Residential Systems - May 2025

FEATURING

• Showroom Showcase 2025

• M aking the Mid-Market Work

• G uide to Lighting Fixtures

THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Customers-Turned-Owners of Atlanta’s AHT Redo the Massive Showroom to Include More Technology and Higher Design

Review:

JVC DLA-NZ500 4K

HDR Laser Video

Projector

COLUMNS

8 Secrets of Success

How to Stand Out in a Competitive Marketplace

Position your firm as the obvious choice by showcasing its key differentiators.

By Katye McGregor Bennett, KMB Communications 10 VITAL Business Tips

From Dreamer to Builder

How to create a business that doesn’t need you.

By

Matt Bernath

12 Back to Business

Differentiating in a Post-AI World

Standing out in our future business climate won’t be a matter of whether you use AI; it will be a matter of how.

Mastering the Mid-Market

Central Florida’s Dr. Hook It Up reveals how his business has seen steady growth for more than 25 years serving the middle market.

By Lindsey Corbin, Director of Marketing, Vanco

GEAR

22 Tech Showcase: Architectural Speakers

Whether you need in-ceiling or in-wall speakers for whole-home audio, tucked away home theater sound, or hidden sonic excellence to maintain the décor, these architectural speakers have you covered with quality sound that looks great (when it can be seen, that is…).

30 Review

JVC DLA-NZ500 4K HDR Laser Video Projector

At this price, performance, and feature set, the JVC DLA-NZ500 sets a new benchmark for sub-$10,000 projectors and should be on a very short list of projectors to consider at that price.

By John Sciacca

14 Clients in Control

Customers-turned-owners of Atlanta’s AHT redo the massive showroom to present how much a smart home can do.

By Anthony Savona

18 Showroom Showcase 2025

While many custom installations dealers sell many of the same types of products, how they present them to customers is often very different — and very creative. To celebrate these outside-the-box-thinkers, we present our fifth annual showcase of dynamic showrooms.

26 Integration Guide to Lighting Fixtures

Shining a Light on Success

Integrators find greater customer satisfaction, getting on to jobs earlier, and higher profit margins as they add lighting fixtures to their businesses.

By Karen Mitchell

ON THE COVER

One of the first things the new owners of AHT did when they took over the company was begin work on updating the shop’s 12,000-square-foot showroom to spotlight more product types and show how they can exist in a high-design environment. See story on page 14.

DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Letter 4

Integrator Spotlight: AVTech Specialists 6

By Sarah Hales

Roll With the Changes

BY ANTHONY SAVONA

Since early March, when the current administration’s tariffs were first set to hit, I have been working on a blog that addresses their impact and offers some best practices from industry experts on how to deal with them, with comments from manufacturers, integrators, and business leaders. When that initial set of tariffs was paused for a month, along with a shift in percentages for certain countries, I paused the blog, too, and continued to reach out to channel pros for insights.

After a few rewrites, I was going to go live with it in April, right after “Liberation Day,” but that, too resulted in a quickly fluctuating news that any article published would be out of date within hours. So, after another rewrite, it remains in drafts…

There is no doubt that tariffs will have an affect on our businesses — integrator, manufacturer, distributor, and consultant alike. Our clients will be feeling it both as consumers and, just as likely, in their professional lives as well. We are all in it together, and the constant changes are making it difficult to formulate a plan of action.

However, we have published quite a few stories lately about how to deal with any uncertainty in business, which handles the current tariff conundrum and so much more.

For example, Livewire’s Henry Clifford covered uncertainty in a recent blog and advised using this time as an opportunity to work closer with your vendors. “While we can’t control tariffs, we can continue to communicate with our vendors as manufacturing costs escalate,” he said. “Relationships are key here, as well as being more important to fewer partners. Having greater buying power with individual suppliers or buying-group membership alignment will lead to more creative thinking on the vendor side as higher order minimums might yield free freight, longer payment terms, volume incentive rebates (VIR), or demo product credit.”

To legally protect yourself with clients, in a CEDIA-sponsored webinar on tariffs, Laura Siegel Rabinowitz, a lawyer with the firm

Greenberg Traurig, advised, “You have to do a risk analysis in terms of the product, then look at your purchase agreements to see if there are provisions that cover who bears the tariff responsibility and what happens if it changes after the production date. Certainly, for new agreements, it’s important to add language to protect yourself [when] the price that was calculated when the agreement was negotiated is not the actual price of the product because duties and tariffs are determined at the date of entry.”

Other advice I heard repeated includes the importance of keeping customers in the loop. Whatever changes in pricing occur, they need to be revealed to the client in a timely manner, which, as evidenced by my forever-out-of-date unpublished blog, will be challenging, but no less vital.

While there are plenty of alarming headlines filling up our newsfeeds, it is important to focus on the things that we can control — having a solid purchase agreement, pre-ordering where possible and collaborating with vendors, and effective communication with clients.

There is no telling how long the current headwinds will last, but this industry has faced many before — including supply chain disasters only a few short years ago — and we have emerged successfully.

By working together with our strong network, which includes associations, buying groups, vendor partners, and internal teams, we can do it again.

CONTRIBUTORS

KATYE MCGREGOR BENNETT

Katye McGregor Bennett is chief strategist and CEO of KMB Communications and an avid podcaster. Podcasts include Connecting Tech + Design and AV Trade Talk.

MATT BERNATH

Matt Bernath is a CE veteran with more than two decades in retail, wholesale, CI, and business coaching. In 2021, Matt and a group of partners acquired VITAL, and Matt now serves as the company’s president/CEO.

JASON GRIFFING

Jason Griffing is the director of product at OneVision Resources and the co-host of weekly home technology podcast found at HomeTech.fm. jason.griffing@onevisionresources.com

KAREN MITCHELL

Karen Mitchell is a freelance writer based in Boulder, CO. She has written about the AV industry from both sides now — residential and commercial — for several years and still finds it most intriguing and fast paced.

JOHN SCIACCA

John Sciacca is a principal with Custom Theater and Audio, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In his free time, he blogs prolifically about the CE industry. cineluxe.com

SARAH HALES

An account executive at Caster Communications, Sarah provides public relations and digital marketing services to clients in the technology space covering smart home, residential and commercial AV, IoT, security, and more.

INTEGRATOR SPOTLIGHT

AVTech Specialists

What started as a favor from an IT director for a co-worker turned into a full-time residential integration business that further evolved into commercial.

“What a long, strange trip it’s been” could very well describe Nate Hibschman’s career path. Hibschman, the owner of AVTech Specialists Inc., had an early background in IT, but AV was nowhere on his radar. That all changed with a simple phone call.

“Back in the early ’10s, I was the director of IT for a local orthopedic firm in South Bend, Indiana,” explains Hibschman. “I got a phone call one night from a doctor who said, ‘Hey, Nate, I know this isn’t really what you do, but you’re the IT guy. You can fix anything. Could you come over to my house? I’m having problems with my Blu-ray player.’ I said, sure, I’m happy to help.

“So, I went to his home, and he explained that his young daughter somehow inserted six Blu-ray discs into his (then) $1000 Blu-ray player. He took me down to his basement, and lo and behold, here’s this beautiful basement, which was built around a home theater. Once I gave him the unfortunate news that his Blu-ray player was kaput, I took a deeper look at what he had going on in his home.

“When the doctor built his home, he spent upward of $200K on audio/video with a local company. And he said nothing has ever worked how they said it was supposed to. Case in point: Anytime he watches a movie, a purple line scrolls from top to bottom. He asked if I’d be willing to look at it. At the time, I had only dabbled with residential AV in my own home. I switched him from component video to HDMI, made some network upgrades, and learned from there.”

And that’s where AVTech’s humble beginning started.

Incorporating in 2014, AV installation was a side gig for several years, consisting of “two guys and a truck.” The biggest hurdle to getting AVTech established and growing was the local builders’ “boys club” mentality. If a builder had an established relationship with an AV installer — regardless of their quality of work — that’s who they’d continue to use. Much of the company’s growth came from word of mouth.

The tipping point for going all-in on AV came from an installation that took place over Memorial Day weekend in 2020. At that time, Hibschman had two full-time employees working while he was still moonlighting at it. While the employees appreciated the work, they gave Hibschman the option of going full-time with the business or getting out entirely.

“I was doing very well in the IT space, but I think that was the push from my friends and family to say, look, this is very successful — people are coming

to you left and right asking for you to do things,” says Hibschman. “We think you should do this full-time. So, my wife and I sat down and had a long conversation about how this would work out, and that’s when I decided to do this full-time. Now we’re coming up on five years that this is our main gig, and it’s worked out very well.”

AVTech started 100% on the residential side, but that has evolved into a 75/25 split between residential and commercial projects today. Many of the commercial projects resulted from a successful residential project, averaging between five to ten commercial projects a year.

“More often than not, we meet on the residential side of things, and they’re impressed with how we’re obsessed with exceptional work — nothing’s ever good enough,” says Hibschman. “They see that level of perfection and dedication to it. And oftentimes, when we’re getting the phone call, it’s because the customer had worked with other integrators or electrical contractors that said they’d be able to make this or that work and do this and do that, and it just didn’t work out well. They’d say, ‘Hey, Nate, we’re so happy with what you’ve done for us at our house. Would you be willing to look at our business?’ Because, again, people just like the detail-oriented work that we do.”

One of AVTech’s most significant ongoing challenges is educating others — customers, contractors, or builders — on properly installing AV systems.

“Electrical contractors are starting to dive into what we do because they see it as another avenue to make money. And what we’ve seen, at least in our area, is that more often than not you have people who think they know what they’re doing, but don’t in reality. It’s giving us as integrators a bad name. I wish there were a way to educate home builders better. I feel like in bigger areas of the country, these aren’t the type of problems that integrators have to deal with. But I think that education and an emphasis on the importance of ensuring a home is wired properly will be a constant challenge.”

Moving forward, AVTech plans to expand relationships with builders in its

area and discuss the benefits of having some aspects of AV/IT technology installed in new homes before offering them for sale. Initial installations in new homes have had overwhelmingly positive results. Prospective home buyers get excited seeing they already have Wi-Fi, home audio, or automated lighting installed. Keeping up with new technology offerings is also a high priority for Hibschman’s team.

