Residential Tech Today -- Nov/Dec 2021

LEVERAGING THE HEALTHY HOME | MAKING SENSE OF SMART HOME PROTOCOLS

RENOVATING AND RESTORING WITH HGTV’S

JENNY & DAVE

MARRS PLUS: Roku’s Latest Refresh Transforming the Lighting Control Experience Year-End Tech Alternatives ‘Post-Apocalyptic’ Gift Guide

Nov/Dec 2021

From the Editor In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the terms “wellness” and “healthy home” have entered the marketing lexicon of homebuilders and consumer electronics companies. But like “green building” and “green tech” prior to LEED and ENERGY STAR certification, “healthy home” and “wellness” can be hard to define. Simply put, the category lacks specific measurables.

In my own home, I had a modern, natural gas-fired furnace installed just a few years ago.

Inside of it is a very large air filter that you have to either order online or buy direct from the HVAC contractor. Even though I set my phone’s calendar to remind me to replace this filter every eight months, I sometimes miss the notice or disregard it because I’m too busy at that moment. Last month, the sudden change from summer to fall as chillier temperatures arrived reminded me that it was time to swap it out.

Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki

Light control through the proper specification of lighting fixtures, bulbs, and dimmers can be the best first step toward a healthy home.

Turns out, it had been more like a year since I last replaced it, and during that time – stuck at home during the pandemic – my oldest daughter had started burning candles in her room that reminded her of Disney attractions (don’t ask). The side effect of a candle that smelled like the Polynesian resort was a dark dusting on her room’s ceiling fan and HVAC air intake vent. God only knows what our ductwork looks like now, but, needless to say, that filter was doing a yeoman’s job keeping our home at least somewhat “healthy” and was pretty filthy, when I went to swap it out.

An HVAC filter is probably the most fundamental ingredient of a healthy home. For those with “means,” however, expensive water filtration systems and “human-centric” lighting technology are luxuries that can also fit into this relatively undefined category. While the need to filter water really depends upon the region of the country or world, lighting control tech arguably holds the most promise for improving at least the mental health of a building’s occupants.

Take a walk through your neighborhood some evening and notice your work-from-home peers as they toil at their desks under the sickeningly blue glow of their “cold” LED lights.

Compare that to the guy reading a book in the amber glow of his den. Or, notice the new fixtures outside another home down the street that make your eyes hurt if you look at them too long versus the warm tones of the house next door with the calming “campfire glow” of traditional incandescent bulbs or “warm” LEDs. Again, it’s hard to quantify how tech can contribute to wellness or to a healthier home, but for the more sensitive among us, proper light temperature in a home or office space can have a qualitatively positive mental impact. Call it biophilia, human-centric, or sun-centric, but light control through the proper specification of lighting fixtures, bulbs, and dimmers can be the best first step toward a healthy home. Oh, and don’t forget to change your furnace filter once in a while.

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Nov/Dec 2021

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contents

46 Jenny and Dave Marrs

bring passion for designing spaces and restoring historic homes to HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous.

Cover photo courtesy of HGTV

Departments 12 By the Numbers 14 Quick Bits 16 Control 18 Video 20 CEDIA Says 22 Streaming

24 Audio 26 Home Theater 60 Product Revolution 63 Coming Up 64 The Lighter Side

28 Innovator Spotlight

Ryan McDaniel, One Touch Automation

30 Featured

Amazon unveils new smart thermostats, Ring security products, Halo View, and a Blink floodlight cam.

32 Video

TCL goes with Google TV in new 5- and 6-Series television models.

34 Streaming Services

Roku updates devices and services with OS 10.5 and Streaming Stick 4K and 4K+

36 Issue Focus: Healthy Home An expanding ecosystem of smart products is enabling various health and wellness use cases.

38 Lighting Control

Lutron RadioRA 3 features Light Bar design and more powerful processor.

42 Smart Home

Making sense of smart home protocols now and in the future.

50 Featured

How to use a brand or product that you might not have thought of before.

54 Home Audio

Reviewing the SVS PC-2000 Pro subwoofer

56 Health Tech

Cove is a ‘wearable’ designed to activate a calmer brain pathway.

58 Portable Audio

Calling the robust SOUNDBOKS Gen 3 Model a ‘Bluetooth Speaker’ is a bit misleading.

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Contributors Michael Heiss has been a member of CEDIA since its founding, having served two terms on the CEDIA Board and headed the Technology Council. He was awarded CEDIA’s “Volunteer of the Year” award and is a CEDIA Fellow. As a product and marketing executive at Harman International, he was responsible for many breakthrough audio and video products. On the entertainment side of the business, he was a promotion manager at NBC and was key to the development of hotel in-room movies and created the first nationwide movie rental service for Beta and VHS cassettes. In this issue, Heiss is a busy man, covering new Amazon products on p. 28, TCL’s latest video displays on p. 30, Roku’s latest refresh on p. 32, and “year-end alternatives” on p. 50.

Jay Basen is retired from his 40-year career in professional software development, but he still keeps his tech skills sharp with special projects and product reviews. During his career, the Silver Certified Crestron programmer specialized in the design, development, and installation of automation, building management, and energy management systems for residential and commercial buildings. In this issue (p. 40), he faces the challenging task of “making sense of smart home protocols.”

Henry Clifford founded Richmond, VA-based Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company, and has served on the CEDIA Board of Directors. His most recent venture was the recent launch of IntegrateU, a professional on-boarding service for the custom integration industry. On p. 54, Clifford reviews the SVS PC-2000 Pro subwoofer.

Heather Sidorowicz is a freelance writer, CEDIA volunteer, and president/owner at Southtown Audio Video, in Hamburg, NY. SAV specializes in solutions – in both the commercial and residential markets – making meetings more productive in a hybrid conference room and expanding your Wi-Fi throughout the home. In this issue (p. 56), Sidorowicz reviews Cove, a “wearable” device designed to activate a brain pathway that leads to calmness.

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monitoraudio.com/install

Distributed exclusively in North America by

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e NUMB RS

by the

A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives

COVID-19 has been horrible in too many ways to count, and the resulting supply chain hiccups continue to reduce the availability of just about every consumer product in the world. That being said, two areas of the economy seem undeterred and maybe even positively affected by the global pandemic: home sale prices and home improvement/remodel expenditures. This month we take a closer look at these trends, primarily from the DIY perspective, but also by looking at broader sales and remodel statistics.

Total home sales in the U.S. from 2011 to 2020 with forecast for 2021 and 2022 (in millions)

Google Search Trends for the Home Improvement Industry Search Term: “Home Remodel”

39

93

%

%

March 2020

8

Source: kitcheninfinity.com

510 $253.3 $61.8

Billion/USD

Source: Statista.com

U.S. Home Center Sales

Billion/USD

Source: Statista.com

5

5.75

5.52

5.38

2013

2014

5.03

6.7

6.5

6.01

6.12

5.96

6

2016

2017

2018

2019

4.57

4 3 2 1

U.S. Hardware Store Sales

Source: Statista.com

Number of housing sales in millions

6

Projected Total Home Improvement Sales in the U.S. in 2024

$

7.1

7

March 2021

0

Billion/USD

2011

2012

2015

2020

2021* 2022*

* Estimated. Source: Statista

Average sales price of new homes sold in the United States from 1965 to 2021

Sales price in thousand U.S. dollars

(in 1,000 U.S. dollars) 400

390.9

300

268.9 240.9

200

323.1 326.4 321.5

336

245.2

169 122.9

100

64.6 20

23.4

65 19

70 19

0

133.9

84.3

39.3

75 19

80 19

85 19

Source: Statista

12

221.8 227.2

288.5 294.2

307.8

Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

0 199

5 199

00 20

05 20

10 20

11 20

12 20

13 20

14 20

15 20

16 20

17 20

18 20

19 20

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1* 02 2 g Au

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QUICK BITS WE ASK INDUSTRY INSIDERS ONE QUESTION

“ What product was your single biggest seller in 2021, and why do you think it worked out so well in your projects?”

While it is difficult to pinpoint any one specific item, anything that improved a client’s ability to work and enjoy being at home with family in 2021 has been a huge success. From highperformance networking to home theaters, outdoor audio and even golf simulators, this year has been one spent largely on upgrading existing systems and continuing to allow our clients the ability to deal with the remaining impact of COVID-19 on their lives.

– JW Anderson, The Integrated Home, Charlotte, NC

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Designers appreciate our thinking behind blending technology with the interior of the space, and our clients love the look of custom finishes to cover their black TV screens. – Alexa Centeno, SDI Boston, Boston, MA

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Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

We’ve had a huge year with AVPro extenders. The reason is simple, more people need robust network reliability as working from home has become increasingly important. AVPro products are totally reliable, best in class, and AVPro is a very progressive company in the channel.– Helge Fischer, Catalyst AV, Lake Zurich, IL

Lighting fixtures have been our biggest win in 2021. I believe that the category has been so successful because we have taken the time to educate our clients on why they’re important and how they can positively impact their energy, sleep, and overall well-being. – Jan Vitrofsky, HEDSouth, Hollywood, FL

Our biggest sellers over the course of the year were high-resolution IP security cameras and recorders. As customers stayed at home more, they wanted the protection and security around the perimeter of their homes. They also valued the local, private, recording capabilities of these systems to recover information that could help lead to the prosecution of perpetrators.

– Gordon van Zuiden, cyberManor, Los Gatos, CA

Our single best-selling product category sellers for 2021 were robust managed home networks. They provide our customers with the confidence to work from home. They also allow us to monitor and manage the systems remotely so that everything can operate at peak performance. – Christopher Sterle, Acoustic Design Systems, Las Vegas, NV

As odd as this may sound, our “product” that took the crown for 2021 was educating our clients between the difference of a bid versus a system design. This change in messaging allowed us to land larger, more profitable jobs. It also allowed us to create separation from our competitors by showing that we are professionals in our trade with a focus on premium solutions. – Eric Crawford, The Loop, Boise, ID The product that had the biggest impact on my business in 2021 was Crestron Home. With the ease of configuration of Home, we can do more projects and better serve our clients while giving them a great Crestron experience.

Additionally, I don’t have to be on-site which allows me to better support the teams in the field. – Todd Anthony Puma, The Source Home Theater, Old Bridge, NJ

Our biggest sellers this past year were likely Sony 4K displays. We had so many people upgrading TVs, either to replace old sets for better performance, to add more streaming options, or just enjoy a larger screen size. We’re definitely finding people gravitating to larger sizes — 65-inch and larger — and seeking premium options like OLED. – John Sciacca, Custom Theater and Audio, Myrtle Beach, SC

Bryan Koutsky, Sound Designs “In order to hire the right people, you need health benefits. And as a small business owner, it’s tough to put a benefit package together on our own. Lockton brought all that together for us. It’s why we joined Nationwide and HTSN.” With programs that give our retailers access to comprehensive health benefits for their employees…

We’re more than just a buying group Want to learn more? Contact Hank Alexander, Director of HTSN hank.alexander@nationwidegroup.org

htsngroup.org

DEPARTMENTS

Control

An All-in-One Experience RTI Music Offers Three Streaming Sources from a Single RTI App

By Walter Joseph

RTI Music is launching with Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, and iHeartRadio.

RTI has launched its new RTI Music product as an all-in-one experience for streaming up to three sources at once from a single MS-3 Music Streamer.

“What’s great about RTI Music is that it provides native RTI control on a single app for streaming music,” explained Neal Ellsworth, director of product management for RTI. “There’s no need to go to your Pandora or Spotify app and then use Spotify Connect or anything like that. You no longer need to use Favorites within the control system to get to streaming sources. Now, with RTI Music, it’s all native, built-in, with full-functionality.

For the residential market, RTI Music is launching with the following streaming services: Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, iHeartRadio. For the commercial market, the company is offering Sound Machine and Sirius XM. More services, including Amazon Music, Deezer, and Tidal, are expected to be added by the end of the year.

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Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

The system is designed so that the end-user can create and edit playlists and queues across the platform on the fly. If, for instance, you have Spotify as well as saved local music files, you can put all of your music into a single playlist and RTI will play them both.

You can search through the streaming services from the RTI Music user interface with the integrated keyboard. You don’t have to go to the app itself. You can also search your local music directly from the interface. The system allows you to search from any touch panel, iPad, or iPhone, or Android, as well.

Airplay is available on all three outputs, which allows end-users to play Apple Music or Amazon Music until those services are available natively. This also enables local music on a NAS or PAC, including lossless audio, to be played through the system.

By stacking two MS-3, you can create up to six streams, which can be synchronized or played separately at one time. The system

supports multiple users for each streaming service (a maximum of 26).

The Configuration Utility for RTI Music launches directly from Integration Designer. It manages streaming accounts and allows an integrator to customize the hierarchy of menus and set up NAS and PC connections. Remote access is available for configuration, updates, and changes from the integrator.

The MS-3 Music Streamer hardware, which features a three-year warranty, is a single rackmount unit with standard RTI faceplate. In addition to offering three independent streams, it includes a Hi-Res Audio DAC (24bit/192kHz) and lossless audio (FLAC/ ALAC).

The driver can control up to eight MS-3s per system. It features auto-discovery and enhanced auto-programming, which cuts the programming time in half. It also includes an interactive keyboard, which used to require custom programming to add. x

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DEPARTMENTS

Video

Redefining Luxury Home Theater

LG Electronics’ DVLED Provides Wall-Sized ‘Extreme Home Cinema’

By Anthony Leo DVLED Extreme Home Cinema Displays ranging in sizes and resolutions.

Installations of the LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema Displays include integrator training and customer support assistance; onsite help from an LG field engineer during installation; twice-yearly LG on-site visit “health checks” for three years; LG Connected Care software subscription allowing the integrator to remotely monitor their customer’s system performance; and a five-year limited warranty on every display. LG values the cost of these items at approximately $30,000. These benefits are only for the LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema models and do not apply to all-in-one DVLED Home Cinema models that are prebuilt and packaged.

LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema offers 16:9 displays from 81 inches to 325 inches diagonal, as well as UltraStretch video wall-style installations.

The first-ever Direct View LED (DVLED) display series from LG Electronics was designed specifically for high-end residential installations.

The LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema line is available in screen sizes up to 325 inches diagonal, in 4K and 8K models.

DVLED Extreme Home Cinema uses 2 million to 33 million individual diodes (depending on resolution) to deliver high performance with exceptional brightness, years of residential lifespan, wide viewing angles, and a very high color gamut, even in rooms with high ambient light.

