like Lifeware,” said Jay Taylor, strategic solutions manager from AMD. “AMD has long been committed to customer-centric technology development and innovation to enhance consumers’ entertainment experiences, as proven with AMD LIVE! Home Cinema. We’re really excited about working with Lifeware to bring such unique, advanced digital entertainment solutions to our mutual customers.”

The 170 line features on-board digital amplification, which eliminates the need for an AV receiver at each location. The elegance and simplicity of the solution provide a very high user experience with Windows Media Center.

Moorer cited the company’s new software offering, Life|ware Digital Media Manager, as the solution to traditional problems with sharing digital content. Designed for the new Lifemedia 170-series, the software will be available in January as a Lifeware entertainment software add-on. “What Digital Media Manager does is make it simple to record content on one Life|media and view or manage it on another Lifemedia in the network,” Moorer said. “The result is seamless content sharing across multiple Media Servers running Windows Media Center over the network.”

The use of multiple Media Servers in a home and pooling the TV tuners across a single network provides a huge benefit to consumers who want additional tuners or who elect to use Media Servers versus Extenders for content consumption.

“The most important feature of Lifemedia is the use of the home network to share content within a home,” Moorer said. “Lifeware Digital Media Manager is the missing link for installations in which multiple Lifemedia units are used.”

The final piece of Lifeware’s High Density TV initiative is the upgrade to Blu-ray DVD for 500-, 600- and 700-series Lifemedia media servers.

“Blu-ray DVD has become the new must-have for our dealers,” Moorer said pointing out that 200-, 300- and 400- series Lifemedia units can also integrate Blu-ray today through the addition of external, third-party drives like the Lite-On DX-4015.

Lutron: Made in the (Skylight) Shade

Lutron Electronics Co. introduced the new Sivoia QED (Quiet Electronic Drive) skylight shade. The company said Lutron’s patented Sivoia QED technology is now available for skylight shades to reduce solar heat gain and minimize glare and UV penetration.

The skylight shade integrates with Lutron’s full line of Sivoia QED window treatments and Lutron lighting control products to increase physical comfort and control the visual environment.

The Sivoia QED skylight shade is fully contained within an aluminum frame that mitigates the effects of out-of-square openings and other construction variances. Its tension system allows fabric panels to be kept parallel to skylight windows with a minimal sag at a variety of slopes. The Sivoia QED skylight shade also eliminates light gaps around fabric and maximizes the view when open. The frame may be surface mounted to a ceiling or recessed into a pocket while still allowing easy access to update the fabric. The product can ship fully-assembled from the factory, or can arrive as a kit and be assembled onsite.

"With the addition of the skylight shade to the Lutron family of roller shades, drapery track, and Roman shades, Lutron can provide quiet, precise control of daylight for a complete application," said David Weinstein, Vice President of Market Development for Lutron.

The Sivoia QED skylight shade is available in a large variety of sheer, privacy and blackout fabric families to suit any application and enhance décor for both commercial and residential applications.

The Sivoia QED family of controllable shading products includes roller shades, drapery track systems, and Roman shades. All systems operate with ultra-quiet precision, low-voltage drives, and offer many options for fabrics and controls. Sivoia QED allows designers, architects, builders, and homeowners to utilize a custom-built shading system with various configurations and fabrics that are suited to their specific application.

AMX Expands Modero Family

AMX announced it's expanding its line of the 5.2-inch Modero ViewPoint Widescreen Touch Panels to include the 5.2-inch MVP-5100 ViewPoint IR Touch Panel and MVP-5150 WiFi ViewPoint Touch Panel, bringing a new level of simplicity and cost effectiveness to the AV control market. The MVP-5100 is built on the same lightening fast processor as the MVP-5200i, offers the same eye-popping crisp high resolution graphics and comes in Gloss Black.

Designed as a lower cost alternative to the 5.2-inch Modero ViewPoint Widescreen Touch Panel MVP-5200i, the MVP-5100 and MVP-5150 are perfect for individuals who want the sleek sexy design of the MVP-5200i, but do not need all of its rich features. Both Touch Panels are built on the award winning MVP-5200i platform providing fast, power-efficient processing – up to three hours of continuous use and two and a half days of standby use – and excellent resolution (800x480 WVGA) in a 5.2-inchg widescreen display. The sleek design is extremely compact and light (weighs only one pound) and it fits into the MVP-5200i table and wall charging system.

