JANUARY 2022
THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY
OneAV: In A League Of Its Own Find out what this forward thinking distributor has planned for 2022
CASE STUDY
CINEMA LUSSO
TRAINING
TIME TO UP-SKILL
INSTALL PIONEER DAN FELDSTEIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO CRESTRON ELECTRONICS
NEW PRODUCT
HDBaseT™ Matrix with Advanced Audio Integration We are pleased to announce the launch of three feature rich HDBaseT™ Matrix, the HMXL88ARC, HMXL66ARC and HMXL42ARC-KIT. Using CSC technology, these powerful HDBaseT™ matrix support 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 resolutions over distances of 40m over a single CAT 6 cable. The new HMXL42ARC-KIT, HMXL66ARC and HMXL88ARC come into their own with advanced audio features specifically designed for maximising the integration of all AV sources in the modern home. Enhanced audio routing is achieved through the integrated independent audio matrix. This enables the audio both from displays (via ARC) and all other sources to be embedded and routed through the system at the users discretion. These ARC and audio routing features enable our installation partners the ability to create a truly immersive AV experience throughout the home.
NEW
HMXL88ARC 8x8 HDBaseT™ CSC ARC Matrix
NEW
HMXL66ARC 6x6 HDBaseT™ CSC ARC Matrix
HDCP 2.2
J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering distribution of video and audio over a single CAT cable J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR J 26 x 8 Audio Matrix independently controllable from the video
HMXL42ARC-KIT
HDCP 2.2
J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering distribution of video and audio over a single CAT cable J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR J 20 x 6 Audio Matrix independently controllable from the video
NEW
4x2 HDBaseT™ CSC ARC Matrix including Receivers J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering distribution of video and audio over a single CAT cable J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR J 8 x 2 audio matrix that is independently controllable from video.
HDCP 2.2
NEW
UNCOMPRESSED
18Gbps
PRODUCT
OVER
Uncompressed 18Gbps HDMI Over HDBaseT™ Set The HEX18G-KIT HDBaseT™ extender set is an industry leading uncompressed HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 HDCP 2.2 solution utilising the
HEX18G-KIT
latest in HDBaseT™ technology. The HEX18G-KIT supports bi-directional IR, RS-232 and PoC up to lengths of 100m over a single CAT cable.
NEW
HEX70ARC-KIT HDBaseT™ ARC Extender Set - 70m J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering uncompressed video and audio with zero latency J Extends HDMI 1080p up to a distance of 70m over a single CAT cable J Supports 4K UHD video up to 40m (3840 x 2160 @30Hz 4:4:4, 4096 x
2160 @24Hz 4:4:4, and 4K @60Hz 4:2:0)
1080p up to 150m
HEX100CS-KIT
HEX150CS-KIT
HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set -100m
HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set - 150m
J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering CSC scaling with zero latency
J Supports ARC from display via HDMI and optical digital inputs
J Supports 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 UHD video up to 70m
J Supports 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 UHD video up to 100m
Become a Certified Blustream Installation Partner
Interactive Online Tutorials We have re-designed our regular interactive online tutorials, focused on providing convenient, bite sized insights into the latest Blustream solutions and the day to day challenges we all currently face in our rapidly evolving market. During these unprecedented times, we have increased both the content and frequency of the sessions we are hosting to bring you the most comprehensive range of interactive webinar content available in the UK.
Register now: www.blustream.co.uk/advanced-learning-portal J
Our UK Address: The Service Station,
Tel: +44 (0)115 824 7000
J Video over IP vs HDBaseT - which should you back?
Melton Road, Hickling Pastures,
Email: sales@blustream.co.uk
J with 10 more courses to choose from...
Nottinghamshire,
Web: www.blustream.co.uk
Current Tutorials Available
J Specifying a Custom Pro Matrix with 18Gbps support
J CAT Cable Certification & Verification J When is 4K, Actually 4K?
Book now at J www.blustream.co.uk
LE14 3QG United Kingdom.
50 47
14
CONTENTS
January 2022
4 FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR
40 PULSE CINEMAS
7 ESSENTIAL NEWS
TRAINING 42 A CHALLENGING TIME
The sleeper must awaken! A huge helping of news
The big news stories!
Sales and Marketing Director for Blustream, Phil Davis
16 TOGETHER FOR CINEMA Another packed year ahead
18 ESSENTIAL CEDIA
43 CEDIA TAKES ON THE TRAINING CHALLENGE Training opportunities for 2022
Cooler features, trickier design
20 ESSENTIAL HABITECH
44 CREATE THE RIGHT TRAINING SPACE Peter Broome, Director at Rako Controls
Take a seat!
22 FROM RACKS TO RICHER
47 GET KNX READY New software release
Inside Richer Sounds’ CI division
Celebrating 10 years www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk
24 29 16 42 Proud Media Partners of
56 CASE STUDY: CINEMA LUSSO
29 HABITECH HOME RUN
62 ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS
30 HDANYWHERE
FEATURES 14 ESSENTIAL ONEAV
32 ISE PREVIEW 2022
Triangles covers all the angles
Impressive new demo spaces
Out of the blocks for 2022
Training expansion Event highlights
Big plans for 2022
37 ESSENTIAL TINDALL SECURITY
24 A HOME CINEMA SEATING HAT-TRICK Rik Hellemans, Director at seating specialist CINEAK
27 ESSENTIAL COMPETITION
A compelling offer
50 INSTALL PIONEER
Dan Feldstein, President and CEO Crestron Electronics
Win big with Optoma
of working with you! www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk
JANUARY 2022
THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY
OneAV: In A League Of Its Own Find out what this forward thinking distributor has planned for 2022
pages 20–21
CASE STUDY
CINEMA LUSSO
TRAINING
TIME TO UP-SKILL
JANUARY
THE BEGINNING IS A VERY DELICATE TIME One of the AV treats enjoyed at EI towers over the break was the latest film version of the frank Herbert novel Dune. Now EI has to confess that these books and the original screen adaptation directed by David Lynch are big favourites, so the new version was greeted with interest, anticipation, and also the inevitable comparisons between the 1984 movie and its successor. No spoilers here, but EI is happy to report that the new version is very good. Dune has to be one of the most difficult sci fi stories to tell on the big screen, the concepts explored within the books are deliberately complex and huge in their scope and scale. This new version sensibly takes it’s time and deals with the content at a sensible pace also leaving plenty of room for lots of sequels! What is also interesting about the release, is the fact that in the United States and in the UK, the title was made available either at the same time as the commercial release or very close to it. This phenomenon is one we have been talking about for a long time, and of course it has been available to a few customers but at a hefty price tag. However we are now seeing the expansion of this idea so a much wider audience can enjoy new releases relatively close to their commercial release dates. Yes it can still cost a few quid, Dune via Amazon and a Sky Q Box was £15, but actually that is not a bad price when you think about how much it would have cost to go to a commercial cinema for the four people who watched the first showing at our place. So, what does this mean for the industry? Well, the obvious answer is that it places home cinema content within reach of a larger number of people delivering newer and fresher content direct into people’s homes, and obviously they need a decent system to watch it on. A few people have
04 JANUARY 2022
been criticising these early release dates, claiming that it will damage commercial cinema and more importantly damage the ability and drive create to create genuine cinematic masterpieces. However as decent AV equipment becomes more widely available to a wider audience, the commercial drivers which control content creation are shifting. The ideal future would be the continuation of commercial cinemas offering a high spec experience, coupled to a higher quality experience at a larger number of homes. This scenario would mean that that cinematic quality would still matter and a solid financial future for content making would be secure. Look at how well Netflix has done, much of its success achieved when lots of the content was ‘old’. The company now creates lots of its own content and so of course are other streaming platforms including Amazon, this will provide another revenue stream to content makers so they are less reliant on commercial cinema success alone. So, EI is confident that high quality content will continue to be made, and the good news for our industry is that providing the level of experience that we do there will be loads more for our customers to enjoy sooner to there commercial release dates or right away if they are one of the growing that are released at the same time or even exclusively on one of the content creation platforms. As someone once said, ‘the sleeper must awaken’, and more high quality content maybe another shot in the arm of home cinema as the sector looks to build on a strong base and grow into 2022.
INSTALL PIONEER DAN FELDSTEIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO CRESTRON ELECTRONICS
GETTING IN TOUCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Beatrice Lee, beatrice@allthingsmedialtd.com
SALES DIRECTOR
Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com
GROUP AD MANAGER
Claire Talty, claire@allthingsmedialtd.com
PUBLISHER
David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com
STUDIO MANAGER
Mark Weller, mark@allthingsmedialtd.com
ACCOUNTS
susan@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 www.essentialinstall.com
SOCIALS /INSTALL_MAG /ESSENTIALINSTALL Whilst 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.
Proud Media Partners of
BRING THE POWER OF PRO AUDIO HOME For 30 years, L-Acoustics has been the choice of the world’s top clubs, music venues, and artists on tour. This powerful pedigree and unrivaled sonic signature are now available to technology integrators for residential, marine, and other architectural environments. From media room to home cinema, from poolside to superyacht, whether indoor or outdoor, stereo or advanced spatial audio designs, L-Acoustics Creations brings home the power of pro audio.
Please visit us at ISE 2022 or book an appointment at l-acoustics-creations.com
l-acoustics-creations.com
Go straight to the source The ci series incorporates cutting edge technologies and audio quality from the world-renowned PMC studio monitors that have been responsible for countless hit records and movies, into the ultimate in slimline, high-performance onwall and in-wall loudspeakers.
• SLICK, EFFORTLESS INSTALLATION • STUDIO SOUND QUALITY & RELIABILITY • BEAUTIFUL BEZEL-LESS DESIGN • NO DISTURBANCE TO ADJOINING ROOMS • VAST, EVEN SOUND COVERAGE • DEEP, PRECISE BASS AT ALL LEVELS Find out more T 01767 686300 www.pmc-speakers.com
ci45 ci65
ci30
ci90
ci140sub
ci140
The ci140 and ci140sub are on-wall designs. The other models are in or on-wall, thanks to the Qikfire™ fittings, bezel-less grille and stylish cabinet sleeve.
NEWS
NEWS SNAP ONE ANNOUNCES EXPANDED PARTNER AWARDS PROGRAM FOR ISE 2022 Snap One, source of surveillance, control, networking and remote management for professional integrators, has announced an expansion to its EMEA and APAC Partner Awards program with winners to be presented at the first-ever Snap One Partner Party at ISE 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. The company will award 38 industry-leading partner integrators that have exhibited excellence in sales, marketing, support, and other notable business areas. Winners will be announced at the Snap One Partner Party – an event that all Snap One Partners will soon be able to register for that will take place at the Poble Espanyol Museum on the February 3, 7-10 pm. Formal invitations will be sent in the coming weeks. “As we expand our global footprint and introduce even more professionals and customers to the Snap One family of brands, our revamped Partner Awards will recognise existing Partner integrators who have demonstrated best-in-class service and business operations across several distinct regions,” said Mark Reynolds, Snap One Senior Director, EMEA. “We look forward to honouring our Partners that have used Snap One solutions to satisfy their customers and grow their businesses.”
Award winners will be chosen either by regional distributors or Snap One representatives. The company will crown a Partner of the Year in each of the 25 regions, and an overall Top Volume Award will go to the highest spending direct Partner across the UK & Europe. In addition, for the UK and Ireland, four Circle of Excellence awards will be given to Partners who personify attributes important to Snap One in each distinct sales region, which are London, UK South and UK North & Ireland. Each region will name a winner for Snap One Category Adoption, Business Growth, Service & Support Proposition, and Marketing Initiative.
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FIT ‘FAST’
Snap One snapone.com
The show will mark the company’s first ISE appearance since rebranding from SnapAV + Control4 in 2021
GOOD 10G TO 100m
HNC 6A CAT 6A 600 MHZ
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JANUARY 2022 07 SCP-Cable_strip_ad-270x60 HR.indd 1
14/09/2021 12:1
Powering the Leading Multiroom Audio Ecosystem for Custom Installation
Control System Partners
Distributed by
anatech.co.uk
NEWS
HABITECH COMPLETES ITS LUXURY CINEMA LINE-UP WITH STORMAUDIO Habitech, distributor to residential and commercial CI has said it is proud to be adding the StormAudio brand of cinema processing and amplification to its range of luxury home cinema products. Established in 2006, StormAudio has gained a reputation for strong performance at the high-end of cinema design. Having collaborated with Auro Technologies in the early development of immersive audio playback, Habitech says StormAudio’s design team has elevated the art of object-based audio processing to a new level, maximising the impact of today’s diverse immersive formats within luxury cinema environments. Praised for its flexibility and precision, StormAudio’s proprietary circuit topology runs on multiple DSP chips dedicated to key stages in the processing path. The audiophile design delivers strong immersive sound quality, coupled with postprocessing – including Dirac Live – for optimal inroom performance. Launching the ‘ISP MK 1’ 16-channel modular processor in 2017, StormAudio embarked on OEM partnerships with other leading audiophile cinema brands before releasing the reference ‘ISP MK 2’, 24-channel modular processor in 2020, followed by
the compact ‘ISP Core 16’ processor in 2021. Supported by the brand’s PA 16 MK2 and PA 8 Ultra MK2 200W/16/8 channel amplifiers, StormAudio’s processors are known for their upgradability through hardware modularity and easy software updates. The range is also known for its intuitive setup, powerful and flexible calibration options (including support for Dirac Live up to
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32 channels, Dirac Live’s Bass Control and SA’s flexible EQ and bass management capabilities) and comprehensive control options available through iOS and Android apps, TCP/IP based control API and control system integration. Habitech MD Jonathan Pengilley, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to be completing our lineup of high-end cinema design and demonstration services with StormAudio. It fits with Wisdom Audio, JVC, Projecta and Cinematech like a glove to deliver outstanding versatility, precision and performance for cinema builders and the ultimate home cinema experiences for their customers.” Habitech habitech.co.uk
StormAudio CEO Olivier Thumerel, “We are thrilled to welcome Habitech to the family of StormAudio distributors. Their product line is a perfect match to offer the best complete home cinema package available in the UK today.”
BETTER 48G TO 40m 8K HDMI AOC Full 8K Ultra HD signal transfer 4-core SSF™ Fibre Optic Technology 5m - 40m lengths
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JANUARY 2022 09 SCP-Cable_strip_ad-270x60 HR 2.indd 1
13/12/2021 17:4
SPEAKER CABLE TO CPR CLASS CCA www.fscables.com sales@fscables.com 01727 840841
NEWS
AWE PRESENTS BPS SPRINT CUP
At EI Live! this summer, AWE invited thrill-seekers to experience driving an Aston Martin AMR GT4 in the Blade Racing Simulator from BPS. Visitors set down their fastest qualifying lap for a chance to go headto-head at BPS HQ in Banbury, to win the inaugural AWE BPS Sprint Cup. On 25 November, the top qualifiers got to claim their reward, being several sessions in each of the fullsize sims at BPS HQ, including private tuition from pro engineers.
Dan Wheadon from The Aviology, Martyn Goody from Resi.AV, Carl Nycz from Home IQ and Stuart Burgess from Immersive Cinema Rooms, joined AWE in Banbury for an adrenaline-fueled day of sim racing. Each driver had a go in the GT Sim and fullmotion Single Seater sim. The expert tuition from the professional sim engineers at BPS ensured that times tumbled across the day, and Dan was very impressive picking up the fastest time in both. In nail-biting finale, Dan and Martyn went headto-head in an F2 car setup during a high pressure two-lap shoot-out. Dan held his nerve and came out on top as overall winner, but with Carl picking up the most improved driver trophy. Dan said, “AWE always produce great ways to engage with its customers and this was no exception. A fun and challenging day at Base Performance Simulators and a great way to catch up with what’s going on at AWE and chat with peers in the industry.” Stuart B agreed, “Thank you to AWE and BPS for an amazing time, the day was a real eye opener. Seeing where the Blade Simulators are lovingly handmade, to having a play on the amazing professional simulators – it really shows you the heritage in the brand and it’s reassuring to know you are selling a truly professional sim, no matter which option you client goes for. Bring on the 2022 Cup, I’m practicing already.”