DVLED Different from LED TVs Direct-View LED technology is visibly and fundamentally different from “LED TVs,” which are actually LCD TVs with LED backlighting to boost brightness. Direct View LED technology

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Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

images are created directly by the LED diodes and provide high contrast ratio and brightness, creating some of the most vivid images available in a video display today.

LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema offers seamless 16:9 displays in sizes ranging from 81 inches to 325 inches diagonal, as well as UltraStretch video wall-style installations that deliver a seamless 32:9 display ideal for windowing multiple video sources such as live sports.

Available Exclusively from Custom Installers LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema displays are available exclusively through a new custominstallation dealer program and cannot be purchased at stores. To help simplify installation, LG has packaged more than 30

The high-end nature of the product is even reflected in the shipping procedure, which uses LG-branded flight cases instead of boxes or wood crates, protecting the materials until delivery, and providing organization of the delivered items.

With LG’s webOS technology, simple things like artwork can be stored on the display without the need of WiFi. LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema Displays can also interface with webOS-compatible content management systems to enable multi-window viewing.

“This truly is the supercar of home display technologies, offering hand-constructed quality and performance that appeals to those with luxury lifestyles who want something that is not only immersive but also highly exclusive,” said Dan Smith, LG Electronics USA’s vice president in charge of DVLED displays. “LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema Display technology is rated to last 100,000 hours before reaching halflife, meaning that it could deliver stunning visuals for over 10 years.” x

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DEPARTMENTS

CEDIA Says

Investing in Entertainment Spaces The Future for Home Entertainment Spaces is Brighter Than it has Been for Years

By Ian Bryant CEDIA Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

Admit One Home Systems is a CEDIA member in Edina, MN, that completes high-quality home theater experiences like this one on a regular basis.

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Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

I have a deep love and appreciation for movies shown in a cinema environment. It all started when I was a kid. What was not to love about this awe-inspiring experience, feeling the bass tremble as Tom Hanks took off in the fated Apollo 13 or getting transported into the vibrant world of Roger Rabbit? Maybe I’m showing my age, but I’m certainly not alone. My whole generation was captivated by the magic of the movie theater, and mounting numbers of us are investing in re-creating that experience at home.

While the last year has been a challenge on several different levels, it has been a watershed moment for in-home entertainment. Hollywood, Borehamwood, and Bollywood have all been warily tracking the gradual shift toward in-home viewing for several years. Streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu all had significant subscribers pre2019. The floodgates really opened right before and during the pandemic, though, with the launch of Disney+, Peacock, AppleTV+, HBO Max, and Britbox.

The largest of the streaming providers aren’t just providing a platform for playback but are also making massive investments in original content. It is reported that Netflix will spend $17 billion, Amazon Prime Video $11 billion, AppleTV+ $6 billion, and Hulu $3 billion on content creation in 2021. These spending levels put the streaming providers on par with movie studios, and it shows; Netflix had 35 nominations at the 2021 Oscars. Cinemaquality content is now available at home, and it’s begging for a theatrical delivery experience.

Throughout the pandemic, we also saw big studios like Warner Brothers and Disney adopt a hybrid release strategy offering tentpole movies as part of subscription services as well as in traditional theaters. Reports stated that half of HBO Max subscribers tuned into Wonder

Woman 1984 on its Christmas Day release.

Once consumers got a taste of watching movies at home right as they release – for the same price or cheaper than going to the theater – they got hooked. As a result, the future of entertainment spaces in the home is getting a huge and much-needed boost. A recent Parks Associates survey found that 56 percent of households now have a smart TV, but as more content becomes available, homeowners are going to be looking for ways to continue to upgrade their spaces.

Even though movies are increasingly pursuing a “home-first” distribution strategy, films like Wonder Woman 1984 and Dune were designed for the big screen. To fully experience the filmmaker’s vision, viewers need to be immersed in the sights and sounds of the cinematic world: the sweeping visuals of Denis Villeneuve’s Arrakis don’t sweep quite the same way on an iPad screen. For movie-lovers, the theatrical experience will always be a critical part of appreciating the art form, whether in a commercial or private home theater. The nature of the home theatrical experience is evolving, though – becoming even more immersive and communal.

For example, take the advent of virtual watch parties. Axios reported on the watch party trend in October 2021, sharing that internet companies are leaning into new services that add a social component to the otherwise isolated experience of staying home in front of a screen. Disney, an early leader of the trend, launched GroupWatch in 2020. Over the summer, Apple announced SharePlay, a live contentsharing feature via FaceTime, Netflix Party relaunched as “TeleParty.” HBO Max launched a group watch party tool in conjunction with Snapchat in September 2021. As this trend takes hold, it’s easy to imagine that people might add conferencing features to their viewing spaces to make the experience more interactive.

I personally think this is only the beginning of the home theater’s reinvention, and a lot more innovation will emerge in the next several years.

Entertainment rooms will go beyond viewing and watch parties to offer a fully immersive experience that’s not just for movies; they will be optimized for concerts, exercise, video games, and so much more.

Integrators are poised to design these entertainment rooms as multi-use spaces. If you’re unsure where to start, I would suggest talking to CEDIA Propel Partner Immersive Gyms. Charles and his team have a deep understanding of the technology and space needed for these types of projects.

These multi-use spaces are only going to get more sophisticated. Already, we’re seeing early iterations of holodeck rooms that offer 3D projection mapping.

Combining the trends of immersive entertainment and “watch party” communal consumption, it’s not hard to imagine that these spaces could change the way we collaborate and work from home, as well. Why couldn’t a space with built-in conferencing capabilities that can transform into a movie set, racetrack, or hiking trail, also transform into a boardroom?

Innovation in the residential market is bound to cross over into new applications that we can only now begin to glimpse.

The future for home entertainment spaces is brighter than it has been for years – something every integrator should capitalize on. CEDIA offers an abundant catalog of resources for those looking to design entertainment spaces that will dazzle and delight. From hands-on training to best practice documents and whitepapers, and even the CEDIA Designer tool for home cinemas and media rooms, tap into these CEDIA member benefits to ensure that your next project brings these entertainment experiences to life for your clients. x

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Nov/Dec 2021 | Residential Tech Today

DEPARTMENTS

Video Streaming

Moving from Disc to Digital Kaleidescape’s Three New Movie Servers Enable Content Storage Capacity to Grow Over Time

By Walter Joseph

Kaleidescape has unveiled three new movie servers. The Terra 72 is for the ultimate movie collector and the Terra 12 and Terra 18 are for customers who want the Kaleidescape experience but are not ready to commit to a larger movie server.

The compact Terra 18TB ($9,995) can store up to 300 4K movies with download speeds equivalent to the larger Kaleidescape four-drive Terra servers. With 50 percent more storage than the Terra 12TB ($7,995), it’s considered a “mid-level” addition to the company’s Terra product line.

With the power to download feature-length 4K movies in as little as 10 minutes on a gigabit internet connection, the Terra 12 and 18 are meant for customers looking to invest in an entry-level Kaleidescape system that can instantly play movies, television shows, and music events. The Terra 12 and Terra 18 can support any number of Strato C players ($2,995 each) and serve up to five simultaneous 4K Ultra HD playbacks. Designed with a similar profile to a Strato C movie player, a Terra 12 or Terra 18 can be mounted beside a Strato C in a 1U rack space using Kaleidescape’s custom rack mount for efficient shelf storage.

Kaleidescape’s Largest 4K Movie Server The $23,995 Terra 72 server, when combined with a Strato C movie player, provides lossless multi-channel audio and visually lossless 4K Ultra HD (UHD) video thanks to a superior video compression solution utilizing four to five times the video bit rate of competing for digital video services.

“The Kaleidescape Terra 72 is the largest 4K movie server we have developed to date, designed specifically for customers looking to

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Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

The Kaleidescape Terra 72 is for the ultimate movie collector and the Terra 12 and Terra 18 are considered “mid-level” additions to the product line.

move from disc to digital or increase their collection through our award-winning movie store,” said Tayloe Stansbury, CEO of Kaleidescape. “The new offering can store nearly 1,200 high fidelity 4K UHD movies in unrivaled quality, delivering faster download speeds and a seamless playback experience for the ultimate movie collector.”

With the power to download feature-length 4K movies in as little as 10 minutes on a gigabit internet connection, the Terra 72 can also download content while supporting playback on multiple Strato players. The foundation for a multi-room Kaleidescape Strato system, the Terra 72 movie server can support any number of Strato C players and serve up to 10 simultaneous 4K UHD playbacks.

As with all Kaleidescape products, customers can incrementally increase storage by adding more movie servers, choosing from the compact Terra 12TB, compact Terra 18TB, Terra 24TB, Terra 48TB, or Terra 72TB. This allows the customer’s storage capacity to easily grow over time along with their collection of content.

The Kaleidescape movie store has the largest collection of 4K titles available and boasts more than 12,000 titles for purchase and more than 8,000 for rent. Users can rent or download movies in reference quality 4K HDR with lossless Dolby Atmos and DTS-X audio, surpassing even 4K UHD discs in both convenience and quality by going beyond optical disc capacity and bit rate limits. In addition, Kaleidescape offers nearly 400 4K UHD titles not available on Blu-ray Disc.

Kaleidescape’s proprietary kOS operating system enables Terra 72 to provide the advanced content protection required by Hollywood motion picture studios for the highest-fidelity renditions of their movies.

The Terra 72 movie server stores high-fidelity movies on an array of enterprise-quality hard drives and is designed to continue operating even if a hard drive fails. When the failed drive is replaced, its movies are automatically restored from the cloud. In addition to storing movies, Terra 72 provides caching, staging, and computing services that improve player performance. x

POWER IS THE

FOUNDATION

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RoseWater is at the forefront of designing the most complete, highest quality residential/commercial energy management and storage system in the industry.

Our product, the SB20, is the only product that provides:

THE ROSEWATER SB20 ENERGY AND STORAGE HUB

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CALL: 954.467.8050 OR EMAIL INFO@ROSEWATERENERGY.COM FOR MORE INFO WWW.ROSEWATERENERGY.COM

DEPARTMENTS

Audio

Distributed Audio Versatility

AudioControl CM Series Amplifier Delivers 70Volt and 4/8-Ohm Connectivity

By Walter Joseph

The CM Series from AudioControl are the first amplifiers engineered specifically as a true “resimercial” solution, blending the power, performance, and reliability of a commercial amplifier with dual-mode capability, digital audio inputs, and DSP features from AudioControl’s residential amplifiers.

Three CM Series amplifiers from AudioControl feature compatibility with both 70-volt and 4/8-ohm loudspeakers (dual-mode) plus optional Dante digital audio networking capability.

There are three available channel configurations for the CM Series amplifiers: CM4-750 4-channel highThree CM Series amplifiers from AudioControl feature compatibility with both 70-volt and 4/8-ohm loudspeakers. power dual-mode DSP-enabled amplifier, the CM3-750 3-channel highof 70-volt products. The amplified outputs of control the CM Series amplifiers via IP interface power dual-mode DSP-enabled each CM Series model can be individually and traditional 12-volt triggering methods. amplifier, and the CM2-750 2-channel highcontrolled as mono outputs or controlled as power dual-mode DSP-enabled amplifier.

Scalability with Dante stereo pairs, giving integrators system Dante is an uncompressed, multi-channel Each of the three CM Series amplifiers utilizes configuration flexibility needed to digital media networking technology that moves Constant Power Mode architecture that was accommodate any system architecture. data over a standard IP network using readily engineered by AudioControl to deliver more DSP Control and Signal Matrixing available Cat-5e, Cat-6, or fiber optic cable with output power, greater efficiency, and highCM Series amplifiers also are unique in the near-zero latency. Dante is scalable from modest quality sound quality. This proprietary amplifier delivers 750 watts per channel in 70-volt mode realm of dual-mode solutions because they offer installations to large-scale projects, providing or 625 watts per channel at 8, 6, or 4 ohms along the DSP control and signal matrixing integrators with a highly flexible network-based with stability into 2 ohms. capabilities developed by AudioControl for platform. their Director Series amplifiers.

These key CM Series amplifiers also deliver 1500 watts With the new CM Series amps, any source can features enable integrators to precisely tailor the bridged in 100-volt mode and 1250 bridged into be accessed from anywhere on the network, and sound by zone to any environment – from a an 8-ohm load. The CM Series Dual Mode up to 16 mono or 8 stereo streams of digital heavily upholstered living room to a highly design can simultaneously operate in 70-volt content can be routed to any Dante-enabled reflective tile and glass patio. mode while also driving a conventional device, creating limitless system architecture loudspeaker.

For maximum installation efficiency, system options for any size project. And because the setup and diagnostics can be managed remotely Dante technology utilizes a master clock, all Each model offers eight analog inputs (two via a web browser (iOS or Android devices) connected devices remain in precise analog inputs can be set to accommodate a along with traditional PC or MAC browsers, synchronization for a seamless audio microphone) plus two digital stereo inputs (coax and optical), which is unique in the world leveraging a touch-responsive interface to experience. x

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Beam evolved

Smarter on the inside

A faster processor enables support for Dolby Atmos and creates two new audio paths for a virtual surround sound experience.

More beautiful on the outside

Updated with a precisely perforated grille, Beam looks just as good as it sounds and blends seamlessly into your home.

Learn more at Sonos.com/pros

DEPARTMENTS

Home Theater

Optimizing Audio Power Delivery

Trinnov Amplitude16 Power Amp Offers Versatility and High Channel Count

By Anthony Leo

Essentially two 8-channel amplifiers on a single 3RU chassis, the Amplitude16 has dual power supplies, each requiring its own 15A AC mains power inlet. In its base model, it is a 16-channel power amplifier with a continuous power rating of 200W/channel at 8 ohms and 400W/channel at 4 ohms.

another feature of the Amplitude16 is its optional Dante input board, which provides an option for connecting the amplifier to any Altitude processor via a network switch. This optional board also includes functions for monitoring the amplifier hardware status.

Bridging Pairs to Increase Power Going beyond, the Amplitude16 provides integrators with the option to bridge pairs of amplifier channels to increase available power for specific outputs. This enables the integrator to maximize power for the channels with the greatest demand (e.g., left, center, and right screen channels). In bridged mode, the power for one channel increases to 800W/channel at 8 ohms and more than 1,000W/channel at 4 ohms.

On a related note, Trinnov Audio is announcing the future compatibility of all Altitude processors with Ravenna/AES67 later this year, as a free update. Dante provides an AES67 compatibility mode, making it easier to integrate Altitude processors with the Amplitude16.

