CEDIA Communicates

Q2 2017

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New Hire Training Become a COI The Future of 8K

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WELCOME

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Hello and welcome to another edition of CEDIA Communicates.

ContENTS

For this issue of our quarterly publication, we’ve really broadened the scope of our content – both in concept and geography.

You’ll see profiles of both members and their projects: We’ll speak to a technology integrator as part of the “I AM CEDIA” series in which we discover our colleagues’ backstory and their thoughts on the industry and CEDIA membership. We also take a close look at some amazing projects, including a luxury yacht overhaul and a stunning listening room.

You’ll hear how CEDIA members donated their time and tech to a non-profit arts organization that built a microcinema in the airport that services Portland, Oregon.

We’ve also included advice on the technical and business fronts: CEDIA’s newest staff member David Meyer unpacks the issues our members are having with HDCP; we shine a light on proper lighting schemes; and we discover how to generate more leads – and then close those leads with a really great demo.

Enjoy the issue, and keep your eyes on our online platforms for a wealth of info as we prep for CEDIA 2017, September 5 – 9 in San Diego, California.

All my very best,

Vincent Bruno Chief Executive Officer, CEDIA

Contact

7150 Winton Drive, Suite 300 Indianapolis, Indiana 46268, USA Email : info@cedia.org Telephone : +1 800.669.5329 www.cedia.net

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Unit 2, Phoenix Park, St Neots Cambridgeshire, PE19 8EP, UK Email : info@cedia.co.uk Telephone : +44 (0)1480 213744 www.cedia.co.uk

Front cover image: Look and Listen 7/229 Junction Rd, Morningside, QLD 4170, Australia Telephone : 1300.765.322 Email : info@lookandlisten.com.au www.lookandlisten.com.au All material in Communicates is the copyright of CEDIA and any reproduction of said material would require written permission from the publisher. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of content published, CEDIA cannot accept responsibility for any factual errors that may occur. CEDIA cannot accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors.

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AGING IN PLACE The CEDIA community discusses this new market opportunity

GET MORE CUSTOMERS Jason Falls discusses how to market the best way for you

BECOME A COI Build your network as a CEDIA Outreach Instructor

human-centric lighting See how Pyramid AV implemented innovative lighting solutions

CHALLENGE & SOLUTION David Meyer tackles the topic of integrating HDCP 2.2

NEW HIRE TRAINING Discover our online training package tailored to new employees

WISE UP TO HACKERS We ask the experts how they educate clients on security practices

the future of 8K Steve May investigates the next leap in image quality

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DON’T TALK DOWN:

THE CEDIA IDEA XCHANGE A SNAPSHOT OF THE AFTERNOON FOCUS GROUPS AT CEDIA’S 2017 BUSINESS XCHANGE The names of the topics are pretty evocative: “Overcoming Hardball Objections,” “Let’s Pick Apart Our Proposals and Contracts,” “Take Out the Tech Talk for Your Customers.” (These workshops were all featured as part of CEDIA’s 2017 Business Xchange conference on improving sales and upping one’s marketing game.)

The topics have all been voted on and each afternoon, CEDIA’s merry band of facilitators are leading small groups discussing sales and marketing challenges, which is collectively called the “Idea Xchange.”

The “Hardball” group is especially robust. Frank White (ZeeVee, Inc.) is role-playing with Patrick Hartman (Diversified Systems International), and they’ve taken on the roles of “integrator dancing on a smoking grill” (White) and “client who wants to preserve his junky old gear that he’s attached to BUT MAKE IT SOUND AMAZING” (Hartman).

“I always suggest repurposing this stuff for the garage,” laughs White. (Seriously, though: White’s offering a workable solution that won’t clobber the audio in the new system the client really doesn’t know he wants yet.)

The other issue that’s coming up on the reg? The customer who, after the initial discovery phase, comes back with “Gimme a list and I’ll get it on Amazon.” They want it, but cheaper than you’ll sell it.

“When there’s a challenge on price, I defend it by saying ‘Oh, you want to have a budget discussion.’”

There’s a theme throughout this edition of Business Xchange, one beyond the stated, overarching mission of improving sales and marketing: Effective selling is about asking questions, not insisting to the customer “You need this – no, really, you NEED this.”

It’s something Rochelle Carrington had been stressing that very morning in her presentation: taking on the role of the “nurturing parent,” the one who’s “vulnerable but assertive,” the salesperson who has zero ego but unending curiosity about finding out what a customer wants – no, needs – is the one who wins.

Randy Stearns, D-tools CEO and leader of a focus group called “Adjusting to Different Types of Buyers,” carries the concepts of Psych 101 as they apply to individual situations: How does a customer learn, for example? Are they visual?

Auditory? Kinesthetic?

Amanda Wildman of TruMedia’s workshop is also about listening skills: Wildman’s beef is the unending stream of acronyms and Byzantine geek-speak that pervades the industry. Her message here is fairly simple: “Don’t talk down to your customers.”

Stats and watts and frequency responses are lovely things, but the ability of a client to create a scene – and then instantly and effortlessly recreate that scene – carries a much more effective “wow factor” than reeling off a list of data.

“Suppose a Mom wants a one-button scene so she can have five minutes without the kids driving her nuts – lights, movie, done.

“How great is that?”

Wildman remembers one woman who confided that since the woman’s husband had yielded decorative control to his missus, the wife felt she owed her hubs similar latitude in picking the tech. The woman told Wildman, “I was afraid that rack was going to come to life and take over the house!”

Now? “She tells me it’s her favorite thing about the place,” says Wildman.

That trust, that concern with the end result, is what closes many, many deals. Being a “consultant, not a peddler” is key in Frank White’s estimation.

“Nobody likes to feel like they’re getting ‘worked,’” he adds.

The CEDIA Business Xchange for 2017 (March 1-3) focused on sales and marketing. To learn more about the rest of what was offered, including workshops from Rochelle Carrington and Jason Falls and “I AM CEDIA” presentations from our members, check out CEDIA.net.

…the ability of a client to create a scene carries a much more effective “wow factor” than reeling off a list of data.

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NEWS IN BRIEF NEW HIRES DAVID MEYER is a 23-year veteran of the industry, and has been a CEDIA volunteer for over ten years, serving as a Subject Matter Expert in connectivity (namely HDMI) and video, and has authored and presented numerous courses over his tenure. Joining CEDIA as the Director of Technical Curriculum, David will focus on updating and developing CEDIA’s technical curriculum, provide his insight as an in-house subject matter expert, and serve as an instructor for face-toface events in the Asia-Pacific region.

WALT ZERBE has more than 25 years of experience in the industry working primarily in product development and product strategy for audio manufacturers. In his new role at CEDIA as Senior Director of Technology and Standards, Walt will direct and implement all aspects of CEDIA standards initiatives; monitor, analyze, and aggregate industry data; create and recommend strategies based on emerging technology developments; and serve as an in-house subject matter expert and liaison to standards committees.

AMY BATES previously worked at a digital printing company where she was the Design and Marketing Assistant.

Joining the CEDIA EMEA team as Marketing Assistant, Amy will be responsible for the CEDIA EMEA social media and e-marketing, and will help the team to drive education and assist with various projects, campaigns and events.

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CEDIA 2017: SAVE THESE DATES! Member Hotel Reservations are Now Open CEDIA 2017 is just a few months away, and with the incredible city of San Diego as a backdrop, this year’s show promises to be a knockout.

With nearly 20,000 attendees and 500-plus exhibitors, CEDIA’s most robust education and certification programs yet, and presentations and keynotes designed to excite and inspire, CEDIA 2017 will offer visitors the chance to grow their knowledge and networking exponentially.

KEY DATES • • • • • •

Registration Open - May 31 Non-member Hotel Reservations Open - June 20 Early Bird 25% Savings Deadline - July 14 Training – September 5-9 Show Floor – September 7-9 CEDIA Awards Celebration - September 6

cedia.net/show

MORE ON THE AWARDS Trophies to be Presented on the Deck of the USS Midway This year, the awards will be presented on Wednesday, September 6, on the deck of aircraft-carrier-turned-floating-museum USS Midway.

The Midway, currently docked in San Diego, was commissioned just after the end of World War II. It was an active warship throughout the Cold War, and saw action in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. It’s been retrofitted for jet landings, sailed the Arctic Circle, and even saw duty as an NCAA basketball court – and in 2017, it’ll host the honors for the best in our industry. (Find more on the Midway on page 26-27.)

Look for ALL CEDIA Award winners – including Global honorees – in the 2017 CEDIA Awards Yearbook, which should arrive in members’ mailboxes in late November/early December.

NEW MEMBERS

EGYPT >

Noble Recon

Home Technology Expert

Beat For Trading & Distribution

Peacock Elec Ltd

Home Technology Handyman

FRANCE >

Progressive Audio Visual Ltd

Home Theater By Dave

Purewell Electrical

Home Theater Tech

SMS Solutions Ltd

Hon Tron Inc.

Sonos Europe B.V. - UK

HOPPE North America, Inc.

GERMANY >

Soundstage

iHummingbird

Schnick-Schnack-Systems GmbH

Ultimate Electrical Services

Inaray Design Group

Yacht Intelligence

Innovative Media Solution LLC

USA >

Innovative Sound Solutions

A.C. Electric

Integration Engineers

IC Realtime

Absolute Entertainment Systems LLC

Intelligent Infrastructure Solutions

ISRAEL >

AFG

IoT Marketing Systems

VITREA Smart Home Technologies

Alfred DiFalco Electric

Itelnetworks, Inc.

ARM Entertainment Solutions

J.A.V.A. LLC

REPUBLIC OF KOREA >

Audio Video Advantage

JFab Design

TRUEN Co., Ltd.

Automated Ideas & Solutions, Inc.

Just Press Play

AV Performance Innovations, Inc.

Kertel Communication

AV Pro Communications LLC

KTP

AV Specialists, Inc.

M.M. Robinson, Inc

Avacomtech Inc.

Maximum Sound & Security

Beyond Home Theater

McDonald Audio Video

Branson Integrated Controls, Inc.

Megatron Integrated Systems

PANAMA >

Bridged Technology, LLC

Mount-It!

ELEMENTUM TECHNOLOGIES

Buzzfire Inc

Mr. Mancave

Bulwark Security & AV Solutions Ltd

PORTUGAL >

Cable Smart Solutions Inc.

New Electric

Deritec Exclusive

Newave Technology of Tulsa

Câble&Son

QATAR >

Carter Communications Services, Inc.

Cititech Security & Sountd Inc.

Integrated Smart Solutions

Central Systems & Security Services, Inc.

NuBryte

RUSSIAN FEDERATION >

Control Systems Incorporated

Luxury Engineering

Crown Audio Video Inc.

CEDIA welcomes 169 new members across the globe this quarter…

AUSTRALIA > Edge Audio Visual PTY LTD Home Multimedia Systems Union Home Automation BELGIUM > Smart Doorphones CANADA > A.V Design LTD Access Granted Technologi AE Systems LTD AIGO Technology Inc. Ankar Electronic Solutions Inc. Automated Home Technologies AV and Beyond Avaton AVP Security BiddlecombeAlarm Inc.

Connected A/V & Security ERIC BETKER Homelive Technology Installations Domosys Inc Integrated Protection Technologies

FOCAL - JMLAB Sonos Europe B.V. - France

Senic GmbH Sonos Europe B.V. - Germany IRELAND >

MEXICO > Inteliksa de Mexico S.A. de C.V. Vari Internacional S.A. de C.V. NETHERLANDS > B&G Audio Video Solutions BV

SAUDI ARABIA > ARA Integrated Solutions SINGAPORE >

Crowne Audio Custom Electronics Data Systems Hawaii DI Communication

Invixium Access

igloohome Pte. Ltd.

Kamloops Alarm & Electric LTD

SPAIN >

Digital Home Systems, Inc.

META Telemedia Group

VCL Sound Experience S.L.

