OCTOBER 2020
THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY
Introducing
LOUDSPEAKERS PERFECT FORM AND FUNCTION
TOUCHSCREENS AND PROGRAMMING THE FUTURE IS NOW
OFFICE, BOARDROOM, HOME OFFICE SOME HOME TRUTHS?
16x16 4K 18Gbps MATR IX SU P P OR TING
NEW C U S T O M P R O
The Custom Pro Matrix has been specifically designed to operate in challenging AV environments. Its robust housing and interlocking board configuration make both installation and maintenance a seamless experience. Advanced optional features include audio breakout, simultaneous HDBaseT™ / HDMI outputs, RS-232 pass through, and a web browser interface module for enhanced control and configuration.
PRO16HBT100CS
Custom Pro Matrix Hub featuring 16 x HDMI 2.0 inputs, 16 x HDBaseT™ outputs (4K 60Hz 4:4:4 to 70m, 1080p up to 100m) and 12 x simultaneous HDMI 2.0 outputs. J Supports 4K UHD video up to 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 (18Gbps) over HDBaseT™ using Colour Space Conversion up to 70m at 4K 60Hz 4:4:4, or up to 100m at 1080p J 16 x analogue L/R audio inputs which can be embedded onto corresponding HDMI / HDBaseT™ zone outputs J Audio breakout board with line-level volume control J 3rd Party drivers available for major commercial & residential control brands
Blustream_EI_MAY_2020.indd All Pages
4K HDR up to 40m
PRO88HBT70CS
Custom Pro 8x8 HDBaseT™ CSC Matrix (4K 60Hz 4:4:4 up to 40m) Supports 4K HDR, IP Control, PoH, 2-Way IR, 4 x Simultaneous HDMI outputs , Audio Breakout with volume control J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification over HDBaseT™ J Supports 4K resolutions including HDR (4K 60Hz 4:4:4) to a distance of 40m
J Smart Scale technology - automatic 4K to 1080p scaling
1080p up to 150m
HEX100CS-KIT
HEX150CS-KIT
100m HDBaseT™ Extender Set Supporting 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 (70m)
HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set Supporting HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 up to 100m (1080p up to 150m)
J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering CSC scaling with zero latency J Supports 4K UHD video up to 70m (3840x2160 @60Hz 4:4:4 and @60Hz 4:2:2 including HDR)
J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR support
M U L T I C A S T
IP200UHD-RX/TX Multicast 4K UHD Video Receiver / Transmitter J Supports up to 4K HDR UHD video sources (3840 x 2160 @30Hz 4:4:4, 4096 x 2160 @24Hz 4:4:4 and 4K @60Hz 4:2:0) J Advanced signal management for independent routing of IR, RS-232, USB/KVM, audio and video
C O N T R A C T O R
4 K
U H D
V I D E O
O V E R
I P
S E R I E S
C44-KIT Contractor 4x4 HDBaseT™ Matrix Kit J Includes 4 x HEX70B-RX HDBaseT™ Receivers
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.
27/05/2020 17:45
18 36
28 24
CONTENTS
October 2020
4 FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR
61 ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS
7 ESSENTIAL NEWS
FEATURES
It’s home time!
What’s going on?
16 HDANYWHERE
XTND-ED Performance
18 PULSE CINEMAS
Lighting the way with Lutron
22 ESSENTIAL CEDIA
Selling human centric lighting
34 SMART THINKING
Top toys to take away
14 AWE AND RING
One Ring to rule them all?
BOARDROOM, OFFICE AND HOME OFFICE 24 COVID-19 IMPACT
Greg Jeffreys, Director, Visual Displays
28 FLUID AND FLEXIBLE, THE FUTURE OF OFFICE TECH
Carl Standertskjold-Nordenstam, European Corporate Segment Marketing Manager, Sony
The heat is on!
54 ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY
Zebra Home Cinema earns its stripes
31 HITTING A HOME OFFICE HOME RUN! Mark Booth, Managing Director, Gira UK
YOUR DISTRIBUTOR F www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk
52 16 49 TOUCHSCREENS, REMOTES AND PROGRAMMING
49 MAKING MUSIC MATTER
36 THE LANGUAGE BARRIER
51 SPIRIT OF RADIO
36 DEDICATION IS WHAT YOU NEED!
52 HEAR YE, HEAR YE!
Ai Pheng Yeap, Global Marketing Manager, Monitor Audio
Cliff Stammers on the future
WiSA words from Karma AV’s Ian Severs
Vincent J. Bova, Director of Dealer Experience, RTI
Origin Acoustics expands its Director Collection
38 CONFIGURATION, CONTROL AND CONFORMITY Richard Caton, founder of Janus Technology
LOUDSPEAKERS 45 PMC PERFORMANCE
PMC partners the Rolling Stones
R FOR Smart Home www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk
OCTOBER 2020
THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY
Introducing
pages 20-21
LOUDSPEAKERS PERFECT FORM AND FUNCTION
OCTOBER
OFFICE SPACE This month EI has a feature entitled Office and Boardrooms, except we don’t - it’s been changed to Office Boardrooms and the Home Office. The reason? EI feels there is huge potential in the home office sector. We have included an Office and Boardroom feature for many years and why not? It was and will continue to be a lucrative sector. Providing SMEs or bigger firms with the environments needed to be effective, with positive working environments and connectivity via video conferencing and AV presentation systems, has been a popular avenue for installers for a long time. Perhaps the sector will also expand as firms look again at their communication and AV needs as a post COVID-19 world reshapes how groups of workers communicate and, most importantly, where they do it. Often one of the biggest costs a business will have is the rental on its building, and right now businesses up and down the UK are looking at that cost and wondering if they can cope with less space and more home working. Even if a business owns its building, many are looking at that asset in a different way, perhaps renting it to a firm that needs the space more. All potentially good news for the installer. However, there is another big factor here to consider and something that could birth an entirely new sector for the industry to support - the home office. Loads of people are now thinking, the home office? We already do that, nothing new and you are right; however, can we go further? Much further than we do now?
RIP UP THE RULE BOOK
EI’s own experience of well over a decade of operating a home office has underlined that there is way more to having a home office than the obvious basics of the equipment needed to do the job. There is a million miles between putting a
04 OCTOBER 2020
computer and desk in a spare bedroom and creating a genuine, bespoke ergonomic and welcoming work environment. Obviously the home worker needs reliability, connectivity and the tools do their job, but what about lighting to create the right mood right throughout the day? Many people like to listen to music when they work, why not make that experience all it can be? Want to take a break? A games console cunningly integrated into the AV will pay dividends, so why struggle with a tiny laptop screen when you can have so much more?. Many of the approaches to setting up a work station have been created by the corporate world, they are designed to provide visibility for management and save space. Working from home provides consumers with a whole new opportunity to express themselves, but many people still attempt to recreate what they had when they were going into an office, more out of habit than anything. Installers have the opportunity to completely reinvent home working and make the home office not somewhere to endure, but maybe even the user’s favourite room in the house. In the same way we create a home cinema built around customers’ priorities and tastes, as the number of home workers grows - as it surely will in the coming years we have the potential to provide the same for huge numbers of people for their work. Daniel J Sait Editor
Opportunity exists for installers to replace sterile corporate environments with stimulating home offices that re-write the rules of working
TOUCHSCREENS AND PROGRAMMING THE FUTURE IS NOW
OFFICE, BOARDROOM, HOME OFFICE SOME HOME TRUTHS?
GETTING IN TOUCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com
SALES DIRECTOR
Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com
GROUP AD MANAGER
Claire Talty, claire@allthingsmedialtd.com
PUBLISHER
David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Mark Weller, mark@allthingsmedialtd.com
ACCOUNTS
susan@allthingsmedialtd.com
BUSINESS SUPPORT ADMINISTRATOR carol@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.
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NEWS
NEWS ESSENTIAL PEOPLE Immersive audio brand StormAudio has expanded its workforce with new additions, as Matthew Trinklein joins the North American Team as Regional Sales & Engineering Support Manager and Yohann Simon joins the company’s Software Development Team based in France. Matthew is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Most recently he was Product Development Manager with Wisdom Audio where he was responsible for many of the company’s recent product releases. StormAudio National Sales Manager, Gary Blouse, said, “We are extremely happy to have Matthew join the StormAudio team. He will be a tremendous asset to our sales and engineering efforts.” Yohann graduated from Polytech Nantes with a Master in Electronics and Digital Technologies. During the last six months he has been an intern at StormAudio working on new technologies for future products and features. He will continue working on these projects with an emphasis on DSP-based technologies. “These additions to the StormAudio team will enable us to continue building on the momentum we have had in the past two years,” said Olivier Thumerel, CEO. “Matthew’s wide set of skills will be of great value to help us continue improving our service to our American customers while Yohann’s expertise and passion in digital audio will enable us to continue our work in R&D to stay on the frontline of new immersive audio technologies.” Atlona has added AV industry experts to its EMEA sales and engineering team. Mustafa Bostanci and Timo
Schonmeier bring a wealth of AV and IT knowledge and problem-solving experience to Atlona that will directly address changing customer requirements. Mustafa and Timo join Atlona as Sales Engineer and Technical Sales Engineer forNetworked AV respectively, effective immediately. Both report to Kobi Levy, Director of Technical Services, and are based at the company’s Customer Briefing Centre (CBC) in Frankfurt, Germany. Timo joins Atlona from AVI-SPL in Germany, where as Lead Technician he oversaw the installation, inspection and approval of AV systems and collaboration solutions for end customers. His expertise in software solutions is particularly beneficial for Atlona partners and end users transitioning to AV over IP systems. Mustafa also brings 12 years of experience as an IT and network technician with Messe Frankfurt, a well-known trade fair and event organiser, where he managed installation, operation and technical support of AV and IT systems. In his new role, Mustafa will help Atlona partners and dealers develop IP and circuit-based AV systems, and support both customers and Atlona sales managers through all design and documentation processes. Timo is an experienced system support engineer that joins Atlona from Extron, where he took on roles of increasing responsibility over an eight-year period. At Atlona, Timo will assist customers in the development of AV system designs and documentation, while also helping customers identify and problem-solve technical challenges across every step of the sales, integration and commissioning journey.
New recruits to the Invision family Mustafa Bostanci
Matthew Trinklein
Yohann Simon
New Savant Pro Remote X2 Completely redesigned in an all-new sleek and minimalist design, the new X2 features a 3.1” touch screen with voice control and Siri integration, end-user personalisation features, multi-room support, and quick touchscreen access to Savant scenes, settings and services. Available in a range of finishes, including Jet Black and Rose Gold, contact us to order your Pro Remote X2 now!
For further information on Savant, contact the industry professionals at RGB Communications.
A NEW DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR INVISION Invision, distributor of smart home technology, has announced a new distribution deal with global network solutions provider, Ubiquiti. Developing high-performance networking solutions, Ubiquiti’s innovations provide clever mechanical designs with ease of use to customers around the world. Its UniFi platform is an enterprise networking system that combines business-class performance, unlimited scalability, a centralised management controller and disruptive pricing. Quick mobile setup allows for rapid deployment of access points across projects, while the Ubiquiti remote access functionality makes it an ideal solution for residential installers. Using the dashboard app – devices, clients, statistics, insights, alerts, events, and detailed information on the project can be viewed and monitored. In addition, configuration and the
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upgrading of devices is accessible from almost anywhere in the world. Mark Taylor, Commercial Director at Invision, said, “We are pleased to welcome Ubiquiti to our portfolio. Their products are well known in the custom install industry and are easy-to-use solutions for building powerful networks. “Here at Invision, we pride ourselves on providing professional grade IP networking solutions to custom installers, and this is a welcome addition. We look forward to working with the Ubiquiti team.” Invision invisionuk.com
rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on
01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY
Distributor of the Year Finalist
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NEWS
ISE POSTPONED TO JUNE 2021 What follows is the official statement from ISE - more details will be published as soon as we get them. At time of press no more official news has been released, but the date for the show is now posted on the official website as June 1-4, 2021. After a period of consultation with the industry and the impact of the ongoing pandemic, Integrated Systems Events announce that ISE, scheduled for 2-5 February, has been postponed and will now take place in June, dates tbc, alongside a virtual offering. Additionally, ISE will launch RISE Digital, a regular programme of content and networking events which will run throughout the year and support the live show. We’ve been monitoring the conditions in Europe since the beginning of this year and have worked hard on your behalf to balance health and safety concerns with the need for commerce and F2F interaction. These two factors have had shifting weight throughout the calendar year and although we’ve felt confident and hopeful regarding delivering this show in February, we’ve come to the conclusion that the best option for all of us is to delay the show edition until June 2021.
“The health and safety of our team, exhibiting companies, industry partners and attendees is our number one priority,” said Mike Blackman, Managing Director, Integrated Systems Events. “Given the understandable concerns among all of our stakeholders regarding coronavirus, and the uncertainty regarding travel restrictions and country lockdowns, we have concluded it is not prudent to maintain our original schedule of an in-person February 2021 trade show.” “From our many conversations, it is clear the industry can’t wait to get back together doing business face to face and we are committed to delivering an engaging and safe in-person ISE in 2021. We feel by moving the event to June, it provides time for the industry to adapt and restore balance. We look forward to hosting the global AV community in our new home in Barcelona.” ISE https://isevents.org/
Enjoy personalised and flexible smart lighting and shade control for any home and budget, with RA2 Select.
NEW LAND SOLUTIONS UNVEILS ‘DIGITAL BUTLER’ SERVICE New Land Solutions, one of the UK’s leading smart technology installation companies, has announced the launch of a new remote smart home management and maintenance service. Having installed some of the country’s most impressive smart home and office systems, from Medieval Manors to Shoreditch Showrooms, the company is now making its expertise available to all smart home users. The concept and capabilities behind the new Digital Butler service developed out of the aftercare service New Land provides for some of its high profile clients. Luke Newland, Director of New Land Solutions, commented, “Remote monitoring and engineer support is crucial when you’re running integrated systems throughout estates which span several square miles, or entire office blocks.” But, he noted, the potential application of such management is becoming much more widespread: “Smart home tech is such a rapidly evolving space, and it’s becoming so advanced but also much more widely available than when I came to the sector 15 years ago, which is really exciting. But in that time, I’ve realised not all users understand the potential these technologies have to improve our daily lives.” The membership-based Digital Butler service aims to fill that gap: combining remote system management and preventative maintenance to ensure a fully optimised, stress-free smart home experience, with personalised packages available to suit all systems.
