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Tuesday, September 07, 2010

In the world of high-performance home theater Kaleidescape has established its product line as a go-to source component to provide users with an easy and reliable way to manage and playback their music and movie files.

On Sept. 2 the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based manufacturer of residential entertainment servers announced its new iPhone application. Kaleidescape says the app will allow users of its products to more easily shop for movies.

The app scans a DVD or Blu-ray disc barcode and then notifies users if they have that title in their content libraries and what format the video is stored. The app also provides users with information from its Movie Guide feature, which includes movie descriptions; who directed and starred in the movie, aspect ratios, running times and ratings.

Michael Malcom, chairman and CEO of Kaleidescape, says new iPhone app provides users with another tool that enhances their home theater experience. "This new app broadens the value of the rich information in our exclusive Movie Guide by making it available to our customers when they are shopping,” he says.

“It also extends the elegance and simplicity of the Kaleidescape experience beyond the home.”

Kaleidescape dealers and their clients can go to Apple's iTunes web site to download the app.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

With the introduction of its CEN-SWPOE-24 24-port managed 10/100 Ethernet switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE) and dual Gigabit uplink ports, Crestron is providing its dealers with a device that simplifies the installation process.

The switch configures through the use of a web browser and Crestron's Toolbox dealer program, and with it installers can implement a system that integrates a variety of networkable components like touchpanels and keypads without having to add power supplies.

In addition, Crestron includes a front panel management port that enables the mirroring of any rear port to facilitate system monitoring and troubleshooting. Installers can also customize the front panel with unique names to make it easy to identify each port.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

For years many audiophiles have floated the mis-guided notion that traditional two-channel audio and home theater couldn't co-exist in the same home A/V system.

Helping to pull those lost audiophiles from the dark ages are companies like Parasound. Just prior to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the San Fransisco-based audio/video manufacturer introduced a new version of its Halo JC 2 preamplifier that it's calling the JC 2 BP.

The new JC 2 BP adds a home theater bypass function to allow custom installers to offer their clients a versatile A/V entertainment solution and high-performance music system all in one package.

Parasound was able to implement the home theater bypass function by adding a modified potentiometer board, as well as fixed resistors that set the outputs to a unity gain when the bypass is engaged. The company says that any one or more of the preamp's inputs, which includes its two balanced (XLR) inputs can be assigned to the bypass, and front panel, amber-colored LEDs indicate when an input is being used with the bypass mode.

Parasound is also offering dealers the opportunities to retrofit their clients' existing JC 2s with the bypass feature for $500.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Increasingly, the idea of adding an external drive to a computer to expand its storage capabilities is becoming a thing of the past. Instead more people are adding network attached storage (NAS) devices, which provide additional storage and backup opportunities with remote access for multiple users.

Netgear recently went as far to proclaim the death of local media storage when it announced its ReadyNAS line of networked storage devices. The manufacturer says its new Ultra family of two-, four- and six-bay NAS units are designed to fill needs of networked homes, small- to medium-sized businesses and larger companies that need secondary storage options.

What makes the DLNA-certified line a natural complement to home use is its media-shifting options that allow installers to setup a home media network that offers a centralized location for media and file storage, and the ability to stream HD content to TiVOs and mobile devices.

Netgear says the line employs its drag-and-drop file management technologies, as well as X-RAID2 functionality.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Right now Apple's iPad is certainly a hot product for installers to integrate into their home control systems solutions, but there are other touchpanel products on the market that installers can use.

Home Automation, Inc.'s (HAI) new OmniTouchPro home control software is designed to be versatile whole-house control/automation solution that enables CE Pros to use third-party touchpanels in their home automation system installations.

HAI says the software (part number 1131) is the same interface that it runs on its Omnitouch 5.7e, 10p and 10pe touchpanels, and that it will run on most third-party touchpanels that employ Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Win7.

Once installed and setup as part of a system, the software can be used by homeowners to access and control their security, lighting, HVAC, audio/video and other electronics sub-systems. Installers can also customize the appearance of the interface through the use of color choices, icons, floorplans, room-specific pages and other elements.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

One hundred years is a long time and a lot could happen in this long of a time span.