“When we set out to create a new companion amplifier for Trinnov’s Altitude processors, we recognized that just another power amp would not do. It needed to be something special to carry the Trinnov name, and the Amplitude16 indeed fits that description,” said Arnaud Laborie, Trinnov CEO. “Its unique versatility provides integrators and system designers with a great-sounding, powerful tool for optimizing dynamic power delivery by channel in a spacesaving, cost, and energy-efficient manner.”

Balanced analog input to the Amplitude16 is enabled through dual Tascam pinout DB25 connectors, which eliminate the need for up to 16 individual XLR connections, making for a much more efficient connection and rack dressing.

Trinnov Audio has released a new highchannel-count power amplifier, the Amplitude16, which was designed for immersive home theaters, with custom integration in mind. It can meet diverse channel counts and power requirements with better equipment rack efficiency, thanks to a partnership with ICEpower.

Optional Dante Input Board Anticipating future advanced applications,

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The rear view shows how the Amplitude16 serves as a companion amplifier to Trinnov’s Altitude processor. The Amplitude16 is essentially two 8-channel amplifiers on a single 3RU chassis.

Designed in partnership with ICEpower, according to Trinnov specifications, the Amplitude16 maximizes the performance of their class D modules, to deliver outstanding sound quality and the best possible immersive experience in a compact form factor creating very little heat.

The input sensitivity of the Amplitude16 is optimally matched to the output level of Trinnov’s Altitude audio-video processors, maximizing the system’s signal-tonoise ratio and dynamic range. Signal-to-noise performance is typically improved from 6 to 8 dB compared to power amplifiers with conventional input sensitivity.

A front panel LED display identifies normal operation, channel clipping, protection, and bridge status for each pair of channels. Trigger inputs and outputs are provided to power on the amplifier and to daisy-chain other amplifiers in the system.

Initial shipments of the Amplitude16 are scheduled to begin in December 2021. The optional Dante/AES67 input board is expected later, in 2022. x

innovator spotlight

Transforming a Smart Home Experience Center One Touch Automation’s Ryan McDaniel Takes Demos to the Next Level in Westfield, IN

By Jeremy Glowacki

You wouldn’t know by looking at Ryan McDaniel’s decidedly indoor-centric career path as a custom home technology integrator that he’s actually more of an outdoorsy type of guy.

But, as he notes in this interview from the Residential Tech Talks podcast, a proper work/ life balance with plenty of hiking, water skiing, and jam-band concerts, is the healthy alternative to spending every day in a darkened home theater tweaking audio and video gear.

McDaniel’s Westfield, IN-based company, One Touch Automation, recently moved to an extensive experience center, which includes a beautiful second-floor dedicated home theater featuring a Star Trek-style sliding door.

McDaniel is not only growing his demonstration and office space. He recently added to his technical knowledge by earning his American Lighting Association Lighting Specialist certification. Here’s what else we learned from McDaniel. This portion of the interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Residential Tech Today: I couldn’t help but notice that you’re a big fan of live music. My first question for you is if you had to pick just one band to listen to while stranded on a desert island, which would you choose, the Grateful Dead or Phish?

Ryan McDaniel: Oh, wow. That is a big choice right there. I love both bands. I go to quite a few Phish shows, but the Grateful Dead is definitely my all-time favorite. As I’m driving around this town, I’m listening to the Dead probably 75 percent of the time. Phish, the other part.

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RT Today: Switching gears, what convinced you that it was time for you to explore getting a lighting certification?

I think with the luminaires now just all LEDbased and the ability to control each light fixture individually and then also as groups, it really relies on people like us integrators to get that dialed in. We’re the ones that can put a keypad on the wall where when you hit a button in the living room, it can turn the lights on to the right level. Or, if we want to do color spectrum or circadian rhythm lighting, we’re the ones that have to be involved to make that all work. Also, with our project management skills, we are the ones that can really organize lighting fixtures that go in each specific room. A lot of electricians like to install stuff, but they don’t necessarily want to go through the ins and outs of all the finer details that we’re actually pretty good at. It was important for our company (for me) to become ALA certified and start down that training path.

RT Today: How did you prepare for the certification test?

In all, it ended up being a 16-hour online process. They send you a training book that is about four-inches thick. You read the material in the book, take pre-exams, and then you’d have a two-hour session in the afternoon. That went for four sessions. And then after that was the two-hour exam, where you had a hundred and some questions, and you had to get 80 percent or more correct.

Ryan McDaniel’s Westfield, IN-based company, One Touch Automation, recently moved to an extensive experience center, which includes a beautiful second floor dedicated home theater featuring a Star Trekstyle sliding door.

RT Today: Was it that the type of thing that you felt is a good fit based on your experience?

It felt really natural only because I’ve been doing Lutron Homeworks since 2002. I’ve been so involved in lighting for the past 19 years that the verbiage they used all made sense and was natural. During the first two-hour session and training, I was really nervous. I was like, what did I get myself into? Because it was really basic stuff. It was talking about CFLs and incandescent and halogen bulbs. And I was like, oh my gosh, this has nothing to do with the world we’re in. But that was a nice transition onward, and you learn quite a bit. The teaching was very well done.

RT Today: Let’s talk about this new real estate that you have in Westfield. It’s a lot bigger space than your prior showroom.

Yes, for the past 10 years, we had a small studio that was about 400 square feet in the Indiana Design Center. It was one room that we split up into a living room/bar area. Clients could come

and sit on the couch and have a full automation experience. They could see the audio-video, they could see lighting control, they can see automated shades. They could get the full experience, but it was just a small room. In a small space, we always lacked that home cinema experience, and a well-executed theater is a great way for the audio/video conversation to happen. We were really looking for a space to be able to do that. When [COVID-19] hit, we didn’t use our showroom for 10 months; there was zero traffic through it. I was saying, “Why are we spending the money on that? Let’s buy a place.” We had an opportunity in Westfield to buy the house next to our office, and we transformed that into a full demo experience.

Now, when people come in and experience a house as if they were going to live there. We can walk them through all the different rooms and how they would live with a system and, and exactly what we can do for them. We offer so much more than just audio/video, where we’re controlling light fixtures, motorized window shades, temperature control… and awesome experiences like a home theater or a twochannel stereo room. We can give that full experience to a client as if it was their own home. Then we can walk them right next door and show them how our operations work. They can meet our office manager, our sales engineers, and our operations team. It’s really nice to have that all together now.

RT Today: Walk us through some of the technology in your experience center.

Sure. There’s really only one source that can provide the types of demo clips that Kaleidescape offers. Now, it’s so easy to sell a premium source when people are experiencing

that; they see how easy it is. They just absolutely fall in love with it. We have been a Savant dealer since 2009, so Savant kind of drives the control side of the experience house. But we’ve also been Lutron dealers since 2002, so all of the lighting and shades control are Lutron. In the home cinema, we were able to team up with a local audio company called Acurus for preamplifiers, amplifiers, and processors that are driving the audio experience over there. It’s unbelievable how awesome it sounds. Then Barco for the projector and another local company, Auralex, supplied acoustic treatment.

RT Today: What about that Star Trek-style door on the home cinema?

If we just did a subpar theater with a normal door, then that is an experience that our clients could have at any shop around town. We wanted to blow people away, so we used a Future Automation piece to automate the door. Now, when you sit down in the theater chairs and start a movie, the door automatically closes. It’s such a memorable experience.

that enables them to stop thinking about what they do at work for a while. If you can find anything in the world that just makes you not think of anything at that moment, then that’s a good thing. And outdoors does that for me.

RT Today: What tech trends are driving your day-to-day?

RT Today: You studied outdoor recreation and resource management at Indiana University but ended up finding your way to AV integration. How important is it to you to balance your passion for the outdoors while working in a mostly indoors-centric business?

Early in the pandemic, everybody realized the need for a robust network to support all of their remote learning, work-from-home, and entertainment needs. This year, the biggest growing trend has been people are more willing to consider higher-performance audio, including two-channel audio and high-end theaters.

People are stuck at home more and they want performance. They haven’t been going to resorts as much, so they also want “resort living” in their homes, with LED strip lights under staircases and outside everywhere. While you’re spending more time at home, it makes sense to invest in your home space. x

Well, the business, in general, gives me a good balance because it gives me a challenge every day. I mean, I didn’t go to business school.

There is no book written for me to actually understand how to run an AV tech company. I love that challenge. And then the outdoors really centers me. Everybody needs something

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FEATURED

Beyond the All-Black Cylindrical Speaker Amazon Unveils New Smart Thermostats, Ring Security Products, Halo View, and a Blink Floodlight Cam

By Michael Heiss Imagine my surprise one day about seven years ago when a colleague called me to talk about “some new smart speaker thing that Amazon has just announced.” We were all amazed that it could not only play music but answer questions, set timers, and control other devices. I was a bit skeptical at first but ordered one anyway. Who would have thought that the all-black cylindrical speaker would be the start of a wide product category and offshoots like the new Ring home security products, smart thermostats, and health and fitness products that were recently introduced?

Amazon Smart Thermostat will certainly do the basics of controlling an HVAC system along with the obligatory “learning.” Along with those pros and cons, there will be one very important thing that the Amazon Smart Thermostat will have: an incredibly low price. At $59.99, it will be one of the lowest-priced Wi-Fi-controlled smart thermostats on the market. That, alone, along with its fitting into the Alexa ecosystem should make it a big seller.

different fitness routines with content available from a library of premium brands such as re•spin by Halle Berry and Orangetheory Fitness. On the nutrition side, there will be dozens of menu and diet preference options. It should come as no surprise that when viewing recipes on the app a simple click will add grocery items to a shopping list.

Pricing will be $79.99, with one year of Halo membership, with additions to Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition, both included in the app as part of Halo membership, rolling out through January 2022.

The new Halo View fitness tracker adds model with an AMOLD display to the Halo line along with significant updates to the underlying Halo service.

Amazon Smart Thermostat is the company’s first entry in that growing category.

Amazon Smart Thermostat Amazon Smart Thermostat is the company’s first entry in that growing category. Developed with Honeywell’s technology, this is a rather basic unit whose features don’t compare with Nest, ecobee, and similar products. After all, it doesn’t work with remote temperature sensors, and it doesn’t have a built-in link to a speaker. It does, as one might expect, respond to commands spoken to any Alexa app or device.

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Health and Fitness With Halo View Another crowded category where Amazon is extending its offerings is in the health and fitness and “wearables” category. The new Halo View fitness tracker adds a model with an AMOLED display to the Halo line along with significant updates to the underlying Halo service. The Halo View and its associated app components will check all the expected boxes for a wearable. It features activity tracking, sleep tracking, and body assessment and nutrition coaching when used with Halo apps and other new nutrition and fitness components.

The user can be guided through a variety of

Blink Doorbell Cam Ring is one category that Amazon is wellknown for, including their doorbell cams and a wide variety of security and protection-related products. Perhaps less well known is the companion Blink line, a more value-priced line of indoor and outdoor cameras. Now, however, Blink will also include its own doorbell cam, the Blink video doorbell.

FEATURED Here, too, we have a product that checks the boxes for a basic product. It is compatible with the Alexa ecosystem for chimes from and communication with those at the door, and the ability to see visitors on a Show or Fire TV OSconnected device. So far, so good. What, you may ask is the tradeoff? The camera is listed as 1080p/30fps, but the captured images are shown at 640x360. The Wi-Fi is only 2.4GHz at Wi-Fi 4 (802.11b/g/n) speeds but depending on the location of the Blink to the Wi-Fi access point that will be good enough in many cases.

The batteries are standard non-rechargeable AA, but they are said to last for up to two years and standard size makes them easy to replace.

Is this as good as the Ring models or the many other products in the video doorbell space?

Perhaps not. However, at $49.99 with a 30-day trial to the Blink Subscription Plan, it’s priced aggressively. Alternatively, the Blink optional Sync Module 2 at $34.99 supports local storage on a USB flash drive for playback through the app or on a PC, but that does not support live view recording. All in all, taken for what it is, it’s a very interesting, value-priced product.

Blink Floodlight Camera mount Also announced to flesh out the Blink line was the Blink Floodlight Camera mount that works with the existing Outdoor Cam to deliver 700 lumens of lighting, triggered by a motion detector. The mount is $39.99 and is available in a package configuration which also includes the Sync Module 2 at $139.98. The final new Blink product is the Outdoor Cam with a Solar mount. As the name implies, this is an outdoor

camera with the same specs as the video doorbell but is solar-powered with battery backup. The $129.99 price tag includes a camera and the mount with a Sync 2 module available as an option. It should be noted that one Sync 2 Module will work with up to 10 of the Blink camera products.

Ring Jobsite Security A final product that incorporates Ring cameras and their technologies will curiously not be sold through Amazon. Ring Jobsite Security will be sold exclusively through The Home Depot. If you first see the product other than in a store you won’t have any problem guessing where it came from. The products come in a secure travel case that sports that unmistakable orange color.

Presumably designed for construction professionals, the concept will be quite valid for any commercial or residential construction or installation location where site surveillance both for video and motion detection is needed. Given the hardened nature of the products, this might even be interesting for places such as a boat dock or temporary overnight parking area.

The Ring Alarm Pro combines the features of the consumer Ring Alarm but adds a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 access point/router.

Ring Jobsite Security, a Home Depot exclusive, builds a complete security system and remote monitoring in a kit that is easy to move from one job location to another.

The names of some of the parts of the kit are self-explanatory, but the key is the new Ring Alarm Pro. It combines the features of the consumer Ring Alarm but adds a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 access point/router that is the glue for communication between the components and off-site monitoring via the Ring app or professional monitoring.

The basic five-piece kit starts at $399.99 and includes the Ring Alarm Pro, a battery-operated Stick Up Cam, a battery-operated Smart Lighting Spotlight, a Smart Lighting Motion Sensor, and the protective, powered, Security Case that may also be wall-mounted. All the components are also available individually or to increase coverage area, as well as a power pack and outdoor contact sensor.

For job sites where there is broadband, Alarm Pro will enable connection with laptops, tablets, or other devices on the site. With the addition of the Ring Protect Pro subscription at $20 per month, you are also able to use cellular connectivity. That, in conjunction with the optional Ring Power Packs at $129.99 each, lets you secure the job site even when the power is out or the Wi-Fi drops off.

For more traditional home installations, the new $249.99 Ring Alarm Pro combines protection against break-ins, floods, fires, and online threats with the reliable connectivity of a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router. Ring Alarm Pro also offers 24/7 backup internet with a Ring Protect Pro subscription to keep all the devices customers care about online with a cellular data connection.