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Whole home lighting control made simple with RA2 Select
Engineer call-outs will be available across the South of England, but because so much of the service is carried out remotely, Digital Butler will be able to manage smart-homes anywhere in the world. This could be something of particular value to second home owners, as one New Land client discovered when approaching their holiday home by helicopter in foggy conditions; the remote management team were able to activate a security camera by the estate’s helicopter pad and stream the footage to the client’s smartphone, allowing the pilot to land safely. Luke hopes not all their interventions will be so dramatic, however. He added, “We want people to be able to enjoy their smart homes, safe in the knowledge our team are dealing with the technicalities in the background. Ideally, the first members will hear of faults will be in their weekly report, after they’ve been resolved.” New Land Solutions newland.solutions thedigitalbutler.com
Adjust your lighting to suit your mood with Lutron’s range of control interfaces, including easy to use plug-in dimmers that add smart dimming to any table or floor lamp.
For further information on Lutron, contact the industry professionals at RGB Communications.
rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on
01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY
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NEWS
Z-WAVE GOES LONG RANGE The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards organisation dedicated to developing and advancing the popular Z-Wave wireless smart home protocol, has announced the new Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR) specification. Engineered to provide significantly extended wireless range and support robust networks, Z-Wave LR extends Z-Wave connectivity beyond the interior boundaries of the home to improve the wireless transmission range of peripheral Z-Wave devices such as door locks, garage door sensors and gate access solutions, while increasing scalability to over 2,000 nodes on a single smart home network. Developed and managed by the new Z-Wave Alliance Technical & Certifications workgroup, Z-Wave LR ushers in a new era of Z-Wave connectivity and brings expanded options for the smart home, multidwelling units and hospitality use cases.
INCREASED COVERAGE To ensure complete home or building coverage, or to expand the network into the garden, most Z-Wave installations today leverage Z-Wave repeaters to strengthen and expand coverage. Z-Wave LR eliminates the need for a repeater within the network by increasing the transmission range found in Z-Wave. Increased range unlocks new potential for Z-Wave networks, making it easier than ever before to enrol smart home and IoT devices deployed at the end of the garden or beyond for enhanced functionality.
INCREASED SCALABILITY As the average number of installed smart home devices continues to increase, so too does the strain on the network. To support the upward trend in the number of sensor and IoT devices within homes and MDU environments, Z-Wave LR also increases scalability on a single smart home network to over 2,000 nodes – a 10 times increase from Z-Wave.
OPTIMISED BATTERY LIFE With dynamic power control to optimise operation, Z-Wave LR increases typical sensor use cases on a coin cell battery up to 10 years. As with all certified Z-Wave devices, Z-Wave LR devices can be installed within any Z-Wave network and feature interoperability and backwards compatibility with any previously installed Z-Wave device.
CERTIFICATION The Z-Wave LR specification will be managed and certified under the Z-Wave Plus V2 certification program, which currently mandates the inclusion of the enhanced S2 security framework as well as SmartStart, a setup feature that enables true plug and play for the consumer smart home. “The Z-Wave LR specification is the first of many technical developments to come from within the new Alliance standards development organisational structure,” said Mitchell Klein, Executive Director of Z-Wave Alliance. “As smart home networks continue to grow, mature, and add more complex devices, there is a need for more robust technology to support them. With Z-Wave LR, we are building upon Z-Wave’s legacy of strong networks by supporting more devices in a home or building with increased node counts and greater range. It’s more important than ever that IoT devices live on strong, reliable networks, and we’re excited to support this with the latest Z-Wave specification.” Z-Wave Alliance z-wavealliance.org
Stay protected with the Artnovion MedLine series Artnovion’s range of MedLine-Cleanable products are specifically designed to protect against infection whilst providing high-quality acoustic treatments for any workplace. Available in a range of solutions and antimicrobial materials, the MedLine series provide protection against all other agents and can also be cleaned with COVID-19 killing disinfectants.
For further information on Artnovion, contact the industry professionals at RGB Communications.
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Backward Compatible • S2 Security • SmartStart • OTA
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OCTOBER 2020 11 EI Strip Ads September.indd 3
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NEWS
IDLES, FUTURE ISLANDS, A$AP FERG, PERFUME GENIUS, ADIA VICTORIA JOIN SONOS RADIO Since launching in April, Sonos Radio with its original programming has quickly become a fan favourite, says the platform, giving listeners unrestricted access to up-and-coming artists and industry-leading musicians through interviews and hand-curated mixes that showcase the stories and passions behind the music. Building on its past programming from Phoebe
NEW SONOS SOUND SYSTEM RADIO HOUR LINE-UP • Fontaines D.C. (Sep 16) • Michael Kiwanuka (Sep 23) • Adia Victoria (Sep 30)
Bridgers, David Byrne, Khruangbin and more,
• Sleaford Mods
Sonos Radio has now announced its new line-up
• Serpentwithfeet
of upcoming artist collaborations on Sonos Sound System, including Future Islands, A$AP Ferg,
• Laurie Anderson
Perfume Genius, Adia Victoria and IDLES. Each
• Beverly Glenn-Copeland
Wednesday, a new artist will host a radio hour show
• Geoff Barrow
to share commentary about the influences that have shaped their work before taking listeners through
• Dinner Party
a hand-selected mixtape of tracks they’ve been
• IDLES
listening to.
• Perfume Genius
First up, listeners got a chance to enjoy an hour with British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka
• Future Islands
(Wednesday,
• A$AP Ferg
September
23),
which
is
also
available in the Sonos app. Plus, if you missed the new Fontaines D.C. radio hour last week, you can
• Georgia Anne Muldrow
catch the full archive of radio hours 24 hours after premiering through the Sonos Sound System Archive
Sonos
at mixcloud.com/sonos and in the Mixcloud app.
sonos.com/en-gb/sonos-radio
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OCTOBER 2020 13
ESSENTIAL AWE
AWE AND RING BRING SMART SECURITY TO INTEGRATORS A 2019 survey of the smart security space (Futuresource) included smart security cameras, video doorbells, locks and detectors, showing a 37% uptick in shipments in 2019, globally. Of those categories, video doorbells witnessed the greatest increase, with a 57% shipment growth in 2019 alone. Consumers are increasingly comfortable with connected devices and previous resistance is falling away and being replaced with a desire for practicality and accessibility. Security products regularly feature within homeowners’ top likelihood-to-buy for smart technology. Older generations are also accepting and recognising that being connected to your family is a real benefit, and that includes the peace of mind that comes from securely sharing selected video feeds or notifications with their loved ones. This trend will continue, with desirable high-end functionality and features becoming more accessible to more people, with AWE’s successful launch of Ring X Line being a testament to that.
RING X LINE In August 2020, AWE was announced as the UK Residential Integration market channel partner for the Ring X Line. X Line is a premiumlevel group of Ring devices and subscription bundles designed specifically for professional integrators and their customers.
14 OCTOBER 2020
“This is the product our market has been waiting for – it’s one of those rare game changers for our industry,” comments Stuart Tickle, Managing Director of AWE. “Custom install has been around for decades, but there are moments when technology improvements mean that consumer brands become key influencers in an otherwise specialised market. This is one of those moments. “The focus needs to be on providing support to customers that give them the best possible experience and that is why we have seen some consumer orientated products win in that space – either with a standalone product range or sitting within racks fully integrated into a custom installation. Ring is a household name, and the X Line range is dedicated to the integration market with a host of massive value adds, being installation only with additional warranty and additional benefits exclusive to X Line.” The Ring X Line is tailored for professional integrators who are looking for ways to provide better value and a more seamless installation process for clients. Each X Line bundle is built around a Ring Video Doorbell or Security Cam and includes a Ring Protect Basic subscription for the lifetime of the device, along with a fouryear limited warranty. With the ability to add more complementary devices including the Ring Alarm Security System, integrators can create a comprehensive home security system. Andrew Vloyanetes, General Manager, Installed Solutions at Ring says, “At Ring, we care about providing our customers with many options so that they can set up the best security system for their individual needs and ensure they have the best possible experience with our products and services. We’re thrilled to bring X Line to the UK and to introduce these six premium bundles to professional installers, looking to support their customers with a choice of effective, affordable home security solutions. With AWE’s excellent industry knowledge and award-winning customer service and support, they are a great partner for Ring X Line in this marketplace.”
PRODUCTS
Ring offers six unique bundles to make the professional installation process a more affordable and more efficient experience for both integrators and their customers.
VIDEO DOORBELLS
Ring video doorbells all offer 1080P video, dual band Wi-Fi and motion detection, as well as features such as privacy zones and twoway audio. These models are all compatible with Alexa enabled devices and can be accessed through Android, iOS, or desktop PC applications.
• Ring Video Doorbell Elite X (£449) is a professional-grade flush mount doorbell that is powered by PoE. If there isn’t network cabling to the front door, integrators can simultaneously use a local PoE injector to power the doorbell and use dual band Wi-Fi for live view and two-way audio. Naturally, cable is king, but the Elite X gives you the flexibility to work either way. The adjustable motion detection is pixel-based, so it’s possible to be precise when setting which areas are going to trigger motion notifications.
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• Ring Video Doorbell Pro X (£329) has very similar key features to the Elite X. The Pro X is a hard-wired surface mount solution with power either coming from the included DIN Rail transformer or the optional Ring plugin adapter, making it a good choice if there’s existing electrical wiring for the doorbell.
• Ring Stick Up Cam Elite X (£279) is powered either by the micro USB supply or by PoE. Like its Doorbell counterpart, the Elite X can be powered by PoE while still using Wi-Fi for live view. It can be installed on a flat surface as a temporary installation or permanently mounted to a ceiling or wall. All X Line products work seamlessly with the Ring alarm system.
• Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus X (£299) is a battery powered video doorbell. So if there isn’t existing wiring, or you aren’t sure of the wiring options, you can still plan to use a Ring video doorbell. It can be hardwired to an 8 to 24 volts AC circuit or the removable rechargeable quick release battery pack that comes with it can be used. The battery can be charged via USB, a spare battery can be purchased to ensure continuous usage, or an optional solar charger to boost the battery life can be used. Each of the doorbells offer pre-roll recording, capturing the four seconds before motion is detected to help users see and get more context behind what triggered a motion alert.
• The mains powered Ring Floodlight Cam X (£349) has two directional LED lamps to cover a wide area, and a siren controlled through the app to scare off intruders if using your voice through the two-way audio isn’t intimidating enough.
• Premium Service – Lifetime subscription to Ring Protect Basic plan for video recording and cloud storage features • Premium Support – Four-year limited warranty and dedicated X Line tech support through AWE and Ring
• Ring Spotlight Cam Wired X (£299) is designed for smaller outdoor areas with its single beam LED lamp
Like the doorbells, the cameras are Alexa compatible and can be accessed through the Ring app for Android, iOS, or PC, and they’ll enjoy the same four-year warranty and lifetime subscription to Ring Protect Basic. All cameras have pixel-based motion detection on their 1080P images for precise configuration.
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X Line products are bundled with premium value-adds, which is perfect for integrators who want to give their customers more. Every product has three great benefits: • Premium Ring Product – An X Line doorbell or camera
SECURITY CAMERAS
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SUPPORT
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The Ring Partner accreditation programme includes a comprehensive online training programme and partner approval process. UK integrators who are interested in becoming an accredited X Line dealer should register by visiting: aweeuro.pe/ringtradeenquiry AWE awe-europe.com
OCTOBER 2020 15
ESSENTIAL HDANYWHERE
XTND-ED PERFORMANCE HDANYWHERE
(HDA)
upgrades
the
company’s HDMI extension capabilities with two new, low-cost HDMI extenders and an upgrade to a much-loved best seller. Justin Fothergill, Brand Director, explains. When a client requires a TV to be hung on the wall or requests that they want to enjoy the same 4K source on another TV in their home, the answer doesn’t always have to be a video matrix or a splitter. In scenarios such as this, a savvy installer can get away with a relatively simple,
CHOOSE IF YOU NEED ARC + CEC
PREMIUM DESIGN
We have also reduced the cost of the new XTND lineup by offering our HDA Pros the choice of whether or not they need (more costly) advanced features in their installation. In each XTND 40m and XTND 100m pair is a variant that offers an ARC option, solving a frustrating dilemma that plagues some modern installs: CEC control and ARC from display to AVR when using an extender (assuming both
low cost, HDMI extender. At HDA, we call these
the display and AVR are CEC compatible,
XTND and the chances are that now, more than
of course).
ever, we have one that suits your next project.
Both the XTND 4K (40) and the XTND
The XTND 4K range expansion is in response
4K (100) with ARC and TPC allow CEC
to feedback from our installers, HDA Pros, who
passthrough, so you can use the optical input
asked for lower-cost 40m and 100m variants to
on the AVR for ARC audio from the display
help them satisfy more project requirements and
and the CEC commands to the AVR for control.
navigate budget restraints more successfully.
HDANYWHERE XTND 4K products therefore
WATCH IN MORE THAN ONE ROOM One of the biggest bugbears with the old lineup was that none of the 4K models we had
not only help reduce clutter, but can also improve the integration of audio, video and control in a system that isn’t necessarily using matrix or third-party control products.
Of course, we take pride in our industrial design. Our range of HDA XTND products are ultra slim and compact. The new XTND 4K (40) with TPC is only slightly bigger than a pack of cards and all but that model are built from aluminium for a more premium finish and even better heat dissipation when placed behind (hot) displays. Our superior engineering, Carbonite colour and stylish design carry over our pride to both integrators and end-users, helping to reassure them that they have invested in a premium product worthy of their system. Extenders remain a staple in so many projects around the world and we are proud to present this improved range of slimline XTND 4K products to meet the needs of today’s best integrators and take you into and past 2021 (because I am sure many of you are totally over 2020 by now). Talk to your HDA distributor or visit our website to find out more and to sign up as an HDA Pro if you haven’t done so yet. HDA HDANYWHERE.com
featured a HDMI local ‘loop out’ port. With this additional port on both the XTND 4K (40) and (100) with TPC, it now becomes possible to offer basic video distribution with the ability to offer 4K content in more than one location in a property.
18GBPS + EVERYTHING YOU’D EXPECT AS STANDARD All XTND 4K models now deliver 18G (4K60 4:4:4) using visually lossless Tipping Point Compression (TPC) and all IR and mounting hardware is supplied in every kit.
16 OCTOBER 2020
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M HUB
U
Two Rooms with One, or One Room with Two... Switch between TV and projector..browse for movies and shows..crank up the volume. uControl gives you the power to control and simplify your media room experience. Just bring popcorn...
