18 whole-house music systems for all budgets
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ElEctronic
ctronic
House
November 2010
smart i green i safe i fun
creative
10
hot
s
d
n
e
tr
ation
m
o
t
me au
in ho
solutions
for problem media rooms
n THeATer Ducks
unDer Low ceiLing
n BeDroom sHADes DouBLe
As ViDeo screen
n A/V geAr sTows in
kiTcHen PAnTry
How to have a
thx-certified home theater
Are you ready for high-def
Videoconferencing?
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NEW! MRX A/V RECEIVERS WITH ANTHEM ROOM CORRECTION
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* Inside Track Dealer Survey. An annual independent nationwide survey of
consumer electronics specialist retailers and custom installers.
Full details at www.anthemAV.com.
Copyright © Paradigm Electronics Inc.
+
HOME
THEATER
BLISS
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you inspired and up-to-date on everything you need to create
and maintain your electronic home lifestyle.
What’s Inside
• Inspiration to bring your own electronic home to life
• Articles and slideshows showcasing the coolest
electronic homes and home theaters
• Insider details on electronic home installations —
from the pros and homeowners
• Full equipment lists from theses installations, with
links to the manufacturers’ sites
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ElEctronic House
Features
November 2010
TECH INDEx
Want to learn about a specific technology? Follow
these icons to find your
subject matter of choice.
EnErgy
managEmEnt.
Hear how technology
is helping homeowners
save electricity and cash.
58
EntErtainmEnt.
From home
theaters to whole-house
music, you’ll see what it
takes to be fully entertained at home.
EnhancEmEnts.
Our catch-all
category for technologies
like motorized window
treatments, furnishings,
swimming pool systems
and more.
homE control.
If you want to
control something, these
stories will describe how.
lighting.
See how lighting
can enhance the look and
functionality of your home.
sEcurity.
Learn about the
equipment and features
behind a well-rounded
home protection system.
WHOLE-HOUSE AUDIO
46 18 SYSTEMS FOR ALL BUDGETS
And for all circumstances, from intensive systems perfect for new constructions and additions, to retrofit and
starter systems.
HOME OF THE MONTH
50 EFFICIENCY FIRST How a Long
Island vacation residence uses home control and
energy monitoring to gain efficiencies in a home built
with many green features.
AUDIO
58 AWESOME ACOUSTICS Who says
acoustical treatments are boring? Now you can have
your fave photos or scenes on panels that help make
your media room system sing.
worldmags
LIGHTING
62 WIRED VS. WIRELESS LIGHTING
SMACKDOWN Which is really better: a hard-wired
or wireless lighting control system? We let the contestants go a few rounds, and you can pick the winner. You
may be surprised.
CUTTING-EDGE CONTROL
66 10 HOT HOME AUTOMATION
TRENDS The hottest one: Home automation is now
affordable. That’s right, you don’t have to be a millionaire to have a home control system. They’re also more
available, come with cool graphics, and can help you
save energy and money.
on the covEr
Whole-house music systems page 46
Hot trends in automation page 66
Creative solutions pages 28, 32, 34, 80
THX-certified theater page 30
Videoconferencing page 38
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Picture simulated
Only the VIERA® Full HD 3D TV was named Best in Show 2010 at CES. We’ve technically engineered our 3D TVs to have
fast switching phosphors, incredible clarity and exceptional 3D depth, as well as an improved 2D capability for bright, sharp
images. With 1/3 the response time of our conventional phosphors, aftereffects are reduced. In addition, the Infinite Black
Panel Pro provides deep blacks and crisp whites, which further heighten the 3D experience. After all, our eyes were meant to
see in 3D, and with VIERA 3D TV, they won’t be disappointed.
CAN WE STILL CALL IT A TV?
One pair of 3D glasses included with purchase.
panasonic.com/viera
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ElEctronic House
Departments
HOMEFRONT
10 CONTENT Streaming on
a budget.
12 ACCESS CONTROL How
to shop for automated door
locks.
14 PROJECTORS The good
and bad of LED projectors.
QUICK HITs
16 COOL THINGS Slimming
sound, dual screens and an
iPanel.
36 ANATOMY LESSON Longdistance HDMI.
38 INNOVATIONS High-def
videoconferencing.
80 PARTING SHOT One fully
stocked kitchen.
COLUMNs
8 EDITOR’S NOTE The latest
buzz.
20 NEAR FUTURE 3D without glasses.
22 GREEN TECH No tall
order for energy efficiency.
24 INDUSTRY INSIDER The
funny thing about change.
November 2010
72
EH IDEAs
28 HEAD ROOM Low-ceiling
projector placement.
30 THX ABCs How to have a
THX theater.
32 SHADE VISION Motorized
shades double as projection
screen.
34 MIRROR TV Behind the
installation.
REVIEWs
40 SONY STR-DA5600ES
receiver/switcher.
42 DIGITAL PROJECTION
M-Vision Cine LED projector.
44 SPEAKERCRAFT AIM10
Five in-ceiling speakers.
DIY (DO-ITYOURsELF)
72 THEATER Big theater,
skinny space.
IN EVERY IssUE
74 Installer Directory
79 Advertiser’s Index
40
16
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28
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What do you want to Control?
The mood – if you know what I mean.
Introducing breakthrough
design at a breakthrough price.
the Control4® infinityedge™ in-Wall touch Screen lets
you easily orchestrate the mood no matter where you
are. dim the lights. Set the temperature (ahem).
And play that funky music in one room while
mr. White takes over in the next. Plus, with a new
optional intercom feature, you’ll never be more
than one touch away from your loved ones. it’s a
breakthrough home control solution for every
room in the house, brought to you by Control4.
Find oUt more AboUt home Control SolUtionS At www.control4.com/infinity
©2010 Control4. All rights reserved. Control4, the Control4 logo, the Control4iQ logo and the Control4 certified logo are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Control4 Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other names
and brands may be claimed as the property of their respective owners.
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ElEctronic
House
Volume 25 No.7 November 2010
publisHer Mark Mendelsohn 818.518.7399
editor lisa Montgomery 269.465.5230
lmontgomery@ehpub.com
senior editor steve Castle 978.632.6409
Managing editor arlen schweiger, x250
editor at large Julie Jacobson 651.275.9564
web editor steve Crowe, x330
Contributor robert archer, x227
art direCtor dorian gittlitz, x288
assoCiate art direCtor Katie stockham, x257
Advertising sAles
national/Vp sales steve nesbitt, x248
east Martin M. Cohn, x235
Central gary schroeder 800.615.3188
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ad produCtion Manager Jason litchfield, x252
Client serViCes Manager Jeffrey Miller, x253
electronichouse.com
direCtor of online sales Jeff fox, x324
senior internet produCt Manager guy Caiola, x232
web art direCtor John brillon, x263
web deVeloper peter smith, x325
ad traffiCKing lauren Mcdonald, x305
president Kenneth d. Moyes, x222
Vp finanCe and adMinistration steve Martini, x328
exeCutiVe publisHer, Ce diVision Kevin Mcpherson, x264
Vp MarKeting Christine ayers
Vp audienCe deVelopMent elizabeth Crews, x256
MarKeting direCtor Karen bligh, x309
installer direCtory, list rentals & CustoM reprints
ellen Cotton, ecotton@ehpub.com, x240
subscription inquiries 800.305.0633
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editor’s note
Basking in the Buzz
I’m back from the Custom Electronic De-
Manufacturers demonstrated their ability to think outside the
sign and Installation Association (CEDIA)
box, too, as they’ve incorporated new ways to use staple home
Expo, held recently in Atlanta, and I’m
electronics devices like telephones and TVs. Panasonic, for example,
exhausted and invigorated. It’s tiring to
showcased a phone system that can double as a home control
troll a massive show floor for new tech-
device. Through a partnership with home control manufacturer
nologies. So much to see, so little time. My feet were sore. I wanted
Control4, the screen of the desk phone can display a full menu of
to toss my 10-pound shoulder bag into the trash on more than one
home control commands. Right from the screen you can access
occasion. But like childbirth, the pain magically melted away after
a surveillance camera to see who’s at the front door and touch
a few good conversations with some key industry people.
an on-screen button to unlock the door, for example.
At a tradeshow filled with blinking, buzzing electronics exhibits,
These are just a few harbingers of the consumer electronics
it’s not just about seeing what’s new. It’s about getting a feel for the
industry, but as I said before, it’s what people are saying that
industry—where it is, where it’s headed and how you as a consumer
really paints the most vivid picture of our electronics future.
will be impacted. And it’s good news. Across the board, technology
Here are a few notable quotables:
is becoming friendlier, more affordable and easier to install. You can
n “Energy management is front and center as an emerging
read all about it in “10 Trends in Home Automation,” on page 66.
Beyond the automation trends, 3D was all over the place
capability.”
n “TVs are becoming the content portal.”
on the entertainment side. Expect to see lots of 3D bundles this
n “We want to bridge the gap between customized and per-
holiday season from all the major manufacturers. The TV, Blu-ray
sonalized, to make the consumer feel empowered instead
player, disc and glasses will come as a kit, priced significantly
less than the products sold separately. LED is another technology that’s taking off in the entertainment space, as consumers
of a slave to the technology.”
n “We’re taking the projector out of the home theater and
into other spaces.”
—Lisa Montgomery
become increasingly energy conscious.
Total Control at Your Fingertips
Access your entire music library—your iPod, CDs or
even Satellite Radio—and control the volume from
any room in your home. CSA makes it possible with
these state-of-the-art touchpads. Stop by our showroom to learn how easy it is for us to install these
tools and all the other
home theater products that we offer.
Before you invest in
any component visit us and discover the best
brands and an attentive, knowledgeable staff that
loves music (and movies!) as much as you do!
198 Bellevue Avenue • Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
973-744-0600 • www.csaaudiodesign.com
ACCUPHASE • ARCAM •
AYRE • B&W • BDI •
BENZ • CLASSÉ •
CONRAD-JOHNSON •
CRESTRON • DALI • DCS
• DRAPER • DYNAUDIO •
EMT • ESCIENT •
ESOTERIC • FINITEELEMENTE • GRADO •
GRAHAM • HARMONIX •
INTEGRA • JL AUDIO •
KOETSU • KUBALA SOSNA RESEARCH •
LINN • MARANTZ •
MCINTOSH • MERIDIAN
• MONSTER CABLE •
MOON • MUSIC HALL •
MUSICAL FIDELITY •
NILES • NOTTINGHAM
ANALOG • PANASONIC
PHONE SYSTEMS •
PREMIERE SEATING •
PRO-JECT • RICHARD
GRAY • ROTEL • RUNCO
• SALAMANDER •
SAVANT • SENNHEISER •
SHARP • SHELTER •
SHINDO LABS •
SHUNYATA • SILTECH •
SIM2 • SME • SONUS
FABER • SPEAKERCRAFT
• STEWART FILMSCREENS • SUMIKO •
TARGET • TOTEM •
TRANSROTOR • VUTEC •
WILSON AUDIO
worldmags
You won’t find a more
engaged buying audience
anywhere.
Interested in finding out how to advertise in Electronic House
or any of our other publications? If the answer is yes, please
contact Steve Nesbitt at snesbitt@ehpub.com.
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homefront Audio & Video Content
3D or Not 3D Demos
Looking for clips to show off your entertainment system? Here are some killer Blu-ray demos
whose image rendering, sound quality and special effects were demonstrated at the recent
Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo in Atlanta.
For 3D Viewing:
Avatar – The scene that takes viewers along for the
first banshee flight soars with color and depth. Just as
great in 2D, but hold out for the 3D version if you have
the setup.
G-Force – Look for the chase scene as the Feds hightail it trying to catch rodent-driven balls while everyone
weaves in and out of traffic.
Monsters vs. Aliens – Ginormica is on the run
through the city and steps into a couple of cars that
make roller skates. Flying glass and falling buildings
highlight the 3D effects.
For non-3D Viewing:
The Dark Knight – Gunfire sprays on and off the
screen during a bank robbery, and the clown disguises
show off vivid reds, whites and blues.
Transformers – The Qatar desert raid showcases
lively cinematography and surround effects as a scorpion-like Decepticon wreaks havoc.
Up – Highlighting Pixar’s latest gem are wonderful colors and strong visuals, especially during a rainy nighttime scene as Russell tries to put together a tent.
Streaming on
Several Budgets
Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, YouTube, Internet radio … there’s so much more to
A/V these days than cable service and Blu-ray. Plus you’ve got all of those
downloaded music files stuffed on your computer hard drive. Here are three
examples of hardware—ranging from $60 to $649—to stream music, movies
and TV broadcasts to your entertainment systems.
Roku Digital Video Player – For a mere $60 bucks you can grab an
entry-level Roku HD box and stream high-def video up to 720p. You get Netflix
and Amazon streaming access for movies and TV, MLB’s on-demand baseball
package, music from Pandora, RadioTime and MP3Tunes, Flickr and Facebook
photo and video sharing, and other media from the Roku Channel Store. Go
wireless or 1080p with step-up models for $80 and $100.
Boxee Box by D-Link – You can tap into nearly any video source you
find on the Internet, and an Intel Atom CE4100 processor fuels 1080p HD and
5.1 surround sound. It will also play and organize media files from your hard
drive. Available this month for $200.
Cambridge Audio NP30 – A built-in UuVol service provides 20,000 Internet radio stations at various bitstreams. And if you want to access high-res
FLAC and WAV files (along with MP3s) stored on your network hard drive, the
sleek $649 network music player can do it wirelessly, and at better-than-CD
24-bit/96kHz playback.
For Music:
Chris Botti in Boston – Energy, elegance and eye
candy collide when Botti brings Katharine McPhee on
stage to belt out “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
The Police: Certifiable – The trio’s rockin’ reunion
tour shines in South America, especially the haunting
version of “Wrapped Around Your Finger.”
Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis – A couple
of real pick-me-ups on this disc include a scat “Take Five”
from Al Jarreau and Kurt Elling and “You Can’t Take That Away
from Me” by Jane Monheit and guitarist John Pizzarelli.
The
Perfect
Dish?
Say you’re dying to watch The Godfather. Dish
Network might have the perfect solution for
anytime, anywhere, anyhow entertainment.
At the recent Custom Electronic Design
Dish + Sling = TV anywhere.
10
worldmags
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
& Installation (CEDIA) Expo, the company showed its Dish satellite service
integrated with Google TV and Slingbox.
Coupled with Dish’s own TV, DVR and
video-on-demand content, the combo
gets us closer than ever to searching
for any kind of content and playing or
recording it on the fly.
On the Dish keyboard, press the
magic button to bring up the Google
search box. Type in Godfather.
What pops up is a list of places to
find the movie: from online streaming
sources, DLNA-compatible servers on
your home network, your Dish DVR,
Dish video on demand service, and
Dish electronic programming guide. If
it’s available on Dish VoD, you can press
a button to rent the show and stream it
immediately. If it happens to be playing
next week through Dish, you can press
a button to record it.
At CEDIA, Dish demonstrated the
Google TV app running on a prototype
Dish box. The application will be compatible with some existing Dish boxes but will
require additional hardware. Pricing for
the solution has not been announced.
Also, Dish’s $380 million acquisition
of Sling Media three years ago is finally
paying off. The satellite service’s new ViP
922 Slingloaded box has Sling’s timeshifting, place-shifting technology built
in, allowing users to watch anything from
Dish—including live streaming TV—on
virtually any device, any time.
The company also is launching an
external USB-connected Sling Adapter
for use with existing Dish boxes.
—Julie Jacobson
EHInstallers.com
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homefront Access control
Distressed for Success
LoCKS in Stock
Here’s a home control scenario that’s almost cliché these days: You arrive
home at the end of the day, your arms loaded with groceries. You press the
home button on your wireless keyfob to open the garage door, disarm the
security system and turn on the entryway lights.
What’s missing in this picture?
You still have to unlock the door and open it—possibly the most challenging feat of the routine.
Thankfully, several manufacturers have introduced electronic door locks
for the residential market. Installed like their manual counterparts, these
products can communicate with a home control system, enabling users to
automatically lock and unlock the doors, check door lock status remotely,
arm and disarm the security system, receive email alerts, and initiate scenes
such as home and away depending, for example, on the time of day.
Here are some features to consider when buying an automated door lock:
› Aesthetics. Consider the look of your locks from both the inside and
outside.
› Power. Some locks require wiring to the bolt. Some are battery powered.
If the latter, how long do the batteries last?
› Durability. If you live in rainy, dusty, hot, freezing or other extreme environment, make sure your locks will last. And if you’re especially concerned
about security, consider products that are vandal-proof. Yale’s Real Living
touchscreen locks are virtually indestructible.
› Manual Access. Your lock will have some kind of manual access option. Do you prefer a key, keypad, proximity card or biometric reader?
› Locking Mechanism. Locks come in two flavors: latch and dead bolt. If
you have one of those doors that has to be jiggled in order to lock or unlock it,
you might want to avoid the dead bolt and go with a latch. Otherwise, look for a
dead bolt that has a tapered plunger that slides easily into the strike.
Say there’s a bad guy forcing you to unlock your front door or disarm
the security system. What do you do?
If your alarm professional has programmed a “distress” code into your
system, you simply enter that code. The system will appear to operate as usual,
but the monitoring company will be alerted to the emergency situation.
Don’t worry about having to remember two security codes. Simply write down
the distress code and keep it handy—there’s no harm if the bad guys use it.
Most security and access control systems can be programmed with a distress
code. In the case of biometric systems, one finger can be used to operate a
system normally, while a different finger can trigger the distress call.
A custom electronics professional can program a home automation system
to respond to distress codes in a variety of ways. For example, it can turn
off the lights after a delay, quietly alerting household members who may be
inside, call the neighbors, and/or activate the digital dog that barks through
the home audio system.
Give it the Finger
(or Three)
ekey’s Bio-View biometric access system, developed
with partner Holovision, can trigger multiple events, depending on which finger you press against the biometric
reader. For example, use your first finger to control the
electric door strike, scan your second finger to arm and
disarm the security system, and touch your third finger to
send a distress signal to the security system. The product
integrates with Crestron, Holovision, Panasonic and Viking
intercoms. An optional surveillance camera can be installed
behind the plate. www.ekeyusa.com
Newest Locks
oN the BLock
The schlage linK Wireless Keypad lock can be integrated with a
› Integration. When in doubt, pick your automation system first, and then
select a compatible lock. Today’s most popular electronic locks feature
ZigBee or Z-Wave wireless automation technology that can communicate
with several controllers. Just because the lock says ZigBee or Z-Wave on it,
however, does not mean it will seamlessly integrate with “compatible” automation systems. Check with the manufacturer or installer.
third-party Z-Wave automation system or Schlage’s own wireless Internet
› Interface. The user interface for electronic locks generally is the responsibility of the connected automation system, not the lock itself—another
good reason to pick your automation system first and your locks second. The
exception is Schlage, which provides its own Internet gateway and control
system for Schlage Link locks. Schlage charges $8.99 and up, per month, for
the service. Almost without exception, you can expect your locks to be accessible via smart phones and other common devices.
tems. The virtually indestructible lock can withstand blow torches, sledge
› Code Capacity. You may want an access code for every member of the
family, plus several spare numbers for temporary guests, household help and
other visitors. A connected automation system lets you track the comings
and goings—and set access parameters—for individual users.
Parent company Black & Decker has worked with several major brands of
› Price. Automation-capable locks start at about $200.
themselves without removal from the door. $250
12
worldmags
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
bridge (with service starting at $8.99 per month). Users can assign up to
19 personalized four-digit codes. Available in lever lock and dead bolt
models, with a variety of finishes. $200
The first version of the Yale real living touchscreen lock features
ZigBee wireless technology for integrating with Control4 automation syshammers and prolonged exposure to water and freezing temperatures. Up
to 250 codes can be stored in the locks, which provide voice feedback for
programming. A less expensive keypad version of the lock is also available. The ZigBee wireless card can easily be replaced by Z-Wave. $400
The Kwikset smartcode deadbolt with Home Connect Technology
is available with both Z-Wave and ZigBee wireless automation technology.
security and automation systems, ensuring its locks are compatible with
a wide range of whole-house solutions. Not only can homeowners easily reprogram their access codes, they can also re-key Kwikset locks by
EHInstallers.com
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homefront projectors
Hey, Good Lookin’
You don’t have to hide your video projector
if it looks as good as these machines do.