Digital Sky LLC

Mitchell Automation

TAIWAN >

Digital Watchdog

BENNIC AND COMPANY

Direct Audio Video

NEB Solutions Inc. Nistek Service Inc. One Touch Automation Inc. PSB Tek Siyata Mobile Inc Sky Source Audio & Visual Smart AV Inc. Technicaid Ltd Tek Systems Group Inc

THAILAND > Everest World Company Limited UNITED KINGDOM > A.S Electrical Sussex Ltd Anthony Gallo Acoustics Ltd AV Innovation

Digital Home Lifestyles

DMS Wiring Inc. DPC Dist eDesign Group Electronic Systems Architects Electronics Professionals LLC Elite Touch Installations, LLC Enterprise Consultants FORTREZZ LLC

Noyd Communications, Inc. Nucleus Observables, Inc. Perfect Vision & Sound, LLC Power Audio Video LLC Premier Visions AV Inc. Pro Circuit REC Protective Systems Right at Home Technologies, Ltd. Robohome Roon Labs, LLC SIT, LLC Smart Element LLC Smart HSD Inc. Sound Impressions Inc Sound Minds Sound-Concepts TAB Smart Homes TECHNOLIVING

Future Communications

TEK-IT HOME TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Bespoke Detection Services Ltd

FutureLink, Inc.

Tru Vizion Solution

Xtra Vision

Custom Electronic Design Ltd

Grand Illusions

Turn-Key Smart Homes, LLC

CHINA >

Dashwood IT & AV Solutions Limited

Hi Def Designs

Ultimate Home Automation

His Security LLC

Dovetail IT Support Ltd

Hi-Tech Home

Unlimited Electronic LifeStyles

Tricon Canada Trading

Bay Camera and Communications LTD

VEC Audio Video Inc.

Shanghai AV Style Zhejiang Tianjie Industrial Corp.

Howsons Limited

Home Audio & Design

VERTILUX LTD.

COLUMBIA >

Integrated Experience Limited

Home Cinema Center

Virtual Perfection

Technoimport

M&K Electrical Data Ltd

Home Integrated Solutions

Willing Supplies Inc.

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MEMBERS’ GUIDE TO SUCCESS (PART 4) TAP THE RESOURCES TO GROW Templates and Publications Members gain full access to a library of business operations templates, as well as white papers that drill down into specific topics. Members also save on CEDIA Reference Books, which provide a framework for the knowledge needed to be successful in the industry.

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CEDIA membership delivers exclusive access to the connection, resources, insights, and gatherings of the world’s leading home technology association.

When you join CEDIA, you step into a community of industry peers and thought leaders with the skills and tools to help your business thrive. Members gain access to many benefits, from networking to training, marketing to advocacy, and discounts to development. Membership powers success.

Your CEDIA membership gives you complimentary access to a valuable bank of industry-specific publications, reports and analyses.

Industry Jobs Looking for skilled workers?

Members get free postings to CEDIA’s job board, which receives thousands of views from jobseekers each month, allowing you to fill vacancies with qualified talent faster.

Standards and Recommended Practices Browse in-depth guides on topics such as home cinema video design, smart devices, and architectural documentation symbols.

Assessment Tests Savings Members save big on training, events, and resources — benefits that pay back your membership fee many times over.

Use CEDIA Certification PreTest Assessments — also free to members — to gauge the knowledge and skills of not just current employees but also prospective new hires.

For more information and to reap the benefits, visit cedia.net/cedia-membership/benefits

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I AM CEDIA 60 SECONDS WITH ALEJANDRO CELIS Who are you?

How did you get into the industry?

system can know what is

My name is Alejandro Celis. I was born in Mexico City and I’m 32 years old. I studied Electronic and Communication Engineering and am currently in charge of the Project and Engineering department at Representaciones de Audio.

Since I was a child, my father involved me in the AV industry and the company. However, it wasn’t until I started college that I understood how many of the technology systems worked.

From that moment on, I became passionate about the industry and tried to read as much as possible about control, home cinema calibration, lighting, and so on.

After finishing school, I began working in the family business, offering training and consulting to our customers with their installations.

happening and react to different

What’s your favorite project and why?

biggest achievement as a CEDIA

I enjoy all projects that include a level of home technology, as it allows us to see how the system and control solution adapts to each member of the family. It is a special moment to see the client mesmerized by their home technology system.

I would say that my biggest

Which home technology do you consider the most important today and why?

advantage of the most?

Networks are today’s technology.

Everything is connected, and every part of the home technology

Being able to find out about the

What’s your company and where is it based?

Representaciones de Audio is a family-run company that has been in the technology industry for more than 30 years. Based in Mexico City, we are a distributor of several well-known AV brands in the residential and commercial markets.

circumstances. Technologies such as voice control help make life easier for the client. For example, a toddler who is afraid of the dark can turn the lights on by using only their voice before entering the room.

How long have you been a CEDIA member?

We have been a CEDIA member since the beginning of 2008, so we have just reached our ninth anniversary.

What do you consider your member? achievement is developing a team in the Project and Engineering department that complies with CEDIA best practices and that is constantly being educated to provide reliability to our clients.

Which CEDIA benefits do you take Education is one of the best benefits to being a CEDIA member. latest technologies by attending training courses allows me to

remain at the top of my game. The annual CEDIA show provides me with the opportunity to network with clients, manufacturers, and industry friends.

What other CEDIA resources do you take advantage of?

We attend the CEDIA show every year. I take my team with me and we arrive early to take advantage of the various education classes.

I particularly enjoy the sessions that focus on audio. This year, I am looking forward to attending some of the business courses that are on offer. The resources that CEDIA offers are fantastic, especially the white papers and webinars. These are easily found on the CEDIA website and allow you to learn at your own pace.

If there was one thing you could change in the industry, what would it be?

I would like to place more importance on the need for continuous training and for certified installers to be able to work on all types of installations.

This is particularly important in our country. This change would help increase business profit and result in fewer problems.

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ATTENDING TRAINING COURSES ALLOWS ME TO REMAIN AT THE TOP OF MY GAME

If you weren’t in the home technology sector, what would you like to be doing and why?

I would love to be involved with pop art, as I am a keen collector of art and toys. I enjoy anything that is related to creativity.

What does 2017 hold for your company?

Due to the economic, political, and international situation in our country, this is going to be a challenging year. As a distributor, we need to focus on education, and being able to provide technology integrators with the best tools to sell each project. We plan on getting more involved with CEDIA this year, by working closely

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with Patty Manning (CEDIA’s Latin America Regional Manager) to bring high quality education to our training sessions. We also aim to approach the architectural community to raise awareness of the importance of our industry. We hope to achieve this with the help of Vincent Bruno and the other Mexican CEDIA members. These activities will benefit everyone who is involved in our industry.

www.rda.com.mx

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A WINDOW INTO THE FUTURE

energy from the vibration. The energy is then converted into electricity, charging your device.”

TECHNOLOGY PREDICTIONS FOR 2020 PART 3

There will be a proliferation of new companies coming into the CEDIA channel. Amazon and Google are already here. What biggie is next?

And what about all those Kickstarter newbies? Well, for one thing, crowd funding will be the primary source of funding for startups. Next? Crowd funding + 3D printing + social media = Industrial Revolution 4.0.

A 17-member panel that makes up the CEDIA Technology Council has made their predictions for 2020. From energy to networks to robots, here’s part three: Ed Wenck

Analyst at M. Heiss Consulting.

We’ll soon see IP Delivery from Multi-Channel Video Platform Distributors (MVPD). If you can’t beat Over-TheTop video delivery services, might as well join ’em, O Cable Company.

Content Marketing Manager, CEDIA

We’ll have integrated real-time voice translation. It’d be pretty cool if your phone could translate your order to your Parisian waiter accurately and with zero latency.

10Gbps networking will become common in the home. Get your orders ready for Cat 6a cables (and up). Meanwhile, increased rollout of DOCSIS 3.1 and fiber to the home will bring 100Gbps to some areas globally. “The opportunity is increased bandwidth across the board,” notes Tech Council member Michael Heiss, Principal and

USB-C will be the dominant carrier between devices regardless of media. It’s twice as fast as USB 3.0, and YOU NEVER HAVE TO CONCERN YOURSELF ABOUT FLIPPING THE THING OVER FOR IT TO FIT PROPERLY. ATSC 3.0 will bring 4K as well as immersive and interactive audio into the home, distributed via Wi-Fi. Getting that signal into your house means over-the-air antennas

will make a strong comeback. To distribute all that data through the average residence, home networks will become completely multiaccess-point unified.

Embedded microphones will be in most surfaces. You want something done? Just talk to it: “Turn that on!” But when you couple those embedded mics with small cameras, gesture recognition complements voice control. Alex Capecelatro, Tech Council member and founder of Josh.ai notes, “If I say ‘Open that,’ and I point at a shade or say ‘Turn that on,’ and point at a TV or a light, the camera coupled with the voice is going to make that just really natural.”

Additionally, we’ll see ubiquitous sensorization, and sensors will be embedded in fixtures everywhere.

Plus, dedicated tablet and touchscreen-as-control devices decrease within the home. They’ll be wrapped into your TV, your fridge, name it. And about those screens? Flexible and rollable displays will enter the market.

And while all this is happening, we’ll see the rise of “people-learning” automation – machines learning what you need and like.

Wireless charging without the need for a base will be pervasive — but it will require a tower. Check the startup uBeam.com: “A wave of sound … VIBRATES the air so fast, you can’t hear it or feel it. uBeam harnesses

A DIY IoT backlash may set the adoption of IoT back five years. It’s easy to see how Joe Six Pack will get pretty peeved when Thing One and Thing Two can’t talk to each other after he’s plugged everything in. We’ll also see an IoT 2.0 DIY backlash.

Once we’ve established at least some standards for IoT 1.0, here comes our aforementioned Joe believing that all his smart home issues have been solved. Oops. Setback.

We’ll see widespread adoption of fabric-based connected wearables.

Imagine your Nana wearing a sweater full of sensors that can tell her doctor about her heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, name it. Now imagine how that applies to baby, and we’ll see a significant reduction in SIDS

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in developed nations through infant wearables.

Luminaires (light bulbs) are becoming intelligent devices. As Michael Maniscalco from ihiji pointed out, the home’s already got a connected network of light sockets, so using the bulb as a smart device is the next logical step, right? Also, PoE lighting will NOT happen in the home anytime soon, (can you say “lobbyists?”) but will be very viable in commercial spaces. We’ll also see the end of the circuit for lighting control — but long live the circuit!

As Dave Pedigo notes: “We still have a circuit — there will always be power that goes to the bulb. It’s just that we don’t need a switch to turn it on/off or control the light output. The circuit, just like now, is behind the wall.”

The technology integrator is more valuable than they’ve ever been.

Many homes will eclipse a Class C network requiring VLAN configuration or IPv6 adoption. The Internet of Things means that All Your Stuff trying to communicate will render that Class C network about as stable as train trestle made out of balsa wood.

The new wireless spectrum allocation will impact the U.S. market. Also, NBASE-T connectivity will allow significantly greater speeds over copper cabling in the home. Nope, copper ain’t dead. While we’re talking data (and the IoT), Cat 5e is insufficient for new home construction; Cat 6a is the de facto.

Your OS will travel with you wherever you go (in your car, your home, your office — even places you’re just visiting). While that’s happening, CEDIA members will curate an individual’s technology interactions 24/7/365 regardless of physical location (as in, beyond the home). Connected wearables communicating with connected cars and houses? As we step beyond Graphical User Interface and Voice User Interface, GUI and VUI, the combination of micro-cameras and mics everywhere will bring us No User Interface, NOUI. That also means virtual tech support becomes the norm in homes.

Which brings us to The Big Reveal at the End: The integrator is more valuable than they’ve ever been. Shelly Palmer, one of LinkedIn’s Top 10 Voices of Technology, said in his keynote address at CEDIA 2016 that the integrator, the home technology professional, will be the “architect of man/machine partnerships.”

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Thanks to the continuous developments over the last couple of years, the home technology industry has dramatically changed.

Smart technology in the home is benefitting more and more people by making daily tasks easier for the user. This has also become known as assisted living, where technology assists our everyday lives. Assisted living uses the latest home technology to improve everyday comfort and convenience, but most importantly, for disabled and elderly users, it aids the user and helps enhance their independence.

AGING IN

Assisted living technology is very personal. Understanding that disabilities and limitations are as individual as the client, technology integrators will be able to recommend what technology is best to install, tailored to different individual needs.

For example, for those who struggle with physical movements, an integrator should consider fitting a controls system that allows the user to manage the home via alternative methods such as voice control or Infrared (IR) / Remote Frequency (RF) control signals. It is also possible for electric wheelchairs to be adapted to provide remote control of a range of aspects of the client’s home, including entertainment, lighting, and heating.