JANUS TECHNOLOGY AND POLAR BEAR ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Janus Technology, provider of technology integration software and support services for the smart home sector, has agreed a strategic partnership with home automation designer and manufacturer, Polar Bear Design. This partnership will see both companies working together to offer integrators, M&E consultants and property developers integrated environmental control and energy management solutions without requiring the specification or installation of a full Building Management System (BMS). “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Polar Bear Design,” commented Richard Caton, Managing Director at Janus Technology. “Our joint approach will make it easier for clients, consultants and integrators to bring advanced building control into their projects as well as seamlessly integrate with audio-visual and lighting control systems on a development. Our solutions will provide data collection for energy monitoring, HVAC control and visualisation of building performance to allow actionable insights. It will save significant costs and project time for clients without compromising on system functionality, in fact, enhancing it for the benefit of all building occupiers.” “Our products are designed to give clients a simple and intuitive way of controlling their environment, whilst making life easier for integrators with a simplified system design and project costoptimisation,” added Justin Wells, Owner of Polar
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Bear Design. “Working with the team at Janus, and their expertise and know-how in supporting integrators to bring HVAC control into their projects, makes this a great fit for both companies.” As part of this agreement, Janus Technology will supply the Zentium Pro Thermostat from Polar Bear to its customers. This dual zone thermostat allows control over heating and cooling via its simple digital crown. The thermostat can be used as a stand-alone device or coupled with a Control4 system to provide sophisticated HVAC control, without the need for additional building control technology. It supports direct control of complex two-pipe and other airconditioning systems. The Zentium Pro Thermostat can also be integrated with intelligent lighting control keypads, such as, Lutron or Crestron for a premium quality in-room keypad finish.
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Janus Technology janustechnology.co.uk Further details on cost-saving control innovations from Janus and Polar Bear together with additional third-party integration announcements will follow
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JANUARY 2022 11 Cleerline-Cable_strip_ad-270x60.indd 1
23/11/2021 17:3
NEWS
ATLONA ACHIEVES ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFICATION
Made in Taiwan UK Branch Office
NDAA
Atlona, a Panduit company, has earned its ISO 9001:2015 certification effective immediately. The official certification reflects Atlona’s dedication to delivering technological excellence by applying the highest standard of quality assurance throughout all its processes, including research and development, product testing, delivery, support and customer service. “Quality assurance is the responsibility of every Atlona employee,” said Iftekhar Hossain, Atlona’s director of quality and support. “Our mission has always been to bring to market cutting-edge, stateof-the-art products that truly meet the needs of our customers. At the same time, we have always been committed to providing the best customer service possible. In earning this certification, we are driven to not only adhere to our already high-quality assurance standards, but to continually improve upon them.” Atlona’s ISO 9001:2015 certification applies to its headquarters in San Jose, Calif., which houses its research and development facilities, product testing laboratories, as well as client-facing and backoffice teams. Developed and overseen by the International Organization for Standardization in Geneva, Switzerland, the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems certification is the latest iteration of ISO 9001 (which was previously updated in 2008). It is made up of seven Quality Management Principles (QMPs): Customer Focus, Leadership, Engagement of People, Process Approach, Improvement, Evidence-based Decisionmaking and Relationship Management.
ISO 9001:2015 certified companies must continue to fulfill the strict guidelines pertaining to the processes involved in each of these categories to retain certification. “One of the mandates under ISO 9001:2015 is that in order for companies to succeed at quality assurance, top leadership must provide its unfailing support to all teams throughout the organisation,” said Jamey Swigert, executive director at Atlona. “We take this commitment very seriously. We recognise all the hard work, effort, and expertise that our employees have invested in building and maintaining our reputation for technological excellence. We stand behind them as they continue to push even further into new frontiers.” Atlona atlona.com
New recognition for Atlona
Security Solutions ESSENTIAL PEOPLE
40+ Years
Manufacturing
01908 443 660 contact@lilin.uk 12 JANUARY 2022
Managing director Nick Pidgeon has welcomed Ben Pitt back to the Visualization team, having appointed him as the company’s first employee in 2005. Ben who worked for the company for nearly 12 years covering install, rack build, staff training and quality assurance, left in 2017 to pursue a career managing high-end, rack and install projects within the marine sector. Visualization’s diverse approach to technical solutions was the main driving force for Ben’s return to the company: “With Viz taking such a different approach to technical solutions I can see new avenues to explore and build on my existing skillset, whilst contributing my experience and knowledge at the same time,” he said. As lead project engineer, Ben will be responsible for overseeing the installation of specialist solutions and services on behalf of the company’s channel partners, from full direct view LED installs through to rolling out unified communications. “I understand the importance of the technical expertise, teamwork and clear communication to ensure we go over and above our partners and their end clients expectations,” added Ben. A decade of exponential growth has led the company to branch out into product distribution, maintenance, and support, alongside its engineering heritage, offering customers technical solutions hand in hand with the ultimate customer experience.
“Visualization has given me the opportunity to work and travel to some of the most special places on the planet,” said Ben. “From server rooms of global technology companies to the social environments of famous people. It has also afforded me the opportunity to work with other engineers I now regard as friends.” Ben’s first tasks within his new position will be getting to know the growing team and gauging the flow of jobs and customer leads. With a wealth of experience and knowledge, he will be developing the skills of the trainees and newer members of the team, to broaden their skillsets and career opportunities within the company.
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Make it Real We’re proud to be adding the StormAudio brand of cinema processing and amplification to our luxury home cinema lineup.
Visit habitech.co.uk for further information. www.habitech.co.uk | 01256 638500 | sales@habitech.co.uk
ESSENTIAL ONEAV
OneAVerified OneAV UK’s co-founder James Trumper discusses the OneAV proposition for 2022 and how the company continues to flourish and evolve, climbing the league table of distributors even in challenging times. Thank you Despite the constraints and uncertainty of the past year, it’s been rather uplifting and encouraging to see so many of our customers continue to complete impressive installs and roll out big projects. And we’re incredibly grateful to all our customers for choosing OneAV as one of their suppliers in 2021. The timing of this article is a little frustrating because OneAV has some really exciting news pieces that we can’t publicly announce just yet, but what I can and would like to highlight is our 2022 focus on being a great company to do business with.
OneAVerified OneAVerified is an upgraded account type for our most engaged customers. Designed to further improve the customer experience in a similar way to Amazon Prime. It adds automatic free next day shipping is for all Verified customer orders, along with a bunch of other perks, such
14 JANUARY 2022
as extended hours WhatsApp support and invites to work hard play hard events - including gigs, sports, activities and more. After a brief meeting with a OneAV BDM, the Verified account can be set up for enhanced hassle-free admin and even negotiated pricing on regularly ordered products. Get your OneAV account upgraded today at oneav.co.uk/verified
The OneAV App
In addition to becoming Verified, OneAV customers will enjoy an improved experience via the OneAV App. We’re working hard to make our App a just-your-thumb-required, ultra-easy portal for customers to place orders, access information, support or communicate with us. A locked section within the App exclusively for Verified account holders contains access to the extended hours WhatsApp support, group chat, merch, exclusive offers, perks and special event guest lists designed to make dealing with OneAV a great experience.
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ESSENTIAL ONEAV
Resimercial
The trend of previously residential-only focused technology installers taking on more and more commercial projects has gathered pace. OneAV’s product portfolio in categories such as multizone AV, universal control, LED, and micro-LED displays (new for 2022) are the major components for most commercial install kit lists. Couple this with OneAV’s experience and expertise, and you can see why we’re well-positioned to assist aspiring technology installers in growing their commercial project skills base.
Unique tech categories
OneAV is committed to introducing lucrative additional revenue opportunities for our customers. Exemplified by solutions such as Cel-Fi for UK legal mobile signal boosting to eliminate black spots, or Sonic by Hero Labs for smart water usage management, LaserTV furniture and now even smart home insurance from Locket. If you’re thinking to yourself, “what other life-improving tech can we offer our clients?” then look no further than OneAV in 2022.
Training
We have been providing feedback to our brand partners to help shape a new series of joint training designed to target the most common knowledge or skills gaps. OneAV training is specifically focused on empowering people to tackle challenging projects in the right way and deliver robust results for the client - covering areas such as commissioning and deploying large multizone AV systems, with simplified universal control and automation elements as well as remote access and support. Delivered side-by-side with the manufacturers and aimed at the ambitious technology installer. OneAV oneav.co.uk/verified
Cel-Fi GO X - Smart Signal Booster
HeroLabs Sonic The smart water leak detector
Just Add Power MaxColor 4K60 4K60 from source to screen
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JANUARY 2022 15
TOGETHER FOR CINEMA
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE YEAR AHEAD! EI offers a short summary of what this industry initiative has achieved so far as well as looking forward to what 2022 has in-store. In 2021 the Together For Cinema (TFC) initiative, at the time of going to press, had completed two installations with a further two very close to the finishing line. These included; Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, by Bespoke Home Cinemas (which officially opened in August). Rose Road Association, Southampton, Hampshire was created by Wessex AV and officially opened in September. Also on the books to be finished in 2021 were Linden House, Fitzroy, Uckfield and Reubens Retreat, Glossop, Derbyshire, installed by Glo Audio Visual. More news on these last two when we get it. A significant step forward from 2021, 2022 will see TFC enter this year with five venues confirmed. The five venues, along with the installers attached to each project are: Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, Loughborough. Installer: Gary Mills of Decorum Technology. Jigsaw, (part of Eden Valley Children’s Hospice), Carlisle. Installer: Ian Burrow of Majik House. Andy at St.Andrew’s Hospice, Grimsby. Installer: Ben Cook of Sonic Vision. The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice, Stoke on Trent. Installer: Andy Bell of Trusted Technology. Julia’s House, Corfe Mullen, near Poole. Installer: Iain Brown of Wessex AV. Thank you to all the installers who are kindly giving their time to make these very special, life enhancing, cinema rooms happen Impressively, 2023 is already being planned with the initiative already talking to centres
16 JANUARY 2022
such as; Richard House Children’s Hospice in Beckton, Ty Gobaith (part of Hope House Children’s Hospice) in Conwy; Robin House (part of CHAS) in Glasgow; Ellenor House Children’s Hospice, in Gravesend; Helen and Douglas Children’s Hospice in Oxford and Claire House Children’s Hospice in Liverpool, so loads more to come as we look even further into the future.
CONTINUED SUPPORT
Of course none of this could have happened without the existing and continued support for TFC from the AV and install industry. Ian Morrish, founder of TFC, reports that renewals for sponsorship are going very well, but obviously more supporters and more products are all very welcome. TFC started in 2009 and became a sponsored enterprise as from March 2021, meaning 2021 was technically only a 10 month year, but proved that the arrangement could really deliver. The 2021 sponsorship budget was achieved within only a few months enabling Ian to focus on furthering the foundation and
stability of TFC and most importantly, getting the projects over the line. TFC had 34 sponsors in 2021 and Ian is confident that most, if not all, of these will continue supporting for 2022. With this year being a full 12 month period, along with some ambitious aspirations and expectation, the initiative needs to secure roughly 45 sponsors for 2022. Naturally, the sooner this can be done, the sooner TFC can focus on completing the installations, and developing our other activities to further the difference that can be made. So, if you can help, want to begin sponsoring or want to confirm continuing to support TFC, just get in touch. If companies are happy to continue sponsorship support into 2022, or would like to become a new sponsor email ian@adcon.uk. The entry level Bronze package is priced at £500, and there are various levels after this. Together For Cinema can only continue if it is backed by the AV industry. Please consider being a sponsor if you can. Together For Cinema togetherforcinema.co.uk
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Experience warm sound and discreet looks in the kitchen, by the pool or in an integrated home cinema
ESSENTIAL CEDIA
COOLER FEATURES, TRICKIER DESIGN Three key take-aways from CEDIA and CTA’s new recommended practices for HDMI Systems explained by Walt Zerbe, Senior Director of Technology and Standards, CEDIA. very sensitive to crosstalk. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cables carrying HDMI signals shouldn’t be bundled or pinstriped, especially in the first 20m (65ft) of the run, and the conduit fill rate for such cables shouldn’t exceed 40%. RP28 recommends instead using shielded Cat 6A cable or better, which enables bundling and up to 60% conduit fill. Integrators will also need to pay careful attention to the native bandwidth capabilities of whatever extension technologies they’re using – and, if that bandwidth is lower than the requirements for full resolution and sampling, they’ll need to examine what data rate reduction strategies the technology deploys. Some extenders use pixel bit-depth down-sampling or video compression to offer higher format support at lower bandwidth. These strategies can impact the image quality and HDR functionality – integrators will have to discuss the trade-offs with their clients.
CEDIA and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) have recently released the joint best practices document CEDIA/CTARP28 HDMI System Design and Verification Recommended Practice. Here are three of its key take-aways. HDMI 2.1 has ushered in support for a wide range of features that end customers are really excited about. For instance, High Dynamic Range (HDR) dynamic metadata can adjust colour and contrast display settings on a sceneby-scene or even frame-by-frame basis. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) syncs the refresh rate of a sink with the refresh rate of a source. Real time interactive content – such as a video game – doesn’t render at a fixed frame rate, so VRR prevents screen tearing. And of course, HDMI 2.1 is capable of ultra-high-definition video formats up to 10K resolution 60Hz with HDR and 4:4:4 sampling, or 120Hz with HDR and 4:2:2 sampling. These are specs that directly, substantively impact the customer’s experience, and that they are willing to upgrade media systems to get. They’re also fragile: any weak link in the signal chain can cause these advanced features to falter or fail, resulting in fallback to legacy video modes or even signal loss.
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Protecting Advanced Features from Source to Sink HDMI has always been famous for its plug-and-play functionality, but not all advanced features are automatically enabled. Customers looking to experience ultra-smooth gameplay due to VRR may not realise that this feature needs to be enabled in the settings of both source and sink. Similarly, many displays don’t support all features on all input ports – integrators will need to pay close attention to which features, such as HDR, are supported on which ports. And of course, all required features must be supported by every link in the signal chain, with full metadata pass-through. Any manipulation of the signal data, including scaling and processing, can result in loss of HDR if the repeater devices don’t support all the desired formats. If there are multiple displays with varying capabilities, design to the highest resolution and feature set needed and downscale as required at the legacy sinks. More complex HMDI systems generally require longer cable runs, including repeaters, alternative transport technologies (extenders), and/or active cabling. When using category cable to extend the HDMI signal, including for HDBaseT extension, be aware that HDMI is
TRUE LOSSLESS AUDIO ARRIVES
As more customers are upgrading their media rooms, home cinema, and gaming environments to support lossless Hi-Fi audio, multi-channel surround sound, and objectbased audio, the HDMI audio return channel has gotten a much-needed upgrade as well. The former HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) can now be repurposed to support Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC). eARC is capable of transmitting audio at a frame rate of 768KHz, meaning it’s fully compatible with lossless audio formats, expanded surround sound formats like Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, and object-based formats like Atmos. Integrators don’t necessarily need all-new Ultra-High-Speed HDMI 2.1 cables to take advantage of this new feature – though all Ultra High Speed cables will support eARC, any legacy cable labelled “with Ethernet” is also compatible. RP28 includes detailed testing procedures for verifying the functionality of HDMI features; bandwidth charts to help you assess system throughput needs; and a design checklist to help ensure you’ve carefully planned every necessary element of the video system. It’s free to CEDIA members so now that you’ve had a taste, go get the full meal at cedia.net/standards.
