TURN TO P.6 FOR THE RGB INSIGHT
TRAINING 2 019
A N E S S E N T I A L I N S TA L L P U B L I C AT I O N
The must-attend introduction course to Smart Home technology! ‘BECOME A SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATOR’
If you are new to the industry or looking to expand your knowledge base, this brand-new course introduces the principle topics that every new integrator needs to know: AV Distribution, Lighting, Networking and Control. With a great emphasis put on hands-on demonstrations and real-world configurations, the course delivers a taste of what is possible, outlines many of the considerations you need to make before you start, describes lots of the pitfalls to look out for along the way and introduces the higher-level training and support you can expect from RGB.
Visit www.rgbcomms.co.uk or call 01488 73366 to book now. Places are limited to a strict first come first served basis.
Date: 17th October 2019 Duration: 1 day Location: RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY
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CONTENTS
10 AWE The Smart Home Academy
04 HABITECH Networking for the future
12 HABITECH Residential to commercial transition
06 RGB Training opportunities abound!
14 CEDIA The latest training update
OCTOBER
TAKE TIME OUT FOR TRAINING The world moves very fast as technology constantly evolves and working practices constantly adjust to new techniques, and on-site rules and regulations change. It feels like there is always something new approaching that could potentially leave you feeling left behind and out of touch. So its never been more important to at least try and take time out to stay up to date with new opportunities, techniques and technologies. Inside this special training supplement, you will find just a few on the options open to you. Backed by its new Pro division, Habitech’s latest training initiative
will illuminate the path from Resi to Commercial install. Also from Habitech, now that the Internet is the source of audio, video and control, and demand for easier, faster connectivity rises unabated, Justin Martin Lawrence profiles the company’s ground-breaking approach. AWE’s Smart Home Academy programme is dedicated to providing technology integrators with the necessary skills to install the latest products safely, efficiently, and professionally. Find out more inside about this exciting resource. There is also input from trade association CEDIA and RGB gives a valuable insight into its latest training opportunities. Dan J Sait Editor
OCTOBER 2019 03
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
STEP INTO HOSPITALITY AV Backed by its new Pro division, Habitech’s latest training initiative will illuminate the path from Resi to Commercial install. Habitech’s Justin-Martin Lawrence has all the moves... Not so long ago a rather deep gulf separated the commercial AV environment from smaller, impeccably bespoke resi spaces. The former, public and utilitarian, the latter, exclusive in every tiny detail. Back then it would have been hard to imagine an integrator wielding a colour palette on one day and installing a line-array over a dancefloor the next. But today, the two worlds are converging in a way that makes your skills far more marketable to commercial businesses. This is because a growing desire for exclusivity, particularly in the hospitality sector, is motivating owners to enhance their services with the design kudos you’ve been installing for years. Their rush to introduce boutique styling and personal service precision at higher quality is your invitation to step into a bigger, busier, more lucrative commercial AV market. Some of our integrators are successfully engaged already. So we’re here to help you make the same move with the intel contained in our new Commercial AV training courses supported by the wide product diversity of our newly established Pro division.