Paul Doyle Access Research and Development Manager, Hereward College

PLACE The Agile Ageing Alliance (AAA), the UK’s leading retirement housebuilder, has developed a white paper on this topic, entitled “Neighborhoods of the Future, Better Homes for Older Adults – Improving Health, Care, Design and Technology”. The report states: “There are literally hundreds of these [system integrators and distributors] globally, if not thousands. They see the very large opportunity arising from smart homes, particularly with older adults, and many of them are focusing on raising awareness of possibilities and distributing and installing the simpler smart home configurations (such as Apple Home), as well as educating customers how to do it themselves. Their future looks very rosy, as they are precisely the kind of companies that the likes of IBM has identified as critical delivery partners.”

Mal Fisher Technical and Training Manager at AWE

Home technology can be tailored to allow elderly and disabled people to have greater control over daily tasks in their lives. One of the main opportunities home technology can provide less able users is simple control over lighting systems in the home. Smart lighting systems offer numerous benefits such as security, remote control access, and personalized settings.

A growing sector of the population faces long-term health issues, and technology integrators have the opportunity to significantly improve the quality of life for these people through the installation of home technology systems. Here, CEDIA Communicates talks to three members to find out their opinions on this topic.

Hernán Alejandro Castro Commercial Director at Technoimport

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WHAT EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD IN THE AGING-IN-PLACE MARKET? PD Over the last 22 years, I’ve worked with users of assistive technology initially for the NHS (UK National Health Service), but more recently with younger users at Hereward College. My role within the NHS was to ensure older and disabled people were able to live at home independently, which was the forerunner to “aging in place.”

MF I am new to this market, but am a member of the CEDIA assisted living committee.

HC I have yet to have much experience in this market, as the elderly are still unaware of the benefits and features that home technology can bring, so the demand isn’t yet there. People still view home technology as a high-end solution for young people.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT LEVEL OF DEMAND FOR SMART HOME SOLUTIONS IN THIS MARKET? PD Aging in place is a significant aspect of independent living at home.

Smart home solutions should be considered as an integral component in a “home-for-life” approach. The demand for smart home solutions will only increase as medical advances mean that we have people living longer, many of whom will have additional needs.

MF The current level of demand is very high. It is an emerging market for technology integrators and one which they should consider getting involved in. The demand is there and the solutions already exist, so it is just a case of targeting this market.

WHEN DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THIS MARKET REALLY TAKE OFF, AND WHAT REGION WILL BENEFIT MOST? PD An aging population is a global and current issue which is already impacting many aspects of health and social care provisions. Due to pressures on services, individuals will be required to take responsibility for their own and their family’s health and well-being. This includes using smart home solutions to support independent living.

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MF We are still a ways off from this market really taking off. We need to interact with charities and the Care Quality Commission and aim to codevelop appropriate training. Once we are set up properly, I believe this market will prosper. People are living longer, and if you give them the chance to spend more of that time in their own home, they’ll jump at it.

HC According to studies, we are now living in an era where everyone enjoys the entertainment aspect of home technology — watching movies and listening to music. The next level is the home health market, and this is the route that smart home technology will now take. It just requires awareness and adoption.

WHY IS THE SMART HOME COMMUNITY BEST SUITED TO DELIVER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO THIS EMERGING MARKET? PD The smart home community is well served with electro-technical skills. These skills are employed to provide customers solutions tailored to their desires. Hereward has a training program which can enable existing practitioners to develop the skills required to successfully work within the assisted living domain and provide customers with custom solutions based on their needs.

MF The technical skillset that technology integrators have for the smart home is identical to the one required for the assisted living market. CEDIA members have the electro-mechanical knowledge and programming ability to produce these systems. The difference lies in the needs analysis of the consumer. Sales staff and system designers will have the most to learn in this area.

HC As people age, there is an increasing requirement to provide health services to them. The fastest and least expensive way to do so is through the technologies such as blood pressure devices and glucometers. Smart home technology is complementary to these systems to improve quality of life as

it enables more independence. The smart home community has the skills to install these products, so the fit is selfexplanatory.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES AND BENEFITS THAT THIS AUDIENCE REQUIRES? PD In this area, all independent living solutions will have to be customized, based on the individual needs of the user and their support network. A tailored solution means independence for the user and peace of mind for their family.

MF This audience requires simplicity and reliability. The solutions will vary from project to project, and it’s vital that they stand up to prolonged usage by the patient, and their care-givers and families.

HC This audience could hugely benefit from smart home technology. Light sensors could reduce the risk of falls, electronic access controls help facilitate easy access for the elderly (as well as their families and home providers).

Additionally, IP remote monitoring will monitor activity and voice control devices help access switches, shades, and doors locks.

WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS OF REACHING OUT TO THIS AUDIENCE? PD With a whole industry based around assisted living, we have a disconnect between nonprofit organizations representing this community and the smart home industry. Hereward is an expert in this field and can provide meaningful information and evidence which highlights the benefits of smart home solutions to support the “homefor-life” approach.

HC The best way to reach this audience is through the health providers. We need to educate these companies on the possibilities that smart home technology offers for them to pass this information on to their clients.

To download the Neighborhoods of the Future white paper, visit www.agileageing.org/page/ neighbourhoods-future

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WAYS TO GET MORE CUSTOMERS Whether your home technology business is large or small, there are three ways you attract customers. Understanding just what kind of business you own helps you optimize how you approach everything from sales to customer service – in other words, your marketing.

In terms of marketing, your business can be classified as:

1. A Relationship Marketing Business 2. An Outbound Marketing Business

1

2 An Outbound Marketing Business

An Inbound Marketing Business

Most small businesses begin by selling to people they know or capitalizing on recommendations and referrals from people they know.

This is a Relationship Marketing Business. You don’t rely on advertising much, but likely dabble in some sponsorships and business networking groups. You know most of your customers personally (or can immediately trace who referred them to you).

When relationships run dry, most small businesses turn to advertising to create more awareness that presumably drives people to consider their business. One can support the local sports teams, buy into a direct mail program. or even do some advertising on a local radio station or in the local newspaper. This type of proactive outreach and sales is called Outbound Marketing.

The Inbound Marketing Business is a newer type of marketing. Also referred to as a lead-generation business, Inbound Marketing means a business provides something of value to its prospective customers in exchange for that customer’s permission to market to them.

This type of business needs someone to focus a lot of their attention on marketing (and perhaps sales) because you need to create resources and manage media buys.

Plus, you need to know you’re getting something in return for those investments.

3. An Inbound Marketing Business Jason Falls

Digital Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Thought Leader

These classifications aren’t mutually exclusive – your marketing can feature elements of each and the most successful businesses certainly do – but grasping where you are on the continuum of each is critical to understanding where you spend your marketing resources.

3

A Relationship Marketing Business

This type of business doesn’t need a robust marketing staff, sales people, fancy software, or campaigns to be successful. But this type of marketing only goes so far. At some point you reach your relationship limit and need more.

What Type of Marketer Are You? So which type of business is yours – or has your firm blended these different approaches? In today’s consumer-driven and digital-first environment, Inbound Marketing Businesses typically see better ROI. And

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The term “Inbound” comes from the notion that people are looking for resources, answers, and solutions online. If you’re providing that content, they’ll come to you rather than you going to them.

Perhaps you write blog posts, post YouTube videos or even prepare home entertainment optimization tips in a downloadable flyer on your website. But to get the content, people have to connect with you or hear your marketing message as an integral part of the content.

The Inbound Marketing Business requires staff and resources devoted to creating content compelling enough for prospects to give you their contact information. It also requires a certain amount of effort to measure what works and what doesn’t so you can continually optimize what you’re doing. But it may not require as much financial commitment as Outbound Marketing.

you would be surprised how simple it is to evolve from Relationship Marketing to Inbound Marketing.

Think of it this way: How many customer questions do you answer every day? Whether it’s in person or via email, probably at least a dozen or so, right? Tomorrow,

conversationresearchinstitute.com @JasonFalls

write them all down – then either post the questions and answers on your blog or Facebook page or pull out your phone and answer the question on video and post to those social channels.

Congratulations! You just moved from Relationship Marketing to the beginnings of Inbound Marketing.

Jason Falls is a pioneer in online content marketing and has been named

by Forbes as a “Top 10 Business Leader to Follow.”

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AUDIOPHILE HEAVEN

BY ED WENCK

The sound is mind-boggling.

I’m hearing things I’ve never heard

Mark Ontiveros, the man at the top

each kick-drum and the first attack

of the organizational ladder at Audio

of every note from the bass guitar.

Images, has instructed me to sit in

Although both sounds are occurring

the “sweet spot,” the middle of the

simultaneously (surely one of many

couch in a room custom-designed

things that the band ensured was

for a client of his. The room — a 2016

utterly perfect in the production of

CEDIA® Award-winning project —

the album that yielded this single), I

has no visible audio sources: “I think

swear I’m hearing two distinct aural

the best part about the room that

impressions.

we’re in today is that people walk in

There are blackout shades and a

and they have no idea that there’s

movie screen that lowers from the

any technology whatsoever,” notes

ceiling. Raise the shades and screen,

Ontiveros.

and there’s a wall of glass that reveals

I’m getting a listen to Steely Dan’s

a coastal California landscape. Open

“Hey Nineteen.” I’ve heard this cut

the glass, and gentle breezes drift in.

hundreds of times — heck, maybe

And in every configuration — screen,

I’ve had over a thousand listens.

glass, or open-air — the state of that

before.

wall doesn’t affect the sound. Not. One. Bit.

There’s a distinct separation

The Pain of an Audiophile

between the start of the beat of

There’d originally been an open archway between this room and the family’s dining room. The room had been filled, emptied, and re-filled over the years, explains Ontiveros: “The client had been trying, through various purchases of hardware, audio hardware, cables, acoustical treatments, to get what he wanted.

“When I got here the first time, this room had a bunch of stuff in it.” The client’s wife was definitely not a fan of the “stuff.”

“His big complaint, other than his wife’s complaint, was that he just couldn’t seem to get it right, no matter what he did, no matter how much he read, no matter who sold

“

I’m hearing things I’ve never heard before

him what. It just wouldn’t come together the way that he always dreamed that it could.”

there, either in the concert, in the

Ontiveros listened and then got to work: His recommendations included enclosing the room — isolating this oasis from the rest of the home — and stashing Wisdom Audio speakers behind the fabric that covers the walls. The rack housing the components would be hidden in a closet that shared a wall with the back of the room. Adding screens for movie viewing and a projector were on the wish list, and a little rectangle high up on a rear wall is the only indication that this room serves multiple functions.

wherever the event may be.”

“There’s simply a small glass window in the back wall and you don’t really notice it,” notes Ontiveros. “When you turn it on, it all comes to life. You’re

dedicated speaker for the middle of

studio, or you’re there in the middle of Africa or the football stadium or The Big Reveal During four months of renovations, Ontiveros brought in Anthony Grimani for an assist. Grimani — who opened his own audio firm after a quarter-century with Dolby Laboratories and Lucasfilm — helped ensure that the sound was impeccable. The walls had been baffled and the speakers placed so that the left- and right-side sound image creates a distinct “center” channel even though there’s no

Finally, the time had arrived for Ontiveros and company to give their customer a listen.

“We had been tuning the room, finishing the room, myself and Mr. Grimani, and there was a bit of red wine involved. About 10:00, we were finally done, at the end of a long day, typical, and the client came in and Tony played some cuts.

“And the client was just touched.

“He was sitting right there in the main spot and I was sitting behind him, the second-best seat in the house, and he was just so moved. As was I, but he just couldn’t believe it.

“It’s what he had been chasing for years.”

room. (There’s infrastructure hidden above the screen should one be added later.)

www.audioimages.tv

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THE BEST LAYOVER IN AMERICA

Colburn, who handles product development and training for Portland’s own Triad Speakers, was a fan of the Hollywood — in fact, he lives in the neighborhood. He approached Whyte with an offer after news of the project began to circulate: What if his peers in the CEDIA universe lent their time, expertise, and even equipment at no charge to Hollywood, the airport, or the city of Portland?

One example? “There can be no sound isolation. Part of the reason is when the sirens go off and TSA wants everybody to evacuate, you have to be able to hear what’s happening and get out quickly,” says Erskine. To ease traffic flow, the room has no doors, but the design of the entries — along with a Barco projector and a Stewart Filmscreen that rejects ambient light — created an image that was outstanding.

Colburn consulted Triad’s CEO Larry Pexton, and Pexton reached out to CEDIA Chairperson (and President of his own firm, The Erskine Group), Dennis Erskine. “Larry called me with the offer, and I agreed: We could do great things,” says Erskine. Planar was nearby, as well — and soon many more manufacturers were on board.