All in all, an innovative and interesting product combination. Equally important is the fact that Amazon has reached out to a separate company to sell a version of things they developed. This should be a good play within our community. x

The new Blink now has a solar mount to power an Outdoor Cam from the sun.

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VIDEO

Switching (Video) Streams TCL Goes With Google TV in New 5- and 6-Series Television Models

By Michael Heiss TCL’s Smart TV lineup is expanding with the introduction of the brand’s new 6- and 5-Series models, powered by Google TV. Mention the phrase “Roku TV” to most consumers and their answer will most likely include TCL as the brand. While there are more than a dozen Roku TV brands, TCL has by far been the most popular, regularly ranking in the top four best-selling TV brands, often as high as second. However, it is less well known that TCL has also sold sets in their 4- and 3-Series lines powered by Android TV. If you don’t follow these things closely, Google TV is the latest version of Alphabet’s TV user interface, first introduced with their Chromecast with Google TV product. Eventually, it will likely replace the original Android TV as the “smarts” behind smart TVs from Sony, Hisense.

Android TV also currently powers external streaming products such as the Nvidia Stream and with a slightly modified UI TiVo Stream 4K and Sling’s AirTV Mini.

For now, both Google TV and Android TV will co-exist in the market.

Google TV’s Easier Interface The original Android TV still lurks underneath the hood, but what Google TV brings to the fore is a new, easier-to-understand interface. The look is cleaner and more modern, and it is simpler to search for your favorite programs or to find new ones. Viewing Google TV on the new generation Chromecast running Android TV 10 and the Nvidia Shield with the latest updated version of Android TV 9, the main differences are the elegance of the toplevel search and select functionality.

Perhaps the most noticeable visual difference is that with Google TV the selectors run

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Google TV, seen here on a new TCL 6-Series model, shows the available, downloaded apps crisply at the top of the screen.

horizontally as elegant words across the top of the screen, similar to what you see on an Apple TV. Android TV runs them horizontally on the left side of the screen with a larger font for the words and an icon.

Google TV also does content recommendations and an integrated Live TV channel guide that are accessed via voice or menu control. Of course, all Android/Google apps, services, and the content will continue to be available through the Google Play Store Other Google Features Does it really make a difference? As with anything visual, that’s up to you as the viewer.

What is perhaps more important than interface are the additional features available as a TV that

is part of the Google/Android ecosystem.

Thanks to a built-in far-field mic array, you can now issue commands to the set as well as control Google Assistant-enabled devices in the home. Smart speakers or Android phones may also control the sets, as can the remote’s built-in mic.

Since these sets do take advantage of Android apps, one key distinguishing feature will be the ability to connect a camera directly to the set for video calls. According to TCL, the camera will work with many popular apps, but Google Due is the only one that they recommend.

Similarly, the sets have been tested with multiple webcam products, but TCL

VIDEO

Contrast Control Zones. They have four HDMI inputs, two of which are HDMI for video up to 4K/120Hz along with VRR and ALLM, and one of the 2.1 ports has eARC. THX Game Mode is also on board. Finally, the Wi-Fi ups its game to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). The 55-inch model will be $999, the 65-inch model lists for $1,299, and the 75-inch version will be $1,799.

Note the built in far-field mic at the center bottom of this new 5-Series Google TV.

recommends that you use their own, optional, camera for best results. It will be available for $79, when the sets ship.

TCL’s Video Performance Of course, features are important, but for a TV the video performance is clearly the most critical detail. As befits their designation as part of TCL’s 5- and 6-Series model lines, all are 4K and include features that one would expect from TCL. All Google TV models have narrow bezel, edge-to-edge screens. QLED with quantum dot technology for vivid and saturated colors is also there across the board. Included, as well, is a full range of popular HDR formats: HDR-10, HLG, Dolby Vision, and HDR-10+. On the audio side, Dolby Atmos is included.

Gaming got a big boost while many of us were locked down during the pandemic, and these

Final Thoughts on TCL and Google TV One might ask why TCL, which has become a top-selling brand through their Roku TV models, would appear to switch streams to Google TV. The most important thing to remember is that the new Google TV models do not replace any of the Roko-based products; they remain firmly in the line and still offer TCL’s only 8K products, as well as an entry in their premiere 8-Series line. Indeed, many pundits are predicting that the 6-Series, 8K TCL Roku TV models with miniLED backlighting at $2,199 for a 65-inch set and $2,999 for the 75inch model will be huge hits this selling season.

new sets respond to the extra performance demanded by the latest game consoles and PC gaming. The design and AiPQ processor deliver variable refresh rates as part of TCL’s Auto Game Mode.

The 5-Series models have 60 local dimming zones, three HDMI 2.0 ports (including one with eARC), and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity. The 50-inch model will list for $599, the 55-inch version for $649, the 65-inch model for $899, and the 75-inch model for $1,299.

So why divert to Google TV? The answer may be simple. Each of the major Smart TV operating systems, including the captive Samsung and LG interfaces, Amazon’s Fire TV, Google TV, and, of course, Roku TV, have their partisans and detractors. Google, however, may appeal to a younger demographic, and there are certainly those who prefer it. Of course, a manufacturer can integrate voice command capabilities for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and even Apple’s HomeKit/Siri into a TV without using that system’s interface. Vizio, among others, have done just that.

TCL set the video world on its head, or perhaps more precisely its eyes, when they announced an 8K model in their Roku TV line with mini-LED backlighting. The Google TV 6-Series models are all 4K, but they also have the mini-LED backlighting to deliver 240

There is something to be said for going all in to serve those who are simply more comfortable with Google. By bringing out Google TV sets with the latest features at very competitive prices, TCL is, to some extent, hedging its bets by appealing to an even wider audience than they do now.

Time and the year-end shopping season’s results will tell the tale as to whether this approach is the right approach, but I would definitely not bet against TCL’s chances for success with this interesting new TV line. x

The TCL sets have been tested with multiple webcam products, but the manufacturer recommends that you use their own, optional, camera for best results.

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STREAMING

Roku’s Latest Refresh Streaming Leader Updates Devices and Services With OS 10.5 and Streaming Stick 4K and 4K+

By Michael Heiss model has virtually the same size and form factor as the previous iteration, but it has an allnew, quad-core processor said to deliver 30-percent faster boot time and a redesigned wireless receiver for twice as fast Wi-Fi speed.

Additional features include both Dolby Vision and HDR-10+ and support for all three major home control ecosystems, now including AirPlay2 and HomeKit support.

A major advancement of Roku’s forthcoming OS 10.5 will be the ability to integrate Roku Wireless Speakers with any of their soundbar products for 3.1 or 5.1 presentation. Using the Roku mobile app, a phone’s camera and Roku OS 10.5 will allow the listener to adjust AV Sync when listening with the phone or tablet.

Roku is showing that it is not going to rest on its laurels in the race to be the top dog for streaming devices and services. The company has unveiled an update to their Roku OS that expands the features available to their existing devices as well as two new streaming products.

Roku claims to be the number one streaming platform in the U.S. with more than 55 million active accounts, which was last updated to Version 10.0 back in April. The company will soon see the rollout of Version 10.5. While the “.5” designation may, at first glance, lead one to think that there are a few minor feature improvements, the new OS version brings some concrete advancements designed to keep up with and then separate Roku from its competitors.

Roku OS 10.5 Improved Performance Aimed at simplifying set up, search and control, as well as improved performance, the OS 10.5 will bring voice entry for email, password and PIN field entry, the addition of voice search for music and podcasts, and Roku Voice Help that supports and provides examples on many search and user functions. The mobile app version will be refreshed with a new Home Tab and other improvements.

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Audio also takes a major place in the OS 10.5 update. With the new OS and the Roku Mobile App, users will now be able to access a wider range of sound adjustment options. A first for streaming systems, when a listener is using headphones connected through the app on a phone or tablet, the new OS uses the mobile product’s camera to adjust AV Sync delay pointing at the display screen.

Enhancing Streambar and Soundbar Abilities Perhaps most important for home theater enthusiasts will be the ability to use Roku Streambar and Soundbar products as a center channel with separate Roku speakers for a 3.1 or 5.1 surround presentation.

The new OS 10.5 will be rolling out to both Roku TV and Roku external streaming products over the next few weeks. Any device that is already running the current OS 10.5 will be compatible with and will receive, the update.

Introducing Roku Streaming Stick 4K and 4K+ On the hardware side, Roku will be fleshing out its line with the introduction of the all-new Roku Streaming Stick 4K and 4K+. The new

Released in October, the Streaming Stick 4K will retail for $49.99. The Streaming Stick 4K+ at $69.00 adds the Roku Voice Remote which has a rechargeable battery, a mid-field mic for hands-free commands, and private listening with headphones, personal shortcut buttons, and TV controls.

Roku Ultra LT Along with the widely available Roku products there will be a new Roku Ultra LT, which will be available exclusively at Walmart for $79.99.

Along with the features of the current Ultra model, it has a faster processor, more storage and a new Wi-Fi section said to deliver a 50-percent longer range.

Finally, TCL will introduce a Roku TV Wireless Soundbar in October for $179.99.

Details on that are to come before the release.

At the end of the day, a major takeaway from all of this actually has nothing directly to do with any one specific brand or product category.

More importantly, these announcements, along with the other reports posted here around the stream devices world is concrete proof of the old adage that “a rising tide raises all boats” and that competition is good for everyone.

It is not a stretch to think that what each of the brands in the streaming products and services space is doing is watched closely by the various competitors. Seeing one advance must certainly push the others. The benefit of this goes to the consumer. What’s wrong with that? x

price

high performance

“Sheer excellence in the entry-level power-cord bracket, the Audience forte f3 is a definitive winner. It will lift the performance of any system, as it lowers the noise floor, improves transient attacks, and permits a wider expression of dynamic range and low-level detail.”

Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, Issue 314

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2021

ISSUE FOCUS

Leveraging the Smart Home for a Healthy Home An Expanding Ecosystem of Smart Products is Enabling Various Health and Wellness Use Cases

By Jennifer Kent, Parks Associates With more time spent at home than ever under pandemic circumstances, consumers have new concerns about the health and safety of their home environments. Subsequently, the adoption of connected health devices has grown year-over-year, with 42 percent of U.S. broadband households report owning at least one connected health device as of Q2 2020, which is up from 24 percent in 2013.

The ever-expanding ecosystem of smart products that can enable various health and wellness use cases also has contributed to this strong growth. There are many device types that collect various data, causing several new connected health opportunities to emerge.

From the more established use case of remotepatient monitoring for chronic condition monitoring to devices like smart mattresses, connected fitness devices, robot vacuums, smart kitchen appliances assisting in healthy cooking, and smart appliances devices, these products contribute to cleaner indoor air, healthier meals, better sleep, and improved fitness habits at home.

The demand for superior air quality in particular has exploded due to the pandemic.

Clean air is vital to overall home health, making air quality sensors and smart indoor climate products essential to healthy living. Parks Associates’ research reveals that 50 percent of U.S. broadband households have a health condition that is sensitive to indoor air quality (IAQ), including allergies, asthma, and COPD. Additionally, more than half of broadband

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households find a smart product that removes dust/allergens from the floor and purifies the air of viruses and bacteria as valuable.

The impact of poor air quality and the need for proper ventilation extend beyond those with health conditions, so improving awareness and familiarity of indoor air quality (IAQ) will further improve adoption. Dust and allergens are consumers’ top concerns, and 25 percent are concerned about viruses and bacteria inside the household. Numerous opportunities are emerging for the connected home industries to deliver health and wellness solutions like improved IAQ, which can effectively reduce airborne virus transmissions.

Parks Associates’ latest research shows that over 50 percent of U.S. broadband households find a smart product that removes dust/ allergens from the floor and purifies the air of viruses and bacteria as valuable. While an increase in pollen and allergens outside tend to keep those with allergies indoors, these substances can be found indoors. Therefore, proper filtration can help reduce and control indoor allergen concerns.

Forty percent of U.S. broadband households report high intentions to purchase a smart home device in the next six months, with 31 percent identified as active shoppers. Furthermore, 20 percent of consumers are highly concerned about air quality, and around 20 percent own a smart climate control device. This illustrates that IAQ concerns are driving a key segment of smart homeowners and shoppers.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Suebsiri

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Boonyachoat

ISSUE FOCUS

To continue this trajectory to massmarket adoption, awareness of both IAQ problems and solutions must grow.

Simultaneously, prices will need to drop to become more affordable to the average consumer.

Concerns About Air Quality U.S. Broadband Households Concerned

Very concerned

The market also has an increasing ecosystem of smart products that can enable a variety of wellness use cases at home. Connected weight scales and blood pressure cuffs help consumers proactively monitor their health. Smart mattresses and sleep monitors improve consumers’ sleep. Smart products like cameras and voice assistants increasingly include sensors and algorithms that can give residents new insight into the health of their environment.

Inside your home

Outside your home, in the area where you live

In your office or workplace 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Source: Parks Associates

Smart Home Purchase Intentions Next 6 Months

40%

All these new devices and added capabilities give device manufacturers and service providers the opportunity to make the smart home a healthier home and encourage consumers to embrace this integrated vision for their household.

Parks Associates highlights exclusive research during our eighth annual Connected Health Summit virtual sessions such as new consumer preferences will increase the value proposition of smart home and wellness tech among consumers, and the implications for product manufacturers, service providers, home builders, and MDU property managers.

Smart Home Active Shoppers

31%

Register now to join special virtual networking events to connect, share insights, and discuss the immediate, near-term, and long-term impact of COVID-19 and other trends on the consumer healthcare market. For information on sponsoring, speaking or attending, visit www.connected healthsummit.com. x

High intentions to purchase a smart home device hold steady at 40% Source: Parks Associates

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ISSUE FOCUS

Transforming the Lighting Control Experience Lutron RadioRA3 Features Light Bar Design, More Powerful Processor

By Jeremy Glowacki

Lutron Electronics’ RadioRA lighting control system was named for the wireless way that it communicates and in honor of the Greek sun god. The newest version of the line, RadioRA3, is even more elegant than its predecessor and easier than ever for custom integrators to program.

RadioRA3 brings together the company’s popular light bar dimmer switch design with the Internet of Things connectivity, a new all-in-one processor powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet), and new simpler PC programming software and app-based editing features.

Above: RadioRA3 dimmer switches incorporate Lutron’s popular light bar design.

