Essential Install 2017 Showcase

TURN TO P.6 FOR THE INVISION INSIGHT

2017 SHOWCASE A N E S S E N T I A L I N STA L L P U B L I CAT I O N

Thank You! a BIG Thank You To ouR LoYaL CuSToMERS, IT’S BEEN AN EXCITING JOURNEY AND WE COULDN’T HAVE GOT HERE WITHOUT YOU!

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a new way of ordering online for 2018

Supplying technology and entertainment for today’S Smart home

T: 01359 270280 W: www.invisionuk.com E: sales@invisionuk.com

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Essential Install | Editor’s Comment

Make sure you get along to EI Live! in 2018, May 9-10, Sandown Park

2018 and beyond

Daniel J Sait, editor in chief, ATM

Hi there, welcome to the latest and last of this year’s EI supplements, we hope you have found this series useful. The supplements will be back in 2018 with some established favourites and some new additions, so keep an eye out for them across 2018.

This edition gives companies a chance to review their year, but also look forward to 2018, so it only seems sensible for EI to do the same.

Some staff additions this year witnessed our excellent new editor, Niamh Marriot, take over from myself as the day to day editor for EI. A big change for myself, as those of you with long memories will recall I launched the mag way back in the stone age and have been editing it ever since. However, as always, we want to improve our offering at All Things Media, so we took the decision to bring in new blood and free myself up to work right across our titles which now cover many interconnected technology sectors. Part of my role now includes helping companies cross pollinate and find new audiences right across our portfolio which now includes titles focused on Electrical Contracting (ECN), data centre creation and management (DCN), large scale network creation and maintenance (NCN) as well as EI, CE Pro and Commercial Integrator Europe titles.

I am still very much involved with EI and will be contributing articles through 2018, so if you have a person, a company, or a subject you feel the spotlight should be turned on, let me know.

Joined up thinking

Right throughout 2017, we have worked hard to bring more synergy to our range of titles. For example, we have been underlining the fact that EI and Ce Pro Europe are from the same stable and are designed to work in tandem, so if you read one and not the other, can I recommend that you bring both into your scope as they offer quite different opportunities to learn about our industry. Both titles will be adding new features in 2018 to

take full advantage of their different formats, expect more thought leadership and in-depth analysis from EI and more interactivity, webinars and podcasts from CE Pro, all exciting stuff.

EI Live! 2018

A big highlight of our year in 2018 is going to be our EI Live! show. All trade shows need to evolve and 2018 is going to mark a real milestone in the development of the event. If you are a regular visitor, make sure you put it in the diary now, (May 9-10, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey), if you have been, but not for a while, make sure you make it back this year, or if you have never attended, 2018 is going to be a top year.

Added to the show for 2018 will be separate conferences, which will provide information specifically targeted to those that might be new to the smart home industry. These will be targeted at electrical/AV retailers and electrical contractors. Other opportunities to learn at the event will be enhanced with a major boost to the Learning Zone. Now located on the show-floor, the seminar part of the show will provide factual and experienced based insights into the smart home sector.

We are working closely with a major specialist company in research, analytics, data and consulting services to help deliver this part of the show, more details to be announced very soon.

However, I can reveal speakers already signed up include; Jorge Castro, CEO and R&D manager for Artnovion, Auro Technologies founder Wilfried van Baelen, Vin Bruno, smart technologies innovation expert, president of AlltecPro and former CEO of CEDIA and director of marketing at Crestron. Also speaking will be Simon Honywill, sonic educationalist and senior sound consultant, Glastonbury Festival, Pyramid Stage.

So, plenty to look forward to in 2018 from us, have a great Christmas, New Year and may the road rise to meet you in 2018.

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com EDITOR: Niamh Marriott, niamh@allthingsmedialtd.com CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS: Jordan O’Brien, jordan@allthingsmedialtd.com SALES DIRECTOR: Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com ASSISTANT AD MANAGER: Jacob Brisley, jacob.brisley@allthingsmedialtd.com PUBLISHER: David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com ACCOUNTS: susan@allthingsmedialtd.com CIRCULATION: carol@allthingsmedialtd.com STUDIO MANAGER: Ben Bristow, ben@allthingsmedialtd.com GRAPHIC DESIGN: Jon Appleton, jon@allthingsmedialtd.com Essential Install magazine, Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Chatham, Kent ME5 8UD. T: +44 (0)1634 673163 F: +44 (0)1634 673173 Whist we make every effort that everything printed in Essential Install magazine is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur.

All articles are copyright and remain the property of Essential Install magazine.

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Our year in review.