“With the expansion of our incredibly successful MVP line, AMX is able to offer the appropriate features at the appropriate price to meet every application that our customers are looking for,” says Rashid Skaf, president and CEO of AMX. “Whether the user needs to control and automate a single room or multiple subsystems throughout a home or building, the sleek design fits into any residential décor or architectural style.”

The MVP-5100 offers one-way IR communication and is ideal for single room control such as a home theater, home office or hotel room. Its built-in IR only communication can be very important in mission critical applications where 802.11b/g may not be permitted. The MVP-5150 extends the end users control to an entire home or office via its WiFi (802.11 b/g) capabilities. The MVP-5150 works seamlessly with AMX’s popular Resource Management Suite, the most robust software platform available for managing, monitoring and tracking assets, as well as scheduling meeting/class rooms. It also incorporates the highest wireless network security standards, including WEP, WPA, WPA2, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP.

The MVP-5100 and MVP 5150 is available in gloss black. The optional Table Charging Station and Wall Charging Station both come in gloss black and white. The touch panels are available to ship in 30 days.

Crestron Does Lighting

Perfect for both new and retrofit applications, the wireless iLux CLS-C6MRF – part of the Crestron Green Light family of products – is an integrated lighting system with a built-in motion detector operating on Crestron infiNET mesh network technology. Designed for wall mount installation, the CLS-C6MRF controls six channels of dimming and six groups of shades, expandable to 54 each. Large “ON” and “OFF” buttons and six two-level rocker buttons enable the recall of up to 15 scenes for lighting and shades, and corresponding 7-segment LED bar graphs offer easy visualization of lighting levels in each zone. The infiNET iLux operates both as a stand-alone control system or integrates seamlessly into a full Crestron control environment without the need for a control wire.

iLux is a complete, integrated lighting system ideal for in boardrooms, auditoriums, home theaters; anywhere that versatile and cost-effective control of lighting and shades is required. Up to 16 Crestron keypads may connect directly to an iLux, and touchpanels and AV control may be added by connecting to an external Crestron control system. The Crestron reputation for innovation and reliability, combined with high-quality integrated dimming, native shade control, and extensive customization and integration ability make iLux the ideal choice for all types of room lighting and shade control applications.

Based on Crestron infiNET wireless mesh network technology, the CLS- C6MRF utilizes an embedded 2.4 GHz RF wireless network, providing the most stable, reliable communications over larger areas without adding additional gateways. Built into each infiNET control device is an RF transceiver chip, and each transceiver, or "node", can act as a repeater, supporting multiple redundant signal paths within a mesh network topology.

Keypads Make a Cameo at Crestron Booth

Crestron introduced its new Cameo keypads, available as traditional wired or exclusive infiNET wireless mesh network controllers, at CEDIA Expo. Featuring an exceptionally responsive user control and a dynamic new design, the new Cameo keypads feature new finishes, rounded buttons with enhanced tactile action, and auto-dimmable backlit engraving that looks amazing in any lighting condition. Custom configurable button caps are provided in three sizes, enabling the choice of two to six individual buttons per keypad. Cameo keypads combine powerful control and modern elegance.

In addition to wired Cresnet, new Cameo keypads are also available in an infiNET wireless version, eliminating the need for a dedicated control wire to each keypad. The infiNET version mounts in a standard electrical box and is powered from any 120 Volt circuit, perfect for installation alongside ordinary light switches or Crestron infiNET wall box dimmers.

Simple yet flexible, each keypad is furnished with an assortment of engravable button caps in three different sizes to support a variety of physical layouts. Their smoothly rounded shape and refined pushbutton action give each button press a positive feel with subtle surface relief for an excellent tactile response. Each button can be configured to support up to three separate functions simply by tapping, double-tapping, or holding the button.

New high-quality backlit laser-engraving provides customizable button text that's easy to read under any lighting condition. A built-in light sensor controls the backlight intensity automatically to achieve a crisp, legible appearance in both darkened and fully lit rooms.