WiFi MHUB U (4x1+1) 40
AV A I L A B L E N O W Photo credit: Cinemaworks and Zachrisson-Smith
HDANYWHERE.COM
Patented GB 2548668
ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS
PULSE CINEMAS: LIGHTING THE WAY WITH LUTRON
Oliver Deakin-Faux, Brand Ambassador for Lutron, argues why Pulse Cinemas should be the market’s first choice when it comes to creating the very best lighting projects with the world’s best intelligent lighting and window treatment system. We all know that when it comes to intelligent light and shade control, Lutron is number one. Since the brand’s birth in the late 1950s in New York, innovation and leading-edge designs has been in the company’s DNA. Company founder Joel Spira created the world’s very first solid-state dimmer that could replace the light switch in a standard residential wall-box and
ever since then Lutron has been leading the way. When you invest in Lutron, you are not just buying into the very latest and best technology, but a heritage and know-how that stretches back decades. From a standing start with two products, the company now boasts 15,000 offering a huge range of choices to control fluorescent, halogen incandescent, magnetic low-voltage, electronic low-voltage and LED light sources. The introduction of wireless control systems to complement the existing wired options has expanded Lutron’s market for installers still further. However, Lutron is not just about products, but unbeatable customer experience too, and this is where the synergy between Pulse Cinemas and Lutron really makes a difference as our whole ethos is built around adding value to every brand and every product we offer. Over on our website we have an exclusive video highlighting the advantages of working with Pulse Cinemas and Lutron, so be sure to check it out.
SPOTLIGHTING SUPPORT AND SERVICE
Carefully choosing the right brands to work with is just the beginning of the journey at Pulse Cinemas. We have already underlined that Lutron is undeniably the market leader, but there are other compelling reasons why we
18 OCTOBER 2020
believe installers should choose to work with Pulse and Lutron. With the relentless changes in both lighting and controls technology, even our installers who are experts in lighting control can find it a struggle to keep up with the latest innovations, but what if lighting is not your core competency? Would it not be great to share the load of how to design, specify and create the best lighting schemes possible with a team that understands the technologies and the challenges you are going to face? Well, that is exactly what you get from Pulse Cinemas and Lutron combined. We believe the relationship between a dealer and a value-added distributor should go way deeper than just supplying hardware at a decent price. At all times, we feel installers should be asking; ‘What is the value of the interaction I am having with my supplier? do they go the extra mile for me? What am I getting that other suppliers are not providing? How easy does working with Pulse make it to bring my lighting aspects in ontime, to budget and with a jaw dropping result?’ So, how does that break down on a practical level? Take the recently introduced Palladiom QS wall-stations for example. Elegant and versatile, the button combination and engraving options make these keypads a real 21st century proposition able to suit any interior, period or modern. The range delivers control of lights, shades and HVAC from one location with
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ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS
the potential to completely personalise each unit. Getting the most from a product like that takes time and having the correct support right from the start of the project can make all the difference in really delivering the full potential. Training is of course key and although in-person training is challenging right now, as soon as it is safe and practical to do so, we will get back to providing in-person Lutron training here at Pulse Cinemas HQ. Meanwhile, there are many online options - the Lutron Lighting Control Institute Online Training Portal has over 300 courses and videos on lighting control fundamentals, shades and fixtures.
DID YOU KNOW?
Given Pulse Cinemas’ reputation for helping installers create some of the best home cinemas on the planet, you could be forgiven for thinking that our Lutron expertise is limited to these four walls of cinematic excellence. Our ability to create the dramatic lighting schemes for cinema spaces that complement and enhance the experience also extend throughout the rest of the home. When our dealers and their clients see what we are capable of in terms of technical and aesthetic design, we are then trusted to take on the lighting control design across the rest of the property. This confidence in our abilities is reflected in our project profiles; 80% of our Lutron business provides comfort and control in other rooms in the property. Although cinemas are in our company bloodlines, Pulse is completely at home delivering stand-alone Lutron window treatment and whole home lighting schemes. Lutron’s HomeWorks is undoubtedly a luxury light and shade control system which is featured in the finest properties across the globe. Lutron’s investments in technological engineering mean that you can do almost
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anything and deliver world-class lighting schemes time after time. However, this can lead to a perception that the system will be too expensive for certain projects and customer goals. Our in-house Lutron system design team collaborates with our dealers and their clients to explore the practical, technical and aesthetic requirements of each project to deliver a custom design. Our comprehensive understanding of Lutron’s range enables us to ensure that the system is catered exactly to the project’s requirements. You may well be surprised at what HomeWorks can achieve, even when working with a tightly constrained budget. A recent introduction from Lutron, the RA2 Select platform was launched to bring the Lutron name to a wider audience with its retrofit and new build capabilities and a lower entry cost to Lutron control. The product was undeniably conceived as a more ‘affordable’ route into Lutron, but it would be a mistake to view RA2 Select as just a watered-down version of what is possible. With standard app control, timeclock and cloud or networked integration to other manufacturers, this powerful yet compact system can deliver a huge range of functionality and design impact for homes and projects from single room systems all the way up to whole home installs too. Motorised Window Treatments can also be controlled through the RA2 Select System, keeping Lutron’s commitment to provide total light control for homeowner comfort, convenience and security. As with our lighting controls design, we also can use our expertise to deliver window treatments within budget. You may well be surprised at what can be done for less than you thought. If you mostly know us for our cinema work, you will be aware that we can take a huge range of customer needs, budgets and requirements
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and deliver systems and packages that meet the client’s needs at every level. Well, exactly the same is true with the world of ambient light control and intelligent lighting. With the power and variety of Lutron options available, we can build systems and packages to suit all requirements and budgets. The support Pulse Cinemas offers doesn’t stop with system design and technical support either. We are well known for our spectacular demonstration facilities in London and Stansted, but we can also offer support to dealers with their marketing to reach new customers. We have developed a programme with Lutron to give our dealers visibility on Lutron’s website. And the support does not end there - fancy having your own personalised Lutron video to promote the benefits of the platform? Then talk to us, as our in-house studio can create one for you; all we need is your company logo and details. In the end, added value is about unlocking the full potential of each project and delivering a better experience for the customer. Gathering together the right set of products is just the start, getting the right support will change everything. Think of Pulse Cinemas as your lighting control wizards unlocking the magical world of lighting control that can totally transform your customer’s homes and keep them coming back for more. Get in touch for more information. Pulse Cinemas pulsecinemas.com
OCTOBER 2020 19
ESSENTIAL HABITECH
James’ 33AL speakers hydro-dipped to blend with books.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR SOUND TO LOOK? With a wide, high performance range personalised exactly to your customer’s needs, James Loudspeaker is writing the next chapter in custom audio luxury, says Habitech’s Jonathan Pengilley. On a mission to ‘personalise’ the installation of audio for an elite clientele, James Loudspeaker has overtaken rivals to become the ultimate custom brand. In only two decades it’s built a business trading on exclusivity - the most desirable commodity in luxury retail - without ever having to sell itself too hard. This is because James Loudspeaker is the most accomplished supplier to a niche in a market where nothing is ‘standard’. As conspicuous monuments to success, the Chiron on the drive and the Ferretti in the marina are deliberately and immaculately customised to represent the very antithesis of mass production. James supplies audio solutions that are similarly personalised and therefore highly valued. For instance, James has become the go-to resource for the majority of yards in the
20 OCTOBER 2020
super yacht market. They know that as well as
reference and by leveraging this database it’s
being super-proofed for marine conditions and
developed unrivalled expertise in meeting
audiophile in sound quality, every James speaker
each custom project quickly and completely.
is built with absolute precision, according to the
So evolved are the production processes
look and fit specified: bespoke in every detail.
that the custom-sizing of a sound-bar for
We’re excited to be working with a brand that
instance is considered routine rather than truly
hasn’t so much carved out a niche as built it from the ground up in every possible shape, colour and finish.
custom. When James’ engineers (that’s most of the workforce) are able to transform the brand’s stock-in-trade aircraft-grade aluminium enclosures into the bespoke article, cost effectively, usually within two weeks, you know
STAR TURNAROUND Beneath the peerless quality, creativity and the confidence to complete any custom job, however extravagant, James’ big secret is its ability to practice the ‘art of bespoke’ more efficiently and cost-effectively than any potential rival. It’s a challenge that requires a totally different mentality to the one devoted to volume production. For instance, celebrated and successful though it is, Sonance wouldn’t
you’ve hit custom gold. No mass producer is geared to achieve this. James’ success is not just about engineering acumen or acoustic intuition - all specialised speaker brands have these in abundance it’s really the time on the turf that makes its proposition so unique. From the moment James decided to evolve from ‘A N other’ mass producer to the doyen of impeccably tailored audio solutions, the company has
consider any production run under 500 units to
single-mindedly acquired the means to deliver
be viable. James Loudspeaker, on the other hand,
the quick turnaround of custom originals all
is proud - yes proud - of the fact that it produces
under one roof, making it the leading supplier
only two wholly bespoke speaker designs every
of everything bespoke in the world’s most
day. Each project is logged by James for future
sophisticated CI marketplace.
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ESSENTIAL HABITECH
JAMES ANSWERS THE IMPOSSIBLE - ALWAYS
I know that James Loudspeaker will help your business unlock the greatest rewards. Its ‘never say no’ philosophy means you can have any design you like; each speaker calibrated according to need. If the stock models fit the application, fab: you’ll get fantastic sound from fewer speakers and much less effort. But if the system has to share the space with air-conditioning hardware or some other inconvenient bulkhead, no problem, James will build around it and deliver the same pristine acoustics and build quality from the same volume, custom-shaped to slot straight in. Whatever your cost-no-object client demands, James has the answer.
SQUARING THE CIRCLE
For example, the age-old challenge of achieving big audio dynamics with near-zero aesthetic impact in any space is met by the high output ‘Small Aperture’ (SA Series) of inceiling/wall systems. Choose from 10 models developing miraculous full-range sound from single, near-invisible 75mm (3in) or 100mm (4in) apertures. Inside each customisable backbox is a powerful compact subwoofer coupled with a mid/HF module designed for wide dispersion. Demos have consistently blown rivals away, not just for level and sound quality but for size-defying audio dynamics from far fewer apertures. Faced with the choice of a ceiling full of 8in grilles or better sound from a smattering of 3in grills, customers have consistently voted for James, which helps to explain why Sonance became interested in acquiring the brand.
ORIGINAL DESIGN PROJECT-BY-PROJECT
Of course there’s an elevated cost to customisation - CI wouldn’t exist without it - but with James you’re pushing at an open door to the super-wealthy. If your client wants to make a statement with a free-standing original that looks like a phone box or a Dalek, that’s okay. Anything goes. Send the specs and James will ensure they jump off the screen in every detail faster than even the most exalted audio brands could manage.
The same goes for the 34 sound-bars and the 51 outdoor speaker options in the James line-up, supplied from stock or custom-tailored for the project. Alongside marine-grade models there are all-weather under-eave speakers, sat-sub systems and innovative custom planter sub boxes available in any design or finish. All your client has to do is decide how they want the sound to look. It can stand out, or blend flawlessly with the space.
FULL FIDELITY CHAMELEON The most flawless integration of all is available through James’ use of a technique called ‘hydro-dipping’. It allows for a digital image to be applied to the exterior of any product. The image is converted to a film, which adheres to a powder coat base layer and is sealed by a clear coat on top. If your client wants the speakers in the library to be camouflaged perfectly with the volumes on the wall, or outdoor speakers to match the stonework of the host structure exactly, tell them you know the company who can. James has installed a ‘hydro-dipping’ facility at its new plant at Minden, Nevada, which also features expanded assembly lines and specialised finishing stations doubling manufacturing capabilities while reducing turn-around times and keeping costs ultracompetitive. Everything is in-house to ensure the QoS is consistent with the standards of a luxury brand, and the uber-expectations of its exclusive customer niche.
James’ impeccable custom integration has won it a commanding presence in the luxury yacht market
James’ small aperture in-ceiling audio systems are hidden behind perfectly disguised grilles
BESPOKE = JAMES Now under the auspices of Sonance, James Loudspeaker shares a core belief that, as Sonance CEO Ari Supran puts it, “technology should disappear into architecture”. In what must be the most convincing disappearing act since Harry Houdini, James performs this magic exclusively, flawlessly and more successfully than any other CI brand. The evidence is compelling if you look hard enough. Habitech habitech.co.uk James’ 63Cube speaker customised to match its environment flawlessly
Whatever you want: all-weather speakers can be made to disappear into step risers. Imagine it, and James with build it.
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OCTOBER 2020 21
ESSENTIAL CEDIA
SELLING HUMAN CENTRIC LIGHTING Experienced lighting designer, Andy Bull from CEDIA member Lighting Audio Video Projects - presents part two of his assessment of Human Centric Lighting. Last month, we looked at some of the definitions and challenges that lie behind our imperfect understanding of human-centric lighting. On the surface, it’s simple to get your head around, although when you dig deeper, you realise just how inexact the science is. As with many aspects of our industry, much of our success in bringing human-centric lighting relates to how it makes us feel and how our clients experience it.
HOW TO SELL THIS?
In my view, you have to be careful when selling human-centric lighting to customers. Think about what you communicate, be careful about what you promise and consider how you relate the experience to your client. My advice would be to take out the technical and talk about the solution. ‘Lighting that can change automatically from cool light in the mornings and the middle of the day, to a soft, gentle, warm light into the evening and towards bedtime. Would you like us to do that for you?’ Rather than lights that are going to make your client sleep better and make them healthier, talk about the experience of colour and intensity tunable lighting instead.
PERSONAL CONTROL
Personal control is so important in this conversation. What I mean by that is looking at lighting according to the task, the mood, or the desired social interactions. I like to say to people, think about verbs not nouns when you’re selling lighting. To get the message about personal control over to your client is really helpful. Customers might well say, ‘I want a button for my downlights, I want a button for my pendants, I want a button for my wall lights,’ but this is not the approach you want to take.