Video projectors are a staple of any
1. BenQ W6000 – BenQ dared to be a little different with this centered-lens design, and we think
it paid off. It makes the unit distinctive without
looking out of place when perched on a table or
mounted to the ceiling. $3,499
dedicated home theater. Many times,
though, you don’t even know they’re in
the room, because the custom electronics
pro has tucked the machine into a wall,
the ceiling or a custom-made soffit.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong
with doing that, but keeping the unit out
in the open has its advantages, too, says
Alberto Fabiano, vice president of marketing and communications for projector
manufacturer SIM2 Multimedia.
“The obvious benefit,” he says, is
that it precludes the need for a special
ventilation system. The unit (all projectors generate heat when they’re operat-
2. InFocus SP8602 – Gloss is great, but what if your
home is heavy on woodwork? The InFocus SP8602
can be customized in standard white and black, as
well as this stunning walnut finish. $4,999
ing) can cool itself without any extra
help as long as it’s not encased inside
something.
Another advantage is that the projector can be more easily accessed for
4. DreamVision Starlight 3 – The chassis of the
maintenance and upgrades. Bulbs, wiring and other components can be easily
added, upgraded and tweaked.
Last, but not least, a projector that’s
left in the open is much easier and quicker
to install than one that’s being fitted inside the ceiling, wall or soffit. This means
you’ll spend less money on labor.
We’ve compiled some of the sleekest, most attractive projectors around
for your consideration. With looks like
these, there’s no way you’ll want to hide
them. Instead, make them a statement
piece of your media room.
3D VS.
3D
ReaDy
(What’s the Difference?)
14
worldmags
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
3. Cineversum BlackWing Four – available in a faux
carbon fiber finish, at no extra charge. It’s a limitededition model that’s meant to be used in rooms where
the visual aspects of a projector are important. $17,325
5. Runco LightStyle –
Runco lets you project
your team pride with
the custom printing service for its
line of LightStyle
projectors. available are logos of
more than 70 NCaa
programs, as well
as exact colormatching for any
college or pro-sports
team, including football,
hockey, baseball, soccer
and basketball. Price
varies
Starlight 3 from DreamVision was created by French designer antoine Beon. In addition to white, you can order it
in black or custom colors to suit your interior. $13,595
6. SIM2 Grand Cinema C3X Lumis Uno – Gray might be the
new black of home theater projectors. actually, SIM2 refers to
this fresh color of its Grand Cinema C3X Lumis Uno projector as
“moonlight silver.” The sculpted cabinet was designed by Giorgio
Revoldini. $29,999
“3D” is the format of the content, which usually means the movie. “3D Ready” is the capability of the display
device, such as a projector or a TV, to play and show 3D content in its original format.
Specific to projectors, when one says a projector is “3D,” it means that the projector is designed to show
only 3D content; this type of projector won’t usually function as well with 2D content. 3D-Ready projectors, on
the other hand, can display both 3D and 2D content well.
—James Chan, senior director of marketing, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics of America
EHInstallers.com
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CE PRO SHOP
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Ideas, Information and Knowledge
for the Connected Home
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The Ultimate Planning Guide The Ultimate Planning Guide is the book with all of the best tips and information you need to plan your own electronic home. Not sure what the benefits are of a home control or
lighting system or how a multiroom entertainment system would work in your home? We help you understand this and more!
Electronic House DIY Showcase Take a look at some of the best DIY projects featuring big screens,
gaming devices, wiring, seats, media servers, lighting, HTPCs, racks, collectibles—and one party barn
supplied by tech savvy and passionate homeowners.
Electronic House Homes of the Year Issue The Home of the Year 2010 issue includes more than 70
pages of stunning photographs and detailed articles of award-winning homes, individual rooms and home
theaters that define today’s connected home.
Electronic House magazine 2 issues guiding you on technologies, products, trends and benefits of
entertainment and home systems. Our product reviews, equipment lists and “all-about” sections are designed to help you with your purchasing decisions.
Connected Home Lifestyle Quick-Hits Series Information designed to give you a complete overview of
the key features, benefits, and details on technology for the home.
www.electronichouseideas.com
COOLTHIngS
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THE LATEST HIgH-TECH gEAR
daily douBle
Stewart Filmscreen’s multipurpose Daily Dual Screen combines materials for 2D content with a silver
screen to enhance the look of 3D. It can be ordered with a choice of configurations to allow for flexibility, depending on which screen will be fixed and which will be mounted on a roller-mount system.
Price varies www.stewartfilm.com
dim it all
Switching from incandescent bulbs to CFLs or LEDs?
Lutron has you covered with new dimmers that will
play nice with all three, plus halogens. Its Credenza/C-L
and Diva/C-L are designed to work with the increasingly popular light sources. The new products can even
dim a mixed load of light sources on the same circuit.
$15 and $40, respectively www.lutron.com
ShowcaSe RackS
Salamander Designs’ modular Synergy series allows mixed
and matched storage options to accommodate about any
installation scenario, while the company’s Chameleon collection offers nine styles and four configuration options,
including accessories that range from rear panels for added
depth to power conditioning from Panamax. $229 to $1,299
www.salamanderdesigns.com
dynamic hd and 3d
computeS Big Sound
Looking for small-footprint speakers? Paradigm’s MilleniaSub and MilleniaOne
in its Reference line are perfect for the space-challenged. The slim subwoofer
resembles a PC tower, while the elliptical satellites feature white or black gloss
finishes. $1,399 MilleniaSub; $249 each MilleniaOne www.paradigm.com
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
There are more and more options for 3D and killer 1080p. From JVC comes
the DLA-RS40 and DLA-X3 from its professional and consumer divisions,
respectively. Two HDMI 1.4a ports support 3D signals, and an external
emitter syncs the image with JVC’s active-shutter glasses. The third-gen
D-ILA High Dynamic Range optical engine beams imagery at 50,000:1
native contrast and 1,300 lumens brightness. $4,495 www.jvc.com
EHInstallers.com
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CAtChing A new wAve
You’ve heard of the Bose Wave Radio? The company recently entered the display market with its VideoWave, which combines a 46-inch 1080p LCD with 16
built-in speakers. That’s right: no external speakers. There’s also a console for
connecting up to five HD devices. An iPod/iPhone dock is also included. $5,349
www.bose.com
Lounging Around
Home theater seating doesn’t get much comfier or better
crafted than the Fortuny Chaise from Cineak. Euro styling
is complemented by German-engineered motors and drivers, Italian automobile-inspired leathers, and Belgian handcraftsmanship. The chaise includes dual motors, electronic
lumbar support, articulating headrest and IR support so it
can be controlled via a remote. Just
try not to fall asleep during the
movie. From $4,200
www.cineak.com
pre-pro pLuS ControLLer
One of the most popular A/V brands you’ve never
heard of is Emotiva. It has expanded from Internetdirect into the custom electronics realm with the
introduction of its Pro division’s PMC-1, an HDMI 1.4
processor/7.1-channel receiver with built-in Control4 automation. So along with solid 7.1-channel
surround sound, you get control over A/V and other
subsystems through the included HC200 Control4
processor. $2,999 www.emotivapro.com
There’s an app for 3D
Super-SLim Sound
KEF’s new T Series brings flat panels to loudspeaker design.
Within 35-mm shallow cabinets, each speaker boasts an
ultra-low profile bass and midrange driver, plus a fully vented
tweeter. Midrange performance is enabled by a new large
diaphragm tweeter which comes from KEF’s lofty Concept
Blade speaker project. The lineup includes three system
components that can be packaged in three
configurations. $1,500 to $2,000
www.kef.com
Perhaps no company has pushed 3D hardware more than Samsung. Now the company
is delivering on the content end of the 3D
spectrum (apart from bundling a Blu-ray 3D
disc with your TV purchase). Adding to its list
of streaming web apps, Samsung recently
introduced its “Explore 3D” video app.
The manufacturer offers the app to Samsung HDTV owners through its Samsung
Apps store, and says it’s the first application
to deliver streaming 3D content.
With the app, consumers can view 3D
content from the web. Some of the content
that’s currently available includes trailers for
3D movies such as Shrek Forever After, Megamind and How to Train Your Dragon.
Sure, they’re not full-length movies, but
they do make tasty appetizers for those who
are hungry for more 3D content.
—Robert Archer
ElEctronicHouse.c om
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more cool things
A/V ReceiVeRs:
suRRound-sound PotPouRRi
Back in the early days of home theater, you had plenty
of choices for the multichannel audio playback of your
Vhs and/or laserdisc collections—as long as you liked
Dolby Pro logic.
since then, however, there’s been a number of surround-sound formats and proprietary DsP (digital signal
processing) modes introduced with names ranging from
“jazz club” to “church hall” to provide more variety in
your theater setups. You’ll also hear the terms “lossless”
or “lossy” to describe the audio content—lossless represents a master recording that’s reproduced without
any signal information compromise, and is the most
pristine soundtrack available.
here is a synopsis of some of the major formats
that are now widely used in the home theater market:
Dolby trueHD: this is a lossless audio format that
represents a bit-for-bit copy of the original master
recording. Dolby truehD soundtracks support up to 7.1
channels and it’s included in many Blu-ray discs.
Dolby Pro logic iiz: the latest iteration of Dolby
Pro logic, it is designed to provide movie and gaming
enthusiasts with a more expansive listening experience by adding front height speaker channels.
Dolby Pro logic ii: A format that’s been around
for a number of years, this technology takes basic
stereo content and turns it into a virtual surroundsound listening experience by spreading the signal to
all connected speakers.
Dolby Digital live: With this format gamers can
take the sound from their computer or gaming console
and run it through their home theater to produce a 5.1
audio experience.
Dolby Digital EX: Found on many of the early Bluray and hD DVD releases, this version of Dolby Digital
adds an extra discrete channel for the center rear location to create a 6.1 surround signal.
Dts-HD master Audio (mA): this is a lossless
audio format that’s available in 7.1, and included on many
popular Blu-ray disc releases. Blu-ray discs predominantly will carry either Dolby truehD or Dts-hD mA surround soundtracks.
Dts surround sound: A lossy 5.1 audio format
that is found on many DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
Dts 96/24: this format can be found on a lot of
music discs, and it offers a higher bitrate (24-bit) and
sampling frequency (96khz) than what’s available with
the cD format’s 16-bit/44khz standard.
Dts neo:6: this decoding technology takes a standard stereo audio signal and processes it into a full
surround-sound experience.
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ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
Blue equals Green
Panamax/Furman’s BlueBolt technology takes power conditioning and energy savings into the cloud,
thanks to its m4315-Pro device. this energy-monitoring, web-based feature lets consumers log into
a website and access data, set parameters and include their utility rates to project real-world cost
savings on electronics that are plugged into the power conditioner. $650 www.panamax.com
3D in 4 Colors
sharp’s big splash earlier this
year was adding a fourth primary color, yellow, to the usual
red, green and blue-based
display technology. now the
company has added 3D to give
us a pair of Quattron 3D Aquos
lcD models (le925 series)
in sizes of 52 and 60 inches.
And you’ll be able to hook up
to netflix, Vudu apps, Youtube,
Facebook and more with web
connectivity. the sets include
two pairs of 3D glasses. $4,199
and $5,299, respectively
www.sharpusa.com
suB-stantial
smarts
subwoofers that tune themselves? Velodyne’s new DD+
(Digital Drive Plus series) line of
subwoofers automatically adapt
their output to suit the acoustical characteristics of a system’s
speakers and the listening
environment. the company says
there’s nothing complicated about
the auto equalization process: Pop
in the included cD and let the test
tones and software do the work.
the elegant cabinetry comes as a
bonus. From $2,999
www.velodyne.com
EHInstallers.com
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at Your ServiCe
Mozaex’s new line of products supports the ability to play 3D Blu-ray
discs, as well as other forms of electronic media such as streaming
A/V to photo viewing. The line includes multiroom and single-room
solutions and starts with the Solo 1 3D 1TB server, which, yes, features
a full terabyte of storage. From $4,795 www.mozaex.com
Hard to CraCk
Baldwin Hardware’s Keyless Entry with Home Connect line of
deadbolt locks lets homeowners wirelessly lock and unlock
their homes’ doors. The ZigBee Pro wireless protocol enables
remote control of the locks as part of a Control4 home control
system. Customized scenes can synchronize the settings of
your home’s lights with locking and unlocking. Baldwin adds
a Lifetime finish protection and 128-bit encryption technologies to protect the eight-digit security codes. Deadbolt, $565;
Handleset Kits from $335 www.baldwinhardware.com
a real live Wire
Flat-panel TVs are getting so slim that even large sizes can be mounted almost singlehandedly. The WM60 from WallWizard takes the ease of installation a step further. Just
have a stud finder handy, because you’ll need to anchor that way. It combines a base unit,
spacers and wire. Use the spacers to align with the TV holes, and slide the wiring into the
wide base, where it’s kept secure and from shifting. $99 www.closystems.com
it’S a Snap
If you’re a fan of Ikea, you’ll like the Allen wrench install of the
QM-615 from RBH Sound. This in-ceiling speaker takes the
essentials from RBH’s popular A-615 and adds a more modern
frame and quick-cam installation technology. The quick-cam
mechanisms come cocked and ready to snap tight to secure
the speaker. $249 pair www.rbhsound.com
iPod, iPad … iPaneL?
Multitasking and hard buttons. When it comes to using
Apple’s iPad as a home controller, those are the two big
missing pieces.
Home automation giant Crestron is tackling hard
buttons with its iPaneL, which snaps over the face of an
iPad like a clamshell. A total of 13 buttons grace the
left and right sides of the iPaneL: volume up/down, mute,
lights, home, guide, info, exit, left, right, up, down, select.
The buttons look like the ones on Crestron’s flagship TPS-6X
wireless touchpanel, and they function similarly. Power and
communications occur through the iPad’s multipin connector.
The buttons tap into the iPad’s WiFi capabilities, but the screen
does not have to be docked for the hard buttons to work.
That’s because the case itself contains a multipin connector.
And up next? Crestron says future models will feature
streaming media. —Julie Jacobson
ElEctronicHouse.c om
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near future
the eyes Have It
by Arlen Schweiger
DarbeeVision
delivers more
realistic images
using tech
similar to how
our brains
process sight.
Paul Darbee is a visionary, pun intended. He holds
synthesis. He had also been studying brain theory
40 patents, including a bunch as founder of Univer-
and something called a saliency map, which is a
sal Electronics. But it’s taken close to 40 years for
visual representation that factors in our eyesight’s
Darbee’s vision of image enhancement to become
high selectivity. From that, Darbee realized that the
reality—dubbed DarbeeVision Visual Presence—and
defocused image didn’t have to be very good to be
there’s still work to be done.
effective in the equation, and his new project even
His goal of making a two-dimensional image appear more lifelike—as in how we see things in our
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tract defocused info from the right and left.
everyday vision—grew from a video synthesizer project
He was excited by the results, and says his big
in 1972. Darbee wanted to create “3D information” by
stamp of approval came two years later when he
combining left and right stereo video camera images,
showed some A/B screen comparisons to director
similar to how our brain constructs depth, which you
Robert Altman, who was working on the DVD trans-
can simulate by opening and closing one eye at a time—
fer of Gosford Park and incorporated the technol-
and not by putting on a pair of 3D glasses.
ogy. Hollywood and its stringent post-production
“2D on TV is the exception to how we see things,”
timetables prohibited fiddling around with master
says Darbee. “The different viewpoints, that disparity, is
transfers to add Darbee’s enhancements, though,
the key to the depth cues that we extract when looking
so he turned to other digital formats such as TVs,
at things. I wanted to put stereo, or 3D, information
video games, picture frames and more.
into a 2D image, so the image would pop.”
No, it’s not 3D,
but the lizard on
the right leaps out
at you a bit more
with DarbeeVision
technology.
added a third, or “middle” TV, from which he’d sub-
Now he and his company, DarbeeVision, finally have
He discovered that the solution was to defocus one
a product—the Visual Presence Processing Box—to
of the cameras, and subtract that image information
enhance the depth and detail on any ol’ 2D TV. I experi-
from the sharp image in the other camera—only he
enced a taste of what Altman saw during a recent demo
abandoned the project because in the early 1970s the
featuring Avatar and underwater IMAX video. The
predominance of analog filming and lack of computers
Darbee Box doesn’t disappoint in its pop and clarity.
rendered his work moot for real-world application.
But the box is a first step. Starting with “high-end”
Fast-forward to 2000, following the emergence
displays, we’ll be seeing the technology embedded
of digital technology and powerful computer process-
into products over the next year. At last, Darbee’s
ing, and Darbee decided it was time to revisit image
vision will be realized. EH
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
EHInstallers.com
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green tech
tall Order?
by Steve Castle
I am so proud of my town. We recently
Wind and
solar power
could be
monumental,
but energy
efficiency in
our homes is
still the key.
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erected a 386-foot-high wind turbine in
Templeton, Mass., a small, rural community in central Massachusetts. The
1.65-megawatt turbine will provide about
5 percent of our town’s electrical needs,
as well as help power our high school and
middle school, which sit in the tower’s
slender shadow.
In fact, our wind turbine will become
an educational resource for our schools.
Members of our school and municipal light
department even formed a Green Energy
Educational Collaborative—known as the GEEC
clean power is, it’s not 100 percent. Renewable and
Squad—which is attracting attention from other
clean energy cannot do it alone. By even the most
area communities. Other towns are now looking to
optimistic projections, technologies like solar and
us to see how to navigate the process of planning
wind will not replace fossil fuels for decades.
for and erecting something so large and expensive.
We have the step-by-step-guide.
This is why we need more energy efficiency
within our homes. According to a McKinsey & Co.
I’m not writing this just to brag about my town.
report, as well as others, energy efficiency in our
Other proposed wind turbine projects in nearby towns
homes and businesses is the easiest and most ef-
have met with opposition. In Templeton, though,
fective way to curb greenhouse gas emissions. It’s
we embraced it.
also an easy and effective way to save money. Even
“This was just about common sense,” said our state
better, we have the technologies to do this, not in
senator, Stephen M. Brewer. “We’ve got to find some
the form of giant wind turbines, but in the forms
ways to change the world, my friends. … We need to
of light dimmers and programmable thermostats
create some new visions for the 21st century.” And he
and energy monitoring systems and home control
pointed to our wind turbine as one of those visions.
systems and occupancy sensors and the list goes on
The head of our municipal Light and Water Department, Sean Hamilton, discussed Massachusetts’
and on. Even better, these products are much more
readily available than colossal wind turbines.
mandate that utilities get 15 percent of their energy
Don’t get me wrong: I love seeing our town’s
from renewable resources by the year 2020—and that
majestic wind turbine. It’s getting people in tiny
with the addition of a large wind farm set to come online
Templeton, Mass., excited about green energy and
in western Mass., next year, Templeton will already be
energy efficiency. But we should also remember that
at about 17.5 percent. With hydropower as well as
being more energy efficient in our homes can turn
nuclear plant contracts, he said Templeton’s electricity
that projected 70 percent of clean energy use into
could be 70 percent carbon-free by 2020.
100 percent. And that’s not such a tall order. EH
That 70 percent would be an impressive feat. But
as Hamilton went on to say, “This [wind turbine] is
Senior editor Steve Castle writes the energy
just a piece of the puzzle that has to be solved.”
management blog at ElectronicHouse.com and
So true, because as impressive as 70 percent
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
is the co-founder of GreenTechAdvocates.com
EHInstallers.com
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ADVERTORIAL
High-Tech Shading Solutions
from Lutron
®
Experience the added convenience, ambiance, and energy savings from automated
window treatments—all at the touch of a button.