The LED feed in the new Cameo can even function as a ‘bar graph’ so that the keypad displays a momentary six segment bar graph display indicating lighting levels and audio settings. The LEDs can also generate nine different blink patterns that make programming easier and minimize network traffic.

The Cameo is now available in new smooth and textured finishes color-matched with popular off-the-shelf Decora style faceplates. The "smooth" finishes include Light Almond, Black, and White faceplates. The "textured" finishes are Crestron’s traditional almond, black, and white.

Panasonic Rolls Out New Plasmas

Panasonic Corporation of North America introduced attendees at the 2008 CEDIA convention to the latest additions in the company’s Internet-enabled plasma line, the PZ850 series. Joining the TH-50PZ850 and the TH-46PZ850 are the 58-inch class and the TH-65PZ850 class (64.7-inches measured diagonally), giving Panasonic a wide breadth of screen sizes in the flagship series of high performance Plasma TVs. Building upon the market and critical success of Panasonic’s previous Plasma models, the 2008 PZ850 series includes a number of step-up features that will further strengthen Panasonic’s leadership position.

The introduction of the IP enabled televisions, a technology that provides access to on-line content directly from the televison with Viera Cast technology, is one of many advances found in the PZ850 line. Viera Cast is a revolutionary new feature that streams web content directly to your VIERA HDTV without the need for an external box or a PC. The consumer can access the unlimited YouTube library, share digital photos from Picasa Web Albums with friends and family, get local weather updates and gain access to financial data from Bloomberg. There is no fee for Viera Cast and the feature automatically updates itself as new web content becomes available.

“We’re very excited about the technological advances that have been incorporated into Viera’s PZ850 series and the bigger screen sizes should prove extremely beneficial to both Panasonic and the CEDIA membership.,” said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Display Products Company. “The 58-inch and 65-inch now stand beside their smaller brethren to provide the installer with a number of screen size options. IPTV in particular is a technology that by providing access to on-line content directly from the TV, allows the consumer to optimize his or her options and use the Viera Plasma for more than entertainment. Now the consumer has a large screen TV that is also the source of an endless stream of internet information.”

The state-of-the-art technology that is inherent in the PZ850 series provides the consumer with detailed images, high moving-picture resolution, advanced networking and excellent compatibility with other AV devices. The PZ850 series features a Pro Setting Menu, allowing the user to access professional calibration software; an improved native resolution contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and a dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1; Digital Cinema Color Re-Mastering; 24p native reproduction; Game Mode; an SD memory Card slot; RS-232C connection; four HDMI connections; increased luminous efficiency; lead free panels; 100,000 hours to half brightness and a PC input. The 850 series further expands the capabilities of the SD Card feature by utilizing the H.264 codec to display high definition video recorded on a HD camcorder equipped with the H.264 codec.

Recognizing the growing use of plasma HD televisions in the gaming world, Panasonic created the Game Mode, which minimizes the time lag when displaying game images on the plasma screen. The Mode synchronizes the response of the game image to the player’s operation, thereby producing an extremely clear image with no motion artifacts.

Digital Cinema Color Re-Mastering is a value added technology that creates a wide color gamut covering 120% of the conventional HDTV color standard , enabling Viera displays to reproduce the essential colors for viewing movies. 24p native reproduction, which negates the need for 3:2 pulldown, resulting in a smoother picture, is another feature that provides the best possible viewing experience.

In-Wall Sub Minimizes Vibration

(Editor's Note: This product I experienced...works as advertised; great for MDUs among others). BG Radia Corporation and THX Ltd. launched the BG BGX-4850, an in-wall subwoofer system that incorporates advanced design concepts and technology developed by THX into a unique design suitable for today’s homes.

The BGX-4850 is the first in-wall subwoofer to achieve THX Ultra2 certification as well as the first audio product to incorporate THX Balanced Bass-line, a proprietary new THX technology for delivering vibration-free bass from a very compact speaker design.

The BGX-4850 in-wall subwoofer (MSRP $6995 including grill) is available to order now and will be shipping from BG Radia beginning in October. New construction brackets are optional. Subwoofers will be demonstrated at CEDIA at the BG booth # 438 as well as displayed at THX booth # 224, beginning here today.

