D-Tools Manufacturer Vantage Point Product and CEDIA News for August 2010

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D-Tools MVP manufacturers realize the importance of bringing you their product information and have chosen to support the D-Tools user community by joining the program and making their product data directly available through D-Tools SI software. Read on for the latest manufacturer news and product updates and CEDIA 2010 previews.

Atlona Technologies gears up for their 3^rd annual participation at the prestigious CEDIA Expo.  Solutions based manufacturer of Audio Video accessories, Atlona Technologies, will showcase their latest in innovations this September in Atlanta Georgia at Booth #4722 .

CEDIA 2010 will offer many opportunities to those exhibiting, and Atlona has answered the call in participation with The CEDIA Attendees Choice Awards.  Voting can be done via Web or Phone at the CEDIA Show.  Below are the Atlona Submissions for this Award.

AT-DIS7-HD: 7″ HD Testing Monitor with HDMI Input

AT-HDAiR: PC to Computer Monitor/HDTV Wireless adapter with Audio

AT-HD620:HDMI/Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort Scaler and Switcher

AT-HD570: HDMI (1.3) Audio De-Embedder with 3D Support

AT-HD500: PC / Laptop to HDMI Converter with built-in Scaler up to 1080p

AT-HDVieW: VGA to HDMI Scaler/Converter (USB Powered)

AT-PROHD1616M-SR: 16×16:2 HDMI Matrix Switch with CAT5/6 and local HDMI Outputs

AT-PROHD48M-SR: 4×8 HDMI Matrix Switch with 8x CAT5 Receivers included and 3D Support

AT-PROHD82M: 8×2 HD Video Scaler with 2 Matrix Outputs

BEAM Expands Central Vacuum Lineup
Versatile Product Line Increases Opportunities for Dealers

SEE US CEDIA BOOTH # 428

ATLANTA – BEAM Central Vacuum Systems offers custom integrators the industry’s widest range of cleaning systems that offer dealers unmatched installation flexibility and satisfy homeowner demands for cleaning convenience.

“Our product lineup can handle virtually any cleaning challenge facing today’s homeowners, from compact systems that can handle quick cleanups to complete PowerTeams that can deep clean the entire home,” says Larry Hartley, vice president of sales and marketing for BEAM.

The lineup introduced at the CEDIA Expo includes:

The BEAM Q PowerTeam: The state of the art in central vacuum system cleaning capability, the BEAM Q can clean up to 750 square feet of living space from each inlet valve. It includes a height adjustable electric power brush, making it easy to clean a variety of flooring types with the push of a button and a complete set of cleaning tools to easily tackle above-the-floor cleaning.

Hide-A-Hose: The homeowner will never have to carry a long hose around the house again. Hide-A-Hose stores within the central vacuum tubing system and can be extended up to 60 feet, enough to clean up to 2,300 square feet of living space. Simply pull out enough hose to reach the areas to be cleaned, then use the power of the central vacuum power unit to retract the hose back into its built-in receptacle.

VROOM: Ideal for cleaning those frequent messes in the kitchen, bath or laundry room, the compact VROOM attaches to the central vacuum system. It installs in a cabinet where it can be out of sight, but never out of mind.

SPOT: The quick-cleaning cousin to Hide-A-Hose, SPOT is ideal for quick cleanups in places that can get messy frequently like the laundry room, mudroom or next to the litter box. Its 10-foot hose stores inside the central vacuum tubing in the wall and retracts into the tubing when the cleaning job is finished.

The BEAM Q with the EasyReach Retractable Hose: The only retractable central vacuum hose that can operate an electric power brush, the EasyReach hose stores within itself and can be moved from inlet to inlet – requiring no additional installation.

“BEAM is the leading supplier of central vacuum system products to the custom installation companies and offers integrators some of the largest margins in the installed home products industry,” Hartley says. “Our expanded lineup offers even more opportunities for integrators to grow their business with central vacuum systems.”

For more information about the BEAM Products, visit www.beam.com.

Electrolux Central Vacuum Systems is the world’s leading producer and marketer of built-in central vacuums. The company’s BEAM, Electrolux and Eureka Central Vacuum Systems are sold in 50 countries around the world. Electrolux Central Vacuum Systems is a division of Electrolux Home Care Products North America.