No one truly knows what tomorrow’s technology will look like. What is clear, though, is that residential AV is poised to be more dynamic, immersive, and connected than ever before. As advancements in AI, IoT, and virtualization continue integrating into the residential AV ecosystem, customers can expect unprecedented levels of automation, personalization, and interactivity.

Hibschman agrees: “We plan on hiring more passionate people who love what we’re doing because we don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. We can’t help but feel excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. It will certainly be fun to be along for the ride!”

For more information, visit www.rightchoiceav.com.

How to Stand Out in a Competitive Marketplace

Position your firm as the obvious choice by showcasing its key differentiators.

BY KATYE MCGREGOR BENNETT, KMB COMMUNICATIONS

For integration firms, standing out from the competition isn’t just about offering the latest and greatest gear. It’s about positioning your business as the obvious choice — the one that checks more boxes than any other. When potential clients compare options, the firm that makes the decision easiest wins. So, how do you differentiate your offering and make it impossible for prospects to feel compelled to continue the search? By going beyond the expected and providing a more emotionally intriguing experience.

Elevate the Customer Experience

Creating a seamless, hassle-free experience is one of the most effective ways to differentiate your business. Prospects aren’t just comparing technology solutions; they’re evaluating the entire journey — from discovery and consultation to installation and ongoing support.

Clear Communication: Make it easy for people to understand what they’re getting and how it benefits them.

Concierge-Level Service: Today’s luxury homeowners expect white-glove treatment. A dedicated point of contact, proactive communication and frequent updates, prompt issue resolution, and a smooth, nonintrusive installation process can make all the difference.

Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Offering proactive system monitoring and maintenance service packages reassures clients that their investment is protected long after the project is complete.

Show, Don’t Tell

Clients don’t just want to hear about what you do — they need to see it. Elevate your marketing with engaging, real-world examples that demonstrate your expertise and the attention to detail taken throughout the project lifecycle.

Case Studies and Testimonials: Showcase success stories with before, during, and after scenarios, customer quotes, and stunning photography and videos. When prospects see how you’ve solved problems for others, they’ll trust you to do the same for them.

Video Walkthroughs and Live Demos: A professionally produced walkthrough of a completed project or a live demo of your solutions in action make your value tangible and relatable.

Social Media and Content Strategy: Regularly sharing insights, behind-the-scenes content, and project highlights on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube keeps your firm top-of-mind and establishes authority. Just be sure you have permission to use the footage and photos and always provide photo credit/attribution to the photographer and relevant trade partners.

Align With Design-Build Pros and Property Managers

Strategic partnerships with professionals outside the integration industry can be a game-changer. Luxury homeowners rely on architects, interior designers, property managers, and other trade pros to guide their decisions, so making yourself a trusted resource in their world can give you access to high-value projects.

Education and Collaboration: Offer AIA-accredited courses, breakfast or evening quick-education sessions, or offer design consultations for a few projects to help industry partners understand how technology can enhance their projects and the lifestyles of their clientele.

Discreet and Aesthetic-Driven Solutions: Demonstrating expertise in hidden technology, low-profile installations, and design-forward solutions makes you an asset to architects and designers.

Reliable, Professional Execution: These partners need integrators who return calls and emails, deliver on time, minimize job-site disruptions, and align with their high standards.

Deliver the Unexpected

Checking more boxes means going beyond what’s expected. Small details can have a big impact on how prospects perceive your brand and, ultimately, who they choose to work with.

Luxury Touchpoints: High-end printed proposals and leave-behind materials, personalized thank-you gifts, and a refined showroom experience add perceived value.

Exclusive Access and VIP Perks: Whether it’s early access to new technology reveals, exclusive invites to VIP events, or a catered, personalized system training day, creating a sense of exclusivity makes your clients feel special.

Exercise, Sustainability, and Wellness Integration: Highlighting solutions like human-centric lighting, indoor air quality, energyefficient technologies, and sports simulators resonate with today’s clientele.

At the end of the day, clients want confidence in their decision. The more boxes you check — experience, service, aesthetics, reliability, innovation — the easier it is for them to say yes to your firm. Instead of competing on price or specs alone, focus on delivering a complete, high-value experience that no one else can match. When you become the integrator or brand that truly stands out, prospects won’t just consider working with you — they’ll insist on it. More on this topic next month.

Need help developing your content strategy? Drop me a line. I’m here to help!

Katye@kmbcomm.com

From Dreamer to Builder

How to create a business that doesn’t need you.

BY MATT BERNATH

In the luxury home services industry, where precision and reputation are everything, most business owners wear their “doer” badge with pride. After all, you didn’t get this far by outsourcing your standards. You got here by showing up, staying late, and refusing to cut corners. But if you’re still in the weeds — handling every decision, managing every job site, reviewing every proposal — you’re not building a business. You’re running around inside a cage you built yourself.

In a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, we unpacked this exact dynamic of why so many talented dreamers and dedicated doers get stuck, and how they can step into the identity of a true builder. The goal isn’t just to grow; it’s to grow in a way that frees you.

Meet the Dreamer, the Doer, and the Builder

Every entrepreneur starts as a dreamer. You see opportunity where others see risk. You imagine something better — and you’re willing to go after it. But once the dream takes form, reality sets in. Clients need answers. Teams need leadership. Fires need putting out.

So, you become the doer. The doer is indispensable. At least, that’s the story you tell yourself. No one else knows the systems like you do. No one else cares as much. No one else can match your standards. So, you stay busy, feel productive…and stay trapped.

The builder breaks this cycle. The builder is a business owner who understands that the ultimate goal isn’t to do the work — it’s to build a business that works.

And that shift starts in the mind.

Why Letting Go Isn’t the Goal — Letting Rise Is

You’ve probably been told to “let go” in order to scale. In fact, I’ve talked about this idea many times, but that advice often feels incomplete — like tossing your responsibilities into the wind and hoping someone catches them.

Instead, think of it as letting others rise. It’s not about abdicating your role, it’s about stepping into a different one. The builder empowers others to step up, creates space for leadership, and clears the path for others to succeed.

That’s the real unlock: It’s not just about less doing; it’s about more developing. When you stop doing the technical work and start developing your team, your systems, and yourself as a leader, you multiply your impact — and your income.

Why Being Indispensable Is Dangerous

Let’s get brutally honest: Many business owners are secretly proud of how overworked they are. It feels like proof that you’re important. That the business needs you. That you’re still in control.

But here’s the truth: If your business can’t run without you, it owns you. Being the hero might feel good in the short term, but long term, it’s the single biggest bottleneck to your growth. Your team is constantly waiting for your approval, your clients only trust you, and your calendar? It owns you.

If this sounds familiar, the solution isn’t just better time management. It’s identity transformation.

Builders don’t just get more done. They design a system where the right things get done by the right people at the right time. And they do this by rethinking their role entirely. Here’s the shift:

• From Technician to Architect: Stop thinking like the person who installs the thing and start thinking like the person who designs the business that installs the thing.

• From Firefighter to Visionary: Step back from daily chaos to focus on the big levers: strategy, growth, positioning, and people.

• From Approval-Seeker to Empowerer: Create clear roles, define clear outcomes, and trust your team to deliver — even if it’s not exactly how you would do it.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress that doesn’t require your fingerprints on every task.

The Hidden Cost of Doing It All

We often hear business owners say, “It’s just faster if I do it myself.” While that may be true today, it guarantees that tomorrow will look exactly the same. Every hour you spend doing what someone else could be trained to do is an hour you’re not building something bigger. And make no mistake, there’s a real cost to that: Projects stack up, sales stagnate, top-tier team members get frustrated and leave, and, worst of all, you burn out.

The most successful builders we know didn’t scale by hustling harder. They scaled by building systems and plugging people into those systems. Ask yourself:

• Do I have documented processes for how we sell, serve, and support clients?

• Does my team know what “great work” looks like?

• Can we consistently deliver value, even when I’m not around?

If the answer to any of these is no, the best use of your time isn’t doing more — it’s documenting more, training more, and coaching more. That’s what builders do.

Why It’s Worth It

When you finally make the shift from dreamer or doer to builder you gain something most entrepreneurs chase for years: freedom.

• Freedom to take a vacation without checking email.

• Freedom to invest time in big-picture thinking.

• Freedom to sell, scale, or step back because your business doesn’t depend on your constant presence.

Ironically, when you stop making yourself indispensable, you actually become more valuable as a strategic thinker, a leader, and as someone who is building something that lasts.

If you’re ready to go deeper on how to shift your identity, empower your team, and design a business that thrives without you, check out The Flywheel Effect podcast. Each episode is packed with real-world insight from business owners who’ve made the leap and built something better.

Differentiating in a Post-AI World

Standing out in our future business climate won’t be a matter of whether you use AI, but how you use it.

BY JASON GRIFFING

As the rate of AI development continues to accelerate, many of us are feeling increasingly pressured to “adopt it or get left behind.” But fretting over the speed with which you deploy AI in your business misses a broader point.

AI’s ubiquity is inevitable. Sooner than you might think, asking someone if they use AI will be akin to asking if they use email; answers will only vary in the particulars.

The more interesting question will quickly become not if we use AI, but how. More specifically, what skills and values will help our businesses thrive in a world where access to super-intelligent, highly capable AI is table stakes?

As someone who spends a lot of time following the space and working hands-on with the latest technologies, three key areas jump to mind.

Humanism

We operate in a service business, building close relationships with clients in the context of their most personal spaces. In the years ahead, the value of this human connection won’t go down, it will skyrocket.

In a world where we’re all increasingly interacting with AIs, meaningful personal relationships will take on a new dimension — one that our luxury clientele will readily pay a premium for. Smart companies will leverage this insight to capitalize on the value of building deep, lasting relationships with their customers.

Humanism in business will play an equally critical role when it comes to our teams. Every company will face difficult decisions about how to balance the ethics of “human-first” thinking with the growing competitive pressure to drive efficiency using AI. Striking the right balance will be critical, and

outsized results will accrue to the businesses that get this right.

