CEDIA Communicates Winter 2015

WINTER 2015

COMMUNICATES

CES 2015 Roundup ISE Product Launches The Future of Wearable Tech

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

Contents

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THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT Steve May reports from the world’s biggest technology show, CES 2015

60 SECONDS WITH…

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Cyprian Ezeomedo, Managing Director/CEO, Franzucon Ltd, Nigeria

IT’S WORTH IT Philharmonic AV explains their surprise win at the CEDIA Awards 2014

THE RESULTS ARE IN Key findings from CEDIA’s 2013/14 research in to the UK Custom Installation market

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AURO 3D® Wilfried Van Baelen describes how this technology delivers immersive sound for home cinema

THE HEAT IS ON The potential for installers to develop their business in integrated energy management

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CEDIA LIGHTS THE WAY CEDIA education launches its two-day Lighting Design Package

INSIDE DOLBY ATMOS John Sciacca gives us his perspective on Dolby Atmos

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Welcome… …to a bigger and better Communicates, your industry resource for the latest news and stories.

After a busy 2014, CEDIA has welcomed in the New Year in a great position. Membership is continuing to increase, with representation in 41 EMEA countries. The new Board of Directors now includes representations from Italy, UAE, South Africa and the UK and is focussing on reaching out to these international members by hosting localised training events.

As education remains an important aspect of membership, CEDIA has announced a selection of new courses and made these more accessible by securing two regional training centres and providing online courses. While Home Technology Professional members are benefitting from qualifying for the ECS card, Trade Supplier members now have the option to get their company listed on the new online finder service. A number of technology experts provide us with an update on the latest industry developments, including Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D® and wearable tech.

With ISE almost upon us, we look forward to catching up with our members in Amsterdam.

Wendy Griffiths Executive Director, CEDIA EMEA

Contact Follow us on:

Website : www.cedia.co.uk Email : info@cedia.co.uk Telephone : +44 (0)1480 213744 CEDIA EMEA Unit 2 Phoenix Park St Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 8EP, UK Company registration number 3353936

All material in Communicates is the copyright of CEDIA UK 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.

Front cover image: Inspired Dwellings, UK. CEDIA HTP member

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THE FUTURE’S

BRIGHTER (IF NOT CLEARER)

AT CES 2015 Steve May reports from the world’s biggest technology show Next generation TV tech and the Internet of Things dominated water cooler chatter at this year’s International CES. The show stats, as usual, were impressive. Some 3,600 exhibitors covered more than 2.2 million square feet of exhibition space, with the final tally of visitors likely to be around 160,000.

CEA ringmaster Gary Shapiro was typically ebullient: “At this CES, we see a future where many of the biggest problems humans face will be solved by innovative technology,” he declared. Unfortunately, if the challenge of installing a futureproof 4K ecosystem is one such problem, CES offered little help.

Widespread speculation about High Dynamic Range TV and competing wide colour gamut solutions ensured there’s still plenty of room for new confusion. The top TV brands baited each with buzzwords: Quantum Dot, HDR, BT2020, 8K. It was enough to make your head spin.

HDR screens can deliver extremely bright peak whites, measured in Nits, without impacting black levels or greyscale, yet there was no clear consensus on just how bright is best. Dolby, Philips, the newly formed UHD Alliance and SMPTE all offered standards they’d like to see adopted, but there’s little agreement. “We’ll probably just end up following whatever Netflix does,” I was told.

Interestingly, HDR is not the preserve of 4K Ultra HD. Several manufacturers told me that they were anticipating HDR with 1080p content too. Netflix has even suggested that when managing bandwidth, it would give preference to HDR over 2160p resolution as the extra brightness is easier to appreciate than higher resolution.

Of course, as yet there’s no HDR-encoded content available anyway. The technology is, however, supported by the new Ultra HD Blu-ray specification. By way of confirmation, Panasonic had a prototype 4K BD player running a simulated HDR display on its booth.

Sony previewed an HDR 4K LED panel running test footage from Netflix’s Marco

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OLED, long the darling of next generation screen advocates, got a big boost at the show. LG dramatically expanded its OLED range with 4K models in both flat and curved form factors. The brand will even offer a screen able to flex either way (although quite why anyone would want one was unclear). Helpfully, all LG 2015 OLED screens will be wall-mountable, and the brand offers VESA adaptors if required. Panasonic also confirmed that it would be launching its first 65-inch curved OLED in 2015.

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Sony also had a strong TV showing at CES. Included in its line-up was ‘the world’s first high resolution audio TV.’ The new set has upgraded forward firing loudspeakers –the woofers now use the brand’s magnetic fluid speaker products – plus the DSEE HX audio upscaler found on its high-res Walkman line, which can be used to improve the frequency response of any connected video source. It sounded astonishingly good for a telly.

The home automation business was well represented, as it slides inexorably toward the mainstream. Market analyst Parks Associates predicts that US sales of smart home products will top 36 million units in 2017, up from 20 million in 2014. Big growth is predicted for simple to install Hub and spoke security products that can be operated with long-life batteries.

One key trend this year is a move toward using the DECT cordless phone band for automation control. Panasonic UK Marketing Director Simon Parkinson said that not only does this reduce interference from local Bluetooth and WiFi products, “it’s also extremely secure. This is important for consumers who have concerns over online security.”

There was also an explosion of Z-Wave and ZigBee devices. Samsung-owned SmartThings introduced a second generation control system, including a hub compatible with devices from third party manufacturers such as Netgear, Philips Hue, Honeywell thermostats and, naturally, Samsung’s own Smart appliances.

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Polo TV show, while Panasonic offered booth visitors a concept screen. LG previewed a prototype HDR OLED display behind closed doors. Only Samsung said it had firm plans to launch an HDR UHD TV this spring.

It was the Internet of

Things that became

a defining mantra

Away from screen tech, it was the Internet of Things that became a defining mantra. Samsung CEO and president B.K.Yoon declared that the IoT “was not something in the distant future, it’s already started.” He used his keynote to urge for open standards. “We must not have walled gardens. We can deliver the benefits of IoT only if all sensors and devices work with each other,” he said. Mr Yoon predicted that by 2020, all of Samsung’s products would be Internet connected, from “air purifiers to ovens.” At the show everything from self-driving cars to coffee makers were labelled IoT.

Finally, Home Theatre continued its resurgence. At CES DTS offered an early preview of DTS: X, an objectbased sound codec to rival Dolby Atmos. While the brand refused to disclose the speaker configuration of its demo (so hold fire on that next home cinema install), I counted eight ceiling speakers (everything else was hidden). The company says it has secured widespread support from key AV and hi-fi brands, including Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon, Marantz and Pioneer, and has scheduled a worldwide launch in March.

CES 2016 DATE January 6-9, 2016, Las Vegas DIARY

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NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS CEDIA has announced that two new members have stepped up into leadership roles for the Association following the election for the new CEDIA EMEA Board of Directors at the end of last year.

Christiaan Beukes from Sphere Custom Design in South Africa and Giles Sutton of James + Giles in the UK fill two HTP (Home Technology Professional) spots on the Board, which now includes representatives from Italy, UAE, South Africa and the UK.

“We were looking for two new Board members who would bring strong leadership and fresh ideas to the table” explains Wendy Griffiths.

“We have certainly achieved this with Christiaan and Giles, who both have a wealth of industry knowledge and are keen to work with the rest of the Board to support the industry by defining relevant strategy for the industry trade association. At this time, I’d like to thank our outgoing Board members, Krystian Zajac (Andrew Lucas Ltd) and Elliot Hicks (Complete Home Control) who have played a vital role on the Board for the last two years.”

Joining Kris Hogg (Chairman), Alister Smith (Vice Chairman), Omar Hikal (Treasurer), Tom Butler, Laura Neuwirth-Lazzerini, Will Brocklebank, Hamish Neale and Gary Lewis (Immediate Past Chairman), Christiaan and Giles will serve as volunteers for a two-year period, from January 2015 until December 2016.

NEW TO THE BOARD Christiaan Beukes

Christiaan is the owner of South African-based home automation company, Sphere Custom Design.

Having worked in the industry for almost 10 years in the UK, Europe, and Southern Africa, Christiaan has a great amount of industry knowledge on an international level. He has previously supported CEDIA by sitting as Education Chairperson on the South African Committee and becoming a CEDIA certified outreach instructor and lecturer.

Christiaan Beukes describes how he’s feeling about his new role: “I certainly hope that I can step up to the role - there are some big shoes to fill! This is an amazing opportunity to give back to the greater CEDIA community all that they have given me in the past.

CEDIA has played an integral role in the development of our industry here in South Africa, and I will be working hard to assist in strengthening CEDIA’s core principals through outreach, education and development, and to help build out and broaden the reach of this already solid foundation laid before.

“I think here is great potential to help steer our, globally speaking, still very young, and ever-changing industry, and I am honoured, privileged and proud to have been nominated by my peers to fill such a role.”

Giles is the Managing Director of James + Giles, an awardwinning home technology and automation consultant. Giles has been involved with CEDIA for a number of years having previously sat on the membership committee and regularly provided training

NEW TO THE BOARD Giles Sutton

to architects and construction individuals on integrated home technology.

Giles Sutton describes his vision for the future direction of CEDIA: “I am delighted to have been voted onto the CEDIA Board of Directors. Having been part of a committee for many years, I now feel ready to become more actively AWARDS AWARDS involved with the Association.

I PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION feel strongly that the standards and professionalism of the membership are the driving force to more acceptance and recognition within the construction industry and this can be achieved with more regional educational events, technical AWARDS AWARDS forums and certification. PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION

“I would also like to see the membership develop further outside of the UK, with more outreach and publicity within the EMEA region and closer ties to further and higher education establishments, encouraging more talent to join our industry.”