The BGX-4850 subwoofer is as dramatic in appearance as it is advanced in technology and performance. Incorporating proprietary THX technology, the BGX-4850 promises to deliver incredible bass performance with minimal distortion — even in large home theater venues.

“From the very onset of our partnership with BG, we wanted to create an in-wall subwoofer that delivered THX Ultra2 performance in a design that is appealing to the eye and ear,” said Laurie Fincham, Chief Scientist and vice president of R&D at THX. “The THX Balanced Bass-line technology, with its speaker drivers totally self-contained within their own enclosures, allows the BGX-4850 to produce deep, natural sounding bass without shaking the walls.”

The BGX-4850 consists of four separate in-wall bass modules driven by the BGA-2104 rack-mountable power amplifier/DSP equalizer controller. The bass module contains twelve micro-precision woofers, each sealed in an airtight enclosure, and arranged in six balanced pairs. The four modules have a total radiating area equal to two 18 inch drivers, yet fit completely inside a standard 2x4-inch stud-wall. All that is visible to the listener is a tall, slim grill 26.5 inches high and just 7 inches wide (per module). Because the subwoofer modules are entirely self-contained, they do not rely on the wall cavity or a separate back-box, to deliver resonance-free, natural bass. The BGX-4850 can also be adapted for on-wall or in-room use.

“The tall, slim profile of the BGX-4850 subwoofer is unobtrusive and blends harmoniously into any décor. It just disappears into the wall, yet delivers incredibly powerful, lifelike bass with virtually no distortion,” said Warren Kocmond, Chief Executive Officer of BG Radia. “By integrating THX Ultra2 performance into a revolutionary subwoofer design, BG and THX partnered to provide custom specialists with a compelling speaker solution for both high performance Home Theater and critical music listening.”

Powered by more than 2,000 watts of power, the BGX-4850 THX Ultra2 Certified Subwoofer is capable of producing lifelike playback levels with even the most demanding entertainment content. The amplification, digital signal processing (DSP) and control are all contained within a single 2u high, 19-inch rack mountable controller/amplifier unit. An LED display and remote control are included.

Random Thoughts in Trying Times

bgrimes — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:04:00 GMT

Next month's CEDIA Expo in Denver should be interesting. With the housing market what it is, we'll be taking the temperature of the many residential installers at the industry's biggest show to find out how business is faring. On the one hand, we'd expect to hear that, in general, their efforts to crack the new-home market have stalled. On the other hand, they might still be mopping up the retrofit business from homeowners who decided to stay out and upgrade where they were living (until the economy as a whole started to turn and overall spending slowed).

You know what I'll miss, though?

I'll miss the Lifeware NextGen house, which has been a staple, it seems, of just about any digital home-related expo I've been to over the last couple years. Granted, even though almost all (if not all) technology in each futuristic NextGen home was commercially available, they sometimes came off as too good to be true. But whether you planned to build a NextGen-type home yourself or not, they typically had a good handle on what was technologically feasible--but also practical.

And when it comes to technology, separating what's possible from what's practical is key, especially when it comes to integrated home technology. Our friends at Parks Associates are constantly testing theories of do-able versus practical. Home networks: practical. Mobile video: Not practical. True, the latter has little to do with digital homes, but the point is residential installers and builders must fine-tune their sniff tests wherever they can. Programmable thermostats: practical. Wireless HD: remains to be seen (and proven as a legit offering; high-powered manufacturers are working on it).

Back to NextGen. The good news is that Lifeware apparently isn't withholding the goodies for lack of interest or budget cuts or any other reaction to current market conditions. I'm told it's because of the Democrats, who will be holding their convention in Denver just prior to CEDIA Expo. Apparently, the city isn't allowing any new construction in the area during the convention, which leaves Lifeware a teeny tiny window of about 2 days to construct the home. The chose not to.

NextGen Home or no, normally I'd encourage builders to descend on Denver for CEDIA Expo. And if you're in the area anyway and into home technology, it's still an exceptional place to look, learn, and partner. But we know better this year. Builders, in general, aren't traveling. They're hunkered down, riding out the market. In talking to builders about technology topics for next January's International Builders' Show in Las Vegas (that's January 2009), many can't commit to heading there yet, even though the move from Orlando to Vegas is largely seen as a welcome change.