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ESSENTIAL HABITECH
BEGIN A DESIGN CONVERSATION WITH INFINITY
Best seats in the house: enjoy the Infinity Seating experience from a range of models within Habitech’s Wisdom Flagship Theatre
The limitless bespoke possibilities of Infinity Seating Solutions will nurture your relationship with interior design pros, says product manager, Gio Scatola. As you’ve probably noticed, we’re living through a boomtime for home cinema. Two years of upheaval have fostered a profound shift in the work/ life balance toward new leisure and lifestyle experiences in the home. Primed with ever easier content delivery and turbo charged with furlough cash, the idea of large-scale home cinema has never been quite so mainstream. So much so that developers and estate agents are now mobilising the dream of designed home cinema spaces to promote luxury homes and MDUs. Alongside individually tailored bathrooms or kitchens, bespoke media rooms are today considered a worthy part of the custom shopping list for potential buyers. The market is expanding fast, and there’s a potential bonanza waiting for cinema integrators especially those willing to speak the language of room design with developers and interiors pros. Why? Because the concept of home cinema in the popular imagination is as much about the look and feel of the room as it is about immersive AV. And while demand for dedicated rooms remains strong at the very
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highest level, new design energy elsewhere has allowed home cinema spaces to escape the limitations of the traditional model to become more fluid multi-use ‘media room’ environments - as much a part of the home lifestyle as the kitchen or dining room, and as likely to fall within the remit of any affiliated interior design team.
START THE CONVERSATION
It’s here, inside the media space, that CI technicians and interior designers can share an interest in furniture. No doubt they’ll be expecting you to pitch in with a vision of identical leather chairs in serried rows, but pick a seating brand with a heritage of immaculate bespoke fulfilment and you’ll be talking their language, gaining rapport, and winning business. Cue Infinity Seating Solutions, our new cinema seating brand. It’s unlike anything they’ve seen, and the perfect place to begin the design conversation. For a start it’s a luxury brand, as meticulously crafted as Boca do Lobo, Fendi, Linley, Tetrad, Bentley Home or any other highend furniture names, so it will look gorgeous inside or outside the cinema environment. Second, it’s hand-made by the UK’s only manufacturer of specialised cinema seating, and purpose-built for
media rooms. Third, Infinity is ecologically trendy. Long before it was fashionable, the company decided not to offer or promote animal products. Instead, it uses faux leathers and velours, which can be recycled, as well as an innovative synthesis of plant-based Cork fabric (Cork leather) and Ultraleather, together with recycled foams, latex foams, super-durable, eco-friendly EkoPly frames and FSC beech frames. The result is sustainable, cruelty-free, environmentally friendly furniture, complete with all the native beauty and precision of a high-status luxury product. Unlike rivals, Infinity is luxury furniture, guilt-free. But most compellingly, Infinity Seating Solutions’ existential commitment to bespoke fulfilment gifts it with a unique advantage when it comes to dealing with the design community. From as many as seven design ranges available from Habitech, and in close consultation with Infinity’s craftsmen and women, wonderfully bespoke seating emerges from thousands of material, colour, and style permutations to deliver stunningly original, one-of-a-kind furniture. Naturally, in the purest tradition of bespoke manufacturing, Infinity can also deliver a brand-new design from sketches, photos and ideas supplied by the client. The possibilities are endless.
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ESSENTIAL HABITECH
Infinity Petherton comfort awaits our guests in the Wisdom Experience Room
IF YOU DREAM IT, YOU CAN HAVE IT
Your customers and design colleagues can choose from powered Recliner chairs available with good/better/best mechanisms, Armchairs and matching two or three-seater Sofas, smaller Auditorium chairs, large Daybeds perfect for lounging in front of a favourite film with the kids, and Powerloungers, combining Daybed, (or Armchair with a leg-extension) and a powered electric Recliner. Style options available from Habitech include the most affordable, best-selling ‘Cooper’ range, the art-deco ‘Teardrop’, ‘HalfMoon’ and ‘Holloway’ ranges, the contemporary ‘Diablo’ and ‘Prince’ ranges, and the ‘Petherton’ Range, named after the road in Islington, where the founder John Jenkins had his first tiny workshop back in 1964. Customers can further personalise the design of each seat with armrest variants, legextensions, electric footrests, footstools, inset, oval and swivel tables, consoles, hidden wireless chargers, cup holders, embroidery, mech-tech, kick plates, cushions, protective seat covers and shoe bags. There are limitless ways to create an original and irresistible invitation to relax. And if your customer feels like a change of colour or texture, the team will ‘re-bespoke’ any Infinity seat through the company’s exclusive reupholstery service, whenever the fancy materialises.
BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE So, while Infinity is perfect for formal cinema rooms as you’d expect, it’s also the definitive design-led champion for the new generation of media rooms and the perfect opportunity to engage with interior design pros. If you’re already working with an interior designer, make Infinity Seating Solutions your first conversation, and if you’re not, seek out the main man or woman and let Infinity do the talking. When so much of what we do is about design, particularly for media rooms, you’re best placed to suggest Infinity for rooms elsewhere in the home as well, because it competes on quality and price with the high-end furniture brands and has so much innate practicality to offer. For instance, Infinity’s high-end commercial build quality comes with commensurate levels of fire proofing and stain-resistant durability, way above the standard usually associated with resi furniture. Spill wine, it wipes off. Infinity Seating Solutions’ furniture is not only beautifully distinctive and superior - it stays that way for longer. And your fellow design pros are sure to be impressed with a heritage of partnerships with some of the most prestigious and demanding commercial clients, including the QEII ocean liner, Abbey Road Studios, the Barbican Arts Centre, UCI, Odeon, Empire, Everyman Cinemas, and Pathé in France and Switzerland. Unlike so many far-eastern competitors, Infinity bears all the hallmarks of a high-end evolution, meeting the highest standards of professional fulfilment for over five decades. What’s more, local supply squeezes lead times down to as little two weeks on standard elements, rather than the usual 24 weeks from overseas suppliers.
Engage interior designers with the peerless bespoke quality and durability of Infinity furniture, including ‘The Prince’ two-seater
SEIZE THE MOMENT
Why not invite your contacts within the design community to visit Habitech for the full Infinity experience. Try The Cooper Recliners, The Prince single Armchairs and Daybeds in the Wisdom Flagship Theatre, The Petherton Lounger in the Sonance Cinema and Wisdom Experience rooms, or the Diablo in the Sonance Architectural room. Infinity’s peerless design abundance will satisfy their demand for unlimited bespoke quality and fulfilment, and their customers’ desire for exclusivity in every measure. Seize the moment, ask the question, start the conversation, and change the mindset forever. Appropriately, the possibilities are infinite.
Infinity’s custom design abundance is also available for the most affordable ‘The Cooper’ range
Habitech habitech.co.uk
An irresistible invitation to relax: Infinity’s ‘The Prince’ Daybed - perfect for Media Rooms
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JANUARY 2022 21
SMART THINKING: RICHER SOUNDS
FROM RACKS TO RICHER Dean Gledhill, Head Of Custom Installation at Richer Sounds, explains the company’s approach and ambitions for this side of its offering. Tell us about your role at Richer Sounds (RS) I’ve been with Richer Sounds for 14 years now, having started after a chance encounter with Julian Richer. It’s a very forward thinking, supportive and ethical business to be part of, and we’re very keen to promote from within and give people a chance to rise to the top. Our Custom Installation division is a team of former store colleagues who support the stores with the leads they generate. We’re all self-confessed CI geeks - completely focussed on training, system design, product ranging, project management, technical advice, problem solving and anything else required to make sure that Richer Sounds’ CI offering is second to none.
a few years building contacts and soaking up as much knowledge as I could. I found the industry to be so helpful and supportive, from the Smart Home network & CEDIA, to helpful distributors and manufacturers, and of course the EI podcast! I was lucky enough to have a phenomenally technical colleague at Leeds, Stephen Ashton. We convinced Julian Richer to let us spend a chunk of money on a dedicated cinema space within the shop that allowed us to showcase high-end projects that Richer Sounds might not necessarily be associated with. I’d planned for the room to pay for itself over the next three to five years, but we managed that within the first year.
How long has RS had a CI division?
What are some of the main types of projects you carry out?
Our CI team, such as our Installations Manager Tim Smith, have been designing and installing home cinema, Hi-Fi and (more recently), smart home set-ups for our customers for many years, through our network of shops. The centralised CI department itself has just reached its one year anniversary, but is really just an extension of that huge wealth of experience. My own involvement came from my time managing the Leeds store, which seemed to be a hub of CI activity. I spent
Anything and everything! We’ve supplied and installed equipment in a wide variety of residential and commercial properties, and also schools, hospitals, MOD buildings… even submarines! We’re lucky enough to have some great colleagues in our branches who’ve cultivated strong working relationships with a network of over 150 approved third party installers, and we’re always on the look out for more installers to work with.
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What are some of the main products and systems used?
Being Richer Sounds, we have access to a huge array of products. This is great for customer choice and for installers buying specific products from us, so we really have to be on our toes making sure we’re clued up on everything. Some of the most popular products we’re installing at the moment are Control4 automation and lighting, Blustream distribution, Monitor Audio speakers, Cinema Build Systems wall coverings and Screen Innovations screens. Of course, something we’ve always been passionate about is excellent quality audio, and large scale CI projects should be no different. We love setting up high-performance audio systems throughout a customer’s home, all linked into the same eco-system.
What are some the favourite projects you have personally been involved? We did a loft cinema in Barnsley four years ago in conjunction with Smart Integrated Systems. This was my first ‘proper’ cinema job, and it was for a brilliant client. We created a gorgeous-looking room for them, which sounded awesome. They even opted for some tactile transducers in the
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SMART THINKING: RICHER SOUNDS
The CI division of Richer Sounds is showing strong growth
seating! I’m currently enjoying a commercial job we’re nearing completion on for the largest sports bar in the UK, requiring 80 TVs and two projectors; each display is an individual zone as the client wanted complete flexibility. We’ve used 82 of the Blustream IP50HDRX MOIP receivers and five of the transmitters for sources. They’ll have no arguments over which game is being displayed!
How is the work created, existing contacts, store walk ins? Something else? It’s a bit of a mix. Our stores account for a large proportion of the work and the CI division acts as support to them when a project would benefit from our guidance. We also have a contact form on our website that generates around 25-35 leads per week, all of which are followed up by a member of the CI division. There are a lot of ‘Smart Sparks’ moving into the industry who we also support with technical advice, deals on products, as well as collaborating with them on projects. We even help cover any gaps in distribution for the seasoned installer.
How ambitious is the company to grow its CI offering? I think it’s an inevitable shift for us. COVID accelerated the existing move towards online retail, meaning that now, more than ever, our stores are concentrating on and investing in what sets them apart from online-only retailers. The personal touches, such as free on-site surveys, project management, bespoke custom installation and design services, working with local trades, demonstrations, etc. will all be key to the longevity of our stores. There will always be a human element to commerce, especially with products where seeing and hearing it are so key to the experience, but we’re definitely seeing a shift from simple product advice to a full turnkey solution. Our company has been around for 43 years and survived two recessions, which is partly due to how quickly we can respond and
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adapt to changes in the market. Julian Richer has always been fantastic at making sure there is no pointless red tape to navigate, and our suggestion scheme allows for great ideas and common sense to flow quickly through the business.
How well informed about CI are RS customers? I think this varies from region to region. Traditionally, we’re not known for CI, so most of our projects are grown naturally thanks to our passionate colleagues highlighting what’s available. It’s incredibly rare that we have a customer ask us to tender against other integrators. The industry is certainly growing, and we want to do as much as we can to make the whole process as great value, transparent and easy as possible for the client. I’m sure we’ll become better known for CI as time goes by, because every job is another demo room, and you can’t beat word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers. With our push in this area combined with our long-standing reputation and accolades such as our Which? Retailer of the Year award, customers know they can shop with confidence.
What is your favourite bit of tech or product around at the moment? I’m loving the Cinema Build Systems range of products. Co-Founder, Roddy Abbott has been helpful to us from the very start and it’s hard not to get swept up in his passion for what he does. The new Halo kit panels have been really good for us as a simple boxed solution which is easy for our colleagues to specify. It’s great to see my Instagram feed filled with integrators getting creative with his fabric wall system, and I particularly like it when it’s paired with the wooden Acupanels to break up the textures. It’s a product that’s only limited by your imagination.
So what is next for CI and RS? We’re having a big drive on training to make sure every store can offer a full turnkey solution that’s consistent with the best integrators out there, across all the different aspects of CI. We’re also continuing to grow our Approved Installer network so all stores have a strong relationship in place for any type of project. And of course we also want to help grow the industry as a whole, and especially people’s awareness of what’s possible, and keep pushing for better service, better value, and better transparency.
Control4 is a popular choice for Richer Sounds customers
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JANUARY 2022 23
ESSENTIAL HOME CINEMA SEATING
A HOME CINEMA SEATING HAT-TRICK A good home cinema is determined by the presence of three key elements: performance comfort and design, says Rik Hellemans, Director at seating specialist, CINEAK. As a designer and manufacturer of high-end home theatre seating, we come into play on all three aspects, and we prefer to be involved in the early stages of the theatre room design process for several reasons. One of them is that builders and architects often don’t consider the importance of sufficient platform/riser depth and height when drawing or building the room. The platform height (and depth) is important, as this height hugely impacts the sightlines, as it’s key that front rows don’t obstruct the view of spectators seated in the row(s) behind them. Another parameter to determine platform depth is the space required to accommodate motorised reclining theatre seats or sofas, which we are specialised in. We also like to be involved in the process prior to the electrician starting to wire the room, as motorisation demands power outlets, and we can advise on the outlet locations to neatly hide wiring etc. Once the clients have determined which of our seating models – or combination of seating models – they prefer, our engineering team starts drafting seating layouts. Planning these seating layouts requires some knowledge about the purpose and usage of the theatre. Is the main purpose family oriented? Will the home theatre be used in a professional or workrelated capacity? Is it the goal to maximise the seating capacity, or does the owner want to create wide seating surfaces with – for instance – tables in between? Do we need a Captain’s seat in each row? When it comes to the sound performance, what distance should we keep in between the back row and the speakers embedded in the back wall? These are just some of the things to be considered, but the
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answers to a long list of such questions enables our engineers to draft one or multiple seating layouts which best suits the desires of the enduser. Basically, to reiterate, there is no such thing as the ideal seating configuration. The ideal seating configuration is dictated by the needs of the homeowner. To accommodate these ‘ideal’ seating configurations for every room, modularity of the seating elements is mandatory. For CINEAK, it is important to offer several seating widths and armrest widths, as well as chaise options (even motorised), corner pieces, etc. for each seating model in our catalogue, so we can tackle even the most challenging room situations and still create a comfortable highly performing seating environment. Even when our ‘standard’ modules can’t provide dimensional or design requirements, we have the ability to custombuild each module to get the desired result. This brings us to design. We started the company to put a halt to poorly and bulky theatre seating flooding and even dominating the home theatre market. Our design team has always been on top of style changes or trends circulating in the design community and translating these into the design of our own motorised theatre furniture. Over the past (almost) two decades, this approach has resulted in a portfolio of timeless, sleekly designed furniture for a market where – back in the days – functionality was the only consideration. Throughout the years, the marked evolved and besides functionality – finally – comfort, performance, and design came into play. We think we may say that CINEAK has been and still is a driving force in this ongoing evolution.
When it comes to current trends in theatre seating, it’s accurate to say that sofa style seating – motorised in our case – has now really established a strong position in the home theatre market, and it’s there to stay. Where we used to see seating layouts exclusively comprised of the ‘old-school’ high-back theatre seating, we now see a movement toward lounge-style theatres. Our designers often call it ‘theatres that don’t look and feel like an actual theatre, but still perform like one’. What’s very popular as well is a combination of both: a combination of rows of ‘family/lounge’-style seating and the ‘old-school’ high back seating. Again, it all boils down to what was previously mentioned: what will the space be used for, and who will be using it. Talking about trends - clients demand choices and options. Over the course of many years, our design team has curated a wide section of high quality and durable fabrics and leathers. Although this is very important to most clients, we have seen an increasing demand in COL/COM, where the client’s designer provides her or his own upholstery to be used on our seating. The last element to bring up are the actual options and accessories. It is common sense that a theatre calls for the well-known cup holders, but we have also noted that - definitely during the pandemic – people started to use their home theatre differently. To some it even became a quiet workplace where they would retreat to with their laptop to peacefully work from home. This brings along new needs such as larger (removable) tables to accommodate the laptop, and of course additional built-in charging options for computer, tablet, and phone.