The CEDIA Get Board of Directors Get defines the Association’s vision and involved involved identifies its strategic direction. It is responsible for maintaining a dialogue with members, making sure CEDIA’s strategic principles remain relevant to the industry and reflect Get Get members’ everinvolved involved evolving needs.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

CEDIA SETS THE STANDARD Last year, CEDIA introduced a Standards Committee. Headed up by Peter Aylett, and supported by Guy Singleton, Krystian Zajac, Simon Buddle and Aneta Armova-Levin, the committee’s aim is to gather information pertaining to industry stakeholders about relevant codes and standards, and attempt to positively influence those which are relevant to the industry.

The committee is currently working with the IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology) on two new standards - ‘Connected Systems Integration Code of Practices’ and ‘Low Voltage Direct Current Power Distribution in Buildings’.

To support the growing importance of industry standards, and with the news that two new standards are in progress, CEDIA has created a webpage which lists all relevant Standards, Code of Practices and other recommended documents.

To view this information, visit www.cedia.co.uk/standards

NEW TRADE SUPPLIER SERVICE CEDIA has launched its Manufacturer and Distributor Finder Service on its website, developed to raise the profile and promote the business of its Trade Supplier members.

This speedy search function is a huge benefit for CEDIA trade supplier members, as their company profile and contact details will be listed on CEDIA’s trade website (www. cedia.co.uk). Installers visiting the page can identify relevant CEDIA Trade Supplier members nearby by filtering country, postcode or by simply entering key words, such as brand or product.

“For us to grow as an association and industry, it is important for CEDIA to continue expanding our membership offerings for Trade Supplier, Home Technology Professionals and Professional Services Members alike,” explains Wendy Griffiths. “The Manufacturer and Distributor Finder Service is a great tool – especially for new HTP members who are looking to join CEDIA and require references in order to complete the application. A quick search will reveal a host of suppliers who are already members and can be contacted for a referral.”

WELCOME TO CEDIA CEDIA would like to take this opportunity to welcome its latest members. Thanks for joining the world of CEDIA. • Cabling Tech UK • City Home Cinemas • ECSAV Ltd • Hughes Smart Home

NEW YEAR, NEW JOB

DON’T FORGET

as a member benefit Looking for a new job? Look no CEDIA members can further than the post vacancies to the CEDIA job page, page for free! where you will find full details of the latest roles in the residential custom install market.

• Sales Manager – Dawsons AV, UK • AV Sales Manager – Pyramid, UK

• JL Smart Home Automation

• PCB Kitting / 1st Stage Assembly Operator – Meridian, UK

• Labiib Solutions

• Client Sales Manager – Meridian, UK

• Media-Max

• Senior Audio Visual Engineer – Modus Vivendi, UK

• Oliver Smith Electrical • Orluna LED Technologies • Smart Audio • SMS Electrical Services • Veritais Ltd

• AV & Home Cinema Residential Install Engineer – IRIS Technical, UK • Senior AV Installation Technician – Look & Listen, Australia Visit www.cedia.co.uk/jobs for more information.

In order to qualify for CEDIA Trade Supplier membership, both manufacturing and distributing businesses need to prove a minimum of six months training history and should provide three references from Home Technology Professionals, one of which must already be a CEDIA member.

For more information on CEDIA, becoming a Trade Supplier member or to use the Manufacturer and Distributor Finder Service, please visit www.cedia.co.uk/resources.

SPOT STEVE Steve Carter, CEDIA’s Business Development Manager has been hitting the road, visiting UK members up and down the country. His first visits of 2015 were to Harpenden Electrical, Philharmonic AV and Ivory Egg. CEDIA offers its members a range of useful white papers, training courses and event support, but sometimes a face to face discussion is needed to explain how these resources can help a business. This new approach seems to be working, as those members who Steve has visited, have provided some great feedback.

If you are interested in meeting up with Steve, email scarter@cedia.co.uk

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CEDIA MEMBERS ON SHOW AT ISE A number of CEDIA EMEA Trade Supplier members are exhibiting at ISE this year, launching a range of exciting new products to the European market. With over 1,000 exhibitors at the show, it’s best to have an idea of which companies you want to visit. Here is a guide to some of the stands we suggest you stop by.

HALL 1 ALDOUS SYSTEMS – SPEAKERCRAFT - STAND 1-N70 SpeakerCraft will be showcasing the new MRA-664 whole-home audio controller. This controller delivers up to six unique music sources for amazing sound in up to twelve rooms of the house. It is the first to integrate multi-room audio with networked and streamed sources and home theatre control in a way that is simple to set up and superb to experience.

The company will also be focussing on its newest series of amplifiers. The new line is available from 50-, 100- and 150-watt stereo amps to 12- and 16-channel amps with 30 and 50 watts per channel respectively.

HALL 1 AMBER INTERNATIONAL - URC STAND 1-M16 Amber International will unveil the URC SNP-2 Streaming Network Player for the first time to European audiences.

Installed anywhere on the home Wi-Fi network as part of a Total Control® whole-house automation system, users can gain instant two-way access to thousands of internet radio stations, their own music collection and stored music using Windows Media® Player or My Music.

Visitors will be able to find out more about URC Mobile apps for users of iOS and Android smart phones and tablets and see a demonstration of an extensive array of two-way control modules. The newest modules harness the power and functionality of the latest products from Nest, Lutron and DSC.

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HALL 1 AMINA TECHNOLOGIES - STAND 1-P19 Expanding the company’s range of discrete passive subwoofers, Amina Technologies Ltd will be showing the impressive ALF120 for the very first time. This will be of great interest to AV professionals who currently specify Amina for home cinema and media rooms, as they will now be able to add a perfectly matched, high performance, highly discrete subwoofer to their designs. The ALF120 features a unique distributed transmission line design which endows it with high efficiency, deep and fast bass response and a narrow slot opening for the pressure waves to enter the room.

To excite installers and specifiers, Amina will be using a section of their stand to display a range of different material finishes that can be used to hide its speakers. These range from wood veneer to leather coverings.

HALL 1 HALL 4 CUE - STAND 1-N110 CUE will present a new integration platform for home and building automation technologies. Based on advanced hardware and software solution, the CUE System integrates different protocols, systems and devices based on worldwide technologies DALI, KNX, DMX512, EnOcean, Modbus, Philips HUE, UPnP, DLNA, Sonos, Autonomic, KODI, PJLink, MIDI, and many others.

CUE will also be showing the concept of graphic user control interface based on a TV screen and TV remote. This technology can control the home environment including security, lighting, HVAC, motorised gate and more. The interface uses simple and intuitive layout and navigation is performed by reduced set of remote buttons - directional pad, back and home.

LUTRON - STAND 4-R56 Lutron brings its full range of residential, commercial and hospitality solutions to ISE for the first time. Lutron will be showing dealers how they can grow their business through providing extensive control of natural and electric light integrated to AV, HVAC or security systems. Not to forget its industry leading LED dimming solutions.

Lutron will also be presenting two seminars in the ISE Residential Solutions Theatre – ‘Between on and off in a solid-state world: considerations when dimming LEDs’ and ‘No strings attached: considerations for wireless control of lighting’.

CUE will showcase a wide range of wired and wireless control panels, including beautifully styled touch screen panels, wall mounted button panels, controllers and interfaces, as well as software applications which enable use of any Apple iOS, Android and Windows device as a CUE System control panel.

HALL 1 CRESTRON HALL 2 - STAND 2-C24 Crestron will be showing Crestron™ Pyng, the app that is the home automation system. Pyng allows technology integrators to create lifestyle scenes for each room, schedule events and much more right from an iPad. A compact hub connects accessories with the app, runs scenes and events, even without the presence of an iPad and continuously backs up all home settings to the cloud, making changes easy and secure.

Crestron will be announcing the winners of the Crestron Integration Awards at 3.00pm on Wednesday 11 February.

RAKO CONTROLS STAND 1-P90 Rako will be showcasing a patented NFC (Near Field Communication) wireless wallplate which is programmable via a PC adaptor or smartphone. The company will also be highlighting a programmable wireless volt free interface unit which allows the use of standard latching rocker switches. This means standard accessories from any switch plate manufacturer can be used to link into a Rako wireless or wired control system ensuring that all electrical accessories match the design and décor of an installation.

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HALL 7 BASALTE STAND 7-Q185 Basalte will be showcasing new products from its elegant Eve on-wall mounting frames collection. These include, Eve touch, which is a frame adapted to the dimensions of the trendy Apple iPod touch and which can replace the larger iPad screen where needed. The new table base in this Eve collection is an elegant support for the Eve Air and Eve mini iPad onwall mounting frames.

HALL 12 VITREA STAND 12-B78 A leading innovator in the home automation industry, Vitrea will be sharing its vision to enable home and business owners to be able to control and connect their interior electrical appliances in an elegant yet simple and affordable way. The VTouch Plus glass touch keypads will be on display, alongside VTouch Pro, a complete wireless smart home system based on VTouch RF switches and the VMax All-in-one controllers.

HALL 5 WYRESTORM TECHNOLOGIES EUROPE STAND 5-U120 WyreStorm will showcase the very latest in UltraHD 4K and 1080p HD for one of the most comprehensive total AV solutions available over HDBaseT, HDMI and HD-over-IP. The company introduces bold new solutions, including full 4K distribution with HDMI and HDBaseT 5Play matrices, 4K/HD scaling and in-line audio downmixing, slim-line 4K extenders, receivers and splitters and a powerful new 4K test kit.

When combined with the official launch of the much anticipated Enado control interface and the new NetworkHD-PRO H.264 IP solution, as well as the modular HDBaseT matrix, WyreStorm has plenty to shout about at ISE this year. Rumour has it, there will be a couple of surprise product announcements during the show.