CAPITALISE ON TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
The one-day ‘Introduction to Commercial AV’ course offers CI integrators a better understanding of the commercial AV toolkit. It examines the differences between resi and commercial systems design, power and impedance requirements, low impedance serial/ parallel applications, high impedance ‘constant voltage’ systems, audio transports, audio sources, auto-mixers, integrating video and audio, AVoIP, and hands-on experience of system design. The consecutive day-two ‘Commercial AV Integrator’ course is aimed at engineers who have attended the ‘Introduction to Commercial AV’ course, or those with greater experience of Commercial AV installation. It covers the more advanced aspects of CAV deployment including introduction to CAV configuration software, organising CAV diagrams, configuring a Yamaha MTX/MRX audio distribution system using MTX/ XMV Editor (including a hands-on practical), and wiring video and audio sources (including balanced inputs). As part of the training we’ll be introducing our Pro product range, including the Sonance Professional Series of distributed audio in-ceiling, pendant and all-weather on-wall speakers; Yamaha Pro’s configurable multi-zone power amplifiers and versatile audio processors, Wyrestorm’s incomparable ‘Network HD’ videoover-IP platform, Ruckus’ peerless switch and Wi-Fi prowess, and iPort’s platform of iPad wallmount solutions. In addition to the quality of our products and training we’ll contribute further value-added support through our system design services,
deploying EASE Software for audio, and Visio network configuration with Ruckus heat-map analysis for IP and AVoIP network planning. If you’re seeking a route into commercial AV, it’s all on a proverbial plate. So now is the time to engage. Take the next step by searching Habitech/Training/CAV course options, and discover how your skills can reap the rewards of a lucrative new market. Intro Course: 6th November Integrator Course: 7th November To register email tanya.sworn@habitech.co.uk Habitech www.habitech.co.uk
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE At RGB our aim is to share our knowledge with the industry and help grow our customers and their businesses. We pride ourselves on developing our staff to be experts in their field and therefore being able to deliver our extensive dealer training programmes at the standard that is expected of us. We strongly believe that training is one of the most important offerings to our customers, which is why we offer bespoke 1-2-1 courses, adhoc training events and seven different training courses on a regular basis at our premises. Savant - Core Training (2 Day Course) Lutron - RA2 Select Training Lutron - HomeWorks QS Installation & Programming Middle Atlantic - Integrating the Rack - CEDIA CEU Accredited Networking & Wi-Fi for AV Systems - CEDIA CEU Accredited Savant - Intro Training (via video conference) ClearOne Technical Specialist Training – 1 day All-IP AV and Control – 1 day Become a Smart Home Technology Integrator
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Our standard fee is £25 which covers the cost of the administration, booking, refreshments, lunch and supporting course literature. The only exception with this is the two Lutron courses which do have a fee based on the manufacturer’s requirements. The popularity of RGB’s training is self-evident with an impressive 236 delegates participating in our in-house courses during 2017. Along with 66 delegates participating in offsite adhoc training events and 30 delegates participating in 1-to-1 bespoke courses. At RGB, we are constantly looking at improving our courses and welcome criticism, which is why every delegate completes a questionnaire at the end of each training course. A review of some of the latest testimonials show a high degree of satisfaction, comments like ‘great facilities’ and ‘perfect tuition’ are not uncommon. But at the same time, we never rest on our laurels and the ‘can you suggest any improvements’ section is the most eagerly viewed section to see how we can take it to the next level. As well as making the courses adaptable, we involve our dealers at many stages during the design of new courses. Our course tutors are well respected in the
industry, with experienced technical backgrounds and a complete understanding of the challenges that our customers face. In all of our training courses we encourage the audience to get hands on with the equipment, this is particularly important for courses such as our Savant Technical Core training. Without the equipment to hand it is really difficult to get complex technical aspects across in a meaningful way. To achieve that we have limited the number of delegates so the participant to presenter ratio allows for more personal tutoring. Rob Thompson, one of our senior technical support engineers, provides the training. Being a support engineer allows Rob a greater understanding of the complex problems that may occur in the field and can easily modify the course to include the solutions to such problems. Along with the personal touch each delegate has a rack of equipment to configure and train on, including lighting control, source content control, network set up and much more. Therefore, each delegate gets a real understanding of building a smart home automation system and can leave confident that they have the tools necessary to provide their
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