Because shades are often the finishing touch to a room, you probably have them on your list of
upgrades, no matter whether your home improvement project is a minor renovation or a major
overhaul. Shades not only enhance décor, but have many functional benefits as well—they protect
furnishings from the sun’s damaging UV rays, can help darken a room for watching movies—and
can even help save on heating and cooling costs.
The Lutron family of Sivoia® QS Wireless shades offer all of the above—electronically—for ultraquiet, precision control with a single touch. (These shades also seamlessly integrate with Lutron’s
RadioRA® 2 total home control system.) Because Sivoia QS shades communicate wirelessly, they
are easy to retrofit and are ideal for one room, or your entire home. Here’s a look at the newest
additions to the Sivoia QS Wireless family:
Venetian blinds with
Intelligent Tilt Alignment™
Kirbé™ vertical drapery
system
Roman shades with CERUS™
safety technology
Venetian blinds are an
attractive and effective way
to ensure privacy, while still
allowing daylight to filter into
a space. Lutron exclusive
Intelligent Tilt Alignment
technology maintains uniform
tilt and lift positions across
blinds, combines smooth,
quiet motion with independent
control of lift and tilt, and
features presets to recall blinds
to a predetermined height
and tilt angle.
The Kirbé vertical drapery
system smoothly pulls fabric
up and completely out of
the way. This drapery’s
unique design eliminates
stack back (the mass of
fabric that gathers when you
open traditional draperies),
providing greater access to
windows and views as well
as an easy and dramatic way
to reveal the screen in your
home theater.
Lutron has revolutionized the
design of Roman shades
by introducing CERUS (Cord
Eliminating Roman Uptake
System) safety technology.
This patent-pending innovation
creates a safer shade by
removing the exposed inner
cords that are typical of Roman
shade construction—and
which may pose a strangulation
hazard to small children.
For more information on Lutron shading solutions call
1.877.2LUTRON or visit www.lutron.com/shadingsolutions
©09/2010 Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
P/N 368-2074 Rev A
The CERUS bands also provide
a quieter system with smoother,
more even travel of the shade.
worldmags
industry insider
some things never Change
by Julie Jacobson
A dynamic
industry can,
at times, be
very stagnant.
A lot has changed in the 16 years I’ve been cov-
screwdrivers. Shoppers would snap up a few automated
ering home automation. We now have sub-$500
dimmers on impulse as they checked out. In reality,
touchscreens, smart phones that double as home
not a single home control system has succeeded in
controllers, metadata, and a computer—or 10—in
mass-market retail, despite major efforts from manu-
every household.
facturers and retailers alike. Even The Shack failed at
But then, some things never change. It’s remark-
its most recent attempt to sell the stuff. Enthusiasts
able how such a dynamic industry can, at times, be
go online to research and buy their home automation
so stagnant.
gear. Everyone else lets home automation come to
Standards. Sixteen years ago, everyone thought
that if we could just agree on a single home control
Custom Installation. The custom electron-
standard, the category would explode. Every device
ics (CE) professional is a dying breed. Soon
from every manufacturer would interoperate, instal-
everything will be plug-and-play and we won’t
lation would be a breeze, R&D costs would plummet,
need a pro to integrate our gear. You can keep on
and consumers would fill their baskets in the “home
saying it, but it won’t come true. Indeed, products
automation” aisles. You know, like Ethernet. Today,
have become simpler to install over the years and
however, we still have no widely accepted home con-
that trend will continue. At the same time, though,
trol standard (here comes the hate mail from Z-Wave,
more and more gear will interconnect, making the
ZigBee, RF4CE and others) and we still have pundits
electronic house more complicated to manage, and
swearing that, without standards, we are nothing.
the CE pro more appealing to hire.
Meanwhile, just as many home control experts claim
Utilities. When we started EH Publishing in 1994,
that standards don’t matter anymore. With so many
the conversation about home automation revolved
inexpensive bridge devices, all of those disparate
around energy savings. Countless utilities launched
devices can interconnect one way or another.
incessant trials for demand-side management, trying
Retail. For two decades, we have imagined home
to get consumers to shed loads such as pool pumps
automation products stacked on rows of shelves in
(always the pool pump!) when electricity was at peak
electronics and home improvement stores. Helpers
demand. Even before the hybrid car, we imagined a
in blue shirts and orange vests would advise on smart
“Prius effect” in which knowledge of a 12-cent energy
thermostats as deftly as they would on DVD players and
savings would convince consumers to conserve. The
An Industry W
WIthout A nAme
After all these years, we still don’t know what to call this
business. All the stuff you read about in Electronic House
… is there a name for that? Back in the day, it was called
home automation or smart home technology. in fact, a survey conducted a few years ago by the Consumer electronics Association indicated that “smart house” was the term
that resonates most with consumers. But that term, and
virtually every other that is used to describe the integrated home,
is frowned upon in the home control community. Likewise with the terms used to describe
the people that sell, install and integrate this stuff. installer is offensive to some. integrator is
misunderstood by most. electronics systems Contractor—the moniker touted by the industry’s leading trade association—has just so many things wrong with it. We expect no resolution to the industry name game anytime soon. so we’ll just stick with Electronic House.
24
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them, by way of professional installers.
utilities keep on plugging away today, and manufacturers
keep on hoping that these smart energy projects will
spur broad adoption of whole-house control—for things
like turning off the pool pump from your iPhone.
Trojan Horse. Smart thermostats, largely driven
by utility initiatives, were supposed to be the Trojan
horse that got regular people hooked on home automation. Never happened. Likewise, home automation
was going to sneak into the house by way of the cable
box, telephone service, cable modem or some other
mass-market deployment. Nada. Xfinity (Comcast),
AT&T, Verizon, Cisco and other big brands are still
plugging away, to no avail. EH
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
EHInstallers.com
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The Electronic House email newsletter keeps
you inspired and up-to-date on everything you need to create
and maintain your electronic home lifestyle.
What’s Inside
• Inspiration to bring your own electronic home to life
• Articles and slideshows showcasing the coolest
electronic homes and home theaters
• Insider details on electronic home installations —
from the pros and homeowners
• Full equipment lists from theses installations, with
links to the manufacturers’ sites
• Guidance, expert info and buying advice
• The latest home entertainment and home systems
product news
• The inside scoop on Electronic House
sweepstakes and giveaways
Don’t miss another day of
information and inspiration!
www.electronichouse.com/eh/newsletters
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multimedia devices
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CAsTIng A WIDER ’nET
The last decade has seen a myriad of changes in how
based applications in the comfort of the family’s main
we experience television. New technologies, such as
viewing room and on a large screen.
HD and 3D, new form factors-bigger, flatter TVs, higher
Three years ago, Panasonic introduced VIERA
resolution capabilities resulting in greatly improved
CAST™, a web based function that continues to ex-
pictures- all of which provide the consumer with the
pand the number of available sites and now features
latest and to date the best entertainment experience.
Netflix™, Amazon Video on Demand™, You Tube™,
Today the television is indeed a multimedia device
Twitter, Pandora, Bloomberg™ Business News, a
and has become the center of the home entertain-
weather channel and the recently added Skype™
ment environment — more than just a vehicle for
communication service. VIERA CAST is available
watching cable, satellite, broadcast and packaged
on select Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTVs, including
media content. Nowhere is this more evident than in
the 3D models that were first introduced in March,
the advent of internet-enabled televisions, allowing
2010, as well as six of Panasonic’s 2010 Blu-ray Disc
one to access a variety of strategically identified web
players. Of importance to consumers, VIERA CAST
A D VERTO R I A L
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does not require an additional set-top box
Ease of use is always a major concern of con-
or a computer. All the functionality is built
sumers and with that in mind, VIERA CAST was
into the TVs and Blu-ray Disc players with
designed and developed to give the user straight-
appropriate internet connections.
forward and quick access to internet content. The
The addition of Skype is particularly
TVs and Blu-ray players have built-in Ethernet con-
innovative. Now the unique communica-
nections — the consumer only has to connect a
tion service can be experienced on a big
broadband internet connection to the TV or Blu-ray
screen TV, rather than the smaller PC screen
player. Further contributing to the ease of use is a
or smart phones. To further improve the
GUI that is intuitive and helps provide easy access
service, Panasonic introduced a network
to the various content without any complexities
camera (TY-CC10) that is specifically de-
and quick keyboard input (like a cell phone) to help
signed to operate in conjunction with the
retrieve content faster and easier.
TV, providing a wider viewing angle, and
leveraging the entire full screen beyond
what is available on the computer’s built-in
camera. With approximately 500 million
registered users, Skype is the world’s most
popular online voice/video communication
Today the television is indeed a multimedia
device and has become the center of the
home entertainment environment ...
application. Now Skype on your VIERA, in
For 2010 models, Panasonic listened to its cus-
addition to providing a big screen that lets
tomers and added USB connectivity, allowing for
you make video calls with a large group
the addition of a wireless LAN adaptor (802.11b or
of people, gives the user the benefit of
faster). The USB memory supports AVCHD video
1280x720 resolution based on H.264
and JPEG photos. The USB port also allows one to
technology (conventional Skype use on a
plug a wireless keyboard into the set and navigate
PC has a resolution of 640x480). Skype
the sites more quickly and efficiently. This proves
on your Viera also features VIERA CAST’s
particularly useful when Tweeting.
easy-to-use GUI that is operable from the
TV’s remote.
This is an exciting time in the world of television entertainment. In the last few years we were
The TY-CC10 accompanying auto focus
introduced to High Definition TV, internet-enabled TV
network camera features four unidirectional
and Full HD 3D. HD brought improved resolution to
microphones, an echo canceling system, mi-
the viewer, providing more life-like images; 3D added
crophone and audio processing for collecting voices
depth as the viewer is now immersed in the program;
in the living room environment. The camera features
and VIERA CAST brings access to select web sites to
beam forming technology to
the TV in a very user friendly manner.
send clear audio
over typical TV viewing distances of up to
13 feet. The camera
has a USB 2.0 high
speed connection and
a maximum frame rate
of 22fps at HD, 30fps at
VGA. To further increase the versatility
of the camera and to provide the user with options,
the camera can either be placed on top of the VIERA
HDTV or the camera’s stand can be used to place
it on top of a table, or wherever the user would like
to locate the device.
A D VERTO R I A L
worldmags
EH idEas tHEatEr solutions
lowEring tHE Bar
Where do you hang a projector on 7-foot-high ceiling?
Photography by William Psolka
SyStem and
Room deSIgn
Electronics Design Group
Piscataway, N.J.
www.edgonline.com
Who Wants to get out of their comfy theater
Design Group (EDG) of Piscataway, N.J.
chair and bump their head on a projector? Espe-
“The main challenge of this room was its uncon-
cially a five-figure projector with some pretty sharp
ventional size,” Anderson says. “This complicated
corners. Ouch.
the projector placement and the audio engineer-
The challenge in turning this unfinished
ing process. No projector could be fastened to
basement, with a mere 7-foot-high ceiling, into a
the ceiling, due to the extremely low height. So a
high-performance home theater hinged largely on
floor-mounted cabinet was selected as the most
intErior dEsign
Karen Bowen Interiors
Short Hills, N.J.
projector placement. To complicate matters, the
effective option.”
buildEr dEsign
MDK Contracting
Livingston, N.J.
arcHitEct
Stern-Ring Associates
Florham Park, N.J.
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homeowner had selected a Runco model whose
But thanks to some interior designer interven-
throw distance from the back wall—the next ob-
tion, as well as a new Runco model featuring a greater
vious placement option—wouldn’t jive with the
throw distance, rear-wall placement was finally an
room’s 17-foot length and plans for a 110-inch
option. No floor cabinet was required, the potential
screen, according to Ross Anderson, the project
for head injuries was eliminated, and the upgraded
manager for custom installation firm Electronics
projector produced a better HD picture.
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
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EDG constructed a separate enclosure to house
the projector, a Runco VX-22d, on the back wall.
This served to enhance the theater’s clean and contemporary look.
On the audio side, EDG installed a sophisticated
and high-powered solution featuring seven Genelec
AIW25 speakers and RAM2 AIW25 amplifiers, plus
a Genelec HTS3b subwoofer and Lexicon MC-8 BAL
processor. Four ceiling panels and 17 acoustic diffusor
panels from RPG help deliver smooth audio coverage,
which EDG calibrated and programmed using a Nady
DSM-1 digital SPL meter.
The seating arrangement isn’t as sophisticated, but
Anderson notes that because of the low ceiling, tiered
rows were not considered. Instead, the owners created
multiple sight lines to the screen—using pod-shaped
gamer seats in front. Earth tones throughout provide
the finishing touches and allow the vivid HD colors to
stand out even more. —Arlen Schweiger EH
Labor Pains This exhaustive theater construction took a total of 226
man hours to complete, from EDG’s first talks with the homeowners to their training after the
installation was complete. Here’s a breakdown by step:
Homeowner interviews .................................................................. 18
Electronic design and engineering ................................................ 19
Proposal and system documentation prep ...................................... 8
Pre-wire/rough-in .......................................................................... 12
Trim-out ............................................................................................ 8
Shop time for racking and testing.................................................22
Programming................................................................................ 20
Final installation and calibration ...................................................88
Client instruction .............................................................................. 2
Interior design and architecture work ........................................... 10
TOTAL: 226
226 hours
hours
TOTAL:
ElEctronicHouse.c om
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EH idEas THX-CErTifiEd THEaTEr
ABcs of A tHX tHEAtEr
Want an authentic certified home cinema? Here’s what’s involved.
SyStem and
Room deSIgn
Epic Home Cinema
Marietta, Ga.
www.epichomecinema.com
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Hoping for a Home tHeater that would
cess mirrors that of THX commercial cinemas and
make George Lucas proud? Shift it into hyperdrive
studios,” McKenna says. “We focus on room design
by asking your custom electronics (CE) profes-
and acoustic performance, the A/V gear that goes
sional about constructing the room to meet speci-
inside, and how they all work together.”
fications set by Lucas-founded company THX.
From the start, THX works with the designer
Maybe you’ve seen those cute pre-movie shorts
and architect to ensure the space meets specs for
with objects flying around the THX logo—sweet
acoustics, sound isolation, viewing angles, equip-
surround-sound effects, right?
ment performance and installation. If you’ve read
A THX-certified home theater includes audio
“THX Certified” or “THX Approved” associated with
and video standards, as well as other aspects such
speakers, projector and receivers—not surprisingly
as room shape, lighting, seating, acoustics and
those electronics are a must. Brands such as JVC,
equipment. To give you an idea of what contributes
Runco, Epson, Integra, Klipsch, Pioneer, Atlantic
to rooms such as the THX-certified New Jersey
Technology and Procella Audio (whose speakers
theater pictured (see sidebar), we quizzed THX’s
pump out sound in the shown theater) offer THX-
Graham McKenna, director of PR and communica-
certified components products, to name a few.
tions, and Andrew Poulain, director of cinema and
studio programs.
“The THX Screening Room certification pro-
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
“The process requires THX approval of all
design plans prior to the project starting,” says
McKenna. “Throughout the build, THX is in constant
EHInstallers.com
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Epic
THEaTEr
room
communication with the homeowner to ensure
specs can be achieved. Final testing and calibration is performed by THX before certification can
n Control of room acoustics so reflections are
inaudible.
n Sufficient sound isolation, also below NC-20.
be granted.”
Those spec guidelines, as outlined by Poulain,
include:
Room and Layout
n Geometry that allows for a good image size,
seating locations and reasonable distribution
of room modes.
n Controllable lighting system.
n Decor that doesn’t reduce image contrast or
negatively affect color perception.
n Seating away from the side and rear walls to
prevent negative acoustical interactions.
n Field of view for 16:9 image that’s between 36 and
Equipment
n Projection system with acoustically transpar-
ent screen.
n Front speakers placement behind the
screen.
n THX-certified or approved equipment with
sufficient output for the room size.
n Four subwoofers minimum, at locations that
provide uniform bass response.
n Four surround channels minimum, for 7.1
capability.
n Automation or simple-to-use remote.
52 degrees, assuming multiple rows of seats.
“Once the room is ready, we’ll send an engineer to
Environment
perform the testing. If the room passes, it is certified,”
n Background noise less than NC-20 (that’s ultra
says Poulain. If not? “We’ll work with the homeowner
quiet) with all mechanical and presentation
and contractors to address any outstanding issue,
systems operational.
and then retest.” —Arlen Schweiger EH
Iron Man 2 © 2010 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2010 MarVeL. aLL righTs reserVed.
This THX-certified theater
in New Jersey features a
132-inch-wide Stewart
Filmscreen CineCurve StudioTek model and Runco
VX-22 projector to fill the
superwide 2.35:1 aspect
ratio. A/V components from
Meridian Audio and QSC
Audio feed the system.
But you could say that the
star is a sound system that
pumps out ear-melting reference audio from 14 Procella Audio speakers—nine
front and surround models
and five—count ’em five—
subwoofers.
Sherman Peiffer, Dennis Erskine and Steve Kujala of Epic Home Cinema
in Marietta, Ga., designed,
constructed and tweaked
the room. “I’ve never
experienced a residential theater with such a
superb acoustical environment,” says Procella
director Chuck Back.
That environment
includes Procella’s P815
left/right/center speakers and two P18 main
subwoofers mounted in
a baffle wall behind the
microperforated screen.
The P18s are between
the center channel and
the left and right speakers, respectively. Three
powered P10 subs round
out the low-frequency
sounds, with one on the
right wall behind the center point, another on the
left wall behind the center
point, and the third at the
center of the rear wall.
Six P8 surrounds—two
on each side wall and two
more in the back—complete the ultra-immersive
audio attack.
ElEctronicHouse.c om
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EH idEas bEdroom a/v
madE in
tHE sHadE
Cleverly installed shades double
as a huge projection screen—
for the bedroom.
SyStem and
Room deSIgn
Connecteriors
Chicago, Ill.
www.connecteriors.com
intErior dEsign
theorie
Chicago, Ill.
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Think you have no room for a big screen? Think
TV. An entertainment cabinet or shelving system
again. You can even fit one in the bedroom. The
was out, too, as the room wasn’t large enough to
renter of this one-bedroom condo in the Trump
accommodate another piece of furniture. Install-
Tower in Chicago uses the shades that cover an
ing a retractable screen was considered, but the
expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows as an enter-
renter didn’t feel comfortable pursuing a potentially
tainment display.
complicated construction project.
It’s less than a perfect setup, admits Brian Miller
“The idea to use the window shades as a screen
of Connecteriors, the electronics firm that played a
started when the interior designer, Briana Steele [of
role in designing the clever application. “A window
Chicago–based theorie], randomly mentioned it,”
shade is never going to give you the color imagery
says Miller. “But after thinking about it, and look-
or the black levels of a specialty theater screen,”
ing at shading fabrics [from Lutron], we thought it
he says, but in this particular room, it was the best
just might work. The renter knew it wasn’t going
option. And it works.
to be ideal performance-wise, but he was willing
Most of the wall space is consumed by windows,
which limited the mounting options for a flat-panel
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
to take the risk.”
Connecteriors tested several fabrics at its shop,
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ON THE WEB For more info and a full equipment list, go to www.electronichouse.com/4more/bedroomtheater
3 Grades
of shades
and ultimately chose a white blackout material from
up of heat from the sun. When the renter is ready
Lutron Electronics. “It was the most characteristic
to watch a movie, or simply wants some privacy, he
of a projection screen,” says Miller. Two panels of
presses a button and the blackout shades descend
the blackout shades, in addition to two panels of
over the sheers, providing complete darkness …
transparent window sheers, would be attached to
and a place to display the show.
a motorized assembly mounted at the top of the
The movies come courtesy of a video projec-
windows. All four panels can be operated via a
tor hidden behind the opposite wall of the shades,
handheld universal remote or a wall-mounted keypad
actually within a bedroom closet. A hole cut into the
at the entrance to the room. Most of the time, only
wall allows the lens to peek through and transmit
the sheers are down, which lets in some light and
a cinema-like 110-inch image onto the shade, er,
the view of Lake Michigan, but minimizes a build
screen. —Lisa Montgomery EH
sheer fabrics feature
open weaves, so sunlight is
filtered while a view is preserved. These fabrics are
measured by an “openness
factor,” which describes
the ratio of open space to
fabric yarn in a weave. For
example, a fabric with a 20
percent openness factor
blocks 80 percent of light
and UV rays.
dim-out fabrics permit
some light, but are not open
weaves like sheer fabrics,
so the view is limited to
shapes and shadows.