Curiosity

Large Language Models (LLMs) enable savvy users to arrive at business insights with a speed and precision that would have been impossible to fathom only a few short years ago. And in a world where answers are easy to come by, the value accrues to those who ask the right questions.

The most effective business leaders will capitalize on this fact, expanding their focus from solving existing problems to include finding better problems to solve in the first place. Cultures that emphasize openmindedness, experimentation, and learning will be uniquely positioned to reap the benefits of this coming technological wave, creating virtuous innovation cycles and allowing them to outpace their competition.

Discernment

AI tools can generate an incredible volume of “outputs” with breakneck speed — marketing content, operational reports, system designs, proposals, customer communications, financial projections, meeting summaries, and so on. This abundance will put a premium on the value of judgment and taste.

Knowing which outputs to trust, which ones to adapt, and which ones to discard will become an increasingly important skill. Take basic quality control, for example. For all their prowess, LLMs occasionally “hallucinate.” Using a plausible-sounding but factually incorrect piece of information generated by an LLM in the wrong context — a large system proposal, for example — could cost you thousands of dollars or, worse, your reputation.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Businesses will have to navigate a myriad of other decisions that will require thorough analysis and weighing of tradeoffs. How do we deploy AI ethically? How do we communicate about our use of AI with customers? How do we maintain our brand identity while still benefitting from the power of AI? These are all difficult judgment calls that owners of businesses everywhere will be faced with in the years ahead. The answers could mean the difference between a thriving business and one that barely stays afloat.

The Path Forward

As AI becomes as ubiquitous as internet connectivity and mobile devices, a new set of skills will emerge as key differentiators in business. It’s important to start thinking now about how you will stand out as these increasingly powerful tools saturate our market. Placing a premium on values like real human connection, deep curiosity, and critical judgment will provide you with an edge in this post-AI world.

CLIENTS IN CONTROL

Customers-turned-owners of Atlanta’s AHT redo the massive showroom to present how much a smart home can do — and do it in style.

BY ANTHONY SAVONA

While the majority of luxury custom integration firms go out of their way to treat their clients as team members, it may be hard to beat Atlanta’s AHT, which did such a good job of it that two of their clients — Alex and Maria Evans — bought the company from the original owner.

“Almost three years ago, AHT’s previous owner, Scott Ross, approached me and asked if we would be interested in buying the company,” says Alex. “Maria and I were clients of AHT, but I came from the government contracting world, so this was a very steep departure from what I was used to. However, I knew the company, loved the way that they did business, and loved their work ethic and how the culture felt like one big family. So, we decided to take the leap.

“Home technology has always been a hobby of mine, but I felt a real connection with the guys who would come and work on the house, and my wife and I saw the project come to life. It always felt like there was a real partnership.”

“The transition for us to make that decision and pivot into a different realm of business was possible because we already had a passion for it,” adds Maria. “I feel like we have the advantage as the owners of the company that we were also able to experience the customer side. We had already spent so much money and time from 2019 to 2022 doing all these things to our home, working with our interior designer. At the same time, it was a natural transition for us because we were in the thick of it. We were customizing the shades and doing the schedules and all the programming, and we had the guys come over countless days tweaking. They’ve spent a lot of time here and they know this house like the back of their hand. Sometimes we have clients come look at our home, and I’ll bring them around and show them how we live with it as opposed to using the showroom.”

More Than Home Theaters

Immediately after buying the company, the Evanses got to work updating the three-story, 12,000-square-foot showroom inside AHT’s unique Tudor Revival-style facility. Up until that point, the space had been filled with home theater demos at many different price points, but Alex and Maria wanted to show clients what the home could be with the right company to guide them.

“What we came to find is we would take somebody from one theater to the next and you’d get theater fatigue because you’re spending 30 minutes in each room,” explains Alex. “The challenge with that is now it becomes confusing because you’re not sure what you’re looking at or what you’re in listening to because you spent so much time in them. The

The racing simulator room on the third floor of the AHT showroom literally puts clients in the dirver’s seat.

The first floor listening area features a 50-inch Ascendo Infrasonic Subwoofer at the front of the room.

different theaters had different price perspectives to give a better idea of what it is you could buy, but you have to trust the work as the client. It’s not so much the budget, but the solution. You might have a room that has a lot of windows or a room that has no windows at all. And that is just the theater — every single room in the house is probably going to have some sort of lighting or a window or some practical automation.

“That’s where we’ve steered the ship — to focus on that practical automation that is in most homes. However, we never get away from our base of being that home theater or golf simulator expert because these are things that people enjoy.”

If the exterior of the building didn’t tell you that you were entering a unique space, the live moss wall that greets you when you open the front door certainly will. What once was a reception desk is now a stylish dining-room-style area that directs clients to move to the left to enter the new reception area.

From there, clients can experience an open room with an eye-catching giant Ascendo Infrasonic Subwoofer at the front of the room. And it’s not just for show — all the speakers in the room can be sampled.

“That’s the only 50-inch subwoofer in any retail space in the country,” says Alex. “It’s a real conversation piece. It belongs to a client of ours, but when it was brought in, it was so big we couldn’t take it upstairs. So, we talked to our designer here and asked if he could design around it. He said, ‘Had I known you were bringing a car into the room, I would have designed it differently,’ but he was able to pull it together and make it the center of attention, as if it was in a real living room.”

The interior designer who worked on the showroom, as well as the

Evanses’ home, is Michel Smith Boyd, well-known by many for his HGTV show Lux for Less and his appearance on the competition show Rock the Block

“We always try to use Michel Boyd and integrate him into the space because he knows us very intimately,” says Maria. “He’s done our home top to bottom, and he knows how we like to do things with technology and make it beautiful.”

The first floor is also home to a revamped, dedicated home theater that shows off the company’s accent lighting skills in addition to its AV capabilities. A second, more traditional home theater, is also on the first floor, and that will be getting a makeover shortly, while still keeping its opulent, traditional theater feel.

The middle floor features a conference room that is used by the company but can also show off home office technology. The second floor is also home to a 2-channel listening system, a nod to Alex’s earliest AV passions.

The third floor is what separates AHT from many showrooms with three high-tech areas. The first one encountered is an extravagant lighting demo that shows the power of Lutron’s Ketra in an open living space.

“It shows all the capabilities of how it can highlight artwork and different textures and textiles,” says Maria. “You’ve got your woods and your marbles and your furniture and your rug and a colorful painting on the wall. Art galleries use this smart lighting to showcase vibrancy and art and bring out different colors and textures on the canvases and sculptures.

“For our lighting, it is a show where you hit one button and it goes through the whole lighting show. There’s a voiceover talking about all the possibilities. With just one button press, shades start coming down,

The sitting area at the rear of AHT’s golf simulator room was designed to have a country club feel to it.

lighting starts to change, and the TVs turn off.”

The next area is a golf-simulator room with a very comfortable look that adds style to a tech normally tucked into a garage or basement. “It’s a space that we warmly designed to feel like a country club at home,” says Maria. “A lot of people like to have a golf simulator and have it be multi-purpose as a theater as well. We’ve done that two-for-one type of a situation for clients, and it gives you that feeling of having a golf simulator at home that doesn’t look clunky and awkward in a space. The room is built out and you can have an area where you can relax in the back. They have all kinds of different sports on this simulator. It’s just a fun way to showcase what you can put in your home.”

If the client is looking for something more fast-paced than golfing, the third area may be of interest — the racing simulator. “With the race simulator, what we wanted to do was create a driving simulation where it felt like a real car,” says Alex. “This gives you the ability to get on the real tracks — it has all the tracks that are in America — learn the track, get a better understanding of it, and then you can go out and drive it, or, should you not want to do all that, you have the opportunity to do it in your own home! This unit is on actuators, so it tilts and pivots. Even the pedals are active, so they provide real feedback like you’re in a real car.”

The Next Phase

The Evanses are nowhere near finished with the showroom, and have more spaces planned for the near future. In addition to redoing the traditional first-floor theater, they are also planning to add a beauty bar and a speakeasy.

“A lot of our high-end clients have glam spaces where they have hair and makeup come in and they get dressed,” says Maria. “We’re going to do something similar to that and cater to the women as well because the men are always sold on the technology, but you have got to make it flexible for everyone.”

As for the speakeasy, that is part of AHT’s event planning. The facility hosts several meetings each year — sometimes for networking events like building groups or realtors, but also for anyone who would like to rent the space.

“We typically bring in bartenders when we host an event,” says Alex. “The idea is that I can hire a bartender and do a speakeasy on the third floor and have somebody there all the time serving classic cocktails so that this can feel like a real functioning luxury home.”

“That caters to us also working in commercial spaces as well, like a bar or any other type of retailer where they can use our services inside of their business,” adds Maria.

The Client Connection

Having so recently been clients of the company they now own gives the Evanses a clear perspective into the minds of their customers and informs not only how they build a showroom to service them, but also how to ask the right questions during a visit.

“I think that it’s key that we were the client,” concludes Maria. “Sometimes I will go on a walkthrough and I’m asking questions because I am used to living with it. So, I’m asking about what they do in their day-to-day, and I let them know they could have this something that they didn’t know existed. That’s helpful, too.”

The third-floor lighting demo area showcases the impact Ketra lighting can have on a room.

Showroom Showcase 2025

Our annual look at some stellar demo spaces from around the world.

While many custom installation dealers sell many of the same types of products, how they present them to customers is often very different — and very creative. To celebrate these outside-the-box thinkers, we present our fifth annual showcase of dynamic showrooms.