customers with a high-quality project. To enhance the dealers experience and help make our customers more productive, we are implementing a new piece of technology into the training room for 2019. With the advent of BYOD it was felt that the training audience would benefit from real-time content sharing. To achieve this, we have included the crowdbeamer Go. This allows the presenters’ content to be shared with the audience without the need for an internet connection (the crowdbeamer has its own built in Wi-Fi), in an entirely secure way. All the audience participant needs to do is download the app via a simple QR code and immediately receive the presentation on their personnel device. With the crowdbeamer app installed on their smartphone, tablet or laptop, each participant can decide what screen content to capture, add notes, mark-up, save content and immediately share. This content can then be exported at a later date for review and amendment. Alongside our standard training programme, we also encourage dealers to review our latest selection of web-based training through our new website https://www.rgbcomms.co.uk/training/ web-based. This has a wide selection of manufacturers web-based training courses, ideal for those dealers who cannot commit days away from the office to keep up to date with the latest technology. Many manufacturers provide training that is non-product specific so new employees can learn about fundamental foundational elements of audio video distribution. Content will include terms and definitions, HDMI, common connection issues, 5-volt connection and hot plug, EDID, Audio, HDCP, bandwidth, differences in category cables, HDBaseT, 4k and basic trouble shooting techniques. One manufacturer who provides a lead in this is Atlona with the Atlona Technology specialist – Level 100 and 200 https://atlona.com/training/ For more product specific training we offer a wide range including ClearOne’s university allowing self-paced learning, easily consumed 5-15-minute training modules that fit around the dealer’s busy schedule and instructional videos for example, Cleerline SSF’s on how to terminate fibre easily and safely. All are well worth a visit. For details on all our training courses visit our website https://www.rgbcomms.co.uk/training or contact Kate Wilson our training co-ordinator via email kate.wilson@rgbcomms.co.uk or by phone 01488 73366. RGB www.rgbcomms.co.uk
OCTOBER 2019 07
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ESSENTIAL TRAINING
GET SMART WITH AWE! AWE’s Smart Home Academy programme is dedicated to providing technology integrators with the necessary skills to install the latest products safely, efficiently, and professionally. As such, training courses have been designed with both industry newcomers and veteran integrators in mind. The AWE Smart Home Academy currently offers six expert training courses, including Foundation Workshop, Foundation in Smart Home Control with URC - MXHomePro, URC Total Control Workshop - Whole House Integration, Designing an Immersive Audio Home Cinema, Wire Free Blinds with QMotion, and HDMI & 4K Distribution. AWE also lends its facility to CEDIA as an official base for CEDIA education. In November, the AWE Smart Home Academy is focussing on training courses relating to blinds, control, and home cinema. Wire Free Blinds with QMotion is aimed at integrators either new to window treatment or those looking to diversify their product portfolio. Uniquely, this 1-day training module covers window treatment and the fundamental basics required for an accurate design of a window treatment system, giving students the template to become a confident designer using the QMotion architecture.
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• Advantages of wire free blinds • Types of mounts and hardware • Integration with third party control systems • How to measure • Fabrics, dual shades, accessories, and more “With the ever-expanding consumer desire for motorised and wireless window treatments, becoming a QMotion certified dealer was high on our achievement list for 2019” commented Ross Profit, Signal Flow Ltd. “AWE made the whole process effortless. We took a lot from the training being held at AWE HQ as we were able to not only partake in training, but also enjoy exploring the showroom and seeing demos of their full product portfolio. We were approaching the training from two angles with both technical and design staff attending, so it was great to learn about both aspects of the QMotion range and how to pitch it to our customers. The detailed overview of the QMotion design and ordering software was particularly useful to see how it can fit into our own sales process. Great coffee too!”
IMMERSIVE CINEMA
Designing an Immersive Audio Home Cinema is a one-day course that will provide integrators the tools to design an amazing home cinema. This can be from a living room conversion to a fully dedicated cinema
room. Students will leave with an understanding of the design processes and equipment choices that are required to create a truly immersive experience just as the director intended. • Understand Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and other immersive audio technologies • Cinema speaker placement • Specifying the correct AV receiver • Projector technologies and how to select the best projector • Projector screens, fabrics, and systems “In a small group of about 10, we started easy and then got more and more in depth into the world of designing a bespoke home cinema” adds Rob Lambert, Sevenoaks Sound and Vision. “This was great as the group had different levels of knowledge — one guy had literally only just started in the industry, while someone else in the group had 40 years’ experience. I have 25 years’ experience under my belt and learnt plenty from the day as AWE went into a depth of knowledge that I had never previously gone into. It wasn’t all classroom based though. The demonstrations of the different levels of Sony projectors were great, as it gave us the chance to see that no matter how much you spend on the projector, the image just kept on getting better and better. They also talked
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
us through the different price levels for the home cinemas they had built, going up to the amazing KEF Reference in-wall/in-ceiling system, which was truly impressive. “All in all, a very worthwhile day — both for knowledge gained and personal experience of products I heard and saw. Clients always want to know what you think of product you don’t stock and if you would recommend them, which now I can say, ‘I would’.”