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Lutron believes that RadioRA3 will transform how installers – and their customers – experience home lighting control. Installers can now entice their customers with new, beautiful, customizable controls that offer the smart home features homeowners want most, such as coming home to a well-lit house and

transforming a room into a comfort zone with the touch of a button or a voice command.

“Lutron’s goal is to give pro installers the tools they need to grow their business. With RadioRA3, we aim to set the new gold standard in connected home lighting control with Lutron system reliability, advanced technology, and beautiful wall controls,” said Matt Swatsky, vice president, residential mid-market business at Lutron. “It’s product installers and dealers can count on to wow clients and help them say ’yes’ to connected lighting control and automated shading. Plus, RadioRA3 allows professionals to efficiently design, program, and install a system so they can increase sales with more custom projects every year.”

Elegant Wall Controls with RadioRA3 Lutron’s RadioRA3 system includes new SUNNATA RF keypads, dimmers, and switches that feature the light bar design and come in a

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ISSUE FOCUS

New Processor Simplifies Installation The new line’s processor is powered by PoE so pros can simply place it centrally in the home, without the need for a nearby power outlet, to optimize the system’s RF network connectivity. It Lutron’s RadioRA3 all-in-one processor allows clients to connect up is powered by Power over Ethernet. to 200 devices featuring new, wider range of contemporary colors to Lutron’s proprietary enhance any décor. A soft glow makes the ClearConnect RF technology for reliable and controls easy to find in the dark, and the fast performance. It is designed to be easy to dimmer’s capacitive touch technology allows program via computer and through Lutron’s clients to set the lighting with a touch or swipe app, which can be used on the job site to of the light bar. efficiently commission the system, refine settings easily and incorporate real-time client IoT connectivity gives homeowners control of feedback. Also, it’s simple to make system their lighting through the Lutron app, voice changes remotely, post-install, meaning fewer assistant, remote, or wall control. The new truck rolls for service. RadioRA3 offers SUNNATA RF dimmer features PRO LED+ backward compatibility with most RadioRA 2 technology for dimming LED, halogen, and RA2 Select devices, so existing customers incandescent, MLV, and ELV lighting. So, can expand their systems with new RadioRA3 installers need only to remember one dimmer wall controls. model for virtually any job.

Lutron Creates Wire-Free Palladiom Shading System

Powerful Integration Saves Time According to Lutron, RadioRA3 works with more connected brands (Control4, Creston, Elan, RTI, Savant, URC, and more) than any other dedicated lighting control or motorized shading system in its class. And, now that Lutron’s new LEAP API is natively embedded in the programming software of the top control systems, installers save time when integrating RadioRA3 to work in tandem with other systems. It also works with all the top brands’ homeowners ask for, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Ring, Sonos, and others.

“Lutron is introducing RadioRA3 to help installers and dealers provide great experiences and solutions to their clients,” Swatsky said.

“We’re proud to support these professionals through every project with products and solutions that help build their reputation and expand their business.”

RadioRA3 will be available in late January 2022 through electrical and audio/visual distributors and from Lutron direct dealers.

Learn more at RadioRa3.Lutron.com x

While RadioRA3 is the biggest news of 2021 for Lutron in its lighting control line up, the company also enhanced its shades control offerings with the launch of the Palladiom Wire-Free Shading System.

Lutron first introduced the Palladiom shade aesthetic in 2017 as a wired solution and as the pinnacle of design and performance in Lutron’s automated shading portfolio.

Eliminating the need for pre-wiring allows this style of shade to be installed at any point in a project’s lifecycle – even after construction is complete.

The system runs on Active Energy Optimization, Lutron’s new patent-pending battery management architecture. This shading system uses no more than six D-cell batteries – 60-percent fewer batteries than other Lutron battery shades – while still maintaining a battery life of three to five years.

Shade brackets are offered in seven hand-finished materials to complement a range of interiors and were selected to coordinate with Palladiom wired shade hardware, keypads, and thermostats.

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“I have a streaming problem.

With so many cool new services, I can’t find, manage, or store my favorite content.”

— THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

Oh, wait.

e new Modulus M1 records streaming.

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INTEGRATION

Methods of Communication Making Sense of Smart Home Protocols Now and in the Future

By Jay Basen

When I first started automating my home in the 1980s, X10 was the only protocol that enabled information to be communicated between smart home devices. Thankfully, there is now a wide range of modern smart home protocols and devices that incorporate them.

Protocols used by today’s smart home devices include: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Z-Wave Long Range, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, Thread, HomeKit, DotDot, and Sidewalk.

Zigbee is an open standard wireless protocol designed to allow IoT devices to communicate with each other. Its devices primarily operate at 2.4 GHz, which is the same frequency range as Wi-Fi. Similar to Wi-Fi, Zigbee breaks down the 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum into a series of channels, so a channel can be chosen for devices to communicate on to minimize the amount of interference from Wi-Fi. Zigbee devices operate as a mesh network, which will route communications through other Zigbee devices in the home to work around interference.

most part, negates this limitation as communications can hop from one Zigbee device to another.

Theoretically, up to 65,000 Zigbee devices can exist in a single Zigbee mesh network. However, the practical limit is more on the magnitude of a few hundred, which should be more than adequate for even a very large smart home.

from a high definition security camera to a smart display.

The data rate of communications between Zigbee devices is 250 Kbps. Wi-Fi speed, in comparison, is measured in Mbps (1 Mbps is 1000 times faster than 1 Kbps). So, while the speed of Zigbee is perfectly adequate for communications between, for example, a smart light switch and a Zigbee hub, it isn’t a protocol that you would want to use for streaming video

Z-Wave

With much thanks to Johan Pederson, manager, product marketing – smart home & consumer IoT at Silicon Labs, this article will try to make sense of today’s smart home protocols and talk about the changes coming in the near future.

The Zigbee standard was developed by the Zigbee Alliance, which re-branded itself as the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) in 2021. Today, the CSA is a consortium of more than 350 companies in more than 37 countries and is “on a mission to simplify and harmonize the IoT.”

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The Zigbee protocol is designed to be very secure and also very reliable. It includes 128-bit AES encryption and offers features such as retries of lost messages and acknowledgements when messages are received.

Zigbee devices theoretically have a range of between 75 and 100 meters indoors, but a more practical limitation is around 40 feet. The mesh networking ability of Zigbee devices, for the

Whereas Zigbee devices primarily operate in the 2.4GHz band overlapping the frequencies used by Wi-Fi, Z-Wave operates at 908/916MHz in the U.S. This lower frequency eliminates any interference with Wi-Fi. In addition, the lower frequency does a better job of penetrating through the walls in a home.

Z-Wave devices can reliably communicate at distances up to 100 meters, but the lower frequency range of the protocol means that data throughput is lower. Z-Wave only transfers data at 10-100kbps, which is still adequate for

INTEGRATION

Wi-Fi

communications between a typical Z-Wave device, such as a light switch and a smart home hub. A Z-Wave network can include up to 232 devices.

Z-Wave uses 128-bit AES encryption and is also UL 1023 compliant for security applications.

It is also important to keep in mind that the SmartThings hub, Hubitat Elevation hub, and others include both Z-Wave and Zigbee radios, so a homeowner can include devices from both standards in their smart home.

The first thing to understand about Z-Wave Long Range is that it is no longer a mesh networking technology. Instead, it uses a star topology where each device connects independently to a hub.

At first glance, this would appear to be a significant step back. However, unlike traditional Z-Wave’s range of up to 100m per hop, a Z-Wave Long Range device can communicate with a hub that is up to a mile away. In addition, a Z-Wave Long Range network can consist of up to 4,000 devices.

Z-Wave Long Range devices operate at 912/920MHz so, like traditional Z-Wave devices, they will not interfere with Wi-Fi or Zigbee devices.

Z-Wave Long Range devices are backward compatible with existing Z-Wave installations, and each device can participate in a normal Z-Wave mesh network if there is no Long Range capability in the Z-Wave gateway/hub.

These devices require very little power. In fact, the estimated battery life for a basic coin-style battery that powers a Z-Wave Long Range device is 10 years.

Z-Wave Long Range devices also incorporate

128-bit AES encryption for security.

disadvantages of using Wi-Fi as the underlying protocol for your smart home. For instance, as the number of Wi-Fi devices grows, the amount of RF interference also grows. Additionally, most residential Wi-Fi networks use a single subnet, which limits the number of devices to 255, but many routers can’t even handle this number of simultaneously connected devices.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) supports mesh networking and much lower power consumption than “classic” Bluetooth. In addition, a BLE mesh network can theoretically consist of up to 32,767 devices.

BLE does operate in the same 2.4GHz band as Wi-Fi, but it utilizes 40, narrow, 2MHz channels and “hops” among the available channels to avoid interference.

Another limitation worth noting is range.

Wi-Fi also operates at 2.4GHz and 5 GHz. So, while devices connecting to a Wi-Fi network at 2.4GHz have a practical range of 150 feet, conversely devices connecting at 5GHz only have a practical range of 50 feet

While classic Bluetooth has been subject to security exploits, BLE uses 128-Bit AES encryption to create a highly secure mesh network.

Thread is an open source wireless mesh networking protocol based on industry standard IPv6 addressing. Thread mesh networks differ from Zigbee and Z-Wave networks in that there is no hub required that could fail and take down the entire network. Instead, all IoT devices on a Thread network can communicate on a peer-topeer basis, and the network uses one or more “border routers” that forward data to the remainder of the homeowner’s Ethernet/Wi-Fi network, the internet, and cloud services.

BLE devices typically have a range of only a few meters due to being battery-powered and the corresponding need to save energy by limiting transmitter power.

A typical use case is for a “beacon,” which is a small devices that transmit signals over the protocol in a home where a person’s location can be used to drive smart home automation.

Wi-Fi is the most ubiquitous network in homes with broadband internet access so, on one hand, it makes sense to use it as the basis for communications to smart home devices in a home.

If a border router fails, another device with border router capabilities can take over the job of communicating between thread devices and the homeowner’s Ethernet/Wi-Fi network, the internet, and cloud services.

With Wi-Fi, there’s no requirement to purchase a hub, no additional knowledge required to add smart home devices to the network, and a large number of smart home devices from which to choose. Wi-Fi-based smart home devices also tend to be less expensive than smart home devices that use other protocols, and Wi-Fi is a strict standard, so any Wi-Fi device can communicate with any Wi-Fi router, access point, or range extender.

Thread is able to minimize the power requirements for its devices by leveraging IEEE 802.15.4 for the physical layer of the protocol.

Utilizing 802.15.4 also means that Thread operates in the same 2.4GHz band as Zigbee and Wi-Fi. It also has a similar range and the same throughput of Zigbee. Finally, like Zigbee and Z-Wave, Thread utilizes AES encryption for security.

Thread is known for its low latency – the time

However, there are some distinct

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INTEGRATION

Amazon Sidewalk

that passes between a user taking an action, such as pressing a button to turn a light on, and the response of the light turning on.

While all the above sounds great, currently there are very few smart home devices that implement Thread. In coming years, this is expected to rapidly change as Thread becomes one of the core components of the Matter protocol (see below.)

HomeKit is a proprietary smart home framework that provides for control of HomeKit-compatible smart home devices by Apple products, including iPhones, HomePod smart speakers, etc.

HomePods and AppleTVs can act as hubs to perform automation when, for example, a homeowner is away from home with their iPhone. In addition, HomePods and AppleTVs can also participate in automation and scenes to, for example, start playing music when a motion detector senses that a person has entered a room. HomeKit-compatible devices communicate using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

DotDot is another standard under the CSA umbrella. It is a layer that is designed to sit on top of communications protocols and allows IoT devices to talk to each other. Two devices that implement DotDot will be able to communicate even if one device connects to a hub using Zigbee and the other connects to the hub using Wi-Fi. DotDot is part of the Zigbee 3.0 specification and helps solve the incompatibilities between different Zigbee devices.

Amazon Sidewalk extends a homeowner’s network through select Ring and Echo products (which can act as a Sidewalk bridge) to create a neighborhood-wide network. Sidewalk-enabled devices can then connect back to your smart home even when out of range of your network.

Instead, the Sidewalk-enabled device will

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DotDot

Matter

connect to a neighbor’s Sidewalk bridge, utilize a small portion of that homeowner’s internet connection and connect back to your smart home.

be upgraded to Matter with only a firmware update. Matter also leverages and builds upon the existing security layers within these standards.

Sidewalk uses low-energy Bluetooth and 900MHz radio signals to allow Sidewalk devices to connect at distances up to one-half mile. It is also important to know that Amazon limits the amount of bandwidth a homeowner shares with their neighbors through the sidewalk to 500MB per month.

Matter will be royalty-free, which keeps the price of IoT devices that use the Matter protocol low, and it’s being developed as an open-source project. The software is available for download on Github and licensed under the Apache open source license. The availability of a referencesoftware implementation of Matter should speed up development of the Matter-based IoT devices by manufacturers.

A potential use case for Sidewalk? A dog with a Sidewalk-enabled tracking collar escapes from its owner’s backyard. As the dog wanders around the neighborhood, its tracker connects back to the owner’s smart home by connecting to a neighbor’s Sidewalk bridge. In this way, the homeowner can locate their lost dog even though she has wandered out of range of the homeowner’s network.

Matter is the newest protocol for IoT wireless communications. It promises to be a unifying standard that will allow all IoT devices to work together. If you think that Matter will just be another competing standard that confuses consumers and complicates smart homes, you are probably wrong.

First, and foremost, you have to look at the companies behind Matter, which include Amazon, Apple, Google, and Samsung SmartThings. These companies have recognized that it is in their best interest to have IoT devices that are compatible with all of their platforms.

Then they can differentiate themselves among competitors by building the best possible platform, but device makers only have to build IoT devices for one protocol specification, rather than four.

Matter is built on top of existing standards, including Thread and DotDot, so existing Thread and even Zigbee devices may be able to

Adding Matter devices to an existing smart home doesn’t mean you have to throw away all your existing Z-Wave and Zigbee devices. First, you may be able to install a firmware update to some Zigbee devices that converts them to Matter. However, that won’t be the case for Z-Wave devices. Fortunately, the Matter consortium thought about this problem.

According to Johan Pederson, in the CSA and Z-Wave Alliance there is work on-going defining bridging specifications, meaning smart home hub manufacturers can update their systems to assign a Matter-compatible, virtual, IPv6 address to each Zigbee and Z-Wave device connected to the hub. Then Matter IoT devices will be able to communicate with these devices to create a cohesive ecosystem.

Since Samsung SmartThings is a member of the Matter Consortium, you can be sure they will implement this functionality in the SmartThings hub. It will be up to other smart home hub manufacturers to follow their lead.