The next projector.

The reason for the buy-in was obvious, according to Erskine: “We realized we could make this a statement piece for CEDIA manufacturers, dealers, and installers.”

Floating Floors and TSA Tribulations As Erskine quickly learned during his design-and-construction discovery phase, building what would eventually be a 17-seat “micro-cinema” in an airport came with a bucket of challenges.

How CEDIA members helped a non-profit group build a cinema — in Portland’s airport.

You can find a lot of amenities at your friendly neighborhood international airport: food, drinks, duty-free booze, even shoe-shines and massages.

As of February 2017, the Portland, Oregon airport has a movie theater — built using volunteer hours and donated gear from folks in the CEDIA channel.

Doug Whyte is the Executive Director of Portland’s historic Hollywood Theater, a non-profit organization that oversees both the physical building itself (a 1926 vaudeville and movie house that’s undergone extensive restoration) and a program dedicated to providing the city

with quality cinema as well as encouraging local filmmakers. Roughly three years ago, Whyte came across a story in the New York Times: the Hong Kong airport had installed a movie theater. He pitched the idea to his local airport — it was, after all, a great way to market the Hollywood (and the city of Portland) to both tourists and native travelers.

After finding the space in the airport, Whyte began writing the grant applications. The theater, says Whyte, was going to be “a modest, little non-profit thing.”

“Then Steve Colburn changed the game.”

“You have a lot of stakeholders in an airport. You have the physical plant people, you have security, you have marketing … whatever you do, you have to be sure there’s no adverse impact,” says Erskine.

problem?

A

bouncing

Erskine explains, “Because Portland is in an earthquake zone, the concrete surface on the concourse is a floating floor. You walk down the concourse outside the theater, the floor moves.

“Obviously, that creates a problem for the projector. It was bouncing up and down as much as two inches.”

Casey Smith, a Project Engineer at the Portland-area CEDIA member integration firm Lewis AV, built the rack. He has a sense of humor about what he calls “game-day engineering.”

“Unless you were watching the ‘Blair Witch Project’, the look wasn’t desirable,” says Smith.

“We figured out a way to decouple the projector from the vibrations by suspending it from the actual structure,” Smith explains. The rest of the issue was resolved with isolation springs and brackets, including custom parts built by Triad.

Compounding the time investment further? Since this custom theater is in a secure part of the airport, every connector, every cable, every part you might think of had to be screened by the TSA. After putting the pieces from his manufacturing plant in Atlanta on trucks and shipping them to Oregon, Erskine’s work was subject to security checks: “Imagine us wheeling our prefabricated walls into the building — every inch of them had to be inspected by the TSA.” Additionally, says Smith, “It’s not just getting gear in and out, it’s tough getting tools in and out. Anything that’s a run to the hardware store?

That proposition became a four-hour turnaround.”

A True Oregonian Movie House The airport version of the Hollywood Theater — which opened on February 23, 2017 with champagne toasts and stakeholder speeches — runs a constant, hour-long program of

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shorts. According to Whyte, those shorts — all under ten minutes long — have to be produced by filmmakers in the state. “It’s a stipulation of the grants we received,” he explains. Content runs the gamut, from short documentaries to live-action fiction and animated films.

Casey Smith is touched by the spirit of the thing: “It’s been a really fun project, to have the CEDIA channel step up and provide amazing gear and support for that gear. It’s been an incredible coordination among a lot of people to make this happen and we are really excited to be part of it.”

As for Doug Whyte, he’s certain that the filmmakers will be nothing but thrilled when they see their work on the airport Hollywood screen. “I actually still can’t quite believe it. That fateful day when Steve Colburn approached me in front of the Hollywood to talk to me about it — I didn’t know what that was going to mean. Seriously, we were looking at this thousand-dollar sound system that we might get and a big LED screen — it’s so far beyond that. I could have never imagined that it would be this nice.”

Dennis Erskine couldn’t agree more — he thinks the room turned out better than he’d thought possible. But in Erskine’s mind, that’s just an everyday part of the CEDIA mission:

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The following firms and individuals donated time and resources to the project:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GUARANTEED IN STOCK AND IN HAND.

Access Networks – network system Barco – projector Crestron – processor, amplifiers, and control system Flir – security cameras and monitoring equipment Erskine Group – design and interior construction Lewis AV – installation Middle Atlantic – rack and power isolation Milestone AV Technologies – projector mounting hardware MM Innovations – security hardware and setup Planar – digital displays and media servers Real AV – audio and video calibration and QSC DSP for audio calibration, Crestron programming Stewart Filmscreen – screen Triad Speakers – surround system, equipment coordination Wire World – wiring and cable

HARMAN Luxury Audio is committed to the needs of the custom installer. Now to further complement the exceptional sound of HARMAN products, all Revel Architectural Loudspeakers and Rough-in Brackets, select JBL Control Loudspeakers, select Crown CDi Amplifiers and all JBL Synthesis SCL Loudspeakers are guaranteed in stock and will come with free 3-day shipping.

Learn more about our portfolio of products at www.revelspeakers.com and www.jblsynthesis.com.

“This is what our people do — we take raw technology and turn it into an experience that amazes and entertains.”

www.hollywoodtheatre.org www.facebook.com/hollywoodtheatre @hollywoodtheatr

©2017 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Revel is a registered trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated.

JBL Synthesis is a registered trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. Crown is a registered trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. JBL Professional is a registered trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. Features, specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.

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PRODUCT FOCUS

Racks, brack ets & mounts Racks, brackets and mounts are the “behind the scenes” products – the systems that get hidden by

Penn Elcom

large televisions or tucked away in a rack room. Without these products, integrators wouldn’t be able to conceal the AV equipment, which is a key requirement in 99.9% of home technology installs, making them

Penn Elcom has an extensive product portfolio that includes server enclosures, wall racks and 19" racking accessories. The company continually strives to create innovative 19" racking solutions, and its Slide and Rotate Rack, available from 2U to 25U, is an example of this innovative design.

an essential element to all projects. Here, CEDIA takes a look at the latest products to hit the market.

Lithe Audio Lithe Audio Motorized TV mounts are an exciting piece of technology. Instead of looking despairingly at a heavy, dust-infested piece of furniture, you can admire the clean look and smooth motion that motorized wall mounts provide.

Made of steel, it can be assembled in less than 30 minutes, and allows greater accessibility to rack mount equipment and cables. It can slide out to 50cm/20", and can rotate up to 120 degrees in either direction. The rack also has an on-board cable management system, as well as a locking base with two slam locks. Penn Elcom’s Slide and Rotate Rack is the answer for those who need orderly, accessible and efficient cabling solutions.

Lithe Audio offer three motorized models, a ceiling mounted solution for flat and sloped ceilings, a 90-degree swing unit and a swing out and pan model, which is ideal for getting just the right viewing angle in different room layouts.

www.litheaudio.com

Future Automation

www.pennelcomonline.com

AV Racks

Mounting directly to the TV with multiple points of articulation, the TCFIT system has been designed to work perfectly with the Future Automation PS Articulated Wall Mount range or any VESA compatible TV mount or bracket.

Suitable for screens ranging from 43" to 90", each TC-FIT system is outfitted with a handmade width and profile matched grille along with stylish walnut end caps and a six-axis adjustable mount to enable flush fitting. The TC-FIT system is the perfect option to fully integrating the PLAYBAR with your display to create a design-friendly solution for Sonos.

www.futureautomation.co.uk

Chief SANUS The SANUS Black Series of purpose-designed TV mounts tick all the right boxes in terms of functionality, aesthetics, and ease of installation for the home technology market. Featuring five mounts, including large and extra-large full motion, tilting and fixed position models, and supporting accessories, SANUS is able to provide a suitable mount for every screen need. With popular sizes constantly shifting, these mounts can support TVs ranging between 37" and 100". An Enhanced Hardware Package ensures compatibility with all major TV brands and types.

Installation has been made easier, with quick release tabs that allow the TV to unlock instantly from the wall plate. By incorporating the SANUS ProSet™ adjustment feature, integrators can adjust the TV after installation, ensuring it is perfectly positioned. The fixed mounts incorporate ClickStand™ technology to hold the bottom of the TV away from the wall for easy cable access without removing the TV from the mount.

www.sanus.com

Technology integrators understand the importance of the equipment rack to the success of every installation. Habitech’s Chief range encompasses the G series gangable racks, S1 and S2 series of knock-down racks, E1 series enclosed racks, and the W1 floor and W2 on-wall series of wall racks.

With an emphasis on integrated cooling and easy access to components, Chief racks are fully customizable with a wide range of accessories. These include 19" rack-mount shelves, vent panels, blanking panels, brush grommet panels and Cat6 rack-mount patch panels, as well as thermal management / fan panels, surge protected PDUs up to 12way, cable management tie bars, and custom rack-mount kits for popular components such as Apple TV, Yamaha AVRs, and Sonos Connect.

www.chiefmfg.com/racks/

AV Racks products are designed and manufactured to meet and exceed customer’s expectations by listening and responding to their specific requirements. Pre-threaded profiles and shelves eliminate the necessity for cage nuts, and there’s a wide and thoughtful range of accessories for the complete custom storage solution. Innovations include the cool rack range, which offers a comprehensive selection of rack cooling systems.

The AV Racks Rollarak has been designed specifically for the AV industry, comprised of a heavy-duty, fully mobile cage for all-around access for rigging during installation and maintenance. The Rollarak self-assembly kit includes top, base, heavy duty castors and 19” mounting uprights/profiles threaded for M6 screws, high quality 14-gauge steel construction, and is available in a black powder coat finish. The Rollarak is available in a range of sizes (184 – 424mm): 500 x 500mm or 500 x 600mm.

www.avracks.co.uk

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CELEBRATE THE MAGIC 2017 CEDIA AWARDS TO CAST A SPELL OVER HOME TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on the deck of USS Midway for this year’s edition of the CEDIA Awards ceremony – so make plans to arrive in plenty of time to attend the night before the show floor opens.

Aboard the USS Midway (US) It was an active warship throughout the Cold War, and saw action in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. It’s been retrofitted for jet landings and sailed the Arctic Circle. It’s served as a museum and even an NCAA basketball court.

ICONIC IMAGES

And on Wednesday, September 6, the USS Midway will host the 2017 CEDIA® Awards Celebration.

— hundreds of American personnel and Vietnamese citizens

After the crew of Midway and its attack wing (CVW5) ran bombing missions in the latter stages of the American involvement in Vietnam, the men on deck and in the air received the Presidential Unit Citation. As Saigon fell in 1975, the Midway was pressed into service as a rescue ship sympathetic to the U.S. landed on the ship after being shuttled out of South Vietnam via helicopter. In the chaos, a South Vietnamese Air Force officer took off in a singleengine prop plane with his wife and five children. Spotting

The Midway, currently docked in San Diego, was commissioned just after the end of World War II. The U.S. Navy had been beefing up its fleet as it fought in the Pacific, and the Midway — named after the battle that saw the Allies deliver a crushing blow to Japan’s naval forces — was the largest ship on the planet from its launch through 1955.

Early on, the carrier saw a good bit of cold-weather duty, even gaining membership in “The Royal Order of the Blue Nose,” a designation for operations north of the Arctic Circle. During the 1950s, the Midway was deployed numerous times in the Mediterranean.

Planes launched from the deck of the Midway saw both the first and last air-to-air kills of Russian-made MiG fighters during the Vietnam conflict. (The first two occurred on June 20, 1965, the last on January 12, 1973.)

Originally designed for propeller-driven fighters, the Midway underwent several retrofits as jet aircraft became ubiquitous in carrier warfare. The deck saw the crash of a Korean-era jet during testing, and footage of the wreck was used in Hollywood films. In 1966, the Midway

the Midway, he dropped a note outlining the incredible gamble he’d taken, and the Midway responded: the deck was cleared as men pushed Huey choppers into the sea — an image that became iconic.

After suffering two accidental explosions in mid-1990 that claimed the lives of two service members, the Midway was pressed into service again, this time in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Midway launched hundreds of sorties over the Gulf region as Kuwait was liberated from its

underwent its biggest upgrade, and the deck of the

Iraqi invaders in a war that lasted less than six weeks.

carrier was enlarged from 2.82 to 4.02 acres.

www.cedia.net/programs/awards

The 2017 CEDIA Awards Celebration will honor the best work of today while transporting you back to the 1940s with a USO theme, including music from that era – you can even wear retro clothes if you’re in the spirit!