HALL 7 ARTCOUSTIC LOUDSPEAKERS STAND 7-X185 Artcoustic will be demonstrating the new high end Performance Series with its worldwide launch, as well as showcasing the diversity possible with Artcoustic loudspeakers. From the Performance or Spitfire series for state of the art Dolby Atmos or Auro-3D速 cinemas, through to bespoke colours for small discrete models like the Targets from the SL Series, Artcoustic can offer many amazing loudspeaker solutions.

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HALL 10

HALL 7

LEAF - CONTROL4 STAND 10-N114

AURO TECHNOLOGIES STAND 7-V185

Leaf will be revealing the new Leaf Ultra (LU) Series, the company’s HDCP 2.2 compliant Ultra High-Definition (HD) matrix range on the Control4 Booth. Also on show will be the thinnest POH enabled HDBaseT Class A receivers available anywhere in the world.

Auro Technologies is the creator of the Auro-3D® immersive audio format. The Auro-3D® suite offers ground-breaking and easy-to-use sound reproduction capabilities to the professional, automotive, broadcast and consumer electronics markets.

At ISE, Auro Technologies will be demonstrating Auro-3D® as an end-toend solution for immersive sound. The company will also showcase Auro3D® sound processors including models from Denon, Marantz, Trinnov and Datasat as well as its own Auriga™, Mensa™, and Crux™. The stand will feature the Auro-3D® demo booth, equipped with an Auro 9.1 speaker layout.

HALL 12 UNITECH SYSTEMS EE STAND 12-B92 Unitech Systems designs and manufactures mounts and mechanisms for all kinds of AV applications. Unitech Systems’ main focus is on facilitating and optimizing the use of AV, with high quality products. This year, the company will be exhibiting a range of new products at ISE, including flat TV ceiling lifts, swivelling wall mounts and wall mechanisms, panel moving mechanisms, rail ceiling systems and projector ceiling lifts.

HALL 5 HDANYWHERE - STAND 5-R114 Breaking into audio distribution in 2015, HDanywhere will preview LayerCake™, its first whole-home audiovisual system, comprised of an 8x8 video matrix, a 12x12 audio matrix and an 8-zone power amplifier, optimised for custom installation. With LayerCake™, installers can quickly and easily deliver up to eight zones of colourful, immersive multi-room HD video and up to twelve zones of high fidelity audio to a client’s home.

The development of LayerCake™ means that for the first time ever, installers can get sound, vision and amplification all from the HDanywhere brand. In addition to this, show goers can see the full suite of HDanywhere HDMI matrices (mHub, mHub 4K and Modular) as well as its selection of HDMI extenders, splitters and signal management products.

Don’t forget to… …visit CEDIA at the show on Stand 1-F21.

CEDIA representatives will be there throughout ISE to answer questions and provide information about its work across EMEA and the benefits that membership brings.

Every member who stops by the CEDIA stand will receive a FREE beanie hat.

We look forward to seeing you in Amsterdam.

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TRAINING & EVENTS CALENDAR Feb 19

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Introduction to Smart Home Wiring

CEDIA Technician EST1 Bootcamp

Epsom, Surrey

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

Mar 10

12

16

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Networking School

RIBA Roadshow

Let’s Make Money -

Standardising Your Business Model

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

Birmingham, UK

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

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Introduction to Smart Home Wiring

Designing & Installing Audio, Video and Home Cinema

Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh

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Lighting Design Package

Introduction to CAD Design

Residential Networking

Wireless Residential Networking

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

Epsom, Surrey

Epsom, Surrey

National Homebuilding & Renovating Show NEC, Birmingham

Apr 8

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CEDIA Structured Cabling Assessor

Introduction to Smart Home Wiring

Structured Cabling Workshop

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

Epsom, Surrey

CEDIA HQ, St Neots

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21

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RIBA Roadshow

Customer Relations and Needs Analysis

Design Process and Documentation

Home Cinema Design Package

The Principles of Project Management

London, UK

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

Epsom, Surrey

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

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Sub Systems Design and Integration

ESD1 Designer Exam

CEDIA Certified Presenter

CEDIA Outreach Instructor

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

CEDIA HQ, St. Neots

IP Networking For Modern Homes

Book training at www.cediaeducation.com/courses

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60 SECONDS WITH…

Cyprian Ezeomedo listen to the sound of your video/ TV volume from the same speakers in the room. What can be more appealing than that? It is wonderful…

What’s your company and where is it based?

My Company is called Franzucon Ltd. We are contractors and system integrators in the Custom Electronics, Smart Home, Integrated Security and Safety Solutions Industries and are based in Abuja, FCT in Nigeria.

How long have you been a CEDIA member?

I registered my company to become a member in 2014 at the CEDIA EXPO at Denver, Colorado.

How did you get into the industry?

In 2009, I worked for a company that was involved in custom electronics and security systems. I became more interested and involved in the industry in 2012 when smart systems took over our world like an invasion. It was then that I discovered associations like CEDIA, Infocomm, Integrated System Europe (ISE), CEA etc. I also came across product manufacturers that are key players and founding members of the industry, who encouragingly enough, have a lot to offer in line with my field. This prompted me to get into the industry and here we are.

What’s your favourite project and why?

I have never really thought about this because I enjoy all my projects. I feel with the evolution of 4K (UHD), my current project, a full Smart Home Cinema Theatre and Home Automation solution would be the favourite, because it includes all the latest technology.

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

I would say, multi room audio distribution systems. With multi room audio distribution system, everyone is happy and the whole environment is peaceful. As contemporary as it is, you can even

What do your consider your biggest achievement as a CEDIA member?

My biggest achievement as a CEDIA member is being able to attend the CEDIA Expo at Denver, Colorado and registering my company. This has allowed me to be recognised as a professional under the CEDIA umbrella, associate with member manufacturers and sign up dealership and distributorship partnerships.

What would it mean to you to win a CEDIA Award?

It would mean a lot to me and my company to win a CEDIA Award!

It would be a great honour to be recognised and identified as a professional and on a professional association platform like CEDIA. What’s the biggest issue for custom installation businesses today and how can they deal with it?

The biggest issue to the best of my knowledge is the rapid rate at which new products flood the market. It causes a lot of confusion for integrators and consumers, in as much as we want to embrace what’s new and stay ahead of our peers. Interoperability still remains a challenge. However, HDBaseT Alliance has done a great deal to enable interoperability in the AV sector. More needs to be done to cover security and safety. With 4K (UHD) now the talk of the season, and having to know that It requires a lot of bandwidth to transmit online,

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It would mean a lot to me and my company to win a CEDIA Award

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Who are you?

Engr. Cyprian Ezeomedo, Managing Director/ CEO, Franzucon Ltd, Nigeria

we are presented with another challenge. CEDIA’s ability to regulate is key to deal with all these issues.

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

Maybe the evolution of technology – slow down the rate of product releases and be aware of price control.

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

I am a creative person who craves for constant innovation. If I was not in the CI sector, I would have probably been in the oil and gas or aviation sector (Aeronautical Engineer). But I like the challenge in this industry.

It is because of my faith and passion for technological innovation, that I found myself here.

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WEARABLE TECH FOR A SMARTER WAY OF LIFE Maria Ingold reports on the growth of Wearable Tech

W

earable Tech wove its way even more into consumer life at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with the possibility to intervene in the custom electronic world through home health, security and mobility applications as well as device control and more.

Creating printable wearables is simpler than ever.

Companies like Nervous System allow jewellery and clothing to be sketched rather than 3D-modelled.

Applying a pattern creates the kinematic material mesh.

And selective laser sintering melts the printed materials together using 3D printers like Autodesk’s Ember which uses their open 3D printing software, Spark.

In the truest definition of wearable tech, Intel powers OpenBionics - an open-source project that 3D prints robotic arms, typically costing $50K, for less than $1K. The next step is to provide biometric feedback to the wearer.

CES’s innovation awards included a number of sports wearables. Jabra’s Sport Pulse Wireless earbuds include an in-ear biometric heart monitor. Cityzen embeds fabric with microsensors that monitor temperature, heart rate, speed, location and acceleration.

Socks by Sensoria analyse and coach on foot landing technique, cadence and running form. And Adidas’s miCoach SmartBall incorporates a tracking sensor into its football.

At the higher end of consumer e-health monitoring is Masimo’s MightySat – a pulse oximeter known for its reliability in extreme situations and used by professional athletes like Dotsie Bauch, silver medal-winning Olympic cyclist, and Stig Severinsen, world-champion freediver.

On the more surreal yet useful side of innovation, Emiota’s Belty is an “awearable” object – an attentive belt that helps the wearer become more aware of his or her body. And Logbar’s Ring looks like a stylish ring, but gestural motions can control home appliances and web services – turn on the lights, TV, order a taxi, etc.

Tracker systems are also more common. TrackR (pictured left) uses distance indicators or crowd GPS to

track items like keys, phones and pets. Crowd GPS works best in urban areas where many customers have the app (or can relay off of partner apps). When the TrackR object comes within 100 feet of the app, the consumer receives a live GPS update of its location.

Similar technology allows tracking of pets and children. Motorola’s Scout5000 is like a GoPro for dogs with incorporated GPS and their WirelessFence25 uses a collar and wireless ground stakes to provide a boundary. FitBark is dog-bone shaped activity tracker. And SafeFamily’s PAXIE is wearable tech for kids – it provides both activity monitoring (steps, heart rate, ambient temperature) and location monitoring (GPS, boundary alerts).

PAXIE includes a GSM chip and can be used for home (up to 10 bands) or at an enterprise level, say for schools (unlimited bands).

Wearable tech is also being used to talk to cars. BMW demonstrated its i3, a fully electric car with a virtual valet feature. A smart watch can tell the i3 to “Pick me up” and the car will navigate using ultrasonic sensors from its parking space through a parking structure.

And BMW’s Mobility product (pictured right) allows consumers to plan their daily travel (driving, public transport, walking etc.) using their online diary on their smart TV or app and receive updates throughout the day on their mobile or smart watch if travel disruptions occur.