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Editors: For more information and photos, visit www.beampresscenter.com

SEE US CEDIA BOOTH # 428

New SS-303 a Two-Time Finalist for Best In-Wall/In-Ceiling Speaker

Our exciting SS-303 Architectural surround speaker is a finalist for Best In-Wall/In-Ceiling speaker in both the CEPro Best and Resi Awards. Each award is judged by an independent panel of expert judges and editorial staff from CEPro and Residential Systems magazines. The SS-303 was cited for its aesthetic appeal, solutions-based innovation, user friendliness and ease of installation. Winners will be announced at CEDIA in Atlanta September 22.

The SS-303 ($2000 each MSRP) and its sibling SS-202 ($1000 each MSRP) are unique, high performance planar-ribbon speakers designed for lifelike surround applications. SS-202 began shipping in July and SS-303 will commence shipping in August.

To recognize excellence in industrial design, Residential Systems created the Resi Awards- the industry’s first annual award program dedicated solely to product design. This competition honors the most innovative residential electronic product designs as judged by an expert panel of dealers and design professionals.

Among the criteria for the judges are:

• Aesthetic appeal,
• Solutions-based innovation,
• User “friendliness”
• Ease of manufacturing.

This combination of rigorous judging and discerning criteria has made the RESI the pre-eminent manufacturer’s design award in the industry.

The winner will be announced at CEDIA. http://www.residentialsystems.com/article/46668.aspx

Control4® InfinityEdge™ 7” In-Wall Touch Screen
Affordable total system control in a new, sleek design.  Edge-to-edge capacitive glass combined with the elegant Control4 user interface reveals the most visually stunning Control4 touch screens to date. With a new intercom capability, a choice of AC power or Power Over Ethernet, wired or Wi-Fi connectivity options, and four programmable buttons for customized commands, this flexible solution is perfect for every room in the house. For easy upgrades, the same magnet-mount back-box can be pre-wired by an electrician and used for both models. Find out more at control4.com/infinity.

Control4® OS 2.0
Control4 is pleased to announce the availability of Control4® OS 2.0. This next-generation OS offers new home-control functionality, new tools for developers, support for new hardware products, integration of 3rd party applications, and improved media management. Featuring an elegant new user interface, Control4® OS 2.0 will provide Control4 integrators and customers with the most powerful Control4® solution to date. Find out more at control4.com/os2.

D-BOX is a proud attendee of the CEDIA EXPO this year at booth 745. We are excited to be one of the sponsors of the Future Technology Pavilion. Come and visit us there to try our ground-breaking technology and live the action in one of our D-BOX Ready seating models.

D-BOX would also like to personally invite you to attend our official one day training taking place Saturday, September 25^th at CEDIA EXPO 2010 Atlanta. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to receive their certification.

We are committed to providing the best presentation tools to maximize your sales results. To powerfully present the D-BOX experience to customers means creating more opportunities to close your projects successfully.

Contact the D-BOX Sales Team to reserve your space.

We look forward to seeing you at CEDIA!

New Bipolar Series

We will be doing 2 channel and home theater demonstrations of our new Bipolar series of floor-standing powered towers with matching center and surround speakers. We announced this completely revamped line to the trade press in June and CEDIA will be the first opportunity for most dealers and press to hear and see them in the flesh.

Additions to the Mythos XTR Series

The Mythos XTR-50 ultra-slim loudspeaker caused quite a stir when we showed it at CEDIA last year. It was the first truly high performance 1-1/2 inch thin on-wall speaker on the planet. It won the Best of Innovations award in the High Performance Speaker category at CES and our dealers are selling it with enthusiasm. In the 4th quarter we are launching three additional XTR models: a larger model to match 60 inch and larger displays, a smaller model to match 32 – 46-inch TVs and a dedicated bipolar surround model.

They’ll all be at CEDIA to see, touch and hear. For more information, visit us online at www.definitivetech.com

Entertainment Experience will be previewing new color processing technology at CEDIA 2010

We will announce the launch of new, industry changing products and introduce an exciting program for dealers and distributors to bring these products to the market. Jim Sullivan, President and Founder of Entertainment Experience, and one of the pioneers of color video imaging, will be discussing how multi-dimensional color will define the next generation of home theater.

