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CEDIA Points Out Profit Opportunities At Next Month’s EXPO

Dimmable LED lighting systems, robust wireless-network gear, high-performance audio, and motorized window-shade systems appearing at next month’s CEDIA EXPO are among the growth segments that integrators can tap to compensate for the collapse in HDTV prices over the past decade, according to Steven Rissi, CEDIA’s technical projects manager.

Dimmable LED lighting systems, robust wireless-network gear, high-performance audio, and motorized window-shade systems appearing at next month’s CEDIA EXPO are among the growth segments that integrators can tap to compensate for the collapse in HDTV prices over the past decade, according to Steven Rissi, CEDIA’s technical projects manager.

Speaking to reporters via the web, Rissi also pointed to a potential resurgence in installed home-control touchscreens now that more consumers realize that for day-to-day control of home systems, “You need something in the room that doesn’t move around.” Tablets and smartphones, he said, are “a great supplement” to an installed touchscreen.

Rissi also expects a growing selection of wireless-network tabletop audio systems to compete with low-end installed multiroom-audio systems, but the proliferation of the tabletop systems creates an opportunity to sell robust wireless-network equipment to make the audio systems work properly, he said.

High-performance audio will also undergo a renaissance as consumers, initially attracted to digital music files because of convenience, are now demanding higher performance, Rissi said.

New growth-category products that will be exhibited at the show will include a high-power dual-band, multistream 802.11n wireless access point and an 802.11ac gigabit wireless router, both from Luxul. Rimikon will bring its RIM-209 in-ceiling 24-volt dimmable LED lights, which require no back can because they generate little heat. In most jurisdictions, they can be installed by integrators who don’t have an electrician’s license, Rizzi said.

To leverage the expected resurgence in installed touchscreens, Leviton will brings its Omnitouch 7 7-inch touchsreen with Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) to control security, energy, lights, and entertainment systems.

Hunter Douglas will bring its Platinum Gateway, a wireless gateway to control motorized shades throughout the house.

In its first-ever exhibit at an EXPO, Video Storm will bring its NBX010 module, which distributes live HDMI A/V via IP over a home network. Rizzi described it as an appropriate solution for mid-market installs in smaller homes.

In other introductions, he said, Prima Cinema will bring its solution for letting high-end clients watch first-run movies at home while the movies are still in the theaters.

Vision Art will bring its Vibrandt TV- and soundbar-concealment system, a surface-mount solution with front-panel artwork to hide a wall-mounted TV and soundbar.

Screen Innovations will show a new screen material with a micro texture said to be nine-times finer than the company’s other screen materials to display 8K and higher resolution video.

Monitor Audio will show a high-performance HDMI-equipped soundbar with AirPlay and DLNA to stream music from networked sources such as tablets and smartphones.

Autonomic will show its new Mirage Audio systems, which serve music to up to 96 zones. The MMS-5A will support 192kHz/24-bit audio, and the MM-2 will support 96/26 audio.

NEAR will turn up with a 70-volt outdoor-speaker package consisting of four two-way speakers, a separate 12-inch subwoofer, and 2×600-watt amp. The speakers can be partially buried in the ground.

For its part, ELK will show its 6030P wireless motion sensor with improved performance and “pet immunity,” Rissi said.

Reliable Software will demonstrate its ReliaSale software for residential integrators to store a job’s quotes, designs, documentation and CAD drawings. The software was designed expressly for the integrator market.

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