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Floor Stand for forSonos SonosFive One and Play:5
Available from Exertis: 01256 378 550 or Alltrade: 0844 225 2700
The Gramercy
the benchmark for luxury theater seating
The Mondrian features a cutting-edge DUAL motorized incline mechanism that allows the Mondrian to function as a traditional sofa AND at the touch of a button turns it into a truly relaxing home-entertainment chair.
cineak . com Antwerp, Belgium +32 (3) 354 03 66 - Los Angeles, USA +1 (866) 458-0529
ESSENTIAL COMPETITION
WIN AN OPTOMA UHZ50 4K UHD LASER PROJECTOR!
Into AV Distribution, a UK distributor of Optoma products is giving away one of the exciting new UHZ50 projectors. This exciting home entertainment projector offers stunning 4K UHD HDR visuals and is capable of displaying 3D movies. It also has dedicated gaming modes with a 16.7ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080p at 240Hz! Bright 3000 lumens laser technology also means lights on viewing with the added bonus of being virtually maintenance-free thanks to its laser light source. To qualify you must be employed by an active Custom Installer – and register your details in the form below to join the mailing list of Into AV and Optoma (those already on the mailing list are still eligible). They will never share your details, and aim only to communicate useful information. You will also need to answer the below question. The names of those who have answered the question correctly will be entered into a prize draw and drawn at random. The winner will be contacted to arrange the delivery of the projector. The closing date is on February 4th 2022.
To register please scan the QR code, fill in the form online and correctly answer the question.*
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JANUARY 2022 27
Become an approved Sonos Become an approved Sonos Installed Solutions partner Installed Solutions partner Sonos is one of The World’s Leading Sound experience brands. We invented multiroom wireless made it sound amazing, and changed people Sonos is one of Theaudio, World’s Leading Sound experience brands. the We way invented listen at home. Known for premium sound, ease of and use,changed thoughtful multiroom wireless audio, made it sound amazing, thedesign, way people and an open platform, we create products and experiences that make listening listen at home. Known for premium sound, ease of use, thoughtful design, simpler and more joyful. and an open platform, we create products and experiences that make listening simpler and more joyful. Sonos innovation powers better listening experiences, We want to continue to workinnovation with the Installer and build on thoseWe successes in the future. Sonos powerscommunity better listening experiences, want to continue From Portable speakers, Home Cinema and Architectural systems, these all to work with the Installer community and build on those successes in the future. benefit when installed by Home an approved From Portable speakers, Cinemainstaller. and Architectural systems, these all benefit when installed by an approved installer.
Sonos Approved Installers win CEDIA Awards. Apply to become an approved Sonos byInstallers emailing win Installed-Solutions-UK@sonos.com Sonos Installer Approved CEDIA Awards. Apply to become an approved or visitInstaller www.sonos.com/dealer/dealer-onboarding Sonos by emailing Installed-Solutions-UK@sonos.com or visit www.sonos.com/dealer/dealer-onboarding
ESSENTIAL VISITS
HABITECH HITS HOME RUN WITH NEW DEMO SPACES EI took the tour of Habitech’s updated demo spaces and was impressed with the performance level and sheer variety of experiences on show. First up was the Sonance Cinema, a space that EI has experienced before but in its earlier version. This area has been created to show how well home cinemas merge with a multi-use living room space. Habitech has used smart design and its relationship with CinemaTech to create a strong acoustic base with a low noise floor so the systems throughout the building can work their magic with ease. This room features a 7.4.2 Sonance speaker arrangement, partnering a JVC NX5 projector using an anamorphic lens and an Arcam AVR30. First impressions here are strong as the room is simply nice to be in, even before the systems come to life. This is due in no small part to the Infinity seating which is featured several times around the building. This commercial seating company has worked directly with the distributor to develop a range of seating which blends traditional cinema seating with more relaxed sofa styles to create a very comfortable and welcoming experience. With the system fired up, the room is very impressive, the audio offered a very studied performance, delivering everything it is asked to do with ease and never sounding harsh or rushed. If the idea is to sell a lifestyle and an experience, it must be working as several customers have already purchased the entire room! The Wisdom Flagship Theatre delivers a step up with an 11.4.4 experience based around Wisdom speakers, a JVC NX9, a generous Projecta 5 meter wide screen, Panamorph Paladin lens and new to the company a StormAudio ISP24. Pulling the room together is CinemaTech design and acoustic treatment. This space represents the only fully line-source home cinema demonstration space in the UK, and it is very impressive and comfortable too, again with some Infinity seating which mixes trad cinema with a more homely look. A highlight in this room was a rendition of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme from ‘that’ Hans Zimmer live title. The detail, pace, natural feeling audio and ease of delivery is very impressive, worth the trip on its own.
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On to the Wisdom Experience room, a space that was not in existence during EI’s last trip. Featuring a wide variety of the speaker options and layout choices, this room also showcases NAIM, another new-ish name on the Habitech roster. What is impressive here is demonstrating a range of listening and viewing experiences in an environment that is very comfortable and easy to relate too, you could easily spend all day in this room playing with the different set ups. The ‘music only’ experience in here particularly stays in mind with some demos of Apple Spatial Audio tracks mixed for Dolby Atmos. EI is a fan of this technology and when mixed well and played through an expertly put together system such as this, the concept really comes to life, a great room for genuine audio fans. Next up is the Sonance Architectural Room created especially for demonstrating the capabilities of latest Sonance architectural ranges. The room was in fact doing just that during EI’s visit, as a family were working their way through the different rooms, and were particularly impressed with the hidden plastered over audio options from Sonance. Initially they were going to pick integrated but visible speakers, but we’re so impressed with the audio quality of the plastered over
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versions, they switched their choice. So if this space is designed to enable installers and their customers to pick the speaker that suits their needs the best, it’s definitely doing its job. Hearing this news, EI was naturally curious to hear these speakers in particular, and can confirm like many other hidden speaker options now, the technology has really moved on offering little or no compromise in the audio performance. Other spaces offer a chance to experience the impressive at Samsung Wall and also the James speaker gallery offering all sorts of options to create speakers that really blend with specific interiors. There is also another area exclusively featuring all the Lutron options available, underlying the growing relationship between Habitech and this brand. Commercial AV experiences are also showcased, a growing area that the company is keen to offer lots of options for. A really well worthwhile trip, there wasn’t too much wrong with the previous incarnation of the demo spaces, but the team have really moved the experience on to offer more of a genuine luxury offering and the huge variety of options on show makes it easier for installers and end users to make the right choices.
JANUARY 2022 29
ESSENTIAL HDANYWHERE
HD(TRAINING)ANYWHERE 2022 is the year training at HDANYWHERE moves to a higher gear. Justin Fothergill, Brand Ambassador at HDANYWHERE explains. RTFM - by now you would think that everyone in our acronym-crazy, technology-driven industry is familiar with this one in particular (Read The F*****g Manual, for those not in the know). Manuals are great and a very necessary part of your learning journey (yes, you DO actually have to read them, for Pete’s sake) but they are only one link in the armour of knowledge. By necessity, they focus on the ‘what’ or ‘how’ but seldom get into the ‘why’. At HDANYWHERE, we believe that a deeper understanding of not just how but why products and technologies work the way they do empowers you to sell better (right products and tech for the right job), install better (plan and execute efficiently) and support better (faster, better solutions to on-site challenges). The more you know, the better you become so the less time you’ll waste and the more profitable you can be. Events over the last two years have shown us all the value and convenience of online learning methods (you still gotta read the manual!). Our original Learning Centre saw a massive uptick in new attendees during lockdowns and we have and continue to deliver countless webinars and live virtual training sessions to dealers and
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distributors around the globe. We’ve also been learning in this time and from experience and feedback took an important decision to increase investment in and upgrade our training program significantly from January 2022. The first big change is to the HDANYWHERE online Learning Centre. We’re migrating to a powerful new platform that gives HDA Pros a much easier and more engaging learning experience. It will be much simpler for students to navigate every course and monitor their progress. Certificates of Completion are issued automatically and there are discussion and support forums to help ensure course success and real learning. We’ve made the learning material varied and interesting and courses will cover all our products and the key technologies used in them. We want every HDA integrator to be a Pro; a win-win result for everyone. The new Learning Centre is actually live already with some courses but we’ll be continuously adding courses ahead of our 1 January 2022 formal launch date. The next change is to improve our ability to offer in-person training in the UK and (eventually) the rest of the world. The first step is my relocation from South Africa to our Global
HQ in Malvern, UK. Circumstances allowing, this should be completed by April 2022. From there I will work with our UK distributors to build a regular program of in-person dealer training sessions and other HDA events, either at our distributor’s premises or even at a dealer’s premises, when required. The second step is the completion of our Learning Centre facility at our HQ in Malvern. Here we will give hands-on training sessions on all things HDANYWHERE and bring attendees even closer to not just the products, but also the people who design, engineer and support HDA. Learn more about HDANYWHERE and get an introduction to our products by visiting our website and clicking on Latest to access our open-to-all webinar schedule and sign up for quick pre-recorded sessions at a time that suits you. Need information or training on a particular product or feature we offer? Ask your HDANYWHERE distributor to arrange a direct virtual session with us and we’ll gladly assist. LEARNING.HDANYWHERE.COM
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ISE PREVIEW
THE BEST OF BARCELONA With the Integrated Systems Europe show due to take place early in 2022 (FIRA Barcelona, Gran Via, 1-4 February 2022), EI presents just a few of the highlights being previewed before the event. RTI announced that the RTI Music and MS-3 Music Streamer will make its international debut at ISE 2022. RTI Music is designed so that technology integrators can deliver a rich streaming experience to their clients with native control through any RTI control system. For home or business owners, RTI Music is described as an entirely seamless control experience, eliminating the need — for example — to exit the control app to search for music and access a playlist. With RTI Music, users can stream high-res audio into any room from their favorite platform or from their local NAS with a simple tap on a touchpanel, remote, or their favorite mobile device. RTI Music supports three concurrent streams from sources including Pandora, Spotify, iHeart Radio, SiriusXM, SiriusXM for Business, SoundMachine and TuneIn. The AirPlay interface enables streaming from Apple Music and Amazon Music. The Music Queue features play now, play later and play soon options to build an on-the-fly song queue, while the Favourites playlists integrate songs from multiple services and local devices. “Where RTI Music really shines is the user experience, which is fully integrated into the control system,” says Neal Ellsworth, RTI Director of Product Management. “Sources, zones, favourites, and playlists are all managed from a single interface, even when creating onthe-fly music queues from multiple services or local devices.” RTI Music operates natively within the RTI control system, making it easy to access playlists and search favourite songs, artists, and albums on favourite services and then direct the music to the room(s) of choice. A music collection on
32 JANUARY 2022
a local NAS drive or computer can be accessed and fully integrated with support for lossless audio (FLAC and ALAC) formats. The three streams in the MS-3 can keep the whole family engaged, while the lossless audio capability and local drive access can satisfy the audiophile. RTI Music and the MS-3 Music Streamer are designed with the integrator in mind. When connected, the RTI Integration Designer programming platform will automatically discover the MS-3, while the configuration utility makes it simple to set up homeowners’ music accounts. The 1U-chassis MS-3 pairs with RTI audio distribution systems for seamless audio throughout the home. Control4’s new contemporary lighting will also be highlighted, designed to elevate lighting control and aesthetics. Introducing a beautiful design that suits smart projects today, Contemporary Lighting gives dealers a new industrial design that their customers will love, says the maker. Elegant backlit engraving simplifies smart living, while premium buttons provide a solid tactile response and increased durability. A choice of 10 exclusive finishes will complement any décor, says the brand, including a new, sophisticated grey. Contemporary Lighting is perfect for any project - integrators can install all new lighting devices with ease and upgrade existing Control4 wireless lighting by replacing the keycaps and faceplates. On the AV hardware side, Snap One will be showcasing the new Episode Mini 5.1 AVR, designed to deliver incredible surround sound from a small form factor for rooms that lack space for traditional electronics. Small enough to fit behind a TV in a Strong VersaBox, this AVR’s amplifier has the power needed
to overcome installation challenges in tight spaces to deliver full-bodied sound without bulky equipment. Enhance customers’ listening experience in bedrooms, playrooms, bonus rooms, and anywhere else where space or wiring is limited. Integrators can pair the Episode Mini 5.1 AVR with an Episode soundbar or Signature by Episode speakers for a fully immersive AV experience. With built-in IR and IP control with drivers coming soon, this AVR is easy to integrate with Control4 and other popular control systems.
Snap One will showcase a new integration friendly AVR
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ISE PREVIEW More AV hardware will be on show from Harman Luxury Audio and Harman Pro. Harman International Industries will be at Stand 3F400, presenting cinema sound JBL-style. The American maker is showcasing two theatre systems: one entry-level and one hi-end. Both setups will feature JBL Synthesis in-wall/inceiling loudspeakers and electronics, taking ISE visitors on a sound journey through the JBL Synthesis Custom Loudspeaker (SCL) series. The entry-level theatre’s electronics will comprise the SDA-38 surround processor, the SDA-7120 power amplifier, and an SA4-D from the DSi 2.0 Series cinema amplifiers line. These machines will drive 15 speakers made up of a trio of SCL-6, a quartet of SCL-7, four SCL-8, and four SSW-4 in-wall passive subwoofers. The hi-end demonstration will house a trio of SCL-1, four SCL-2, four SCL-5, a pair of SSW-1 and a pair of SSW-2. A powerful team of JBL electronics will handle this impressive array – prepare to experience the combined results of an SDA-7120, an SDP-58 processor, five Dante-equipped SDA-2200 amplifiers, and four DSi 2.0 MA4-D four-channel amplifiers. As well as demonstrating its two JBL Synthesis-powered cinema systems, Harman International Industries will unveil new products from ARCAM, JBL Pro, JBL Synthesis, including new outdoor models and additions to its architectural speaker collections.
UK lighting specialist, Rako will celebrate 20 years in business at ISE 2022. This year is a significant one for Rako, Britain’s leading smart lighting controls manufacturer, marking its 20th anniversary in business. The company will begin its celebrations in style with a stand (2N600) packed full of the latest wired and wireless lighting control innovations. “Rako was founded in 2002 and made its debut at ISE in 2005,” comments Peter Broome, Director at Rako. “We have supported the event consistently since then and we’re looking forward to next year’s show as an exciting meeting point for the whole industry. “Our 20th anniversary is an opportunity for Rako to reflect on how far we have come in driving lighting control technology forwards for the benefit of our dealers and their customers. It also gives us the chance to look forward to the future with products that will be shaping lighting control for many years to come.” Headlining the Rako stand at ISE 2022 will be the company’s Modular WK-MOD and RK-MOD keypads for wired and wireless systems. Capable of accommodating up to 12 push buttons in a variety of lighting, shading and audio control configurations, the Modular range from Rako offers unrivalled customisation and a premium finish to suit varying application requirements. The range features three different button sizes which can be combined in multiple ways to create custom button layouts,
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Harman will flex its home cinema muscles at ISE
perfectly tailored to an installation. All keypads are also fully programmable with Rako’s Rasoft Pro software. Also on display will be Rako’s feature-rich HUB interface which now offers increased functionality and simplified third party integration with Crestron Home, Elan and Silent Gliss. Visitors will see how the HUB includes improved app control, simplified remote access and enhanced NFC (Near Field Communication) wireless technology. Another highlight on stand 2N-600 will be the wired and wireless keypads from Rako’s classically elegant EOS range. The attractive, screwless design of Rako’s EOS keypads create a clean, uncluttered aesthetic, with different finishes to suit contemporary or more traditional interiors. Recessed into each plate are six push buttons, offering a reassuring, tactile interface and allowing easy configuration to suit particular client needs. Rako will also be sharing more insights and practical information on its supply partnership with QMotion UK which makes integrating wireless blind control with Rako lighting control quicker, easier and more efficient. QMotion FM Roller and Roman blinds can already be natively integrated via the Rako RK-HUB or WK-HUB into Rako wired and wireless lighting control systems, without the need for special drivers or additional interfaces. Now, Rako customers will be able to access QMotion wireless shading
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solutions via Rako as well as training, sales, technical support and additional window treatment offerings. Crestron has big plans for the event with Crestron Home taking centre stage. Michael Short, Director Residential Marketing at Crestron, says, “At ISE this year, Crestron Home is at the core of our booth. Since it was launched, Crestron Home has continuously evolved and grown. We’ve taken the best user experience on the market and expanded on that even further by adding features and functionality, pushing more than 10 software updates, and natively integrating several partner technologies.” Crestron Home is described as the world’s most powerful and responsive smart home platform that seamlessly manages all devices in the technology-driven homes of today. Its attractive user interface delivers a sophisticated, intuitive experience with elegant animation to give homeowners control over everything either remotely from their mobile device or at home using touch screens, voice command, remotes, and more. Crestron Home is a solution that empowers integrators to set up a full bestin-class smart home, no matter what size, in just a few steps, right from a tablet or the web interface running on a laptop, and all while leveraging premier Crestron hardware. Crestron Home continues to get better and better with a steady stream of updates.