Chris Pinder, Founder of HDANYWHERE picks out some key moments in his year in review.

Startup Mode

The Keynote

uControl App

Remote Supervision

A year or so ago HDANYWHERE was spun-off as an independent business. Inside the company, it felt like a startup again. After a blue couple of years, it was time for a reboot.

In October 2016, I delivered a memorable keynote speech in Manchester called ‘X’ announcing ten new products. A redesigned matrix & extender lineup (MHUB and XTND), a new matrix operating system (MHUB-OS) and a cloud infrastructure platform (HDA Cloud) which would allow our customers, HDA Pro’s, the ability to remotely monitor and manage MHUB out in the field.

The vast majority of HDMI matrix switchers have a total dependence upon third-party controllers to make them anywhere near useful in a home setup. We have never felt comfortable with this risky reliance on other brand’s boxes to make our hardware usable.

I must commend our Software R&D team on the creation of our excellent remote access service. Another free feature that separates MHUBs from the dumb, dependent matrices - the HDA Cloud is a secure online portal for remote monitoring and management any network-connected MHUB around the world.

We refocused our efforts on delivering a new matrix range called MHUB that offered superior value in the residential marketplace and enabled installers to achieve universally-controlled whole-home AV with less hardware.

MHUB needed to become more than a matrix, so we had to invent some new (patent-pending) smarts, as well as create an entire software/R&D Dept. There were months of deep and secretive work before we were ready to reveal what the reboot had created...

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Plus of course, a ‘one more thing...’ reveal, where we demoed our uControl app and IP-to-IR-Gen technology for the first time - this changed everything.

X

So it was a big moment for us in March when uControl launched in the App Store, and we were finally able to provide an included controller for a whole-home AV system right out of the MHUB box. In the nine months since launch, there have been over 5000 downloads, fulfilling our ‘one-brand-one-box’ ambition of offering more from a single piece of hardware.

9:41 AM

HDA Cloud facilitates the best support possible for everyone in the HDA supply chain: Manufacturer > Distributor > HDA Pro (Installer) > End-User.

Around The World Export sales rose sharply after signing with some great partners in Benelux, Germany, Italy, India, New Zealand and South Africa.

100%

21/12/2017 13:21

“Alexa, tell my TV to...”

Hello MAX

S-e-q-u-e-n-c-e-s

The Year Ahead

Voice-controlled TV is pretty cool. In our keynote, we intimated that voice control would be coming to MHUB and we delivered Alexa in May by way of a free online update.

We entered summer with the release of our first 18Gbps MHUB. Capable of delivering the maximum HDMI spec (HDMI 2.0 (a/b), UHD/4K 60, 4:4:4 with all HDR formats (10 & 12-bit), Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG). We aptly named it the MHUB MAX.

Can an app be as quick as a remote control? It’s a question I posed to our team months before we released the first significant update to uControl.

Macros (what we call Sequences) were initially designed to improve our voice control experience enabling a string of commands to be executed one after another, e.g. the right source, on the right TV, on the right channel, at the right volume.

We have the whole-home TV experience fully catered for under the HDA brand, with fewer devices, rackspace, time and cost. An MHUB changes the relationship people have with TV in their homes and is unmatched regarding features vs cost.

Using Alexa it’s possible to turn on and off your TVs, adjust the volume, play, pause what your watching and got to any channel you desire with a simple voice command. No remote control required.

The system was designed to satisfy the most demanding AV purists or super high-end project requirements, where the brief insisted upon enjoying content without compromise. The new system came packed with the same features; cloud management, app and voice control straight out of the box.

Oh, and the ability to switch everything off with a single button press. Can you do that in our app: yes. Can you do that without even loading app at all: also, yes with something called home screen quick actions. You can judge for yourself by downloading uControl and running it in demo mode.

HDA has a brave and bold year ahead. Without revealing too much, I can say that we will be entering new product categories, introducing amazing new technologies and continuing to innovate whole-home AV. To see and experience exactly what we’ll be supplying in 2018, then visit us at ISE! To see and experience what will be available in 2018, then visit us at ISE on Booth 5-R85 (free invite code 840021).

Booth 5-R85

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EI-DPS.pdf

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The Event Of The Year.

May 9th - 10th 2018 www.essentialinstalllive.com

Ready in good stead for 2018, EI Live! is back and

C

M

ready to blow your smart home socks off. There’ll be a

Y

CM

brand new format for exhibitors, a delicious networking

MY

CY

dinner where the winners of the Smart Building Awards

CMY

will be announced, and a jam-packed learning zone

K

with a super schedule of spectacular speakers.

Book your stand now, your competitor has!