Blackout fabrics
prevent all light from passing through the material.
These fabrics are often
combined with special
side channels, top treatments and other system
components to form a
tight seal.
Source: Lutron Electronics
ElEctronicHouse.c om
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EH idEas mirror tv
givE it brEatHing room
Ventilation is critical to the performance of a display when it’s hidden
behind a mirror.
SyStem and
Room deSIgn
Audio VIdeo Concepts
Columbia, Ill.
www.audiovideoconcepts.com
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Flat-panel tVs have busted the design flood-
an “invisible mirror TV” during a recent hotel stay, and
gates wide open. Given their slim profiles and sexy
thought it would be the ideal solution to their dilemma.
aesthetic, they can go places where old console TVs
And because the bathroom was being completely reno-
never could. They can squeeze comfortably into tiny
vated installing the display behind a new mirror would
dens, hang safely away from the grime and grease in
be a piece of cake … right? The custom electronics
garages and coexist peacefully with living room art
pros (CE pros) at Audio Video Concepts, Columbia,
collections. This wasn’t the case, unfortunately, in
Ill., thought so, too, but the installation would prove to
this master bathroom. A huge vanity mirror, shower
be a bit more involved than simply slapping a TV to the
stall, bathtub and windows left no open horizontal
wall and covering it with a pane of glass.
surface on which to mount a flat-panel TV.
For starters, the TV would need to “breathe,” says
Wall space may have been in short supply in this
AVC president Rob Roessler. In other words, there
narrow, galley-style bathroom, but the homeowners
had to be a route for the hot air behind the mirror
weren’t nearly ready to throw in the towel. They had seen
to escape. After the existing mirror was removed
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
EHInstallers.com
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ON THE WEB For more info, go to www.electronichouse.com/4more/mirroroption
Innovative Seating
Affordable Luxury Cinema Loungers,
Media Room Seating & Movie Theater Seats
Complete Interiors
Turnkey Mirror Displays
The installers at Audio Video Concepts (AVC), Columbia, Ill., created their own mirror TV by employing special installation and design techniques. It’s something the company has been doing since
2003, says AVC president Rob Roessler.
Since that time, a number of manufacturers, including Séura and ad-notam, have developed
preconfigured mirror TV products that are a cinch to install, and offer a plethora of customization
options. You can get a unit with the TV centered behind the mirror or positioned off to the side, for
example, and choose from a variety of mirror styles.
Plus, as Séura president Gretchen Gilbertson explains, preconfigured units have been specially
engineered to work in a variety of environments. “For example, our Enhanced Series TV mirror was
developed primarily for bathroom environments, where mirror color and reflectivity are important for
use while shaving, applying makeup or brushing your teeth. Conversely, the Premier Series mirror
was developed for areas outside the bathroom. It still conceals the TV when it’s not in use, but this
mirror allows for a clear, vivid picture for extended viewing in either a living room or bedroom.”
Preconfigured customizable mirror TVs run between $2,000 and $3,000; AVC’s solution cost the
homeowners $1,500. www.seura.com, www.ad-notam.com
Acoustic Panels, Fabric Walls, Columns,
Ticket Booths, Starfields, Acoustic Ceilings,
plus Pre-priced Complete Interior Packages
Superb Décor
Cinema Signs, Movie Marquees,
Post & Rope, Popcorn Machines,
Curtains, Carpet & More!
and the wall stripped to its studs, the AVC team framed in a 20-inch LG LCD TV and
prewired for eventual connection to a pair of Niles Audio in-ceiling speakers and a
rack of source components, which was stashed in a nearby closet. The team then
hung a pretreated sheet of two-way glass over the TV, leaving a small gap at the top
of the mirror so that plenty of air could circulate behind it. This passive method of
ventilation is usually adequate for small TVs, says Roessler, and precludes the expense
of specialty ventilation equipment, which is often necessary for larger TVs and video
projectors that have been recessed into walls and ceilings.
Also critical to the operation of a mirror TV is using the right kind of handheld
remote control. Infrared signals are unable to pass through two-way glass, so a radio
frequency (RF) clicker is the only way to go, says Roessler. The owners know com-
Discount Prices plus Free Shipping
mands from their URC remote have been received when the TV, otherwise invisible,
Order online at
appears through the mirror. From there, the owners can tune to news, sports or the
weather. The RF signal travels just as easily through closet doors as it does through
CinemaShop.com
or call toll free 1-866-243-1001
the two-way mirror. —Lisa Montgomery EH
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anatomy lesson | whole-house hdmi distribution
a long look at hdmi
It can be tricky enough just connecting an HDMI cable from one video component to one nearby display.
But add some distance to it, and the difficulties multiply. The video image can be compromised, and the
important communications signals could be lost. Plus, long-distance HDMI can be pricey. Here we explain
the setup and price guidelines of a whole-house HDMI system.
Satellite Box
HDMI
HDMI Switcher
Cable Box
HDMI
HDMI
HDMI
over 75 feet
HDMI
Power
Booster
DVD Player
HDMI
less than 50 feet
Blu-Ray
HDMI
Projector
CAT5/6 HDMI Balun
(Receiver)
Display 1
Display 4
HDMI
Display 3
Display 2
Up to 280 ft.
CAT5/6 HDMI Balun
(Transmitter)
CAT5/6/7
HDMI
HDMI
HDMI
Cable Box
HDMI
HDMI Distribution
Amplifier
The biggest problem with running HDMI through the walls is that the cables can’t be terminated in the field. The entire assembly—
cable, jacks and all—must be installed together. This means that the cable can’t be cut to the exact length, and delicate connectors could
be damaged during the installation or after the fact. In this case, the damaged connector can’t simply be cut off and replaced with a
new one. For this reason alone, many A/V installers prefer to use Cat 5/6 cabling behind the walls, even for shorter HDMI runs.
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ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
EHInstallers.com
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long distance hdmi
n You won’t find any “official” specifications for the length of an HDMI cable, only rules of thumb.
n Most A/V integrators recommend that you keep HDMI runs shorter than 50 feet, possibly even 20
feet, to ensure the best signal integrity. Some HDMI cables can pass 1080p signals over 75 feet
or more, however.
n For longer distances, invest in HDMI amplification as “active” cables with
built-in power boosting, or standalone modules installed at the beginning of
an HDMI run or between two or more HDMI cables. Typically, these require
an external power supply. Such amplification also might be built into powered switchers, also known as HDMI distribution amplifiers.
n Pricing for HDMI cables varies widely. Passive cables might cost around $40 for a 10-foot length,
and $200 for a 70-foot length, but you’ll also find that cables might cost half as much or four
times more.
n Amplification can add about $250 per cable run.
long distance over cat5
n To extend HDMI over long distances, most A/V pros recommend Category 5 or Category 6 (Cat
5/6) cables—the same wiring used for computer networks. The connector on these cables is
known as an RJ-45.
n Each end of the Cat 5/6 cable plugs into a device commonly (but not always correctly) called
a balun, which looks like an old-fashioned telephone outlet. It might take the form of a small
external box or a faceplate.
n In addition to a Cat 5/6 port, each balun has an HDMI port for connecting to an A/V component on
the transmitting end, and to a display on the receiving end.
n Most baluns require two runs of Cat 5/6 between each component and each display , although
more single-cable products are hitting the market. In addition, some high-performance baluns
use five coaxial cables instead of Cat 5/6.
n Baluns are sold as pairs. Typically, you cannot mix one manufacturer’s sender with another
vendor’s receiver.
n As with HDMI, the acceptable distance of HDMI-over-Cat 5/6 varies widely depending on the
baluns, brands, types of A/V components, and the type of category cable used. Typically, you can
deliver 1080p HDMI video over 125 feet of Cat 5/6 cable, but it is possible to achieve distances of
over 250 feet or more with the right products.
n Plan to spend $150 to $400 per pair of baluns and about 15 cents per foot of Cat 5/6 cable.
hdmi matrix switchers
n If you want to extend multiple HDMI-enabled components to multiple displays in the home, the
best solution is an HDMI switcher, which lets you pick which source you want to enjoy on which
display at any given time. The same basic rules of HDMI extension apply.
n Some HDMI switchers are just that: the sources come in via HDMI or other video connec-
tion, and head out to the displays via HDMI outputs. You can connect the switcher to a
display directly via HDMI, or you can add baluns to the switcher and to the display, using
Cat 5/6 cable in between.
n Newer HDMI switchers essentially have baluns built in, so you will
see Cat 5/6 outputs (RJ-45 jacks) right on the box. Many switchers
offer one HDMI port and two RJ-45 jacks (remember, two Cat 5/6
cables are required for most baluns) for each video output, allowing
the user to select the best solution for each display.
n To price an HDMI-over-Cat 5/6 switcher, simply tack on the price of a balun pair to the number of
Cat 5/6 outputs. If baluns cost $150 to $400 per pair, then figure an extra $600 to $1,600 on top
of a typical HDMI switcher with four outputs.
Illustration by Key Digital, creator of signal management products including HDMI
extenders. www.keydigital.com
More Long-distance options
The architectures discussed in our HDMI anatomy
lesson represent the most common—and usually
the most cost-effective—way to distribute copyprotected HD content throughout the house. Here
are some alternative solutions.
Ethernet/IP. New systems, provided by Just Add
Power, NetStreams and others, use special algorithms to deliver HDMI-based video over the same
home network that carries Internet data. The key
benefit of HD-over-IP is flexibility. You do not need to
match baluns with components with cable lengths.
It should just work, and it should do so over great
distances. Also, you only need one Cat 5/6 cable.
Just because you’re using standard networking
gear, however, doesn’t mean an IP-based HDMI
solution is cheap. You’ll need an enterprise-grade
managed Ethernet switch ($800 and up) and a manufacturer-supplied IP adapter (about $350 each) for
each component and each display on the network.
Wireless. A/V professionals tend to shy away
from wireless HDMI, but solutions do exist. They tend to
come in two flavors: shorter
range with higher resolution
or longer range with lower
resolution. Atlona, Cables to
Go, Gefen and Iogear (Avior)
make wireless HDMI products that start at about $700
for a set of one transmitter and one receiver. Similar solutions are available for distributing HDMI
over a home’s existing AC power lines.
HDBaseT. A new technology developed by Valens Semiconductor, HDBaseT, delivers HDMI video,
audio, power and control signals over a single Cat
5/6 cable as opposed to the usual two. Although
Valens envisions the technology as a mass-market
solution, currently it has only been deployed by
high-end vendors including AMX, Crestron and
Gefen, which charge about $800 and up for each
HDMI run.
Fiber Optics. If you
can afford it, fiber is
the best solution for
transmitting high-quality
video over long distances. Fiber is difficult
to terminate and easy to break. Expect to pay about
40 cents per foot of fiber, plus $1,000 or so for the
appropriate hardware for each HDMI-over-fiber run.
ElEctronicHouse.c om
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innovations | telepresence systems
telepresence for all?
Welcome to
the world of
high-def video
conferencing—
but first let me
take this video
call on my
smart phone.
by Steven Castle
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worldmags
You’ve seen the tv commercials with
worldwide—with other chains like Sheraton, Westin
Juno’s Ellen Page visiting a school and a doctor
and W Hotels are quickly following suit. We’re seeing
using some cool, high-def video conferencing. She’s
mid-market solutions from companies like Polycom,
so pleasantly surprised. But there’s a lot more going
LifeSize, Avaya, Vidyo and others that can get you
on than Ellen Page discovering the joys of what is
basic, point-to-point high-def videoconferencing
now being called telepresence.
for a few thousand dollars and more.
Telepresence is really just a fancy term for video
At the more affordable end of the spectrum are
conferencing. Providers say that telepresence refers
Skype phones and the like, but the result is often
to high-definition video conferencing, though it is
jerky video and dropouts with audio sync issues. It’s
intended to provide more of a realistic face-to-face
a cheap way to see Grandma and Grandpa. Future
with the person on the other end. Companies like
versions of the iPad should even come with a front-
Cisco, HP and Panasonic are betting on the high-
facing camera as well as the FaceTime program for
end telepresence model—with systems costing in
face-to-face calling that’s already on the iPhone—
the five figures. Some fancy telepresence rooms for
perhaps as soon as Christmas.
CEOs to attend corporate meetings from their home
offices are costing $350,000 and up.
Microsoft is getting into the act with its LifeCam
Studio camera for Windows Live Messenger 2011, of-
This is not just the stuff of the future. Marriott
fering HD video calling in a 16:9 widescreen format for
already has telepresence studios at five of its U.S.
$100 at Best Buy. Then there’s the anticipated release
hotels and has telepresence plans for at least 25 hotels
of Microsoft’s Kinect technology, an interface for the
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Xbox gaming platform, complete with a time-based
for both uploading and downloading.
object sensor. Think Wii games on virtual reality, on
Indeed, bandwidth is one of the bigger issues
steroids. Futurist and Silicon Valley insider Rich Green
one must consider with telepresence systems. You’ll
of high-end systems integration company Rich Green
need about 3 to 5 mbps in order to do high-def video
Ink., thinks the sensor technology in Kinect could be
conferencing, says Green, and about 12 to 15 mbps
used to add some interesting dimensions to telepres-
to link multiple rooms.
ence. For example, Kinect’s tracking functionality can
Other factors should also be considered for better-
adjust the camera so the person who’s talking remains
than-Skype quality. You should look at having good
in the frame while he moves about.
lighting on your face, and the position of the camera
In addition, Google appears to be eyeing the home
will be critical. “You want to be able to capture all
videoconferencing market with its Android operating
players on the scene,” Green says. Don’t forget about
system and the recently announced Google TV.
acoustics, either, he advises. “Home theater acoustics
Cisco is betting heavily on telepresence. It’s new,
will be perfectly adaptable to telepresence systems.”
$599 umi system, consisting of a camera, remote,
and set top box for making HD video calls on your
HDTV, appears as a potential game-changer. Cisco
also purchased end telepresence systems maker
Tandberg for $3.4 billion, and is deeply invested in
building a new high-tech city, Songdo, on 1,500 acres
of land reclaimed from the sea near Incheon, South
Korea.Songdo is being billed as an “International
Business District” and a city of the future, borrowing
design amenities for parks and canals from other
great cities and connecting everyone living in it
with—you guessed it—telepresence systems from
Cisco. Songdo planners also say the city will emit
just one-third of the greenhouse gasses of a similarly
sized city, partly due to video conferencing.
Yes, telepresence can be an effective energy conservation tool. After all, the person using it isn’t burning tons of jet fuel to connect with co-workers.
Expect router issues as well. You’ll need port
Panasonic showed a $29,000 telepresence system
forwarding from router to devices to guarantee a
called the KX-VC500 HD Visual Communications
pathway for the video signal. To that end, we’ll see
System (HDVC) at a recent trade show. The KX-VC500
telepresence-friendly routers.
consists of a 50-inch TV, a codec box, two cameras
(one for viewing documents) and a microphone.
And look for many, many mobile applications—if
not in high-def telepresence, then in good-enough
Truth be told, the system appeared cobbled
video calls on mobile devices. “We’re going to see
together with a camera bracketed to the top of
it show up all over the place, and that will be a
the TV, which makes one believe we’ll be seeing
major breakthrough,” says Green. “I hope these
many more video cams being integrated into the
home telepresence technologies merge with mobile
bezels of TV sets (right along with Internet apps
and web cams for interoperability.”
like Skype). Panasonic’s system worked well, and
That’s yet another thing to look for: the ability to
the company claims its strength—besides being
work with other systems. Otherwise, there may be no
scalable to its jumbo 103-inch plasma display—is
point in broadcasting your pretty face. Cisco has devel-
in its ability to transmit HD-quality 1080i (that’s
oped an open Telepresence Interoperability Protocol
i, as in interlaced, no typo) video over small band-
(TIP) to link competing systems together. But be sure
widths such as 3 megabits per second (mbps),
to check the interoperability of any system. EH
Panasonic’s HD
telepresence system
consists of a codex
box, two cameras,
microphone and
50-inch TV, for
$29,000. LifeSize’s
$3,000 LGExecutive
(left), a mid-market
product, uses a
24-inch LG monitor
and has HD video
and built-in data
sharing capability.
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review | Sony STr-DA5600eS A/v receiver
receiver Pulls a Switcheroo
Along with outstanding surround sound and video processing, a 4-port Ethernet switch
adds special effects. by Joe Whitaker
At A GlAnce
Specs:
> 7.1 channels, 130 watts
per channel
> DCAC EX Speaker AutoCalibration with Speaker
Relocation (distance and
degree) and Automatic
Phase Matching
> 3D pass-through
> Integrated 4-port Ethernet switch
> iPhone/iPod touch Remote Control App
> 7 HD Inputs (4 HDMI,
3 Component), 2 HDMI
outputs
> Second Zone Cat 5e
output
> Integrates with Control
systems via control over
IP, RS232 or IR
> On-screen graphical user
interface with overlay
(main and second zone)
> DLNA Live Audio Server
> Access to SHOUTcast Internet Radio, Rhapsody
> Quick Click feature for
multiroom control (with
iPhone/iPod touch app)
> $1,999
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it’s difficult for a manufacturer to distinguish itself in the
multizone setup, inputs setup, terrestrial/satellite/internet
A/v receiver category these days. But Sony manages
radio, network, system and “Quick click,” which basically
to bring plenty of innovation to the new STr-DA5600eS
lets you turn your receiver into a universal remote.
(elevated Standard), available only through specialty A/v
Perhaps soon, when we click the update button,
retailers and custom integrators. yes, the 7.1-channel
more streaming services and maybe some control sys-
receiver sounds amazing, but it also networks beautifully
tem logic will magically appear.
via an on-board four-port ethernet switch, and it offers the
The rear panel looks like other receivers in its class
best integration of home automation control4 system i’ve
except for one notable addition: a very handy four-port
experienced.
network switch.
The audio performance of the receiver is rivaled only
Unfortunately, Sony follows the age-old practice
by the video, with Faroudja processing so good that it made
of many receiver manufacturers: The powered zone
my old vHS movies look respectable. with the unit’s nearly
2 is shared with the rear surround outputs. For many
flawless 3D pass-through, even purists may never know
consumers this configuration doesn’t make sense. Most
that a receiver sits between the source and a display.
consumers will want 7.1 surround from this receiver.
Perhaps the biggest treat of them all: The free Apple
app for controlling the 5600eS is one of the best control
apps i’ve ever used.
The integrated unit, which pumps out 130 watts
Maybe half of those will want to use zone 2. But very
few will be using the “front high” speaker configuration.
Sony seems very amenable to changing the configuration so that the powered zone 2 is shared with the
of power and retails for only $2,000, will make audio
front high speaker output, but few actually use biwired
enthusiasts rethink their affection for amplifier and pre-
speakers or stacked front sound fields.
amp “separates.”
Setup is a snap with the included disc, with one
while Sony falters slightly with the zone 2 configuration,
the company makes up for it with the integrated four-port
major caveat: you better have windows 7, because this
switch. i started with my incoming LAn connection from
disc (and even the online version) won’t fly with XP. The
a switch. From there i tested the feature with a control4
setup manager provides several useful tools and gave
Hc-300 automation controller, Sony PlayStation 3, control4
me the chance to back up the configuration for emer-
Media Player, netgear evA9000 media streamer, control4
gencies, which is always nice.
iPod dock, control4 7-inch touchscreen, and even a Dell Pc.