Connect with colleagues and friends on the flight deck while walking among the 29 restored aircraft featured aboard this floating museum. Later, enjoy drinks and dessert in the hangar and experience what it would be like to live in a city at sea.

THE CEDIA AWARDS USS Midway Wednesday, September 6, 2017 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. Awards Presentation

and Dinner 9:30 – 11:00 p.m. Music, Cocktails,

and Connection

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The Benefits of Becoming a

While results aren’t always quite so direct and instantaneous, the opportunity for top-of-mind awareness is invaluable. “Most of the people who are attending are people we’ve worked with already in some capacity,” says Brian Farley. “It’s essentially a reminder: We’re here, we’re ‘those guys.’ I just had a ‘regular’ refer some clients as a result — the COI courses outline the complexity of what we do, and reinforces our status as the experts.”

CEDIA OUTREACH INSTRUCTOR

Texas-based Audio Video Innovations’ Keith Brown found that one meeting among a group of architects spun nicely into additional COI presentations. “I had one architect say, ‘I’d be really impressed if an AV company could come and fix my Wi-Fi.’” Realizing he had a chance to prove his firm handled vastly more than AV, Brown replied, “I’ll have someone there tomorrow.”

For a growing number of integrators, there’s a preferred method for reaching architects, designers, and builders and keeping that contact list robust and engaged: become a CEDIA Outreach Instructor.

“COIs” are trained to teach a variety of CEDIA-specific courses to those in the building trades, courses that focus on everything from security solutions to home theater installations. They’re anecdotal, solution-based courses — not “how-to” sessions but a window into the value that tech will provide to any project. The courses — in addition to offering a “soft-sell” presentation of CEDIA member services — provide attendees with continuing education credits, too.

Sure, a manufacturer could drop in and present a lunch-and-learn to a room full of architects, but as Brian Farley, VP of Sales for Crescendo Designs, points out: “It’s much more meaningful coming from me. The attendees see my conviction, my passion, my enthusiasm. I’m the expert.

“And being able to host these events in our showroom is a huge plus.”

Josh Christian (a longtime CEDIA member who’s currently working on a new startup firm) is a fan, too: “Actively giving presentations to industry partners through the COI program elevated my company and myself to ‘thought leader’ status in the eyes of the people I addressed. They’ll often ask very good questions about our industry; questions that not only they wanted to know, but questions their clients — who might be our future clients — are asking.”

Our very first project with this contractor was an upper six-figure project. My COI presentation is what cemented this relationship.

Ed Wenck

Content Marketing Manager, CEDIA

Architects love the hands-on stuff David Devanna, Systems Designer with New Jersey’s iTEC Consultants, has some favorites among the courses he offers. “The lighting course is very focused — and I have a really nice selection of props — which architects love. It really engages them.”

Devanna remembers a recent course: “I’m running through the material, cracking jokes — nothing. As soon as I bring out the products and catalogs, though — they’re out of their seats, asking questions … and sure enough, one of the architects came up to me and said, ‘I’ve got a project I need you to look at.’”

Josh Christian has a similar story: “I recall giving a presentation at a local AIA chapter office, which led to a new contact for a high-end general contractor. Our very first project with this contractor was an upper sixfigure project.

“My COI presentation is what cemented this relationship.”

Multiple “touches” David Devanna’s learned how to nurture those relationships — even if he starts the process with what amounts to a cold call. His strategy: He’ll target a specific area he wants to open up in the Tri-State area, Google architects in that town or county, and determine if the firm’s targeting the same demo he’s mining.

“By the time I’m done, that’s four or five touches.”

Like most COIs, Farley’s taught every course available, but some still have the capacity to surprise: “We gave one of the broader ‘integration’ presentations [Understanding Today’s Home Technology and Infrastructure Options], and I was amazed at the diversity — we had architects, sure; but also realtors, builders, you name it.” Even though the subject felt incredibly familiar to Farley, the interest in — and ubiquity of — “smarthome tech” is broadening interest in the material.

For Keith Brown, who’s leading something of a full-court-press in the last few months (“I’ve done eight in the last sixty days,” he notes), a recent course that spoke to interior designers was especially fruitful. “We had eight in the class — we’ve gotten jobs from three already.”

“We’re definitely seeing results.”

“I’ll drive over and introduce myself.

That’s a ‘touch.’ Then I’ll follow up with a call, an email — more touches.

I’ll offer a lunch-and-learn. Then I’ll show up again to hand the attendees their certificates.

The quid pro quo? Brown wound up presenting that architect’s firm with multiple COI presentations.

Referrals. Networking. Those words are big in the business of technology integration — for a lot of firms, they’re the best marketing tools they have.

“And one of those designers set up a course for a different group of designers. That’s six more.

Having taught literally every COI course available in the last five years, Devanna’s modified his approach just so: He began asking architects to send him plans prior to his presentations, plans he could mark up with the proper tech symbols.

“The architects see how this all integrates, how we work together,” he notes.

For Devanna, one presentation often leads to another: “Any course that I do, I mention the other courses that are available. One firm sets them up every month or so.

“I don’t know if they just like the free lunches I bring,” he laughs. Bottom line, though: “It’s ways to keep in touch.”

For Brian Farley, “People come because I invite them personally. And I’d rather have four to six people who are the right people attend.”

TRAIN THE TRAINER A CEDIA member who’s interested in becoming a CEDIA Outreach Instructor (COI) is required to take a day-long “Train the Trainer” class. That class unlocks all the COI courseware for the instructor — once the initial session is passed and paid for, access to all the materials CEDIA has developed for the program is free.

There’s homework ahead of the “Train the Trainer” class, including a presentation that COIs are expected to know cold — an instructor is evaluated on their presentation by their peers. That evaluation determines whether or not a trainer-to-be is ready to teach.

The next “TTT” class is scheduled for June 15-16 at Lutron’s Global Specification Office in New York, NY and then on Tuesday, September 5 at the CEDIA 2017 show in San Diego.

For more info, see cedia.net/ programs/outreach

THE COURSES The coursework — developed by CEDIA with input from the COIs — currently includes the following topics: • Controlling and Isolating Sound with Design and Construction • Dedicated Theater Design • Disguise and Hide — Designing for Technology • Lighting Control Illuminated • Proper Planning for Residential Electronic Systems • Shade and Window Treatments Overview — Motorize, Integrate and Automate • Technology for Outdoor Spaces • Understanding Today’s Home Technology and Infrastructure Options • Using Technology Systems to Help Homeowners Live a Greener Life

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CASE STUDY

LADIES LAKE THE BRIEF The client was looking to create a holiday home that allowed the family to have a base in their beloved St Andrews, where they enjoy playing golf and — not to mention — the fabulous location. Their wish was for the property to be energy efficient and unique. Due to the nature of travelling from the U.S. to enjoy their holiday home, the client was very interested in the idea of human-centric lighting helping the family to quickly recover from jetlag.

THE SOLUTION

This award-winning cliff-top property features dynamic “human-centric lighting” St Andrews in Scotland is a place of history, learning and culture, a wonderful coastal resort, and the world’s home of golf. For the last two and a half years, it has been the base for Pyramid AV as the company worked on one of its most complex home technology projects to date.

Ladies Lake is a newly built property that replaces an existing dwelling that dates back to 1968. Designed by Andrew Black Design, the stunning three-story building features panoramic views of the bay, St Andrews Castle, and West Sands and Castle Sands beaches.

Pyramid AV provided a complex circadian lighting system that mimics natural sunlight throughout the day in order to ensure that human biological rhythms are in tune at all times. Using a custom set of Control4 drivers, the team integrated a hybrid set of DMX and DALI luminaires linked to an astronomical clock and Pyramid AV’s own dynamic lighting curve in order to provide fully synched internal lighting.

In addition, Pyramid AV was responsible for the design, supply and commissioning of the cutting edge architectural lighting systems for the entire property and grounds.

Incorporating a host of modern lighting solutions, the energy efficient LED system enhances the stunning architecture and interior design.

blinds and curtains, lighting, discrete video monitoring and door access, a remote HD “wildlife” camera, and gate and door security controls. Remote monitoring of the entire property is also achieved through this setup.

Pyramid AV wanted to provide the client with the best possible audio throughout the property. With the architect and client insisting no speakers be visible in the main entrance, the integrator had to consider invisible speaker technology.

This was a challenge, as some of these speakers have limitations in regard to volume and dynamics across the lowend frequency range.

The main living spaces feature “best in class” Amina AIW750 HF and LF invisible speakers. To ensure the best possible results were achieved sonically, Pyramid AV used a series of Dante linked Bose ESP DSP solutions, and applied 32 band EQ to all channels.

All areas were tuned to suit the client’s love of classical music. In addition, EQs were applied to the various Bowers & Wilkins in-ceiling speakers in the bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as outdoor Sonance speakers for the terrace. A total of 39 amplifier circuits were installed.

Integrating various control protocols into this property to ensure the building operated autonomously was a big challenge. The AV and lighting designs took Control4 architecture to a new level.

Ladies Lake was a 30-month project for Pyramid AV from initial consultation and design through to installation and commissioning.

Managed and installed by its inhouse team of engineers, Pyramid AV delivered its most complex and successful residential project in the UK to date.

Via a simple Control4 user interface and app, the client has seamless control over multi-zone audio and video systems, climate control,

The project was recently awarded “Best Whole Home Project” in the EMEA Region at this year’s Control4 ISE Awards for EMEA.

THE FEEDBACK “Working with the guys at Pyramid AV, we were very quickly given confidence that they not only knew what they were talking about and had a great eye for detail, but most importantly understood that we as clients were concerned that technology for the sake of it was not what we were looking for at this property,” commented the homeowner. “We are very happy to report that the systems installed work seamlessly with the minimum of input from us and are easy to use. Further to this, the house looks amazing with the excellent lighting, and we are looking forward to the benefits this innovative system will provide us in our new home.”

“The client is delighted with the outcome, and the property benefits enormously from the well thought out lighting and AV systems integration” said Andrew Black of Andrew Black Design. “Pyramid AV’s level of detail and project management ensured that a challenging construction was delivered to the highest possible level.”

www.thepyramidgroup.co.uk @Pyramid_AV

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CHALLENGE HDCP 2.2

AND SOLUTION

THE CHALLENGE: An issue was raised recently on the CEDIA Community Forum concerning 4K content which either doesn’t work or flashes on and off when used through an HDMI splitter, questioning whether HDCP 2.2 is stable and governed by a standard.

THE SOLUTION: HDCP 2.2 should be very stable and seamless, but is reliant on a quality link to ensure things go smoothly. Kind of sounds obvious, huh? HDCP 2.2 uses tougher security and a different continuous check system throughout transmission than was used in HDCP 1.x (version 1.3 or 1.4), making link quality even more important. But since you’re wanting to push at least double the bandwidth down the pipe for 4K, the use of high quality connectivity is already considered a best practice.

As for whether HDCP 2.2 is officially specified, the answer is yes. There are actually seven separate specifications for HDCP 2.2; one catch-all version, plus six others for specific interfaces including HDMI. Contrary to popular belief, HDCP 2.2 interfaces seamlessly with HDCP 1.x, the older copy protection system used for 1080p and below.

Every link between devices in a system authenticates separately. For example, an Ultra HD Blu-ray player which is HDCP 2.2 connected to an AV receiver will always try to authenticate using HDCP 2.2. If it fails, perhaps because the AV receiver doesn’t support 2.2, it will fall back to HDCP 1.x to establish a successful link. Most 4K content is flagged with a “Stream Type” bit – Type 1 requires mandatory HDCP 2.2 and will not pass over an HDCP 1.x link, whereas Type 0 can pass over any version of HDCP. All 1080p content is Type 0.

The output side of the AV receiver will establish a separate authenticated link with the next device downstream, resulting in either HDCP 2.2 or 1.x depending on the two devices’ capabilities.

However, the source continues to manage the content at all times.

Regarding the challenge of 4K content failing, or appearing unstable or intermittent, this really comes down to link integrity or HDCP 2.2 protocol issues. Link integrity means the whole signal path including device circuits and cabling, with just as much importance on the high speed AV channels as on the “slow” auxiliaries. 4K needs a lot more bandwidth than 1080p — two to four times more, in fact. Keep in mind that losses can be cumulative; the longer the HDMI cables, and more hops and complexity in the system, the more chance of things going wrong and the harder the issue becomes to diagnose. The DDC wires in HDMI carry the EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) from TV to source, but they also handle all the HDCP authentication as well, and once established are responsible for the “Link Integrity Check” to monitor the successful decryption of content at the display. Simply put: Bad link = shaky result.