Between now and then, it will be instructive to learn how home buyers and builders view technology during these difficult economic times. The Consumer Electronics Association is currently working on its third annual New Home Buyers and Technology Purchase study, which should be out soon. Last year's was instructive and became one of my favorite pieces of research because it helped bolster the technology sniff test that builders and installers must employ. Among other things, this piece of CEA research gets at what types of technology buyers value most in new homes (and what they perceive others will value on the re-sale market). Energy management: practical.

And to all you builders out there, I encourage you, if contacted, to participate in CEA's seventh annual State of the Builder Technology Market study, which CEA tells me should start up early this fall. Yes, I get a lot out of covering the study results, but it's also a good measure of what your peers are doing with technology in their new home projects. Short of calling you all and asking how digital homes are faring in the housing downturn, this type of research, done in conjunction with the NAHB Research Council, provides a glimpse at where we're all heading.

I, for one, am heading to Denver and CEDIA Expo next month. Are you? Why/why not?

High Tech High Rise

bgrimes — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:41:00 GMT

I once had a series of conversations with an executive at a home automation company who'd clearly decided he wasn't aiming his products at the custom home market. It wasn't that his technology wasn't high-performance enough for a custom home. It was that an installation here and an installation there weren't going to create the momentum he thought home automation required to earn adoption in more new home construction. His aim was entire developments and, to a growing extent, multifamily dwelling units.

And maybe that's a key to generating more digital home demand. Don't wait to give it to consumers in their first or second homes; give it to them in their pre-home apartments and condo buildings. With the single-family housing marketing what it has become, builders with strong MDU businesses were able to weather some of the early bloodshed through apartments, etc. And, when planned accordingly, apartments/condos are usually easier to integrate with electronics than single-family homes. Many already enjoy simple tech amenities like intercoms and closed-circuit security. Broadband to every unit is child's play; pulling Cat-5 wiring an extension of existing work.

So how is the digital MDU evolving? Anecdotal evidence suggests it has a strong future. But our friends at research firm Parks Associates are attempting to quantify the opportunity for digital systems and services in MDUs. The study is in cooperation with DIGITAL HOME's sister publication, Multifamily Executive.

Bill Ablondi, Parks Associates' director of home systems research, tells me interviewing for the research has already begun and they firm expects to field a survey in September. Clearly, one reason this research is so important to our industry is that young people, those 18 to 34 and immersed in technology, live more in MDUs than single-family homes. These are the people who really demand technology and will some day move up to detached homes (by some estimates, once people reach the 35 to 44 age demographic, more of them are in single-family homes, but not by a larger margin).

Bill provided me the research summary as Parks is presenting it to potential sponsors, and it looks like the study should be exhaustive. Among the topics Parks and MFE plan to address (and there are many more than this):

The electronic amenities gaining the most traction in the MDU market and the reasons for their success
Multifamily developers and managers taking the lead in introducing digital systems and services to their customers
Digital systems and services offering the best business cases for multifamily executives
Categories of MDUs offering the top opportunities for system and service providers
The business relationships between electronic systems contractors and multifamily developers and managers and their influence in selecting MDU-related systems and services
Premiums charged by developers and managers for units equipped with digital services and systems

If you're interested in getting involved with the study, visit the Parks Associates Web site for contact information. It promises to shed light on a key adoption vector (dig the consultant jargon) for digital home technology. When the housing market turns around, it may actually be high-tech high rises that pique people's interest and jump-start the market.

Fed Up?

bgrimes — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:04:00 GMT

Last week, DIGITAL HOME's sister publication CUSTOM HOME held what was by all accounts a successful Directions Conference in Key Biscayne, Fla. (you can read about it here). The scuttlebutt I heard was that custom builders were glad to get away from the challenges of their current business environment and spend time talking about things they've been too busy to focus on: relationship building, negotiation, and other management tactics.