22 OCTOBER 2020
This would be focussing on the nouns rather than the verbs, the actions. Instead, you want to set up the system according to the activities the customer enjoys doing — reading, cooking, working, watching TV. Similarly, personal control means that you can focus on the people. Buttons that are specific to the activities that different members of the household enjoy doing — even if it’s a virtual button on an app rather than on the control system. Consider the age of your customers. Aging eyes need more light, so older people need it brighter. As we get older, the lenses in our eyes go a bit more yellowy. The yellow blocks some of the light coming into our eyes, so we need more light in order to be able to see. Pathway lighting according to dusk and dawn is also another great form of personal control and straightforward for us integrators to achieve with a lighting control system. Remember, it’s important to always provide some form of personal override to the automation. Then, if your client wants to come out of the automated rhythm into a task activity, think about how they can get back into the automated process. Some control systems tackle this issue really well. We can set up a cycle of a brightness and colour temperature that runs, allowing the client to hop out of that into a regular scene and then back in again when they are ready. Human-centric lighting is a big opportunity for home technology integrators. Once someone has lived in a home with really good lighting control, they will never, ever want to live in a home without it. It really does make the environment nice, comfortable and luxurious – and connects the client emotionally with the benefits of the technology that our industry is so good at. Integrators are uniquely positioned to service this human-centric wave. Let’s make sure we do it right. Lighting Audio Video Projects lavprojects.com
Human centric lighting that takes its cues from nature has a big future
CEDIA cedia.net
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THIS MONTH’S ESSENTIAL SUPPLEMENT
OFFICE, BOARDROOMS AND HOME OFFICE
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COVID-19 PUSHES PROJECTION TO THE FORE
Greg Jeffreys, Director at Visual Displays, specialist in display solutions for the commercial sector, provides insight into what’s in store for the sector. There’s little that’s unique about Visual Displays’ experience during lockdown. As a
STYLISH HIGH-END AESTHETIC
small, specialist distributor we were in a similar situation to most other AV companies, though thankfully not quite as bad as our friends in the live events business. During those first few frightening weeks I rang around CEOs and company owners I know: no good news there, but shared gratitude for the Government’s furlough scheme. One standout event in late March was a webinar by Don Miller, already a trusted voice to me for his Storybrand book (a must for marketeers and business owners – read it and thank me later!). He talked about the need for empathy, the need to pivot one’s business. But best of all he asked one final question. What does this pandemic give you the chance to do that you wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise? Well that did the trick for me!
So, in conjunction with the leadership of the Learning and Teaching Spaces Management Group (www.ltsmg.co.uk), we formulated a series of five standards-related webinars for HE campus AV technology managers and strategists, that were delivered one per morning over a week in early May. They were incredibly well-attended and – especially for the typically passive tone of webinars – we had lively Q&As and gleaned really fascinating data from the many poll questions we posed during the week.
BT8710 PREMIUM FLOOR-TO-WALL TWIN SCREEN VC STAND B-TECH AV MOUNTS
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Whole-home automation and control at the touch of a button Together, Savant and Lutron create the ultimate luxury whole-home automation system that enhances the way people enjoy their homes. Savant and Lutron brings the control of lighting, heating, blinds, entertainment, music and security together into a single system that homeowners love, thanks to its simplicity of control. Whether via keypad, remote control or app for iOS or Android, users gain the complete control of their entire home with one single tap - even when they’re not there. Contact us today to see how you can benefit from our easy-to-install systems that deliver high levels of customer satisfaction.
For more information call the industry experts RGB on +44 (0) 1488 73366 or visit www.rgbcomms.co.uk
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21/08/2020 13:29
OFFICE, BOARDROOMS AND HOME OFFICE
Inspired by this, I’ve been running webinars for resellers, integrators, consultants and technology managers ever since, including some with manufacturers. The feedback from these subsequent webinars has been in alignment with the feedback and polling data from the LTSMG. In line with Don Miller’s empathy imprecations, we switched away from direct sales of products and services, choosing instead to deliver educational standards-related content – not just AVIXA’s AV standards, but aligned standards too. (As the current chair of AVIXA’s Standards Steering Committee, it seemed like a perfect fit!) We also used some of my meeting and teaching space design materials I’ve taught over the last couple of years. It’s been remarkable to see how many people have had a hunger to learn how standards can help them address the step change in building use that we’re all now in the process of working through. Amongst the learnings accumulated, I think the most heartening news is for the projector market. In recent years there’s been a noticeable de-skilling in the pro AV world in design, selling and deployment of projection, in favour of up-skilling in the low voltage and AVoIP. Let’s face it, it’s easier for an account manager to sell a large format display (LFD) than to specify a projection system – even if that’s not what a good user experience requires in many cases. Of all the wide range of AVIXA and nonAVIXA standards we’ve presented this year, the webinar specifically on AVIXA’s DISCAS (Display Image Size for 2D Content in Audiovisual Systems) standard has attracted consistently high numbers (possibly boosted by the CTS renewal unit!). DISCAS covers display image size and resolution, viewing angles and closest/ farthest viewing distances, plus content/font size. I led the task group that researched and wrote this standard and we’ve been gratified by its global uptake. Why has this product-agnostic standard become so important to AV specifiers, managers and consultants? The COVID-19 impact on the built environment will be enormous, but drilling down on that statement issued by the Ministry for the Blindingly Obvious, what are the specifics? In my
EASY ACCESS TO AV ACCESSORIES
area of specialism, namely displays, this means that existing spaces will be occupied to the very back of the room due to social distancing. Also, larger spaces are being redeployed to be used for meetings, teaching etc. Occupants at the back will endure seriously substandard viewing experiences unless the image size is at least adequate. At this point folk are discovering that their existing displays are all too depressingly small. There’s an interactive element with DISCAS you should run through with the user (and great for relationship building too). Failing that, the 6:1 rule, rules (if you’ll forgive me). Namely the height of the displayed image needs to be at least six times the distance to the farthest viewer. In plain English, once you get above around 5m room depth you need image sizes above 90in; and once you get above around 6m you need 100in. Above 90in the cost of projection is a fraction of LFD displays; above 98in there’s no other option but projection. Does that mean it’s a no-brainer to use projection above 90in? Well, not quite. There’s another AVIXA standard needed here, concerning image quality, namely contrast, and that’s PISCR (Projected Image System Contrast Ratio). In practice to hit the PISCR
In a COVID-19 conscious world, projection has a huge part to play
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mark, it’s essential to use ALR (ambient light rejecting) projection screen technology. Using the matt white screen (or the wall!) will give the classic washed out disappointment. Good ALR technology provides the best viewing experience possible as its matt finish means that the high contrast image can be viewed all day without creating eye strain. Once you’ve made the leap to using projection you can ‘go large’ with little or no cost, meaning occupants can be offered outstanding viewing experiences rather than merely adequate. So, projection has a great future in our COVID-19 world? The answer is a only qualified yes. It won’t just flow to resellers without good communication with the end user. The leaders here, creating success stories out of hard times, are those who are using standards to the next level. Namely by specifying projection systems to clients in the same way that Large Format Displays are, by specifying delivered image performance (ANSI contrast, image luminance in cd/m2 etc) rather than the specifications of the components. The client needs to know what image quality they will actually see, not whether the projector can do 0 to 60mph in 6.1 seconds, figuratively speaking.
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B-TECH AV MOUNTS OCTOBER 2020 27
OFFICE, BOARDROOM AND HOME OFFICE
FLUID AND FLEXIBLE, THE FUTURE OF OFFICE TECH Carl Standertskjold-Nordenstam, European Corporate Segment Marketing Manager at Sony PSE, comments on the future of white collar work technology. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced office workers to work remotely from their homes and has proved that people don’t have to be in the physical office all of the time. Remote working will remain popular, but there will be people who still want to work from an office for enhanced social stimulation and collaboration that you don’t get from video conferencing. If employees and new hires only ever work from home, they may miss out on the same sense of purpose and connection with their organisation that they would have got from working together with their colleagues in a space that embodies the organisation’s corporate culture. Because of this, companies will implement a variety of technology solutions to help bring employees back to work safely, such as digital signage to communicate social distancing guidelines, among other protective measures. Flexible office solutions will also be utilised, such as desk booking applications, so people are able to book a space remotely and office managers are able to monitor and manage the demand. Collecting data will be vital for organisations to ensure they are using assets efficiently e.g. this may lead companies to look at their level of commercial real estate investments and to get rid of those that either aren’t being used or haven’t been optimised for the new way of working. In offices and boardrooms, the rise of IoT devices and the convergence of AV and IT has transformed the way technology can add value to users and administrators. For instance, digital signage can be designed and distributed to networked devices across a site instantly. One area where this has become popular is room booking:
FOR SCREENS UP TO 70"
What will teamwork look like in the future?
interactive tablets show corporate calendar data in real-time and help organisations to optimise meeting space usage. Being able to both remotely control and send content and software solutions to devices has opened up the potential for the smart office. Data can also be captured from these devices, giving facilities managers the ability to make smarter decisions about how they manage their property. The increasing usage of connected devices does, however, pose a higher security risk, so office technology has had to become more secure as a result. Before the impact of the COVID pandemic hit, worker behaviour was already evolving with more demand for flexibility which led to the development of solutions such as mobile applications to manage meetings, the ability to mirror content to screens office wide, or to book desks.
GENERATION X
Whilst some job roles can be undertaken entirely from a dedicated home office, it is not possible for all. Before the pandemic, Gen X were not in favour of working from home. However, they did enjoy doing so, due to the fact many have dedicated home offices and children that have already left home. Alternatively, Gen Y, who had been demanding more flexible working
practices pre-pandemic, found they were not as happy with remote work during lockdown due to factors such as housemates providing a distraction, small apartments with no dedicated office space, or the pressures of having to look after small children at the same time. The home office is a good option to save time on commuting and let people work flexibly, but it also leaves no separation between work and life and private and professional space. There was a doubling in rates of depression during the month of June this year compared with the period of July 2019 to March 2020 pre-pandemic (source: ONS), with the highest rates being between 16 and 35 year olds. It’s therefore clear that a dedicated home office is not beneficial for all. The optimal home working environment requires a dedicated workspace, fast connectivity and the right technology. It is also essential that a workspace is ergonomically friendly with a good chair and dedicated monitor to alleviate strain. While many, if they haven’t already, will soon to be returning to the office, in the next five years, we will see an increase in hybrid work and the subsequent creation of social connections between colleagues. For example, people could work from home but come in to the office for meetings with customers which benefit from being in person, and for more creative or collaborative meetings with colleagues. As we move toward this hybrid model, the technology available in situ, such as the booking systems, will also lend itself well to facilities and office managers, as it will be able to generate more insights about how people are working and how the property is used and needed. This will allow site managers to measure and optimise the costs and output of their workforce and buildings, using resources more smartly through insights reflective of actual usage.
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OFFICE, BOARDROOM AND HOME OFFICE
HITTING A HOME OFFICE HOME RUN! Mark Booth, Managing Director, Gira UK, discusses how smart home products can deliver a good home working experience. With more activities taking place in the home, managing energy efficiently, as well as protecting data, is a priority, especially with the increase in working from home - which is why we have upgraded the Gira HomeServer to encrypt all the data transferred in and out of the home. Lockdown has shown us how important it is to have access to multiple functions for multiple users if everyone in the household is spending more time inside, and how to safeguard user access. As concerns about air quality have come to the fore, I think that installing, controlling and maintaining air conditioning and quality control systems in the smart home is set to be on the agenda for new developments and retrofits. We can already see that voice-activated controls and pre-set scenes have a part to play in avoiding multi-user contact on control panels and devices in the kitchen and living areas. And of course, our own sockets and switches come in a range of non-porous, easy clean finishes to boost hygiene. In a multiple-occupancy building, the Gira G1 home stations and door communications technology can be linked together so that it is possible to speak to neighbours inside the building and visitors outside it safely via a video screen, if you’re unable to see them in person, or at another location via the Gira app. I feel that there is definitely scope for more technological communications which help people feel part of a community so that they are ‘alone together’. With leisure activities more firmly focused on the home during lockdown and a cautious return to the outside world, consumers have been focused on home improvements and upgrades. I believe that this will lead to a greater appreciation of smart home features which can be designed in from the beginning of the project - such as the Gira room temperature controller which can be
STYLISH HIGH-END AESTHETIC
integrated with the existing heating system to ensure that the bathroom is at an ambient temperature to keep users warm as well as reducing the potential for damp conditions to lead to mould and mildew. Alongside these practicalities, there’s extra support for carers and families, as installing the Gira nurse call system will call for help in an emergency simply by pressing a button or operating a pull cord. There can be a tendency for the bathroom to become overly clinical, but installing the latest technology can certainly overcome this, especially as the number of bathrooms in a property is now becoming as important as the number of bedrooms: as well as being in the frontline for maintaining hygiene and wellness post-Covid. And the good news is that with the KNX system, we can retrofit so there is no intrusive electrical work going through the walls. As more and more consumers are becoming better informed about smart home technology, we are finding that there is growing interest in how a variety of devices can share one single, simple network (like KNX) and work together as required. The homeowner has the freedom to add and subtract to the system as the family’s needs change, and everything from lighting to heating and air conditioning can be tailored to the individual’s needs. With the right home technology in place, the homeowner has the power to prevent potential accidents, such as limiting water temperatures to avoid the risk of scalding in the kitchen and bathroom as well as installing stove safety devices which will prevent ovens and hobs being left on accidentally.
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Going forwards, I think the greater desire for personalised technology into the home means that regardless of age, health and background, we will want controls which support the way we want to live our lives, especially if visitors are limited or we are working remotely. Gira is all about ensuring homes can adapt to the ongoing needs of residents, and this will mean different things for different people. For the grey market, this might mean an extra emphasis on clearly configured controls and call systems and brighter lighting and for a young family – ensuring that controls can be child-proofed would make sense. The sheer variety of switches and components available is triggering all sorts of ideas in terms of future integration so the smart home possibilities that we see today are just the beginning terms of having highly-individualised kitchen spaces, which know exactly what we like and when we like it. The Gira System 55 offers more than 300 intelligent building technology functions, which can be installed in six different design lines.