ARLED Cinema

Website: arled-cinema.de/en/

Location: Stockelsdorf, Germany

Movie Core Room (pictured above):

• Brands Featured: BARCO Residential, Trinnov Audio, ASCENDO Immersive Audio, Christie, MAG Cinema, madVR Envy, Futurestone, ARLED PRO Series LED-Screen, Vorwerk

• Fun Fact: Features the largest infrasonic subwoofer in the world (ASCENDO). World’s first 8K 144 Hz LED screen with 92% REC.2020 and BARCO Nerthus. ARLED Cinema won 2023 CEDIA Awards for Best Showroom, EMEA, and Excellence in Innovation, EMEA, as well as ASCENDO’s award for Best Showroom worldwide

Oasis Theater Room (pictured right):

• Brands Featured: BARCO Residential, Trinnov Audio, ASCENDO Immersive Audio, madVR Envy, Futurestone, artnovion, JAB Anstoetz, ARLED Cinema Screen with DreamScreen X1 Studio Fabric

• Fun Fact: The room feaures hand-sheared carpet that looks like a dune in the desert. European premiere of the BARCO Heimdall+ CS. Two ASCENDO THE32 Sub Pro Passive Sealed infrasonic subwoofers in combination with 8x THE21 Sub Pro Passive subwoofers.

JPRO

Website: www.jpro.co.nz

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Showroom Dimensions: 35 square feet

Brands Featured: JBL Synthesis, AMX Muse Automation, AMX Varia touch panel, Crown CDi 4300N amplifier, Netgear Pro AV switch, Apple 4K TV, Samsung 4K UHD Smart TV, Panasonic Blu-ray Player Fun Fact: The concept for the room size was to put together an epic-sounding, small-format solution with minimal equipment that you can fit into a spare bedroom or smaller media room. The room’s limited size required strategic speaker placement to maintain an expansive soundstage while mitigating room nodes that could interfere with bass response. The JPRO team used five JBL Synthesis SCL-7 speakers for LCR and five more for surrounds, along with two SCL-8s. For subs, a JBL Synthesis SSW-3 was used in the front, and an SSW-4 was used in the rear. Processing and power come from a JBL Synthesis SDR-38 AV receiver.

Lutron’s Toronto Design Studio

Website: experience.lutron.com/us/en

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Showroom Dimensions: 2200 square feet

Brands Featured: Lutron Ketra D2 and Rania D2 downlights

Fun Fact: Located in the Queens Quay neighborhood in the Daniels Waterfront building, this studio is designed to support the design and trade community, offering immersive experiences that showcase the future of light in the built environment. The studio’s design, led by a Toronto-based architectural firm iN STUDIO, reflects a strong connection to the landscape, with curved wooden walls and expansive views of the sky and water, creating a calming, natural environment.

Chelsea Audio Video Website: www.chelseaaudiovideo.com

Location: Portland, Oregon

Showroom Dimensions: 3300 square feet

Brands Featured: Pro Audio Technology, Theory Audio Design, Sony, Stewart Filmscreen, Salamander, DMF Lighting, Anthem, Kaleidescape, Control4, Vicoustic, Tributaries Cable

Fun Fact: Chelsea’s showroom includes a stunning theater room featuring a floorto-ceiling, 185-inch 16:9 Stewart screen, Kaleidescape streamer, Anthem processor, and six Theory DLC loudspeaker controllers (a whopping 10,500 watts of power) that run the 7.4.6 PRO and Theory Dolby Atmos system. The theater also features a custom-made starlit ceiling that took one of Chelsea’s employees about 40 hours to build.

Millennium Sounds

Website: www.millenniumsounds.com

Location: Westfield, Indianapolis

Showroom Dimensions: 4300 square feet

Brands Featured: Control4 and Triad

Fun Fact: This showroom was built to enjoy electronics and provide a fun environment.

Coastal Source Lighting Experience in the D’Asign Source Outdoor Showroom

Website: dasignsource.com

Location: Marathon, Florida

Showroom Dimensions: 25,000 square feet

Brands Featured: Coastal Source, Lutron Lighting & Demonstration Automation System, Lutron Ketra Lighting, True Appliances, Olmstead Beer Tap, Zahbuilt Outdoor Cabinetry, Summer Classics Furniture

Fun Fact: Most clients visit during the day, which makes it challenging to showcase all the benefits of outdoor lighting, including how expert lighting design enhances safety, security, and beauty from every perspective: inside the home, from the street, and throughout the outdoor space. The Lighting Experience Room brings it all to life. Here, clients can see the impact of various lighting techniques, explore different applications, and truly appreciate the performance and durability of Coastal Source fixtures in a controlled setting. It’s an invaluable tool that helps them visualize the possibilities for their own outdoor spaces.

Crestron NY Experience Center

Website: bit.ly/crestronnyc

Location: The New York Design Center, New York City

Showroom Dimensions: 7500 square feet

Brands Featured: Crestron Electronics

Fun Fact: “I can tell you that I call it my NY marathon, because there are 26 miles of cable.” —Jonathan Garcia, lead technical solutions director, Crestron Electronics

AV Express

Website: avexpress.net

Location: Houston, Texas

PowerHouse Alliance Member

Showroom Dimensions: 1100 square feet

Brands Featured: CSL, No. 8 Lighting, Diode LED, Proluxe LED

Fun Fact: The “Dealer Bar” isn’t just a stunning LED lighting display — it’s also a real bar where dealers can grab a drink. The 162-inch 4K direct view LED video wall is not only used for top-tier dealer training but also as a highimpact demo space where dealers bring their clients to show products.

Fusion Audio + Video

Website: www.fusionaudiovideo.com

Location: Greenville, South Carolina

Showroom Dimensions: 17,000 square feet

Brands Featured: DMF Lighting, McIntosh, Bowers & Wilkins, Focal, Control4, SnapOne, Josh.ai, Origin, Screen Innovations, Sony, Samsung, Leon, Lutron Homeworks/RA3/ Ketra, Naim,  Modus VR, Full Swing Golf, WAC, Artnovion, Kinetics, VPI, Pro-ject, Sonos, Bluesound, Kaleidescape, Crestron, Yealink, Ambisonic, Audio Control, AVPro Edge, Alarm.com, Epson

Fun Fact: “Starting from a Rubbermaid shed in my backyard, Fusion has grown into a thriving company with over 50 employees. Our mission is to prosper our team, clients, and community with the resources God provides. Clients come to us for exceptional experiences, but they stay because of the outstanding quality of our people.” —Aaron Cowden, partner, CEO, Fusion Audio + Video

Harman Luxury Audio

Updated Eargle Theater

Website: www.harmanluxuryaudio.com

Location: Northridge, California

Showroom Dimensions: 18 x 25 x 9 feet

Brands Featured: JBL Synthesis

Fun Fact: Recently upgraded to showcase the latest in JBL Synthesis innovation, the dedicated home cinema and lab now features a complete “Certified Elite” multichannel system anchored by the next-generation SDP-80 36-channel immersive surround processor and a full rack of new high-performance SMA amplifiers.

Configured as a 13.4.13-channel system, the 10-seat Eargle Theater now integrates three SMA-8300 and six SMA-4750 amplifiers, delivering audiophile-grade Class D amplification across an array of 26 loudspeakers and 10 subwoofers. The acoustic arsenal includes three flagship SCL-1 dual 12-inch loudspeakers for LCR, along with eight SCL-2 and two SCL-4 loudspeakers to complete the lowerlevel surround channels. Two SCL-4 (L & R) and one SCL-3 (center) are deployed as screen height channels, with two SAM3HA for rear height channels flanking the projector in the rear soffit. The remaining eight SCL-3 height channel loudspeakers are custom installed behind the fiber optic star ceiling panels. Deep bass is delivered via two flagship SSW-1 dual 15-inch subwoofers in the front left and right corners below the screen and eight SSW-3 dual 10-inch in-wall subs arranged in two groups of four in the left and rear corners of the room. This 4-channel “.4” subwoofer configuration calibrated with Harman’s Soundfield Management creates a stunning low-frequency experience that can be both heard and felt.

TECH SHOWCASE

ARCHITECTURAL SPEAKERS

A look at the latest entries in this versatile product category.

Whether you need in-ceiling or in-wall speakers for whole-home audio, tucked away home theater sound, or hidden sonic excellence to maintain the décor, these architectural speakers have you covered with quality sound that looks great (when it can be seen, that is…).

1 Nice Premium Toolless Series

Encompassing three performance levels across 14 speakers, the Nice Premium Toolless series delivers a solution for nearly every architectural speaker application. The entire range boasts a suite of features including AccuAim tweeters for phase lock pivoting, XmaG extended pole pieces for improved symmetry, asymmetrical 2nd and 3rd order crossovers for optimized driver performance, and time-saving ViseLock designed by Swarm — the latest generation toolless system for rapid and secure installations.

2 Focal Utopia Cinema

Focal’s Utopia Cinema is designed for private cinema rooms of up to 2153 square feet. It includes one Cinema LCR 3-way loudspeaker and one Cinema SUB subwoofer. The Cinema LCR full-range, high SPL-capacity loudspeaker provides power and precision. The different crossover settings, such as the 0–30-degree selector, maximize the performance of each loudspeaker depending on its purpose (center, left, or right channel), while its speaker drivers offer outstanding treble, midrange, and bass reproduction.

3 OSD Black R43 and R43SQ

OSD Audio’s OSD Black R43 and R43SQ small-aperture in-ceiling speakers can be harmoniously integrated into your project’s lighting design. The frequency response extends down to 70 Hz ±10 dB, allowing for rich vocals and great bass punch. For additional bass, an in-ceiling or in-room subwoofer can be added. They are available with square or round white trimless magnetic grilles. The 2-way speakers feature a 4-inch polypropylene woofer and a 0.5-inch PEI dome tweeter. Power handling is 50 watts RMS, 100 watts max.

4 JBL Conceal Series

The JBL Conceal Series redefines architectural audio with patented technology and a design that seamlessly vanishes into any space. Featuring a proprietary FidelityGlass acoustic panel, integrated rear enclosure, and advanced transducers, these speakers deliver premium sound while remaining completely invisible. From the compact C62 2-way loudspeaker to the high-performance C83 3-element design, the Conceal Series offers immersive, room-filling sound without visible components. The C82W invisible subwoofer features dual 8-inch drivers for deep bass, while the flagship C86 delivers a powerful 3-way, dual-panel system.