JANUARY 2022 33
ISE PREVIEW Michael adds, “Our commitment to innovation with the Crestron Home platform has garnered several honours, including CEDIA’s Best New Product Award this year. We look forward to showing attendees a hands-on experience with Crestron Home and how it can be easily deployed and scaled for any project. In fact, we’ve seen over 20,000 projects installed with Crestron Home. For a full look at the Crestron Home platform, we’ll be providing hands-on demonstrations of the entire user experience, including the latest OS updates such as scene editing, secure remote access, and the Crestron Home Device Health Dashboard. We’ll also be launching a number of new features in one of the biggest OS updates yet. “Additionally, the Crestron stand will be showcasing our new audio solutions, including Crestron DM NAX and our lineup of speakers developed through a partnership with Origin Acoustics. The Creston DM NAX all-in-one AoIP solution provides all the connectivity and audio functionality integrators need to delight residential customers. With the unmatched flexibility, scalability, and interoperability of DM NAX, integrators can deliver complete control of the audio environment to users, allowing them to toggle between TV audio, streaming music, podcasts, alarms, doorbells, and even paging and intercom usage, delivering the audio to any speaker in the house. The new line of Crestron Speakers made by Origin are made with
premium components to support the incredibly high output and resolution capacity of the DM NAX amplifier. Built for optimal performance right out of the box, each speaker model is architecturally constructed to disappear into a home’s design without ever sacrificing audio quality.” Michael continues, “Like so many other companies in this space we have launched a lot of products virtually over the last year, so a show
Lutron will highlight its luxury lighting innovations at ISE
34 JANUARY 2022
like ISE provides an exciting opportunity for dealers to get a full view of the Crestron product portfolio and the powerful solutions available for their next projects. We’ll also be bringing a brand-new product category solution to ISE, one that will support the growing health and wellness aspect of the smart home channel. This exciting solution will offer huge opportunities to our dealer network, and we can’t wait to introduce it for the first time at the show.”
Crestron has a whole host of new solutions to showcase at ISE
Lutron says it continues to support AV installers and electrical contractors, with innovations that simplify the installation process and empower them to work more efficiently. ISE highlights will include wire-free flexibility for products that are already installer favourites, whilst improving remote monitoring offerings. Ultimately, Lutron aims to enable installers to earn more with expanded offerings for customers, whilst boosting the efficiency of the installation process. Lutron will be showcasing RA2 Select and HomeWorks. Plus, a preview of the wire-free Palladiom shade, addressing the increasing demand for wireless smart home solutions. HomeWorks updates will be include the launch of the next generation of the platform, offering both wired and wire-free options. HomeWorks has enhanced the E-tools needed to design, quote and commission a project, including remote monitoring and diagnostics that allow integrators to upload changes without physically going onsite. ISE will also preview the new wire-free Palladiom exposed roller shades. This wire-free product update enables an easier, faster and lower cost installation of the Palladiom shades, which have become a favourite in luxury projects and will launch in Europe later in 2022.
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Security Solutions designed for Home Automation
LILIN have established a wide range of innovative security solutions that offer deep integration into the Custom Install market; developed and manufactured in Taiwan. Visit LILIN UK at ISE 2022 Hall 2, Stand 2P80 Join us in Barcelona as we showcase our latest range of NDAA NVRs and AI Cameras, & free gifts! Merit LILIN UK Limited, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8NB.
01908 443 660
contact@lilin.uk
www.meritLILIN.com
THE 1ST INTRUDER ALARM COMPANY TO BE AWARDED THE SECURE BY DESIGN ACCREDITATION
ELECTRONIC SECURITY & FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: • Smart Home Integration • Intruder Alarms • Access Control • Smoke Cloak • Locksmiths • Fire Alarms • Safes • CCTV
At Tindall Security, we work directly with the AV and the custom installation industry, helping them to meet the needs of their customers by offering: • Intruder alarm supply and installation • Fire alarm supply and installation • Locksmith services • High-performance safes We pride ourselves in providing the very highest quality of security and fire detection systems. This, coupled with our reliability and professionalism is what we believe sets us apart.
TINDALLSECURITY.CO.UK 0800 433 7748
TINDALL SECURITY
A SAFE BET FOR YOUR SPECIALIST SECURITY PARTNER Company Managing Director, David Pomfrett, introduces EI readers to the heritage, experience and specialist services that his company offers direct into the CI market. Tindall Security was founded in 1932 by the orginal Mr Tindall as an electrical contractor. Over the last 35 years the business has specialised in security systems and has moved away from working as an electrical contractor. I joined as an apprentice 49 years ago, so have seen the company evolve and grow to where it is today right from the heart of the business. Today, Tindall Security provides a large range of security services as subcontractors for the AV and custom installation industry, including intruder alarm systems, fire alarm systems, locksmith services and high-performance safes. We are the first security company in the UK to be awarded the Secured By Design (SBD) accreditation, the official police security initiative. This exclusive accreditation is only awarded to companies and products that provide the very best protection, recognised by the police. Ideal for high value and highrisk homes, this accreditation and the process required to deliver it can offers the best peace of mind available. As well as SBD we also hold NSI Gold accreditation, the security industry standard, which we have had for 30+ years and SSAIB, the industry’s other leading security industry standard. Some companies have one of these, we are among the very few to have both. We also hold MLA (Master Locksmiths Association) accreditation, the approved standard for undertaking locksmith and safe installation. Our company is also Safe Contractor, CHAS & Constructionline approved, these accreditations are often required for the construction industry and acknowledge our professionalism. All of our work is executed by our own skilled staff that meet the required accreditations for the work they are carrying out, we never use subcontractors. All of this comes as standard
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to your customers when you partner with us for your security needs.
OUR OFFERING TO AV AND CI INSTALLERS
We use and install Grade 2 monitored intruder alarm systems, panic alarm (hold up) systems, all integrated and connected to monitoring stations and police or security organisations. These products and systems are bespoke specified for the exact client requirements. As every customer and premises can be unique, we take pride in finding the best possible combination of products to create our security systems. We also have full design capabilities, with in-house CAD designs, technical surveyors and security specialists. Every project has a dedicated account manager. For every project we perform extensive risk assessments and surveys, which helps ensure that all security risks are anticipated and protected. Due to our background in electrical contracting, we can work effectively and flexibly with other
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contractors on multi-discipline projects on construction sites or occupied installations. We also have extensive experience working alongside AV, smart home and other contractors. We are the first SBD accredited security company in the UK and we have worked on numerous high value properties and bespoke projects over 35 years in the industry. We price our work competitively to ensure that we are viable partners to the contractors we work with. Our friendly team is always on-hand to provide support and we have emergency contact and monitoring services to provide 24/7/365 support. As a family-run and independent security company, we value ongoing and longlasting relationships with all our clients and focus on our service and quality of our work. Installers often use experts in their field to take certain aspects of a project to a higher level, so why not do that with your security offering? Contact us and find out more! Tindall Security tindallsecurity.co.uk
JANUARY 2022 37
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PICTURE LIF
ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS
PULSE CINEMAS A pulsating year in pictures, as Pulse Cinemas showcases the company’s major milestones from 2021.
REINVENTED AND REIMAGINED DEMO FACILITIES In 2021 work was completed on our new Reference Cinema, featuring Sim2, Alcons Audio, Screen Research, Trinnov and Fortress Seating, it’s the last word in highperformance cinema. The fantastic showpiece for what is possible when you combine the most sophisticated of modern interiors with cutting edge home cinema technology at Minotti London also opened in 2021. Get in touch and witness them for yourself.
ENTER THE FAST LANE WITH PULSE SIMULATIONS A new Pulse division launched in 2021, Pulse Simulations offers high-performance driving simulation experiences that will excite and thrill customers.
PULSE CINEMAS ONLINE STORE AND ECOMMERCE SERVICE This new initiative introduced in 2021 puts access to stock, credit and order status and many other features right in the palm of the hand of dealers. A new fast and efficient way to work with Pulse.
PULSE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
PARADIGM LAUNCHES FOUNDER SERIES
Another new division in 2021, offering cutting edge marketing, imaging and CGI renderings for dealers and other brands.
Another exciting launch in 2021 was the Paradigm Founder Series bringing precise control and game-changing dynamics to music and media.
PULSE CINEMAS EVOLVES WITH ALCONS AUDIO
SIM2 DOMINO DTV S LAUNCH Sim2 marked 2021 with a major launch into the short-throw projector market with its ground breaking Domino DRV S Projector. The best way to deliver a ‘super-sized’ TV experience.
Right at the start of 2021, Pulse Cinemas was delighted to add the world-renown speaker brand Alcons Audio to our line up.
PEOPLE POWER KALEIDESCAPE TERRA 72 AND COMPACT TERRA RE-INVENTING HOME CINEMA Kaleidescape launched its most advanced movie servers yet in 2021. The Kaleidescape Terra 72 delivers 4K Ultra HD, HDR and lossless audio and with a massive 50% increase on capacity from previous models. The Compact Terra offers a new entry level offering for users to start their Kaleidescape journey into world-class home cinema
40 JANUARY 2022
Keeping customer support uppermost in the mind, we added to our staff in 2021 with Corey Hall joining us to offer full sales support to the North of the UK and Scotland, taking up the role of Northern Account Manager. Felicity Miller also joined as Sales and Technical Co-ordinator, allowing the rest of the team to spend more time proactively supporting their network of dealer/installers with demonstrations or on-site visits. We have also added Susan Keeling who is Purchasing and Logistics Co-ordinator and WilliamLocke as our new Warehouse Manager.
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AV Reception & Distribution Today & Tomorrow
Make sure you don’t miss out on what has become the industry’s number ONE independent show for signal reception and distribution, and is FREE for all visitors to attend.
Evolving Connectivity Media Partner
w w w. e v o l v i n g c o n n e c t i v i t y. c o m
9.30am till 5.00pm Thursday 17th March 2022 The National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
A CHALLENGING TIME Sales and Marketing Director for Blustream, Phil Davis, assesses the changing face of training in the AV and smart building sector. The COVID-19 pandemic was (and still is) a major challenge for most industries - it intensified the challenge of communication in the workplace. From leaders in various industries to health workers, getting a message across during times of social distancing has been a major challenge. Prior to COVID-19, most manufacturers will have had a pattern of training and communication initiatives, allowing them to keep their partners up to speed with product development, offering and shifts in new technologies. When we were unable to see our partners face-to-face, learning formats had to evolve to ensure that momentum was not lost to these new restrictions. Those manufacturers with online learning facilities would have, by default, been one step ahead of the rest. With a host of education available in a format which customers of all types could work towards, be it during furlough, or at times where work was not as plentiful as before the start of the pandemic. A manufacturers’ reach was already easily attainable for new and prospective customers. The number of new registrations for the Blustream Advanced Learning Portal went up by nearly 160% in the first four weeks of the first lockdown, with a total of 27 days’ worth of training being delivered
42 JANUARY 2022
in that first month – that’s over 600 hours of training we delivered at a time when we weren’t allowed in front of our partners. Webinars have been viewed as a widely used communication tool for years, but recently have proved their worth. Marketing activities of businesses shifted to online platforms. They came to the limelight during the lockdown. As business activities could not be shut down completely, companies started conducting webinar platforms not just for internal meetings, but for connecting with their audience. The number of webinars being ran by manufacturers and distributors during the height of the pandemic increased multiple times over, in a bid to keep their products fresh in the minds of their customers. As an example, Blustream were hosting two webinars daily throughout the lockdown, but used some of those quieter times to produce new content for the future. Having to cast the ‘advertising’ net wider has brought a requirement for diversity to the ways in which we interact with our target audiences. Social media has played a central role to drawing in existing and new customers alike, as well as communicating important information. The creation of rich video content and striking advertising graphics posted across multiple platforms has now also become a dedicated
role within most companies. Blustream are lucky to have a very talented graphics team who produce brochures, imagery, adverts, product launch videos, and - new for 2022 – a selection of tutorial videos aimed at bringing another way in which we can continue to technically support our customers. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blustream embarked on annual roadshow training events at various locations around the UK and Europe. The format was always centred around learning, not just for our partners, but for us too. We are truly looking forward to re-establishing these later in 2022, getting to spend some quality time with our partners face-to-face! Whilst we all hope for a very different 2022, the shifts in the way we have been learning may not change massively. Blustream will be continuing with our series of bite-sized webinars, allowing our partners to tune-in to a short but informative nugget of training twice per day, across the month. Our Advanced Learning Portal has been completely redesigned over the last six months to include all the new technology and products we now work with since originally released back in 2018. This new content is richer and will be available from the end of January 2022.
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ESSENTIAL TRAINING
CEDIA TAKES ON THE TRAINING CHALLENGE Advance your knowledge, business, and career with CEDIA. The trade association introduces its plans for 2022.
The long-term success of our industry is reliant upon a well-trained and professional workforce. For this reason, CEDIA continues to focus on its educational pathways to ensure that industry professionals can always be at the top of their game. At ISE 2022, CEDIA will be running a comprehensive, in-person professional development programme delivered by subject matter experts from across the globe. This will include the opportunity to take CEDIA training in Spanish, along with a wide range of opportunities to learn new skills in the industry. Evidence of this programme in action are our CEDIA Certified Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) and CEDIA Certified Integrated System Technician (IST) Certifications. Attendees will have the chance to take both examinations and earn those important qualifications for themselves. Two of the major highlights of CEDIA’s professional development programme at ISE are the HAA Audio Calibration January 31 – February 3 and ISF Video Calibration Level 2 courses January 31 - February 1. Gerald Lemay, Founder of the Home Acoustics Alliance will present the first course, while Joel Silver will lead the ISF Video Calibration Level 2 training. New for ISE 2022 and created to support the release of the new RP22 standard will be the RP22 Audio and Room Design Recommended Practice Workshop taking place on Tuesday February 1. This intensive advanced training introduces the new guidelines in RP22, focusing in on the four objectively defined levels of performance that will define different levels of immersive experience. Presented by Peter
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Aylett and Rich Green, the course takes a ‘teach then do’ approach and will challenge small groups to apply guidelines to real-world rooms. Another recommended practices course that is fresh for ISE 2022 is CEDIA/CTARP28 HDMI System Design and Verification Recommended Practice. Hosted by Jason Dustel of Murideo, this course will look in detail at this new document and its implications for the CEDIA community. For those looking at a mindset shift, Design Thinking will be an immersive threehour workshop in which participants can learn and practice an end-to-end Design Thinking process. Industry experts, Peter Aylett and Rich Green will be guiding attendees through the session, providing the tools integrators need to unlock creative confidence and bring a more human-centric approach into their business.