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B-TECH AV MOUNTS OCTOBER 2020 31
SMART THINKING
BOB STUART AWARDED PRINCE PHILIP MEDAL BY ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Highly prestigious award presented to Founder of MQA and Co-Founder of Meridian Audio for a distinguished career of innovations in audio. Bob Stuart, creator of MQA and Co-Founder of Meridian Audio, has been awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering Prince Philip Medal for ‘his exceptional contribution to audio engineering which has changed the way we listen to music and experience films’. The award is particularly significant as Bob is the very first audio engineer to receive the award in its 20-year history. Bob is in pretty good company as previous recipients of the Prince Philip Medal include inventor of the turbojet engine, Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle OM KBE CB FREng FRS; geothermal power innovator, Lucien Bronicki and the electrical engineer who revolutionised fibre optics, Dr Charles Kao CBE FRS FREng. Commissioned by HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT, Senior Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Prince Philip Medal is awarded periodically to an engineer of any nationality who has made exceptional contributions to engineering through practice, management or education. Speaking with EI, Bob explains that the process works by a series of independent nominations and then thorough vetting to get to the eventual winner. The process is led by Professor Raffaella Ocone OBE FREng FRSE who chairs the RAE Awards Committee of 12. On being recognised with the award, Bob says, “I think it’s about a life’s work in looking to improve audio - we have tried to be fearless in what we have done at Meridian and more recently with MQA. It’s really exciting to have the audio sector recognised in this way. “As a branch of engineering, it is hard to make audio ‘better’. In some areas of more physical engineering, there are specific problems to identify and solve. In audio it’s more subjective, especially when talking about music, to clearly
32 OCTOBER 2020
identify ‘problems’ and solve them. Over the years we have tried to identify ‘how’ to improve sound first and then find ways of doing that.” Bob adds, “Even when you do invent something, that is only half the battle. Lossless compression was not an obvious transition when that was introduced, we had to convince the industry. But we have changed the way that people listen to music, because we took time to understand ‘how’ sound works and make improvements.” Bob argues, “Since around 2000 there has been anarchy in terms of how music is distributed. With the labels losing power in favour of file sharing and music streaming, quality suffered. MQA fixes the issue of getting recorded music to the listener in high-quality.” Key to the success of MQA is its ability to capture any type of sound from rustling leaves to falling rain, to a barking dog. The approach can capture natural sound in its rawest form, so when it comes to music, creating a natural feel to the sound is already part of the codec’s DNA. Bob also underlines that there are other areas for MQA to move into - partnering video, for example. Some broadcasters are already interested in this approach, particularly in Japan. MQA also has potential in the area of immersive sound formats as it deals with the issue of bandwidth, which is always a hotly contested space on any format, with all too often the video content getting the lion’s share. Bob was also keen to highlight the recent release of another first for the MQA
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SMART THINKING platform as the format has been included in a set of headphones for the first time by global tech company ASUS via its latest ROG (Republic of Gamers) headphones. The headset has been designed to offer flawless audio quality for gaming enthusiasts, a subject that EI has been highlighting recently as the world of home cinema/AV and high-quality gaming build a closer relationship (see our September issue). This recent development underlines Bob’s point that MQA really can go anywhere audio lives and make things better, more immersive and fit for the 21st century. Another area that the company has been active in is supporting live streaming of music performances, significant over the COVID-19 lockdown period, but obviously with big potential for events, performances and festivals in the future as the tech could move from an ‘instead of’ phase, to an ‘as well as’ addition to any event where audio or music matters. Renowned music and arts organisation, JAZZ RE:FRESHED, moved its annual festival JAZZ RE:FEST online this year as part of a digital strategy to keep UK jazz thriving while venues are closed, whilst continuing to support musicians whose performance opportunities have dwindled as a result of the global pandemic. The event was supported by and presented in MQA. The future for this type of support could be huge. Glastonbury or Download festivals in MQA anyone? Technically it is now possible.
BACK TO THE AWARD
In accepting this award, Bob also reflects, “Audio engineering sits at an intersection between analogue and digital engineering, music and the human listener. My passion to enable great sound recording and playback has required a multi-disciplinary approach, but that quest to preserve and share music performances is very satisfying and important. I am honoured and humbled to receive this award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.” Legendary, multi-Grammy Award winning Mastering Engineer, Bob Ludwig, also shared his thoughts: “Bob Stuart is a connoisseur of both engineering and music and that is what sets him apart. He is like a mastering engineer – he knows what music is supposed to sound like, so he isn’t blinded by theory or technology. If something does not sound right to his ear he will quickly reject it and explore a more musical way of accomplishing his goals. The invention of MQA improved the sound clarity that was blurred by digital components and as a musician, I am so delighted for my ears to be the recipient of Bob’s creation and to use it in my work.” Grammy-winning Producer and Engineer, Morten Lindberg also contributes, “With the invention and development of MQA, Bob has provided audio engineers and music producers all over the world with a mindset and tools to work with digital audio in an holistic perspective.
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His interdisciplinary research combining neuroscience, psychology and advanced physics with audio engineering now makes it possible for music production to maintain true analogue qualities in the digital domain. Bob is the kind of person who goes beyond the call of professional duty and ‘becomes’ his work.” George Massenburg, pre-eminent Producer, inventor and teacher, adds, “For decades, research in modern digital audio has been confused by outdated foundational precepts, misled by chimerical goals or commercial pressure and hampered by everso-slowly evolving knowledge in the fields of science and hearing perception. Bob Stuart has risen above these challenges time and time again. Only the accomplished researcher whose heart and soul has been captivated by the sublime experience of superb, transparent music recording and reproduction could achieve so well what Bob has accomplished for so many years. “Our job as producers is to connect an artist’s vision and intent with listeners; the ability to share our work has been deeply compromised in the last 30 years, with a seemingly endless ‘lowering of the bar’ of audio quality. Thus, I’m deeply impressed by the performance and technology of MQA — its faithful rendering of nuance, complexity, sound stage and detail lifts the veil. Knowing that my work can again be heard by an enthusiastic audience gives me a reason to go back into the studio. I feel strongly that Bob’s work in MQA will have a tremendous impact on the music industry.” EI would also like to add its congratulations to Bob and all those who have worked with him over the years. When you love music as much as we do, anyone who makes it easier to listen to your favourite artists in better quality deserves all the recognition they can get. Music isn’t just something to do when you are bored or busy with something else, it’s arguably the oldest art form on the planet and is a powerful force for good. More power to people like Bob who help make it better.
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Ms Maurice was one of the artists broadcast in MQA from the JAZZ RE:FEST event
OCTOBER 2020 33
SMART THINKING
THE HEAT IS ON! Stuart Dantzic, Managing Director of Caribbean Blinds, asks if rising temperatures will change the way we design buildings, and suggests solutions to overheating. Despite what many of us think, the lockdown period hasn’t all been negative. It has given the UK some of the hottest temperatures and unprecedented summer weather, but for some, it has been almost impossible to keep their houses cool. When designing any new build, renovation or extension, the increasing issue of overheating and the importance of external shading should be addressed throughout each stage. Every measure needs to be taken to ensure a building’s energy efficiency is at its highest and to prevent the growing number of eco and ultra-modern glass properties from turning into unhabitable ‘greenhouses’.
THE EFFECTS OF GLAZING AND INSULATION
Flooding a room with natural light and creating a feeling of endless space and openness are important factors for occupant wellbeing. Large expanses of glazing such as rooflights, panoramic windows, sliding and folding doors can help blur the boundaries between inside and out – all whilst emitting free solar gain to passively warm a building in the colder months. In addition to this, both wall-tofloor and loft insulation help to prevent warmth from escaping, reducing the demand for heating and lowering energy costs as a result. Despite these benefits, the combination of extensive glazing and high levels of insulation coupled with a warming climate is resulting in buildings severely overheating. Although this is primarily in the summer, it also happens during the winter, with indoor temperatures rising to uncomfortable and unsafe levels that put occupant health at risk. Last year alone, overheating in buildings resulted in over 900 deaths in the UK – a figure which is predicted to reach 7,000 by 2050, at a cost of £267m to Public Health England.
THE SOLUTION: EXTERNAL SHADING, AWNINGS AND BLINDS
As the sun is not static, a dynamic solution is required to adapt to the changing ambient conditions, preventing unwanted solar heat gain
34 OCTOBER 2020
during the summer months and allowing free solar gain when required in the winter. Unique perforated solar controlled fabrics can provide an evenly distributed natural light source whilst maintaining the view and connection to the outside. This quick solution can help override high levels of insulation and glazing, minimising any unwanted solar heat gain by averting the sun’s rays from reaching the glass and keeping buildings cool. Not a new concept to the UK, awnings were used on elaborate glass shop frontages in the 1800s before air conditioning was invented as a way to passively cool the interior of buildings whilst also protecting goods from the damaging effects of the sun. This is proof that the solution to combat the issue of overheating buildings already exists. However, the change needed is within the specification market, as these products need to be designed and incorporated from the outset. We need to begin to opt for alternatives to solar control glass (that don’t prevent solar heat gain) or air conditioning that is ‘energy hungry’.
LOW-E GLAZING VS EXTERNAL SHADING Low emissivity glass (or low-e glazing) is glass that has an invisible microscopic coating applied to it in order to improve its thermal efficiency. Double and triple low-e glazing rejects approximately 30% and 45% of solar gain respectively, whereas external blinds can reject up to 96% of solar heat gain with minimal energy demand, preventing overheating as a result. In fact, an appropriately sized, positioned and specified external shading device can reduce interior temperatures by up to 18°C, which in turn can reduce the energy consumption otherwise needed to cool down a hot room by more than 80% and in many instances makes air conditioning of any description completely superfluous. Subsequently, the cost of adding external shading can be offset by minimising or avoiding the need for air conditioning.
External shading is now part and parcel of modern building design and glazing, helping to create sustainable buildings that are comfortable and healthy for their users, with lower running and maintenance costs. Automatic outdoor blinds ensure a thermally and visually comfortable indoor environment with minimum energy demand on any installed heating and cooling systems, reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions. In its proposed overheating building regulations, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) recommends moveable external shading as the most effective way to prevent overheating in buildings. Caribbean Blinds has been helping to create cool, comfortable and sustainable buildings with innovative external shading systems for over 30 years. By working closely with the specification community, we’ve been helping to educate and inform and to ensure external shading can be seamlessly and cost-effectively integrated within both new build and refurbishment schemes. The solution definitely exists, however, there is still a long way to go. Increased awareness is needed across the whole supply chain, from specification (designer) to client (purchaser).
Stuart Dantzic, Managing Director of Caribbean Blinds, offers his views on the future of window treatments
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THIS MONTH’S ESSENTIAL SUPPLEMENT
TOUCHSCREENS, REMOTES AND PROGRAMMING
Advanced apps for an enriched user experience Janus have developed a range of solutions to enhance your customers’ Control4 experience. From dynamic lighting control to BMS monitoring and visualizing the state of their security system, we have out-of-the box apps ready to use. We continually listen to dealer feedback and are actively developing and extending these solutions. Please get in touch if you have any specific requirements – we’re here to help.
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TOUCHSCREENS, REMOTES & PROGRAMMING
THE LANGUAGE BARRIER Cliff Stammers, experienced programmer, owner of software specialist Clever Rooms and EI regular, assesses the programming landscape and spies a big change ahead. Control system software is, by its very nature, a constantly evolving discipline. It needs to be dynamic. It needs to be light, fast and flexible. The sheer number of products that may be required to be brought under control at any one time demonstrates this. But it’s not just the products that are evolving. It is the very concept of a product itself that is seeing a fundamental shift and this is having a big impact on how we approach our work. Whereas, traditionally, a product has always been a tangible thing, an object that you can see and hold and physically plug in and connect to, in today’s world a product might simply be a piece of software. A service, in fact. But still an end user may well want to experience this
Is programming heading towards a universal language?
product through a central interface. And so the central automation processor will still need to have some form of governance over that product, in order to harness it in to the holy grail of a single cohesive whole. Subsequently a generic language, or protocol, has therefore got to be a logical leap in the right direction. Recently we’ve been seeing a general trend towards the deployment of widespread control protocols such as HTML5, for example. Now, this is the language that the internet is written in, basically. And what could be more widespread than that? Of course, the purists will correct me on that statement, because the internet is chock full of a variety of different coding languages, but to keep things readable, let us take it as granted that the front of each web page is pretty much pieced together using HTML and a variety of incumbent plug-in widgets and extenders. This can be demonstrated clearly when you open up an interface in a browser for any device
you might have just purchased, after you have connected it to an IT network. The front end interface itself, the thing you interact with, the thing that you use to tick all those checkboxes will most likely also have been written using HTML5, and so it stands to reason that languages such as these should be generically deployed when it comes to getting the simplest integration possible among a variety of different manufacturers’ products. This is the chief driver behind making many programming languages, if not identical to one another, at least more intelligible among themselves. Up until this point I’ve only been referring to the user interface but the same is also true of the processing logic. The legs under the surface of the water if you like. This too is seeing extensive transformation. And again, it’s the internet that provides the template. Many websites, while presenting HTML and CSS to the world, use a huge variety of processing protocols in order to make them functional. And control systems are more and more picking up this same logic. All of this makes perfect sense, but it is making the bespoke nature of a control interface a less desirable thing for CI companies to promote. Sure, if your clients are not fussed about having anything necessarily unique to them, and a default approach is good, then such uniqueness is not an issue. However, once we need to start deploying quick fixes in real time on site in the looming shadow of a next-day handover, then quick on-the-fly coding in C# or CSS or HTML for example, is a lot less easy to do. Generally, code like this will be constructed at a desk with endless supplies of tea and a comfortable chair. Sitting on the floor of a building site, covered in cement dust, is not the environment conducive to efficiently performing spontaneous feats of death defying, high-wire programming. Which of course we do on a routine daily basis!
BMS Monitor Monitor any Thermostat or Energy meter All stored within Control4 processor Works on Touchscreen T3 and any web browser
36 OCTOBER 2020
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perpetual innovation New Crestron Home features keep coming. Now, support for LutronÂŽ and DALIÂŽ lighting control. Password protection of sensitive subsystems. Audio interrupts and assignable sound files from touch screens. And a steady stream of new features to come.
Learn more at crestron.com/home 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. Š2020 Crestron Electronics, Inc.