In the case of the electronics company Denon, a lot of good things have happened during its century of existence. Recently, the electronics company announced that it was celebrating its 100th year in business with the launch of several new, limited edition products.

Two product highlights within this limited product release are the DP-A100 Direct Drive Turntable and the companion DL-A100 cartridge. The company plans on releasing these components this November and they will be available from just a handful of "Select Special Anniversary Denon" dealers.

Denon says the turntable will be based on its Direct Drive technology, which it has continued to refine over the past 40 years.

Supporting the release of the DP-A100 turntable, Denon is also introducing its DL-A100 cartridge, which it says that it based on its original DL-103 cartridge.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

There's no question that powerline technologies have advanced far beyond the Clapper.

A good example of how far the technologies have advanced can be found in Western Digital's WD Livewire Powerline AV Network kit.

Western Digital says the product is compatible with the HomePlug AV powerline networking standard and it allows CE Pros to retrofit a home with network connections by using its existing electrical outlets.

The Lake Forest, Calif.-based computing company says the system offers 200Mbps of data transfer speeds and enough ports to support the connection of seven networked devices, which could be anything from a console gaming system, to a Blu-ray Disc player with BD Live technologies.

Western Digital adds the powerline solution also supports 1080p video streams and its set up is plug-and-play to facilitate quick installations.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Currently there's a lot of talk of cloud computing and rumors of a super Apple iTunes platform that could eventually let consumers access their entire iTunes library from anyway.

Until those rumors turn into actual products however the need for storage is still important for anyone that owns a computer.

Data Robotics, Inc.'s Drobo line of data storage products features five series of components that can be used for everything from movie and music file storage in a residential home network, to critical data backup in a commercial business LAN.

Using the BeyondRaid storage technology that is said to protect data from hard drive crashes, the basic Drobo holds as many as four hard drives, and it can be expanded at any time to supports multiple terabytes of storage.

The unit can be used for Apple-, Linux- and Windows-based computers, and installers can use either FireWire 800 or USB to connect to a computer.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Pioneer Electronics has earned respect for its line of mainstream consumer electronics products that balance, cost, performance and value.

The company's Elite line of Blu-ray disc players have been cited as some of the best products on the market and now with the latest generation of Pioneer Elite Blu-ray players hitting the market, the company has built upon the performance of the players by adding Web streaming and wireless connectivity.

Pioneer Elite's mid-level BDP-31FD incorporates the company's PQLS jitter reduction technology for use with a companion Pioneer Elite receiver, as well as other installer-friendly features such as RS-232 for third-party control system integration, iPod Touch/iPhone control apps, BD-Live support, and the ability to stream Web-based content from media sites like Netflix.com and Youtube.com.

Installers can set up the Web-enabled BDP-31FD by connecting a traditional Ethernet cable to its Ethernet port, or in a retrofit situation, employ Pioneer's optional wireless AS-WL100 USB wireless adapter, which provides installers with the ability to integrate the player's Web functions with a homeowner's existing wireless network.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Within the world of custom electronics the mere reference of the manufacturer VIZIO usually elicits a variety of opinions.

There is however no disputing the company's popularity. The Calif.-based company is one of the most popular manufacturers in the entire world of consumer electronics.

On Aug. 20 the company announced that its Xtreme VIZIO Technology (XVT) TruLED LED LCD televisions have started to ship. The line of products includes a range of five screen sizes: 32 inch, 37 inch, 42 inch, 47 inch and 55 inch, and they incorporate the company's Smart Dimming LED dimming technology, dual-band 802.11n wireless Internet connectivity, VIZIO's Web apps, and multiple HDMI inputs.

In addition, all of the TVs offer VIZIO's Smooth Motion video processing, IR/Bluetooth remote controls that include QWERTY keyboards and full backlit LED lighting for improved contrast ratios.

iPort is shipping its CM-IW2000 (CM2000) Control Mount for iPad, which has received a "Made For iPad" designation from Apple. The CM2000 allows an Apple iPad to be used as an in-wall touch panel, providing continuous charging of the iPad and connection via Wi-Fi.

Ari Supran, CEO of Dana Innovations, parent company of iPort, Sonance and TRUFIG, says the company is "extremely proud to be licensed by Apple for Made For iPad."