Vehicles like Ford and Jaguar are starting to display smart phone apps in-car with the capacity to update home environments when the driver nears home.

Mercedes provides a glimpse of the future with its concept car. In driverless mode the seats rotate around to face each other. And the interior car doors have embedded touch screens which integrate with smart and wearable devices.

With all of the products shown at CES already available or coming out this year, Cisco’s “The Connected Life” story presented at IBC 2014 begins to feel much closer to reality. When an Adidas SmartBall breaks a window, it can identify itself to a window sensor as a football. The SafeFamily PAXIE can identify the children’s proximity to the house and their heart rate. And while the parents are waiting (wearing their Sensoria socks, Emiota Belty and printable clothing) for their BMW i3 to come collect them, they can order new window glass via their smart phone or watch and know that their children are safe.

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

2014

at a glance CEDIA EMEA

Membership

Member category split

659

EMEA representation

EMEA

56%

4,586

Social media

1,512

White papers downloaded

Facebook likes

346

Articles generated in the trade and press

18

Equivalent to ÂŁ1.1m adver tising value

Exhibitions attended

61 UK

%

Training courses offered

New white papers

2,776

Wiring guidelines distributed

52

Marketing

Events

104 10

393

Twitter followers

Education

71%

new members in 2014

Installers Trade suppliers

136

19%

44%

International

8% Affiliates 1.5% Consultants

0.5% Sales

UK

Fundamentals books sold

% 39 International

178

Figures correct at 31/12/2014.

50,000

Visits to the

finder service

150

14

Entrants to the Resources awards across translated int o 16 countries local languages

People attended connect events in 2014

51,003 Visitors 952

Exhibitors

www.cedia.co.uk

untries co

41

members

Industry relations

740 CPDs

presented to Architects

Home Technology, Professionally Installed

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

CEDIA AWARDS IT’S WORTH IT!

L

ast year, Philharmonic AV entered into the CEDIA Awards for the first time. Hoping to just be shortlisted, the Kent-based integration firm was delighted to go further in the process and lift the trophy for Best Media Room over £15,000. Phil Turner, Managing Director of Philharmonic AV explains the reasons why 2014 was the year to take part.

AWARDS PARTICIPATION

AWARDS PARTICIPATION

I always saw the CEDIA Awards as the pinnacle of achievement in our industry. For this reason, I was keen to enter the awards scheme, but was waiting for an appropriate project for entry. As a team, we were really pleased with our work on the Wimbledon Media Room project, but as everyone knows, you can only go ahead with promoting the project if the client is on board. Fortunately for us, the client was happy for us to photograph and submit their home as an AWARDS PR entry.

PARTICIPATION COVERAGE We started the entry process and it probably took us two or three days in total. It does seem like a lot of time, but we actually found it to be a very helpful exercise. Even though most of the information was there, it was useful in realising the importance of collating all of the documentsPR in one place AWARDS for the project.

PARTICIPATION COVERAGE We were delighted to hear that we were shortlisted in the Best Media Room over

£15,000 category, but ecstatic when our name was called out at the awards ceremony.

I can still remember how shocked and emotional I felt when we were announced as the winner. I am so proud of all of the hard work the team continually put in and this was recognition to them more than to me that it is all worthwhile.

In his opening address at the ceremony, CEDIA Chairman Kris Hogg asserted that “demonstrated while PR all short-listed projectsDiscounted great integration at a system Training and design COVERAGE level... the winners showed an extra dimension in creativity, innovation and wow factor that really sets them apart.” To be recognised as a company that strives for, and achieves, excellence is a fantastic affirmation of Philharmonic’s intention to go beyond the acceptable to the exceptional.

PR Discounted

COVERAGE I believe that by winning the award, it Training

has inadvertently helped us gain new business. The accolade helps prospects feel

Discounted Training

Discounted Training

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

T

his year, CEDIA will be running its 10th CEDIA Awards scheme.

With a deadline of the 24th April, it is time to look back at your recent projects, and start working on your entries.

The scheme is free to enter and open to CEDIA members across EMEA (the UK and Europe, Russia and the CIS, the Middle East, Africa, India and Pakistan). The CEDIA Awards will open for online entries in February 2015.

CEDIA has revised the entry categories which now include adjusted price brackets and altered category titles. The full categories are as follows:

comfortable with the standards we adhere to. Having such an award backs up the usual sales spiel that they regularly hear.

We probably haven’t done enough to promote our award win yet. In that typical British way, we have been careful not to be too boastful. We have added a few blog entries to our website and included it on our email signatures.

The main benefit of taking part in the CEDIA Awards is the sense of pride in what we do. I would encourage all members to apply for the awards. We genuinely entered into the CEDIA Awards last year to understand the process and what is involved in entering. We hoped we might be shortlisted, but we never thought that we would win the category. I am sure that other members would gain a lot from just the process alone. It is very satisfying to be dissecting a project and reminding yourself why it made you so proud.

• Best Media Room under £10,000 (revised) • Best Media Room over £10,000 (revised) • Best Energy Management Solution • Best Multiple Scheme for a Property Developer • Best Yacht Installation • Best Integrated Home under £100,000 • Best Integrated Home £100,000 - £250,000 • Best Integrated Home over £250,000 • Best Showroom • Best Training Initiative by a Trade Supplier • Best Custom Solution (previously Best Innovative Solution) • Best Innovative Product • Best Lighting Scheme (revised) • Best Dressed Rack • Best Home Cinema under £40,000 • Best Home Cinema £40,000 - £100,000 • Best Home Cinema over £100,000 Additionally, CEDIA will recognise and celebrate the contribution of individuals to the work of CEDIA, and the development and growth of the residential custom installation industry with its Special Recognition Award.

CEDIA members will also be invited to choose their Best Trade Supplier in a special online vote organised as part of the scheme.

“As one of the industry’s leading events, it is important that our awards reflect the changes in the custom install sector,” explains Wendy Griffiths. “We recognised that the price bracket for the media room category wasn’t accurate and have therefore decided to change it. We take pride in our awards scheme as it provides a platform for our members to showcase their best work. By altering the categories slightly, we feel that we will reach a wider audience and hope to receive more entries from our members.”

For more information about the CEDIA Awards and to read the category criteria, visit www.cediaawards.org

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

CHEAP AS CHIPS THE PROBLEM WITH POOR QUALITY LED LIGHTING

THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND LED LIGHTING

by Iain Shaw Partner at CEDIA member company, Brilliant Lighting

“I’ve got a house full of LED and I hate it”; that’s hardly a ringing endorsement of our primary source of light for residential projects. Yet that’s a verbatim quote from a lady we met. She’s not a lone dissenting voice either.

We speak to quite a few people who have had really off-putting experiences with LED lighting and the most recent statistics from The Department of Energy and Climate Control suggest LED take-up in the home is static.

Yet LED is a magical light source.

The LEDs used for lighting are naturally blue. In simple terms they are made white with the application of phosphor.

The amount, the precise colour of the phosphor, the way that it is applied and how the chip is thermally managed determine the colour, colour rendering and stability of the colour over time.

Billions of chips are made but only a small proportion emit really good quality light. Top quality manufacturers buy these expensive chips and then invest substantially in R&D and materials to develop light engines or lamps which enhance and maintain these chips so that they continue to deliver lovely light. They ‘colour bin’ the chips accurately so that, as a specifier, you can choose the colour of light you wish to buy – and the fittings or lamps do what they say they’re going to do. Meanwhile, substantial quantities of cheaper, less desirable chips are bought and used in poorer quality light engines or lamps, and sold at low prices. These chips can give a wide variation around white: usually blue, green or yellowy brown. Cheap in this context is a relative term. A “cheap” LED source will still likely be a lot more expensive than its halogen equivalent.

So what has this to do with the lady with a house full of LED that she hates? Put simply, there are more things to consider with LED lighting and there are more ways to get it wrong. Let’s group the complaints people make into three main headings. It’s cold, dingy, and it doesn’t dim properly.

LED LIGHTING IS COLD It often is but it needn’t be. The inherent ‘blue’ commonly found in poor LED lighting can create the ambience of the abattoir, but we use LED all the time to create beautiful welcoming spaces. It’s important to understand colour temperature and even

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

more important to physically test it out. Ideally you’d test out potential LED sources against a halogen ‘benchmark’, to get a real comparison of the LED vs what you’re used to. Good quality fittings/lamps should be able to hold their own against halogen.

LED LIGHTING IS DINGY The complaint about dinginess is easy to understand. Halogen is a familiar light and we are used to its characteristics, both in terms of quantity of light and colour rendering.

In terms of output, if we take the 50w low-voltage halogen lamp as a benchmark, its typical output is c.900 lumens (lumens is a measure of the amount of light from a source). A good quality LED replacement lamp at the moment might put out 400 lumens. That’s a big difference.

It’s enough of a difference to mean like for like replacement is unlikely to give acceptable results. LED replacement lamps have to mirror the form factor of the light source they are replacing otherwise they won’t physically fit into the fittings. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for the thermal management that LED demands. Lower output is a consequence. However, there is an alternative. Because they aren’t restricted by an unsuitable form factor, dedicated LED fittings can have better thermal management and are capable of much higher output than a retro-fit lamp.

‘Dinginess’ is also a function of colour rendering: low voltage halogen delivers an almost perfect rendering across the whole colour spectrum. Blues look blue, reds look red, and wood looks warm. LEDs can vary hugely: chips with poor colour rendering will make many colours look a flat dingy brown or grey, chips with excellent colour rendering will bring out the warm and depth that make a space interesting.

LED LIGHTING DOESN’T DIM PROPERLY LED lighting needs to be dimmed differently.

Conventional dimmers and LED don’t make happy bedfellows, and you can end up with some very odd results including flashing, flickering, and barely dimming. Gone are the days when you could just wire fittings and dimmers together and just expect them to work.