David Meyer

CEDIA Director of Technical Curriculum

HDCP 2.2 Protocol There are a few separate considerations here:

EXPONENTIAL INNOVATION LEARNING CONNECTIONS SUNSHINE SAN DIEGO SEPT. 5-9 The home technology market is exploding with new opportunities.

Understand the trends driving customer demand and competitive advantage at CEDIA 2017. Dedicated 100% to solutions for residential integrators, this is your destination for breakthrough products, targeted training and a passionate network.

Exponential growth begins here.

SYSTEM SIZE HDCP 2.2 is limited to 32 devices over four repeater levels. That means the source device, four repeater levels (switcher, splitter, AV receiver, audio breakout/ embed, etc.) and then the display.

LOCALITY CHECK During authentication a ping sent by the source requires a round-trip response time less than 20ms across the whole system – which shouldn’t really be an issue in HDMI and HDBaseT systems as this check is really designed to exclude WAN applications.

cedia.net @dmeyer_cedia

cedia.net/show

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THE LIGHTING DESIGN PACKAGE

Want to set the atmosphere for relaxation or romance? Looking to dim the lights for a movie adventure, or to create just the right ambience for family fun? Lighting is an essential ingredient in the connected home, and like every aspect of the technology integrator’s work, the lighting and its associated controls require careful planning and execution. Nowadays, the subject has become more scientific due to the rise of solid-state lighting (LEDs).

Planning for lighting needs to be a focus at the start of the project and ideally needs to result in the decision to engage a lighting designer.

Lighting is a wonderful mix of art and science, and an experienced designer brings both to the project in equal measure ­— the creative design decisions to achieve the right illumination and optimal placement of fixtures to make a space visually interesting and comfortable (i.e. without glare), as well as the palette of different light sources mixed together at different brightness levels or colors to set the required mood.

The “behind the scenes” aspects of

Sam Woodward

Customer Education Leader at Lutron EA Ltd

lighting have broadened in recent years, with the upsurge in digitallycontrolled lighting and the use of a wide variety of low-voltage control protocols. The rise in LED has brought new challenges, including flicker issues and driver-inrush problems, both of which can be solved by carefully selecting compatible products in your system design. We can no longer think of the lamps or fixtures and controls as independent purchasing decisions, but as integral parts of the overall system design.

While mains-dimming has historically been performed by panel-mounted dimmers, often located in the headend room, it is now increasingly common for each fixture to handle its own dimming (via the driver).

DALI controlled LED fixtures are becoming increasingly popular, even

in residential projects, due to the reduced wiring required to control many independent zones. Using DALI, you will need less space at the head-end, but instead you will need to give more consideration for driver locations in ceiling voids. Similar considerations often apply to colorchanging lighting, usually controlled by a DMX signal.

The cable types required, which include both mains power and lowvoltage control signals, need to be considered as early as possible in the project, even if the majority of your control design is to be wireless.

Cable routing needs careful planning.

Think about compatibility with, and proximity to, other cables from other systems to avoid AV components being affected by lighting signals, and vice-versa.

Lighting is an essential service.

Consider that in the event of system failures, it could be inconvenient for a residence to be temporarily without audio or video, but one that’s without lighting would be dark and potentially dangerous! Therefore, planning for lighting control needs to keep reliability as the core goal during system design and installation.

For example, while cloud-connected control brings new heights of user convenience, an integrator should always ensure that a system can function without actually needing the internet connection to be live.

A system should also be operable when smart phone or tablet batteries have accidentally been allowed to run flat. Even if the primary user interface is a phone, the wall mounted keypad is still an essential backup device.

If wireless systems are being used, consider whether they are using the overcrowded 2.4GHz part of the spectrum (home to Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth among many others), or whether they are deployed using a less crowded frequency band — especially if your project is in a densely populated urban location.

Similarly, integration between lighting controls and AV systems enables a wonderful convergence of controls, but lighting must also always be able to work when other AV components are offline. Tightly integrated, independent systems can be more

reliable than all-in-one options here.

User experience is the hot topic for 2017. New innovations further expand the fantastic array of interaction options for lighting control, enabling users to enjoy a choice of control method, from touch to voice to automation, with different methods being more convenient at different times. Choose your options carefully and consider everyone who will use the home, including the young or the elderly, or any visitors with special needs. User interface options include numerous styles of keypads, remote controls, and mobile devices, along with various methods of presence detection. Recent exciting advances are also to be found in the paradigm shift to AI-powered hands-free voice control interfaces, such as Alexa and Homekit.

Lighting control system design requires consideration of both the aesthetics of the user interfaces and the convenience provided by integration between systems.

However, although various cloud connected voice control interfaces are making great waves within the connected home, there will always be a need for additional manual controls (situations where silence is necessary or when a room is very noisy, or in the event of a cloud connection outage). In terms of aesthetics, all manual keypads or other touch control products have to meet the

high design values of the décor, with options including, glass, metal, and plastic.

Lighting plays an important part in security, leading to an enhanced sense of well-being for the homeowner. While they’re away, occupancy simulation can be achieved with time clocks and randomized recall of lighting scenes.

Homeowners can be made to feel safer by ensuring they never return to a dark home. Use automation via astronomical time clocks to bring exterior lights on at dusk, or geofencing to detect when owners return to their home and trigger an appropriate welcome scene.

Remember that the project is not finished until all keypad buttons have been engraved, all scenes on GUIs and VUIs have been given meaningful names, and the levels have been verified with the homeowner after the decoration has been completed.

Paying special attention to these things will ensure your client’s delight with an aspect of their home technology with which they will interact every day.

www.lutron.com/europe @woodward_sam

CEDIA AWARDS | Best Lighting Control and Installation Lighting is an essential element to the connected home, and this CEDIA Awards category is an important one. Here are some hints and tips to any technology integrators considering an entry.

• Demonstrate that you understood the client’s brief and delivered excellence • Prove that you have the ability to automate and integrate lighting into a project • Explain how the lighting concept fulfills three primary objectives: task, space, and atmosphere • Show that consideration was given to ongoing maintenance, heat-management, light sources, and light quality • Explain the choice of system and design value

• Illustrate innovation with regards to difficult challenges that have been overcome, unique fittings, custom control and design, consideration of human factors, and any special requirements • Demonstrate how you have ensured the system is robust • Show that consideration was given to the choice of lighting control and user interface • If relevant, include sustainable and energy efficient elements to the project

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THE CEDIA BASIC BOOT CAMP DIARY

TRAINING & EVENTS CALENDAR May 17

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DISH 2017 Team Summit

Tech Forum & Connect

Tech Summit

Grapevine, TX

Mexico City, MEX

Tampa, FL

DAY ONE

June 7

15-16

20

21

27

New Member Webinar

COI “Train the Trainer”

ADI Expo

AVAD

Loxone Expert Training

cedia.net

NYC

Pheonix, AZ

Chicago, IL

Lexington, KY

July 10-12

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13-15

Basic Residential Boot Camp

New Member Webinar

Home Theater Boot Camp

CEDIA HQ, Indy

cedia.net

CEDIA HQ, Indy

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19-21

27

CEDIA Awards Entry Deadline, Manufacturers

Advanced Networking Boot Camp

Schaller Event

US

CEDIA HQ, Indy

Columbia

August 9

15

30

Technomultimedia

ADI Expo

CEDIA Awards, Asia Pacific

Mexico City, MEX

Burbank, CA

2017

Melbourne, AUS

5-9 September

5

6

CEDIA 2017

COI “Train the Trainer”

CEDIA Awards US

San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA

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Networking Bootcamp

JA Job Spark Indianapolis

NYC

IN

Book training at www.cediaeducation.com/courses

8 a.m. | The class is a pretty diverse group, men and women from all over the US.

For three days recently, Your Humble Content Marketing Manager at CEDIA, Ed Wenck, attended the Basic Boot Camp training session at the association’s HQ in Indianapolis. Here’s a summation.

The instructor, Ken Erdmann, has a background in electrical engineering.

Erdmann’s a one-man operation now, specializing in retrofits. The new construction game is the “holy grail” for most, says Erdmann, but a retrofit specialist can nearly name his price.

DAY TWO

9:30 a.m. | Ken reveals that one of his profs at BYU was Harvey Fletcher, part of the team that built the charts known as the “Fletcher-Munson Curves.” Fletcher and Munson were the guys who first understood how the human ear perceives sound at different volumes.

11 a.m. | After best practices are laid out for running all that pricey line, it’s time to cut the correct amount of cable, label it, and begin our runs.

Yours Truly starts the lab by pulling WAY too much coax (nah, nothing at all embarrassing about screwing up BASIC MATH).

12 Noon | The discussion over lunch includes a chat about subsonic systems and how they can be used in wartime to disorient the enemy.

Super-low frequencies at the right volumes can make humans physically ill. Yep, that’s lunchtime small talk at CEDIA.

1 p.m. | We’re handed short lengths of cables, termination ends, and the tools we’ll need.

1:30 p.m. | Now we’ve moved into the grand overview of what an integrator does: Taking that cable, scheduling the gear and the lines, looking at the plans (whether we’ve designed ’em or not) and applying all that to the job.

4 p.m. | OK, finally time to hit the lab.

Erdmann seems apologetic. He’s a hands-on guy, but the background info he’s had to deliver is pretty critical.

8 a.m. | Time for info on some basic electrical safety.

Compression ends on coaxial cables?

No problem.

1:30 p.m. | Next up: Wire an RJ45 plug properly with Cat cable.

And no less than five attempts yield split pairs and swapped pairs and all manner of misfirings on the ends of my Cat 6a jumper.

Finally, sixth time’s the charm.

2 p.m. | The remainder of this day is spent terminating the cable in our practice rooms and testing what we’ve installed.

DAY THREE 8 a.m. | Today is Retrofit Day. Ken Erdmann, the instructor, issues The Retrocratic Oath: First, Do No Harm.

There are a few anecdotes from Ken and some other members of the class: everyone seems to have a story about someone working in an attic and putting their foot through a ceiling.

9 a.m. | My lab partner Jordan and I hit the practice room. It’s about the size of a bathroom, so we decide it’ll be amusing to put the ceiling speaker directly over the space where a toilet would sit.

10 a.m. | Jordan and I realize that where we’ve placed the ceiling speaker will require the most complicated cable path in the room.

1:30 p.m. | Jordan — last name Stipes

— and I have gotten to know each other pretty well. He’s just begun running his own one-man shop that will specialize in retrofits (SnapPro in St. Louis).

3:30 p.m. | We’ve installed several working video cables, door and window sensors, two UTP runs with jacks that terminate in our panel, two pairs of speakers in the walls and a single speaker overhead, and three volume controls.

Ken Erdmann checks the work. Jordan and I get the thumbs-up.

“Looks like it’s 0-beer-thirty,” says a fellow student.

I turn up the volume. “Yep. Right after this song.”

The full diary can be found at CEDIA.net

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SPOTLIGHT:

CEDIA’s New Hire Training Track

B

efore he joined Glick Audio and Video in south central Pennsylvania, Nick Cove was running cables for live sound - concerts and the like. After he was hired in August 2016, his boss, Jim Bowman, signed Nick up for the CEDIA New Hire Training Track, a series of 10 eCourses (and CEDIA’s Fundamentals of Residential Electronic Systems textbook) designed to smooth the transition into residential integration.

Nick, who completed the coursework just over a month after his start date, was grateful for the experience.

“I thought it was really well-rounded,” he says. “It gave me a great foundation, helped me with some of the technology. It really got me into the right mindset.”

As he embraced his new position as a Glick Installation Service Technician, Nick realized that while a lot of the fundamentals he’d learned in the load-in/setup/load-out cycle of concert audio were helpful, there was a secondary level of customer care he had to master.

The most important takeaway when you’re in someone’s home? “Measure twice, cut once,” he notes.

Beyond courses covering topics

It’s nice not to have to concern ourselves about mistakes that shouldn’t be made such as “Industry-specific math applications” and “Cabling terminology and infrastructure,” Nick appreciated the reiteration of the messages he learned in the areas of customer relations and “retrofit etiquette.”

The course included “a lot of common courtesy kind of stuff.

It was great that the training course hammered that,” he says.

The convenience of online training had its own appeal. “I could pause it and come back to it,” notes Nick.