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Product Categories

8

PRESENTED BY ESSENTIAL INSTALL MAGAZINE

Gala Awards Dinner - May 9 - Receive your award - Network with industry leaders - Live entertainment - Three course meal

-

Projector screen of the year Projector of the year Bracket/rack or mounting product of the year Loudspeaker of the year Cable solution of the year Matrix/signal distribution product of the year Multi-room/zone music solution of the year Dedicated touchscreen of the year TV/Display of the year Integrated TV/Display of the year

Project Categories -

Best cinema project Best commercial integration project Best whole house project Multi-dwelling unit (MDU) project of the year

Company Categories -

Distributor of the year Manufacturer of the year Training initiative of the year

People Categories -

Sales person of the year Special recognition award

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The opportunity to join Invision as Sales Director earlier this year was one I could not turn down. 2017 has been a great success for events, awards, training and our expansion into Europe. We are looking forward to even more success in 2018!

Adrian Ickeringill, Sales Director - UK, Ireland and Benelux

What a year for invision WE TOOK OUR SHOWCASE ON THE ROAD! Traditionally we have organised an annual showcase, this year was a little different. Our regional events in Edinburgh, Merseyside and Surrey, made it even easier for our customers to attend.

Visitors had a chance to hear inspiring keynote speeches as well as evaluating the very latest residential technology.

Laura Batten, Marketing Manager

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EUROPEAN EXPANSION In January this year we set up a new sales division in mainland Europe. With a strong home technology product portfolio and field-based sales managers in the Netherlands and Belgium we are looking forward to accelerating the growth of Invision across the Benelux market during 2018.

Mark van Zon, General Manager - Benelux

Best Trade Supplier

Best Training Course EMEA

THE UK’S AWARD WINNING DISTRIBUTOR We were delighted to win this prestigious award for the second year in a row. This run of success is testament to the hard work and dedication of our sales team. I am very proud of what we have achieved, but there is plenty more to come.

Peter Alloway, UK Sales Manager

2017 Projector Screen of The Year

2017 Projector Screen of The Year

2017

2017 Integrated TV/Display of The Year

TV/Display of The Year

A BIG YEAR FOR TRAINING This year was a big year for training. We launched our Home Cinema Design course in March and sold out the first 3 dates within one week. With RTI’s launch of APEX, our new RTI Programming course has been very popular.

David Meyerowitz, Technical Training Specialist

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YEAR OF THE STORM

2017 was another big year for WyreStorm, with the manufacturer adding considerably to their AV distribution and control arsenal across HDBaseT and AV over IP, and racking up some top AV awards wins into the bargain. WyreStorm’s Christian Thomas relives some of the highlights from the past 12 months and gives an insight into what to expect as we move into 2018.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR...

H2X Series Best in class 10x10 and 16x16 HDBaseT 5Play 4K HDR with integrated 30x10 or 48x16 audio DSP matrix switchers with ARC. Supporting 4K to 70m and 1080p to 100m, the H2X takes custom install the next level with a choice of HDBT and mirrored HDMI output card or HDBT input/output card to support decentralised source connection.

H2L Series Available in 6x6 and 8x8, the H2L Series represents value-focused I/O switching of 4K HDR with HDCP 2.2 and PoH support over HDBaseT Class B up to 35m or 1080p to 70m.

MX-0404-HDBT-H2A-KIT 4x4 HDBaseT Class B 4K HDR matrix switcher with audio breakout, HDCP 2.2 and 4x PoH receivers delivering 4K up to 35m and 1080p to 70m.

Also new to the WyreStorm line-up was the SP-0208HDBT-H2 mixed transmission splitter handling 4K HDCP 2.2 with HDR, PoH and CEC to 35m using HDBaseT Class B outputs (1080p: 70m) or 70m using Class A (1080p: 100m).

Active Optical HDMI Cables Next generation 4K HDR content needs next generation delivery. WyreStorm’s 20m and 30m active optical HDMI cables use the latest optical transmission content to deliver uncompressed full bandwidth 18Gbps HDMI to the tune of 4K/60 at 4:4:4 8-bit or 4:2:0 60Hz 10-bit HDR.

H2C Series If all AV installs are unique, your switched distribution should be too. The H2C Series offers a choice of 6x6 and 8x8 PoH matrix chassis customized to your personal specification with a selection of HDCP 2.2 HDBaseT Class A and Class B transmission cards. Options include HDBT and mirrored HDMI output, S/PDIF ARC Out and line level audio out delivering 4K to 70m and 1080p to 100m, as well as an HDBT Class B out card for 4K to 35m.