5 Lyngdorf Audio D-60 C

The Lyngdorf Audio D-60 C is a high-performance in-wall speaker that can be used as a center channel or as a high-performance solution for all front channels. The D-60 C has the Discreet Series’ highest power handling, a high sensitivity, and very high achievable sound pressure level. The D-60 C is equipped with a soft-dome tweeter and a midrange driver with a strong neodymium magnet. The two woofers are equipped with vented magnets and vented die-cast baskets, while the inverted surround allows a flat speaker front and space-saving mounting depth. The tweeter/ midrange unit and the woofers are driven by an active bi-amping crossover design to achieve the best sound performance, frequency balance, and sound dispersion.

6 Sonos Architectural Speakers

Sonos offers a choice of In-Ceiling, In-Wall, and Outdoor speakers, giving integrators the flexibility to mix and match based on the structural and aesthetic parameters of the space. The round, flush-mounted InCeiling speakers, available in 6- and 8-inch sizes, create a wide soundstage, making them ideal for ambient music in open areas, like multi-purpose great rooms, kitchens, and other spaces. For home theaters and multimedia setups, the 6-inch In-Wall speakers produce rich, multi-dimensional audio with crisp dialog and immersive effects to elevate the viewing experience.

7 Sonance Visual Experience Thin-Line Series

The Sonance Visual Experience Thin-Line Series expands its VX speaker lineup with an even slimmer profile designed for challenging installations. The new Sonance Visual Experience Thin-Line Series delivers the brand’s signature room-filling sound from a slim profile that can fit into spaces as narrow as 2.5-inch metal framing — making it ideal for concrete construction, multi-dwelling units, and high-rise applications where space is at a premium. The Thin-Line Series incorporates the same advanced VX technology as the standard Visual Experience Series.

8 Sonance Small Aperture Series

The latest Sonance Small Aperture Series speakers, including the Sonance SA4-66 and James SA68, highlight the company’s approach to audio coverage and placement. The James SA68 builds upon the legacy of the SA63, incorporating cutting-edge materials and Sonance CDX crossovers to achieve new heights in sonic performance. Completing the lineup, the new Sonance SA4-66 makes Small Aperture technology more accessible while offering a clear upgrade path to the flagship SA68. The SA68 features a discreet 3-inch grille, 2-way thin ply carbon drivers, recessed terminals, and an aluminum enclosure. The SA4-66 features a 4-inch opening, a 6.5inch woofer, and a wood enclosure.

9 Stealth Acoustics LineaRadiance

Offering a flexible solution for every interior aesthetic, the Stealth Acoustics LineaRadiance (L-RAD) family of speakers become completely invisible after installation in a wall or ceiling. On-site finishing options include latex paint, light wallpaper, fabrics, and selected texture coats, leaving no visual footprint. The completely redesigned L-RAD speakers include a whole host of new features, new internal components, and an integrated, acoustically tuned back box that is now an injection-molded component.

10 Klipsch Professional In-Ceiling Series

Klipsch’s Professional In-Ceiling Series (PIC) complements the Residential Surface Mount (RSM) and Professional Surface Mount (PSM) Series to offer a complete range of durable weatherproof architectural loudspeakers for residential and commercial applications. These models feature an IPX5 rating and provide a variety of installation options, including 4.5-inch, 6.5-inch, and 8-inch models. Additionally, installers have the choice of two 5.25-inch designs: a short can version for compact spaces with a mounting depth of just 4 inches and a standard depth version.

11 Grimani Systems CinemaFive Ensemble

Grimani Systems has introduced the CinemaFive Ensemble, its latest speaker package tailored for smaller cinemas and multi-purpose media rooms at a new price point — $36,000 MSRP. Designed for home theater enthusiasts and discerning audiophiles, the CinemaFive Ensemble includes speakers and matching DSP amplification delivering Grimani Systems’ trademark sound quality. The CinemaFive Ensemble includes three Rixos-S speakers (Left, Center, Right), two Rixos-S speakers (Side Left, Side Right), and four Epsilon subwoofers. It is designed for rooms between 150 and 300 square feet.

12 SoundTube CM-BGM-II-US Series

The SoundTube Entertainment CM-BGM-II-US Series of inceiling speakers includes four models: CM52-BGM-II-US-WH, CM52sBGM-II-US-WH, CM62-BGM-II-US-WH, and CM82-BGM-II-US-WH. These speakers represent a significant step in SoundTube’s commitment

to domestic manufacturing and product quality. The CM-BGM-II-US speakers are designed to meet the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA), making them especially suitable for government installations where BAA is required.

13 KEF Ci-R Series

The latest additions to the KEF Extreme Home Theatre range are the Ci5160RLM-THX and Ci3160RLM-THX. Ci-R Series speakers are built to the same standards as the R Series, which is a direct beneficiary of the technological innovations developed for The Reference, the series that set the benchmark for loudspeakers and sound reproduction. Incorporating a 12th generation Uni-Q driver array, both speakers feature KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), and carry the THX Certified Ultra designation — one of the highest THX performance classes.

14 Monitor Audio Creator Series

Monitor Audio’s Creator Series is a range of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers that feature advanced acoustic technologies and smart installer features offering high-performance sound for customers and versatile system creation for integrators. Creator Series features 19 models (14 in-ceiling and 5 in-wall) arranged in three clearly defined tiers, each of which offers enhanced performance levels and additional functionality over the preceding tier. Streamlined and enhanced technologies, naming, applications, and solutions make the whole process of product selection much more straightforward for the integrator.

15 Triad InWall LCR

The Triad InWall LCR Speaker delivers immersive, high-quality sound for home theaters, functioning as versatile left, center, or right speakers. The speakers incorporate a patent-pending spring dog system that allows for versatile mounting and easy installation and are builtto-order in Portland, Oregon. Optimized aluminum cone woofers and tweeters allow for precise sound. To enhance sound purity, the speakers incorporate MDF construction and internal bracing. Custom grille color options mean that they can be seamlessly incorporated into any existing home decor.

SHINING A LIGHT ON SUCCESS

Integrators find greater customer satisfaction, getting on to jobs earlier, and higher profit margins as they add lighting fixtures to their businesses.

By Karen Mitchell

Lighting is a huge topic in the industry today, but the vast majority of dealers are not selling lighting fixtures. Those who have taken the plunge by incorporating lighting into their design solutions are glad they did.

Among them is Unlimited Integration, so says Will Breaux, director of business development. “A large amount of our work is new construction, and we make lighting a part of the conversation. We have several types of fixtures on display in our showroom to keep it in front of the clients and show how it will enhance their space. By working with top brands like AiSPIRE, we have a better end result, which has helped us garner a reputation for being one source for all technology in the home. If we are going to be responsible for the performance of the control system and the lighting control, it only makes sense that we are responsible for the architectural light fixtures that we know well. Putting quality fixtures in front of quality lighting control is an easy story to tell. We focus on tried-and-true brands, tested with the systems we implement, and make for a no-hassle experience. It shows we are experts in

real-world practice, not just in specifying something we have never touched.” Unlimited Integration has dedicated resources to becoming as much of an expert as possible. “We strive to provide turnkey solutions for residential projects, so lighting became an extension of that mission,” Breaux says. “We can and continue to work with existing architects, design firms, and lighting designers who design and specify lighting. However, we have found that a relatively small percentage of projects have all this streamlined or the experts in place to do that part correctly, leaving an opportunity for us to improve the client experience. Training and exposure are some of the primary ways we got our education in this space.”

There are tons of lighting products on the market, Breaux notes, so focusing on brands that are attentive to this industry is key to growing. “Brands like AiSPIRE have hosted us at their headquarters, had events in their company showroom, sponsored events like Lightapalooza, and offered a better level of support,” he says. “The Astro Retrofit is a good example of that product line. Using feedback from integrators, they created an easily

AiSPIRE Atmosphere exterior lighting.

sellable, protected, feature-rich product that can bring any integrator into the lighting conversation without having to have much experience. The innovation continues with products like adjustable micro-aperture fixtures. Few products can match the performance, versatility, output, and design, especially at such a compelling price point.”

Personally, Breaux credits Tom Doherty, Lightapalooza founder and director of technology initiatives for HTSA, for his introduction to the possibilities. “When he launched one of the first trainings focused on our industry several years ago, I signed up, not fully appreciating the opportunity,” Breaux explains. “[Tom] was evangelizing reasons why manufacturers should care about the integration channel. Around the same time, I had the opportunity to provide fixtures for a large project, which led me to WAC before AiSPIRE was born. The people I met at the company have provided best-in-class support for the product and go out of their way to assist us.”

Stepping into the fixture category was a natural progression for his Elite Automation, a Lutron dealer, according to its president and chief engineer, Henri Beaudoin. “As integrators, our role is to deliver the best possible experience for the client, and lighting plays a critical role in that,” he says. “We have the technological capability and design expertise to execute at a high level, and incorporating fixtures into our offering allows us to take full

ownership of how a space looks, feels, and functions. Intelligent lighting isn’t just a trend; it’s the future of how residential environments will be shaped.” Elite Automation leads with Lutron lighting control products and always introduces clients to intelligent fixtures, he notes. “Lutron’s fixture line, especially the D2 and other Ketra offerings, have been instrumental in allowing us to bring that vision to life. We’ve already installed over 400 D2 fixtures this year, and the impact on our technicians and electricians is tangible in reduced installation and wiring time and cleaner project execution.

“What makes Lutron fixtures such a strong offering is how well they work with HomeWorks,” Beaudoin adds. “The integration is native, and that’s what gives us the ability to deliver consistent, reliable results. With Ketra, we’re able to offer full-spectrum, tunable lighting that adapts to the time of day or task. When controls and fixtures are built to work together, the experience for the client is just on a different level. We are not just offering Lutron fixtures; we are actively championing them.”

At Fusion Audio + Video, a DMF dealer, entry into this new vertical was certainly challenging, says Aaron Cowden, partner/CEO. “Understanding that this was different from selling speakers or TVs, which we didn’t at first, has been critical to our success,” Cowden says. “You can easily get yourself in trouble and deliver a bad client experience and lose profit if

The conference room at Fusion Audio + Video features DMF Lighting fixtures.

you don’t respect the complexity of details that need to be tracked, not only in the design and quoting process, but throughout the delivery of the project. For that reason, we partnered with a professional lighting design firm to provide clients with full lighting design services and assist with the proper specification of architectural fixtures. This partnership has enabled us to offer comprehensive lighting solutions and mitigate the risk of missing important details.