URC TRAINING
The Foundation in Smart Home Control with URC MX HomePro course is a one-day session teaching integrators how to specify and programme a reliable control system, featuring all home entertainment and AV components, plus today’s most popular smart home products. The course is designed for those wanting to become proficient in URC’s MX HomePro range of products; ideal for single room and basic multi zone control.
The upcoming dates in November are as follows: • 5th November – Wire Free Blinds with QMotion • 6th November – Designing an Immersive Audio Home Cinema • 19th November – Foundation in Smart Home Control with URC MX HomePro All courses are held at AWE’s headquarters, Alexander House, which lends itself perfectly to education purposes, as it includes a stunning show apartment and two cinema rooms, which allow attendees to train within a real-life integrated environment. For more information, visit www.smarthomeacademy.co.uk and www.awe-europe.com
• Building macros • Using logic and variables • Tracking device power • How to integrate third party smart home products, including Phillips Hue and HEOS • Network requirements
OCTOBER 2019 11
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
HOW TO BUILD A BETTER NETWORK Now that the Internet is the source of audio, video and control, and demand for easier, faster connectivity rises unabated, you’ll need to take home the smartest IP IQ. Habitech’s Justin Martin Lawrence profiles the company’s groundbreaking IP intel… Nobody in CI would deny that today’s residential and commercial spaces represent a dynamic tech target for custom integrators. This year’s Ofcom communications market report declares that household Internet penetration has reached a whopping 87%, and that the number of Fibre-ToThe-Cabinet connections has overtaken copper for the first time (with superfast broadband lines up by 17%). It also reveals that, driven by the growth of online video, people are using much more data: up 25% in a year to 240GB each month per fixed connection. Today, 58% of viewers watch on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, while demand for terrestrial channels and free catch-up services is declining, especially among younger consumers. Your workspace is changing fast, creating new pressure points for your business, so you need to stay ahead of the curve. In time honoured tradition, we’re here to help.
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GET CONNECTED
Back in 2012 we were the first UK disti to spearhead a support platform for IP network tech with the launch of our ProNet initiative. Designed to help integrators build the fastest, most reliable infrastructure and anticipate future IoT developments, our ‘intro’ and ‘advanced’ ProNet courses have evolved with the rollout of IPV6 and 802.11 Wi-Fi standards to be honoured with CEDIA’s Best Training Initiative award in 2015, and to reach today’s comprehensive platform of tech knowhow and hands-on training. Take a look at what’s on offer. The one-day ProNet ‘Quick Start’ course provides a perfect grounding in the nature of IP for electricians and custom installers who need to boost their understanding of this key technology skillset. We’ll introduce you to networking basics: how networks operate, how to make them more reliable and how to setup switches and routers, all topped-off with hands-on experience, so you’ll leave us with a firm grip of basic network design and functionality, and CEDIA training points too. Our latest two-day ProNet Integrator course is targeted at CI integrators with network knowhow but who want to expand their expertise in building the most reliable networks. Over two days we’ll show you how to design the ultimate smart home network; how to ring-fence IOT products in order to protect their security, and how to create VLANs for different product groups for the better management of bandwidth and traffic.