I’m sure there will be missteps and problems as Matter devices become available in 2022, but those problems should be short lived. In the long run, having a unifying communications standard will be good for the smart home industry. x

COVER STORY

Renovating and Restoring

By Jeremy Glowacki

Jenny and Dave Marrs Bring Passion for Designing Spaces and Restoring Historic Homes to HGTV’s

Fixer to Fabulous Photos courtesy of HGTV

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COVER STORY Home renovators Jenny and Dave Marrs are the stars of HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous series, which follows the husband-and-wife team as they bring old homes back to life in their hometown of Bentonville, AR. Together, they have completed around 300 custom new homes and run Marrs Developing, a company that specializes in the renovation and restoration of historic homes in the Northwest Arkansas area.

Jenny is the creative backbone of their renovations and specializes in designing spaces that are welcoming and inviting. She believes a home is a reflection of the family who lives there, and sometimes, the most beautiful spaces are imperfect and full of character. Dave is an expert craftsman, builder, general contractor, and all-around handyman. His passion for bringing out the charm of historic homes is contagious.

The Marrs family lives on a small farm in a restored 1906 home where they raise their five children and countless animals. They are passionate about orphan care, family preservation, and adoption; they adopted their daughter Sylvie from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2014. The family also runs a blueberry farm in Northwest Arkansas to provide educational opportunities for orphaned and at-risk teenage boys in Marondera, Zimbabwe.

Residential Tech Today recently chatted with Dave and Jenny, just before they returned to work that day on another show, HGTV’s Rock the Block, which will feature four teams of HGTV’s experts facing off in a renovation battle in Charleston, SC. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Residential Tech Today: I was just learning about Rock the Block, and I know you can’t reveal much while you’re filming, but how has that experience been different from what you’ve been doing for three seasons on Fixer to Fabulous?

JM: Yeah, it’s very, completely different. You know, it’s a different crew, it’s a different process.

It’s a competition show, so for us that’s different.

And you know, it’s interesting because the

timeframe. When we went into it, we thought, “Okay, we have six weeks to renovate a house.

That’s no problem because that’s the timeframe we work on.” But it actually is a lot crazier with Rock the Block, because we really have only one week for each space, which is very challenging and stressful. Also, we’re not home, so we don’t have our own people to depend on. It’s a lot more than we normally would do just with the two of us.

touches. It’s still the same amount of work, but I’ve learned that we can go through and knock out four or five projects in a day that may take me two weeks, but I can get like the start of one scene, the middle of another scene, and the completion of another scene, all in one day.

RT Today: Anything to add to that, Jenny?

JM: Yeah. We’ve worked with the same production company – our camera guys and producer – now for three years. It’s a lot easier because we all know each other so well, and we just kind of do our thing and really forget about the camera. I think that has only helped to make things just a little smoother and easier.

RT Today: That sounds stressful for sure.

Maybe we should pivot back to the gentler times of doing your own show. How has Fixer to Fabulous changed for you, over the course of three seasons?

RT Today: How has starring on an HGTV show affected your local business?

DM: I think it’s definitely changed from the first to third year. During season one, I used to get so frustrated because I’m paying subcontractors and every five minutes, we’re telling them to stop, or to be quiet, or to hold off, or to redo something. It was definitely a learning curve for me to just kind of let it happen on its own time and realize that we’re going to have to stop, and we’re going to have to be quiet, and we’re going to have to shoot around some things. From season one to season three, I think what I’ve learned is what the camera needs to see. If I’m building a dining room table, they’ve got to see me start it.

They’ve got to see something in the middle.

And, then they’ve got to see the final, finishing

Dave: It definitely hasn’t hurt it, but we were building in the area long before the show came along – for about 17 years. But, although the demand has gone up, we actually do fewer projects because of the show. This past season we did 16 episodes, and that’s literally all we did.

Jenny and I will have half a dozen spec houses going on at any time, but the only reason I keep those going is to avoid losing my subcontractors.

When they’re not on one of my show houses, they can bounce back to a spec house. The custom work that Jenny and I used to do… we just don’t have the time anymore. We started building for season three in February, and we’ll

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COVER STORY /

Arkansas-based home renovators Dave and Jenny Marrs recently returned for the third season of Fixer to Fabulous on HGTV.

finish the season the second week in December.

It pretty much consumes our lives.

RT Today: That really explains it. I was curious about much your show and your business have merged into one.

DM: I think it will give long-term success to our business, which is great. But right now, we do two to three houses at a time. I’m not exactly sure what other TV hosts or other contractors do within their shows, but with our show, we’re ripping the front of a house off or adding a second floor. It’s major, major renovation, and we do three of those in six weeks. You get three out of six done over a month and a half, and then, you know, you’ve got another week and a half before you’re rolling into the next set. We’re ordering materials three and four months out just so we can hopefully have them when those jobs break. It’s all-consuming right now.

RT Today: Jenny, would you say that your company has a design “signature” on your projects or does the style of the next home simply depend on what the client wants?

JM: We always want to try to lean more “timeless,” because we don’t want our homeowners to feel like in a few years that they need to update their home again because it’s out of style. But, of course, it varies based on who our clients are and what they want. We always say that we want the home to look like you live

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there. We don’t want it to look like Dave and me; we don’t come in with just what we want.

We really get to know who our clients are, what they’re looking for, and how they want to use the space. Really, we do such a wide variety of styles, especially in the show, because that’s important to us.

homeowners want smart lights and thermostats, but you just don’t see much of it on the show.

We’ve done some interesting things with technology where a TVs coming out of the console or there’s a bar that raises up out of the center island, but that’s more electronic stuff, rather than smart home.

RT Today: It seems like on a lot of your builds feature reused or salvaged materials.

Is that a specific goal of your company or does it just happen organically?

RT Today: I was wondering if maybe you worked more on ways to disguise the technology…

DM: We love to reuse stuff. If you look at our farmhouse, it was an early 1900s house that was supposed to be torn down. We picked it up, moved it off its foundation, and reused it out on our land. I think anytime you can find something, whether it’s an old door, whether it’s a mantle that has been “in play,” has been around this world, has had stories told around it for a hundred years, I think you’re creating moments in a house that homeowners love.

RT Today: In what ways do you collaborate with any smart home technology in your projects?

DM: More on the custom home side. With smart homes, whether it’s smart plugs, smart lights, smart thermostats, whatever it may be, a lot of that is done on the finish-out. We used to pre-wire houses for sound and for security, and we don’t anymore; it’s all wireless. Most of our

DM: I think Jenny would be the first to tell you, she literally hates outlets and hates light switches. She thinks they’re ugly and wants them all to disappear. So, any way that we can, we try to limit those, whether it’s plug strips that go up under a floating shelf or trying to find creative ways to make those eyesores disappear.

I think as far as like the technology side in what we do, a lot of it is the stuff that is not seen that isn’t necessarily even electronic. It’s how we insulate houses now versus what we used to do.

We are making these houses like with the running one-inch foam around the whole outside of these houses and giving that thermal break. You’re literally making a Yeti cooler out of a house now. The technology for fire suppression systems in houses and the technology in windows and doors, that’s where I see the technological changes happening. That’s the stuff that gets me excited because it’s almost like a challenge: “How efficient can we make

COVER STORY this house? Can we use mini split systems and smart systems for heating and air to control the house at different times of the day?”

RT Today: One of the cool technologies I saw on an episode was an interesting alternative to a traditional fireplace. Do you remember that?

DM: It was the coolest thing ever. I was so excited about that. That Malm Zircon fireplace was basically just a plug-in electric heater, but through lighting effects and just filling a container with water, the vapors looked like fire.

I’m telling you, you were afraid to touch it because you thought it would burn you. It was amazing.

RT Today: I know the kitchen is another area where there’s been evolution in what goes in there. Have you witnessed those needs change or new types of requests from homeowners come into play?

DM: It’s not even smart appliances, but just more efficient, better appliances. You look at new dishwashers now, like from Bosch, and there literally has to be a light that shines on the bottom of the dishwasher, so you know it’s running. They’re so quiet. We put in coffee machines that grind the exact cup for you and make the perfect cup of coffee every day.

JM: Appliances have been really hard to get this year because of [COVID-19] supply chain

issues. Obviously, everything is taking a long time – windows and all of that. But as far as the design side of project, I think the appliances are the trickiest right now to get.

wouldn’t be able to understand what the other one was going through. Dave is very analytical, but he’s also very creative, which I think is very unusual for people to have both skillsets. And, so I think working with him has been awesome because while I typically do the design, we really do it together. I always asked his opinion. He’s very involved in the design side as well.

Sometimes he doesn’t care about things like tile and lights and paint, but if I ask him, he has a great eye, and so I’m grateful for that.

DM: Because of supply chain and what you can actually get right now, we’re putting in the higher end, more technologically advanced appliances because that’s the stuff that’s not completely sold out right now.

RT Today: What about the tools of the trade? Is there something in your tool chest that you couldn’t live without?

DM: That’s one of the things about Rock the Block that has been really nice is meeting other couples that get what we go through day to day.

We work 14 or 15 hours a day together. I always say that when Jenny and I are driving home together, people must look at us from their car windows and think we’re the most miserable couple ever because after smiling and talking all day, you literally have nothing left when you’re driving home. I honestly don’t know how we would do it if one of us was part of the show and the other wasn’t. She is my partner in life and my best friend, and we get excited about the same things. We really do love what we do. I love the profile of our show, where we are challenged to do different styles and different houses for different families, with different stories every time, because you’ve got to get creative with how you finish out the house to where it becomes a reflection of their family. x

DM: Advancements in tools and specifically battery-powered tools get me the most excited.

I’ve got a little DeWalt sliding miter saw that’s battery powered that I can carry around because it’s only about 10 pounds. And then I’ve got a DeWalt nail gun. I can go into a house with those two tools and can trim a whole house.

They’re far superior to something that you would plug into the wall, and they’re mobile.

RT Today: Switching gears a little bit, what has working together as a husband and wife team taught you two about each other?

JM: We’ve worked together for so long, but I think for us it’s just nice to have someone who really understands what our day looks like, because our days are kind of crazy and different than what most people do. If there was just one of us doing this, it would be really hard because you

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FEATURED

Year-End Tech Alternatives

How to Use a Brand or Product You Might Not Have Thought of Before

By Michael Heiss

While some hold to a regimen of “spring cleaning,” others clear things out at year-end.

You know the drill: Throw out those magazines that have piled up unread, remember to make those year-end tax payments and charitable contributions, prepare to replace the current calendars with ones for the new year. I’m certain that you have a similar routine.

Mine, however, is a bit different. Over the course of a year, it is simply not possible to write about all the new products that are appropriate in our business space and personal lives. The mess that passes for my office has a few shelves devoted to products I couldn’t mention or review simply due to the press of other news in our constantly evolving industry. However, as the year comes to a close it seems appropriate to let you in on some of these interesting products, either as the solution to an installation challenge, as a holiday gift for others, or just to reward yourself.

The theme here will be alternatives. In some cases, the way to use a brand or product you might not have thought of, or in some cases a product that does something different than the solution you might otherwise have used.

Let’s start with cord-cutting. To many, that means cutting the cable cord to switch to streaming services. This is all well and good, and the devices, smart TVs, and services for that are something that you will continue to see covered here. However, there is one cord I suggest that you might not want to cut, and that is the one to your TV antenna, either indoors or outdoors.

Why pay for the local and network stations when they are free? Even better, why miss out on the wide range of educational, ethnic, religious, nostalgia, special interest, and

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shopping channels typically not carried on either cable or streaming services?

subscription to Sling and there are also add-ons for both indoor and outdoor antennae.

Sling AirTV Two alternative answers for that here, particularly if you would like more than one tuner and would like to “DVR” the off-air channels. Two options are the AirTV products from Sling. Both connect to the antenna and do not need a direct connection to the TV. Instead, you load the Sling app for free to your streaming device, smart TV or mobile device and simply select the channels to watch there. The grid guide makes it easy to select those that you would like to record.

Thanks to Sling, I’ve used the AirTV products with an outdoor antenna and received 178 offair channels. That’s great, but what if the viewer prefers a traditional remote rather than an app interface and needs a direct connection to the display rather than depending on a Wi-Fi connection? That’s where Tablo’s new DUAL or QUAD HDMI models shine. Tablo’s other models, which I have used with great success, operate in the same way as the AirTV2 other than you connect to them using the Tablo app.

The interface is clean, easy to view, and navigate.

There is also a “commercial skip,” which is particularly useful for over-the-air broadcasts.

The AirTV 2 ($99.99) has two tuners with the caveat that you also need to add an external USB drive for recording. For those who want even more recordings at the same time, the AirTV Anywhere ($199.99) has four tuners and a built-in 1TB drive. Discounts for both are available with the purchase of a three-month Sling AirTV

The real benefit of the new models is that the direct HDMI connection makes it easy to use an over-the-air DVR on a “not smart” TV. Even better, the included remote makes it easy to navigate the guide and menus, and there are

FEATURED

options you get at the local hardware or drug store to some mega-strips with significant power protection or the 6-foot rackmount units that line the periphery of my office desktops. I thought I had seen them all until the folks at Austere provided me with one of their “V-Series Power” products.

The six-outlet model I’ve tested (there is also an 8-outlet) is probably heavier than some of the audio/video components plugged into it.

No plastic here, but rather a brushed aluminum housing. On the top are the AC outlets, all surge protected, power filtered and sporting over current and thermal protection to prevent fires due to overload. The outlets are in two groups of three, and each set is in the opposite direction and with room to fit some of the clunkier power adapters. Yes, this is a six-outlet power strip where you can really use all six outlets without having the power supplies bump up against each other!

THX Onyx

“transport controls” for fast forward and rewind as well as pause/play. As a CEC device, there is a power on/off toggle as well as mute and volume control. To make it easier for digital novices to change channels, there are channel up/down and “last channel” buttons. The ability to control a product of this type with a remote, as well as through the Tablo app makes a good product even better.

The Dual (two tuner) model lists at $149.99 and the Quad (four tuner) model is $199.99. An external USB-connected hard drive is required for recording, and there are monthly, yearly, or lifetime options for access to a 14-day program guide and other additional features after a 30day free trial.

design centered on the ESS 9281Pro DAC, the digital output is converted to analog and output to a standard 3.5mm jack.

