Resources

These Companies Represent Varying Segments of the Home Theater Industry and have WiSA-certified Products Planned for Launch in 2018.

Jacob Abbott, president of Visual Concepts in Nashville, TN, was the custom integrator that brought a Game of Thrones superfan’s dreams to life with the installation of a truly unique home theater.

At the National Geographic Encounter in New York City, entertainment developer SPE Partners has employed cutting-edge audiovisual technology.

The reframing of this essentially American idyll has been underway for some time, as the introduction of outdoor speakers and televisions has expanded the use of outdoor spaces to include game night gatherings, weddings, graduation pool parties

At 2018 CEDIA Business Xchange, May 16-18, 2018, You Can Get a Roadmap to Building a Solution—Faster and More Effectively

In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers Continue to Play a Significant Role in the Evolving Residential Systems Integration Landscape

Facing the Challenges and Opportunities of Distributing 4K/60 4:4:4 HDR Video Over IP

A Q&A With Luke Amos, Senior Director of Curriculum and Learning

The Challenges and Opportunities of Integrating Security into Smart Home Systems

With lighter televisions (and an increased demand for networked home entertainment) has come smaller components. Subsequently, racks, mounts and enclosures, too, have moved away from their clunky roots to embrace lighter build materials and designs that acknowledge the shrinking of the electronic components they lift, support and hide.

Much of this first class will seem basic and remedial to many experienced techs, but it is by no means a cakewalk. In fact, there are several sections that cover less-familiar ground and include information that is quite technical, no matter how many networks you have configured. The last section of the near 2.5-hour class is especially fast and furious, and I STRONGLY ADVISE you to take notes on this section to prepare for the 20-question test that follows the first lesson. Not to “shame” my business partner, but he attended the week-long CEDIA advanced networking course over a year ago, and I had him take Pakedge’s end-of-course exam cold (without viewing the training), and he failed. I also failed on my first attempt (but nailed a 100% on the second try.)

This Integration Guide was sponsored by RTI as a supplement to Residential Systems, August 2017

Home integration is experiencing a renaissance that is difficult to ignore.

This Integration Guide was sponsored by Access Networks, Control4, Luxul, and Peerless-AV as a supplement to Residential Systems, May 2017

This Integration Guide was sponsored by Peerless-AV and RTI as a supplement to Residential Systems, April 2017

This Integration Guide was sponsored by James Loudspeaker as a supplement to Residential Systems, February 2017

The AV distribution ecosystem, comprised of its associate cables, matrix switchers, and extenders, has revolutionized residential integration.

We are pleased to honor exceptional products that were exhibited at CEDIA 2016. This digital Program Guide features all of the nominees in the 2016 awards program and highlights the winners.

The growing sophistication of security systems, especially cameras and door locks, is on track to revolutionize custom integration as a whole.

In the custom integration sphere, the slimming down of components has had a knock-on effect on newer models of AV racks, mounts, and enclosures—originally intended to be the nerve centers of once-behemoth components that powered equally complex integrated systems.

This Integration Guide was sponsored by Elite Screens, Grandview, Microlite Screen, and Vutec as a supplement to Residential Systems, October 2016

Home audio’s evolution in the past five years has been remarkable. Streaming music services, the move from physical media to near-universal digital delivery, and the shrinking of audio components have collectively redefined how we listen to music in our home space.

Arguably, beyond brewing a cup of coffee from the bedroom, IoT has generated the most buzz about the practical possibilities of remote management of lights and interior environments, including the use of voice control to achieve overall home automation.

Over the years, touchpanels, remotes, and more recently, control apps have served as the primary access point to programming and effectively engaging with home automation systems, which are now evolving into and underpinning the broader development of the smart home concept and its corresponding technology girdle, the Internet of Things.

How we listen to music these days has been taken over by tech-driven means, including numerous wireless delivery options with Bluetooth leading the way.

Getting from here to there is a basic aspect of every custom integration business, large and small.

Wireless technology continues to push the boundaries of where consumers can enjoy audio and video entertainment, but in the custom integration world, concerns about cable runs, product and installation durability, and future-proofing projects still dominate the backend conversation.

The idea of having an outdoor entertainment system is not new, though the challenge has always been finding quality audio and video components that live up to the standard often found in the best home theater systems.

In a millennium, when students are studying our present as their past, much will be made of the role of the smart phone in fueling a technology revolution.

Home theaters, even some that can be purchased right off the shelf, tend toward the sonically spectacular.

There was a time when interior designers—with their mood boards, color swatches, and barely disguised technophobia—induced near unbearable heartburn in the chests of custom integrators.