A small number of manufacturers are starting to bring out ‘conventional’ looking dimmers which work better with some LEDs, and this is a welcome step forward. We would still strongly recommend that the different components (LED source, driver and dimming module) are tested together at an early stage, as compatibility between the components is key.

For optimum results though we’d suggest using a lighting control system. Lighting control systems offer another level of refinement and are an ideal partner for LED lighting schemes. A well specified, designed and programmed control system will enable dimming through DALI, 0-10v and DMX, all of which enable excellent dimming for a wide range of LED sources, including linear 12v/24v LEDS (great for coffer washes etc). Early consideration and expert advice are both important – ideally from a firm who deeply understands both light sources and the lighting control system – as the cabling architecture can be very different.

For further information on LED lighting, download the IET Code of Practice for the Application of LED Lighting Systems from the IET website www.theiet.org

GET YOUR

CEDIA

JACKET Being a CEDIA member is something to be proud of. It shows customers, design professionals and colleagues that you are part of a professionally trained and knowledgeable company. One way to ensure that people are aware that you are a CEDIA member, is to take advantage of the association’s latest offer – a new CEDIA branded jacket.

Accessible to all members, the jackets are available in charcoal, with sizes ranging between S – XL for men and size 10 upwards for women. The classic, soft shell jacket, which is waterproof, includes a front zip, and both side and inner pockets. With a draw cord hem and collar, and an inner micro fleece layer, the jacket will keep you warm when you are on site and out and about visiting customers. The CEDIA logo is included on the front of the jacket.

The jackets are available to purchase directly from the CEDIA website for £34.99 + VAT. Simply visit www.cedia. co.uk/jackets for more information and to place your order.

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

THE

RESULTS

ARE IN!

For a third year running, CEDIA has teamed up with Parks Associates to conduct extensive research into the UK residential custom installation market. The findings detail a healthy, growing CI market, with average turnover increasing by 30% in 2014.

The research suggests that the UK residential custom installation sector is in a positive position. It states that the market is sized as being worth between £910m and £975m and includes 1,500 active companies.

“The findings for 2013 – 2014 show that our industry is extremely prosperous, with an increase in turnover of 30%,” explains Wendy Griffiths. “We are pleased to see that the custom install industry remains buoyant, with around 2,500 new home technology professionals joining the market in the last year. These results are encouraging for the whole industry, as it is proof that exciting opportunities still exist in our sector”.

The extensive project was carried out by international market research company, Parks Associates from July until October of this year. 270 Home Technology Professional companies based in the UK qualified for the survey, having designed and installed systems in residential properties over the last 12 months.

Other findings in the research included: • The market research sized the UK market as worth between £910m and £975m in 2013.

• In 2012, 10,000 individuals were employed as HTPs in the UK. In 2013 that number increased 12% year-on-year to 11,250. In 2014 the number sits at 13,750 showing a 22% increase year-on-year.

• From 2013-2014, the split of new build vs. retrofit projects remains constant at 40% vs. 60% • 63% of companies report that they complete projects in the UK only; while 37% based in the UK also operate outside of the UK. This compared to a 70%:30% split in 2013.

• Average gross turnover in 2014 is estimated at £1.54m, an increase of 30% from 2013.

• Equipment continues to account, on average, for 50% of a project’s total price.

• Approximately 85% of the UK’s custom installers complete AV projects, remaining unchanged from 2013.

• AV projects account for approximately 50% of all company residential turnover with home cinema/media rooms the largest slice at 20%.

• After AV projects lighting control/design accounts for about 13% of residential turnover.

• The average lighting project was reported at £16,697 in 2012 and £19,825 in 2013. In 2014, the expected average project revenue for lighting has increased by a remarkable 39% to £27,553.

• More than 60% of companies report that 22% of their 2014 TV installs will include Ultra HD panels, an increase from 3% in 2013.

• In 2014, approximately 40% of companies report installing security systems with 85% offering homeowner monitored systems in compared to 76% in 2013.

A detailed copy of the UK market research report is available to purchase. The full report is free to those CEDIA member companies who contributed to the survey and priced at £149 to CEDIA members and £299 to non-members. To purchase your copy, please visit www.cedia. co.uk/market-research or email research@cedia.co.uk for more information.

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Since gaining recognition for Home Technology Integrators with the JIB (Joint Industry Board) last year, CEDIA has issued eighteen ECS (Electrotechnical Certification Scheme) Related Discipline cards.

Custom installers require access to construction sites on a regular basis but can be prevented from entering the site if they do not hold valid identification documents. The ECS card is a simple and effective way to overcome this problem as it is the recognised ID and competence card scheme for anyone working in the electrotechnical field in the UK. As an ECS Health and Safety assessment centre, CEDIA is helping home technology integrators to qualify for the ECS card.

To be entitled to the new ECS Home Technology Integrator card, custom installers need to successfully complete the CEDIA EST2 training course and the ECS Health and Safety Assessment.

For more information visit www.cediaeducation.com/hands

Here, CEDIA chats to two EST2 Certified individuals who received their ECS card in 2014…

THE IMPORTANCE OF ECS CARDS Why did you decide to apply for an ECS Card?

JB Having completed the EST2 certification and appreciating the importance of health and safety, it seemed a logical step to attend the Health & Safety training courses and apply for the ECS card.

AK I applied for the ECS card as part of a Business Development Review for my Company.

How did CEDIA’s involvement help you?

JB CEDIA’s involvement was key to raising awareness and simplifying the application. I received CEDIA’s monthly newsletter and it was the article in this that brought my attention to the importance of the ECS card. I contacted CEDIA directly and started the process.

AK I believe that CEDIA’s involvement in this scheme saved me a great deal of time and effort. With the association taking the initiative to raise awareness of the process, it really spurred me on to obtain the accreditation. Training with CEDIA is excellent, so it was a natural step to attend its ECS training course. I would say that CEDIA has certainly assisted my business in growing its revenue for the latter half of 2014 and into 2015.

What are the main benefits of having an ECS card?

JB The ability to demonstrate one’s competence when working on a site is always important and the ECS card is one of the tools that can really help with this.

AK So far, it is access to building sites and therefore increased revenue as per our Business Development review. We also offer our services on a sub-contract basis to larger data/AV installation companies, and ECS is a must for this.

Do you feel that there is a greater understanding for the industry now that Home Technology Integrator is being used on these cards?

JOOLS BROWNING

BROWNHEN SOLUTIONS www.brownhensolutions.com

JB There is a growing understanding for what a Home Technology Integrator is. However, I believe that our industry still has some way to go before our role is widely understood. The ECS card and other CEDIA led initiatives, such as the RIBA CPD presentation, are really important in helping to grow this essential understanding.

AK At the moment, I would say that there is still a bit of confusion as to what a Home Technology Integrator is. However, I do think that this will change in the near future, as more new-build domestic customers are looking for a fully networked/AV home.

How often are you asked to show the card?

JB Although we currently aren’t being asked to show the card on every occasion, it would only take one instance of a refusal by a site manager onto his site, for the card to be worth its weight in gold!

ANDY KIMBERLEE

KIMBERLEE COMMUNICATIONS www.kimcomm.co.uk

AK We get asked to show our ECS cards on a regular basis. It is generally the site managers and health and safety managers who ask to see the card.

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AURO-3D

®

IMMERSIVE SOUND FOR HOME CINEMA

Wilfried Van Baelen the inventor of Auro-3D®, describes for CEDIA Communicates how this technology delivers a revolution in sound for home cinema.

Auro-3D® is an all-in-one, end-to-end cross-market solution for true 3D sound.

This revolutionary sound format is the next generation in audio, adding a Height layer all around the audience, the final and missing dimension to traditional Surround Sound, to fully immerse the listener in a cocoon of life-like sound.

Invented by Wilfried Van Baelen as a spin-off from the renowned Galaxy Studios in Belgium, Auro-3D® has been introduced for the professional digital cinema in partnership with Barco.

Wilfried called this totally new experience “Immersive Sound” which became step-by-step the new generic term for “Surround sound with Height” all around the listener. There are now over 500 Auro

11.1 cinema screens around the world either installed or committed, and many major blockbuster movies have been released in this new format. Having revolutionized the cinema industry, Auro Technologies is now delivering an Immersive Sound solution for home cinema.

Everyone is talking about 3D Immersive sound at the moment, and of course Auro3D® is not the only solution available for the home. But the strength of Auro-3D® is that it can deliver true 3D sound in high resolution using existing delivery formats and with full backwards compatibility – no extra bandwidth needed. It works by creating a true 3D space around the listener by using either two or three vertical speaker layers built on top of the standard 5.1 or 7.1 Surround Sound layout.

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I N S I D E G A L A X Y S T U D I O S

Auro-3D® supports channel-based technology (which has many advantages in the workflow from recording up to delivery) but also can support objectbased technology for larger rooms with more speakers. Depending on the size and shape of the room, the Auro-3D® format has scalable speaker layouts from Auro 9.1 (two layers) up to Auro 11.1 or 13.1 (three layers) using channelbased technology and above about 20 individual channels object based technology in order to always deliver the most efficient solution combined with the most immersive sound experience.

The result is spectacular. The precise reproduction of sounds from everywhere is remarkable in its accuracy. The addition of the Height layer has a compelling and emotional impact on the listener, not just for film but also for music.

Auro-3D® is designed to be built as an addition to the standard Surround Sound speaker layout. The crucial Height layer is installed at around a 30° angle above the Surround Sound array. In its simplest form, an additional Height layer of four speakers can be added to create Auro 9.1.

These speakers can be wall mounted or ceiling mounted, directly above the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right Surround speakers. The advantage is that consumers often have space available directly above existing speakers, whereas installing ceiling speakers can be more challenging.