On one outer end there are two USB-A and three USB-C ports for charging mobile devices or powering streamers and similar devices. Each port delivers 2.4A, with a total load draw of 6 amps and 30 watts. Connected to the edge is a power switch and a very heavy duty WonderArmor, High-Flex power cable that befits the 1,800-watt power limit.

The end result is much better sound, particularly with the high-resolution streams available through services such as Tidal and Roon. At an MSRP of $199, some may consider the external DAC approach somewhat excessive when compared with Bluetooth, but this may be yet another alternative to something more familiar that delivers the goods.

At $149.99 and $179.99 for the six- and eightoutlet versions, respectively, these are far from the least expensive power strips, but they definitely provide design and features that justify the price.

Both iterations of the OTA DVR concept provide an interesting alternative to cloud recording or a traditional DVR using a cable box.

THX Onyx Another cord that some people might not want to cut is the one to your headphones.

Despite the popularity and increasing performance quality of wireless and TWS ear buds and headphones, there are limitations on the quality of the DAC circuits on many phones and devices. That is where the THX Onyx comes into play. Rather than cutting and replacing a cord, it enables you to connect your headphones to any digital output using a USB-A or USB-C jack, or when using an optional adapter, a Lightning jack. Then, thanks to a

Austere’s V-Series Power Strip

Austere V-Series Power Even for the most aggressive cord-cutters, it is always necessary at some point along the way to plug in a power cord, whether it is for AC, “wall wart” transformers, or low voltage charging to USB-A or USB-C ports. Over the years I have seen and used power strips from the under $10

Zyxel PLA6456

PLA6456 from Zyxel Even in the wireless world, there is one other cord that can’t be cut, and for that I have yet

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FEATURED another alternative. Yes, virtually everyone uses Wi-Fi for broadband connectivity, and with recent advancements such as Wi-Fi 6e and TriBand communication, wireless is better than ever. But, there are also cases where even the best wireless products can’t reach part of an installation, where you need to put a repeater/ extender in a location where the wireless can’t be received, or for devices that require a hardwired RJ-45 connection for speed or security.

What to do as an alternative to Wi-Fi? Powerline connectivity products have long been an answer, and the latest models are not burdened by the speed limitations of earlier designs. One example that I have tried is the PLA6456 from Zyxel. The name may not sound familiar, but they are a global leader in the enterprise and home networking products space.

Installation is simple: Plug each of the two units into a wall outlet (preferably not to a power strip), connect the RJ-45 port on one side to your router or switch, and the target device to the port on the other end of your devices. There is even an AC pass-through outlet along with the indicator lights so that you don’t lose a power connection.

The innovative G.hn Wave 2 technology is said to deliver Gigabit speed, up to 2400 Mbps that is sent over the power lines in the installation up to 300 meters, as long as they are on the same electrical system. Along with the speed, the data may be password protected and uses 128-bit AES encryption. That means content up to 8K video may be sent without a problem. At $89.99 this is a good thing to keep in your quiver of connectivity alternatives.

whatever I can get” days of last year.

Along with an impressive 1080p/60fps imaging system, a key benefit is a 95-degree, ultrawide, field of view. That is perfect for conference rooms where you want to show the whole team, or for closer-in monitor top mounting.

This, along with a standard tripod mounting hole that supplements the built-in monitor mount clip makes it easier to place it steadily and securely place the PW315 just far enough away from the couch to get everyone in the frame. As many of us begin another season of virtual holidays, this is a major benefit.

There is even a privacy shutter to block the camera lens when not in use, and a dual-mic array that rounds out a package that is worth considering at the MSRP of $119.99.

Zvox AV157 Finally, one more “alternative.” The Accuvoice soundbars from Zvox. They perform well from a sonic standpoint, but that is not their strongest selling point. Using Zvox’s patent-pending technology, based on the techniques originally developed for hearing aids, the Accuvoice does a great job of lifting voices out of soundtracks to make them clearer and more understandable.

At first glance you might say that this can be done by simply raising the center channel volume level on a 3.1 soundbar or any multichannel AVR or soundbar, or using

AverMedia PW315 Along with toilet paper, one of the hardest things to find during the early days of the pandemic was a webcam. Now that things have eased up a bit there is a new model to suggest, again from a reliable brand that might be considered as an alternative as it may not be totally at your front of mind.

AverMedia is actually a well-known brand in the video creation, collaboration, and education space. Their PW315 checks all the boxes and more and is an almost certainly a step up from the, “I’ll buy

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AverMedia PW315

Zvox

equalization, but this is a totally different approach. Accuvoice uses sophisticated, custom-designed processing that combines compression, consonant-range boost, and slightly minimized bass output to literally lift the dialogue out of the audio mix.

I admit to being a bit skeptical about all of this, so I put the AV157 provided by Zvox to the test with a variety of program material and types of soundtracks. With 12 different adjustment levels, it took a bit of experimentation to find the setting that worked best for me, but it really does work. Is the total sonic performance as good as my 5.1 channel system with high-end discrete speakers driven by a 100wpc AVR? No. On the other hand, even with the center channel level raised, the Zvox proved its merits by presenting clear dialog – albeit from two channels – without raising the total background noise. Pricing for the Accuvoice models ranges from $99.99 to $299.99, depending on the number of boost levels, the input types, cabinet materials, and amplifier power. Again, certainly not the same as a full-out 7.1 soundbar with Dolby Atmos, but the Zvox models don’t pretend to be that. Rather, they have a very well-defined task to perform, and they do that very well.

So, as the year ends, let’s all clean out the things that have accumulated during the year, but also look carefully at alternatives that you may have put aside or overlooked. You just may find something that will increase your productivity, connectivity, or entertainment presentation in the year ahead. May that year be a happy, productive, profitable, peaceful, and, most importantly, a healthy one for us all. x

Email prochannel@ring.com to learn more and get started.

HOME AUDIO

A Cylindrical Behemoth The SVS PC-2000 Pro Subwoofer is Big, Solidly Built, and It Will Blow Your Mind

By Henry Clifford SVS recently sent me their new PC-2000 Pro Subwoofer to test out. I’d heard about these cylindrical behemoths through word of mouth and couldn’t wait to get my mitts on one.

SVS designed the PC-2000 to sit where floor space is at a premium or maybe a corner installation might be ideal. Its down-firing 12inch driver, Sledge amplifier, and rear-facing port are all neatly encased in a towering 34.3-inch tall glossy enclosure resting on extra-cushy rubber feet. It’s big, solidly built, and heavy. How would it sound? I couldn’t wait to find out.

Unboxing the SVS PC-2000 The SVS PC-2000 box arrives unassuming and large with an opening slit down the side. It feels like opening up the crate in A Christmas Story.

There could be anything in there! Underneath the top cardboard insulator lies the PC-2000 wrapped in foam and plastic just waiting to be unshackled from its cocoon.

The rest of the packaging is wonderfully simple. SVS has done a great job of becoming two inches wide and two miles deep in terms of their business focus. I’m not sure if “We Do Subwoofers” is under consideration for the company slogan, but I’d vote for that. After hefting the PC-2000 out of the box, there’s a power cord and manual left lying at the bottom of the cavernous bay. I grabbed them both and set about plugging it all in.

SVS PC-2000 Installation While the PC-2000 may be designed to save floor space, I have to say, this thing is huge. Like, trash can huge. The kind of huge that appeals to people who might say things like, “Oh that?

That’s my new SVS subwoofer. Want me to melt your face off?”

I have it on good authority that some people buy two of these since apparently a single massive Howitzer cannon wasn’t enough to sufficiently chatter their neighbors’ teeth.

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HOME AUDIO

I wrestled the PC-2000 into place and plugged it into my existing setup, which includes an NAD M33 streamer and two Polk SDA tower speakers.

I started off slow, intentionally cueing up a playlist of top bass songs from Quora. “Madness”

by Muse kicked things off. Wow. The PC-2000 should come with a warning label. I felt like I was wielding a firefighter’s hose while struggling to contain its raw power.

I pulled up the SVS app and ran through the setup routine. Even with everything turned all the way down, the PC-2000 still wanted to be heard. I’ve never had an experience like this with a subwoofer, and all I could visualize in my head was a room full of SVS engineers chuckling to themselves as they put the finishing touches on this cannon.

SVS designed the PC-2000 to sit where floor space is at a premium or maybe a corner installation might be ideal.

I kept going, playing everything from Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” to Disturbed’s “Down with the Sickness.” I felt every down beat pushing into my chest without the slightest bit of distortion.

I moved the PC-2000 into our demo theater and swapped it out while teeing up the No Time to Die James Bond trailer on Apple TV. The old adage of “the subwoofer makes all the difference” immediately shone through. The PC-2000 instantly stair-stepped the sound quality in our surround setup. It was absolutely mind blowing, but definitely not for a room where you haven’t sorted out any vibration issues in other surfaces or fixtures. The PC-2000 Pro will hunt down any inefficiencies in your space and rattle them to bits. You’ve been warned.

Final Report It’s not very often we can throw money at a problem and have it go away. When presented with those opportunities, I tend to happily seize upon them. The PC-2000 Pro is one such nobrainer. All that stands between you and bass Valhalla is $949.99. That’s pretty inexpensive, given the upside of smiling like a little kid every time music or movies are played.

The SVS PC-2000 back, amp plate, and woofer from inside.

SVS has done it again. I love watching these guys grow and develop in the low-end space.

Happy teeth chattering and don’t come crying to me when the PC-2000 Pro shakes your house down. x

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HEALTH TECH

Sleep: The Final Frontier Cove is a ‘Wearable’ Designed to Activate a Brain Pathway That Leads to Calmness

By Heather L. Sidorowicz In America, 70 percent of adults report that they obtain insufficient sleep at least one night a month, and 11 percent report insufficient sleep every night. It is estimated that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes. (sleephealth.org) Sleep and I have never had a great relationship.

I have tried every gimmick and recommendation out there. I do not drink caffeine after noon. I turn off all my screens an hour before bed and read after that to take my mind off of life. My schedule is consistent, often starting my bedtime routine by 9:30 pm. And, yet, I cannot tell you how often my kids and husband come to bed much later than I and are snoozing while I lay awake waiting for the sandman to bring me a damn dream.

awake, the device claims to help you sleep better.

How It Works in Theory According to science, we all have a powerful system in our brains called the interoceptive pathway that monitors what is happening inside your body. When functioning smoothly, this pathway promotes feelings of relaxation. When it’s compromised, you may feel tired and stressed out. New evidence from neuroscience reveals that it is possible to active the interoceptive pathway through the skin and, in doing so, enhance wellbeing.

Cove calls this the sixth sense that you have never heard of. Just as we use our eyes and ears to detect what is happening in the outside world, we use a sense called interoception to keep tabs on what’s happening inside our bodies. Awareness of hunger, your heartbeat, or breathing patterns, for instance, are examples of interoception at work.

This magic pathway receives signals from all over your body – from your organs and extremities as it interacts with your brain’s memory centers and emotions. Mix this all up, and it equates to how you feel and act and your sense of wellbeing. So, if Cove activates this pathway, can it improve your wellbeing?

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This is what led me to Cove.

Cove is marketed as a “breakthrough wearable” that helps you sleep better and stress less, so your “body and mind can function at the highest level.”

Using a technique called electroencephalography, scientists tracked brain activity during a 20-minute Cove session. They observed an increase in alpha in waves, a type of brain activity that often appears during meditation and indicates relaxation.

Cove is a headband-like device that wraps around the back of your noggin and is held up by your ears. You are to wear it for 20 minutes, twice daily. The device vibrates behind your ears, which is said to activate a brain pathway that helps you feel calm and emotionally balanced. As it tends to be stress that keeps one

The App Cove comes with a companion app that will track your progress. The app captures streaks, time of day, the total amount of sessions, and history. When I first started using the wearable, I found myself checking the app to see how much time I had left in the session. As I became

Residential Tech Today | Nov/Dec 2021

more comfortable with wearing it while doing other things (watching TV, brushing my teeth, getting ready in the morning), I stopped relying on the app. If not used for a bit, the connection between the headset and app takes a minute to reconnect.

The Good and the Bad Cove is not a magic pill, but overall, I do feel better, and better is a win. As I wanted to have a metric for this article, I did also end up purchasing a sleep tracking mat from Withings that works with their app called Health Mate.

And after a few weeks, I can see my overall sleep score has improved. As far as I’m concerned, any improvement to sleep counts as a success.

This device is also said to have IFTTT integration for scenarios such as dimming lighting when you go to bed or turning up your thermostat when you get up. To date, I have not played with these features.

Despite my generally positive experience, I have not continued to use Cove on a regular basis. While the device is light, easy, and kind of amazing, the battery drains quickly. My experience yielded me one to two sessions before the battery died, and I often found it dying during a session. The charger uses a USB-C cord, and the extra step to make sure the unit was always charged is where I failed.

Perhaps if they had simple wireless charging or found a way for the battery to last a week, I would have remained more consistent.

Cove costs $490 with free shipping, so it is not a purchase for the faint of heart. It comes with a 1-year warranty and a free 45-day return policy.

While you may not end up using these devices every day, they are something one could go back to during periods of high stress. And we all could use a bit less stress these days. My hope is that as devices like these catch on, we see the price point come down. Cove is not the only game in town, and with time and more studies, we may see this growing category of sleepassistance technology grow and improve. x

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REVIEW

ALL CAPS Performance from SOUNDBOKS Calling the Robust Gen 3 Model a ‘Bluetooth Speaker’ is a Bit Misleading

By Jeremy Glowacki The SOUNDBOKS Gen 3 is such a beast of a Bluetooth speaker that the company must have felt compelled to spell out its name in ALL CAPS as if you had to scream it out to your friends when they asked you what kind of speaker it is while playing concert-level audio at 126 dB SPL. Clearly, this is not a “lowercase” kind of brand, and that’s the longest run-on sentence I’ve ever written.

I really wish SOUNDBOKS had come along about five years ago when I was still hosting my neighborhood Fourth of July fireworks shows.

It’s amazing the firepower that you can buy these days from seasonal fireworks stores in old gutted-out retail stores. Our cul-de-sac fireworks shows were so off the charts (and frankly a little reckless for a subdivision with a lot of mature trees) that the wives finally shut us down. Before that happened, however, my favorite part of the annual tradition was less about blowing stuff up and more about building my 20-minute-long fireworks show playlist of tunes featuring references to “fire” “boom” or “America” and surprising my neighbors with my creative selections.

Unfortunately for me at the time, the speaker that I was using for the show could neither put out the proper amount of sound volume for a large and loud outdoor space nor make it through the show at full volume without draining the battery. And when there are 50 kids running around during the “pre-show,” long extension cords aren’t the best plan either.