“The rapid development of performance LED lighting has driven demand for integration with other home systems and controls, which aligns with our expertise,” he continues. “Great lighting significantly impacts clients’ homes, making it a natural addition to the technologies we provide. While we had already committed to the lighting category before establishing a relationship with DMF, they have been a primary manufacturer for us due to their innovative installer-friendly product designs and exceptional dealer support.

“DMF is really focused and committed to serving our channel,” adds Cowden. “They support our groups, our showrooms, and the dealers with a great partnership while continuing to deliver innovative solutions to simplify product offerings. We’re selling and installing DMF’s Artafex 2-inch and 4-inch fixtures. These fixtures feature a modular, field-adaptable design that helps integrators easily adjust when fixture requirements change between rough-in and finish. They also offer excellent compatibility with home control systems, providing flawless performance.”

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

Some clients, Cowden says, are aware of quality light, but, for most, it’s an educational process. “We have integrated lighting into the initial design presentation for clients,” he says. “More attention to lighting design and fixtures has made this a key element of the systems designed for clients. Once we show them the difference, it’s really eye-opening to them, but what’s spectacular is to hear feedback once they have implemented lighting into the home.”

According to Beaudoin, the luxury fixture market is very convoluted and daunting for clients. “Lighting stores and other outlets often are just selling a light source but fail to understand the possibilities of a complete lighting system,” he says. “Client education is key here, and often after being educated, they won’t want anything but Lutron.

“Ultimately, home construction is difficult enough. If we can ease some of the pain points along the way, clients respect that. There are many trades involved in construction. If our clients and builders can reduce the number of partners on a project, they appreciate that efficiency. By being a solution provider, problem solver, and single point of contact for a whole category of products, we also become a trusted advisor. We are one of the few trades that are in the home after it is finished, so we can address any issues and be that one-stop solutions provider. And if we do our jobs correctly, there will be few or no problems at completion. Clients are given a high level of comfort because they know we will be available through all stages of the project, including after completion. Many of our clients are repeat customers and have told us they like working with us and will move any business they can to us. They prefer to use us for as much as possible instead of people selling or installing products they know little about.”

THE ALL-IMPORTANT BOTTOM LINE

“Working with lighting and light fixtures has definitely had a positive impact on our business,” Breaux says. “In most cases, this substantially grows our

scope of work, often by 25 to 40%. This category makes us more important to the project and gets us involved earlier. Most feel that if they can trust us for support and decisions on other home technology, they can trust us on lighting, too. It has a very high customer satisfaction category when done correctly, so it increases our referrals for future work.”

For the vast majority of projects, he adds, there is an opportunity to supplement or provide all of this as a service. “We have trained staff that can handle lighting design, fixture specification, fixture sales, project management, and more. Different individuals have different paths that have led them into lighting.”

“Lighting has had a significant effect on both profitability and demand,” Beaudoin says. “Capturing the fixture package on a project doesn’t just add revenue; it gives us valuable insight into the client’s overall investment level. When a client commits to high-end fixtures, it often signals alignment with other luxury Lutron solutions like Palladiom shades and Alisse keypads, as well as luxury AV components. It allows us to design more cohesively and deliver a higher-tier experience across the board.”

“The addition of lighting has doubled Fusion Audio + Video’s total project ticket in some cases and is a substantial addition whenever included,” Cowden reports. “There’s not another single product category that offers this potential growth opportunity. Demand grows as we find new ways to acquaint clients with the benefits of performance lighting.”

Mastering the Mid-Market

Central Florida’s Dr. Hook It Up reveals how his business has seen steady growth for more than 25 years serving the middle market.

BY LINDSEY CORBIN, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, VANCO

It’s a debate as old as the custom integration industry itself: Is there financial opportunity in the mid-market? At Vanco, we’ve argued before that there’s a lot of room for growth in this segment, and CEDIA’s latest Professional Smart Home Market Analysis affirms that integrators are taking on more mid- and broad-market jobs. However, panelists diverged from the data during the State of the Industry session at CEDIA Expo, once again arguing that stability and growth come primarily from the luxury sector. What gives? Is the mid-market just an emerging supplement to integrators’ core business, or can it be a strategic focus?

Bucking conventional wisdom to specialize in mid-market jobs can absolutely work — at least in the experience of Ken Ramsey, founder of Dr. Hook It Up. Ramsey’s business has enjoyed more than 25 years of steady growth in central Florida while maintaining a nearly exclusive focus on mid- and broad-market residential installs. I recently talked with Ramsey about why he’s happy to take on the small jobs many integrators won’t touch, including how those mid-market jobs have led to commercial and luxury opportunities.

LINDSEY CORBIN: How did you get into the custom integration business?

KEN RAMSEY: I started out as a satellite integrator — one of the first DirectTV integrators in Florida, in fact. During the satellite boom, I had 20 trucks on the road and my business just kept evolving with the times. We started installing flatscreens; doing subcontracting work for big box stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. When those businesses brought installation in-house with programs like Magnolia Home, I found that there was a still lot of demand from people who just wanted help hooking up everything in their living room. These were relatively small jobs, projects the big integrators and even the big stores didn’t necessarily want. I was used to volume, though — I know how a steady stream of small jobs can keep a business going and growing over time. I moved from subcontracting toward independent integration, and that’s how Dr. Hook It Up was born.

What kinds of jobs does Dr. Hook It Up typically take on?

We do a lot of surround sound systems and basic media room setups. These are $5000 to $10,000 jobs. They’re not huge, but because we take them seriously and

A commercial video wall installed by Dr. Hook It Up.

apply a high degree of attention to detail, they frequently lead to more business. We also do a fair number of larger jobs, like whole-home audio installs and home theater projects. I’d estimate we do eight to ten small jobs per week along the lines of mounting a TV, and four to five bigger projects a month.

That would put you in the top 1 or 2% of integrators nationally in terms of number of projects per year. How do you sustain that level of customer acquisition? It’s almost entirely word-of-mouth and repeat clients. My monthly marketing budget is less than $500. I spend a couple hundred dollars on Google Ads and Angi sponsorship, but the vast majority of my business comes from referrals. I also benefit from a lot of “keeping up with the Joneses.” The neighbors will swing by while we’re updating the entertainment system in the living room, and next week, we’ll find ourselves next door doing the same thing. It’s not rocket science: I can handle all my marketing needs myself with just a couple hours of work, and I’ve managed to keep myself booked and busy for more than two decades.

How has that strategy served you during economic downturns? Usually, people look for shelter with less price-sensitive customers when the market looks uncertain.

I know people say that, but it hasn’t been my experience. A lot of the bigger integrators in Central Florida really struggled or even closed during the 2008 housing crash and the 2020 pandemic. The smaller jobs never go away, though. Even when people’s budgets for travel or other luxuries are shrinking, they still want to have great entertainment experiences at home. I built a loyal customer base by offering an affordable service during those times — and when the economy bounced back, they still wanted to work with me. A lot of my housing crisis and pandemic-era customers have since moved into multimillion-dollar homes and opened new businesses. When they move into a new property, I’m one of their first calls.

Does that mean that your business has evolved to encompass more commercial jobs?

It’s never been my goal to be a commercial integrator; I prefer the more personal client relationships you find on the residential side of the business. When I get a cold call about a commercial project, I give those prospects a referral; however, I have found myself doing a fair bit of commercial work for former residential clients. These are people who already trust me and see me as a design partner.

So, you are selective in your clientele — just in a different way than many other integrators.

Right. But that helps me make sure that when I take on a commercial job, it’s still something that I’ll enjoy working on. For instance, I recently installed a custom video wall in the lobby of a former residential client’s brokerage firm. He wanted an impressive, highly professional welcome area for clients that would also work for entertaining: There was a “business by day, party by night” twist to the space. He also expected the system to be cost-effective and simple to operate, just like his home theater.

We installed a 2X2 video wall with a Vanco Evolution Matrix switcher hidden in the reception desk/secret wet bar. The matrix allows the client to show multiple real-time stock market feeds during the day and easily switch to full-screen mode for nighttime events. It’s an incredibly simple signal chain and interface that works perfectly for their needs.

How do your commercial projects differ from your typical residential jobs?

Working exclusively with former residential clients on the commercial side makes sure that the relationship stays positive and communicative. There are certainly differences though, right down to construction materials. That brokerage project was in a building made primarily of cinderblock, so cable management was a real issue. I’m an old-school guy: I want every detail of the project to look perfect, with no exposed or obvious pathways. We made extensive use of Vanco HDMI extenders throughout the space to ensure we could route cables unobtrusively while maintaining a reliable signal with no latency. That approach helped us pull off clean, professional installs not only in the lobby, but for wall-mounted stock market displays in all the broker offices.

Obviously, it really helps to have distributor and manufacturer partners that can help you spec out any kind of job — resi or commercial. I like being able to stick with brands I trust when I cross over into the commercial space.

It sounds like a relatively big job. You don’t see more ROI going after large commercial projects like that?

No. At the end of the day, the residential market is where I’m happiest. Those clients become almost like friends. They truly see me as a partner, and they recommend me to all their neighbors and family members. For every commercial job I take, I may have to turn down 15 to 20 small residential projects, and that business owner isn’t nearly as likely to recommend me to his rivals.

I’m a mid-market guy. It’s how I’ve survived, thrived, and built a business that I love. This steady stream of clients is going to keep me as busy as I want to be for the foreseeable future.

For more information, visit vanco1.com.

Video screens in a brokerage firm as installed by Dr. Hook It Up.

Dr. Hook It Up uses Vanco’s Evolution EVEXHDB1 HDMI HDBaseT Slim Extenders to route cables unobtrusively while maintaining a reliable signal with no latency.

DLA-NZ500 4K HDR Laser Video Projector

f you grew up in the 1970s, you were part of “the Cola Wars” and you likely encountered “The Pepsi Challenge” at some point. (Yes, I was there.)