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
GETTING UP TO SPEED
We’ll also support attendees with advice on how to future-proof their network designs by explaining the upgrade paths to 10Gb and the importance of using fibre infrastructure as the fastest and most flexible data carrier available, period. During each course we’ll emulate a typical home network environment and then provide hands-on training using routers and switches with the aim of building a more secure and efficient setup with multiple VLANs. After two-days with Habitech you’ll have the confidence to design and construct your own networks following best practices. In detail, the Integrator course covers advanced router configuration, IP product integration, network organisation, subnets and VLANs, bandwidth management, Ruckus ICX switches, basic command line setup, setting VLANS, licensing models and Layer 3 entitlements. If any of this sounds daunting, join us on the Quick Start course instead. ProNet is designed very deliberately to align course content with ability: we’re here to tune-up your skills wherever you are on the learning curve. So we monitor the performance of each session to ensure that our courses provide genuinely useful skill progression. After years developing our network training programmes, the methodology seems to be working. Results show that over the
last eight months, we received a 5/5 rating from 98% of responses, inspiring comments such as “the course provided a great introduction to switch configuration”; “good knowledgeable leader”, “very useful content, good at explaining detail”, “good introduction to switches; would be interested to look at more in-depth course”. All this means that with a little help from Habitech you can meet the rocketing demand for easier and faster connectivity from increasingly tech-savvy customers and achieve mastery over CI’s most critical and dynamic skillset. Lunch is included too! ProNet Quickstart Course (1 day): 19th November ProNet Integrator Course (2 day): 20th & 21st November To register email tanya.sworn@habitech.co.uk Habitech www. habitech.co.uk
OCTOBER 2019 13
ESSENTIAL TRAINING
CEDIA TRAINING ESSENTIALS CEDIA is renowned for the breadth and depth of its industry leading education programme. Developed by a global board of experts, CEDIA’s core curriculum training sessions allow integrators to adapt to the constantly growing industry, meeting the requirements necessary to continuously build upon their careers.
BOOT CAMP
The five-day Boot Camp course is an excellent way to develop the basics of installation. This course is suitable for new technicians looking to acquire the fundamental skills needed in becoming a capable member of an installation team, as well as those interested in becoming CEDIA Certified. Industry experts will teach aspiring integrators to locate problems and rectify faults in an efficient manner, guiding them through a wide variety of test techniques and troubleshooting methodologies, moulding them into future industry leaders. Boot Camp includes the following courses: • Electronic and Science Skills • Cables, Connectivity, and Structured Wiring Workshop • Testing, Measuring, and Troubleshooting Techniques • Audio, Video, and RF Systems for Installers • Health and Safety Topics covered include: • Identifying the correct test equipment for a range of electrical and data related systems. • Using test equipment to measure a variety of electrical parameters within AC and DC circuits. • Using a data cable qualification tool to test data infrastructure. • Processes for finding, fixing, and verifying various smart home systems. • Common stages of the test and commissioning phase in a smart home project.
TECHNICAL SCHOOL
CEDIA’s Technical School is essential for the ESC-T certification exam. This five-day package is aimed at individuals with some industry experience, wishing to gain a thorough
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understanding of the engineering principles that form the foundations of the home technology industry. These courses build on the knowledge and skills obtained during Boot Camp and develops them to the level of a senior technician. The courses included in this package are: • Basic Wired and Wireless Networking • Home Cinema and HD Video Distribution • Smart Home Control and Lighting Systems • Project and Business Processes • Rack Building and Wiring Fundamentals
NETWORKING SCHOOL
To meet the demands of dominant communications and media transmission within the home cinema industry, CEDIA has created a detailed three-day course on IP Networking to improve the understanding and skill set of attendees within the industry. Residential networks are becoming more complex, so it is vital that home integration engineers can confidentially install networks that are strong and secure. This course delivers the knowledge and skills required to start building more complex networks, and to implement TCP/IP connected hardware in many of the situations encountered in the residential environment. The topics covered include: • Residential Networking • Wireless Residential Networking • Advanced Residential Networking Upcoming Dates • 11th —15th Nov 2019 —Boot Camp • 18th —22nd Nov 2019 —Technical School • 4th —6th Dec 2019 —Networking School • 20th —24th Jan 2020 —Boot Camp • 27th —31st Jan 2020 —Technical School • 24th —26th Feb 2020 —Networking School For a full list of CEDIA training courses, pricing, and to book, please visit www.cediaeducation.com
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