Here’s what you’ll find in the setup menu: speaker
setup, surround settings, eQ setting, audio calibration,
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
At one point, i was playing Shoutcast on the receiver, netflix on the PS3, a stored movie on the control4
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the set-up manager on my laptop. During movies I felt
immersed in all the sound. I was impressed with the
improvement in surround modes over past Sony models.
For video, let’s start with the sexiest feature: 3D
pass-through. I did a head-to-head test and there was
Plenty of connections are available on the
STR-DA5600ES, including a 4-port switch that
adds an extra dimension of functionality. But
why tie the surround channels to zone 2?
no visible difference between 3D supplied directly to the
display or through the Sony receiver—a jaw-dropping
experience at this price.
Video quality gets a big boost from Faroudja, whose fa-
Media Player, and even typed some of this article while
mous chipset provides the DCDi 1080p upscaling. DCDi, or
using Remote Desktop to a PC in another room.
directional correlation de-interlacing, takes all of the jagged
Guess what? Not a single hiccup! Try doing that with
HDMI’s Ethernet channel! I was stunned at the quality. After
all, you might expect a network hub switch built into a receiver to be nothing more than a marketing item.
When it comes right down to it, audio quality is the
edges on a video and adds new information to fill the gaps.
On this device the scaling does a terrific job.
With exceptional zone 2 performance (configuration
notwithstanding), built-in LAN ports, iPhone/iPad app
and Quick Click IR control function, this receiver can be
most important feature of a surround-sound receiver, and
the hub of a whole-house A/V and lighting-control sys-
the STR-DA5600ES does not disappoint. Quality is far
tem … as well as a great surround system. From this
above what I would expect from a receiver at this price.
point on, for this price point, this will be the first receiver
I tested the audio with speakers both large and
small, in-wall and freestanding from a variety of brands.
Pros:
> High-performance 7.1
audio, Faroudja video
> Flawless integration with
Control4 home control
system
> Rich iPod/iPhone interface
> Integrated 4-port Ethernet switch – genius!
Cons:
> No full-fledged Sony
Bravia Internet service
including Pandora, Netflix
> Zone 2 attached to rear
surrounds, not front high
speakers
> No DA5600ES app in
Control4’s 4Store app
store (at press time)
I recommend—it makes installation, setup, programming and use as easy as it can get. EH
The receiver had the clarity to make bookshelf speakers
sound amazing, and enough power to rock freestand-
Joe Whitaker is development director for The SoHo
ing towers. It was fun to adjust the EQ on the fly with
Shop, a custom electronics firm in St. Peters, Mo.
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dnp Supernova is the only projection screen that
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can provide a high contrast image with ultra wide
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review | Digital Projection international M-vision cine leD Projector
a new thoroughbred
DPI turns to an LED engine to fuel its latest high-performance projector. by Robert Archer
At A GlAnce
atlanta-based Digital Projection interna-
Specs:
tional (DPi) has been turning heads for
> 600 lumens brightness
(±10%)
> Contrast up to 10,000:1
> DarkChip3 DMD DLP
display
> LED light engine
> 5 Segment Color Wheel
> 60,000-hour lifespan
> 1920 x 1080 native
resolution
> Video compatibility:
HDTV, NTSC, PAL,
SECAM, PAL-N, HDCP
Compliance
> HDMI (2x), component,
S-video, composite, RGB
via D-15 inputs
> Lens mount
> Zoom lens: manual shift,
focus and zoom
> Weight (chassis only):
20 lbs.
> $15,995
> www.digitalprojection.com
some time with its line of high-horse-
Pros:
> Rich and plentiful colors
> Terrific grayscale tracking
> Room-friendly weight
and size
Cons:
> Brightness limits applications
> Cost will prohibit some
consumers
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power, high-brightness projectors. now,
DPi is wowing people with a horse of a
different color, its leD light engine-based
M-vision cine projector.
Unlike a traditional front projector
that uses a UHP lamp, this DlP singlechip projector rides an leD light source
that should need no replacing even after
many years of viewing. DPi backs the
projector with its lifetime illumination
assurances and a choice of lens options
i checked out more animated content, this time
that addresses throw ratios (distance from projector to
in standard-definition DvD when i popped in Atlantis. i
screen) ranging from 1.25:1 to 3.0:1.
found the colors to be rich, with nice levels of true satu-
DPi says the cine leD model can produce 600
lumens of light output and contrast ratios as high as
10,000:1. it includes two HDMi inputs, as well as com-
ration. the stellar images were only marred by some
interlacing artifacts.
getting back to cable-fed HD, i was impressed by
ponent, s-video and composite inputs to handle all
the detail, resolution and grayscale tracking the cine
kinds of content resolution.
leD produced during cBs programs such as NCIS and
the first thing i noticed about the cine leD unit
is that it’s smaller and lighter than the competi-
HBo’s broadcast of Kung Fu Panda.
i then viewed some PlUge patterns, stepped gray-
tive siM2 Mico 50 leD that i previously had in my
scale patterns, color bars and processing patterns from
theater room. the size might make a difference,
the Silicon Optix HQV (Hollywood Quality video) test disc,
depending on the projector mounting requirements
which looked very good. the only suspect test was the
of your theater.
film resolution pattern, but the cine leD mostly nailed
after placing the cine leD on my projector shelf, i
manually adjusted the lens with a 5mm allen screw that
everything.
Using the DPi M-vision cine leD projector immedi-
was hidden beneath a top panel. From there i verified
ately after my time with the siM2 Mico 50, i was able to
the unit’s various basic and advanced settings, which
draw some unscientific comparisons and conclusions.
were calibrated prior to delivery.
Both are flagship products worthy of praise. in my room,
with the setup out of the way i watched some highdefinition broadcast sports, and my initial impression
was that the image might have been slightly soft. after
the siM2 appeared to be slightly brighter, while the DPi
offered better grayscale accuracy.
the cine leD is like other leD projectors in
making the switch to Blu-ray, i quickly changed my
that it’s best for environments such as small- and
opinion. the vividness and color uniformity looked killer
medium-sized rooms with some light control. we’re
on the Disney Pixar feature Up and animated shorts
seeing more leD projectors from acclaimed, high-
Partly Cloudy and Dug. on elements such as the sky in
performance brands, and products like the cine leD
Partly Cloudy, the colors seemed accurate and the cine
offer another way for them to make a major impact
leD displayed lots of image depth.
on your home theater. eH
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REVIEW | SPEAKERCRAFT AIM10 FIVE SPEAKERS
Barely Seen, Boldly Heard
SpeakerCraft’s pizza-sized AIM10 Fives pack a punch, but can your ceiling digest them?
by Tom LeBlanc
At A GlAnce
I was excited to receive two SpeakerCraft AIM10
Specs:
Five in-ceiling speakers to review, but I’m not
> 3-way fully-pivoting
> 1-inch aluminum/
magnesium dome
uni-pivot
> 10-inch Kevlar cone
woofer
> 2½-inch aluminum
dome uni-pivot
> 40Hz to 20kHz
> 150 watts
> 9.5 lbs.
> $1,125 each
going to lie to you: I got nervous when I saw how
frickin’ huge they are.
It’s one thing to read on a spec sheet that
the speakers have a 137⁄8-inch diameter, and it’s
another to hold in two hands the giant circles that
will become fixtures in my tiny living room ceiling.
I was also concerned about the speakers’
iceberg-like 65⁄8-inch depth, complete with woofers that look like they can rattle a roof.
It wasn’t just me. The installers from
Waltham, Mass.-based Sounds Good were also
Pros:
> Pivoting drivers are great
for disproportionate
rooms
> Powerful 150-watt
performance
> Flush-design blends well
surprised by the AIM10 Five’s size. The guys identified ideal ceiling spots for the front left and front
right speakers, based on where my wife and I sit. I
then overruled and asked them to tuck the speakers a little more toward the corners. Surroundsound purists are no-doubt flipping the page, but
I’ll bet I’m not the only person who chooses aesthetics
Cons:
> Serious aesthetic
considerations
> Not ideal for ceilings
with little wiggle room
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137⁄8”
over perfect audio alignment.
The installers and I found an old-school hip hop
channel in Comcast’s lineup and listened to some
The AIM10 mechanism offers some flexibility, be-
Run DMC and R. Kelly. Listening in two-channel, we
cause it’s able to pivot and twist the hardware toward
were blown away by the bass. Compared to my for-
the listening area. Having the speakers a little off-line
mer front left and front right speakers, a respectable
tests the rotating and pivoting woofer, uni-pivot tweeter
pair of on-wall Energy speakers, I noticed a richer,
and pivoting midrange module.
fuller sound.
Before I heard how that worked out, I watched the
I popped in a Johnny Cash CD and we continued to
installers cut holes in my ceiling that could easily fit New
remark that, even in two-channel mode, it felt like we
York-style pizzas. One of the guys jokingly extended his
were listening with a dedicated subwoofer. We switched
arm into a hole to show me that I needn’t worry about
between two-channel and 5.1, and I noticed a dramatic
their 65⁄8-inch depth. To accommodate a skylight, our
surround-sound improvement as the SpeakerCraft
top-floor unit has ample wiggle room between the roof
speakers rode along with the Energy speakers and
and the ceiling.
subwoofer.
All said, the installation was a quick two hours. Time
Since the installation was completed over a month
will vary based on how difficult the wiring is and how
ago, I’ve been listening to the speakers almost every
adept the installer is at measuring and cutting holes.
night: concert DVDs, TV, movies, Netflix Watch Instantly,
Though they look gigantic coming out of the box, the
Pandora, CDs, iPod, everything. I find myself switching
AIM10 Fives appear unobtrusive in my ceiling. And despite
to two-channel just to isolate them. Whether it’s two-
not being in ideal locations, the AIM10 Fives sound incred-
channel or surround-sound, the AIM10 Fives perform
ible. SpeakerCraft recommends that they be broken in for
like headliners every time—headliners that blend
two to three days, but we started listening immediately.
seamlessly into the ceiling. eH
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whole-house audio
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problem-solving
MultirooM Audio SyStEMS
Tight budget? Difficult retrofit? Custom electronics
professionals share their solutions for these two common
predicaments. By Julie Jacobson
I
t’s always easIer and less expensive to install electronic systems into a house while it’s being built.
Most people, however, don’t have that luxury. Their homes are finished, furnished and lived in. If you’ve
ever thought about adding technology to your existing home, particularly a whole-house audio system,
there are affordable, retrofittable options. The following two examples should be all the proof you need to
jump start that project you’ve been putting off for way too long. It’s time to face the music, my friend.
Challenge 1:
Budget System with Room to Grow
Episode 300-Series in-ceiling speakers ($349 per pair)
and 500-Series in-wall speakers ($499 per pair).
Bulldog’s sub-$5,000 audio system, “reflects what
Corey Bane
Bulldog Audio & Video
Encinitas, Calif.
www.bulldog-av.com
Like many custom electronics
I would suggest for a family member who wanted to
(CE) pros, Corey Bane installs
listen to Pandora radio or iPod over Bluetooth, but
mostly higher-end, full-featured
didn’t care for whole-house cable, CD or DVD sources,”
entertainment and automation
says Bane. “That type of source switching is possible
systems. In the past couple of years, however, he’s
but requires a two-zone receiver and control system,
stumbled across a new opportunity in homes that were
which increases the budget.”
prewired for multiroom audio but never finished with
electronics (or they were finished poorly).
Bane and his company Bulldog Audio &Video in
To accommodate the streaming sources, Bulldog includes a Xantech BDXTT Bluetooth audio receiver ($120),
which takes audio from any A2DP-enabled Bluetooth audio
Encinitas, Calif., now have a perfect entry-level solution
for homeowners who want to tap into their home’s
existing wiring, but don’t want to spend a fortune.
The group has created a high-performance starter
system that homeowners can enjoy forever—or until
they decide to build onto the system.
Bane tells of a typical 6-zone installation in a partially
prewired home. The system, including labor, comes to
just under $5,000 installed. At the heart of Bulldog’s
preferred entry-level audio system is a 12-channel Episode Electronics amplifier ($1,099) from SnapAV that
provides 30 watts per channel. To that, the company adds
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
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WholE-housE Audio systEms
There are opTions galore, so use This guide To find your
favoriTe whole-house audio sysTem. by RobeRt ARcheR
Aton | AH66T Kit
This all-in-one solution bundles an AH66T
multisource/multiroom controller with
six OLED 2 touchpads, and the ability to
instantly work with products like iPort
iPod docking products and Lutron’s retrofittable RadioRA 2 lighting control system.
The kit also features an RDS-enabled AM/
FM tuner, the ability to host six additional
sources, an amplification section rated to
deliver 60 watts to each of its six zones,
and other functions. www.atonhome.com
source and delivers it to the multiroom system.
The configuration “allows a system like this that
seems locked to one source, to open up to any source
the iPod touch [or other streaming device] could play—
stored music, Pandora, Rhapsody, ESPN Radio, XM
radio or any other app available,” says Bane. “It’s actually what I do in my own home.”
In addition to the $120 Xantech piece, Bulldog
Audio Design Associates
(ADA) | Suite 32
ADA’s newly announced Suite 32 multiroom audio system can be configured
to feed as many as 32 sources to up to
96 zones. Some of those sources can
be web-enabled TVs. A Profiler feature
lets you set up your own music listening
preferences, such as a favorite source
and volume level. www.ada.net
includes an iPod touch ($199) in entry-level bids.
Crestron Electronics | Sonnex Digital
Audio Transport Technology
Crestron’s latest whole-house audio
system can transmit 64 channels of uncompressed 24-bit audio over a single Cat
5 cable, making it easier for custom electronics professionals to install it into your
home. The system combines digital audio
processing, full-matrix switching and
high-powered amplification into a single
component. The sound can be tailored for
each listening zone. www.crestron.com
Elan Home Systems | g! HC12 Controller
Most of the talk surrounding Elan Home
Systems’ IP-based g! system has been
about its home control capabilities. Flying under the radar is the system’s entertainment features, which are powered by
a choice of controller products, including
the HC12. Highlighting the HC12’s list
of control and entertainment options
are RS-232, IR, RS-485 and a 720p onscreen display. The HC12 also houses
a 250GB hard drive for music storage.
www.elanhomesystems.com
To keep control costs down, Bulldog recommends EpLeft, architectural speakers and amplifier from
snapAV comprise Bulldog’s entry-level package.
Below, an iPhone/iPod becomes a “multisource”
solution for whole-house audio when delivered
through a Xantech BDXTT Bluetooth device (below).
CasaTunes | CasaTunes XLi
With the ability to stream multiple
sources throughout a home and a webbased interface, CasaTunes’ XLi music
server is a single box, multisource problem solver. When this product is combined with the company’s CasaTunes XLa
12-channel amp, you get six zones of
multiroom audio, which can include content from your iPhones and iPod touches.
www.casatunes.com
Legrand | Unity System
Legrand has recently updated its Unity
System with event and weather applications and better music sharing capabilities. With those options added to the
Unity’s standard features, your custom
electronics professional can set up event
functions to automatically activate music
scenes, update playlists, and send and
play messages. www.legrand.us
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whole-house AuDIo
ProjEct BrEakdown: New residence (previously wired); single-source house audio system
Quantity
Per Zone
Total Per
Zone
Living Room, Guest Bedroom, Kitchen, Game Room
NetStreams | Musica 5066
NetStreams’ Musica 5066 IP-based
multiroom audio system features in-wall
keypads, an optional FM tuner card, a
five-band EQ function and 3D sound
control for each zone. The system’s basic
four-source/six-zone configuration can
be upgraded with six additional source
components with two local sources, and
up to 18 zones. www.netstreams.com
Linear | Encore
Linear’s Encore system supports 24-bit
audio for higher sound quality levels than
what’s available through standard 16-bit
(redbook) audio. In its standard form it
provides homeowners with a four-source/
four-zone solution with expansion capabilities up to 32 zones. The system’s keypads
provide up to 100 watts of power to a pair
of speakers. www.linearcorp.com
Niles Audio | ZR-6 Multizone Receiver
Niles Audio’s six-source, six-zone
ZR-6 system features a simple-to-use
“one touch to music” function. The
one-touch function lets you access
your iPods, AM/FM tuner and cable/
satellite boxes simply through the use
of one of the company’s touchscreen
control products. The system receiver
incorporates an AM/FM tuner, an iPod
integration port, a learning IR remote
control and a 50-watts-per-zone digital
amplifier. www.nilesaudio.com
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NuVo Technologies | Renovia
NuVo’s Renovia system utilizes a home’s
existing electrical wiring to transmit audio
signals to speakers throughout the house.
This enables the system to be installed easily into existing homes. The heart of the system is its Source Hub. This device accommodates up to six source components and
it contains a dual AM/FM/Sirius-ready tuner,
two inputs for the company’s Renovia iPod
dock and support for legacy products like
CD players. The system distributes music
to eight zones and each zone includes local
amplification and keypad interfaces.
www.nuvotechnologies.com
ReQuest | iQ
ReQuest’s iQ system includes the Intelligent
Media Server (IMS), which streams up to
four hard-drive sources plus two additional
sources, and the Intelligent Multiroom Amplifier (IMA6). The system incorporates 12
channels of amplification, each rated to deliver 50 watts of power. www.request.com
Russound | C-Series Multizone Kit
Russound’s pre-packaged KT1-C3 Multizone Kit includes the energy-efficient
MCA-C3 Multizone Controller Amplifier,
six MDK-C5 keypads and a SRC-C5
System Remote Control. The system can
distribute six sources to six zones and
is scalable up to as many as 36 zones.
The system is rated to deliver 20 watts of
power to each zone. www.russound.com
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
Episode 300 Series 6-inch
in-ceiling speaker
2
$349
Episode sliding volume control
1
$59
Labor to install speakers and
volume control
–
$100
Total per zone* (x4)
–
$508
Episode outdoor 6-inch wallmounted weatherproof speaker
2
$399
Episode sliding volume control
1
$59
Labor to install speakers and
volume control
–
$100
Total per zone*
–
$558
Episode 500 Series 6-inch inwall speakers
2
$499
Binary analog balun for house
audio to source input on Denon
receiver in this location (pair)
1
$170
1-meter analog audio cable
1
$10
Labor to install speakers and
volume control
–
$100
Total per zone*
–
$779
Episode 12-channel 30w/
channel amplifier with auto
sensing, bus inputs, individual
channel leveling, bridgeable
1
$1,099
Apple iPod Touch for Pandora radio, ESPN, Rhapsody,
stored music, other audio
apps or Web-based media
1
$199
Xantech BDXTT Bluetooth
wireless audio receiver for
iPod Touch
1
$120
Labor to install and configure
all above-listed equipment
–
$200
Total for equipment room*
–
$1,618
Lower Patio
Master Bedroom
Housewide Audio Equipment
TOTAL FOR PROJECT*
$4,987
*Out-of-state sale, exempt from sales teax
isode slider volume controls that retail for just $59 each.
All in all, a 12-channel Episode amp, Episode speakers and slider volume controls “make for a great start
to a housewide audio system,” Bane says. “If a client
does decide to add more sources down the road or
add a control system, the only wasted components
are inexpensive volume controls.”
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whole-house audio
Challenge 2:
Impossible Home Theater Retrofit?
Steve Person
Media Calm
Atlanta, Ga.
www.mediacalm.com
Atlanta-based Media Calm was
converting a sitting room into a
home theater in a hard-to-retrofit
home. For the transformation,
the theater required an Ethernet cable to be run to the
office at the other side of the home, but it was impossible to snake the cable through the walls.
President Steve Person explains, “The theater walls
were granite boulders, the ceiling was constructed
with 90-year-old reclaimed barn wood, and the room
was on a slab.”
Savant | Protégé
Savant’s Protégé lets you choose from
12 different audio sources and can be
operated from anywhere via an Apple
iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Another nice
feature is its ability to function as a complete home automation system.
www.savantav.com
Sonos | Multiroom Audio System
There’s a reason why Sonos’ multiroom
audio system is so popular: It’s welldesigned, affordable and retrofittable into
an existing home environment. There are
also lots of options. You can choose the
ZonePlayer 120, which features a builtin amplifier, go with the less expensive
ZonePlayer 90, or buy a package which
includes two ZonePlayers and a handheld
remote (shown left). www.sonos.com
Media Calm devised a solution using a Sonos system
to distribute music wirelessly throughout the house and
established a wireless Ethernet bridge to boot.