What about digital homes? I had a source at Directions asking just that question of several custom home builders and the responses he received were less than enthusiastic. It's not that these builders were shunning technology, nor that customers weren't interested. But rather that technology continues to burn them, to the point where they'd rather avoid it altogether. And these are the builders who supposedly understand the role of technology best—customer builders as opposed to production builders. Their points are well taken, but they also offer a glimmer of the old hope for digital homes.

So I asked my source to sum up a few of his conversations after Directions. He picked out three custom builders he spoke to about technology, one of whom was a former electronics installer. In short, said my source, "All have had so many bad experiences they don't even offer more than very basic technology unless demanded by the customer."

The builder/former installer was from the Raleigh, N.C., area and said he couldn't get the technology in his own home to work properly, constantly frustrating him and his wife. According to my source, "He said the last thing he needs is customer calling at 3 a.m. because he can't turn his lights off, or calling on Saturday night because his theater projector won't turn on."

But then the builder/installer started getting at something: simplicity. He said he'd never connect an HVAC unit to a centralized control system so that he doesn't have to worry about a customer freezing or boiling because the HVAC controls have gone haywire. Despite the fact that HVAC controls may be all the rage to the green building movement, integrating them into a single system may not, understandably, be the way to go. Doesn't mean programmable thermostats are a deal-breaker.

According to my source, the builder/installer won't put anything too complex into any home right now, but he hasn't sworn off technology.

Builder Two sells homes in southern Florida starting at $7 million. He runs a family-owned business and has done everything from complete control to no technology at all. If he had his choice, he said, they'd opt for no technology every time. His company has been in its market for 50+ years and sells solely based on its reputation. The company can't afford to risk a bad customer experience. Thus technology only upon request.

Builder Three builds very high-end estate homes in southern California and also installs technology only on request. His typical problem? Well on a house he's currently building, he said he's now on his third different installer and still can't get everything to work right. The latest installer reportedly told him that a previous installer he sold him all sorts of equipment he didn't need. Yikes.

As my source put it afterwards, "The point all these guys make is that in the high-end custom market, the builder is married to the customer for life and often called back for repairs, upgrades, additions, etc. The technology stuff presents more problems than solutions at this point."

Apparently many of the builders also remain confused about the best ways of finding qualified installers. They said a lack of licensing standards makes it more difficult for them to find installers with appropriate levels of experience and knowledge.

Now when I first begin to digest this feedback, it's cause for concern. But it really just reflects ongoing issues that DIGITAL HOME, the NAHB's Home Technology Alliance, and others exist to address:

•    Technology complexity: Yes, even honest manufacturers will still admit that home technology can be overly complex
•    Technology maturity: Yes, they'll also admit (or their installers or customers will admit for them) that it doesn't always work
•    Risk: The question of who owns the service relationship after the sale continues to hover over all digital home installations
•    Working with installers: Let's face it, the two camps still don't speak the same language and usually seem to resent more than respect each other

But I still can't envision a future where new homes don't include a certain level of installed technology. The current housing market certainly isn't helping the adoption of digital systems, but it won't completely derail it either.

We just need to keep the lines of communication open. Work through groups like the HTA. I mean, how often do builders, installers, and manufacturers really get together to hash things out? A couple panel discussions and a lunch at IBS or CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles won't ever be enough. They're informative, but if the three legs of the digital home stool are to stand strong, they need to stand together. Manufacturers should be bringing in builders to consult on products; installers should be out listening to builders, not just selling to them; and builders should be living with technology to understand why customers want it and why builders are in a great position to give it to them. I've met several of each who really get it; they've exciting to talk to and many are involved with the HTA, so consider it yourself.

If a builder says he only installs technology when a customer asks for it, and then customers keep asking for it (which was my take on Builders One, Two, and Three), he's always in this grudgingly reactive mode. So chances are he hasn't done his homework, found installers he trusts, etc.

My kids are that way with certain school subjects; they'll do a worksheet if the teacher's going to collect it in class (which apparently they don't always do), which often means last-minute hair-pulling and Googling. But if they were just doing all the worksheets all the time, knowing full well the teacher's going to want some of them, they'd be prepared; they'd know what they needed to know; and they'd have a satisfied customers (er, teachers).

But enough about me and my kids. Please sound off on the state of the digital home market. How have we progressed?