TOUCHSCREENS, REMOTES & PROGRAMMING
CONFIGURATION, CONTROL AND CONFORMITY
Janus Technology is one of the key players in promoting increased control across the smart home sector
Richard Caton, founder of Janus Technology, a software consultancy specialising in technology integration, provides his insight on the latest in control and where it will go next. Creating a great user experience for your client is hard and the standard that is demanded is getting higher and higher each year. Apps are everywhere and some of these are the results of many tens of man-years of effort to create a slick, intuitive experience. Particularly looking at media products like Sonos, Naim Audio’s Muso and others, these are incredibly polished apps that provide a rich set of features with sophisticated graphics that can leverage the latest iOS and Android toolkits and run on the incredibly high-performance mobile devices that we’re accustomed to. How can you recreate these experiences in your control system? It’s tough – very tough – and even if you can
actually do it, it requires months of work in very restricted environments compared to the latest mobile development platforms. I used to work at Imerge (hard-disk media players) and back in the day we naively assumed that dealers would create the necessary modules to utilise our product - we quickly realised the error of our ways. Manufacturers now recognise this and routinely provide modules to integrate their products into the smart home control systems, utilising the expertise of third party developers like Janus to help them. We’ve spent many months integrating the Linn Kustom product into Control4 and Crestron so are acutely aware of the effort involved and the limitations. This process is just one part of the integrated smart home that you’re creating for your client; what they are wanting is an integrated experience and that is a whole new design exercise that is very difficult. Sure, it’s possible
to throw together control of elements of the smart home into a single interface – but does it work well together? Is it intuitive? Does it enable the user to quickly access the things they want to do? I’m sure we’ve all seen really bad examples of smart home control that have been designed by a programmer from the bottom up – thinking of what kit there is to control, rather than what experience the user wants. Creating the user interface isn’t a programming task. It’s a whole design and user experience exercise – one that takes a lot of study of human behaviour and understanding of their requirements for interacting with their home – and only after this has been designed can it be handed over to the programmer. Creating this from the ground up for a particular control platform is a huge amount of work that may not be feasible for any one single project (due to available budget). Successful dealers
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38 OCTOBER 2020
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TOUCHSCREENS, REMOTES & PROGRAMMING
have built up template solutions over many projects, so a new client gets what they feel is a bespoke solution for them, but in reality is a cookie-cutter template that has evolved over many previous projects. This is great if you have an established business with these templates in place, but isn’t an option for newcomers to the market. Also, those carefully crafted templates are to some extent frozen in time. Adapting to evolving technologies, tools and techniques requires redevelopment, as do changes in ideas about user interface paradigms. This is where the control system manufacturer can really help by creating these templates to leverage all the latest technologies available in their platforms, to deliver the expected user experience. That’s not to say that every client gets the exact same experience, but rather there’s an overall navigation paradigm which can be customised, not with complex programming but through selecting simple options – a simple drag and drop configuration. A good example of this is the Control4 ‘Favourite to Room’ feature, allowing quick access to important features in a room. This type of system configuration (it is configuration really, not complex programming) allows for much more robust and repeatable installations, where the complex programming has been done by the manufacturer and proven across multiple installations. The installer can then focus on any specific requirements of the client and build these with the customisation options provided by the manufacturer. Having a toolkit of proven options, rather than a blank canvas, makes it much easier to come up with a solution for the client. Whilst the manufacturer has a large development team and a wealth of experience, they aren’t able to create solutions for all eventualities. That is where companies such as Janus can come in to create standardised extensions to the environment. This can be in the form of modules to easily integrate third party products, but recently we’ve been working with Control4 WebApps, extending functionality of the underlying core system in new and exciting ways. We’ve taken our user design and programming experience and created a number of out of the box modules. For example, ColorWheel allows intuitive RGB control, while
BMS Monitor turns the Control4 processor into a BMS logging and visualisation database and Dynamic (Circadian) lighting automates colour temperature control according to time of day. All of these build on many months of programming effort and user testing, and are widely available as plug-in solutions – a natural extension of the drag and drop configuration capabilities provided by the manufacturer.
DESIGNING FOR THE REAL WORLD
When designing a smart home system, it is essential to capture what the user wants to do, making the key things very easy, quick and also appropriate for the environment in which they are using the interface. For example, providing a whole browsing experience on an in-wall touchscreen doesn’t make sense: you’re not going to spend a lot of time standing up making a playlist or searching for content. On in-wall screens it’s much more about quick access to favourite actions and showing current status. One interesting area we’re working on is visualising security system status on Control4 touch screens. The current configuration options for control systems such as Control4, Elan and Crestron Home have a limited (if any) concept of personalisation for individual users. An interface can be customised for the client, but every user who accesses that screen gets the same experience. The same used to be the case with voice interfaces such as Alexa and Google, but
these are now gradually incorporating features to distinguish between individual users. Over the next few years we will start to see that push into the CI space with true personalisation, allowing the home to respond to individual users rather than a generic person. Elan have some very interesting solutions with its intelligent touch screens, personalising the experience. So where does all this leave the role of the programmer? It depends on what you mean by ‘programmer’. If we’re talking about the person in the installation company who is responsible for configuring the control platform, then their role is about understanding what the client wants and finding ways of replicating that as closely as possible with the toolkits at their disposal from the manufacturer’s configuration options, but also steering the client’s desires to what is achievable. Bear in mind, though, a good maxim I heard a while ago, ‘Give the clients the minimum you need to, so they can easily use and understand the system. When they come back asking for more, that’s when you find out exactly what it is that they really want.’ The other aspect of programming, is to be found at companies like ours, where we have much deeper access to the control systems. Our role is to see where the needs are for extending the control system functionality, listening to dealer feedback and desires, and creating solutions that can easily be deployed by them across multiple installations, making their job easier and their customers happier.
True personalisation will be a key development trend
ColorWheel Intuitive control of RGB/RGBW and tuneable white lights Automatically detects compatible lights User-definable presets
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OCTOBER 2020 41
TOUCHSCREENS, PROGRAMMING AND PROGRAMMERS
DEDICATION IS WHAT YOU NEED Vincent J. Bova, Director of Dealer Experience, Remote Technologies (RTI), describes how the dedicated touchscreen market and system programming has evolved in recent years. Dedicated touchscreens and advanced touchscreen remotes were deemed ‘unfashionable’ and even ‘unnecessary’ with the explosion of brilliant high-resolution tablets and smartphones. Control system end-users felt they were getting more value if they used the various phones and tablets that were already present in the home. And why not? These mobile devices provided more than just a control experience. Calendars, personal reminders, camera, phone contacts, and access to other apps seemingly provided a replacement for the control system, replacing it with a variety of apps for lighting, shades, energy management, and even the ability to control their video sources. Users soon discovered these devices did not deliver the intuitive experience of a professionally configured interface, and gravitated back to the dedicated remote and touchscreen. A dedicated touchscreen for one is far more ‘obedient’ than any phone or tablet. It will not complain about software updates, cloud backups, password changes, or disturb you when you are spending time with family taking in a movie or listening to music. It is always insync with the control system and does not take several seconds to connect, especially when you need to mute the system if the phone or doorbell rings. The entire experience, if done
correctly, is tailored exactly to the lifestyle of the family. Having a bunch of singular apps is just like having a coffee table full of remotes. Worse, those countless apps cannot interact and integrate. Instead of using the shades app to lower the shades, using the climate app to lower the temperature, then arming the security and closing the garage, all of this can be done with the single touch of a button, with a voice command, or automated based on another action. The various touchscreen solutions can be an amazing focal point in the home. Having a handheld remote with a beautiful touchscreen and access to the heartbeat of your home is an experience the homeowner will appreciate every day. It will always be there for you, and you rarely need to be concerned with someone taking it out of your dedicated room and forgetting to put it back. Control companies are building these devices and the software behind them to be intuitive to the family schedule and needs, and the device aesthetics have changed drastically to blend in with home décor. Soon these devices will be able to do everything you can do on your phone or tablet, but with builtin home automation advantages. Remotes and dedicated touchscreens will evolve as smart home demand increases. They will enable control of appliances, provide access to children’s locations, set reminders and schedule events, facilitate voice control, and learn your habits based on what you do on a day-to-day basis. When implementing these devices, custom integrators play a vital role working diligently to create a simple user experience fully in sync with the family’s needs. It takes a special talent and
skillset to not only programme these advanced remotes, but to reverse-engineer the client’s lifestyle and capture what they need for comfort, convenience, safety, efficiency and entertainment. Control companies have created powerful programming software that is incredibly flexible, but in many cases, is not easy to programme. Programming line code and tedious programming has been replaced with visual drag and drop software, saving the programmer valuable time and making it much easier to train employees. In the past, these software attributes meant a sacrifice in power and custom capability. However, the software is now becoming easier and more intuitive while still giving the custom integrator substantial capability. In the coming years, custom integrators will realise even more convenience and ease of programming by being able to deploy control systems via cloud access, and installation will be more simplified. While the software will become much easier, the custom integrator will still be the creative talent that enables a wonderful and personalised user experience.
Security Visualiser See the state of any contact sensors overlaid on a floorplan Viewable on T3 screens and any connected web browser Hardware option to enable HDMI output to TV distribution Drag ‘n’ Drop configuration from your PC — simply upload any image
42 OCTOBER 2020
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ESSENTIAL LOUDSPEAKERS
The exhibition consists of a series of experiences ending in a special Dolby Atmos presentation of the Stones music through PMC speakers
PMC PERFORMS WITH THE ROLLING STONES! PMC recently announced its involvement in ‘The Rolling Stones – Unzipped’ - an immersive audio experience and the first international exhibition devoted to the life of The Rolling Stones. Fans of the band will journey through the Stone’s legacy, ending with a special finale experience that takes the visitors into an iconic Stones moment, delivered in multidimensional Dolby Atmos Sound delivered by PMC speakers. Maurice Patist, President PMC USA, the person responsible for this project within PMC, gives EI the lowdown.
Could you tell us what PMC’s involvement in the project is, along with details of which speakers are being used? What demands are being placed upon them and how are they delivering what is needed? We are using a selection of our new CI line of speakers for this Dolby Atmos Music installation. The system consists of 16 PMC Ci140 three-way monitors, three PMC Ci140
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Subs, eight ci65 two-way monitors and two PMC BST Active 15in subwoofers. Since we have to travel with this system to multiple worldwide locations, we needed to be sure to create the highest flexibility as well as capabilities to ‘fill’ each location with the sonic responses that would fall well within within (and in this case it goes beyond) Dolby Atmos specification as calculated by Dolby’s proprietary DARDT (Dolby Audio Room Design Tool) software. The LCR (Left, Centre, Right) of this system consists of three Ci140s plus a Ci140 Sub, increasing the SPL output of the LCR. All the surround channels are based on the Ci140 speakers and the eight overhead speakers are the ci65 monitor, ensuring a complete highresolution coverage of the whole listening area. The rooms in which this playback will be presented are anywhere between 80 and 140m2 in size. The PMC Atmos system will be calibrated at 85dB SPL, with an additional 20dB SPL headroom requirement, as per Dolby Atmos Certification specification, which is the same as
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the Dolby Atmos specifications of the studios (Capitol Studios and PMC Highland Park Atmos Studio) in which the content was mixed, thus ensuring a similar experience for the visitors of the exhibition as it was heard and created in the studios. To design the dedicated systems for the rooms, PMC worked closely together with highly experienced audio engineer, Ceri Thomas from Dolby, to ensure the best possible performance. For each room we decided to use the same approach as we would do for a studio. Together with Ian Revens, Senior Project Manager at integrator company, Electrosonic, we designed the actual software playback system so that each session will be automated and played back properly in the room with the five large projection screens surrounding the listening area. When we (PMC) were approached for this project back in February, we decided that it would be the perfect situation to show off the incredible performance of our new launched CI line of speakers, which had already been
OCTOBER 2020 45
ESSENTIAL LOUDSPEAKERS
specified and installed in certain studios and screening rooms for some world renowned companies. More news about this later in the year. The Rolling Stones Exhibition event, as well as the mentioned installations, would immediately proof the heritage of our company and the quality of this new speaker line, which is also aimed at the consumer market. You literally can have the same systems as utilised in the studios in your home, either for watching a movie or listening to music!
in London) and they wanted to ensure that same level of quality for the visitors of the exhibition. PMC has done multiple events over the years for UMG and based on this experience, it was a natural choice to get PMC involved. At the same time Dolby was also getting involved and that completed our circle of partners, since PMC has also been partnering with Dolby and UMG over the last four years with regards to the Dolby Atmos Music format. Christine Thomas, Senior Director Music Partnerships from Dolby, was spearheading this project, and Ceri from Dolby was responsible for all the technical aspects of this project for Dolby.
Tell us about the process of physically planning and putting the installation together.
How did the collaborations between Dolby and The Rolling Stones work? How did PMC become involved in the first place? As a result of our eight year long partnership with our client Universal Music Group, for whom we have also built many Dolby Atmos Music Studios over the years, we were approached by Patrick Kraus (Senior Vice President of Recording Studios at UMG) to participate in this prestigious project. UMG pursues the highest quality of performance for all their studios (which include Capitol Studio in Los Angeles and Abbey Road
Since February of this year, PMC worked together with the team at Dolby and UMG in the US, where Rachel Smyth from Rolling Stones Management, Ileen Gallagher from ISG Productions, Adam Young from Fray Studio and William Russel from William Russels Architects were all in the UK to make this project come together. We had weekly video conference meetings, dealing with all the technical and logistical aspects of the exhibition tour. Due to the COVID-19 situation, a lot became uncertain in regard to the timing, where the date of opening in The Netherlands got moved twice, but eventually the date was set and confirmed. Due to the COVID-19 closure of our factory (which lasted six weeks), our production schedule got disturbed, but with incredible efforts from our manufacturing team in the UK we were still able to pull it off in time to get the speakers built and ready for installation.
We had multiple layouts of the room, where five large projection screens will be used. We needed to create an audio mix in Dolby Atmos that would be matched with the performance onscreen. For this purpose, Nick Rives, Staff Engineer at Capitol Studios, utilised the original multitrack recordings and re-mixed the concert in Dolby Atmos on the PMC Atmos speaker systems as installed at Capitol Studios and PMC Highland Park Atmos Studios.
Do you have a favourite part of the project? So far, the whole project has been incredibly exciting (after all, it is the Rolling Stones!!), but I can’t wait for the first installation to be completed and see people’s reactions when they hear it and be completely immersed in the experience! So far we only have seen/heard the content in the studios and, as mentioned before, I know it will be a jaw dropping experience for the people that visit the exhibition. Seeing the looks on their faces will definitely be my favourite part, since that is what music should be all about; touch people’s emotions and the Dolby Atmos format allows us (even better) to achieve that!
Do you have a favourite Stones track or moment from their history which the project conveys? The Stones have had so many hits over the last six decades, so to pick one is impossible. I don’t want to give away yet which tracks will be played at the exhibition, but I will guarantee that people will be very pleased! PMC pmc-speakers.com
Involvement in Rolling Stones ‘Un-Zipped’ provides a great showcase for the new CI speaker line from PMC
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Ultra-discreet sound for any space
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ESSENTIAL LOUDSPEAKERS
MAKING MUSIC MATTER Ai Pheng Yeap, Global Marketing Manager at Monitor Audio, takes on some of the burning questions the speaker sector has to answer to stay relevant to consumers looking for their next entertainment fix. Are consumers more turned on to having music everywhere in their home than ever before? As more and more consumers are increasingly aware of the technology to have music everywhere in their home, the demand will increase. Increased accessibility also has an effect on this trend. When it comes down to choosing between stand-alone speakers and discreet integrated speakers, it is based on knowledge and consumer preference. Some prefer their speakers hidden and discreet, while others prefer to showcase them. There are many bookshelf speakers that can be wall mounted, like our Monitor 50, Bronze 50, Radius 90, MASS Satellites and more, which are compatible with our MASM or FIX-M speaker mount. As we speak to people who are not in the HiFi industry, we realise that many, especially the younger generation, are either not aware of the vast difference in performance between a smart speaker and a stand-alone Hi-Fi speaker, or it
probably isn’t something that they are looking to invest in presently. Either way, the more they are exposed to the capabilities of good audio, the more they will be able to make informed choices to their needs.