At the office location, a Sonos ZoneBridge con-
Sonance | C4630 SE Home Audio System
Sonance’s C4630 can distribute four
sources to six zones (can be upgraded to
serve 24 zones) and its built-in amplification is rated to output 30 watts of RMS
power. Offered with the system is a choice
of Sonance keypads, including the C4630
SE Main and numeric keypads or Navigator K2 or K1 keypads. www.sonance.com
URC | DMS-1200 Digital Multi-Zone
Amplifier & SNP-1 Streaming Media Player
URC’s DMS-1200 is an expandable multizone product that delivers 50 watts of
power to six of its zones, while offering
provisions for two more zones that can be
powered by external amplification. The system can be designed to distribute audio to
as many as 32 zones. When used with the
company’s companion SNP-1 streaming
network player, the distributed sources can
include both analog components and new
digital media. www.universalremote.com
nects to an Ethernet switch, which in turn connects
to a router, cable modem and ultimately the Internet.
The ZoneBridge pulls music from storage devices on
the home network. As a bonus, it serves as the starting
point for a wireless peer-to-peer network emanating
from the office.
Using Sonos’ proprietary wireless protocol, SonosNet, the ZoneBridge streams music to a Sonos ZonePlayer, located in the A/V rack in the theater room.
In addition, via the ZonePlayer’s on-board Eth-
SpeakerCraft | MODE & MZC System
SpeakerCraft’s MODE & MZC amplification
package lets you customize a system to
your specific audio needs. The MZC offers a
choice of three controller products that can
accommodate up to 32 zones and multiple
sources. The MODE series includes a hybrid
keypad that incorporates hard buttons and
an LCD screen, and the MODE Base that
provides an instant docking solution for
your iPod. www.speakercraft.com
ernet switch, the unit connects to a standalone Ethernet switch in the A/V rack. That switch, in turn
allows a stack of IP-enabled components, including
Xantech | MX88 Multi-room
Controller/Amplifier
Xantech’s MX88 Multi-room Controller/Amplifier line incorporates 16-channel amplifiers,
eight zones of audio and IP-based communications to enable them to work in tandem
with Apple’s iPod and iPhone products. Xantech offers the MX88 in three versions: MX88a
(audio only); MX88ai (audio and IP features)
and the top-of-the-line MX88vi (audio/video,
IP enabled). www.xantech.com
a Control4 processor, Samsung Blu-ray player, Vudu
XL movie player, TiVo XL and Apple TV, to access
the Internet.
WAV, FLAC, MP3, AAC and other formats.”
“Bandwidth was excellent and the client had no
While they were there, Media Calm also installed
problem streaming HD content from Vudu and Netflix
a ZonePlayer in the master bedroom, providing an
in real time,” Person reports. “Thanks to Sonos we could
Internet connection to the bedroom’s TiVo and Blu-ray
provide a robust wireless Ethernet bridge as well as
player, and streaming “any kind of audio file imagin-
access to the client’s music collection that included
able,” says Person. EH
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home of the month
1
Efficiency FIRST
Home control and energy monitoring systems play key roles in
making this green home energy-efficient. by Steven Castle
Photography by Michael Sculco and Michael E. Ach
THE TEAM
Systems Design
and Installation
Sights-N-Sounds
Seaford, N.Y.
www.sights-n-sounds.com
You nEvEr HEar tHE saYing, “tHE first timE’s a cHarm.”
That’s because doing something new invites all sorts of unwelcome obstacles
and surprises. But when you’re building a house—or more specifically, a very
green and energy-efficient house—you have to get it right the first time, despite
the many hurdles.
Builder
Lauto Group Logic
Huntington, N.Y.
www.lautogroup.com
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3
6
2
M.a.
4
Technologies such as solar electricity, geothermal heating, and a
Davis weather station (left) help
M.s.
Anthony Lauto’s 7,800-squarefoot vacation home on the southern tip of Long
Island be as energy-efficient as possible. Inside,
home control and energy management systems
help make the home even greener.
1. ICF (insulated concrete form) construction, in
which concrete is poured between two insulating forms; 2. Permeable driveway pavers allow
water to run off into dry wells; 3. Recycled steel,
mold-resistant drywall, FsC (Forest stewardship Council)-certified woods; 4. A Davis weather
station provides real-time weather information;
5. Marvin’s energy star-rated Integrity thermal
windows are filled with argon for better insulation; 6. A 10-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) solar array
provides some of the home’s electricity.
5
M.a.
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A Crestron TPS-6X wireless touchpanel allows
operation of any room’s lights from the kitchen
command center, whose flooring tiles retain heat
from the in-floor radiant heating system. All this
efficiency doesn’t mean the homeowners sacrifice,
however. They enjoy audio and video throughout
the house—even in the bath with a 32-inch Samsung LED TV.
That’s what developer Anthony Lauto encountered in the five years he took to plan and build his
family’s vacation home in Montauk, N.Y., on the
southeastern tip of Long Island. Lauto proceeded
methodically, as this was his first foray into green
home design. The now-finished summer haven is
constructed to the highest green home standards,
utilizes cutting-edge home technologies to help
boost its energy efficiency—and thanks to Lauto’s
careful planning, represents very few regrets for
the homeowner/builder.
“I wanted to build a home that gives back to the
land and is environmentally conscious,” says Lauto. “I
also wanted to make sure it was affordable to maintain
and was low-maintenance.”
The 7,800-square-foot home is built to Energy
Star for Home energy-efficiency standards and uses
just 25 percent of the electricity of a comparably
M.a.
sized home. It is projected to achieve an annual
energy cost savings of more than $7,200 per year,
or more than $600 per month. The home is also
the ninth in the state of New York to achieve Gold
Certification through the National Association of
Home Builders’ Green Building Program, and it is
being considered for LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) certification through
the U.S. Green Building Council.
Electronics play a significant role in the home’s
energy savings, with a whole-house control and lighting
system, comprehensive energy monitoring, energyefficient LEDs (light emitting diodes) and CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), as well as automated heating,
cooling, ventilation and humidity control. And along
with all that energy efficiency, the homeowners are still
able to have fun. A Crestron distribution system pipes
audio to 22 zones and Full HD 1080p video to nine
rooms. A home theater is also in the works.
Helping power all the electronics is a 10-kilowatt
solar system, while three separate geothermal heat
M.s.
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
pumps take care of the heating and cooling. (Geo-
EHInstallers.com
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home of the month
Planning for an EnErgy
EfficiEnt HomE
Tips from This green home projecT.
M.s.
thermal systems use the heat from below ground.)
But this home’s high efficiency really starts with
the use of green building materials, specifically the
home’s ICF (insulated concrete forms) construction, in which concrete is poured between two
insulating forms, and Marvin’s Integrity thermal
windows. Recycled steel, mold-resistant drywall,
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified woods,
300-year-old reclaimed timbers, an anthrax-rated
air filtering system and a carbon filtration and reverse osmosis water system are just a few of the
green and healthy add-ons.
Wouldn’t It Be Great If …
The property on which the home sits had been owned
off and on by Lauto’s extended family since the 1950s.
Even back then, the Lauto family was green, having
built a 1,900-square-foot bungalow from leftovers
from other construction sites. It was only fitting that
the new, bigger house planned for the property would
carry through the green tradition. Before starting on
the new house, Lauto and his building team took a
closer look at the land, which included shadow studies to track the movement of the sun. Lauto wanted
Look at the Budget Pie. “Using energy-efficient
appliances and construction practices will contribute
to an overall energy efficiency goal,” advises green
homeowner and developer Anthony Lauto. “But look at a
budget for the house as a piece of pie and decide where
to spend it.”
One Savings Leads to Another. “if you ask
someone to tell you how long the investment of solar
panels will take to pay for themselves, they will probably
estimate about eight to 10 years, after rebates and tax
incentives. But if you couple the solar with geothermal
and factor in LeD lighting and fluorescent lighting, you’ll
find that the return will come much sooner,” says Lauto.
High-tech Preparedness. This home’s electronics and the crestron home control system were merged
into the energy-efficient whole. “The [energy efficiency]
largely came through the planning process and the programming,” says joe calise of seaford, n.Y.-based electronics installer sights-n-sounds. “The more you tell me
what you want to do with a home control system during
the planning phase, the more i can give you.”
Communication is Key. Lauto encouraged communication among his contractors. “Anything that has
a wire attached to it, the trade that touched that wire
needed to meet every other trade that touched it,” says
Lauto. “i listed all of these people and all of their contact
information on a sheet of paper, printed 10 copies, laminated it, handed it to each trade, and said ‘don’t lose it.’”
Ask for Help. Although Lauto did most of his green
home design himself, he got help from two architects,
who met with him over dinner to discuss the plans.
EQUIPMENT LIST
home and Lighting
control: Crestron
Audio/Video Distribution:
Crestron
energy monitoring:
Agilewaves
AV receivers: Integra
Blu-ray player: Integra
Loudspeakers: Leon,
Niles, Velodyne
security: Napco
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home of the month
EnErgy
Star
HomES
“I’ve been in the construction industry for over 20
years, but this is the first time I embraced the
Energy Star for Homes concept,” says Anthony
Lauto, a developer and builder/owner of this
very green and energy-efficient home.
Energy Star-certified homes must meet
energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are typically
20 percent to 30 percent more efficient than
standard homes.
“With Energy Star, the thing to focus on is
the whole-house,” says Lauto. “When you do
everything as a whole-house approach, one effort complements another. Solar is great, but if
you use CFL and LED lighting, for example, you
can save even more.”
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M.A.
to make sure that his planned
not always available,” echoes Joe Calise of electronics
location for the new house would
installation firm Sights-N-Sounds in Seaford, N.Y.,
allow it to take advantage of the
which played a critical role in the home’s energy-
available sunlight for supplemen-
efficient design.
tary lighting and heating.
“Planning started in 2005
Layers of Light
and got a little more aggressive
One area where Lauto concentrated much of his ef-
in 2006. It was a different world
fort was in lighting. When he began planning back in
then in green building. People
2005 and 2006, CFLs weren’t capable of dimming and
thought it meant having a bam-
high-output LEDs weren’t available. “So I designed the
boo floor,” Lauto says.
lighting with layers of light,” he explains. “There are
“One of the biggest chal-
129 lighting loads in the home that are all individually
lenges was waiting for technology to catch up,” the
controllable, and instead of dimming we created scenes
builder adds. “We started a lot of sentences with
that can produce any mood, ambiance or feel.”
‘Wouldn’t it be great if …’ and while looking for a
For example, a dozen lights in the kitchen work in
solution we would discover the ‘if’ finally came true.”
various combinations to create scenes for cooking, get-
That sometimes required redesigns.
ting snacks or having a party. Task lights illuminate areas
“All along we knew what we wanted to do and
for cooking. Most of the fixtures come on when the party
planned accordingly, even though the technology was
mode is engaged, and Lauto reports that “everyone loves
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
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home of the month
Breaking
It Down
Agilewaves
This comprehensive
energy monitoring system
measures the electricity
consumption of a home
per circuit, and also
measures gas and water
use, as well as the amount
of power produced by a
renewable energy system
such as solar panels.
M.a.
The home may be lean and green, but the homeowners get surround sound in the family room
from a Leon soundbar mounted beneath the
55-inch samsung LeD TV (left) and Niles speakers
in the ceiling. Custom electronics company sightsN-sounds also set up iPod integration in every
room so users can access audio and video from
their iPods anywhere in the house. In addition to
providing the temperatures of each of 18 zones of
heating, the Crestron system (above) can distribute
1080p video through its DigitalMedia system.
home control system had to be consistent from room
to room, because the homeowners’ parents are there,
and a brother stays for the summer.
The Home Control Key
To enable the Lautos to be more efficient in the use of
the LEDs, as well as the heating and cooling system,
security system, and audio and video equipment, SightsN-Sounds installed a Crestron home control system. A
combination of wireless and hard wired 6-inch touch-
the simplicity of pressing a button marked midnight snack
and having just enough lights come on to get you to the
kitchen without feeling your way or squinting.”
panels puts the family in charge of everything.
For example, when someone presses the away button on the Napco security keypad, the Crestron system
In addition to being practical and efficient light
sweeps through the house, shutting off lights and cutting
sources, the LEDs add to the home’s visual appeal.
power to amplifiers, surround-sound receivers, TVs and
Small fixtures are embedded into the side panels of
an other devices to save energy. The home’s five TiVo
staircases to shed light on the steps. LEDs embedded
receivers and Crestron ADMS media server remain on,
into the tops of door jambs cast beautiful cones of
though, so they can continue to record programs.
light. And LEDs mounted in the reclaimed, exposed
ceiling timbers make the whole ceiling glow.
Being able to control the home’s heating and cool-
Some LEDs, like those used above a window seat
home’s energy efficiency, though. Via the touchpanels
the family can adjust the heating and cooling settings of
lighting is provided by LEDs.
18 zones, although most of the changes happen auto-
could have been created, the trick was keeping the
Leon Soundbars
Custom-made Leon
soundbars found in the
den and family room
combine three front
speakers to provide enjoyable surround-sound with
a more efficient use of
resources.
Energy-Efficient
Lighting
The 129 loads of American
Lighting and Bruck LEDs
are 80 percent less expensive to operate than traditional incandescent bulbs,
figures homeowner and
builder Anthony Lauto.
ing systems has made the biggest difference in the
in the dining room, do dim. And all of the outdoor
Although many scenes with energy-efficient LEDs
Crestron
DigitalMedia
This Crestron system
distributes analog and uncompressed HD video signals to TVs via a Crestron
Digital Media Category 6
Ethernet cable. The cable
also pipes music from
the owners’ iPods—and
other audio components—
to speakers installed
throughout the house.
matically, based on parameters that were programmed
into the system via Sights-N-Sounds.
operation of them and the home’s other electronics
simple and intuitive—and this is where Calise and his
Meaningful Energy Monitoring
crew contributed to the project in a big way.
With a combination of solar panels, geothermal heat
“The whole key to this house was making it simple,”
pumps, as well as lighting and HVAC control, how are the
Calise says. All of the controls for the lighting and
homeowners able to figure exactly how much electric-
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home of the month
M.A.
M.s.
ity the systems are helping them save? An Agilewaves
energy monitoring system provides them with all the
data they could ever want. This system is able to measure
electricity consumption at the circuit level, as well as
consumption of gas and water and the production of
electricity from the solar panels. Even better, the savings
can be displayed on the Crestron touchpanels.
“I can get data from the solar inverters [that convert
the DC energy from the solar panels to AC] for the
home’s electricity use,” Lauto says, “but the inverters
give me data per hour and per day, and I want something
that can take that data and give me the value of it and
how much we have saved, how much we’re spending,
how much the geothermal system is heating in the home
and how much is going to domestic hot water—and
how much savings is going to accrue [to defray] the
cost of putting these things in the home.”
M.A.
Eighteen heating zones are tied
together in the utility room (top),
along with three geothermal heating
systems that augment the warmth
taken from below ground and send
it to an efficient radiant floor heating. Lighting (above) was a big focus,
with energy-efficient LEDs guiding the way up the stairs, and simple
Crestron keypads to denote lighting scenes.
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ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
There’s even more that Lauto would like to know,
“I need to know how many of these four racks of equipment can be shut down, because things are drawing
power,” he says.
It looks like part of this home’s high-tech systems will
stay in a state of redesign—perhaps constant redesign. But
one thing is certain: For this newly initiated green home
builder, the first time proved to be a charm. EH
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You won’t find a more
engaged buying audience
anywhere.
Interested in finding out how to advertise in Electronic House
or any of our other publications? If the answer is yes, please
contact Steve Nesbitt at snesbitt@ehpub.com.
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home theater enhancements
Awesome
Acoustics
(and Aesthetics, Too)
These home theater audio aids
don’t have to be eyesores anymore.
by Electronic House Editors
Imagine acoustical panels in a home theater. You’re probably not picturing a
tropical beach, the canals of Venice, a family vacation photo or a scene from
your favorite movie. But now you can. Thanks to some recent innovations
in acoustical treatments, as well as some creative collaboration between
homeowners and custom electronics professionals, your media room decor
can go from bland to grand—and still sound awesome.
Why Acoustical Treatments?
Not all rooms are created equal. In media rooms, for example, hard surfaces
such as wood floors, big windows and exposed brick or stone can create harsh
sounds and poor clarity by overly reflecting the sound waves your ears detect
as audio. The shape of a room, too, as well as furnishings, can affect the audio
quality. Then there are differing listener preferences: Some want enough bass
to shake their seats, while others prefer a brighter and more detailed sound.
Every aspect can be taken into consideration for home theater owners
looking to optimize the audio to their environment and tastes. Some acoustical
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A photo or image
of your choice can
be transferred onto
Cinemacoustics
solutions panels
and shipped within
three to five weeks,
according to Jupiter,
Fla.-based Atlantic
smart Technologies.
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If you want more traditional and elegant
acoustical fabric on your theater walls,
TK Living offers a variety of appealing designs.
treatments provide the added benefit of helping to
spaces ranging from living rooms to home theaters
keep the sound inside the media room and outside
to professional recording studios. “In a commercial
noise from creeping in. “The last thing you want
theater, they’re trying to ‘kill the room’ so you are
is to hear the toilet flushing while you’re watching
able to hear everything in the soundtrack mix. We
a movie. By the same token, you aren’t going to
can use more absorptive material to deaden the sound
want a loud action scene to wake up the kids,” says
if they don’t want the room contributing much, or
Dr. Bonnie Schnitta, a professional acoustician and
we can make the room more ‘lively.’”
owner of acoustical consulting and engineering firm
SoundSense in East Hampton, N.Y.
Ear and Eye Pleasing
You may also want your personal cinema to rival
Products like Cinemacoustic Solutions’ Cinema Im-
what you have experienced sound-wise at the local
agery line and Auralex’s SonicPrints allow homeown-
googleplex, where you spent $12 to see Avatar.
ers to choose an image to appear on their acoustic
Only at home, when the lights come up, you’ll prob-
panels. They can select vacation photos, art prints,
ably want to see more than charcoal-colored walls.
movie posters and more. In Cinemacoustic’s case,
Companies including SoundSense, Cinemacoustic
it works with custom electronics (CE) pros who are
Solutions, Auralex Acoustics and TK Living, for ex-
outfitting the home theater, and Cinemacoustic will
ample, offer acoustical treatment solutions that can
ship custom panels in three to five weeks.
enhance both the audio and the look of the room.
Jupiter, Fla.-based installation firm Atlantic Smart
“We can cater to people’s tastes,” says Auralex
Technologies (AST) has provided home theater own-
CEO Eric Smith, whose company has worked on
ers with such panels—some went the movie poster
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home theater enhancements
route, says vice president and director of A/V systems
can mail a CD or DVD or send an electronic file to
design Brian Grimo, while some professional athlete
the company to be used on a SonicPrint acoustical
clients couldn’t help but request that photos of their
panel. Standard SonicPrint panels are 1-inch thick,
playing careers be transferred to the panels.
but custom thicknesses up to 4 inches are available,
The handcrafted panels are available in 1- or
2-inch absorptive, reflective or diffusive models and
and standard panel sizes come in 24-by-24, 24-by-36
and 24-by-48 inch dimensions.
are custom-made using wood frames stained in a
For hiding speakers behind special fabric, there
variety of finishes. Converting images on to acous-
are more than just basic colors available. TK Living,
tic panels is a pretty painless process, Grimo says.
a division of high-end home theater architect Theo
After determining what photos or movie posters his
Kalomirakis’ TK Theaters, for example, offers several
clients want, AST generally finds the high-resolution
standard acoustical fabrics that blend form and function.
images online and sends either a .jpg or .tif file to
“We’ve standardized what used to be old, one-off designs
Cinemacoustic. “[It] transfers the image digitally to
to engineer these for repetitive use, but keep them as
a computer file and then transfers the image digitally
acoustically transparent, designer-friendly fabrics,” says
to the panel,” he explains. “This way we know that
TK Living vice president James Theobald. They even
the artwork has been purchased by the client and can
come in lines named after memorable silver screen
return the poster to them when we are done.”
stars of yesteryear, like Hepburn, Hayworth, Bogart
Auralex even lets you cut out the middleman,
and Bacall. With today’s range of visually appealing
if you’re going the DIY route. If you don’t want to
acoustic solutions, your home theater experience can
choose artwork from Auralex’s artist stable, you
be just as unforgettable as these movie icons. EH
Consulting the
Consultants
Hiring a professional acoustician can be like adding an interior designer or lighting expert to your
home theater construction process. And like other
home theater details, it can be approached in
several ways.