For larger rooms, ceiling speakers can also be added, to create a three-layer system (Auro 11.1 or 13.1), but the key to the Immersive Sound is Auro-3D®’s unique “vertical stereo field around the listener”, created by the combination of the ear-level surround layer and the second layer (Height layer) as defined by the Auro-3D® format– and this can be delivered no matter what size of room you are working with.

In terms of the receiver / processor technology, there are multiple solutions for every budget, ranging from upgrades to existing models through to models from high-end manufacturers, and even Auro Technologies’ own range: the Auro3D® Mensa™, Crux™ and Auriga™.

Auro 9.1 is the most efficient 3D sound system based on 5.1 standard.

High-end home cinema experts Pulse Marketing recently joined forces with Datasat to take more than 40 UK dealers inside the Galaxy Studios facility in Belgium, the home of Auro 3D®, enabling them to see, hear and feel this exciting, immersive sound experience for themselves.

The visit provided a fascinating insight into Auro 3D® through a range of impressive demos in both a full size commercial grade cinema and in a more intimate, authentic single room domestic setting. More than that, Wilfried van Baelen showed how the Galaxy Studios facility has set the standard in Europe for pristine acoustic performance and recording quality.

“Now this is an epic private cinema. Big thanks for an epic couple of days” Nick Fichte, Inspired Dwellings

“Auro 3D will completely change the surround sound experience.”

James Coburn, Complete Home Control

“Awesome trip” Luke Newland, New Land Solutions

“Incredible facilities. A real eye-opener. I thought the demo was fantastic.”

David Graham, Grahams Hi-Fi

HL

AURO 9.1 HEIGHT LAYER

“Is immersive sound the future? I think so. It’s state of the art, no question.”

HR

HLS

HRS

Check out the video from the trip at www.youtube.com/user/pulsecinemas

C L 110° LS

30°

Simon Williams, Olive Audio Visual

R

5.1 SURROUND LAYER

image captions ????

RS

To check out Auro 3D® in the UK, head to Pulse Marketing (www.pulsemarketing.com) for a demonstration where the system is configured in a 13.3 array, featuring Triad Speakers and Datasat Power Amplifiers.

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NEW AND IMPROVED EDUCATION Education is by far, one of the most important aspects to CEDIA. Run by industry experts and developed to provide attendees with a greater PR PR Discounted Discounted understanding of technological COVERAGE COVERAGE Training Training developments, CEDIA welcomes Bringing an impressive number of education members and non-members to you through the door each month.

FrEE White papers In a bid to make its education more accessible, CEDIA has secured two additional UK venues to host its most popular training courses.

PR PR COVERAGE COVERAGE This year, CEDIA has made

FrEE Discounted AlexanderDiscounted House in Epsom, the headquarters of highWhite papers Training end custom Training install distributor, AWE, will host sessions

Resources

Resources

Stand Space

Industry Resources

Industry Resources

several changes to improve in the South, while leading manufacturer, Armour Home will run training events at its Hindley Green facility in its education programme. By Wigan. Approximately twelve sessions will be held at introducing a range of new these two facilities in the first six months of 2015, with courses, and making training courses including an Introduction to Smart Home Technology, Introduction to Smart Home Wiring, more accessible, CEDIA has the Home Cinema Design Package and Residential ability to reach a wider audience Networking.

Industry Industry Discounted Discounted Dedicated in 2015.

Training Events Stand Space

FrEE White papers

“CEDIA offers an array of benefits to its members, with education being at the forefront. It is therefore important for our education to be easily accessible to our members, regardless of their location,” says Wendy Griffiths. “By securing a fixed training centre in both the North and South of the country, along with our training HQ in St Neots, attendingDedicated one of our Discounted base at CEDIA Discounted Training Events now be much easier.”

Stand Space courses will Stand Space

FrEE White papers

Dedicated

Training Events

Dedicated

Training Events

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

CEDIA education brochure 2015_draft5_Layout 1 22/01/2015 14:54 Page 1

Putting education online

In addition to these new facilities, CEDIA is also offering online supporting courses on its dedicated education website www.cediaeducation.com.

While face-to-face training remains extremely important in our industry, an online training portal is useful to those who find it difficult to take a full day out of work. These online supporting courses include Home Theatre Room Design, Introduction to Control and User Interfaces, Cable & Connector Properties and IP for Technicians. Sessions can be accessed by visiting the CEDIA education website and registering your details. Once registered, the content remains accessible for up to 90 days.

Building on its already impressive portfolio of workshops and courses, a host of new classes, including a rack building course and designer school are set to gratify the custom install industry in 2015. Meanwhile, its popular Home Cinema Course will be extended by an extra day.

New courses for 2015

Adding to CEDIA’s extensive education programme for 2015 is ‘Designer School’. This course will explore the critically important process of system design; from initial contact with the client, drawing and processing documents, managing the project itself to user interface design and third party integration. Over four days, attendees will participate in a series of intense sessions, focusing on the core subjects which make up Designer School, before sitting an exam on day five. The main topics are: Customer Relations, Design Documents and Process, Project Management Principles and Sub System Design and Integration – all of which are oneday courses and can be booked separately.

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Training & Curriculum Guide

CEDIA’s brand new Rackbuilding and Wiring Fundamentals course explores the complex systems increasingly specified as part of today’s Custom Install package. This is why pre planning and standardisation can determine the result of a tidy and serviceable solution, and therefore, a happy customer. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding into the different types of racks and how to apply the correct knowledge for overcoming issues with equipment placement, wiring, connectivity and rack build.

Another advance in CEDIA’s 2015 education schedule derives from the freshly expanded two-day Home Cinema course, which will focus completely on the art of home cinema design. Day one is the Home Cinema for Designers Course; exploring advanced CEDIA/ CEA recommended audio, video and home cinema practices before being tested with a full cinema design project on day two, which follows the original format of CEDIA’s popular Home Cinema Design Workshop.

Working from a real client brief and drawing package, each team will be expected to deliver an engineered and documented design. Each design will include performance calculations, plan drawings and equipment choices – complete with full design justification.

For more information and a full list of CEDIA’s education courses, please visit www.cediaeducation.com/courses.

W!

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THE HEAT IS ON

A number of residential custom installers are integrating heating controls within the systems they provide for their customers. CEDIA Communicates talks to some of the key players in the sector about the potential for more installers to develop their business in this area and asks, “is 2015 the year when integrated energy management becomes an intrinsic part of every whole home CI project?”

“Heating control is increasingly required for an integrated home,” says Peter Biggin, Product Sales Manager of Invision UK who supply Nest products to the UK custom installation market. “There is a convergence of technology, including HVAC and security products, in addition to the traditional CI portfolio of lighting and AV, which are all integrated with a control system. More affordable, integrated control systems are now available together with products designed for the consumer heating market. Also, end users are increasingly aware of internet based technology and have a greater awareness of the need for green solutions.”

offering ie selling more stuff to the same customer, rather than trying to find more customers, has to be an easier proposition for growing a business. If you don’t offer it, someone else will.”

Sophie Thomas, Marketing and Events at Ivory Egg agrees. “There is a definite opportunity for heating control in the CI market, especially now with heating focussed products, like Nest, spurring interest. End users want the whole package. Having a superb AV set up and lighting control system is no longer enough.”

So what challenges do installers face here?

“Heating control adds another dimension to a project, turning it into a holistic and fully rounded home control solution for the client, not to mention adding additional revenue potential for the System Integrator/ Custom Installer.

KNX allows system integrators to use their AV protocol of choice and interface with KNX as the backbone to control the rest.”

According to Dave Robinson, Managing Director at Sensible Heat, “the opportunity for widening the CI’s

Some CI businesses may think that integrating heating control is just not for them, of course.

“I think there is a view that heating control is the domain of a plumber or heating engineer,” adds Sophie Thomas.

“The nuts and bolts of the boiler etc is the domain of the plumber but the controls side is perfectly accessible to the Systems Integrator and they should not shy away from understanding more about what they can offer their clients.”

Dave Robinson continues. “Undoubtedly, HVAC control is non-trivial. From a classical control theory point of view, it is one of the few truly “closed loop” control systems that we have to deal with in domestic dwellings. Controlling the temperature in a room automatically is actually quite a tricky thing to do well. It needs specialist equipment, applied properly. There’s also the issue that, unlike say the audio or lighting systems, the CI will be controlling plant and equipment that he hasn’t specified or supplied, that’s been installed and commissioned by a contractor who may not understand any of the things that are so important to the CI’s work (aesthetics, ergonomics of the user interface, technical data interfacing issues, etc).”

Products like Nest are affordable, beautifully designed and a known and desirable brand

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“Unpicking these issues can be challenging. But the CI doesn’t have to do all this alone. Providing he chooses a partner company carefully, he can safely outsource the tricky areas where he might not have the correct expertise in-house, leaving his in-house staff to concentrate on providing the things they do best, including a properly thought-out user experience.”

“It is crucial that the partner not only understands the HVAC technical stuff, but has also successfully worked in the high-end residential sector before.”

There are other areas of concern for Sophie Thomas. “Understandably, integrators do not want to over promise and under deliver or get in over their heads. Managing on site relationships is key. Getting in to the design phase of the project early on eliminates potential risk of design blunders regarding heating control decisions and consistent communication with the heating engineer and end user will make for a much smoother project delivery.”

The products and support for installers keen to deploy integrated heating control and take advantage of the business opportunity do exist.

“Products, like Nest, are affordable, beautifully designed and a known and desirable brand,” explains Peter Biggin.

“Including Nest in a project will help win deals and provide the end user with the product they want. Our control systems can

integrate Nest thermostats and smoke detectors into a control solution providing the end client with a mix of consumer and pro products perfectly integrated.

Invision UK provides training on Nest including integration with control systems to aid installation.

Once trained, the installer will also be able to effectively demonstrate these surprisingly powerful features to the end user.”