NetworkHD 400 Series 4K HDR over IP Our NetworkHD AV over IP line expanded with the new low latency JPEG2000 powered 400 Series 4K over 1GbE. Offering HDR, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 with 2K/4K auto-scaling and multichannel audio up to DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, the 400 Series features 16x16 video wall support and easy network set-up using standard PoE switches. CEC, bidirectional IR or RS-232 plus the free NetworkHD Touch iPad app puts control of a whole 400 Series system right at your fingertips - so good it was given Best Distribution and Processing Product at September’s AV Awards 2017!

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Events We’ve been busy! As always, WyreStorm exhibited at the biggest trade shows in the world, as well as making our debuts at InfoComm’s India and MEA events. We also supported our fantastic UK distributors Habitech and Invision at events closer to home, as well as those across Europe, Middle East, the US and Australia. We plan to do all again and more in 2018 - which brings us to...

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT YEAR...

100/200 Series

400 Series

600 Series

The Power of Three AV over IP Technologies With our NetworkHD AV over IP line already utilizing H.264 and JPEG2000 platforms, SDVoE technology will provide the firepower for the new 600 Series 4K HDR over 10GbE for instant seamless switching of true full HDMI 4K UHD 4:4:4 at 60Hz and HDR with zero-frame latency, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 support. The absolute pinnacle of lossless AV over IP distribution, the 600 Series will include independent breakaway switching for true matrixing functionality, audio embedding, de-embedding and down-mixing. Full gigabit Ethernet passthrough will also enables the daisy-chaining of network-connected devices, such as SmartTVs, Apple TVs and Sonos to offer huge benefits for residential applications.

H2XC Goes True Custom Install Not content with two transmission choices on our H2X Series, we’re going fully modular with the new H2XC model for even more integration options.

When released in Q1 2018, the H2XC will offer a choice of 10x10 or 16x16 H2 chassis, adding to its current Class A HDBT/mirrored HDMI output or HDBT Input/output cards, with new video and only audio only zone expansion cards allowing integrators to skew the number of AV inputs and outputs to suit their project. A further two cards will also enable transmission of full 18Gbps HDMI supporting 4K 60hz 4:4:4 8bit or 4K 4:2:2 with HDR 12bit either 100m within the HDBaseT Class A 10Gbps bandwidth or over multimode fibre up to 300m.

Enhanced Extenders Q1 will also see WyreStorm’s extensive line of HDBaseT extenders get a sizable 4K boost with the EX-35-H2 and EX-35-H2-ARC set to support 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 8bit or 4K 4:2:2 with HDR 12bit over HDBaseT Class B to 35m and the EX-70-H2X model with Class A taking that up to 70m. The all new EXF-300-H2 takes it even further by utilising multimode fibre for delivery up to 300m for a multitude of full 4K distribution options over copper and fibre to fit any application.

Booth #S-560 Major Announcement We’ll be kicking off 2018 with a real bang and a huge announcement planned regarding our UK distribution. I can’t say any more but all will be revealed in early January 2018.

Watch this space!

4K AND HD SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION | AV OVER IP | CONTROL SOLUTIONS

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ISE 2018 Of course, we’ll be talking about all of the above at ISE 2018 – and maybe a few more surprises. You’ll have to make sure you’re in Amsterdam to see for yourself. Come see us at ISE booth S-560 and see why this year the technology matters more than ever.

WYRESTORM.COM

17/12/2017 09:29 10:19 21/12/2017

HALL 5 - STAND U50

Visit us at ...

We do our thinking inside the box!

HDR* Over HDBaseT ™...

What more do you need to know?

Introducing the first of a new range of HDBaseT ™ extenders from CYP utilising AVLC (Adaptive Visually Lossless Compression) that delivers 4K@60Hz (4:4:4, 8 Bit) as well as 10/12-bit sources with * HDR10 or Dolby Vision

INTRODUCING

TECHNOLOGY

CAT5e/6/7 IN

PUV-1710LTX-AVLC

DISCOVER OVER 350 ADVANCED AUDIO VISUAL SOLUTIONS AT

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PUV-1710LRX-AVLC

PUV-1810TX-AVLC

From concept to manufacture We are ...

Innovation

Support

SALES: TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

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Training

+ 44 (0) 20 3137 9180 + 44 (0) 20 3137 6690

21/12/2017 21/12/2017 11:12 13:19

2017 Showcase | KEF Speakers

To the extreme!

Another strong year for KEF saw the company active in lots of product sectors. Music to the ears of installers in particular was the extreme performance delivered by the Ci Series.

