Call it the “Wow” factor. There were hundreds of products at CEDIA EXPO that bedazzled, often in audio and video, home networking, wireless and — hold on — home security. Here is a walking tour of selected displays.
Touchscreen Deadbolt from Yale Intelligent Home Control
Yale Locks & Hardware of Lenoir City, Tenn., has deadbolt and lever locks in its Yale Real Living portfolio of residential access control and home security solutions. Available with either a sleek capacitive touchscreen or pushbutton key pad, the platform of intelligent locks were shown operating with Control4 2.0 user interface, allowing the homeowner to directly access and control many of the lock’s unique features.
PHC Rebrands as Pro Audio Technology
Professional Home Cinema of Huntington Beach, Calif., changed to Pro Audio Technology as it applies its professional-based engineering expertise to a broader range of residential audio installation applications. Larry Reagan, vice president of Pro Audio says, “The Pro Audio Technology name conveys a more powerful message to the market — that we’re committed to bringing professional technologies and performance standards not only to the theater, but to distributed audio and other installation applications as well. The stronger, more encompassing name will support our sales reps, international distributors, and dealers as they present Pro Audio products to their customers.”
Runco Unveils Customizable Ultra-Thin, Flat Panel Displays
From Beaverton, Ore., Runco’s ultra-thin, Vistage 3D-ready flat panel has a glass panel with no surface uniformity issues common to the acrylic or plastic surfaces used on most televisions. Using a proprietary algorithm each sub-pixel is individually-modulated to turn on or off based on the content being played, which creates exceptional contrast and black levels.
Integra Home Theater Receivers and Separate A/V Components
The introduction includes full-line 3D-Ready HDMI 1.4a interfaces with lossless Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio sound. The new lineup consists of four A/V receivers, two A/V controllers, and two Blu-ray disc players. The former is a premium THX Certified player with 1080p upscaling using a new Marvell Qdeo HD Video processor. Both offer an extensive range of features including video on demand.
Disney’s Wow (World Of Wonder) Disc Offers Consumers a “How To” for In-Home HD Optimization
Through home entertainment, the Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles has introduced the Disney WOW World of Wonder Disc, its first-ever, easy-to-follow guide to optimally setting up high definition (HD) home entertainment systems. Available in November, the Disney WOW disc is designed to help consumers get the best quality experience from their home theater systems providing everyone from beginners and enthusiasts to experts and custom installers alike with valuable high-quality calibration tools.
RTI Pumps Up the Volume
Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) of Shakopee, Minn., rocked CEDIA EXPO 2010 with sophisticated audio distribution solutions that provide consumers with intuitive control over their music libraries, Internet radio, and streaming audio on their RTI controllers, mobile devices and computers. The company unveiled two new drivers for its XP-8 processor that allow users to control and receive feedback from iTunes®, Squeezebox players, and other PC music, right on their two-way-enabled in-wall or handheld controllers.
Pioneer Focuses on Connectivity to Lifestyle
Attendees were the first to experience the complete 2010 Pioneer (Long Beach, Calif.) and Elite product lines that highlighted seamless home theater integration of personal technology devices and featured new Blu-ray 3D players, iPhone certified A/V receivers, iPhone/iPod docks, DJ-inspired headphones, high-fidelity two-channel audio components and the high-end TAD and EX speaker lines.
Vivitek Debuts Its Line of Home Theater Projectors
Fremont, Calif., Vivitek has a line of 1080p-based home theater and large-venue models for the custom installation market," says Christopher Yang, senior product manager at Vivitek. "We know that picture quality, performance and even versatility are key factors for home theater enthusiasts. Our family of projectors incorporates the latest color and video processing technologies to ensure unsurpassed images on a big screen."
3D Glasses Solutions
In addition to the debut of XPAND 's Universal 3D Glasses (Los Angeles) at CEDIA EXPO 2010, numerous exhibitors entering the 3D market used the 3D glasses with their products at the show. Among these exhibitors include Vutec Corporation, Stewart Filmscreen and Digital Projection International.
Kwikset Z-Wave Expands with SmartCode
The SmartCode Lever is useful on both internal and external entryways. For many homes, the door between the garage and the home is single bored and cannot accommodate a deadbolt. The Lake Forest, Calif.-based Kwikset SmartCode Lever with Home Connect Technology, however, can be installed on a single bored door to provide improved security and remote access that could not be achieved otherwise. Homeowners using this lever can lock their door from virtually anywhere using a Web-enabled cell phone or the Internet.
Samsung Electronics Showcases Home Entertainment Solutions
"People look to installers to recommend the very best in home entertainment. They want great audio and video quality as well as a sophisticated, ultra-stylish design," says John Revie, senior vice president of home entertainment at Samsung Electronics America Inc., Dallas. "From the world's broadest lineup of 3D capable products, to the immersive experience of Samsung Apps, the Samsung lineup is one that installers can use in a variety of environments to exceed their customers' expectations."
Luxul Wireless Offers Single Access Point "Whole-Home" Wi-Fi Solutions
From Luxul of Lindon, Utah, there is a series of high performance Wi-Fi solutions that are capable of delivering "whole home" Wi-Fi access with only a single wireless access point. This new series of fully FCC-certified systems and kits bundle select wireless access points from industry recognized Wi-Fi equipment manufacturers including Netgear and D-Lino. The bundled solutions will be marketed under the Luxul Wireless Pro-WAV brand.