Hidden speaker options, where are we performance-wise now? Where can hidden or integrated speaker options go next in terms of ease of installation and performance curves? As Monitor Audio has an in-house research and development team, we are always working on improving the performance of speakers. With every new product launch, we pursue to be better. Even though more people will seek hidden or discreet speaker solutions to minimise interference with one’s interior design or to maximise space, there will always be a need for stand-alone speakers. Stand-alone speakers not only fulfil their function to play audio but it is a piece of furniture, a beautiful product design
that can also be an object of desire. If you compare our Gold 200s with our CP-IW460X in-wall speaker, they both perform amazingly well but are very different objects. The In-wall speaker is engineered for high-performance with special attention to be as discreet as it could be in its environment. Whereas the Gold 200 is a lot more attractive as an object, more visual and tactile with its different materials, such as the grain and colour of the wooden cabinet, contrasting with its sophisticated soft touch top panel and the etched tweeter plate. Manufacturers, installers and residential home developers should collaborate closely to make integrated speakers and smart home options more accessible to consumers. Options of different solutions should be presented to home buyers so they can have the home kitted out as they move in, without having to make extra effort to seek out a specialist later. This has already been done, but I think there is still a lot of room to make integrated speakers more readily available.
As music systems really can go anywhere, the industry is in good shape to capture new fans
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SAR-WM Wall Mount for Sonos Arc Allows you to install Sonos Arc quickly and easily onto any suitable wall. A unique 30mm step positions the Arc’s top-firing speakers in front of the TV. Designed and manufactured in the UK with precision engineered high grade-steel. SAR-TVMA TV Mount Attachment for Sonos Arc Holds the Arc securely in place while allowing it to move with the screen. Flexson’s unique design positions the Sonos Arc 30mm in front of the TV, allowing you to harness the power of Dolby Atmos. Includes two sets of arms for the perfect installation. Available from Exertis: 01256 378 550 or Alltrade: 0844 225 2700
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ESSENTIAL LOUDSPEAKERS
SPIRIT OF RADIO Wireless operation is changing the world around us, connecting the internet to phones, smart things and serious Hi-Fi as well. Karma AV’s Ian Severs introduces the next wave of tuned-in smart speakers for audiophiles. “That’s one small step for man”, said Neil Armstrong and 240,000 miles away the world heard him - over radio. Invented in the Victorian era and unsung through decades of technological advance, radio continues to represent a giant leap for mankind, because today those tiny electromagnetic waves are enabling every smart thing on the planet to do your bidding. Billions of little radio transmitters and receivers underpin the skyrocketing expansion of a wireless ecosystem serving a fair chunk of the world’s population. Every second, apparently, 127 new IoT devices are connected to the internet, which means that by 2021 there could be as many 31 billion installed globally: nearly four per earthling. Inside and outside the home, radio will be mapping your life more efficiently thanks to an exponential rise in power. Amazon, for example, is ready to lunch its ‘Sidewalk’ service, which will use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) - another radio technology - to connect smart home devices and other Amazon products beyond the range of a standard Wi-Fi network. No escaping the reality: because of radio, everyone will be more connected everywhere. And since radio tech is indelibly baked-in to our economic and social lives, it’s a safe bet that everything you sell will, eventually, be wirelessly connected to the internet and include ‘smart’ functionality. Everything including Hi-Fi. Because although the average smart speaker could never match the bandwidth and quality of a traditional Hi-Fi box (even if it wanted to), a relatively new carrier in the radio spectrum is helping to turn even the biggest floor-stander smart.
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RADIO STARS
Working with WiSA, over 60 leading brands are helping to enable high resolution wireless transmission to a wide range of Hi-Fi speakers in the home. The Wireless Speaker and Audio Association uses radio to transmit 24bit music at 48kHz/96kHz (twice the quality of CD audio) with extremely low latency. All WiSA certified components are interoperable and plug-and-play in configurations from 2.0 to 7.1, even 5.1.2. Wired passive to wireless active, room correction to WiSA has allowed wireless to become a serious player in Hi-Fi system design by JBL, Bang & Olufsen, Revel and many other notable high-end brands, including Denmark’s System Audio. As demonstrated by SA’s EISA award-winning Legend Silverback wireless speakers, WiSA’s proprietary radio tech has inspired an easy upgrade path from wired passive to wireless active. SA’s WiSA enabled Silverback amplifier/electronic crossover modules and Stereo Hub can bring wireless freedom to its Legend passives, adding DSP, free-of-charge room correction (via SA’s ‘Room Service’ app), and a range of inputs including analogue line, digital
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optical/coaxial, USB and HDMI. And through WiSA’s wireless tech, the system integrates the internet via Apple AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify Connect, and offers compatibility with WiSA streamers, such as Primare’s SC15 Prisma. No so long ago a TV ad used a voiceover by a famous actor (I think it was Brian Cox) to celebrate the futuristic features of a new car. I can’t remember the brand or model, or even the exact script, but it went something like this: “One day,” says Brian, “a car will change the way all other cars are made”, before delivering the punchline: “that day is today”. Substitute the car for a speaker and Brian could just as easily have been talking about the WiSA enhanced System Audio Legend Silverback range: a tribute to the all-embracing spirit of radio.
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ESSENTIAL LOUDSPEAKERS
HEAR YE, HEAR YE! Origin
Acoustics
expands
its
Director
Collection with two new in-ceiling 10in loudspeaker models – bigger in performance, not in size. Origin
Acoustics,
architectural
audio
brand and
leader
electronics,
for is
pleased to introduce two new models to its Director Collection of premium architectural loudspeakers – the D101 and D103DT. Bigger in performance, not in size. By utilising Origin’s unique mounting system structure, these new 10in speakers appear on the ceiling as if only containing a smaller 8in woofer. The aesthetics are pleasing to the client (and designer) and the larger sized loudspeaker performance is well-suited for large rooms and theatres. The larger woofer takes advantage of high ceilings and extended frequencies to produce more powerful lows. “Any ceiling over ten-feet can take advantage of these larger woofers,” says Nick Berry, CEO of Origin Acoustics. The D101 is a two-way loudspeaker with a 1in silk-dome tweeter and 10in polypropylene/ butyl-rubber woofer. The D103DT features a
dual
aluminium
tweeter
configuration,
specifically for a stereo signal, and an injection-moulded graphite woofer. Each lock securely into place using the same bayonet ring
Origin Acoustics New Performance Subwoofer Line Solid to the core, these new smaller sized Subs will enhance every job. Origin Acoustics is now shipping their new line of Performance Subwoofers. These powered subwoofers combine petite cabinets with powerful digital amplification to produce astonishing bass at a competitive price point. The new Performance Subwoofer series delivers more volume, lower frequencies, an attractive aesthetic, and it all sits in a smaller cabinet. The line features three floor-standing models with 8in, 10in and 12in driver configurations. Rated for 180, 200, & 300 watts RMS, respectively, Origin Acoustics has exceeded expectations for loudness and clarity with these new models – the SUBV8P, SUBV10P and SUBV12P.
Each composite woofer matches a finely tuned passive down-firing radiator that improves SPL and the resolution of extended bass frequencies and volume with no extra power consumption. These models also feature an upgraded line-grain finish that is more durable and more subtle than typical vinyl wraps. • Maximises performance and affordability • Dual active and passive woofers • Classic aesthetic with upgraded touch-feel and grille • Three standard sizes, 8in, 10in and 12in Invision UK is the exclusive distributor for Origin Acoustics. Sales@invisionuk.com | 01359 270280
system and hides behind the micro-perforated magnetic grille used with the entire Director Collection series. The new D101 an D103DT perform best in large areas such as patios or gyms, rooms with tall ceilings, and home-theatre environments where high SPL performance is preferred. Key features: • Maximises performance and affordability • Expansion of Director 10in series • Same grille profile as other competitive 8in speakers • Two-way co-axial speaker design • For distributed audio and home theatre • High-quality drivers and materials
52 OCTOBER 2020
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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY: ZEBRA HOME CINEMA
ZEBRA HOME CINEMA EARNS ITS STRIPES Atif Ghaffar, Director at Zebra Home Cinema, gives EI the tour of this clever install which uses feature items of the room to hide the equipment, turning what could have been serious barriers to a fully integrated finish to a definite advantage. Atif explains, “I’m a GP by profession and I’ve been an avid AV enthusiast for the last 25 years. During this time, I’ve spent money on the best kit that I could afford for various set-ups at home and I’ve visited many Hi-Fi and home cinema showrooms across the UK.
“I became particularly fond of Miller & Kreisel speakers and Lyngdorf Audio electronics, but it was apparent that there were no installers in the Midlands providing these brands. So, a year ago, I decided to set up my own business and introduce these systems to the Midlands myself.
“Without any expertise in the actual installation side of things, I had to find an independent installation firm to work with. Luckily, I was introduced to Kaine Pritchett from Virtus Integration. He had extensive experience in the industry, primarily in systems integration and smart home automation. He had also installed M&K speakers in previous jobs and agreed that the association would be mutually beneficial. “Zebra Home Cinema was officially launched in 2019 in association with Virtus Integration.”
54 OCTOBER 2020
This latest project involved negotiating some pretty tough obstacles in the room, as Atif explains: “This was the second project which came about following a local marketing campaign. I printed 500 letters, informing local residents about Zebra Home Cinema, what it represented and inviting clients to come and experience a demo. They were all signed, and I hand delivered each one. The client had heard about me as one of their relatives had also received one of my letters. The family wanted to discuss their options about installing a home cinema in an existing lounge and obtain a quote. “The client had already approached two installation firms previously but felt that their quotes were far too expensive. In fact, they had waited almost two years before deciding to get another one, apprehensive that it would be too costly again. “Following a telephone conversation and finding a little more about the client and their family set-up, I visited their home the next day to gauge what was required. I use the same process, very much like taking a history from my patients and exploring their ideas, concerns and expectations. I always like to find out who watches what, what do they enjoy the most and get a feel for how the system will be used long term. Often clients will discuss issues with preexisting systems and sometimes show me other rooms for alternative ideas.” This particular project however, presented a challenge right from the outset.
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tics’ invisible speakers are Stealth distributed Acoustics’ invisible exclusively speakers are distributed inexclusively the UK in the and UK and Ireland Ireland Technologies Ltd. Find out by Genesis more Technologies at www.genesistechnologies.co.uk Ltd. Find out more at www.genesistechnologies.co.uk
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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY: ZEBRA HOME CINEMA
Atif reveals, “The home consisted of an extended family set-up. The client lived there with his young family and parents. Whilst there were TV panels in a large conservatory/bar area, he wanted something more suitable for movies and gaming and the only space remaining was the formal family lounge – the restriction being that there was to be no disruption to the overall décor of the lounge and especially the presence of the traditional, inglenook fireplace which was the central feature. There was also a large piece of artwork hanging on the opposite wall which was to remain in situ.” So, the brief was to install an audio-visual system into an existing formal family lounge, whilst maintaining the existing décor within a specified budget. For this, the company specified a 5.2 audio configuration with projector, screen, sources as per the client’s instruction and suitable rack. The most important feature to the client’s family was the central fireplace and keeping the wall art on display. Taking this into consideration, the team explored methods of installing a discreet system, pointing out technical compromises from the audio point of view but sticking to the original brief pretty strictly. Atif says, “The most challenging aspect was trying to install speakers into the existing wooden beam above the fireplace. But we did it!” Whilst there was no change to audio-visual design, the client later opted to have automated blinds so that the family could enjoy using the projector during the day.
MORE DETAIL
Atif explains, “As the fireplace was the main focus of the room, we had to use a motorised, retractable screen. The client and his family watched a variety of content including gaming, so we specified a 16:9 aspect ratio screen to account for all purposes and also within budget. We also painted the projector case as per the client’s request so that it blended in well with the room and didn’t stand out when people walked in. “The front speakers were to be installed in the wooden beam above the fireplace and we chose M&K in-wall IW85 speakers for this purpose – the dimensions were perfect to fit in the existing frames of the beam with custom paintable grilles which were spray painted to match. M&K systems are based around subsatellite configurations which allow clarity and dynamism for speech and high frequencies at the listening position whilst the subwoofers take care of low frequencies. “This allows content to be played at relatively loud volumes without distortion for great performance. We chose a pair of M&K V10 10in subwoofers (in white) to sit in the front corners of the room and used a pair of M&K M40T tripole speakers in the rear corners for surround effects (in white). The advantage of using tripole speakers, particularly for smaller rooms is that they emit sound directly and from either side of the speaker, using the adjacent boundaries, to produce a more immersive, 360° sound-field in the listening environment.
The speakers were cleverly hidden in the beam above the fire place
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OCTOBER 2020 57
ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY: ZEBRA HOME CINEMA
During the initial discussion of the brief and exploration, the client provided access to an adjacent office space. The team used this space to install the projector and created an aperture in the adjoining wall. All the AV equipment was installed in a rack underneath an existing cupboard space with a custom glass covering door. An Epson EH-TW9400 proUHD projector was chosen, based on budget and functionality. Atif says, “It produces a fantastic image for the distance and has memory zoom function to change aspect ratios depending on what is being watched.” The final challenge for the team lay in how to move the wall art to reveal the projector aperture.
Atif reveals, “Kaine custom-engineered an ingenious mechanism based on a motorised piston and using kitchen soft-closing drawer rails on which the wall art could be mounted and remotely moved back and forth. For light control, we installed QMotion blinds to the external window and to the internal patio windows. The client opted for a simple Control4 solution to operate all the AV gear and blinds.”
OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGE
Kaine sums up, “Balancing budget and system performance meant delivering the ‘hidden cinema’ was especially difficult whilst maximising the budget on the audio and visual equipment hardware. We settled for locating
Kaine and Atif prepare for the next phase of the installation
58 OCTOBER 2020
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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY: ZEBRA HOME CINEMA
the equipment in the adjacent home office and projecting the picture image through a hole in the wall which was covered by a client’s artwork when the system was not in use. Also, fitting speakers and an electric screen into the existing fireplace meant we had to consult closely with the client to ensure we could deliver on both system performance and room design requirements. “Ensuring the system was hidden from view when not in use whilst respecting the client’s budget, meant some detailed consideration into the room installation. This included creating a bespoke automated picture frame slider, installing the front LCR’s into the existing mantel piece and redecorating to maintain the system performance when in use whilst respecting the room design when the system was off.” So what are the team most proud of? Kaine says, “The discreet front speaker installation is a favourite part of the installation considering all of the challenges faced during the installation process.” For Atif, “It’s the sliding wall art mechanism and seeing the projector light come on. Genius”! And the client? He and his family love the fact that the living room looks exactly the same as before. Saying that before it was hardly ever used, now - with the touch of a button - the whole room is transformed into an amazing entertainment space and has become the family’s favourite room in the house.
Essential Kit List Epson EH-TW9400 Projector Yamaha RX-A880 Receiver Projecta Non-Tensioned (Concept Elpro Electrol) 113in 16:9 Projection Screen M&K IW85s front M&K M40T surrounds M&K V10 subs Middle Atlantic AXS Rack Control4 EA1 Room Controller & Neeo Remote QMotion Blinds (Zigbee) Wyrestorm 18Gbps 4:4:4 60Hz Over Active Optical HDMI Cable SCP 16/4 Speaker Cable Custom Motorised Picture Slider
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OCTOBER 2020 59
It’s official...
Lyngdorf makes the world’s best surround processors “The Lyngdorf MP-50 processor and SDA-2400 amplifiers are now in a class of their own.” Widescreen Review “The Lyngdorf MP-60 delivers the best performance I’ve heard from any processor to date and I’ve heard them all.” AVForum “After living with the MP-60 for quite some time, I’ve come to the conclusion is the best processor money can buy.” Home Cinema Choice “With RoomPerfectTM, the MP-60 produces the best sound quality heard for the lowest cost so far. You get SOTA surround sound performance for much lower cost than with other top tier contenders.” Widescreen Review “I can categorically state that I have never heard such pristine home cinema audio outside the mixing suites at Skywalker Sound.” Home Theatre Forum “In my opinion the MP-60 exists in a class of its own with performance that is best described as perfect.” AVForum
Gecko Home Cinema • 01635 268114 • www.lyngdorf.com
PRODUCTS
SONY’S NEW HOME CINEMA TRIO The VPL-VW590, VPL-VW90 and VPL-GTZ380 join the Sony home cinema offering in what looks like a decent step up in performance and ambition in the sector. The three new native 4K (4096 x 2160) projectors with SXRD panels are made specifically for the consumer and custom installation channels. The VPL-VW590ES, VPL-VW790ES and the flagship model VPL-GTZ380, have been created to offer innovative processing, impressive brightness and best-in-class viewing experiences, says the company. A genuine high-performance machine, the 4K SXRD laser VPL-GTZ380 projector is able to deliver an impressive visual experience suitable for larger living spaces and dedicated cinema rooms. This model has been created to squeeze every last drop out of HDR content with its high contrast, brightness and wide colour gamut in a relatively compact body size for a machine of this kind; weighing in at (51kg). The model also features ‘X1 Ultimate for projector’, a set of technologies to further enhance picture quality. The projector incorporates a newlydeveloped 0.74in native 4K SXRD panel with improved light stability and a new laser light source using a red laser diode in addition to the two different-wavelength blue laser diodes. This enables the model to achieve 10,000 lumens and a wide colour gamut of 100% DCI-P3 without any loss of brightness. Sony has also designed the projector to run with low acoustic
noise (39dp approx.). This has been made possible via a newly designed cooling system for the laser light source. This machine will be retailing at around £80K and installers will have to be accredited on the machine before being allowed to offer it. It’s due to launch in January 2021. The new lamp VPL-VW590ES model and laser VPL-VW790ES model replace the VPLVW570ES and VPL-VW760ES respectively. These two models have been created to offer a clear HDR experience by also implementing ‘X1 for projector’. These projectors will both be offered at competitive price points (around 11K for the laser and 7K for the lamp version). The new HDR feature analyses each scene to deliver the best contrast performance when viewing HDR content, making the bright scenes brighter and the dark scenes darker. Sony sony.co.uk
The two more affordable machines are available now, with the flagship dropping Jan 2021.
GET SWITCHING WITH WYRESTORM AND HABITECH Habitech has announced the exclusive availability of WyreStorm’s EXP-MX-0404-KIT and EXPMX-0808-KIT to the UK’s CI integrators. As the latest additions to WyreStorm’s ‘Essentials’ matrix switcher range, the new products pack a wealth of experience into their compact 1U chassis, says the maker. Small in price yet big on specification, the kits can handle current video content up to 4K/60 4:2:0 covering a majority of current source devices, even supporting 10-bit HDR content at up to 30Hz and multi-channel audio. Powerful HDBaseT technology sends this content, IR control and PoH to receivers at up to 35m/115ft range. The EXP-MX-0404-KIT is equipped with three HDBaseT zone outputs and a single switched HDMI output, which can be paired with WyreStorm’s HAOC hybrid optical HDMI cables or any extender for transmission via HDBaseT or OM3 fibre. The EXP-MX-0808-KIT doubles the capacity to six HDBaseT zone outputs and twin switched HDMI outputs. With audio versatility to match their video capability, the kits offer the ability to extract audio signals from the output, following the zone.
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In addition, S/PDIF connectivity provides the flexibility to send multi-channel 5.1 audio to local AVRs or downmix to stereo using WyreStorm’s EXP-CON-DAC-D specialised D/A converter. Certain applications in the residential, education and commercial markets don’t always require a source to be routed through to an output. The kits make it possible to ‘mute’ the video output as well as the audio, meaning that the HDMI signals to the zones can be independently switched off via the API. Habitech habitech.co.uk
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OCTOBER 2020 61
HVAC Control the Sensible way
Sensible Heat offers a full backup service to resellers, including design advice, supply and commissioning. We can work with you to create a fully integrated solution – don’t worry, you won’t need to become an HVAC expert! Do the sensible thing and contact us now.
> Control any form of heating; radiators, underfloor etc. and any form of comfort cooling > wired or wireless schemes > Make each room a zone: better comfort and efficiency > iPhone / Android access via App > HVAC controls always provided with independent/ backup user interface > Building size or complexity of HVAC plant is no problem > Custom Control Panel for plantroom if required > Interfaces to AMX, Crestron, Control4, Savant, RTI with pre-written, proven “drivers” > Interfaces to most major aircon systems (Daikin, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Sanyo etc.)
Sensible Heat are sole distributors of Honeywell Hometronic in UK and Ireland.
ADVANCED H E AT I N G CONTROLS
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11 St Nicholas Lane Lewes East Sussex BN7 2JY tel / fax 01273 475834 e info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com 19/09/2016 18:26
PRODUCTS
AS THE DIRECTOR INTENDED Origin Acoustics, available in the UK from Invision,
The new D101 and D103DT perform best in
has introduced two new models to its Director
large areas such as patios or gyms, rooms with tall
Collection of premium architectural loudspeakers
ceilings, and home-theatre environments where
– the D101 and D103DT. Bigger in performance, but not in size. By utilising Origin’s innovative mounting system structure, these new 10in speakers appear on the ceiling as if only containing a smaller 8in
high SPL performance is preferred. Origin Acoustics originacoustics.com
woofer. The maker says the aesthetics are pleasing to the client (and designer) and the larger sized loudspeaker performance is well-suited for large rooms and theatres.
Origin Acoustics has expanded its Director Collection
The larger woofer takes advantage of high ceilings and extended frequencies to produce more powerful lows. “Any ceiling over 10 feet can take advantage of these larger woofers,” says Nick Berry, CEO of Origin Acoustics. The D101 is a two-way loudspeaker with a 1in silk-dome tweeter and 10inch polypropylene/ butyl-rubber woofer. The D103DT features a dual aluminium tweeter configuration, specifically for a stereo signal and an injection-moulded graphite woofer. Each locks securely into place using the same bayonet ring system and hides behind the micro-perforated magnetic grille used with the entire Director Collection series.
MORE, BETTER, BLUESOUND BASS Bluesound has introduced the PULSE SUB+, an all-new subwoofer addition to the brand’s highperformance ecosystem. The SUB+ adds deep bass to any wireless or wired Bluesound system and features the convenience of precision app control. The new Bluesound model builds on everything the original PULSE SUB offered and takes it to the next level. The Bluesound PULSE SUB+ (which retails for $749 in the US; around £590) is offered in a choice of black or white finishes and is configurable to a wide range of applications. For ease of installation, it comes supplied with a wall mount bracket and magnetic rubber feet. Available to pre-order now, the SUB+ will begin shipping in late October 2020. Like the rest of the Bluesound product family, the PULSE SUB+ is a from-scratch design, created to combine practicality and performance in one elegant product. An 8in long-throw woofer and 150W Smart Amplifier with DSP deliver low frequencies to a deep 22Hz. Acoustically, the design approach is true to the brand’s musically-inclined Hi-Fi heritage and results in a tight, quick, musical subwoofer, equally well suited for music or home theatre. Bluesound aimed for maximum output from minimal size (18in W X 11.8in H X 5.75in D) to blend into any room application and any décor, staying true to the belief that a subwoofer doesn’t
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have to be either large or imposing. This design philosophy results in a sleek, compact, and versatile product that promises to satisfy in both performance and aesthetics. Bluesound designed it to be simple and it starts by using the BluOS Controller app to quickly setup and pair the SUB+ with any Bluesound product. With BluOS onboard, the user benefits from simple and intuitive app controls for volume, crossover, and phase adjustment. Easy software control means more options and more precision as users dial in the best settings for their ideal listening experience. Bluesound bluesound.com
For placement flexibility, a SUB+ wall mount bracket is included to allow this versatile subwoofer to be located almost anywhere in the room
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OCTOBER 2020 63
PRODUCTS
KARMA AV CALLS ON THE POWER OF PHYSICS Karma-AV says in-akustik, its new audiophile cable line, harnesses the best application of physics to achieve its singular objective. Karma-AV is delighted to be introducing inakustik cables to the UK. Guided by a belief that only ‘physics not voodoo’ can deliver the brand’s single-minded ambition to minimise signal loss within the cable, in-akustik’s high-performance product range has been designed and handbuilt in Germany since 1977. By optimising proven electromagnetic relationships with the best materials and meticulous engineering, the company says its line-up has evolved across four quality levels, from ‘Star’ through ‘Premium’ and ‘Excellence’ to its flagship ‘Reference’ class cables. The proposition for system builders is simply that while all cables will connect A to B, their susceptibility to interference, inadequate material properties and small cross-sections mean that signals will suffer losses during transmission. The brand’s singular focus on minimising signal loss involves the use of pure silver (in the flagship Reference Air Series) and the purest OFC for highest conductivity; the application of multi-layer shielding to counteract electromagnetic interference and the adoption
of high-quality polyethelene (PE) insulation preventing corrosion and damage while reducing energy storage (capacitance) by a factor of two over PVC. In addition, the design of larger crosssections reduces conductor resistance across the range and accommodates the brand’s innovative and flexible ‘air-helix’ structure, available on its ‘Reference’ cables, which separates the conductors in the air within the cable for the lowest dialectric losses. Karma’s in-akustik profile includes the brand’s esoteric Reference Air speaker cables and interconnects, its Excellence digital, XLR and speaker cables, Premium optical and phono leads and a range of specialised subwoofer cables. Search for in-akustik at karma-av.co.uk
Typical UK pricing inc VAT ranges from £40 to £27,000, and the products are available now.
Karma AV karma-av.co.uk
REDLINE TAKES TV AUDIO TO THE NEXT LEVEL! Just added to the Redline family is a stylish high-performance sound-bar from US audio innovators, Next Level Acoustics. The Fusion Frame has been created to partner the popular Samsung ‘The Frame’ TV series, creating a good looking and refined combination fit for any home. Redline says its latest addition taps into the trend for TV audio enhancement and the demand from consumers for TVs that do more than just produce an image. The audio engineers at Next Level Acoustics began the creation of the Fusion Frame with one goal in mind – to deliver a high-end audio solution for the 2019/2020 edition Samsung ‘The Frame’ series. The challenge was not only to deliver what was required in terms of audio (in stereo and LCR versions), but of course, to match the aesthetic qualities of the TV. The Fusion Frame is a passive soundbar so it requires amplification which matches the TVs approach of off-site electronics to drive performance, so installation of the required amplification should not be a problem. The soundbar has been produced to deliver strong acoustical dynamics and clarity from its sealed enclosure via its proprietary 4.5in
64 OCTOBER 2020
driver and crossover configuration. It boasts high-quality tweeters throughout the range, created by Danish audio expert, Vifa. The sound-bars also offer a high-gloss front speaker face and back panel and a matching flush wall pass-through mounting system. Other clever innovations include flipped speaker terminal cups which make for easy cable management and wiring access. Available in the stereo and LCR configuration, there is a solution for the whole The Frame series. The Fusion Frame provides
its two-channel or LCR audio performance in a surprisingly compact enclosure at only 44.4mm or 1.75in deep, making a neat and fully integrated installation possible. Redline red-line.co.uk
A 4.5in aluminium convex cone driver uses a unique and powerful rare earth neodymium motor system that delivers high acceleration and excursion, but with ultra-low distortion
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BANDWIDTH
THE NEXT BIGGER THING Perpetually rising bandwidth demands from IoT, WF6 and content streaming mean that multi-gig capability is now the first base for home network designers. This means CAT 6A minimum for Ethernet. Anything less will quickly be choked off, and your business could be next. In which case you’d be mad to risk your good name for a few pennies saved per metre on CAT 5 or 6, especially when the cable’s locked in the walls and impossible to upgrade.
In the age of multigig pulling CAT6A is a no brainer but choose carefully. Traditional UFTP and FFTP cables are great for high crosstalk environments but they’re thicker and more difficult to terminate, adding unnecessary cost to every install.
HNC PROPLUS 6A 10G
SCP’s new CAT6A UTP uses internal gearing to better separate the pairs. It’s slimmer, easier to pull and terminate, keenly priced and best of all, certified to 10G. With bandwidth always on the up, why would you risk a lesser cable…?
Crimp and Trim in one easy action with Simply 45 Terminations
Next bigger thing A4 Advert.indd 1
15/08/2020 09:01
SUPPORTING THE UKʼS FINEST CUSTOM INSTALLERS
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