Auralex Acoustics’ Eric Smith says his company does most of its consultation remotely,
rather than making house calls to examine
every potential theater room. However, he notes,
“The sooner people can get us involved in the
process, the better.” The first step is a “free personalized room analysis.” As long as you don’t
mind doing some legwork, Auralex can begin
analyzing rooms with information you send. That
includes construction materials, density data,
blueprints, photos and even videos. The company will send you a microphone to record test
tones, and the more information you provide, the
more accurate a 3D rendering Auralex can create. Solution costs vary based on room factors,
but for a few hundred dollars the company also
sells prefab kits for the DIYer.
sonicPrints from
Auralex Acoustics may be the
ideal solutions
for a multipurpose media room
in which you’d
like to display
family photos or
artwork.
SoundSense’s Bonnie Schnitta says her company charges between $1,000 and $2,000 “to
document the acoustic problems and offer recommendations on how to fix them. A full consultation, where we provide the design, engineering
and installation, might run upwards of $5,000.”
Schnitta also points to low-cost acoustic solutions that can be found for less than $1,000, such
as adding well-placed pillows, carpets, acoustic
tiles and other elements that help to absorb,
reflect or diffuse sound and thereby improve a
room’s sonic quality.
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Wired vs. Wireless
Lighting
Which kind of lighting control system is right for you? Here’s a rock-’em,
sock-’em five-round smackdown to determine your winner. by Steven Castle
GoinG wireless is the way to go, right? After all, you
probably already have a wireless computer network in your
home. Maybe wireless printing. You may have cut the cord
on phone service—perhaps even cable TV. So why not go
wireless with electronic lighting control as well?
It will save you the hassle of having to run wires
choose could depend on several factors:
n Is your home already built or is it in the process
of being built?
n What’s your budget and what can you pay up
front?
n The reliability of the system.
from the keypads to a central processor, which is how
n The features and size of the system.
most wired lighting control systems work. And it will
n And future add-ons and technologies.
still let you shut off all your home’s lights from one
Especially note what Stamm said last: “in the fu-
location, dim lights and set cool scenes.
ture.” Wireless lighting control is certainly in the here
“You should never have a home without wireless
and now. And we’re seeing more and more of it—with
in the future,” says Roger Stamm, international sales
good reasons. But it’s not the winner of the lighting
director at Lutron Electronics, manufacturer of both
world by default—and least not yet.
wired and wireless lighting control systems.
It looks like we’re going to need a lighting technology
So that’s it. Wireless wins, right?
smackdown between the wired and wireless lighting. Let’s
Not so fast. There are advantages and disadvantages
go a few rounds and rate them in various categories—and
of using both technologies. And what you ultimately
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
you can judge which one best fits your needs.
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Wireless lighting control systems are going beyond just
operating lighting. Lutron’s wireless RadioRA 2 control system,
for example, will be capable of being used with upcoming
add-ons like an iPad app (above) a seeTouch thermostat (left)
and motorized Venetian blinds (opposite page). But you may
have to step up to a HomeWorks wired or wireless system to
get a Dynamic Keypad (far left, this page).
Round 1: New Construction vs. Retrofit
Round 2: Cost Benefits
A few years ago, the answer was easy: If you’re build-
In total cost, it is generally perceived that wired lighting
ing a new home or an addition and the walls aren’t
systems, by the nature of their typically larger sizes,
closed, you wire, wire, wire.
are more expensive than smaller, wireless systems. For
“If you can wire, your first choice should be a wired
example, a typical wired Lutron HomeWorks system
network,” says Hector Morazan, international sales man-
will cost $15,000 to $25,000 and up, while a wireless
ager for high-end lighting system maker LiteTouch.
Lutron RadioRA starter package begins at about $1,200
So why are we seeing more and more wireless systems
and can cost $4,000 to cover a few rooms.
in new homes? It could be that the walls were closed by the
But guess what? In terms of the per-product pricing,
time a lighting system was specified. And let’s face it: wire-
wireless is still a bit more expensive. Lutron, for example,
less systems free you from the hassle of running wires.
sells a wireless HomeWorks system, and its dimmers go
“When the walls are up and everything’s done, wire-
for about $200, while the wired dimmers run between
less offers another option,” says Ian Hendler, director
about $150 and $160. Wireless is more expensive per
of business development for Leviton Manufacturing,
component because the RF (radio frequency) com-
a mid-market lighting systems maker.
munications and sometimes the processing are built
“Wireless is for when all existing house wiring is
done, and you don’t want the disruption of pulling
new wires,” agrees Lutron’s Stamm.
That’s easy enough: Wire for a system if you can. If
you can’t wire, go wireless.
right into a dimmer, light switch or keypad.
Though, says Lutron’s Stamm, “The cost of wireless has come down closer to the cost of the wired
lighting control system.”
The cumulative cost of a wired system typically reaches
But wait: There may be another consideration:
into the five figures because a home with a wired system
“Wired is probably best for larger homes in new con-
tends to be larger houses—and with a wired system, you
struction,” says Hendler.
have to spend much more up front. You have to get all those
So smaller homes, say under 3,000 square feet,
should opt for wireless, even if the walls are open and
wires can be run? That’s a personal choice, and may
be tied to budget considerations.
Winner: It’s a draw. Wire in new construction,
go wireless in retrofit.
wires into the walls before they close; therefore, the entire
system is often bought and installed at one time.
With a wireless system, you can start smaller to save
money, and add on as you can afford it. “It gives you
the opportunity the scale back to do some things, and
it is possible to add on in the future,” says Stamm. But
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WiRed,
WiReless …
oR No NeW
WiRes?
Lighting control companies like Lutron and
LiteTouch offer both
wired and wireless
solutions that can be
used together. In other
words, a new part of a
house gets wired, while
the existing structure
gets wireless.
There also are “no
new wires” solutions
that use the existing electrical power
lines of your house to
transmit signals. PLC,
or powerline communications systems,
are available from
X10 products and
companies like Insteon
(which sells dual RF
mesh and PLC devices
for better reliability).
These can be good,
low-cost solutions for
do-it-yourselfers and
others interested in
basic home automation. Higher-bandwidth
needs, though, will
require a more robust
lighting control system.
Powerline control
in the past has been
prone to interference
and reliability issues,
though this has been
addressed with PCS’
Universal Powerline
Bus (UPB) technology.
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go from a couple of rooms to most of the house with
wireless, and you, too, could enter five-figure territory—
while paying more per dimmers and keypads.
“If you can do a wired system, you can get a cost
benefit,” says Leviton’s Hendler.
Wired or wireless? Sometimes you need both. LiteTouch offers a Hybrid wired and wireless system that
utilizes the company’s modular FiveK processor and
uses a point-to-point ZigBee wireless technology.
via a wireless control system.
So wired strikes back. But wait … You also have
“Even with WiFi coverage of about 200 feet, you could
to figure the cost of the labor of putting wires into the
have problems with concrete,” says LiteTouch’s Morazan,
walls—especially if it’s a retrofit—and that can make
who sees this problem frequently in southern climes.
any savings realized with a wired system a wash.
Then again, there’s setup time to consider for a wireless system. The punches are flying fast and furious.
Winner: Advantage to wireless, because you
can start with a much lower budget.
“There are lots of ‘moving parts’ with wireless,”
says Vantage Controls’ Andrew Wale. “And you have
to pay attention to the integrity of the network.”
The good news is that wireless lighting control technologies have improved significantly in recent years.
Lutron’s RadioRA 2, for example, communicates over
Round 3: Reliability
multiple channels to avoid interference with the trans-
This is where you can run into problems with a wireless light-
mission of an RF signal. “Adding occupancy sensors and
ing system, though wireless lighting technologies and their
other devices for an RF network means more traffic,”
reliability have improved steadily in recent years.“Reliability
says Stamm, “so we had to improve the technology and
with wired is rock solid,” says Leviton’s Handler.
protocol in the network to handle that traffic.”
“People still run wires for the feeling of reliability,”
“Mesh” networks like ZigBee and Z-Wave, in which
echoes Lutron’s Stamm. “And in some cases, wireless
each enabled device like a ZigBee or Z-Wave dimmer
is not suitable.”
can become a redundant communicating network
For example, concrete walls or metal mesh in the
node like a repeater, have improved in their reliabil-
walls for plastering can significantly affect the range
ity as well—so much so that LiteTouch uses a Hybrid
and reliability of wireless communications in a home—
wired and wireless lighting system with its modular
as well as the ability simply to switch on and off lights
FiveK processor, in which the wireless components are
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lighting control
ZigBee-enabled, but only communicate point-to-point
with the processor. Lutron’s RadioRA, by contrast,
does not require a central processor.
“What has increased the reliability in wireless
lighting is the increased processing power and open
standards,” says Leviton’s Hendler, whose Vizia RF +
wireless lighting products use the Z-Wave protocol.
Nevertheless, “Hardwired solutions are more robust,”
concludes Vantage’s Wale. Few would disagree.
Winner: Advantage to wired systems, but wireless is catching up.
compatible door locks. Very cool and affordable.
Sure, you can still get more features and more robustness from a wired system, but know what you want to do
and research what each type of system can do for you.
Round 4: Features
Winner: Wired systems, for now.
Will you generally get more features with a hardwired
lighting system? Yes. Is this due to the technical limitations
Round 5: The Future
of a wireless system? Not really, says Lutron’s Stamm.
Hardwired lighting control systems are still the better
The company’s wireless RadioRA system was first
bet for being reliable and more robust. These advan-
introduced for lower-cost and retrofit solutions, “so
tages are becoming slimmer and slimmer, however,
we limited the feature set a little bit. Now the cost of
as wireless technologies improve and become more
the technology has gotten better, so we can add those
cost-effective. If you have open walls and can afford
features back,” Stamm says.
a wired system, by all means go for it.
The newer RadioRA 2, for example, can interface
Budget, however, may be the knockout punch for
easily with motorized shading systems and works with all
wireless over wired for most: You can start with a wireless
sorts of new devices and features like smart thermostats
lighting system at a much lower cost, and build on it from
and plug-in appliance modules for energy management.
there. Just check for potential interference and range
It has also grown from being limited to 32 dimmers to
issues—and you should be golden. The reliability and
being able to handle 200 devices. If your home needs
robustness of wireless systems have improved greatly.
more, you can upgrade to the wireless HomeWorks
version that supports 1,500 devices.
So the feature limitations with wireless are largely
the result of economics.
We’re also seeing some really cool technological
applications, such as energy-saving kinetic energy, in
which keypads can be powered on their own, using the
energy resulting from key presses. PCS’ (Powerline
“With Vizia, the biggest thing we’re seeing is se-
Control Systems) PulseWorx RF system and Leviton’s
curity guys pushing it real hard and bundling it with
commercial-grade LevNet wireless system use technology
energy management,” says Leviton’s Hendler.
from EnOcean to do this, and our bet is that we’ll be seeing
Vizia RF + products can work with other Z-Wave
devices like Mi Casa Verde’s Vera system, which has
a whole lot more of it in the future. Though it shouldn’t
be limited to wireless lighting control systems.
become a popular mid-market controller for Z-Wave
As Lutron’s Stamm says. “You should never have
audio/video, lighting, and more. One can set up a Leviton
a home without wireless in its future.” And with many
system, transfer control to Vera, and it can calculate all
more retrofit home projects taking place today, you can
the energy being used at the switch level. It can even
see where this is going. But still, wire if you can.
be controlled via an iPhone app, and work with Z-Wave
Leviton’s Vizia RF +
wireless lighting
control line features
switchable outlets,
plug-in modules and
remotes, and can
be used with other
Z-Wave networked
products like Mi Casa
Verde’s Vera processor
that combines audio/
video, lighting, even
automated lock set
control—and can measure energy use and
has an iPhone app.
Winner: Wireless EH
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0
H
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HOME AUTOMATION TRENDS
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The latest buzz when it comes to managing and controlling
your home. by Lisa Montgomery
Home automation, or Home control as it’s
entertained. Yes, programming your thermostats to
also called, is constantly changing. And like most technolo-
set back automatically can actually be fun.
gies, it improves with age. It gets smarter, less expensive
Home automation manufacturers are making it
and easier to use each year. We’d be remiss not to mention
simpler for home systems installers to add fancy features
some of the improvements and enhancements destined
to touchpanels by including multimedia platforms like
to hit the marketplace—and your home—in the very near
Flash, Java and Guifx into their software. Often with a
future. From 1 to 10, in no particular order, here are the
point and click, home systems installers can dress up
hottest trends in the automation industry.
the panels with animation, unique buttons and colorful backgrounds. They can give the touchpanel the
Tip: Test-drive an automation system by visiting
a “smart” model home in your area.
1
same look and feel of an iPhone, where gestures like
finger swipes set an automation scene into motion or
“pinching” the screen zooms in a surveillance camera.
“This is the kind of stuff that gives automation a real
Snazzy ControlS
wow factor,” says Jeff Singer, communications director
Operating your home’s lights, thermostats
for home automation manufacturer Crestron. “By and
and A/V gear from a touch-sensitive control
large, home systems installers aren’t graphic artists.
panel can be fairly boring, unless your panel’s
Now they can be, by just downloading objects from
got some snazzy graphics to keep you engaged and
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
Flash right into their touchpanel designs.”
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The Infinityedge
home control
touchpanel from
Control4 resembles an iPad,
but at $899,
it’s still a more
expensive tool
for controlling a
home’s electronic systems.
Most manufacturers believe that the wow shouldn’t
stop at the touchpanel. Within their programming software, they’ve given home systems installers the tools to
easily import that same graphic layout into other interfaces.
2
Not Your Father’s remote …
or tV or telephoNe
For years, companies like Remote Technologies
Inc. (RTI), Universal Remote Control (URC),
The interface resizes itself automatically to fit the screen,
Philips Pronto and Universal Electronics (Nevo)have fo-
be it that of a TV, keypad, remote control or iPad.
cused on manufacturing handheld remotes for operating
Will spiced-up graphics drive up the cost of the user
A/V systems and home theater components. While these
interface? Not as much as you might think, and you
companies are still great sources for traditional clickers,
have Apple and its reasonably priced iPad to thank for
they’ve broadened their scope to include complete home
that, says Susan Cashen, vice president of marketing for
automation systems. “Operating things is what we do and we
Control4. “Consumers’ expectations are much higher
want to control everything,” says URC CTO Eric Johnson.
than they were a few years ago,” she notes. “They want
So much so, that the company recently changed its name
sophistication at a good price.” With its Flash-based
from Universal Remote Control to just URC.
programming software and $899 price tag, Control4’s
To facilitate the transition from clicker to complete
new InfinityEdge touchpanel (above) is inching closer
home control, most manufacturers have developed wire-
the to the $500 benchmark set by the iPad.
less control hubs ($150 to $1,000) that deliver signals
Cost no concern? Savant Systems has perhaps
from the remote control to the other systems. These hubs,
the most entertaining interface of all. Its Touch TV
in turn, deliver feedback to the screen of the remote or
products function both as full-fledged high-definition
televisions and home control interfaces. Without interrupting the TV program, a user can tap the screen
to bring up a menu of control options, from which
commands to lights, thermostats, security devices
Did You Know ...
If you’re building a new house, you might
be able to roll the cost of your automation
system into the mortgage?
and more can be launched.
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Tip: For best results, hire a seasoned custom
electronics professional to design and install
your automation system.
handheld remote for operating lots of subsystems.
You’ll also find automation popping up in devices
like A/V receivers, cable boxes and telephones. Sony,
for example, employs a feature called Quick Click in
some of its receivers, which when configured allows
touchpanel. The remote control companies have also
the receiver to operate lights in addition to typical A/V
developed technology partnerships with third-party manu-
gear. The built-in screen of Panasonic’s KX-NT400 IP
facturers. Through these partnerships, the manufacturers
network telephone, meanwhile, can function as an in-
collectively develop two-way modules and drivers that
terface for operating a Control4 automation system.
RTI VP of sales and marketing Pete Baker. “He no longer
3
has to write his own scripts and codes to get products to
obvious than from high-end companies like Crestron,
intercommunicate.” For consumers, this results in a system
Elan Home Systems and AMX. They continue to add
that’s simpler to install and therefore more affordable.
affordable solutions to their product portfolios. “It’s a
And, one that can operate everything from thermostats
natural maturation of the technology,” says Singer. “Au-
and lights to irrigation systems and pool controls.
tomation has evolved to the point where it’s no longer
allow their respective devices to seamlessly communicate,
ultimately forming a network that can be controlled via
any brand of handheld remote or touchpanel.
“Through the creation of these modules we’ve done
all of the heavy lifting for the home systems installer,” says
4
Falling Prices
The remote control manufacturers aren’t the
only ones focusing on affordable home control
solutions. It’s a common theme across the
entire home automation industry. But nowhere is it more
Now that RTI, URC and Philips Pronto have become le-
perceived to be a luxury.” Adds Elan Home Systems CTO
gitimate automation manufacturers, they’ve had to broaden
Bob Farinelli: “There’s enough awareness and demand
their own product portfolios to include touchpanels. “We
from consumers now that it’s time to cater to the mass
currently have more touchpanels than we do handheld
market. Scaling down has become essential in order to
remotes,” says Baker. As he explains, the larger screen of
compete with folks [like RTI, URC and Pronto] who are
a touchpanel is more suitable than the small screen of a
heading in the same direction.”
Broader distriBution
As manufacturers continue to streamline and simplify their systems, expect to
see design and installation services offered by a wider variety of channels. In
addition to the classic custom electronics professional, you’ll be able to buy
automation from security dealers, electric utilities and cable companies.
This trend is not completely new, as companies like Home Automation Inc. (HAI) have
been selling through security dealers for years. However, “it’s a shift that will gain momentum
in the next 12 to 24 months,” says Greg Roberts, vice president of marketing for iControl
Networks. His company happens to be spearheading the distribution push, as biggies like
ADT have invested in its ConnectedLife system, a web-based technology designed to be
integrated into alarm panels, cable boxes and other mass-market devices.
Available via ADT’s new Pulse system, iControl’s technology will provide customers with
the standard features of an alarm system, plus the ability to control a home’s lights, thermostats,
surveillance cameras and other devices via any web-based controller—at an entry level price of
$399, plus around $45 for monitoring.
“Home control is a natural extension for us,” says Don Boerema, chief marketing of-
With ADT’s new Pulse system,
available from security dealers
and home systems professionals,
homeowners can monitor and
control of variety of electronic
devices from a mobile device.
ficer for ADT North America. Plus, the market conditions are ripe to go mass market, he adds. “In the past, home automation
systems were made up of disparate products. Now those products can be fully integrated. Before, all systems had to be wired
into a house, now there are wireless solutions. Systems used to be expensive, now they’re affordable.”
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elan Home systems’ new g! system shows how
home automation is becoming more mainstream.
video signals to six zones, compared with the dozens
6
of sources and zones handled by Crestron’s high-end
manufacturers offer home theater control systems that can be expanded
offerings. And instead of 10-inch color touchpanels,
to include the control of lights, thermostats and other devices.