As he eased into his new position, any downtime could be used to pick up where he’d left off in the training.

He found the intermittent quizzes peppered throughout the training sessions especially useful, helping him retain a course’s main points as he progressed.

Jamie Briesemeister, Sales and Marketing Director for Integration Controls in St. Louis, is also fond of the “modular” nature of the courses.

After hiring a new employee and signing him up for the training, “It was great that he could work during

his, and our, downtime.”

Jamie and her company, long-time CEDIA members, saw the program in its nascent stages as it was being developed. When an applicant came to Integration Controls with a background in both low- and highvoltage electrical contracting (and some cable TV installation work), Jamie knew the training would be beneficial.

“It’s hard to onboard somebody when you’re extremely busy, and this gave us the opportunity to provide him with some foundational knowledge,” she notes. “The world he was in before was extremely chaotic. He didn’t really have anybody guiding him on best practices for installation, none of the systems were the same. Aside from product manufacturer training, he hadn’t been guided very well.”

Jamie and her business partner Jeff consulted their employee after each session, and the updates and info they shared demonstrated that their newbie was picking up the right info for residential projects.

That’s music to the ears of those who developed the coursework.

CEDIA’s online development team took two years developing the program. According to Matt Oelker, Director of Online Learning, the team realized that the 100-plus digital education products they’d developed needed something else, something more specific: “CEDIA members have always wanted a clear track of online training for new hires.”

The team poured resources into the project. The final result? “The most comprehensive fundamental training you can get in our industry,” says Matt.

Matt is bullish on the price, too – there’s a fairly steep discount for the package relative to the a la carte value of each individual course.

But the true measure of the program’s success may be its repeat business. “We’re hiring again, and looking forward to using the CEDIA Training Track,” says Jamie.

“It’s nice not to have to concern ourselves about mistakes that shouldn’t be made.”

The CEDIA New Hire Training Track is a specialized series of 10 eCourses coupled with CEDIA’s Fundamentals of Residential Electronic Systems textbook and is only available to CEDIA members. cedia.net/cedia-training/online

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use a USB, and put the code onto the computer — so it wasn’t like it went through the network. But it’s still a big issue. I think privacy concerns are on the top of people’s minds.”

And privacy concerns are likely exponentially important when it comes to top-end CEDIA clients: Imagine a C-suite exec with homes overseas – maybe Swiss ski country, the Baltic, name it – who not only has a fairly large bank account, but he or she has access to incredibly privileged information. One of this client’s needs: remote access – which leads to concerns (or, more aptly, terrors) regarding bad actors hacking his or her data and not just making off with cash, but intellectual property, too.

“It’s challenging,” notes Ihiji co-founder Mike Maniscalco. “In those cases, you are more than likely going to end up working with the IT department of whatever corporation or institution that individual is employed by.” Those IT experts will often segment what the client has access to, including personal, home and job networks.

Halting THE Hackers A recent CEDIA Tech Council Podcast took a deep dive into cyber-safety

In the last issue of CEDIA Communicates, we dug into the universe of online safety (“A Cybersecurity WakeUp Call,” Communicates, Winter 2016). That topic was recently addressed by the CEDIA Tech Council in one of their podcasts (Episode Four, to be precise – which you can find on iTunes and at cedia.net).

The discussion was spawned by current events, specifically, a story about certain individuals being surveilled by U.S. intelligence agencies.

CEDIA’s V.P. of Emerging Tech Dave Pedigo explained the operation, code-named “Weeping Angel”: “The CIA put software into the operating systems of Samsung smart TVs that made the camera and microphone turn on, BUT the power light did not come on. This is important: They had to break in to a subject’s home,

“Where the challenge really comes in is that everything is so blended today,” Maniscalco continues. He notes that the current President’s famous Twitter account had to be moved from a personal phone to a state-issued device, but that’s an extreme case.

“For your average executive, no one is going to rip away his iPhone and say, ‘You can’t have this app or that app.’ These mobile [personal] devices create new challenges for all that security.

“A lot of times, the IT departments turn a blind eye to it. It gets tricky for integrators I’m sure.”

THE WEAKEST LINK Roy Beiser, who handles IT for Access Networks, is blunt: “I would like to emphasize that the weakest link is humans. A lot of phishing game apps are sent to CEOs, CFOs, etc. It’s very important to put focus on human training. We’re doing that at Access Networks, and we are starting to proliferate that to our customers. It’s not that hard. People can take 30-minute or one-hour training and just be aware of the risks.”

“Many of us are seeing spam emails, and some of those spam emails are actually phishing emails that alert you to press to a URL and then you get into a malicious site or download.” Beiser stresses that it’s fairly easy to identify these missives as scams – as long as the reader knows what they’re looking for.

“It’s a multifaceted approach,” notes Nathan Holmes (also from Access Networks). “As Roy said, the human element is the weakest link in the chain, but it is only one element. For an integrator to truly provide the level of networking security and performance that these clients are asking for, it requires the correct hardware, true enterprisegrade products — stuff that can actually handle the type of firewall performance we need.”

But installing the security and training the user is only half the battle, says Holmes — homeowners, for the sake of convenience, sometimes bypass or disable security measures.

“When they do that, we need to ensure that they understand the risk they have just put themselves in,” says Holmes.

It’s critical, then, to ensure that the client knows that they’ve essentially “voided the warranty” if a hole’s been willingly punched through a firewall by the user.

Holmes is emphatic: “We have to indemnify the integrator.”

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WITH THE GROWTH OF IOT, THE RISK IS GROWING AT AN ASTONISHING RATE TRICKLE-DOWN WORRY But enough about the “one percent” — when does this need for constant vigilance begin to trickle down to the great middle class?

“I think we are already there,” says Mike Maniscalco.

“It started with the iCloud ‘Celebgate,’ which targeted a bunch of celebrities to get their photos. Right around that same time, you saw the Ashley Madison breach — you are talking about things that are sensitive; private information.”

Now, with the growth of the IoT, the risk is growing at an astonishing rate — and the most innocent devices can be turned into ticking time bombs.

“When just one of those devices in your home, such as the connected teddy bear, gets hacked, all of a sudden that’s the bridge into the home network; it’s no longer behind a firewall,” says Maniscalco. “That’s where it really starts to hit the masses.

“The writing is on the wall — and it’s coming really quickly.”

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THE SETUP CONFIRM YOUR AUDIENCE Be sure you understand who is going to be at the demo and what the relationships between those people are. Knowing your audience is essential since it lets you tailor your message to each person’s specific needs, goals, and involvement in the buying process.

SET THE AGENDA: PURPOSE, BENEFIT, CHECK • State the purpose of the demo: What are the main things you’ll be showcasing — and why?

• Explain the benefits to the client: How will having this information help them?

• Check that you’re in alignment: Ask questions such as: “How does that sound to you?”

“Is that a comfortable sound level?”

“Was there something specific you wanted to see or hear? Did you bring a disc or Blu-ray? Why?” This approach lets you quickly and easily get everyone on the same page.

DEVELOP YOUR PROGRAM PLAN To make a demo work, you have to be a teacher, showman, and master of ceremonies all rolled into one. Realistically, you probably have a maximum 15-minute attention span to work with before your audience shows signs of “brain fade.”

Based on the 15-minute rule, you need to decide how much time is audio and how much time is movies/other video clips. I recommend a 60/40 audio-to-video ratio since people will spend more time with music than movies. (And don’t forget to include a gaming segment IF the client indicates in your pre-demo discussions that gaming is important to them.)

Keep it short. For music, use only about the first 90 seconds, then fade the volume smoothly at the first chorus. If your music clips are much longer than that you are wasting time.

Using the 90 second clip length guideline for video as well, that works out to about five or six audio clips and three to five video/gaming clips.

Build your demos on a media server or hard drive with all the variations you think you will need right there at your fingertips.

What is an effective demonstration?

How do you PROPERLY evaluate a potential customer to ensure that the demo you give is what they need to see?

Frederick J. Ampel

MSEE, PhD, AES Life Member, CEDIA Fellow President & Principal, Technology Visions Analytics

A great demonstration is more than just a potential to close a sale: It must also be great entertainment. That is why it is an ART, not just an outcome.

This ensures you have each clip pre-cut, prefaded (for music) and timed for movies to wrap at the right end point. It is extremely useful to name your demo sequences by type or style of content so that you can quickly access the right content mix for the client’s stated preferences without long delays hunting for the right chapter on a video disc or cut on a CD. Having everything pre-loaded and ready to go saves waiting time, where you may well lose the attention or focus you worked so hard to get in the first place.

Pre-loading and formatting your demos also

allows you to sequence the clips and musical cuts in a specific order to match the client’s preferences.

RECAP WHAT YOU KNOW Looking for the perfect segue into the actual presentation? In one to three sentences, summarize your current understanding of their situation. This focuses the conversation and it sets you up to discuss features specifically as they relate to your clients’ challenges, which will boost their engagement.

THE PRESENTATION EDUCATE Start by teaching the listener/viewer. Point out that they will hear the slight hum of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Fender Twin Amp in the intro of his version of the Hendrix classic “Little Wing,” or let them know to watch for the ants crawling on the edge of a basket of berries in “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

Pre-sell the scene by alerting people to, for example, the shotgun blast in the bank robbery opening scene of “The Dark Knight” or the click/ whoosh of the golf balls being hit in “Bagger Vance.” Remember: Most clients have never heard what a really good surround sound system can do.

START IN STEREO One of the key capabilities of today’s multichannel receivers/electronics is up-conversion of stereo music to surround. It is always effective to show the client how new and fresh their entire CD collection becomes when represented in surround. A key hook in this process is to have the client bring their favorite CD with them and show them how the music they already know and love becomes a remarkable NEW experience when expanded into surround.

LOSE THE EXPLOSIONS Blowing stuff up at high volumes proves nothing and in many cases is detrimental to the demo. If your pre-qualification of a particular client tells you they are big action-film fans, you can always add a big dramatic explosion at the end to cap off the demo.

GET THEM EXCITED And finally — get them excited by your presentation. Build the energy level consistently so that they are at the “just a little bit more stage” when you’re done. You want them to want the experience at home — and want you to deliver it!

NOTE: This is a summary of much more detailed white paper that will soon be available to CEDIA members. In that white paper, Mr. Ampel details subjects such as identifying key body language clues and qualifying specific clients.

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GAME ON FOR

8K UHD I

Incredibly, commercial 8K broadcasting is just three years away. Steve May, UK technology journalist, sets the scene for the next leap in image quality.

t’s not just elite athletes who are preparing for the 2020 Olympics.

Japanese broadcasting giant NHK is on course to use the Tokyo games as its springboard for the world’s first 8K broadcast services.

Last October, at the Japanese CEATEC tech show, NHK unveiled a prototype 4K/8K TV box. The STB, developed in partnership with KDDI, J:COM, and Japan Digital Serve, is the first to use channel bonding technology. The technique, a channel-splitting solution developed by the state broadcaster, allows existing cable TV facilities and broadcast infrastructure to inexpensively adopt UHD. The jigsaw pieces are being put in place.

Not that TV manufacturers plan to wait for the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony before launching 8K products. The first consumer sets could launch in the Chinese

market later this year. At CES, Hisense unveiled a 65” 8K model, the LED65MU9800V, while rival Chinese brand Changhong countered with the 65” 65ZHQ3R. Both looked production ready.

It’s currently unclear if either panel, capable of 16 times the resolution of HD, will wait for the next generation of HDMI connector, V2.1, to arrive before launching. (Perhaps they’ll simply upscale current 1080/2160p content?)

Jointly developed by the HDMI Forum Technical Working Group, which represents consumer electronics brands, PC makers, mobile vendors, and cable/component companies, HDMI 2.1 is a vital stepping stone to genuine Next-Gen UHD TV services.

The specification is built around an entirely new 48 Gbps cable (today’s HDMI 2.0 interconnects are a slothful 18 Gbps in comparison). Able to handle 7680 x 4320 resolution up 60Hz/fps and 4K at 120Hz, it’s an

improbably fast and fat data pipe.

The prospect is enough to give matrix makers sleepless nights for months.

Of course, HDMI 2.1 doesn’t just herald a potential evolution of high-end home entertainment.

This mega bandwidth solution has huge implications for those already working in, or aspiring to create 8K content – be it digital signage, healthcare, aviation, or enterprise.

The PC gaming world is another potential beneficiary, as graphics cards and processing power increase to the point where higher-than-4K resolutions become desirable. Monitor companies are expected to introduce the first 8K PC displays this year.