This was usually held at a shopping mall or grocery store where a person behind a small cart at the front of the store would serve you two small, unmarked cups of soda: one with Pepsi and the other with Coke. You would take a sip of each and then select your preferred soda, after which it was revealed which was the Pepsi and which was the Coke.

This reminds me a bit of the ongoing tugof-war for projector supremacy between JVC and Sony. And like Pepsi and Coke, many people have a preference for one or the other, and the companies often have shootouts between each other’s comparable models.

Both companies were early to market with true, native 4K lamp-based projectors, and then both transitioned to laser-based 4K models. At CEDIA Expo 2024, JVC released two models, the new DLA-NZ500 and NZ700, currently the world’s smallest native 4K projectors. The NZ500 is at a price point that will make lamp-based models all but obsolete in any modern home theater. [As is JVC’s habit, the NZ500 projector is from JVC’s Procision Series, but there is also a Reference Series known as the DLA-RS1200. These units have identical specs, performance, and pricing, but are available through different distribution channels and have different colorings around the trim ring surrounding the lens.]

Upgrades and Improvements

Beyond bringing native 4K laser pricing to a new entry-level model for JVC, the NZ500 also comes with a significant size reduction from its previous entry-level 4K offering, the NZ7. I happened to own an NZ7, and it was clear from

the jump that this model is significantly smaller. The NZ500’s new design has an overall volume reduction of 35% compared to that model, and, as mentioned, clocks in as the world’s smallest native 4K laser projector currently available.

Compared to the Sony XW5000ES — the previous titleholder of the smallest native 4K laser projector — which measures 18.13 x 7.88 x 18.59 inches (WxHxD), the NZ500 is 17.72 x 7.16 x 18.88 inches. Not night-and-day smaller, but smaller, and with its rounded chassis compared to the more angular design Sony employs, it looks more compact.

This is all due to a complete component design, including a new optical unit, lens, BLUEscent laser, and new processor/scaling engine. JVC also reversed the air intake and exhaust, with the NZ500 pulling cool air in from the front and exhausting it out the back of the projector, which allows the unit to sit closer to the back wall and not have any ventilation issues.

The NZ500 is also more environmentally friendly, having a reduction in plastic due to the smaller size, which also reduces the materials used for packaging and transportation costs. The new laser module and optical unit also improve lumens-per-watt by 30% — approximately twice as efficient as the first BLU-Escent model — making it cheaper to run and with 0% mercury usage (compared to lamp-based models) due to the laser light source.

Of course, the key selling points of laser are a long life with virtually zero maintenance, with these models having an estimated 20,000 hours of operation to 50% brightness. Beyond longevity, a laser light source offers other benefits over lamp-based projectors, such as consistent brightness and color across its lifespan, less turn-on “stress” on the light engine, and the ability to instantly turn off to deliver a true black and infinite dynamic contrast ratio. Laser can also have far quicker turn-on/off

By John Sciacca

KUDOS

Incredible value/performance; great black levels; solid dynamic HDR tone mapping

CONCERNS

Can’t display 1080i signals; no 12-volt trigger

PRODUCT SPECS

World’s smallest native 4K D-ILA panel with full 4096x2160 resolution

BLU-Escent Laser light source delivers 2000 lumens

Rated to 20,000 hours of operation to half-brightness

80mm native 4K lens with motorized zoom, shift, focus

Native 40,000:1 contrast

Supports Control4 SDDP integration; ISF-certified

Inputs: 2 HDMI (32 Gbps/HDCP 2.3), RJ45 LAN (10/100), USB (service) Outputs: Detachable power cable

Dimensions: 17.72 x 7.16 x 18.88 inches (WxHxD); Weight: 32.2 pounds

times, not requiring the lengthy warm-up or cool-down period of lamp-based models.

The unit retains JVC’s native 4K D-ILA (Direct-Drive Image Light Amplification) technology and uses 0.69-inch chips that utilize the DCI pixel layout of 4096 x 2160 versus the home UHD standard 3840 x 2160. In practice, this is irrelevant, as the JVC black level is so good/dark that you don’t notice any light from the non-used pixels.

JVC has really become known for two things in the front projection world: native contrast/ black levels and dynamic tone mapping. The NZ500 definitely continues this tradition.

The NZ500 boasts native contrast of 40,000:1 and features JVC’s second-generation Frame Adapt HDR processing technology, which uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze the maximum brightness of HDR10 content on a per-scene or per-frame basis for realtime dynamic tone mapping. In addition, the NZ500 also supports HDR10+, a dynamic HDR format akin to Dolby Vision. HDR10+ had

previously been reserved for a handful of UHD Blu-ray disc releases, however, it was recently announced that Netflix would start streaming content coded with HDR10+ metadata, so this feature could become a compelling purchasing driver. (It also supports the HLG — Hybrid Log Gamma — HDR standard, which still hasn’t seemed to catch on.)

As the name implies, Dynamic Tone Mapping optimizes brightness on a frame-by-frame level, using signal processing to enhance the brightest areas on the screen to retain better gradation, contrast, and a wider dynamic range. A new Deep Black function has been added to JVC’s Frame Adapt HDR processing to achieve the most realistic and detailed black levels.

If you’ve read anything about projectors in the current HDR world, then you’ve doubtless run across the term “tone mapping.” Why is this so important for projectors? Theatrical content is mastered on studio monitors capable of reaching 1000 nits, with Hollywood’s workflow shifting to mastering monitors capable of displaying 4000 nits. The problem is most projectors would struggle to produce 350 nits. So, this content needs to be translated from 0 to 1000 (or even 4000, or up to 10,000) nits, to a range of 0 to 300 that the projector can reasonably handle. But this needs to be performed in a way that maintains both the bright and dark details in the image. When performed correctly, the image will retain the shadow details in dark images while retaining the specular highlights found in really bright images, like shots of the sun, lightning flashes, or snowy mountains. If a projector tone maps poorly, the darker areas or the brighter areas (or both) can be “crushed,” losing detail that was meant to be visible and having no subtlety.

One feature missing from the new NZ500 projector is the ability to do 3D. If 3D viewing is important, then you’d need to step up to JVC’s NZ800.

Install

The NZ500 gives you the ability to either front-, rear-, ceiling-, or shelf-mount the projector. If you are shelf-mounting, it offers adjustable feet so you can get it perfectly level and square. When ceiling-mounting, the NZ500 utilizes four mounting holes, allowing for an easier time of squaring and leveling the unit to the screen.

As it was a review sample that would not be a permanent resident in my theater, I set the NZ500 on a box in my kitchen, which happens to line up centered on my screen. Once I got it square and level to the screen, installation was as simple as adjusting the lens to fit and focus on the screen.

The NZ500’s lens has a throw ratio of 1.34:1 to 2.14:1. This means for a 100-inch, 16x9 image, the projector could sit anywhere from 117 to 189 inches from the screen, and for a 150-inch image, it could sit from 177 to 284 inches. This generous range should give it the ability to replace almost any existing projector at the same location. It also offers a vertical lens shift of ±70%, and a horizontal shift of ±28% if you can’t get it positioned dead center.

I have a dual-aspect Draper motorized screen that is 92 inches (16x9) and 115 inches (2.35:1) diagonal. Because of this, the fully motorized 80mm (11 group, 15 lenses) 4K lens system with memory on the NZ500 is a massive upgrade over the Sony XW5000ES, which features a manual lens. The NZ500 also allows for five different lens memory positions that store shift, zoom, focus, pixel adjust, masking, screen setting, keystone, and aspect. You can also rename these settings so you’ll know which to recall for the variety of aspect ratios employed by modern directors and streaming services.

For those with an anamorphic lens, the JVC has four different settings, which can stretch the image vertically, compress the image horizontally, and switch to two other modes for use with Panamorph’s DCR lenses.

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As mentioned, JVC redesigned the airflow of the NZ500, bringing fresh air from the front of the room and exhausting hot air out the back. One thing they didn’t change is the location of the connections, which are still on the rear of the unit. For most installations, this likely won’t be an issue, but if you need every inch of throw to get the image to fill the screen, these cables — HDMI, power, and potentially LAN — will keep you from putting the projector right up against a wall.

The projector includes two HDMI inputs along with an RJ45 for connection to a LAN, all located on the rear, with a detachable power connection. There is also a USB connection that is used for firmware updates and backing up settings.

The HDMI inputs accept signals up to 32 Gbps and resolutions up to 4K/60, so if you are hoping to game in 4K/120, you will need to look elsewhere.

Few people may miss the lack of an RS-232 connection, but more disappointing is the lack of a 12-volt trigger out, which is incredibly handy for triggering an anamorphic lens sled or a motorized projection screen. This omission is likely not a deal-breaker, but if you need it, you’ll miss it.

Another great install feature is the Pixel Adjust, which lets you “correct the phase shifting between each RGB color by adjusting the pixel.” In practice, this allows tweaking the pixel position at 100 points (10 x 10) on screen for the most accurate alignment. Like the old point adjustment on CRT projectors, you navigate a grid pattern on screen and align the red and blue panels for the sharpest image. This process can take a few minutes to complete, but it certainly makes tiny details and things like text sharper with less color fringing.

In addition to front and rear IR signal sensors, the NZ500 supports Control4’s SDDP protocol and is enabled in the network settings, which offers direct access to virtually

every command and setting you could want, letting you give customers access — or preprogrammed commands — to switch to the ideal picture mode or setting when watching different sources, aspects, or resolutions.

The NZ500 is also ISF-certified and features all the color management adjustments to perform a full calibration. JVC even offers free software that can perform auto-calibration using hardware such as the Datacolor Spyder. The projector also supports “Filmmaker Mode” and can automatically switch to the picture settings defined by the UHD Alliance. This projector also uses DML (Display Mastering Luminance) metadata, which represents the nit level of the professional monitor used to grade the movie to the director’s standards, to set the dynamic range of the title for improved HDR dynamic tone mapping, and to get closer to the creator’s intent.

While users will likely use it very sparingly, the included remote is well-designed and is backlit for easier operation in a darkened theater.

