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Backstage Past
I suppose it’s because I’m a sucker for nostalgia, but in these days of networking protocols, cloud-based media storage, and iOS- and Android-based control...
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Maximizing Your Working Capital by Keeping Inventory in Check
My seatmate on the flight to CEDIA EXPO was quite an interesting fellow.
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Adding The Excitement of First-Run Movies in Your Clients’ Homes
If you walked the halls of CEDIA EXPO this year, you probably heard some statements like, “Dedicated home theaters are on the decline,” or...
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BitWise Controls Unveils New Dealer Services and Its First Remote
Bitwise Controls, which was founded by tech industry veterans back in 2008, recently expanded its offerings with a new Dealer Store, a remote access...
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Back To School In The Digital Dorm
Sixty-inch LED-lit LCD screens abound throughout the property.
Archive
Simple Rules to Leave a Lasting Impression with Clients
It’s the little things that count. You take pride in the quality of workmanship you bring to the systems you design and install. However,...
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My Thoughts on the VIA International Merger
There are times when I imagine the CEDIA EXPO of the future as a trade show exhibit floor dominated by five or six mega-manufacturers,...
Behind the Business
Atlona CEO Ilya Khayn Reflects on 10-Year Anniversary
Atlona offers a portfolio of audio-video connectivity products that serve a range of residential and commercial applications, from multi-room AV distribution and custom home...
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Chris McLaughlin Sees Customer Service as the Saving Grace of Custom Integration
One of 15 children, Chris McLaughlin spent his childhood between Greenwich, CT, and North Carolina.
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Tips for Building a Winning Sales Force at CEDIA EXPO
I still remember my first day on the job running the sales operations at Niles.
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Myro:Bridge Links Sonos to Russound for Multi-Room Audio Control
Back in 2002 a Silicon Valley start-up company called Global Cache called on my company and asked us to identify the missing integration “glue”...
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Tangible Ways Power Conditioning Can Improve Your Installation
Power conditioning is important, but not for the reasons you may be led to believe.
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CEDIA EXPO Is Like the Summer Camp
I wasn’t a camp kid growing up, but I’ve heard that there’s a big difference between people that went to Summer camp when they...
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Guitar Collector Builds a Rock Star-Infused Basement Lounge with ELAN g! Control
Guitar aficionado Jack Jackson and his wife Kathleen know how to throw a party–just ask the 80-plus people who attended their 2013 New Year’s...
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Vantage Equinox 73 Touchscreen Heralds in Next Gen Control Interfaces
Equinox 73, Vantage’s new glass-to-the-edge LCD touchscreen, represents the next step in the development of the Orem, UT, manufacturer’s new family of interfaces, following...
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How Industrial Designer David Farrage Brought NAD’s VISO I Speaker Dock to Life
As the first main collaboration between PSB and NAD, the VISO 1 started simply: a vision of a high performance iPhone dock and digital...
Back to Business
Wealthy Clients Pay More for Four Disciplines of Custom Integration
There’s so much fuss over the subject of the high-end customer.
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CDs That Showcase Well-Recorded and Well-Mastered Music
I feel bad for the good old compact disc.
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Selling the Wrong Chair Can Negate Careful AV Engineering
The audience experience is the most important element in a private theater design, from the accuracy of the audio system to the stunning visual...
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Addressing Digital Home Healthcare Business Opportunities
Amidst all of the chatter in our industry about the challenges of addressing digital home health care business opportunities, I’m reminded of my wife’s...
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Rochelle Howard – A Determined Eccentric Making Good on Her Teen Promise
“I didn’t like to do the typical things that little girls do, such as play with dolls, in fact I didn’t like dolls at...
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Advice for Capitalizing on a Multi-Dwelling Unit Building Revival
After stepping down as president of Niles and launching my own brand, Mike Detmer Business Solutions, I decided to leave San Diego and return...
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E3 Convention Features Narrow Focus on Games
The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has often been described as, “The CES of the game world.”
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Proper Communication Can Mean the Difference Between Dollars and Duds for Your Business
Your business requires face-to-face communication with clients on a constant basis.
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Compiling the Components for a Mobile Home Theater in a Box
I have dreamt about finding a portable home-theater-in-a-box product for several years, thinking how cool it would it be to have a large-screen entertainment...
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Moving Communication Systems to the Cloud and More Income to the Bottom Line
Five years ago, the very thought of cloud computing seemed ominous to a field that mostly relies on creating home-based entertainment and communication solutions...
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Integrators Should Embrace Designer Showcases
Driving around where I live, custom integrators seem to be about as common as Roto-Rooter plumbers and UPS delivery professionals.
Back to Business
Why Ultra High Net Individuals are the Best Custom Integration Clients
Ultra High Net Individuals (UHNI), a classification of households with over $30M in disposable income, represents your best potential clients.
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Choosing a Ceiling Design That Doesn’t Destroy a Theater’s Acoustics
When creating private theater rooms, many designers and architects now understand the need for acoustical treatments in walls and that we don’t want large...
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Proper Documentation at the Start of the Project Makes All the Difference
I am standing in my backyard in disbelief, looking at the partially complete fence that I asked a contractor to build to keep the...
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Dealing With DIY Homeowners
My former college roommate built a basement home theater with a spray-on projection screen surface, an impressive value-priced projector, and a media server that...
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Integrator Expands Lutron Control to Lighthouse
Lagrange, KY-based Haas Design has a long-time systems integration client in southern Indiana that enjoys enhancing his home with unique features and technology.
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Kyle Steele Brings Young Blood to the CI Channel
As a child growing up in Portland, OR, Kyle Steele once turned his bass drum into a speaker using magnets.
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How to Use Tax-Deferred Savings to Fund Your Start-up
My friend Shelton has decided it’s time to start his own business.
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NAB’s Content Focus Provides Relevance for Integrators
Although the name National Association of Broadcasters conjures images of a trade show with broadcast equipment, such as transmitters and large camera systems, it...
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Networked AV Gear Supports Smaller Racks
The analog-to-digital transformation of networked home audio video and control equipment over the last decade has dramatically changed the “fire breathing AV rack” of...
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Tracking the Mega Job – Part 1: Spec Out
We recently landed the biggest project in our company’s 18 year history – both in physical size of the home and in financial scope...
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App Experiences with AV Automation and Control Systems
Who doesn’t love a great smartphone app?
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Danis Fuelling Sets the Bar High for Female Tech Executives
Danis Fuelling, CEO of Phoenix Unequaled Home Entertainment, has worked relentlessly to prove to her peers in the industry that she belongs and deserves...
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Winning the App Acceptance Game With Cross-Platform Consistency
App integration has become a fundamental requirement for any home integration client with a smartphone and/or tablet.
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Autonomic Broadens Focus with New Multi-Room Audio Package
Autonomic, which established its reputation in the custom electronics industry for its highperformance cloud-based media servers, has expanded its product range with a complete...