With design innovations such as the company’s Soundlight and Motorised ceiling speakers along with cosmetic advances like ultra-thin bezel (UTB), KEF delivered some key advances for custom installed music solutions.

The maker says that like other Ci Series models, what all its innovations have in common is the use of advanced technology to give best-in-class acoustic performance, appearance and ease of installation. Combined with innovative engineering tailored to the practical requirements of the installer, the latest suite of Q and R Series Ci home theatre speakers and installed subwoofers were designed to set another new benchmark; custom installed speaker systems with the acoustic performance of audiophile quality freestanding Hi-Fi speakers.

Incorporating the latest KEF technology, the home theatre speaker models utilise the multi-award winning Uni-Q driver array, derived from KEF Blade. Situated in its own enclosure, optimised for the best acoustic performance, the Uni-Q produces wide sound dispersion characteristics, whilst delivering an accurate, fast and clean midrange response with high-quality dynamics and power handling. The technology offers a strong solution for projects where space is at a premium, but performance is not.

In-ceiling home theatre: Ci200RR-THX

Featuring a powerful ‘sit anywhere’ Uni-Q driver array from the floor-standing speaker, together with a 38mm (1.5in) vented aluminium tweeter and ‘tangerine waveguide’, in a 200mm (8in) aluminium bass/mid driven, the Ci200RRTHX projects acoustically as if the sound originates from the screen. Performance is to home theatre standards, and dispersion is wide and even so everyone in the room enjoys the same defined sound imagery. Along with the KEF’s Ultra-Thin Bezel (UTB) design, Ci200RR-THX can be integrated into any setting to achieve the minimum of visual intrusion on the interior space.

In-wall home theatre (Ci4 I 00QL, Ci3 I 6ORL-THX, Ci5 I 6ORL-THX) The all new tall rectangular range is designed and specifically engineered for serious music and home theatre system front left, centre, right and side applications. The Ci4100QL in-wall speaker boasts a 100mm (4in) Uni-Q array with three ME drivers of the same size. For larger spaces, the R Series Ci3 I 6ORL-THX is a high output music and home theatre speaker in which a 165mm (6.5in) Uni-Q array is complemented by a pair of 165mm (6.5in) MF drivers.

Taking things up a notch, the Ci5 I 6ORLTHX extreme output speaker is built around the same I 65mm (6.5in) Uni-Q flanked by no less than four 165mm (6.5in) MF drivers.

Both Ci316ORL-THX and Ci5 I 6ORL-THX are housed within a rigid aluminium front baffle (metal grille supplied — an optional black or white cloth grille is also available) to offer KEF’s high-quality delivery of music and movies.

In-wall subwoofers

As complete systems, the range includes two in-wall subwoofers, one with four compact 100mm (4in) extended response bass drivers (Ci4 I 00QLb), the other with three powerful aluminium I 65mm (6.5in) bass drivers (Ci3160RLb-THX). Not only do these two subwoofers provide a visual match to the home theatre speakers, but they enhance the speakers’ sonic capabilities into a true high performance discreet theatre system. Described as refined yet gutsy, two of the subs can be driven by one of KEF’s 2 x 250WPC DSP controlled subwoofer amplifier, the KASA500. With both speaker and line level inputs, as well as a pass through that can be configured for full range or high pass output, this amplifier is specifically engineered for the purpose, with connection and integration flexibility.

Complete KEF

With these additions, KEF says the Ci Series range now offers a high-end home theatre speaker system for every application. All are timbre-matched for a consistent sound, so whatever combination is specified, the listener gets accurate, spacious and richly detailed 3D sound. KEF’s design features also allow the Ci speakers to be fitted quickly in a few simple steps.

KEF 01622 672 261, kef.com/html/gb

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2017 Showcasel | Alltrade

Ever-expanding Alltrade strides into 2018 From aerial and satellite supplier to one of the UK’s fastest growing CI and home automation distributors, Alltrade unveils ambitious plans for 2018.

Multi-site training is a huge part of the Alltrade offering

Alltrade’s expanding portfolio includes HDL

Two additional trade counter sites, an annual trade show, local road shows, expanded installer training schedule and a host of new cutting-edge brands are just part of Alltrade’s ambitious expansion plans for 2018.

With over 30 years’ experience, Alltrade has built an enviable reputation throughout the commercial and residential TV signal distribution industry. Adding networking and AV distribution to its portfolio in 2013, brought in new install customers and expanded opportunities for the company’s loyal core of aerial and satellite installers.

Fast forward to 2017 and Alltrade boasts a portfolio of CI, AV distribution, security and home automation brands including HDL, Blustream, CYP, Antiference, Triax, Ubiquiti, Hikvision, DemoPad, Sanus and Sonos. The company enjoyed its biggest ever trade show at Epsom Downs Racecourse in September and has an ever-expanding training programme set for 2018.