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Talking of business, respected industry business consultant and CEDIA Fellow, Leslie Shiner, is back by popular demand with a series of four courses, exploring challenges with project management, job costing, way to increase profitability and how training can grow your business. Finally, the CEDIA Tech Council will also lead a special session, revealing insights from CEDIA’s future-looking project, The Integrator of 2027. This will take a look at how the market is changing and how integrators can be best placed to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. The CEDIA All Access Training Pass is available to both CEDIA members and nonmembers and provides unlimited entry to CEDIA education sessions during the show (excluding CEDIA Special Four Day and Two Day Courses). For more information, to buy an All-Access Pass, and to make your booking, go to the Professional Development section of the ISE website, www.iseurope.org/cedia-education. Meanwhile, our investment in CEDIA’s online education is substantial. The CEDIA Academy continues to represent a huge step forward in our online curriculum, offering both technical and business focused courses for integrators at a variety of career levels. To support our members, we have made 200 hours of our CEDIA Academy content available as a free resource. The learning insights available on this platform are huge and I would urge you to take a deeper dive and explore what’s there to benefit you and your business.
JANUARY 2022 43
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
CREATE THE RIGHT TRAINING SPACE Peter Broome, Director of Rako Controls, explains why this space is as equally important as the training itself. We are an industry known for cutting edge technology and delivering the latest and most innovative solutions to our clients. The speed at which technology is developing is increasing all the time and the pace at which new products are being launched continues to quicken. This fast growth of innovation means integrators need to constantly adapt their skill set and increase their knowledge, whether they are new to the industry or not. By keeping up to date with the latest technology, products and solutions on offer, integrators can help their customers make more informed decisions about how they control their homes. This can also open more business opportunities - but they do need the expert knowledge to take full advantage of where the market is heading. This is where high quality training becomes so important. Although there are new digitally based training courses available, there is nothing that beats face-to-face courses, especially for programmes where practical skills are required. This is why the environment where training is
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offered is equally important. It needs to be a comfortable room where attendees will remain engaged throughout the training and be able to stay switched on for the duration of the course. A well-ventilated and appropriately lit space will minimise the risk of over-tiredness and a loss of attention. We have recently completely renovated our training facility in Rochester, Kent to provide a high-quality learning environment, equipped with the latest Rako technology and innovations. The aesthetic is very close to what might actually be seen in a client’s property, complete with comfort; air-conditioning, soundproofing, hi-res in-wall loudspeakers, and, of course, premium quality lighting. It’s a great indicator of what can be achieved with a Rako system. The training room is equipped with specially designed pods, allowing delegates to get hands on with Rako technology, software and programming. Each training pod features Orluna light fittings, RGBW and CCW LED tape, along with an automated blind which can be integrated and controlled using Rako
controllers. Delegates can see demonstrations of Rako’s full product range, including wired and wireless systems, extensive keypad options and the feature rich Rako Hub.
TRAINING PROVISION Rako provides free one day Foundation and Advanced training courses in lighting control from the new experience centre. The Foundation Course allows delegates to get to grips with the topology of a Rako wired and wireless system, how the Rako equipment integrates together, and what’s needed for different lighting, curtain and blind control applications. The Advanced Course is specifically aimed at installers with previous Rako programming knowledge and enables delegates to get hands on with Rako products and software. The course looks at the ‘Theory’ of Rako as a modular system and goes into greater depth on Rako’s Wired, Wireless and hybrid systems, keypad mapping and the programming skills required. It also looks extensively at the Rako Hub, the features and benefits it provides and its role within a Rako system. The Rako training room was built with the support of Cinema Build Systems, Meridian Audio, Orluna Illuma Lighting, Future Automation, HD Anywhere, Buster and Punch, Kordz Global, Sonos and Sony UK. The technology system was installed by CEDIA member, Louise Tarling Electrical. Rako offers several training courses per month.
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Together For Cinema is an AV industry good cause enterprise with a focus on designing and installing home cinema rooms in children’s hospices and other deserving locations across the UK. These rooms not only benefit the children and young adults, but also their families, carers, staff and volunteers.
The recycling of second hand and B-stock is in plan and some items have already been donated and installed. Together For Cinema has excellent support and backing from the AV industry, but more can be done. Please contact us to donate product, to assist with an installation or to consider becoming a sponsor of this AV industry good cause. Spearheaded by founder Ian Morrish, Together For Cinema has so far completed 29 cinema rooms at a normal installation value of over £620,000. Our target of 50 rooms and £1m worth of installations is scheduled for completion by 2026. Essential Install are proud to support this great cause and be a lead Media Partner.
“Together For Cinema – together for better”
Show your support today by visiting
www.togetherforcinema.co.uk
Proud Media Partners of Together For Cinema
THE FIRST CHOICE FOR SMART HOME AUTOMATION Savant always has the customer in mind when it comes to updating and refining their systems and interfaces. With Savant home automation, your customers can access and control all of their home technology in a centralised location — multi-room music, a home theatre or media room, smart lighting, climate control, shading, security and surveillance, and outdoor entertainment. Offer your customers the best experience in home automation by joining our exclusive network of authorised dealers, and benefit from our easy-to-install systems that deliver high levels of customer satisfaction.
RGB Head Office, 3–14 Headlands Trading Estate, Headlands Grove, Swindon. SN2 7JQ Distributor of the Year Finalist
Find out more at rgbcomms.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1488 73366
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
KNX READY FOR NEXTGENERATION ENERGYSAVING RF CONTROL The new release of the KNX commissioning software, offering easier configuration and including the new KNX RF Multi protocol, is poised to make entry into the KNX world easier and more attractive. For experienced KNX integrators, the new features offer more possibilities and speed up ROI on upskilling. November 2021 saw the unveiling of ETS6, with events around the world. In the UK, enthusiasts gathered in London as guests of the KNX UK Association for a demonstration of the intuitive graphical interface, new project management tools, improved cyber security and easier integration of next-generation RF devices. ETS (Engineering Tool Software) is a manufacturer-independent software tool for designing and configuring KNX home and commercial building control systems. ETS combines all the functionality needed for planning, configuring, commissioning and controlling smart buildings in a single tool and supports the integration of more than 8,000 intelligent home and building products from over 500 manufacturers. Clearly, says KNX, the key to making a building ‘intelligent’ is to equip it with networked sensors and actuators. The KNX approach to this is to adopt bus technology linking all sensors and actuators in the building with a data cable. With intelligence distributed to device level, each KNX system component can then communicate with every other one. For example: a light switch can ‘talk’ to a dimmer and tell it what lighting scene to set; a motion sensor can tell the actuator for the corridor lighting that someone is leaving the darkened home cinema and signal it it to provide safe lighting; air quality and occupancy sensors can optimise HVAC settings; etc. KNX argues this has to be a better solution than conventional star topology where every socket outlet circuit, ceiling or wall outlet, and light switch is linked by its own cable to a central distribution board in which the logical relationships are created by contactors, switch relays, and a programmable logic controller (PLC). That’s a lot of wire, a lot of installation time and a lot of hassle when adding to or extending the system. Perhaps, though, the main attraction of KNX is still that it is the de facto standard global,
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open system. It gives talented integrators the creative freedom to design unique solutions, with their choice of best-of-breed devices for each job sourced from different manufacturers. Need to write new software to provide completely new functionality? No problem with the KNX SDK. Finding it hard to part company with DALI? No problem with a wide choice of KNX gateways. The market now looks forward to seeing more new products programmed to take advantage of the new functionality.
ETS6 – what’s new for integrators? The new browser-like interface (with an adaptive dashboard) clusters and sorts projects and a flexible drag-and-drop tab and window handling are intuitive and easy to work with. The enhanced project archive with extended collaboration features enables teams work on the same project. With cloud licensing people can work offline and download changes on site later. An optimised ‘Link with’ dialogue creates, remembers, and links Group Addresses together easily. It’s also quicker to link Group Objects with Group Addresses. Breadcrumb navigation makes navigation between files easier for even the most complex projects.
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ETS6 Security builds on and improves the functionalities offered by ETS5 Professional already used by best-practice integrators (KNX Data Secure and KNX IP Secure). The KNX Security Proxy coupler extension enables retrofitting of existing installations to add secure devices without having to remove all the existing plain KNX devices. The KNX IoT System connects KNX to the ‘non-KNX world’ and enables semantic project information and tagging which, in ETS6, covers locations, functions, function points, channels, group objects, and more. Segment Couplers, extensions of media couplers, connect line segments together easily, regardless of media, including RF. Next generation RF Multi Devices are supported by the evolution of KNX RF and KNX Ready. KNX RF Multi is a robust wireless protocol, with mandatory security support, that supports frequency agility by using five different frequencies, repeaters (re-transmitters), fast and slow modes, ‘listen before talking’, and fast acknowledgement from up to 64 devices (retyring if unsuccessful). It sets the stage for easy configuration of a new generation of RF devices that will use less energy. Naturally ETS6 fulfils a core KNX promise of backwards compatibility, so installers can open and work with an ETS project created with all previous versions of ETS.
JANUARY 2022 47
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CONNECT TECHNOLOGY
//
CONNECT PEOPLE
INSTALL PIONEER
DAN’S THE MAN As Dan Feldstein takes up the mantle of President and CEO at Crestron Electronics, the company that his father (George Feldstein) founded, he takes on our in-depth Q&A in the latest of our Install Pioneer series. Tell us about your early years at Crestron, what was your experience like? From my childhood, through adolescence, and into my first years working post-college, Crestron has always been part of my story. I joined Crestron full-time in 1994. At the time, Windows applications were just starting to proliferate and there were no college classes that focused on them so it was completely new to me. We had one person teaching himself how to write Windows applications. I began to work with him, and we learned together. Once I became proficient, my first major Windows application was SIMPL Windows, which is still used today. Writing that application gave me a unique understanding of the inner workings of the SIMPL programming language. That led me
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to be part of the firmware team that wrote the logic engine for the 2-series control processors which is the basis for control processors to this day.
Did it help or hinder being the founder’s son? I’ve been the son of Crestron’s founder for my entire life, not just my entire working life, and thus I’ve received decades of first-hand exposure to technology engineering that I consider instrumental in getting me to where I am today. From when I was a young kid, I dreamed of working at Crestron because, like my dad, I love to invent, which led me to become an engineer. That passion is the most important benefit I received from being his son.
How much have things changed since you started? Our core identity as an engineering company is one thing that I can tell you has not changed, as Crestron is still very much technology driven. We’re big picture thinkers. We want to understand why a customer wants to see a feature added to a particular device, or what pain points are driving a request for new software functionality. By thinking holistically about the experiences our customers are after and the end results they’re trying to achieve, we can engineer whole solutions to whole problems, rather than constantly patching up piecemeal components.
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INSTALL PIONEER
Tell us about some of the company’s best and most significant milestones that you have been involved with. In 2002 we were looking to implement a company-wide ERP system to manage our continuing growth. Few people had the software experience and the historical Crestron knowledge I had so I volunteered to run the project. We chose SAP as our platform and I led the team through the implementation process, which took nearly nine months. This project provided me with an incredible sightline to all aspects of the business since I had to work with every department to successfully deploy the system. From there, I got to work across the company overseeing IT, HR, Payroll, Accounting, Legal and Facilities most recently as Crestron’s COO.
What is the company working on right now as next step developments? Crestron’s history as the leader in both enterprise technology and home automation means that no other company is as well-suited to making the home office feel like an equal part of the enterprise. That is one of our main focuses right now and in 2022 we’ll be building onto many of the foundational home office solutions we released in 2021, like the Crestron Microsoft Teams Desk Phone. Products like this will allow traditionally residential-focused integrators to expand their product offering to include workplace solutions as well, since if hybrid work is to work, we’ll need home offices to enjoy the same technology infrastructures that traditional offices have.
Do you have a favourite piece of tech/functionality/software that is being worked on right now? Without revealing products yet to be announced, one thing I can share with you is my excitement on each of the ways we’re continuing to build out our distributed media portfolio to satisfy each level of consumer or channel need. Just last month (November 2021), we launched yet another SKU within that product family and we are far from done working on improving the way people experience their homes.
However, there will always be the elite home and yacht projects that require a complete custom design and program. The ability to handle these unique projects is something that makes Crestron special and we couldn’t do it without our incredibly talented programmer partners. Crestron has always viewed our programmer partners as invaluable parts of the greater True Blue Support team effort to bring residential customers a more convenient and comfortable way to live. We will continue to onboard and certify new CSPs and keep existing ones up to date with regular ‘Masters Classes’ and other trainings.
What do you feel the automation industry in general has to offer in terms of making homes and buildings more efficient as we look to de-carbonise? Much of the beauty of automation is that through technology we are able to improve our own experience of our homes or buildings while simultaneously optimising the rates at which they consume energy. Not only is it convenient and comforting to have smart shades raise themselves with the sun on a set schedule, but it is also energy-efficient to have those shades communicate their status to the home or building’s smart thermometer, which can adjust itself accordingly to offset the welcoming of the sun’s natural light and warmth. As everyone tries to de-carbonise their lifestyles, having automation solutions do some of the legwork on their own is a great help.
Give us your vision for Crestron over the next five years - what impacts on the market is it going to deliver? Crestron has always considered itself a technology company driven by a desire to understand not just what our customers are saying, but why they are saying it. That approach allows us to engineer
whole technology ecosystems that are built from the ground up to meet users’ needs. Recognising that every homeowner has their own unique space and that every enterprise has its own workflows, preferences, and needs, Crestron identifies pain points first and creates solutions to specifically solve them. We will continue to operate that way moving forward as we expand our solutions for the home and workplace, leveraging our strengths as a privately held family business to further bolster and support our invaluable dealer channel. We feel Crestron has done a successful job of building out our network of people at the same pace we’ve built out our product portfolios, so the next five years are less about dramatic change and more about converting and nurturing every opportunity we’ve already set ourselves up for.
Have you still got the soldering iron you got for your 12th birthday? I do. In fact, I had to use it recently. I had a small appliance at my house fail and a replacement was unavailable due to supply chain issues. I took it apart and found a broken wire and after re-soldering the connection, it’s working just fine.
Software or hardware? Or can’t you choose which one you like the best? When I was young, I loved tinkering with hardware. When my father brought home a Commodore Pet computer when I was about 10, which he no longer needed at Crestron, I began learning to program in BASIC and I began to develop a passion for computers. Creating a hardware solution is probably the most satisfying, but writing software and immediately seeing the results gives instant gratification. In my early career I was focused on software development but what I truly love is the ability to write code that interacts with the real world through hardware devices. Crestron crestron.com
With Crestron Home, one of the debates has been around Crestron programmers, what part and what future do these longterm partners have to play now and in the future? Crestron Home is great for a vast majority of home systems, and it allows people to have an amazing home automation experience that previously would have been cost prohibitive.
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JANUARY 2022 51
SMART THINKING
FUSS-FREE
MOUNTS
HOW TO OVERCOME SMART HOME HESITANCY Black Series’ TV mounts, are so well conceived the TV is usually up on the wall within 30 minutes.
Snap One CEO John Heyman offers some insight into selling the concept of smart homes. Builders and homeowners today are increasingly interested in installing home technologies, and for good reason: integrated smart home systems are
Save time, cut costs, boost rewards
more capable and easier to use than ever before. For professional smart home integrators, every homebuyer and home builder is a potential client.
Compatibility out-of-the-box
smart home technologies varies widely, from those
10-year limited warranty
all working together on a custom schedule to
All mounts on display at Habitech
52 JANUARY 2022
Pros know, however, that knowledge about who envision a plethora of automated systems those who believe asking a voice-activated device what the weather’s like is the height of technological innovation.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE COMFORTABLE User experience is the most important aspect of any purchase, and it is especially important for items intended to be used for years or decades. For smart home systems, user experience includes everything from aesthetics and reliability to overall functionality and options to upgrade or expand in the future. To determine what experience they want, we must identify specific features or activities the client wants to invest in, whether it’s lighting, climate controls, AV, security, access or the ability to use voice control in every room.