“Our offering has two strands to it,” says Dave Robinson. “Firstly, the product we offer is appropriate in terms of cost, appearance and usability in the highend residential environment, and secondly we offer the know-how needed to navigate the specialist areas of the project safely. We often get heavily involved with the detail of the project, reviewing drawings and specifications, producing quotations and wiring schematics, helping to extract and decode the information from mechanical contractors, and commissioning the HVAC controls at the end of all this.”

For Sophie Thomas choosing the right products with the right functionality is key.

“We only offer the best KNX brands and our sales team all have technical on site experience. This means they can understand what the Integrator is trying to achieve and by asking the right questions we can establish the required functionality and advise about product accordingly. Training has always been important to us and so for the past couple of years we have been offering free KNX heating training. We plan to do this in 2015 too and are confirming dates as we speak. We are committed to opening up areas of the building control market to AV professionals as it’s theirs for the taking with the right support from us.”

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AROUND EMEA WITH CEDIA

2014 saw CEDIA widen its representation within the EMEA region, to 41 countries. With total membership figures standing at over 650, 44% of these companies are now based internationally.

CEDIA is now putting more effort into providing these companies with training opportunities and a library of translated resources.

CEDIA takes a look back over the last year, and announces its plans for 2015.

LOOKING BACK AT 2014 In 2014, CEDIA hosted a number of events. Towards the beginning of July, CEDIA presented its “Designing Integrated Future-Ready Homes” CPD course in Italy. A total of 17 installers attended the one-day training session.

“For me, the training course was beyond my expectations and has proved essential in our growth as a company,” explains Marco Perani, CEO of home automation company, Audiochic. “The instructors were extremely knowledgeable and provided high quality and useful information. I walked away feeling confident to not only talk and present to design professionals about home technology, but also to deliver CEDIA’s CPD course independently.”

The following month, CEDIA visited Mumbai, where it hosted a training and networking event. A total of 72 attendees participated in nine training sessions throughout the five-day event. CEDIA also held its Connect with CEDIA networking session, which saw over 100 professionals participate in active discussions and debates.

“The CEDIA event was a great initiative, especially for the Indian Custom Integration market” commented Sawan Nichani, founder of MacBee.

“The training was extremely well planned and executed. The content reflected changes in the ever evolving industry.”

October was a busy month for the association. It first visited Poland, where it attended the AV & Home Cinema Show, which is held in parallel with Smart House 2014.

Here, visitors had the chance to attend two CPD courses – one targeted at designers, specifiers and architects and the other aimed at installers, with the focus being on CEDIA’s Smart Home Recommended Wiring Guidelines document.

Later that month, CEDIA supported the All Digital Smart Building SAIE 2014 event in Italy, by running a free training course targeted at architects, interior designers, engineers and builders.

At the same time, CEDIA worked on a number of new white papers and made these suitable for a European audience.

In 2014, a total of 14 resources were translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Polish. These included ‘Dimming LED Lamps’, ‘HDMI Installation Best Practices’, ‘Home Technology Client Questionnaire’, ‘Network Security Best Practices’ and ‘Selecting Display Size based on Room Size and Seating’.

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LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015 The most recently translated document is CEDIA’s Smart Home Recommended Wiring Guidelines document.

Having previously been made available in French, Spanish and Italian, it is now targeted at the Polish market. This document has certainly proved to be the most popular document in CEDIA’s library of resources, with over 3,000 downloads since its launch in the UK two years ago.

Understanding that the market is different in every country, CEDIA launched a range of regional newsletters. Members in France, Italy, India and UAE now receive regular newsletters which focus on local issues, new resources, training events and member news. Following the first batch of newsletters, CEDIA received great feedback from its members in these countries.

ISE is a big International event for CEDIA, as it is a great opportunity for the team to catch up with its members and provide them with an impressive education programme.

While this show is a good start to the New Year, CEDIA aims to continue its run of local events in a number of countries throughout the EMEA region. CEDIA is still at the planning stages, so the dates and locations haven’t yet been confirmed. However, the Association can announce that it will be visiting France, South Africa, India, Italy, UAE and Russia.

Here is a rough guide to these events • France – April

• South Africa – June

• Italy – May

• India - September

• France - September

• Russia – October

• UAE - November

… plus more to be announced!

This year, CEDIA aims to continue growing the library of translated resources. The team is currently working on a number of white papers and expects to be able to introduce further documents in French, Polish, Spanish and Italian.

CEDIA will also continue with its regional newsletters and plans to introduce one for the South African market.

Information on the upcoming events and resources will be announced via CEDIA newsletters and relevant media in each country. Watch this space for more information.

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CEDIA LIGHTS THE WAY Last year, lighting design proved itself as an emerging and fundamental aspect of custom install. It can be a hugely profitable area for any business if done well, but it is an extremely complex technical field.

It is for this reason that CEDIA has kick-started 2015 by introducing a two-day Lighting Design Package. The new training course incorporates an introduction to lighting fundamentals and an in-depth look at residential lighting controls.

Introduction to Lighting Fundamentals

Residential Lighting Control

Day one of the Lighting Design Package is designed to provide engineers and designers, who are new to lighting control, with a solid understanding of the fundamentals.

This course follows the Lighting Fundamentals day and provides a more in-depth understanding of the subject by focussing on the practical application of lighting control in the residential market.

The course is aimed at developing installation engineers and designers who have a basic knowledge of lighting control.

The course starts by exploring lamp types, their characteristics and capabilities. A strong emphasis is placed upon the science behind the ‘art’ of lighting. Other subjects that are covered during the day include colour temperature, power law, series vs. parallel wiring, voltage drop and cabling sizing. After discussing the theory of lighting, the course moves on to a practical session. At this point, the trainer focusses on the testing of different dimming control types such as resistive dimming, LED, DALI and DMX.

This hands-on session puts a strong emphasis on regulation and safety, including BS7671 and Part L compliance. Students will learn about energy consumption and other ecological considerations, whilst also gaining an understanding of other related issues such as bathroom fans, emergency lighting, blinds, awnings and weather stations. The trainer will also focus on common pitfalls and best practice within this market. The afternoon will include a practical session where the different types of dimming are examined.

OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVES

• Understand different lamp types • Identify the different transformer and ballast types • Provide fundamental science needed for lighting control system design • Understand different dimming control methods

• Understand the lighting control system regulations • Identify, solve and implement complex lighting control solutions • Explore ancillary devices and their wiring requirements • Understand the energy and eco considerations

For more information, visit www.cediaeducation.com

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Peter Aylett

Technical Director at Archimedia Middle East asks the question - ‘Are your clients’ networks safe from the outside world?’

B

arely a week goes by these days before the press publicise a story of woe concerning an individual’s digital privacy being breached, or their data being lost. As all of our systems now touch the home’s IP network and the Internet beyond, it is critical that you become savvy about how to protect your customers and their data.

Here are nine top tips to help you on your way – HAVE THE CORRECT CONTRACTS IN PLACE FOR STAFF AND CLIENTS. To eliminate a potential threat to your company, have the correct contracts or clauses in place with your staff to ensure that the client’s information is protected and being used for the appropriate purpose. Do the same for your client. Ensure they receive and sign a contract which clarifies that the home technology professional will have knowledge of their passwords and remote access to their systems/CCTV. PASSWORDS ARE IMPORTANT. They always need to be strong. Do not use client names or any part of their address in the password.

Setup and configure equipment offsite before you arrive at your customer’s home. This will ensure that devices are secure from the moment they are plugged in.

ENSURE THAT THE INTERNET ROUTER IS SECURED its configuration changed from the Internet. This usually involves turning ‘Configure from The Internet’ off.

MAKE SURE THAT ANY REMOTE ACCESS YOU HAVE ENABLED INTO THE PROPERTY IS SECURE. Using port forwarding

and opening ports is inherently insecure. Instead, use cloud based services to view IP cameras and implement a VPN for remote system access. With both cloud based services, and VPNs ensure that passwords are strong.

SECURE THE WIRELESS NETWORK BY using only WPA2/ AES encryption. MAC address filtering and WEP encryption are incredibly easy to hack and even WPA can be hacked these days. If you have devices on your network that do not support WPA2/AES consider replacing them with more up to date equipment.

Choose an SSID for the network that does not give away the client’s name or the physical location of the network.

KNOW WHERE YOUR ETHERNET CABLES GO. If there are any sockets or devices outside of the secure perimeter of the property ensure that these are on a separate VLAN with limited access to the rest of the network.

ENSURE THAT FIRMWARE AND SOFTWARE ARE UP TO DATE. Build firmware updates of routers, wireless access points and NAS storage into a regular service and maintenance plan for your customer. Ensure that all Windows computers have up to date virus and malware scanning software installed and that these

are updated automatically.

MANAGE THE WETWARE. AKA The Client. People are the biggest security risk on any network. No amount of hardware and configuration expertise from you will be able to protect a client against inappropriate behaviour by a user. Educate them about the dangers of P2P file sharing, opening E-Mails from unknown senders, installing software from unknown providers and data ‘Phishing’.

IMPLEMENT A BACKUP REGIME FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS’ CRITICAL AND VALUABLE DATA. A RAID NAS storage device is not a backup, it is fault tolerant storage. True backups need to be regular and stored offsite. Suggest and configure services such as Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud to ensure that files are synched and backed up to The Cloud by default.

The above suggestions are just the tip of the security iceberg.

CEDIA offers a range of courses that expand on the above tips, and address network security and configuration. Many of these are being run at ISE. Visitors to ISE will have the opportunity to sit in on a seminar session entitled ‘Is your client’s network secure?’ We will be hosting this session at 3.30pm on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th February in the Residential Solutions Theatre (stand 7-Z160).

These sessions are free-to-attend and don’t require you to preregister.

However you learn, don’t be complacent about your clients’ privacy or data security.

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inside

DOLBY ATMOS What’s an Atmos?