Performance

Even before going through the basic zoom, focus, shift, and panel alignment settings, the first thing I noticed about the NZ500 was the black levels.

On this projector, black is very near black

One way I judge a projector’s black is by how much overspray I can see when I zoom out to view 2.35 content. On my Sony XW6100ES, there is a very noticeable amount of dark gray light above and below the screen, and raising my hand into this area produces a very defined shadow of what true black should look like. With the JVC, there is very little shadow. In a dedicated room, the NZ500 will deliver a fantastic black floor.

What this translates to while watching movies with a lot of dark content is that the NZ500 produces an incredibly cinematic image. Films such as Gravity, with the blackness Vol. 26 No. 5

of space, or Zero Dark Thirty, as the Blackhawks are flying through the canyons to deliver the SEALs to the raid, or the freeway chase scene in The Batman had real depth and just looked terrific.

I asked Rob Budde, JVC’s national product manager of the projector division, if the black levels are the same between all JVC home theater projectors, or do the higher-end models get even blacker? Obviously, the higher-end models have higher native contrasts partly due to having more lumens and being able to get brighter, but can they be blacker as well?

Budde said, “The black floor is lower. We grade our D-ILA chips on performance for brightness and contrast ratio. We also closely match the three chips, so they all have very similar performance.”

As I wasn’t performing a calibration, I also asked Budde to recommend the best settings for HDR movie production, and he suggested the following:

Dynamic Control: Balanced; LD Power: 100; Aperture: 0; Deep Black: On; HDR Mode: Frame Adapt; HDR Processing: Frame by Frame; HDR Quantizer: Auto-Wide; Graphic Mode: Low; Enhance: Set to 5-7 range; CMD: Off

The next thing I noticed was that I couldn’t get a picture from my Dish Hopper. At first, I thought this was because the NZ500 didn’t like something in how my system is connected, namely the output of my Trinnov Altitude 16 going to an HDMI splitter that simultaneously feeds both the projector and a Sony OLED. After switching cables around didn’t solve the issue, I reached out to Budde.

Turns out, the NZ500 doesn’t support 1080i resolution. For me, the solution meant dialing the Hopper’s video output down to 720p, which produced a softer image with more banding. Obviously, as we transition to more 4K content, this will be less of an issue, or if you have a component that can perform 1080i to 1080p/4K upscaling. However, if this will go into a system with a cable box or satellite receiver, be aware.

We watched the NZ500 a lot and it never failed to satisfy and impress. Granted, at 115 inches (2.35:1) my screen is not large by today’s standards, but the NZ500 always delivered a terrific picture with ample brightness. Disney’s new Moana 2 streamed in 4K HDR from Disney+ had vibrant colors with lots of pop and loads of detail.

But what always stood out was the terrific black levels. Even broadcast TV programs like Survivor or The Hunting Party had good detail and deep blacks, but obviously, it looked its best when being fed 4K HDR content from my Apple TV or Kaleidescape. Episode five of Skeleton Crew,

one of the latest Star Wars spin-offs on Disney+, has the characters traveling through space and exploring the bowels of a planet, and the dark reproduction and detail were always on point, creating a very cinematic image.

JVC is touting a new “Vivid” SDR mode included in the picture modes for SDR content that provides a gamma boost and increased color saturation to make the picture brighter. JVC says, “Users can expect intense brightness and exposure in Vivid picture mode where colors pop off the screen in animated movies,” and it definitely does. I played with this a bit but found it too extreme for my liking. Watching The Simpsons, the characters virtually glowed in bright yellow — perhaps all that radiation exposure finally catching up to them. During non-animated content, the colors were just a bit too exaggerated for me — grass too green, skies too blue. For people who want an image to go to 11 or want a brighter image for gaming or daytime viewing, the Vivid mode is there.

Because I had it in my system, I did some A-B comparisons between the NZ500 and my Sony XW6100ES (review available online), mainly to see the choices made on how the projectors handled tone mapping. I expect the dynamic tone mapping from Sony’s forthcoming BRAVIA 7 projector (price yet to be announced) to be similar in performance to the 6100ES, as they both use Sony’s new XR processing chip. However, with the Sony 6100ES costing more than three times the price of the JVC, boasting 700 more lumens, and using Sony’s upgraded ACF (All Crisp Focus) lens, this was admittedly not an apples-to-apples match-up. (JVC’s NZ800 would be the direct competitor.)

For absolute blacks, the JVC trounced the Sony. Wasn’t even close. The Zero Dark Thirty scene just had more depth while still retaining the low-end detail of the helicopters and terrain.

However, when the content was more mixed, with dark and bright content on screen at once, that difference was far less noticeable. Things like cityscapes at night or even space scenes lit with planets or spacecraft weren’t as noticeably blacker on the JVC. Also interesting was that, with the settings Budde suggested, the JVC didn’t illuminate the single pixel in the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark disc test pattern, rather just having a totally black screen. It did show the pixel when I pressed the menu button on the JVC remote, illuminating the single pixel along with the GUI. Honestly, though, this “needs of the many” approach, keeping the screen totally dark for 8,847,359 pixels instead of sacrificing some light for 1, doesn’t seem terrible.

What was very noticeable was the difference between how Sony and JVC handled tone mapping at the higher end of the luminance range. The JVC was unable to render the bright sun and sky from Alpha, mastered at 4000 nits, blending it into a solid mass of color and light, whereas the Sony clearly showed and defined the bright sun. Demo content from the Spears & Munsil disc showed the Sony had more darklevel detail of the crags and trees in a scene with a snowy mountain, and also much greater detail and color volume in the geothermal water pools.

Where the JVC was the clear winner was in black level, while the Sony always had the edge with detail and sharpness, likely due in part to the higher performing ACF lens on the 6100ES.

The takeaway isn’t that the now $19,000 Sony looked better in most cases, but rather just how good the $6000 JVC did in comparison. (If you’re in the market for a projector over 15 grand, definitely audition JVC’s NZ800 as well!) At this price, performance, and feature set, the JVC DLA-NZ500 sets a new benchmark for sub$10,000 projectors and should be on a very short list of projectors to consider at that price.

Mastering YouTube for Marketing

How to make the most-used social media platform work for you.

BY SARAH HALES

With new platforms emerging constantly and content guidelines shifting rapidly, the social media landscape remains volatile, to say the least. But there is one constant that holds its ground amid the chaos: YouTube. With more than 2.5 billion active monthly users, YouTube is the mostused social media platform in the world right now, and its popularity is not expected to change anytime soon. As a custom integrator, posting on YouTube can do wonders for your brand’s visibility, but it takes more than simply publishing a video to reach a wide audience. Catering to YouTube’s algorithm and improving Search Engine Optimization is essential for maximizing your videos’ reach.

YouTube Algorithm

The YouTube algorithm is picky. Designed to keep users engaged by recommending content they are most likely to watch, it analyzes various factors to determine which videos appear in search results, on the homepage, and in the “Up Next” recommendations that users see at the end of each video. Key signals the algorithm considers include:

• Viewer Watch Time — Videos that keep viewers engaged for longer periods are more likely to be recommended to more viewers.

• Click-Through Rate (CTR) — If more people click on your video after seeing it in search results or recommendations, YouTube considers it as relevant and engaging.

• Engagement Metrics — Likes, comments, shares, and subscriptions all signal to YouTube that your video and/or page is valuable.

• Video Relevance and Metadata — Titles, descriptions, tags, and captions help YouTube understand your video’s content. Even the name of the file you upload matters!

• User Watch History — YouTube personalizes recommendations based on what each user has previously watched and engaged with. By optimizing your content according to these factors, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in YouTube searches and reaching a wider audience through algorithmic recommendations.

SEO Best Practices: How-To

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to optimize your content and enhance your brand’s YouTube presence:

1. Conduct Keyword Research — YouTube SEO starts with understanding what your desired audience is searching for. To identify keywords, try typing words that are relevant to your video or brand into the YouTube search bar and note the autocomplete suggestions. Or compare the popularity of different search terms on Google Trends and choose keywords with a balance of high search volume and low competition.

2. Optimize Video Title — Before you upload your video onto YouTube,

make sure that the file name is relevant and includes your primary keyword. This will help YouTube identify what your content is about and suggest a relevant title. Your title should be compelling, clear, include your target keyword, and stay under 100 characters.

3. Write an SEO-Friendly Description — Your description should provide context and include relevant keywords naturally. Try to frontload key information in the first 100 characters, as this is what appears in search previews and might determine if a viewer watches your video. Include a call to action asking viewers to like, comment, and subscribe. Don’t forget to include links to your brand’s website.

4. Tag Your Video Strategically — Tags help YouTube understand your video’s content, so make sure to include some in your description. Use your primary keyword as your first tag, followed by the additional keywords, related terms that describe your video, and branded tags like your channel or brand name.

5. Create Eye-Catching Thumbnails — Your thumbnail is the first thing viewers will see, so it’s crucial that you use an image that is eye-catching and relevant to your desired audience. Create a 1280 x 720 image with big, bold text and show a clear visual of your video’s topic.

6. Leverage Playlists and End Screens — Creating playlists and selecting end screens to promote your other content keeps viewers on your channel longer and increases overall watch time. As you upload a new video, simply add it to one of your existing playlists or create a new playlist when needed.

7. Encourage Engagement — YouTube favors videos that spark interactions. Boost engagement by responding to comments to encourage conversation, and utilize community posts and post YouTube Shorts to keep your channel active.

8. Promote Your Video Outside YouTube — Maximize reach by sharing your video across your brand’s other social media platforms. You can also embed your YouTube videos on your brand’s website or in email marketing campaigns.

9. Monitor Analytics and Adjust Strategy — Use YouTube Studio Analytics to track performance:

• Watch Time and Retention: Identify where viewers drop off and consider adjusting the length of future videos accordingly.

• CTR: See if your titles and thumbnails are effective and play around with keywords and images to see which perform better.

• Traffic Sources: Understand how users find your content and increase promotion through that channel.

By understanding the algorithm, using SEO best practices, and consistently refining your approach, you can increase your videos’ visibility and help grow your business.