So how do we convey the message that a truly
If they express interest in gadgets from big
useful smart home system requires professional
box stores, a few simple questions can highlight
design and installation when potential clients can
the drastic differences to professional smart
buy something like a $100 smart lighting kit at a
home systems. Do they want each room to require
hardware store? It all comes down to explaining
multiple remotes or apps that don’t work together,
the real-life experience, instead of praising
so they constantly have to switch between
technical features.
security, garage doors, lights, music, etc…? Or
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SMART THINKING do they want a seamless experience where one app controls everything, every room has the same controls and functions, and all the different systems communicate perfectly with each other?
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD JUST WORK, EVERY TIME Delivering an optimal user experience requires working with an integrator whose expertise ensures proper system design, installation, user tutorials, maintenance and troubleshooting. Again, it’s all about experience. Do potential clients want their home to be outfitted by a trusted professional with vast technology experience, or do they want to do their own research and try to cobble together a few basic products from big box stores? The hope is that showing images or videos of past projects, or giving a demo or showroom walkthrough, can help clients recognise that the power of a fully integrated system overshadows what’s possible from DIY solutions. Even if the client only wants a smart doorbell and a couple security cameras, we should make sure they know that in the future, that system may be incompatible with other systems, and that an integrated solution will be better if they have any interest in adding more technology down the line. Connecting with the clients’ specific desires is crucial to demonstrating the full value and power of integrated solutions. Whether they are music or TV buffs, host a lot of parties, travel a lot or absolutely love voice control, we can specify exactly how a professional smart home system will enhance their home experience, and explain the limits and complications of DIY solutions if they ask.
THESE AREN’T YOUR PARENTS’ SMART HOME SYSTEMS For clients who have prior experience with smart systems, the recent advances in capabilities, reliability and ease of use make these conversations and demos even more important. In short, past experiences do not reflect the current realities. To win over skeptical clients, we can rely on the experience they desire, explaining how a professional system ensures that controls are consistent from room to room, that the home can be operated through a single mobile app or wall controls, and that we know how to make everything work together seamlessly. Currently, there is no DIY solution that provides easy, consolidated control of disparate systems with any reliability. We can also stress the importance of using trusted manufacturers that won’t end product support unexpectedly, and convey our personal ability to provide ongoing maintenance or troubleshooting, just like an electrician or plumber. Physically using a professional system interface versus a DIY interface can be a lightbulb moment.
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This gets to the core of the homeowner experience and allows integrators a simple way to show how much better and more reliable a professional solution is. It can be as simple as opening a smart home app and letting them quickly navigate to lights, TV, security and climate controls, then giving them a more basic DIY app and noting the limitations and separate apps needed to have the same level of control.
DISPELLING THE DIY MYTH If a client isn’t sold by hands-on testing and insists that a DIY system could work for them, it’s worth offering a comparison. If the client tried to build their own laptop with individual components and no assistance, would it end up being as good as a leading model designed and built by professionals? Would it be frustrating to constantly troubleshoot? And if a component didn’t work correctly, would there be anyone to help fix it? If all a client wants is to add remote control to a single light switch or install a video doorbell, one-off solutions can do that. If they want all the lights in a room to be scheduled and controllable together, however, or to view their doorbell camera on their TV and have intercom capabilities through their phone, a consolidated solution is required to ensure smooth operation. Integrators must strive to provide the best experience possible for every client, and one way to gain their trust is to express their own professional experience with the systems they trust. The more we talk about the user experience in the home and our professional experience installing successful, reliable home systems, the more we can help potential clients understand that these are complex installations, just like other core infrastructure systems. We can acknowledge that DIY solutions exist while noting their severe limitations, and then pivot to explain how easy and capable a professional home automation system is. By demonstrating the superior user experience our expertise enables, we can dispel the DIY myth and help clients achieve their smart home dreams with unprecedented power and reliability.
Underlining the step change in performance from DIY systems to proper integration is key
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FUSS-FREE
RACKS
The ultra-competitive CFR 2100 Series enclosed racks just roll out of the box, while the stackable CFR 1600 Series skeleton racks come together in less than 15 minutes. Save time, cut costs, boost rewards Compatibility out-of-the-box 10-year limited warranty All racks on display at Habitech
JANUARY 2022 53
Rise Up. Reimagine. Ignite the Future. ISE 2022 unites and inspires AV professionals to meet the latest challenges with innovative solutions. The future begins in Barcelona.
Fira de Barcelona | Gran Vía 1-4 February 2022
A joint venture partnership of
Discover more iseurope.org
ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY
TRIANGLES BY CINEMA LUSSO COVERS ALL THE ANGLES Ben Goff, Director at Cinema Lusso, gives EI the inside track on this technically accomplished and attractive cinema which won the CEDIA Awards for Home Cinema Level 1 and Best Lighting. Ben explains, “This is a high-performance dedicated home theatre, with a focus on interior design, comfort and usability. The design can be split into two distinct sections in terms of allocating of the client’s budget. During our initial client interviews, it became clear that the client placed as much, if not more value on the non-technical elements of the room - leading to more than half of the total budget being spent on interior design, seating and lighting.” The basis of the technical elements with the company’s designs always begins with CEDIA Best Practice papers CEA/CEDIA CEB-22, CEB-23 and CEB-24. Additionally, standards from Dolby and published research papers inform the technical requirements.
56 JANUARY 2022
During a series of demonstrations, the client showed genuine interest in the audio performance, notably enjoying systems displaying outstanding dynamics and bass response. Ben says, “Film soundtracks can have in excess of 100dB of dynamic range. Our objective is to ensure this range is faithfully reproduced, without clipping, distortion or masking. Ensuring we have dynamic headroom throughout the playback chain ensures the full range can be reproduced at ‘Cinema Reference’ levels. In order to provide a full range from the quietest passages, to the loudest peaks, our objective is to ensure a weighted background noise level at the main listening position is under 30dB SPL.”
On bass, Ben adds, “Bass Frequencies play a large role in many movie soundtracks. In order to convey realism, this content can extend to 20Hz and below, with peaks at 115dB. Our objective is to ensure that all guests enjoy a balanced bass presentation. “Subwoofers, seating and acoustic treatment are all used to reduce both seat to seat variation and inter frequency variation. Our objective is to deliver 115dB peaks to the MLP with headroom remaining in both the drivers and amplifiers. Low frequency extension should ensure a maximum of -3dB at 26Hz and -6dB at 20Hz.” In this case the room was too small to provide true reverberation, but reflected energy can still smear detail of direct sounds. Ben says that
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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY the objective was to provide the maximise level of resolvable detail, without making the room uncomfortable to spend time in. Calculations showed that a target 0.2 second decay time would provide optimum performance. The video performance viewing angle is of obvious importance and client’s optimum horizontal viewing angle was determined during demonstrations as 50°. While this is slightly larger than standard, or the CEB23 recommendation, it was based on client preference. To achieve ideal Dynamic Range in-line with the CEB23 and DCI Digital Cinema recommendation, the project objective was to achieve a minimum of 1200:1 (full on-full off) contrast ratio and 150:1 intra-frame contrast ratio. Dark materials, in a neutral pallet were used to ensure room reflections did not cause black level clipping, masking details in dark picture areas. The cinema also aimed to deliver 100% coverage of the Rec.709 colour gamut, with a maximum Delta E of 1.0 across the entire spectrum and intensity range with no visible deviation from grey through the range of the visible brightness range. The system was also designed to support 4K content throughout the entire playback chain. The award-wining lighting design was created to make up part of the entertainment inside the room. Full colour, moving patterns are used at the beginning and end of a movie to add aesthetic impact and drama. At interview stage the team established the room must be able to comfortably seat six adults, plus additional children using an inset floor cushion. The objective was to provide the ultimate performance in the two middle seats which are used most often whilst minimising compromises to the other four.
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TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE THROUGHOUT
Furman products were used to protect and deliver clean power to all of the components included in the cinema. The main AV rack for the house holds the source devices including the Kaleidescape and Apple TV used in the cinema. The Kaleidescape is fed from a UPS which protects the whole system located in this rack. In the event of a power failure, the home’s Savant control system places the Kaleidescape into standby to prevent unsafe shutdown. The lighting is also on a different phase from the AV System promoting maximum performance from both systems. During the CEDIA Awards application process, entrants are always asked what changes to CEDIA standards were made during the creation of the cinema. Ben explains, “Our subwoofer placement does not match any of the CEB22 recommended layout suggestions. This was driven by a combination of budget and need to maximise floorspace. We placed the subwoofers tight into the front corners, but we have not got rear subwoofers as per that layout. “During our modelling, we established that with a single row of primary seating, the use of the front corners, without two rear subwoofers would produce a satisfactory seat to seat low frequency performance.” Ben continues, “The room is too small to have true reverberation with simple reflections the dominant later sound. CEB22 states that the 60dB decay time should be within 0.2 0.5 seconds to be neither too reverberant nor artificially dead. We believe this criterion is oversimplified, ignoring a possible imbalance across the frequency range within the room. Instead of the CEB22 recommendation,
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Precise control of the Kaleidescape system is achieved
we prefer to use to the formula specified by ‘Subjective assessment of audio quality – the means and methods within the EBU’ (Hoag et al. EBU Technical Review Winter 1997) which takes the room volume into account and frequency.
JANUARY 2022 57
MEMBERSHIP MEANS COMMUNITY Your CEDIA membership puts you in the centre of a thriving community of home technology integrators — a network of thousands dedicated to helping you build connections, stay competitive, and tap into new opportunities for growth. Find out about all the benefits that come with being a CEDIA member – or renew to stay connected to those resources at cedia.net/membership.
ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY The family coat-of-arms was worked into the seating
“This room is smaller than the recommended size for the formula to provide a result above the minimum recommended 0.2 seconds, so our target was adjusted to 0.2, with +/- 0.05 second tolerance. We took repeated decay measurements over multiple octaves to confirm our predictions from our Sabine Calculations. The room matched very closely to our predictions throughout the frequency spectrum.” There was another slight variation from CEDIA recommendations in terms of viewing angle, as mentioned earlier. CEDIA CEB23 sets this at 43°, however detailed client feedback and testing established that for this customer 50° was a better match as it felt more like the experience the customer had as a child when the screen felt ‘huge’. This theory was tested by inviting the client to watch a whole movie at the company’s demonstration suite with the angle adjusted to a 50° 2.4:1 image. Ben explains, “Budget did not allow for a bespoke screen, so we were limited to off the shelf sizes. With a 100in wide screen selected, we had a small amount of wiggle room with the seat position to create his ideal viewing angle. The final measured position was agreed at 50.2°– 1.07x the screen width or 2.57x the screen height. This is a large screen for the room, but well within the SMPTE closest recommended 2.0x image Height or 61.8 degrees.”
The space is for exclusive use as a cinema and a very high proportion of content watched in the room is in native 2.4:1 aspect ratio. Ben explains, “We had a limited range of projection options to achieve the 100in wide image within the available throw range. We selected the Sim2 Domino 4 due to its compact size, allowing to be comfortably placed slightly further back in the room than many other projectors with similar throw ratios. We utilised an anamorphic lens to provide additional image width, while using all of the projector’s resolution and light output for 2.4:1 content.” Going the extra mile for the customer, despite knowing that the client has only watched one movie since installation which was not in the 2.4:1 aspect ratio, the team created a special button which locks any content filmed in IMAX into 2.4:1. This is called the ‘Batman Button’ as that single movie was The Dark Knight. Options to accommodate both formats were considered but were beyond budget and the customer was happy with the result. Another key requirement in entering the CEDIA Awards is to show how the company has accommodated additional customer requirements or overcome and technical challenges. Ben reveals, “The client wanted to place his personal stamp on the room in a clear but subtle way. We decided to incorporate his family coat of arms into the upholstery of the bespoke sofa. The artwork provided was too complex to be embroidered. Our graphic designer simplified the design, replacing the family motto with
the client’s name, at his request, before being approved by the client’s father, both at design stage and a production sample.” It was also decided that all the triangle lighting panels needed to be removable for servicing and maintenance reasons. Each triangle is attached on a button fix system, allowing it to be easily removed. In the event of a triangle being damaged, it can be removed, re-upholstered and returned without taking the room out of use, or a large section of the wall out for service. Speaker placement is of course highly important in any high-performance home cinema. The first choice in this regard was to ensure the correct orientation of the room design to deliver the seating and audio performance required placing the full width window at the back of the room. Getting into the meat of the design, Ben explains, “We wanted to balance the three core elements of the audio reproduction within the available budget. With budget split between dynamic range, timbral accuracy and spatial resolution. In demos and consultation with the client we agreed that ‘quality was better than quantity’ so an extended channel count was never considered. The 5.1.2 speaker layout skewed the overall performance towards increased dynamic range and timbral accuracy in-line with client preference. We used higher quality speakers and amplifiers than would not have been possible if the budget was split further.”
All the vital elements of aesthetics and performance are combined
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JANUARY 2022 59
ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY
Essential Kit List • Anthem: AVM60
• Furman: 4 x AC210 Power Conditioner
• Artcoustic: PDA1000
• GIK Acoustics: 6 x Alpha 4A Broadband Absorption Panel with Scatter Plate
• Artcoustic: 2 x Spitfire control 1 sub • Audio Excellence: Control 48 DSP • Audio Excellence: Quatro 6 4 Channel power amplifier
• GIK Acoustics: 6 x Monster Bass Trap Bass Absorption Panel with Range Limiter technology and Scatter Plate
• Audio Excellence: 4 x Vertex 1 Audiophile In Wall Surround Speaker
• GIK Acoustics: 4 xT70 Bass Trap Tuned Membrane Bass Absorption panel - 70Hz Frequency Tuning
• Audio Excellence: 3 x Vertex 2 Audiophile In Wall Speaker - Ultra low profile
• GIK Acoustics: 8 x Verifusor 17Root QRD Diffusor
• Blustream: 4 x Precision 18gpbs HDMI 2m UHD HDMI Cable
• Ineva Seating: Bespoke Seating based on McFarland design
• 2 x Precision 18gpbs HDMI 5m cable
• Kaleidescape: STRATO 4K Ultra HD Movie Player - 6 TB
• Cinema Build System: Ultimate Track 10 Lengths of 18mm fabric track for creating acoustically transparent walls
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• Middle Atlantic: BL1 1 space (1 3/4 in.) flanged aluminium blank panel, black brushed finish
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• Middle Atlantic: LBP-6A L shaped lacing bar with 6 in. offset, 10 PC • Middle Atlantic: RSH4A5XX 5 space black brushed custom rack-shelf • ProtoPixel: 2 x 8 Channel Controller LED Controller • ProtoPixel: Node Pixel LED Scene playback device • ProtoPixel: 70 x WS2813 RGBW LED Tape LED Pixel tape, with redundant data channel • Screen Excellence: SCE Discovery 100 2.40:1 Enlightor Neo AT Screen • Sim2: Anamorphic Lens 2.40:1 Wide aspect Anamorpic Lens • Sim2: Domino 4 UHD Ultra High-Definition Cinema Projector • Somfy: Motorised Curtain Track
JANUARY 2022 61
PRODUCTS
M&K SOUND OFFERS THE X-FACTOR
Nexus 21 offers some of the most reliable and easiest to install mounting solutions on the market, breaking down the barriers of conventional design and room orientation with covert integrations for any residential or commercial space. • Cost-effective solutions that are simple to install • Safety features provide flawless operation • Linear actuation technology for smooth and quiet operation • The longest and most comprehensive warranty in the industry • Lifetime maintenance-free products
rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on
01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 13–14 Headlands Trading Estate, Headlands Grove, Swindon. SN2 7JQ
Distributor of the Year Finalist
62 JANUARY 2022
M&K Sound, a company who claims the mantel as inventors of the satellite/subwoofer speaker combination for full-range home audio reproduction, has announced the availability of three brand new THX Certified subwoofers, the X15+, X12+ and X10+. The three new subwoofers, each with M&K Sound’s signature push-pull driver configuration, build on the performance of the company’s former X Series for deeper, faster, and louder bass. Each model has achieved THX status, with the X15+ being the company’s first 15in push-pull subwoofer to be THX Certification Dominus class, whether used as a single subwoofer or as a pair. M&K Sound’s expert engineering team has also added numerous upgrades to the original X Series, including significant RMS and peak wattage power hikes to enable cleaner performance over the former X10 and X12 models, care of brand-new Danish designed and built ICE Class D power amplifiers. Highlights include updated and redesigned woofers with 30 per cent larger voice coils and magnets (X12+ and X10+) facilitate the substantial power output of the new subwoofers. Additionally, increased linear excursion ensures the handling of this available extra power without ever sacrificing sensitivity or succumbing to distortion. Massive, measured performance enhancements over the original X-Series include an ability to let the audience experience new depths with ‘feel it but can’t hear it’ bass frequencies as low as 16Hz (X15+), 18Hz (X12+) and 20Hz (X10+).