The new HDMI specification also includes Game Mode VRR, which effectively eliminates image lag, stutter, and frame tearing. The sheer speed of the new cable enables frames to be transmitted and displayed as soon as they’re rendered.

Gamers could be enthusiastic earlyadopters of HDMI 2.1.

But, with a TV market only now shifting to 4K as prices tumble, can 8K ever really become a meaningful mass market proposition?

8K THEME RIDE Paul Hide, who heads up trade body Tech UK, has his doubts.

“I can’t see the benefit on screens for consumer applications below 80”, and how will the significant extra costs in content creation and delivery be recovered?” he says. “It’s proved tough to monetize HD over SD and UHD over HD for many content providers, so I just cannot see a viable business model for 8K outside of commercial applications, such as lifesize CAD design and super large venue screens. But, as nothing stands still in the technology world, maybe I shouldn’t be so rash as to bet against it.”

Futuresource TV Market Analyst David Tett is similarly cautious. “Anything that brings greater benefits in terms of picture quality has to be anticipated with interest, but 8K, if and when it comes to [a broader market], will bring its own set of challenges,” he says. “The hardware industry is generally ahead of the broadcast and content industry in rolling out higher resolution TV, but many consumers are still watching SD signals on their HD sets! So, I can understand why some might dread the roll-out of 8K.” When it comes to 8K, the message to integrators should be: Watch this Space.

We could all be in for a wild resolution ride.

@SteveMay_UK

Visitors to the recent culture and tech festival SXSW, held in Austin, Texas, were invited to experience an 8K ride developed by NHK. Strapped into a motion-enabled seat, riders experienced a virtual visit to Tokyo on a 5 x 3m screen in multichannel surround sound.

A taste of things to come?

HDMI V2.1 HAS VR APPEAL HDMI V2.1 actually has wider appeal than 8K video and gaming. It could usher in a new generation of high-resolution Virtual Reality devices.

8K resolution or ultra fast 120fps frame rates could help transform the VR experience into something a good deal more realistic and immersive than we have today.

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‘

does work and what doesn’t!) To that end, we spend about 25% of our time in research and

THE

ARCHITECT’S

GUIDE TO HOME AUTOMATION Sandy Howard

Managing Director of AVD Australia

After 30 years in the home technology market, I have pretty much seen it all: From the fledgling industry that it was back in the late ’80s, to one of the most exciting and vibrant industries of today, it has been something to behold.

Having founded AVD Australia in 1987, we have worked

of controls, to full integration of all elements within a

primarily in the home technology industry, where

space, including acute awareness of sustainability and

about 60% of our business occurs both as consultants

efficiency, the role of the integrator plays a major part in

and integrators for the high-end residential market.

the build process of today.

Although we have earned many awards over the years, our most recent (and very exciting) accolade was to be part of a LEED Platinum certification, which was awarded for a commercial project where we designed, engineered, and implemented all the systems technology in a 6500²m space.

Despite this, the market in general refers to what we do

In short, today’s modern buildings MUST provide better experiences for its users, and to achieve this, the technology integrator must be skilled to a level where they can advise the project team across all areas of technology used in present day buildings. For AVD, this means the design, engineering, implementation, and integration of electrical, AV, ICT, security, lighting control/ light harvesting, integration to HVAC/CO² levels, and

as “AV” with a little IT thrown in

motorized devices.

on the side. Nothing could be

Back in the 1980s, the biggest expenses on a high-end

further from the truth.

residential build were probably the concrete, bricks,

The role of the information and

and mortar. Today, it is by far the combination of the

communications technology integrator is the melding of all things electrical and electronic in an environment

electrical and electronic systems. With the plethora of different systems and gadgets comes a high level of responsibility to the client and project team to ensure the end user experience is maximized.

to ensure a client’s experience

Though we are not particularly aligned to specific

is simplified and maximized.

products or systems, we do have our favorites, because

From the simple consolidation

they just work. (That is part of our job, to find out what

development.

What we have learned over the years is that

early involvement and collaboration with the

client and project team is absolutely imperative.

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principals remain valid today.

The key elements that we focus on in this white paper include: 1. Develop the Scope of Work 2. Design and Document

Too often, we find that this never occurs, and

3. Select an Electrical Contractor

the results speak for themselves — an unhappy

4. Cabling and Infrastructure Installation

client with systems that don’t work to the client’s

5. Project Management

expectations (or even worse, they just don’t

work). Not only does this potentially discourage the client from adopting new technology in

the future, but our industry again gets a bad name for shoddy workmanship and poor implementation.

Although it’s often the case that little value is placed on the systems integration design, we

find the odd architect or project manager who does get it: Someone who understands that if this side of the project doesn’t work then the entire project fails, as it is the integration of

modern systems and technologies within a build that makes spaces useable and friendly.

The outcome of this early involvement sometimes means changes to the architecture to ensure proper containment of the equipment in what we call our CDP (Central Distribution Point). Changes to cable paths or room design (like a dedicated home theater) may also be made at this time – it’s key that the parties work together.

As a company, we learned early on that a structured and considered approach was necessary to achieve a successful outcome.

To assist with this process, we wrote a white paper entitled “The Architect’s Guide to Home Automation” to assist the industry in understanding the growing need for structure in this field of rapid technological advancements.

Though the paper was written in 2007, the

6. Product Selection and Installation 7. Handover and Tuition Adding to this, we now provide high-level budgets during the scope development stage.

For us, these are not simply wild guesses: They are the culmination of 30 years’ experience in understanding what is required in modern buildings using modern technologies. (They’re often broken into as many as 20 different cost centers for both the electrical and electronic systems when we go into a build.) In doing this, the client and architect achieve a better

understanding of actual costs and consequences from the very outset of the process, prior to committing to any architectural or interior design changes that may be required.

With an industry that has matured substantially in 30 years, we have found that sticking to these principals has allowed us to achieve extraordinarily successful outcomes. We can only hope that the industry as a whole can understand the importance of the technology integrator and the role they MUST play in today’s technology-filled buildings.

For more info on AVD Australia www.avdaustralia.com.au www.linkedin.com/company-beta/618639 www.facebook.com/avdaustralia au.pinterest.com/avdaustralia www.instagram.com/avdaustralia

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Dave Sell is hearing it again.

Sell’s showroom?

“Dave Sell is a very good salesman,” says his client, one Brian Hill, in the “salon” (that’s boat-speak for “lounge”) of Hill’s Sea Ray 590L Fly. Hill leans into the word “salesman.”

Carpet.

Sell rolls his eyes. Hill grins.

Yeah, Dave’s never heard that one before.

Actually, Hill gives Mr. Sell grief on a pretty regular basis. Not that Sell minds terribly much — after all, Sell has become Brian Hill’s go-to expert when it comes to adding smart systems to Hill’s boats.

The boat we’re sitting in currently as customer needles integrator is a yacht named “All from Tights,” since Hill is the CEO of a company called Discount Dance Supply, which sells — you guessed it — a lot of hosiery. These tights have afforded Hill the opportunity to collect houses and classic foreign cars along with his watercraft.

HOW THEY DO IT:

More on this beauty of a boat in a bit.

First, meet “the salesman.”

INTEGRATED MARINE SYSTEMS “I’m a boater,” says Sell.

INTEGRATING

FOR THE

WATER Brian Hill (left) with Dave Sell (right)

“I’ve been a boater my whole life, had knowledge of the marine industry, marine electronics, all the technology that goes into boats. We bought a boat, my wife and daughter and I, with the intention of fixing it up.”

This was to be Sell’s grand reboot, a new chapter in leisure after a long career in the CEDIA channel, most recently as a bigwig with Crestron.

“We bought a nice 34-footer that was pretty well beat up. We wanted to do some nice things to it. What I discovered in trying to make all that happen was there was no one company that did the various things we were looking for.

“I must have said to my wife five times, ‘There’s an opportunity here.’”

Sell quickly realized that he had a business model on his hands, a firm that was unlike any other along the main drag of California’s Newport Beach called the “Mariner’s Mile.”

Sell had already laid plans to be his own boss, to open an integration firm called Lifestyle Technology Group. He’d handled residential and commercial projects (“We recently became an authorized integrator for Microsoft workng for them in the southwest region,” Sell notes) but soon concluded that more bait was literally in the water. “We’re looking for the luxury lifestyle customer. This is another way to capture them. If we are able to sell them on upgrades for their boat or their yacht, if anybody can afford that and afford a yacht, they’re going to have money, and there’s our tie-in to their home.”

And the entry point for some yacht owners? The draw to bring eyeballs into

THE GROUND FLOOR One of the many ways Sell brings people into his shop is, believe it or not, flooring.

If a boat owner isn’t using teak to cover the floors, Sell offers a broad variety of synthetic, looks-just-like-multi-grainedwood vinyl flooring that resists the reddest of wines.

that keep a yacht perfectly still in its slip (even while a solo operator actually steps off the ship for unmooring) treat some systems as less than top priority.

Of course, Sell followed the first rule of real estate when he picked the street address: location, location, location.

In fact, Hill was a bit annoyed by the obtrusive domed speakers protruding from the ceilings in some of the boat’s outdoor spaces. The look didn’t match the craft, and the audio quality wasn’t what Hill had grown accustomed to with his home systems. Additionally, Wi-Fi was less than stellar, even in dock — marinas rarely have decent service if any at all.

“It’s a constant source of motivation for me when people walk in here, whether it’s a new buyer or a yacht broker, one of these people that’s been in the industry forever, and they’ve got their lists of favorites and buddies,” he trails off.

It’s a referral business, and that brings in vastly bigger opportunities than just someone looking for new tread.

Hill found Sell via a referral on the Mile, and Dave went to work with his army of wiry installers. (Apparently, the maritime installation biz attracts, short, skinny folks — the spaces are ridiculously tight.) Cable had to run through walls, not ceilings — the Sea Ray’s packed with HVAC ductwork between decks — and the tech had to disappear behind the lines of the ship.

Sell’s got this multi-pronged approach down: “I try very hard to communicate to the potential customer that we can give them the same or near same experience on their yacht as they have at home. I found that’s the best way to hit their button and bridge the two opportunities. It reduces their fear of ‘another new system or remote to learn.’

We can fix whatever might be wrong in either location and bring them together into one interface.”

Sell pulled the old speakers, and James provided exterior drivers that matched the look of the boat’s lights. Jamesdesigned subwoofers were stashed behind stairs and under seating with pipes that terminated in gleaming chrome grates die-cut with the Sea Ray logo. Some speakers were exposed by necessity — but the booming soundbar and small boxes of the 5.1 4K home theater system blend sweetly into the décor.

Beyond the vinyl, the showroom offers a bevy of lighting and sound arrays, surveillance and alert systems (“water in the basement” is a much bigger deal in the middle of the Pacific than it is on the beach), and a cell-based Wi-Fi system that’s mostly used by first responders and delivery drivers. (Sell shows me a comparison chart: Satellite service on the water can run about $1,000 monthly for 2GB.) The sound arrays are varied: Head ends designed for control by the bridge look like old-school car-audio faceplates — but their fronts flip down to reveal a tray that’ll hold an iPhone. Plug the phone in, close the unit, and control is right next to the wheel of the ship.

A lot of the speakers on display are for show, not go: Sell has been working with James Loudspeaker to come up with custom solutions for boat owners who are not into the look of “wall acne” — a pretty common problem with the industry, as it turns out.

ALL FROM TIGHTS When Brian Hill took delivery of his multi-million-dollar Sea Ray, he wasn’t thrilled with the “stock” sound and video solutions.

It’s a common problem: Boat makers who are focused on everything from flawless lines to three-engine, GPS-keyed systems

ALL IN THE FAMILY Sell’s clearly done his job. He listens to Hill tick off the goodies.

“My son or whoever can go up on the fly ... and you can actually watch television up on the fly. We’re big sports fans, so on college football day, you pull the TV out, you swivel it around ... it’s a high definition outdoor TV. We have a lot of fun, so all the guys bring their cigars, and they all bring their wines, and they all sit up on the deck in the summer and have fun; wave at all the paddle boarders and kayakers going by.

“We’re in Catalina, and this our living room.”

The sun is setting on Dana Point. Beers are cracked. Dire Straits drifts out of the speakers.

And Dave Sell is pitching Hill — very, very gently — on another project.

“That home theater in the beach house — you could do better.”

“This guy,” chuckles Hill.

Dave Sell just smiles.

www.ltgav.com www.integratedmarinesys.com

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