One installer benefit that Alltrade feels has put it ahead of its distributor competitors is its trade counters.

Based in Brighton, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Maidstone and Hemel Hempstead, the trade counters are fully stocked warehouses with knowledgeable and experienced staff.

Face-to-face technical support, instant access to Alltrade’s catalogue of products and great customer service have proven invaluable.

Expanding this concept to a wider audience, Alltrade is set to open two new trade counters early in 2018. Offering easier access for installers working along the M4 corridor, the first new site will be in Reading. Expanding towards the north of the UK, a second new Trade Counter will be opening in Bolton in conjunction with DemoPad. The trade counters are all equipped with comprehensive training rooms. This allows Alltrade to deliver training to more geographical locations than competitor’s centralised training programmes. A packed schedule is planned for early 2018 covering IRS, fibre and a range of CI and home automation topics. Information on training dates is available on the Alltrade website and published in Essential Install magazine’s training diary.

Alltrade’s entire catalogue is available across the country on next-day delivery. However, customers within roughly 100-mile radius of a trade counter can benefit from next working day delivery on Alltrade’s own fleet of 19 GPS tracked vehicles with fully employed and longstanding drivers. Building a close relationship with customers means Alltrade can offer a key-holding service, allowing delivery staff to safely drop off stock when no one is available. Deliveries can be left in a garage, porch, shed or lockable safe storage. Returns can be left out to be collected, saving customers the hassle of acquiring RA numbers and posting items back.

Another service highlighted is Alltrade’s ability to deliver to building sites. This is fraught with issues for national carriers such as new postcodes, tracking down the customer or finding someone responsible on site.

Competitor distributors reliant on third-party couriers simply cannot match this delivery flexibility, says Alltrade.

“Factors that make a good distributor are the same no matter what sector of the industry you work in,” says Steve Simper, MD at Alltrade. “We have fine-tuned our product portfolio and customer service offering over more than two decades and are very successfully bringing those qualities to the CI and Home Automation sectors. Our growth in CI, Smart Home, security and home control integration has been outstanding and we are looking forward to building on these areas into 2018.”

A key element of Alltrade’s success has been its free system planning and support services. Originally developed to help installers dealing with complex multitenant signal distribution projects, Alltrade has expanded the service to incorporate AV distribution, networking, automated home control and CCTV. The service covers any size of project. Site-visits by Alltrade’s experienced planners can be arranged for further peace of mind.

Alltrade’s technical director, Julian Hall, explains, “The planning and technical support from Alltrade is second to none. This service allows customers to take on bigger and more ambitious projects or diversify into areas that they may have previously avoided through lack of specific experience. In conjunction with our local training programmes, we are committed to helping our customers develop and expand their businesses.”

With a wide-ranging portfolio of IRS, fibre, CI and home automation products, backed by high-quality support, outstanding service and comprehensive training, Alltrade is set to be one of the sectors’ key distributors into 2018 and beyond.

Setting up an online account is simple using the web-form on the Alltrade website, or pop into any one of Alltrade’s trade counter branches to register.

Alltrade 0344 225 2700, alltrade.co.uk

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SONOS Sonos delivers all the music on earth, streaming with rock-solid wireless to every room, with deep, richly textured sound. Sonos is simple to setup and controlled by your smartphone or tablet.

Want to be recognised as an ‘authorised’ installer? Simply sign up with Alltrade as we are one of only three official trade distributors.

SANUS Sanus AV Network Rack solutions, award winning TV Mounts and newly launched Sonos accessory speaker mounts are the perfect ‘add on’ sale to your projects. In stock now is the new Sonos Playbase TV Stand designed in partnership with Sonos for a neat and stylish installation along with wall and desk stands for all the other Sonos speakers.

UBIQUITI Superfast, super-reliable Wi-Fi for every room. Ubiquiti Networks’ access points and switches puts what matters most at your fingertips. It talks to all your gadgets to make sure they’re always automatically connected to the fastest and strongest signal. Using the FREE controller software puts you in charge of a supercharged home network. Wi-Fi at its finest.

HDL HDL is serious about Smart Homes. A global leader in the home automation sector controlling AV, lighting, heating, shading and A/C. All using the HDL App designed and deployed by DemoPad. HDL’s new retrofit WIRELESS range is ground breaking technology allowing any buildings old or new to become ‘smart homes’. Call us for more info now.