The iPort CM2000 secures the iPad into the wall with a discreet bezel and mounting frame, which is held magnetically to the metal wall box. The iPad home button remains accessible while its power button is replicated on the outer edge of the CM2000 frame. Power connection is made via Cat 5 cable running from the CM2000 through the wall to a single-gang power connection wall plate, which supports connection to the included power supply.

The CM2000 has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $499.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

With new housing starts still lagging and the economy continuing to splutter along, installers are now moving into the retrofit market.

Middleton, Wisc.-based Intelix's new DIGI-HD-COAX A/V extender enables custom installers to walk into an existing home and distribute high-definition video signals over a single coax cable.

The solution works with a home's existing RG-59 and RG-6 cables and the company says it can transmit 1080p video up to 300 feet and 1080i up to 675 feet. In addition, the transmission solution also includes signal amplification technologies to allow installers to daisy chain a system to feed as many as 10 displays.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

For years SurgeX has developed and engineered power protection products for the commercial market.

Now after dabbling in the residential channel, the company has fully committed to bringing its its commercial-grade technologies to the custom installation market through the release of its XU115 AC Surge Eliminator and Power Conditioner.

The XU115 is the first product in the N.C.-based company's Eliminator Series, and SurgeX says the unit includes its Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI noise filtering, as well as its browser-based powered management options for remote control of power settings and other diagnostic functions.

In addition, the 2U-high XU115 also provides voltage regulation, UPS backup and the company's proprietary Advanced Series Mode surge protection technology that is said to eliminate all surges up to 3,000 volts and 3,000 amps with no residual harm like voltage let-through and ground contamination.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

With nearly 30 years of manufacturing experience as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partner and as a provider of end user products for professional and consumer applications, the Danish company Dynaudio has earned a reputation as one of the top speaker companies in the entire world.

Several months ago the company announced its Consequence Ultimate Edition, which it says is engineered to provide music fans and home theater enthusiasts with a loudspeaker that is capable of producing an uncolored dynamic range of 17Hz to 30kHz.

The Danish manufacturer says the speaker utilizes a five-way design concept with proprietary drivers that were developed specifically for this speaker. In the speaker Dynaudio incorporates its Compound Bass System, which includes the use of an internal woofer that's unseen from the outside, and a driver arrangement that's designed to provide listeners with a cohesive, time-aligned listening experience.

Aesthically, Dynaudio wraps the speaker's inert cabinets with real-wood finishes and a choice of gold- or chrome-plated driver rings.

Monday, August 16, 2010

It's amazing how fast the market for 3D televisions is developing. About this time a year ago 3D televisions were wildly expensive when compared to traditional flat-panel televisions, but today with companies like Panasonic pushing down the price points for 3D televisions, the technologies are becoming more approachable for a wider group of consumers.

Panasonic's newly announced additions to its VIERA GT25 Series of plasma televisions provides consumers with a choice of two affordable 3D televisions. The 42-inch TC-P42G25 and 50-inch TC-P50GT25 both offer users the company's 600Hz Sub-field video processing technology, 1080p resolutions, VIERA Image Viewer (for viewing still photos), 24fps (frame-per-second) compatibility, active-shutter 3D, and VIERA Link for the streaming of Web content from Netflix, Amazon On-Demand, Pandora and Twitter.

Henry Hauser, vice president of merchandising, display group for Panasonic, says that Panasonic has been at the forefront of the 3D market and now with the release of these two new 3D televisions, consumers will now be able save money while purchasing state-of-art televisions. "From the beginning, Panasonic has led the charge into the immersive world of 3D home entertainment by offering end-to-end 3D home entertainment solutions, including full HD 3D VIERA plasma TVs, 3D Blu-ray disc players, professional and consumer 3D camcorders, the nation's first suite of 3D TV channels with partner DirecTV, and the authoring of 3D Blu-ray movies in cooperation with the Hollywood studios," he says.

"The debut of our VIERA GT25 Series of full HD 3D TVs further expands our portfolio of 3D offerings and makes it even easier for consumers to join the immersive world of full HD 3D for the home."

The televisions also include the ability to convert 2D content to 3D, and the TVs, which are priced at $1,700 and $2,100 respectively, also require consumers to purchase 3D glasses separately to view the content.