We will host ‘eye popping’ demos and technical training for potential dealer and distributor partners. Innovators from many of the major brands will join us in these discussions about our patent-pending color processing technology, its potential and the business implications as we refine our plans to form partnerships with the leaders in the industry.

Entertainment Experience will be publishing times, locations and registration information for these events in a separate newsletter in mid September.  Please look for that newsletter and consider joining us for this exciting new technology.   For more information please contact us at questions@entexpinc.com.

See you at CEDIA 2010!

Kramer Introduces FC-321 SD/HD-SDI to HDMI Format Converter/Switcher

LiteTouch Will debut New Iphone App at CEDIA 2010

This app will allow homeowners with a LiteTouch FIVEk lighting control system to control their lighting and other integrated home sub-systems like HVAC, window blinds and more using their iPhone — whether they are away from home, or sitting on the sofa at home having fun using their iPhone to turn the lights off.

One major unique highlight of the LiteTouch iPhone app is that it includes pre-programmed energy saving functionality that a homeowner can activate instantly with the press of a button, making significant energy savings a decision homeowners can make and act on simply by pressing a button on their LiteTouch iPhone app.

Everyone at LiteTouch is truly excited about this unique feel-good, do-good feature, and we hope you and your readers will be too!

Please read the press release below, or read it online at:  http://news.litetouch.com/?p=758

Onkyo Debuts its Next Generation of HT-RC Receivers

Onkyo, a brand renowned worldwide for quality home entertainment technology, is now shipping the newest generation of its HT-RC home theater receiver line–adding two new models, the mid-priced HT-RC260 and the more upscale HT-RC270.

Both new models are high performance 7.2-channel systems with the latest 3D-Ready HDMI-1.4a interface for single-cable connection to most modern AV components. This interface supports lossless high-definition surround sound via Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs. Both models also include Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic IIz for added sonic dimensions, and Faroudja DCDI Cinema video processing to upscale video to full 1080p output regardless of the source resolution.

The HT-RC270 is THX-Select 2Plus Certified to ensure the best possible sound, and features Audyssey MultEQ for a superior room equalization setup. This receiver is also fully network capable, with DLNA 1.5 and Windows 7 compatibility for PC audio and Internet radio via Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Mediafly, Slacker, vTuner, and Sirius Internet Radio.

Both receivers include seven of Onkyo’s proprietary WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology) amplifiers with new three-stage inverted Darlington circuitry for high dynamics and low distortion. Burr-Brown 192kHz/24-bit DACs are provided for all channels.

The Onkyo HT-RC260 and HT-RC270 are currently available with suggested retail prices of $499 and $849 respectively. [2]

Onkyo HT-RC270 Home Theater Receiver. Click here to web version for more photos.

SIM2 Multimedia is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high quality home theater products and leading provider of professional projection systems for E–cinema applications. Over the years, SIM2 has gained an enviable reputation with the world’s specialist press; our products are constantly winning awards and accolades from all over the globe.   The continuing development of high quality video products based on leading-edge technologies is at the heart of the company’s design philosophy.  SIM2 has a formidable R&D department, with a wealth of experience in the design of high performance projectors and display devices, which enables the company to continually raise performance standards with each successive generation of products.  As befits a premium electronics brand, the quality of service offered by SIM2 USA Inc. is exemplary.  Our US-based office, staffed by highly-trained sales, marketing and technical professionals, delivers an award-winning service to its customers.

SIM2’s projectors can to be found in the homes and studios of the rich and famous, professional film makers and discerning movie enthusiasts all over the world.

The 2010 SIM2 product line-up has all the ingredients required by dealers and installers to create the finest quality home theater systems and media rooms.  Our lamp-based single-chip DLP DOMINO models offer exceptional performance vs. price, becoming one of the most popular product lines in the video market today.  Full HD images and ease of installation make them an easy choice for smaller theaters and family rooms.

For medium to large home theaters, our premium single-chip DLP Grand Cinema MICO series projectors utilize SIM2’s PureLED technology at the heart of their design.   This pure digital design produces images that are only made possible with this exciting new technology; highlighting the ability of SIM2’s R&D team to create class-leading products from the latest technologies.