TRADE COUNTER LOCATIONS Brighton & Hove 0344 225 2700 Cardiff 0344 225 2701 Hemel Hempstead 0344 225 2703 Maidstone 0344 225 2704 Bournemouth 0344 225 2705 Reading 0344 225 2706 Bolton 0344 225 2707 WWW.ALLTRADE.CO.UK

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2017 Showcase | Meridian

Meridian celebrates 40 years in style

As the industry looks forward to ISE 2018, Katy Bradshaw, director of marketing reflects on the company’s 40th anniversary year, celebrated in style with a series of innovative product launches, prestigious award wins, exciting partnerships and education initiatives.

Product innovation

In 2017, we introduced new, innovative products to help home technology integrators put their clients at the centre of the listening experience. Amongst these, the 271 Digital Theatre Controller provides the perfect link to integrate any analogue or digital AV processor or receiver with our DSP loudspeakers, delivering the best, immersive, hi-res audio for home theatre.

Extending the 200 Series further, the new 251 Powered Zone Controller brings Meridian’s superior audio performance to a variety of analogue speaker applications. New for 2017, its compact design features two powerful cool-running channels of on-board amplification enabled for hi-res audio, including Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) audio.

Awards success

We were delighted to take home three prestigious awards at CEDIA 2017, recognising our success in developing great solutions for installers who care about premium quality audio. Both the 271 Digital Theatre Controller and 251 Powered Zone Controller were honoured as CEDIA Best of Show winners by the influential Residential Systems magazine, whilst the 251 also picked up a CE Pro BEST Award at CEDIA in the Multiroom Audio Amplifier category. The crowning glory for us was receiving the accolade of Best New Hardware at the 2017 CEDIA Awards for our 218 Zone Controller. That was a magical night that I, and I’m sure many of our friends in the industry, will never forget!

Partnerships

We have also been busy building partnerships to give dealers access to a comprehensive range of superior home cinema solutions. Through our complimentary Design and Specification Service, Barco Residential, Display Technology Screens and Cinema-ATS contribute to the wide range of installation options available to integrators working on home cinema projects, with more exciting partnerships in line for 2018. Watch this space!

Integrators also had the chance to experience the complete solutions offered by us and our partners at Meridian Live! We welcomed more than 40 integrators to our Huntingdon facility to see our new demonstration media room. Paired with our Digital Reference Theatre, these two spaces give integrators and their customers a fantastic opportunity to experience the quality that we – and our partners – are all about.

Training Developments

In 2017, we also launched our ‘Dealer School’ training initiative, focusing on giving dealers the full range of skills they need to design and create unbeatable home cinemas. Please get in touch with us to find out more details of what’s on offer.

Meanwhile, as part of the Professional Development Programme at ISE 2018, our education manager, Hugo Fitzjohn will host Streaming Hi-Res Audio in the Home on Tuesday February 6 from 14:00 – 15:30pm in Room D201.

Designed for beginners and those with some previous understanding of integrating audio systems, Hugo will discuss and explain hi-res audio and the technology available to stream hi-res audio successfully in the home. Book your place on the course through the ISE website – www.iseurope.org.

ISE 2018

While we’re talking about ISE, we welcome all visitors to our Stand 7-E210. We will be showing our 4K switching solution, the UHD722 Ultra High Definition Audio Processor, complete with MMHR output for connection to existing processors, as well as our new 210 Streamer, designed to bring Bluetooth, Airplay and Spotify Connect to Meridian products.

Come and see us on the booth and keep in touch with everything Meridian at www.meridian-audio.com.

Meridian Audio 01480 445 678, meridian-audio.com

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2017 Showcase | Control4

The Triad speaker brand has been a big focus this year

How Control4’s device ecosystem and audio focus grew in 2017 Throughout 2017, the smart home continued to grow, as homeowner demand for voice assistants and multi-room audio increased. This translated into a noteworthy year for Control4.

In addition to substantial growth of Control4 connected homes worldwide, the company also introduced many new devices, and in February acquired a leading loudspeaker company, Triad Speakers. Following new product introductions throughout the year, Control4 was recognised with an impressive 35 industry awards for its diverse range of products and installer projects.

Control4 has continued to focus on dealer support improvement, and acquiring networking company Pakedge in 2016 has helped to provide the company with more robust networking tools. This year, the company continued that momentum by releasing the Pakedge Certified Network Administrator curriculum (PCNA), a program combining fastpaced online courses with practical, hands-on activities, and a complete kit of networking gear. The goal of the program is to give dealers comprehensive network IP training with hands-on experience that they can use to build networks for their clients. The six-course training answers questions like: What does a subnet mask do? Is a switch or a router more important to a network? Why are Cat6 Ethernet cables better than Cat5e cables? The programme was developed after realising the need from technicians and dealer partners, whereas up until now, no one had designed a network training specifically of this nature.