Open an AV magazine, click onto a website, read posts on forums, or visit a tradeshow recently and you’re likely to have encountered something about Dolby Atmos. Atmos is getting more ink on the home cinema front than any other technology in recent years, so what is it, how does it sound, and what do you need to know to sell and install a Dolby Atmos system? Glad you asked.

Atmos is Dolby’s latest version of surround sound, both for commercial and home cinema. The new technology completely re-invents the way movies are mixed at the studio, having moved away from the channel-based mentality used for years and transitioned into what Dolby calls “audio objects.”

Dolby’s director of sound research, Brett Crockett, describes this as, “Any sound heard in a movie scene—a child yelling, a helicopter taking off, a car horn blaring. Filmmakers using Dolby Atmos can decide exactly where those sounds should originate and precisely where they move as the scene develops. The Dolby Atmos system, whether in the commercial or home cinema, has the intelligence to determine what speakers to use to precisely recreate movement in the way the filmmakers intend.”

Atmos was introduced in 2012 with Pixar’s Brave, and to date more than 125 films have been mixed in Atmos.

Theatrically, Atmos supports up to 128 discrete audio objects and up to 64 unique speaker feeds. For residential installs, the number tops out at 34 speakers, with 24 on the floor and 10 overhead. Far more realistically will be residential installations utilising 7 to 11 speakers in

US-based installer John Sciacca, Partner at Custom Theater and Audio gives us his perspective on Dolby Atmos

configurations described as 5.1.2 to 7.2.4 with the first number describing the number of floor or listenerlevel channels, the second number remaining the LFE channel, and the final number being the number of Atmos overhead or height channels.

Surrounded by Atmos

With the addition of height channels above the listener, Atmos adds a Z-axis to the surround experience, creating a very convincing, threedimensional hemisphere of sound around listeners.

Sounds that should be coming from overhead – raindrops, helicopters, jets, and even atmospheric sounds like wind and leaves rustling – can all now be placed directly overhead, making for a more immersive and realistic viewing experience. Also, sounds travelling from the front of the room to the back are far more convincing and can be mixed to sound like they are passing right past the listener’s head.

The Atmos renderer also does a more precise job of positioning and moving sounds around the room, with individual sound elements like a bird or bullet being easily localisable. Instead of big, hard-mixed overhead effects, Atmos’ best effect is the envelopment and sense of ambience the system creates, continually making listeners feel like they are listening in a different environment and sitting in a canopy of amazing audio.

Installing Atmos

In my opinion, the Atmos layout providing the most

image courtesy of AWE

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engaging and best surround experience is 7.X.4 (use as many subwoofers as necessary), which will likely become the preferred installation for dedicated cinema rooms. The 5 or 7 listener level speakers should continue being installed and positioned as they have traditionally, except these speakers should not be positioned more than a couple of feet above the listener’s head.

For projects where a ceiling installation is not possible or desired, Atmos-enabled speaker modules can be used instead.

These modules typically sit atop the main front and rear L/R channels and angle Atmos height information up towards the ceiling, relying on reflected sounds to provide the overhead effect.Atmosenabled speakers require the ceiling to be acoustically reflective and were designed for heights of 8 to 9 feet. If using Atmos-enabled speakers, you would pull an additional 2-conductor speaker run to each speaker location (ie: a Atmosenabled front left speaker would get two separate speaker runs).

Any quality speaker with wide dispersion can be used for in-ceiling installations, but it would certainly be preferable to use a speaker close in sonic character to the listener level channels.

For speaker placement, refer to the Atmos installation diagrams shown.

Beyond the speakers, an Atmos system will require an AV receiver or pre-amp processor that can decode the Atmos soundtrack, appropriate amplification for each channel (ie: a 7.1.4 system will require 11 channels of power), and a Bluray disc player or server that can output a Dolby TrueHD bitstream.

it is a technology that can bring customers into stores and introduce new customers.”

On top of the demo Blu-ray disc released

by Dolby, four Atmos encoded Blu-ray discs have been released as of this writing: Transformers: Age of Extinction, Step Up: All In, The Expendables 3, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Familiarise yourself with this material, find your favourite demo scenes that demonstrate the envelopment and sonic benefits of Atmos and get back to the old school way of selling via highend demonstrations. I’ve also found that bumping the speaker levels of the Atmos speakers by 1 to 2 dB makes for a more dynamic demonstration.

Dolby Atmos at its Best

In 2014, two CEDIA EMEA Trade Supplier members, Artcoustic and AWE, launched Dolby Atmos cinema rooms in the UK. These facilities are open to customers and demonstrate the exceptional audio quality that is achieved with Dolby Atmos.

To find out more, visit www.artcoustic.com and www.awe-europe.com

The best way to be successful selling Atmos will be by installing an Atmos system in your showroom or home and giving demonstrations. As Dolby’s Director of Home Theater Marketing, Craig Eggers, said, “Atmos needs to be experienced, and

image courtesy of Artcoustic

Selling Atmos

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NEW HOME CINEMA INSTALLED AT HAVEN HOUSE HOSPICE

T

hanks to the generosity of the custom install industry, and the skills of H&H Audio Visual, Together for Cinema has provided Haven House hospice in North East London with a brand new cinema room.

Haven House hospice provides support and care for children and young people with life-limiting and life threatening conditions. Since opening its doors ten years ago, the hospice has cared for almost 400 children and families. After reading about another hospice install in the Together for Short Lives newsletter, the hospice contacted Ian Morrish, the founder of Together for Cinema, to enquire about the project and how they might be able to get involved. Following a brief discussion, it was decided that the new cinema room would form part

of the new Holistic Care Centre at the hospice.

As always, an important part of the process is to find an installer who is interested in getting involved. With several excellent installers within striking distance of Woodford Green, Ian approached CEDIA for advice.

The association suggested new member, H&H Audio Visual as they had been impressed by the installer’s willingness to learn and develop as a CEDIA member. Ian contacted H&H directly, and immediately received a yes from the team.

Greg Howarth, H&H Audio Visual commented: “We found the installation incredibly rewarding. From a technical perspective, it was an entirely new challenge to design and install a system with equipment that has been donated, rather than specified and purchased. Fortunately, the quantity and quality of equipment donated was truly remarkable and the team building the new annex for Haven House was flexible so we could add first fix cabling once Together for Cinema had actually

secured the equipment donation. This really allowed us to give a full range of integration from the AV to the lighting and shades.”

Ian and Greg Howarth from H&H Audio Visual met with Jan Cunningham, Development Officer at Haven House in March 2014 to discuss the plan for the room. It soon became apparent that the cinema room was going to be a key feature in the future, not only for watching films, but also for training, fundraising, presentations and gaming. This meant that a more comprehensive product list was needed, with black-out automated blinds being a necessity.

Despite having an ambitious product list, the generosity of the industry meant that Ian and Greg were able to source £16,000 worth of kit. Companies such as Dataflow IT, Humax, Kaleidescape, Middle Atlantic (via RGB), Monitor Audio, RTI (via Invision), Velodyne (via Redline), Wyrestorm and Yamaha generously donated high-end equipment which was needed to make the project

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KIT LIST THAT WAS DONATED:

“We are really pleased with the final installation in terms of the level of integration we were able to achieve with the quality products donated” said Greg Howarth. “The staff and kids were so grateful for the room we created and it made everything worthwhile. We highly recommend this scheme to other integrators out there.” happen. One of the twenty projectors which Epson had already donated was required for this project, and one call to AWE, who was storing the products for us, meant that the kit list was almost complete.

The biggest challenge was sourcing suitable blinds. Thanks to RGB Communications, Ian managed to contact Ocean Air, and following many discussions with them, Somfy and Rako, the team had what they needed.

Adrian Summers, Invision Product Sales Manager, commented: “We donated the RTI control equipment for this project. We have been involved with Together for Cinema for a couple of years now and are delighted to be able to contribute to such a great charity. We absolutely love the work Ian Morrish does and love how our niche community can benefit the greater good.”

The installation was a success and completed on 30th August, 2014.

Children and parents are now able to fully utilise the Home Cinema room.

All products and services were sourced, supplied and installed free of charge. The approximate total cost of the install, including consultation, installation, products and other associated costs would normally have been in the region of £20,000 for an end user price.

Mike Palfreman, Chief Executive of Haven House Children’s Hospice, said: “Everyone at Haven House is delighted to have been chosen as a 2014 recipient of a home cinema installation from the Together for Cinema project. It was a very timely addition to our newly completed Holistic Care Centre. The audio visual industry has generously donated all of the equipment, and H&H Audio Visual kindly installed the cinema for us. Our first screening was on 29th October, and our children and families were all very excited. Many of our children are not able to attend mainstream cinema screenings so this new service will be a wonderful addition to our range of hospice and community based services, providing enjoyment and entertainment for years to come.”

• Dataflow IT (Screen): Eyeline Pro Electric Screen • Epson (Projector): EH-TW9100 • Humax (Freeview Box): DTR-T1010/500 Youview • Kaleidescape (Media Server): Cinema 1 Movie Player • Middle Atlantic, donated by RGB Communications (Racking): C5 series 2 bay Credenza Rack.

• Monitor Audio (Speakers): 3 x Shadow 60’s and 2 x ceiling speakers • Ocean Air (Automated Blinds): • Rako (Blind Control): RA Bridge and a RDT500-C • RTI, donated via Invision (Control): XP6 and iPad Panel App • Somfy (Blind Motors): • Velodyne, donated by Redline (Sub): SPL-1000 Ultras • Wyrestorm (Cables): Various as requested including 2 x HDMI and converters • Yamaha (AV Receiver): RX-V775 Other accessories, as required, were donated directly by H&H Audio Visual PEOPLE INVOLVED IN MAKING IT HAPPEN: • Ian Morrish, Sales Manager, Integrated Systems Europe • Sean Hardiman and Greg Howarth, H&H Audio Visual • Mike Palfreman, Chief Executive of Haven House Children’s Hospice

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