Boy, what I would have given back then for a Bluetooth speaker with the size, audio quality, maximum decibel capabilities, and battery life of the SOUNDBOKS 3rd Gen performance Bluetooth speaker. Frankly, to simply call it a Bluetooth speaker is a bit misleading. I don’t know about you, but when I think Bluetooth, I think handheld or tabletop speaker, not a

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The SOUNDBOKS speaker’s frequency range is 40Hz-20kHz, and it can be played at 126 dB max SPL volume.

REVIEW

For more manual control, there’s a large volume knob, a power button, and red button for pairing with other SOUNDBOKS.

ginormous metal-grilled box with handles on the sides that look more like concert riggings than handholds.

SOUNDBOKS isn’t a small speaker. It measures 26.2-inches high x 18 inches wide x 12.6 inches deep and weighs in at a beefy 33 lbs.

The only thing SOUNDBOKS has in common with other more pedestrian Bluetooth speakers, really, is the Bluetooth 5.0 wireless protocol. Otherwise, what you have with SOUNDBOKS is nearly at the level of a commercial-grade speaker that you would see stacked in an array on a concert stage.

SOUNDBOKS, which is waterproof by the way, ships with a rechargeable and removable LiFePo4 battery (with charger) that can last up to 40 hours at medium volume or five hours at maximum volume.

Retailing for $999, each SOUNDBOKS features two 10-inch ferrite woofers and a single 1-inch compression driver tweeter and Merus Audio Eximo patented amplifier technology.

The speaker’s frequency range is 40Hz-20kHz and, as already noted, can be played at 126 dB max SPL volume.

SKAA Wireless Technology enables the Bluetooth signal to be relayed to up to five SOUNDBOKS spread apart as far as 65 feet, for a pretty massive network of speakers perfectly synchronized together.

Inputs include two XLR/6.35mm jack (TRS) combo sockets for PA capabilities and one 3.5mm stereo jack (TRS). There’s also a 3.5mm stereo jack (TRS) for output (for headphones, I’m assuming).

If I haven’t made it clear already,

various fun destinations, such as the beach, house parties, road trips, and one where someone is doing a backflip over their SOUNDBOKS. It’s clearly a vibe.

In a section called “Make It Yours” the company encourages SOUNDBOKS owners to customize their speaker grilles with custom paint jobs. You can use an included Allen key to unscrew the front grille (and unscrew the logo “for safekeeping” to paint the grille with most types of paint, as long as you put on a layer of primer before and sealer after.

You can control and update a SOUNDBOKS with the speaker’s app, which is available for iOS or Android devices. For more manual control, there’s a large volume knob, a power button, and a red button for pairing with other SOUNDBOKS.

SOUNDBOKS is a very powerful speaker that can blow you away if you need it to but also play at lower volumes with a lot of clarity. It might be a bit more than you need in a sedate patio area or times when you really don’t want to lug a 30pound speaker into the back of your car, but it’s great for big spaces where you need a highvolume, durable way to blast your tunes.

When you open the manual for the SOUNDBOKS, there’s a very whimsical tone about the way the speaker is being marketed. A note from founders “Jesper, Christoffer, and Hjalte” explains how the company had started as a group of friends who wanted to simply take their “party experiences” to the next level. “We didn’t want any limitations on where we could go, what we could do, or how loud we could get.

So, we built a speaker that could do anything,” the introduction explains.

For the record, I didn’t get to keep the review unit that was sent to me, so I didn’t really have to ponder a new grille color. I don’t think I would have changed anything, though. The standard black paint job is pretty perfect for a speaker that comes so darn close to providing the sort of yeoman-like performance that you would get from commercial rigs backing up your favorite band. x

According to company lore, the SOUNDBOKS community started first in Denmark, then Germany, France, and then the U.S. Pictures show the speaker appearing at

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PRODUCT REVOLUTION IPORT Connect Pro is the completely redesigned system for holding, charging, and protecting iPad. This direct replacement for IPORT Launch includes the familiar components: BaseStation, WallStation, and Case, now with an optional Connect PoE+ Upgrade. The electrical charging enhancements and a modular design provide a powerful and more flexible charging capability that supports all iPad models, including iPad Pro. An all-new CONNECT interface also includes optional PoE charging using the PoE+ Upgrade. The module connects directly into a BaseStation or WallStation, converting power over a single Cat 5 cable.

Planar Lifestyle Displays’ large-scale LED displays come with manufacturer-led installation services and include either Planar Luxe MicroLED or Planar Luxe lines.

Luxe MicroLED displays are available in 4K 108-, 136-, 163-, and 8K 217-inch sizes, and include the display, wall mount, video controller with remote processing, remote control, display trim, and cables. Luxe LED displays come in Full HD 109-, 137-, Full HD or 4K 164-, Double Full HD wide-view 198-, and 4K 219-inch sizes. Planar Luxe supports multi-source viewing and offers an installation depth of less than four inches.

Perlisten Audio has developed its S7i in-wall speaker to meet the THX Certified Dominus standard, which demands more than double the output levels of THX Certified Ultra specification. The 4-way S7i, measuring 39.25 inches in length with a depth of 4 inches, is housed in a fully self-enclosed aluminum cabinet. Its tweeter and dual midranges all share the same motor technology and four 7-inch woofers recreate the dynamic range needed for huge transients while remaining under control.

Samsung’s Neo QLED QN90A 4K flagship display will now be available in new 43-, 50-, and 98-inch sizes.

These new screens, which join the existing lineup of 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch models. Samsung’s Lifestyle portfolio is also expanding to include a large 85-inch iteration of The Frame and a 65-inch Terrace Full Sun for direct-sunlight installation. With these additions, The Frame portfolio will now be available in eight screen sizes, and the Terrace – between its Full Sun model and the original design – will be available in five.

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PRODUCT REVOLUTION Russound’s new VoicePlay System is an in-wall multi-room solution with streaming audio and voice control with Amazon Alexa built-in. Eliminating the need for a traditional bulky tabletop product, VoicePlay is designed to improve homeowners’ inhome audio systems as a primary audio source in new and existing audio systems.

The VoicePlay system is made up of two components, the V-KP-1 keypad, and the V-PS-2 audio power supply. Powered across any existing wiring, including Cat-5 or speaker wire, the system can send audio to up to 32 rooms in a home.

Schneider Electric has unveiled its Square D X and XD Series connected wiring devices, dubbing the X Series “the best value” for its easy installation, refreshed modern design, and smart home compatibility. The XD Series takes this further, providing a more premium option with additional design features, a range of colors, and a more sophisticated cover plate option that can easily be changed. They feature embedded sensors that monitor energy consumption via Wi-Fi and Z-Wave, to provide real-time energy monitoring down to the device level.

Denon’s new S-Series AV receivers, the AVR-S760H and the AVRS660H, are designed with three 8K HDMI inputs to accommodate people looking to upgrade to the latest 8K entertainment and gaming sources. The AVR-S660H is a 5.2 channel AVR that delivers five channels of 75W per channel amplifications (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, THD: 0.08%, 2ch. driven). With seven channels of discrete amplification rated 75W per channel (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, THD: 0.08%, 2ch driven), the Denon AVR-S760H delivers Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X, and DTS Virtual:X.

Flush Mount Hidden Outlets are a new invisible outlet series designed to be a simple, elegant solution to wall clutter, providing a contemporary alternative for homeowners tired of traditional outlet designs. They are installed similar to a preconstruction box and are custom paintable to match the wall color of any home. Arizona-based Flush Mount designed its Hidden Outlets line to be installed in four simple steps and at half of the cost to home integrators.

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PRODUCT REVOLUTION Hisense has launched three new Roku TV Ready soundbars in a compact design. Consumers can choose from the HS212F (240 watts), HS219 (480 watts), and HS312 (420 watts). The 2.1 HS212F features two 60W speakers and a 120W wireless 6.5-inch subwoofer and connects with an included HDMI (ARC) cable. The 2.1 HS219 2.1 consists of four 30W speakers and a 360W subwoofer and connects via included HDMI (ARC) cable. The 3.1 HS312 combines six 30W speakers and a 240W subwoofer with Dolby Atmos.

Binary, the Snap One brand, has developed the new B-260ARC Audio Return Extender to enable integrators to locate a Sonos Amp up to 150 meters (492 feet) from the source TV. It allows for Dolby 5.1, DTS 5.1 and two-channel LPCM audio signals to be sent from a TV to a Sonos Amp up to 492 feet awa, when professionally installed home AV systems components are located in rooms far from the TV. The units can be powered by HDMI, USB, or 110-volt connections.

Somfy’s new Sonesse 28 WireFree RTS External Battery motor is the newest addition to the company’s Designed for Silence wire-free motor range for motorized window coverings. It features a compact size and smaller diameter motorhead, making it a great fit for smaller windows. Built-in Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) immunity is also ideal for use in layered shades. The new motor features a recessed programming button on the motor head for easier installation and programming. It also includes an LED low battery indicator light.

Vantage LHUMAN, from Legrand’s Building Control Systems (BCS), is a new human-centric lighting (HCL) system for the residential market that incorporates lighting controls, motorized shading, and color-tunable light fixtures. The idea is to harness natural light when it’s available or render it artificially when it’s not, improving the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of occupants. At the heart of the LHUMAN system is Vantage lighting control, which provides full-color control and precise dimming of a wide range of color-tunable lighting fixtures from Vantage’s manufacturer partners.

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COMING UP

Future Issues: Jan/Feb 2022: The Evolution of Video Technology. Picture quality of TVs and projectors have never looked better or been more affordable. What’s the next step for video technology, how do you plan for it, and what do you need to know to prepare for the future?

• Home Office Tech • Home Theater Speakers

Mar/Apr 2022: Outdoor Entertainment. The global pandemic generated more interest in enhancing home entertainment system both inside and outside the home. Now, more than ever, the quality of outdoor speaker, TVs, lighting, and Wi-Fi coverage is at the front of mind for homeowners.

• Doorbell and Security Cameras • Touchscreens and Remote Controls

May/June 2022:

Jan. 5-8, 2022

CES is your annual one-stop shop for everything tech. From major tech leaders to startups, the Jan. 5-8, 2022 convention looks to return stronger than ever as an in-person event in Las Vegas. To keep things safe, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for attendees and exhibitors.

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Don’t miss a single issue of Residential Tech Today.

Subscribe now and continue to get insightful coverage of the smart home market!

Access Control and Home Security. From video doorbells to professional-quality surveillance cameras, alarm panels, and motion sensors, the home security system has evolved into a combination of DIY and pro-level options.

• Lighting Control and Motorized Shades • Healthy Home Tech

July/Aug 2022: Managing Residential Power. The electrical infrastructure of the home is more complicated than it used to be with line noise, grounding challenges, managing renewal energy sources as they enter the home.

• Projection Screens • Soundbars

Sept/Oct 2022: The Network Backbone of the Home. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that home networks provide both wired and wireless accommodations to create the best service for the end-user customer as an increasing number of intelligent devices are added every year and cybersecurity risks increase.

• Video Projectors and TVs • AV Distribution and Switching

Nov/Dec 2022: Listening Test. Loudspeaker designs continue to evolve as new materials and computer-aided design tools enable audio manufacturers to improve and enhance the way music and movie audio are reproduced in the home environment.

• Power Management Products • AV Receivers and Power Amplifiers

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RELAX

The Lighter Side

Post-Apocalyptic Gift Guide

By Anthony Elio The past couple of years have been a little daunting, to say the least. I lost my license after crashing my car through a driver’s school, got my license back, then accidentally ran over my instructor. Also, some things happened in the news. All of this negativity has one thing on our collective minds: the apocalypse.

According to my fellow doomsday preppers, the end is near, and it’s coming fast. Luckily, I’ve been taking classes on surviving the end of civilization at the learning annex, and they’re already paying off. I’ve already learned how to turn an ordinary bowl into a colander and developed a filter that turns human sweat into a delicious sports drink. Patent pending. With the holidays, and the end of civilization, on the way, I’ve put together a technological gift guide for you doomed readers.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/guruXOOX

Entertainment

Self Defense It might seem outlandish during the peaceful times we live in, but people can be violent and unhinged. Once the apocalypse inevitably comes, you’ll have to keep a constant eye out for dangerous groups such as the Buzzards, the War Boys, the Marauders, and the Whiffenpoofs. Thus, you’ll need to be in tip-top shape to defend yourself. I recommend taking a look at some of my favorite classic celebrity-endorsed fitness tapes, such as Sandy Duncan’s “Five-Minute Workout,” Estelle Getty’s “Young at Heart,” and Larry King’s “Slouch Yourself Slim.”

When you’re cozy inside your shelter waiting for the mustard gas tornadoes to subside, you’ll want something to pass the time. However, with the internet likely down, you won’t be able to spend hours arguing with strangers about whether or not a shampoo ad was offensive. Thankfully, there are plenty of great off-the-grid ways to entertain yourself. One of my favorites is Battleship, a board game based Photo: iStockphoto.com/Aleksandra Nigmatulina on the 2012 film of the same name. And, if you’re looking for the strategic edge, make sure to order my book, “How to Cheat at Battleship” before the grid collapses and Amazon delivery drones go rogue.

Companionship Judging by the movies I’ve seen, and my day-to-day existence, the future will be lonely. After all, remember that one movie where Will Smith was the last human alive? Well, don’t spoil the ending since I just taped it.

Because of this, you might want to give the simple gift of an address book. Keeping some basic info on your Photo: iStockphoto.com/mammuth friends, such as addresses, numbers, and potential deliciousness could prove vital.

Anthony Elio is a writer and disgraced former child star located in Denver, CO. He currently plays drums in the band Television Generation and can be found on Twitter at @AntsSweatsBets.

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Photo: iStockphoto.com/DebbiSmirnoff

Health Once the ozone is completely decimated by a cluster of formaldehyde clouds, the sun will be scorching. Therefore, it’s more important than ever that you keep up with your skincare routine. Personally, I recommend a daily application of Vitamin C serum followed by a nice hydrating sugar scrub. I do it every day, and people commonly think I’m 29 and a half instead of 30. Plus, with the inevitability that your camp will eventually be invaded by metahumans and you’ll be forced into matrimony with their mutant queen, you’ll still want to look dynamite in those wedding photos.

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Premium 4K HDR picture with stunning contrast from the BRAVIA® XR95J. Available in 65" 75" and 85" Class

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Find out more by visiting Sonypremiumhome.com © 2021 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. All screen images simulated.