Control4 has increased the amount of products it is compatible with

Control4 also debuted a new feature on the 4Sight subscription service to help bridge the gap between dealer-supported installations and homeowner personalisation with When >> Then automation. The intuitive interface gives homeowners the power to personalise their Control4 smart home by setting up actions (When) and reactions (Then). For example, a homeowner can select a ‘When’ action, such as a door opening, time of day, or specific temperature, and a ‘Then’ reaction, which triggers a push notification, lighting to activate, or a change to the thermostat. When >> Then takes the pressure off of dealers to manage many small tweaks to programming by letting homeowners enhance, edit, and add to the automated events in their home, while also enjoying the reliability, support, and customer service of a professionally installed automation system.

One of the most exciting advancements Control4 made this year was with its newly acquired brand, Triad, in support of multi-room audio. The company has brought an impressive number of products to the market, including: Triad Designer Series speakers, Triad Garden Array outdoor speakers, six new additions to the Triad R Series round speakers, the Triad One Streaming Amplifier, and a new line of high-resolution, multi-room audio Triad matrix switches and power amplifiers.

The home is only becoming more connected, and Control4 now supports nearly 11,000 third-party devices as well as 2,900 SDDP-enabled products such as the latest 4K HDTVs from Samsung. In 2018, Control4 will continue to focus on multi-room audio solutions and the overall entertainment experience. The company is excited for new dealers to receive their PCNA Certification, and will continue to release products and solutions that benefit homeowners and support dealers. Visit Control4 at ISE Booth #10-N130 to see what’s next for Control4 and its installer base!

Control4 01347 812 300, control4.com

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A New Era O F

V I D E O

D I S T R I B U T I O N

CM100

The CM100 Control Module allows simple third party control of the Multicast system using TCP/IP, RS-232 or IR

4 K

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RSU-6RU

Universal 6RU Rack Shelf Unit with 8x Vertical Blade Shelves

J Easy Installation J Vented front panel and shelves

I P

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J Easy to set up and install using our comprehensive wizard software

J Extends HDMI up to a distance of 100m over single CAT cable J Power over Ethernet to power

Perfect for Complex Residential & Commercial AV Installations

Matrix distribution

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J Supports HDR pass through J Supports 4K UHD video up to 100m J Bi-directional RS-232 pass through

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Blustream products J Advanced EDID management

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EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF BLUSTREAM

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For all the latest Blustream

TH 20product SEP 2017 animations EPSOM DOWNS RACECOURSE, SURREY

Blustream_EI_2017_november_v2.indd All Pages Untitled-3 2

Email: sales@blustream.co.uk

20 SEP 2017

W e b : TH w w w. b l u s t r e a m . c o . u k EPSOM DOWNS RACECOURSE, SURREY

23/11/2017 10:20

New

Introducing the new

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S E R I E S

C44-KIT

HD

HDCP 2.2

A U D I O

2.0

3D

PoE

EDID

A U D I O

HEX70B-KIT

WEB

GUI

GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

Contractor 4x4 HDBaseT™ Matrix Kit

70m (4K up to 40m) Includes 4x HEX70B-RX HDBaseT™ Receivers

HEX100ARC-KIT-V2

HDBaseT™ Extender Set - 70m (4K up to 40m)

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*Transmitter

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PRO88HBT70

C U S T O M P R O

Pro 8x8 HDBaseT™ Matrix

J Supports 4K UHD video up to 40m J Control of Matrix via front panel, RS-232, TCP/IP and web GUI J HDCP 2.2 Compliant J Robust housing and interlocking board configuration ensures seamless installation and maintenance

2-Way IR, RS-232 and Audio Breakout, simultaneous HDMI output

HSP14-V2

SM11

4-Way 4K HDMI 2.0 Splitter with EDID management

J HDCP 2.2 Compliant J 1 HDMI input that is replicated to 4 HDMI outputs

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Advanced HDMI 2.0 HDCP 2.2 Signal Manager

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J Supports all known HDMI audio formats including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Master Audio transmission

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HDMI 2.0 Best Practice New Product Launch

Introduction to the C44 & SC11HD-V2 23/11/2017 23/11/2017 10:05 10:20

entries

open for 2018

The Smart Building Awards (sba) are back, upgraded for 2018 with some brand new categories and a sumptuous gala awards dinner to be held on may 9 at ei live! where the awards will be presented.

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visit www.essentialinstalllive.com for more details on category criteria and how to enter.

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