High-end home theaters and media rooms demand the highest possible performance from projectors and for these systems SIM2 has a choice of two different three-chip DLP series: Grand Cinema C3X LUMIS and HT5000 series. C3X LUMIS series models are compact (approximately half the size of conventional high-end models) and totally unique to SIM2, no other manufacturer has the capability to create such a product.  These are designed for use in medium to large home theaters that demand three-chip DLP performance.   The HT5000 models are larger, more powerful projectors, which can be used with very large screens (typically 15ft or more) and in a variety of professional applications, such as post-production facilities.

All SIM2 projectors have the ability to be used in anamorphic (2.40:1 aspect ratio) theaters, with the simple addition of a SIM2 FLEX or SCOPE anamorphic option.  These are easily integrated with the projectors, thanks to the custom-designed bracket assemblies that are available for each model.

The inclusion of SIM2’s projection systems within the d-tools database, will allow dealers and installers to easily specify and sell our products.  To find out more about SIM2, please visit www.sim2usa.com

SurgeX, the only manufacturer of AC surge elimination and power conditioning products, is proud to announce that its XN120 NEMA solution has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious CEDIA Manufacturers Excellence Awards. This compact 120 Volt / 80 Amp unit is hardwired as a subpanel at the service panel or the equipment room and is designed to provide failsafe protection required for multiple circuits. The XN120 has been well received as it has also been selected as a finalist for the Residential Systems RESI Awards. Both awards will be given at this year’s CEDIA EXPO in Atlanta from September 23^rd-26^th.

Engineered with professional grade Advanced Series Mode^® Surge Elimination Technology and Impedance Tolerant^® EMI/RFI noise filtering, the XN120 is the only NEMA enclosure protection product in the market that eliminates surges and transients that can degrade AV system performance and shorten service life. The XN120 frees up valuable rack space and eliminates the need for individual powerline conditioners. In most installations, there are panels located in each room that, until now, have needed to be protected separately. But, with the XN120, there is no need to protect each individual panel with a powerline conditioner at every site. When the panels are connected to a single circuit and fed through the XN120, the SurgeX unit will protect each panel on that circuit. There’s no in wall extension cords, nor individual units to install and maintain. One XN120 circuit will protect an average of 8 panels. In addition, every outlet powered by the XN120 is protected even though there is no PLC at the rack.

“The XN120 frees up the valuable rack space that you didn’t have before,” said Rick Komendera, Vice President of Sales for SurgeX. “It protects and conditions from either the equipment room, or the demarcation and acts just like separate subpanel for your AV system. There’s no in wall extension cords, nor multiple individual units to maintain.”

As with all SurgeX products, the XN120 boasts Advanced Series Mode® Surge Elimination Technology and Impedance Tolerant^® EMI/RFI noise filtering which eliminates all surges without the side effects that come with traditional surge suppression products. Unlike sacrificial MOV based surge protectors, the XN120 completely eliminates ALL surges up to 6,000 Volts/3000 Amps without producing disturbances that can degrade the performance and shorten the service life of an A/V system. Because of this technology, installers have the confidence that their power protection unit will actually protect the equipment they are installing and not degrade or damage it over time.

With SurgeX A-1-1 Certified Advanced Series Mode® technology, equipment will run better, sound better, and improve picture quality. SurgeX has recently extended its industry leading warranty from ten to now an industry leading eleven year Connected Warranty which not only protects the SurgeX equipment, but also every device that is plugged in to a SurgeX product.

Installers interested in taking a look at the XN120 can do so at CEDIA EXPO the Georgia Convention Center in the SurgeX booth #4146. For more information about SurgeX, visit www.surgex.com.

Everyone in the custom installation industry understands the importance of CEDIA EXPO. This year, it’s even more important for URC. CEDIA EXPO 2010 will be the site of the greatest product launch in URC’s history.

URC will introduce 10 new products at CEDIA 2010. Eight are home automation products; two are remote controls. With the monumental unveiling of the URC Total Control product line, URC immediately expands beyond home theater control to become the whole house control company of choice. Total Control from URC: Scalable from one room to an entire home.

We’re keeping the details under wraps until the show, but to give you a hint of what’s coming, check out this Flash presentation. It gives you a brief peek behind the curtain.

See you in Booth 1746 at CEDIA EXPO!

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