New Carbon Fibre Woofer Cones have been developed for all models with ultra-high strength and rigidity to accommodate the added power and excursion of the new X+ Series. M&K Sound’s proprietary CNCmachined extruded aluminium Distortion Killer Shorting Rings also guarantee absolute control and exemplary, distortion-free performance in all settings. M&K Sound’s Push-Pull subwoofer architecture and ‘reversed double driver’ non-isobaric configuration means that both drivers in the cabinet are ‘exposed’ to room air. Consequently, and like the X-Series before it, the X+ Series models are effectively two subwoofers in one cabinet enabling a further associated reduction in distortion. M&K Sound mksound.com
The X+ Series will be available in January 2022
MAGICO ANNOUNCES THE BIRTH OF A TITAN Magico LLC, high-performance loudspeaker designer and maker, has announced the TITAN 15: a new pinnacle of Magico engineering and design vision for the ultimate subwoofer. The TITAN 15 is designed to reproduce low frequency sounds with realistic force and energy. Billed as setting a new benchmark in powered subwoofer design, the TITAN 15 features a sophisticated control centre, dual-opposed force cancelling driver arrangement with a massive, sealed aluminium enclosure. This subwoofer design extends beyond the bandwidth of human hearing (>20Hz) into infrasonic levels and expands the dimensional sound field in any room space with unparalleled low bass performance, says the maker. The 15-inch driver in the TITAN 15 is optimized to deliver maximum output levels (136 dB) while minimizing music related distortions at 20Hz (>1% THD). The incredibly stiff aluminium cone is formed with an optimized stiffness to weight ratio and includes a 4-inch high-temperature voice coil attached to a custom tooled 10-inch dual progressive spider which facilitates 1.6-inches of linear travel in each direction. Each driver has a massive motor system which can handle 3200-watts of continuous power and features a super stabilized magnetic field with multiple aluminium shorting rings to stabilize inductance and minimize distortion.
The enclosure design of the TITAN 15 follows the QSUB design platform and uses innovative internal bracing along with advanced damping materials. The thick aluminium sealed enclosure has been carefully designed and evaluated both in simulation and physical testing to meet the no-holds barred approach of Magico when it comes to enclosure rigidity, stability, and minimum acoustical contribution. The TITAN 15 includes two powerful 3200watt Class D amplifiers governed by a state-of-theart electronic crossover and DSP control center designed by Magico that enables the user to precisely calibrate and match the TITAN 15 subwoofer to the main L/R loudspeakers and listening room. Magico magico.net
System integration and operation is enhanced with multiple inputs, 3-presets, auto signal detection, auto shutdown, clipping sensor and thermal protection
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R6225 SERIES
19” Convertible Wall Mount Rack Enclosure With Removable Shell Swap between secured enclosure and open form rack in moments
The freedom of an open frame and the security of a sealed cabinet The latest design in our 19” range offers rack builders and AV installers an enclosure with more freedom than ever before. The R6225 wall mount enclosures provide total accessibility on demand as well as rock-solid security when needed. The steel outer shell disengages to slide off independently from interior cables and devices to provide quick and convenient access to the rack anytime. When the shell is secured to the rack frame, security is assured with a lockable front door and high quality steel construction throughout. Choose to go open form and make device installation and management a breeze - no more struggle trying to work inside awkward and difficult to access enclosures!
AVAILABLE IN SIZES 4U-12U Wall Mount Bracket Included
WATCH VIDEO: Cable access at top, base & back | Lockable and reversible drop-pin front door | Integrated cable management
Shop: PennElcomOnline.com
Catalogue: Penn-Elcom.com
Prestigious yet affordable
Motion CI series
MDA8
The Motion CI series
With Martin Logan’s prestige, acclaimed sound quality and a high-end fit and finish that provides a discreet luxurious feel, what isn’t there to like? Whether you listen to music, movies or a little bit of everything, Motion CI gives you a true high-end audio experience at an outstanding price.
MDA16
The MDA series
Martin Logan also offers power with the robust MDA models - fully matrixed distributed audio with easy-touse independent room correction for each loudspeaker. MDA Series is the most flexible and adaptive distribution solution available today, delivering dramatic levels of performance where it matters - in the room.
These models are a small selection of Martin Logan’s vast CI portfolio. If you want to know more, please get in touch.
T 01767 686300 sales@pmc-speakers.com
PRODUCTS
LYNGDORF LAUNCHES CI SPEAKER RANGE The D-5 is a two-way speaker with a midrange driver and soft dome tweeter in a versatile square cabinet. The midrange driver and tweeter are mounted closely together, which provides an even sound radiation and helps integrate the D-5 as surround speakers. The second model D-5 IC features an angled, adjustable tweeter. LS stands for line source – specifically
The Discreet, LS, and BW models will be available in Q1 2022
designed for installations where reduced floor and ceiling reflections and a uniform sound dispersion
Lyngdorf Audio has announced the launch of its first custom installation loudspeakers. The range consists of four models in the Discreet series, three models in the LS series and one BW boundary woofer. D stands for discreet - the D-500 models are designed as full-range custom installation in-wall speakers, with two passive woofers complementing the midrange driver and tweeter. This makes the D-500 easy to drive while reaching below 50Hz and suitable for systems without a subwoofer in smaller or medium sized rooms, or as full range in-wall speakers in a stereo setup left and right of a TV. Two models are available: The D-500 is an upright, vertical loudspeaker, while the D-500 Centre incorporates the same drive-units in a horizontal design better suited for placement below a TV or behind a transparent screen.
are required to achieve the best sound experience, for example for longer or wider listening areas. Four LS-1000 modules combined create a line source, providing a speaker with high resolution, high dynamic range, and high sensitivity. Due to the multiple tweeters and midrange drivers, the seating height does not matter as much as with conventional speakers. The BW-20 is a high-performance passive woofer with two 12in woofers in a large, rigid cabinet, to be used as a subwoofer or LFE in custom installations. Lyngdorf Audio lyngdorf.steinwaylyngdorf.com
IC Realtime develops new technologies and practical solutions to the newest challenges the video security world is faced with today, including AI enhanced object detection and tracking and even facial recognition capabilities. • Less than 1% failure rate since 2006! • Flexible software that is backwards compatible with all IC Realtime products
PEARL PARTNERS AIRPLAY Cabasse has announced the compatibility of the whole PEARL collection with AirPlay joining the Pearl Keshi (2.1 system) and Pearl Pelegrina that are already compatible with AirPlay. The update further reinforces the positioning and the technological advances of Cabasse Group in terms of convergence between different platforms, Wi-Fi protocols and high-resolution connected audio. This automatic software update has been deployed on all speakers from the Pearl Collection, a range of nine high-end systems; Pearl, Akoya, Sub, Pelegrina and Keshi. Users can now see their speakers in the AirPlay interfaces of their Apple products. As a minimum iOS 13.4 (or later) is required for use with iPhones. Following the desire of the brand to offer software updates to its older connected products, all models from the Cabasse streaming (Wi-Fi) range (Stream 1, Stream Source, Stream Amp, Stream Bar, Stream Base And Stream 3) now also support AirPlay as long as the speaker is paired (via the StreamCONTROL application) with a recent speaker from the Pearl Collection. Streaming audio files with Apple AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad to a Cabasse product is simple. Go to the Control Centre of any compatible device and tap on the AirPlay icon. Users can also stream audio from a Mac to Cabasse speakers (go to
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your settings in System Preferences/Sound, then select AirPlay) and play audio streams from iOS applications such as Apple Music. It’s possible to select one or more Cabasse products to stream the same audio to all speakers using AirPlay technology. If two Cabasse speakers are used in stereo in the same room, grouping them together in the Cabasse StreamCONTROL
• Exceptional 3rd party integration with control system manufacturers • Premium quality components, including I-Sniper chip sets, Sony image sensors, Intel and AMD processors • Backed by long warranties
application, rather than using the AirPlay multiroom feature is recommended to enjoy stereo listening. Cabasse cabasse.com Compatibility between AirPlay and Cabasse has expanded
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rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on
01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 13–14 Headlands Trading Estate, Headlands Grove, Swindon. SN2 7JQ
Distributor of the Year Finalist
JANUARY 2022 65
PRODUCTS
X MARKS THE SPOT FOR REDLINE AND VELODYNE
Installers Infrastructure solutions... Huge range of infrastructure brands stocked covering racks, cables, networking, power management and switching Almost 30 years of industry knowledge from skilled technical product specialists Outstanding support, including a range of professional services to support client specifications and installation
Switching
The Velodyne MicroVee X is now shipping from Redline, this new evolution in compact bass delivery builds on the success of the MicroVee story by adding performance improvements across the board. An obvious and key feature of the original MicroVee was the cabinet size and this version keeps very similar dimensions (W/H/D 23cm x 23cm x 25cm) delivering the same space saving and placement flexibility as before. Exclusive Velodyne technologies include the Digital Drive Control System (DDCS) partnered with a powerful, high current, Class AB amplifier to ensure precise and low-distortion bass reproduction. Bass extension has improved over the previous model quite considerably and the amplifier is furnished with an expertly controlled 800W of power giving the unit the precision it needs to deliver the performance Velodyne is known for. The DDCS, an active signal-based approach that delivers linear cone movement controlling the unit’s frequency and distortion characteristics, means the MicroVee X manages to reduce distortion to only around 1/6th of the values of comparable and competing subwoofers, says
the distributor. Although the output on paper is lower in watts per channel when compared to its predecessor (both peak and RMS), the current capability of the new amp design is substantially higher than the MK II delivering a considerable uptick in performance for the MicroVee X. As a result of these improvements, the MicroVee X can also play about 15% louder right across the frequency range when compared to previous models in the range. The 6.5in active driver is combined with two side-mounted passive radiators of the same size, producing robust, musical bass. Velodyne Acoustics’ Subwoofer Direct feature is also included and this gives the option to bypasses the internal crossover, for improved performance. Velodyne has also included the patented Energy Recovery System increasing the efficiency of the unit. This is one of the key features which allows the product to deliver such strong performance from a small form factor. Redline red-line.co.uk
Switching
The unit takes gaming and home cinema performance in its stride making it a genuine multi-application sub Racks
Mounts
Networks
Racks
Power management
Networks
HDMI cables
Fibre cables
PDU's & monitoring
Mounts
Available from the experts at
rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on
01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 13–14 Headlands Trading Estate Headlands Grove, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN2 7JQ
66 JANUARY 2022
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CRESTRON HOME. SIMPLY SMART. The fast, simple setup you want. The dynamic and intuitive home control experience your clients demand. On one intelligent platform. Crestron Home helps you optimize and maximize your business while making your clients’ homes more secure, comfortable, and convenient. Who says you can’t have it all.
crestron.com/crestronhome All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2021 Crestron Electronics, Inc.
PRODUCTS
ATLAS ROCKS THE BLOCK Atlas Cables has launched the Eos Modular
significant RFI screening is achieved. Rubber
• Conductive Aluminium Rf enclosure
2.5 power distribution block. The Eos 2.5 from
studs or conical spikes provide an additional
• 2.5mm2 conductors throughout the chain
Atlas has been designed to replace existing
level of mechanical isolation or coupling, with an
• Drain to ground external binding post provision
cheap multiway power blocks with something
integral wall mounting option.
• Isolation spikes and feet for every mounting possibility
better, a quality connection. The Eos Modular 2.5 block is housed in an elegant aluminium chassis, internally wired with 2.5mm² copper conductors,
ensuring
unimpeded
power
transmission between individual sockets with minimal resistive losses. Most homes exist in an electrically noisy soup, permeated by all manner of potential
An integrated direct ground drain path for screened interconnects and cables featuring the company’s Grun Coherent Earth system reduces the system noise floor still further, typically removing the digital ‘glare’ which is a
• Design to compliment Eos screened power cables All variant shipping this week with the UK retail price of £395.00
typical symptom of RFI/EMI noise degrading
Atlas Cables
the audio signal.
atlascables.com
interference. The ‘household’ mains distribution
Product highlights
blocks and extensions often used for audio/AV
• Low contact resistance sockets
systems can actually contribute to performance
• Wall mounting
degradation, offering little in the way of shielding, and typically incorporating noisy neon power indicators, fuse holders and lowgrade wiring/bus-bars which are all points of weakness. The Eos 2.5 is a robust, no-nonsense screened power extension block designed and built to deliver unimpeded power to audio system components. Housed in a highly conductive aluminium chassis, each socket is optimised for low contact resistance and minimal resistive losses. When used in conjunction with Eos dd, Eos 4dd or Eos Superior screened mains cables,
Available now, the UK retail price is quoted as £395.00
OMNIA IS AN ALL-ROUNDER Omnia’s transport mechanism is engineered to make the most of any still-treasured CD collection, incorporating a high-precision optical system and low-friction loading tray, with an electronic data buffer and sturdy aluminium base and chassis to tackle vibration. For vinyl lovers, the integral MM phono stage Inlaid in the centre of the Omnia’s aluminium front panel is a 4.3in full-colour screen, ready to display all sorts of information
features a high-quality, low-noise, JFET-based
New from Audiolab, the Omnia is housed in an
component – ensures that however it is used,
add a turntable. Other external sources can be
attractively engineered aluminium enclosure
the Omnia delivers a level of sonic performance
with a crisp, minimalist aesthetic. The Omnia
more readily expected of bulkier and more
connected via a range of digital (asynchronous
offers support for digital streaming to physical
expensive multi-component systems.
circuit with precise RIAA equalisation – just
USB and S/PDIF) and line-level analogue inputs, utilising the Omnia’s high-performance
CD and vinyl collections. It sports an integrated
Omnia supports hi-res network streaming
CD player, extensive inputs for external sources
over dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet cable,
DAC, analogue preamp and power amp stages.
– including a phono stage for a turntable – hi-
alongside Bluetooth for wireless reception from
Further versatility is provided by the ability to
res network streaming, the ability to form part
smartphones, tablets and so on. But Audiolab
bypass the separate amp stages, giving the
of a synchronised multi-room system and
recognises that plenty of people continue
high-quality amplification to make the most of
to own, and wish to listen to, physical music
option to connect an external preamplifier or
whichever speakers or headphones the user
collections – however you choose to play your
chooses to partner it with. Most importantly,
music, the Omnia has it covered.
says the maker, the quality of its internal
These days, an integrated CD player is
design – right down to each individual circuit
rare to find in a single-box music system. The
68 JANUARY 2022
power amplifier. Audiolab audiolab.co.uk
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HOME OF LUTRON We can offer the most inspirational design possibilities from the entire Lutron residential range, including HomeWorks, HomeWorks Wireless and RA2 Select, and with our specialist on hand, help you to create the ultimate in lighting luxury and sophistication for your customers.
Visit habitech.co.uk for further information or meet us at Basingstoke for the full Lutron experience. www.habitech.co.uk | 01256 638500 | sales@habitech.co.uk