Crestron’s Prodigy and Elan’s g! systems are inching
closer to that pricing sweet spot. They cost considerably
less than the company’s high-end systems, but still offer
many of the same features, albeit on a smaller scale.
For example, the Prodigy can distribute six audio and
4- and 6-inch touchpanels are offered with Prodigy.
energY ManageMent Makes its Move
Home automation has rarely been a hot button for consumers. Usually they’re looking for something else, like a home
theater, and that’s okay. Home theater is, and continues to be, a
great way for consumers to segue into full-blown automation, and many
There’s a new Trojan horse, though, and that’s energy management.
Paring down processing power is one way Elan is
As utilities continue to roll out smart grids and look for ways to curb pro-
cutting costs. Like others, the company has made its
duction, and as homeowners grow increasingly more energy-conscious,
g! system easier and quicker for custom integrators
home automation seems the likely solution. “It may be that you can live
to program and install. As a result, consumers will
without high-def video around the house, but when your utilities are run-
pay less than they have in the past for labor. “We have
ning $500 a month, it’s time to do something about it,” says Farinelli.
developed canned templates that custom integrators
One of the places manufacturers are starting is at the thermostat. (Studies
can use when designing touchpanel graphics,” says
show that due to the complexity, most homeowners never take the time to
Farinelli. “They can design and install a full system in a
program their thermostats, which completely negates their purpose.)
lot less time than they can with a highly customizable,
expensive home automation system.”
An automation system can greatly simplify the task of programming thermostats, as well as other energy-hungry devices. Many manufacturers, including Elan, have developed straightforward scheduling
Tip: Start small by automating a few lights and
thermostats, then add on as you feel the need.
5
programs, accessible on touchpanels, which allow consumers to set up
daily adjustments for their thermostats.
AMX (pictured above), Control4 and URC have taken it a step further
by integrating energy monitoring features into their systems. Homeowners
Doing it Yourself
can see, right on the screen of a user interface, real-time energy usage in
Control4 figured that if apps could add
kilowatts and dollars spent, for example.
functionality to a mobile phone, why not
to a home automation system. Last year,
mation companies are starting to create user-friendly
the company unveiled its 4Store marketplace, where
programming platforms through which homeowners
consumers can download a variety of applications
can set up simple automation routines. For example,
directly to their Control4 automation systems. It’s a
through a special scheduling program, a homeowner
concept that’s helped spur a trend whereby consumers
could adjust the on and off times for the lights and save
are given the tools to easily modify the functionality
those changes. Absolutely no programming experience
of their own systems.
is required. In many cases the end-user will be able to
Apps are just one way of doing this. Home auto-
make changes right at the home control touchpanel.
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The shift to self-programming isn’t intended to sabotage
automation system might sweep through the room
the custom installation business. Systems will still need to
turning off lights, setting back the thermostats and
be installed and programmed initially by a professional.
shutting the drapes.
However, consumers will no longer need to schedule an
What you might start noticing, though, are rooms
appointment with their pro every time they want to tweak
that welcome you with soft music, the lights on and the
a setting. Ultimately, this will save time and money for both
temperature set to your liking. If your hotel is particularly
consumers and professional integrators.
tech-savvy, you may even get the chance to operate the
8
fireplace, drapes, lights and audio/video equipment from
HigH-TecH HoTels
one touchscreen-style remote control.
may not even be aware, though, that your room is so
9
smart. After you check out, for example, the hotel’s
professes Craig Spinner, director of marketing for Savant.
Hotels are becoming increasingly more hightech, and not just in their conference rooms,
where automation systems have been run-
ning the lights and the audio for years. Guests rooms
are starting to incorporate touches of automation. You
7
Android Adds MobiliTy
Mobile devices are gaining ground as the
primary interface of a home automation
system.
“The days of proprietary touchpanels are over,”
sTreAMing MediA
The ability to tap into Internet-based content from providers like Pandora, Netflix and Sirius Radio has been hot for some
time, but instead of downloading the data into a dedicated media server or iPhone the way you might do it now, soon you
might pull it directly into your home automation system or store it in a cloud-based “digital locker.”
“We envision that you’ll no longer need a hard drive to access content,” says Michael de Nigris, co-founder and CEO
of Autonomic Controls, a company that’s developed technology that facilitates global access to content and streaming services.
“Instead, you might buy an album, have it reside in a cloud on the Internet, an access from anywhere and from any device.”
He believes it will take another two or three years for sans-server setups to become a reality. For now, his company’s Mirage Media
Server is providing a solid step in that direction by enabling content to sit in the cloud and home automation systems to control and
access that content. From the screen of a home automation interface, users can stream music, view what’s stored in their digital locker
and play it wherever and however they want. For example, a user could schedule content like a Pandora station to play in specific zones
at predetermined times. Currently, Autonomic’s technology facilitates audio streaming from Pandora, Sirius Radio, XM Broadband and
Radio Time, but it shouldn’t be long before video is added to the mix, says de Nigris. Currently, the technology can be integrated into
home automation systems from AMX, Crestron, HAI, RTI and URC.
Some companies are taking a slightly different approach. Crestron and Savant, for example, offer their own products that can
stream in music and movies from a number of content providers. “The beauty is, you don’t have to know who the content provider
is to find what you want,” says Singer. Through Crestron’s WorldSearch Technology, the ADMS Intermedia Delivery System scans
the Internet based on a keyword you type in (like “Beatles”) and delivers all the related music and movies it can find. “It truly is an
aggregator,” says Singer. The user can then browse the list of Beatles content on the screen of a Crestron touchpanel. From there,
you can choose which selection you’d like to download and store in the ADMS.
Control4 and Pronto, meanwhile, rely on third-party apps developed for their systems to aggregate and stream. The ProntoTunes app, for
example, lets users access and control content on their Apple TV servers and iTunes accounts from one of Pronto’s control panels. And while
Control4 has been streaming in content directly to its automation
system from Rhapsody for some time, it
believes future partnerships with content
providers will be facilitated through apps.
“We see our system functioning as a portal
to the outside world, not just a portal to systems
inside the house” says Cashen.
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The Mirage Media Server from Autonomic Controls can feed
streaming content from the Internet to a home automation system.
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Control4 is giving
homeowners the
tools to add features
to their automation
systems simply by
downloading an app
from the company’s
ever-expanding
4store.
The company recently dropped touchpanels entirely from
of programming, home automation manufacturers
its product lineup, suggesting instead that homeown-
are doing some of the legwork for them by offering
ers use iPads or iPhones to interact with their home
not just the main control processor that fuses the
automation systems. Savant, in addition to nearly every
systems together, but the subsystems themselves.
manufacturer of home control systems already offers
Crestron offers everything from media servers and
an iPhone and iPad app. Next up: Google Android apps.
A/V distribution systems to lighting systems and ther-
These apps, currently being beta tested by a number of
mostats, and recently introduced its first speakers.
manufacturers, will let consumers use their Samsung
Savant has added a 16-channel digital amp to its lineup
Galaxy Tabs, Dell Streaks and other Android-enabled
of home automation products, and lighting control
mobiles to control their home’s electronic systems.
manufacturer Lutron Electronics is calling itself a
provider of complete home control by also offering
Tip: Make sure everyone in your family,
as well as babysitters and frequent
houseguests, are comfortable using your
home automation system.
10
thermostats, occupancy sensors and modules that
can turn various electronic devices on and off.
Most home automation manufacturers offer options beyond what’s in their own portfolios, as well,
thanks to their involvement with Z-Wave and ZigBee
TighT NeTworkiNg
technologies. These two wireless home networking
Seamless integration of products is
standards basically provide installers—and homeown-
the key to a reliable home automa-
ers—with the building blocks to a complete home
tion system. The security system
control system made up of products from a variety of
needs to be able to talk to the lighting system, the
manufacturers. It’s a solid concept, offering consum-
lighting needs to be able to communicate with the A/V
ers lots of options and the ability to build their home
equipment, and so on. A home automation system glues
control systems gradually as their needs or budgets
these various subsystems together so they can operate
dictate. The popularity of both Z-Wave and ZigBee
as one cohesive unit. You press a button on a home
is on the rise, with more than 400 and 100 certified
control keypad, and all the subsystems respond.
products, respectfully. And the rosters will likely keep
Historically, tight integration required many
growing, as more industries get into the business of
hours of engineering and programming by a home
home automation. Utilities, broadband providers
systems installer, but that’s slowly been changing.
and builders like that these networking solutions are
While home systems installers still do a fair amount
affordable, modular and easy to deploy. EH
ElEctronicHouse.c om
71
worldmags
diy theater
long & lEan
About the
Project
Money spent
ToTal: $22,500
location:
Johnson City, Tenn.
rooM size
23 by 14 by 9 feet
total project tiMe
2½ years
year coMpleted 2007
72
worldmags
DIYer works a big theater into a skinny space. by Rachel Cericola
AwkwArd spAces don’t make for an easy DIY
would provide a perfect view of the screen. “The
project—but they sure are fun. Curt Caveney knew
seating risers were key to eliminating the problem
when he set out to build his basement theater that
where people are craning over those in front to see,”
the narrow shape was going to work against him.
Caveney says. “However, too high of a riser would
“Our basement is very long and narrow. Being
obscure the view of those seated at the counters in
able to watch traditional movies in the first two
the back.” By adding 2x8s in the front, 2x12s in the
rows was essential. It was also important to leave
back, and barstools by the counter in the back he
the back area of the theater open for a counter, a
provided the perfect seating height for everyone.
sitting table, and a future bar,” Caveney says. “Such
a configuration will ultimately provide seating for
Lighting Sets the Tone
up to 17 people—say at a Super Bowl party. We
Guests are not only invited to visit the back area during
felt we could get much more use out of the space
movies—they are encouraged. Using different light
this way.”
fixtures on separate dimming circuits, Caveney was able
We are guessing that Caveney and his family
to create an affordable, yet effective lighting scheme.
do get a lot of use out of the room, as well as a lot
“Theaters in general can benefit from the right kind
of praise. Not only did he want enough seating to
of light in the right locations. A multi-function room
pack them in; he also wanted his guests to actually
such as this should have a variety of lights at various
enjoy themselves. This meant making sure every seat
levels to accommodate a variety of situations,” he says.
ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
EHInstallers.com
worldmags
worldmags
bEforE
Believe it or not, Curt Caveney knew next to
nothing before starting this home theater project. He relied heavily on friends, family, magazines and websites for ideas and inspiration.
“Sporting events need brighter light for conversing
result has various types of bass and sonic traps . These
and eating, whereas a movie needs just the minimum
acoustical treatments include four 14-inch traps, which
amount of light to get in and out safely.”
were custom-made to look like architectural columns.
To help cushion some of the lighting cost, Caveney
Another two main 18-inch traps were placed inside
opted to install PVC-molded rope behind the crown
the columns behind the curtains. Five more traps were
molding. That’s right—good, ol’ Christmas lights.
integrated into wall panels about 1.5-inches thick. Finally,
EQUIPMENT LIST
“Considering it might not last forever, we had to make
thick carpet covers the bottom of the wall, which helps
sure it was all removable,” he explains. Other lights
minimize high-frequency reflections.
Barco BG808 Graphics CRT
Projector
Lumagen Vision-HDP Pro
Video Processor
MUX-HD HDMI/DVI Repeater
OPPO DV-980H DVD Player
Phase Technology Velocity
Series 5 Speaker System
Samsung DTB-H260F HDTV
Terrestrial Receiver
SpeakerCraft AIM7 In-Wall
Speakers (2)
Stewart StudioTek 130
108-inch Screen
SVS PB1-ISD Subwoofer
Yamaha RX-V2400 Receiver
ZeroSurge 7.5Amp Surge
Suppressor/Power Conditioner
can be found by the risers, the columns, the stairs and
Caveney picked up many tips on the technical
the curtains. There’s also lighting under the counter
aspects of his home theater by chatting on sites like
at the back. Lutron’s Spacer dimmers and a wireless
CurtPalme.com and the AVS Forum, while also col-
remote operates each of those lighting elements.
lecting lots of ideas for aesthetics from their photo
To ensure that the lighting wouldn’t interfere
galleries. Referencing several home theater magazines
with the main attraction, Caveney installed a black
also helped in refining the overall look. “My wife implied
border around his 108-inch screen. The entire wall
several times that this better not look like a playroom
is framed with curtains, which not only enhances
with black paint on the wall!” An in-wall rack helps
the image, but adds a dramatic effect.
keep the installation looking cool, with smoked glass
in the front and alcove access from the back.
Friendly Advice
The awkward room shape and the extensive
Caveney is pleased with how the room turned out, but
research involved made this project quite a challenge,
it was not without elbow grease—and a whole lot of
Caveney admits. But it’s one he’s glad he took on,
web surfing. “As an educational platform, the Internet
as. “Prior to this project, we owned one 20-year-
was indispensable,” he says. “This project would not
old 27-inch TV we bought when we got married.”
have been possible without it.” His good friend and
Needless to say, the home theater is a big step up
inspirational theater-savvy neighbor also served as
in entertainment value, and one that the long and
a technical resource and sounding board.
lean room lets not just Caveney and his wife enjoy,
A good portion of Caveney’s research time was
spent studying home theater acoustics. “We wanted
to incorporate a variety of elements to enhance the
audio characteristics of the room, but not make the
room look like an acoustic or anechoic chamber,” he
says. The web helped, and so did making a plan. The
but their entire social circle. EH
Want to see more of What the DIYer can Do? the DIY Electronic House Showcase features never-before-seen big screens, gaming devices, wiring, seats, media
servers, lighting, htPcs, racks, collectibles—and much more! the best of the best,
in one book! Buy it now at www.electronichouseideas.com.
ElEctronicHouse.c om
73
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Installer dIrectory
Find custom electronics installers who provide infrastructure wiring,
lighting systems, security, home automation, a/v systems and more.
alabama
Home Integration
technology specialists
526 Parkwood Ave.
Daphne, AL 36526
251-621-8296
Fax: 251-382-1457
chuckerboy@aol.com
alaska
Pyramid aV
2240 Seward Highway
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-272-9111
sales@pyramidav.com
www.pyramidav.com
arIzona
aV design consultants
2304 S. Turner, Ste. 5
Springdale, AR 72764
479-365-2201
Fax: 479-365-2202
info@avdci.com
www.avdci.com
digital Home lifestyles
4820 East McDowell Rd.
Ste. 104
Phoenix, AZ 85008
602-224-9100
Fax: 602-224-9103
info@digitalhome
lifestyles.com
www.digitalhome
lifestyles.com
F & n enterprises
7301 E 22nd St., Ste. 10W
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-290-8119
info@fandnenterprises.com
www.fandnenterprises.com
one Way Media/
electric/solar
1625 W. Parsons Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85085
623-582-9420
info@onewayelectric.com
www.onewayelectric.com
convenient systems, Inc.
Serving All of
San Diego County
La Mesa, CA
619-741-6992
Fax: 619-568-3132
info@convenientsystems.net
www.convenientsystems.net
elite entertainment
systems, Inc.
3600 Harbor Blvd., Ste. 97
Oxnard, CA 93035
805-201-6258
877-EES-WORKS
Fax: 805-201-6260
info@eescompany.com
www.eescompany.com
Fortech solutions
Serving Southern CA
Toll Free: 877-85-4TECH
(8324)
818-892-2311
Fax: 818-892-2322
projects@fortech
solutions.com
www.fortechsolutions.com
Future Home
By Appointment Only
2034 Cotner Ave.
First Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-966-9442
www.futurehometheater.com
Innovative
14271 Fern Ave.
Chino, CA 91710
909-287-7900
Fax: 909-614-7770
info@purelyinnovative.com
www.purelyinnovative.com
CalIFornIa
nanlow-dunn, Inc.
2908 E. Whitmore Ave.
Ste. H215
Ceres, CA 95307
info@yourhomeserves
you.com
www.yourhomeserves
you.com
atss automated
technologies
7940 Silverton Ave., Ste. 203
San Diego, CA 92126
858-566-0606
Fax: 858-566-0909
ask-us@atssource.com
www.atssource.com
Pacific audio labs
11524 Poema #104
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-854-2142
Fax: 818-772-8525
pacificaudiolabs@msn.com
www.pacificaudiolabs.com
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ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
Parijs communication
Integrators, Inc.
Connecting You With
Technology
2828 W. Ave. L2
Lancaster, CA 93536
661-317-0928
Fax: 661-943-2696
Paul@info-pci.com
www.info-pci.com
smart Homes
7770 Telegraph Rd.
Ste. E403
Ventura, CA 93004
805-813-2214
Fax: 805-267-4178
sales@CaliSmartHomes.com
www.CaliSmartHomes.com
sound environments
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-705-6325
Fax: 916-727-6326
soundenvironments@
surewest.net
www.soundenvironments.com
Hometalk
1030 W. Ellsworth Ave., Ste. D
Denver, CO 80223
303-904-2268
Fax: 303-904-2269
info@hometalk.net
www.hometalk.net
autogy, Multi-room
Music & Movies
Bringing music to every
room in South Florida
954-399-2524
info@myautogy.com
www.myautogy.com
ConneCtICut
aVX, the audio Video
experts, Inc.
4902 SW 72nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33155
305-591-0006
Fax: 305-591-3127
drp@apsmiami.com
www.avxglobal.com
advanced Home audio
97 Bridgeport Ave., Ste. 11
Shelton, CT 06484
203-922-0051
Fax: 203-816-8252
bill@advancedhome
audio.com
www.advancedhome
audio.com
aVIt technology
167 Cherry St., Ste. 287
Milford, CT 06460
888-951-2848 (AVIT)
Fax: 203-951-3030
info@avittechnology.com
www.avittechnology.com
circuit Wizard llc
20 Anita Way
twilight solutions
Warren, CT 06754
1875 Olympic Blvd., Ste. 105 860-868-2043
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Fax: 860-868-6783
925-525-6105
ed@circuitwizard.com
877-THX-Sound
www.circuitwizard.com
Fax: 925-891-9145
jjohnston@twilightsolutions delaware
Beyond the studs
inc.com
www.twilightsolutionsinc.com 2702 Lancaster Ave.
Wilmington, DE 19805
Electronic House 2010
302-428-6080
Home of the Year Winner
Fax: 302-213-9194
info@beyond-theWorthington
studs.com
entertainment systems
www.beyond-the-studs.com
Design-InstallationCalibration
Serving Southern California smartis, Inc.
1378 Lynnbury Woods Rd.
Toll Free: 888-586-3096
Dover, DE 19904
Fax Line: 800-586-3096
302-653-8355
sales@wowtheaters.com
Fax: 302-336-9702
www.wowtheaters.com
info@smartisinc.com
Electronic House 2010
www.smartisinc.com
Home of the Year Winner
Colorado
FlorIda
cobalt automation Inc.
3577 Main Ave.
Durango, CO 82301
970-247-8010
970-259-9736
info@cobaltautomation.com
www.cobaltautomation.com
atlantic smart technologies
130 Juno St., Ste. 1
Jupiter, FL 33458
561-776-0066
Fax: 561-776-4655
info@atlanticsmart.com
www.atlanticsmart.com
Big Picture solutions, Inc.
8123 159th Court N.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
561-596-7692
Fax: 561-584-6319
joelm@bigpicturesolutions.tv
www.bigpicturesolutions.tv
comdesign
9850 16th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33716
727-579-1600
Fax: 727-578-8978
RWILKIN@comdesigninc.com
www.comdesigninc.com
electronic creations
6800 Edgewater
Commerce Pkwy.
Orlando, FL 32810
407-299-0905
Fax: 407-522-5433
info@ecinstall.com
www.ecinstall.com
etc., Inc.
2921 N. Australian Ave.
W. Palm Beach, FL 33407
561-881-8118
Fax: 561-882-0110
info@etc.fm
www.etc.fm
Fultech solutions, Inc.
Also Serving South
Georgia, S. Carolina
and Philadelphia, PA
8383 Baycenter Rd., Ste. 201
Jacksonville, FL 32256
904-992-6624
Fax: 904-992-6903
www.fultechsolutions.com
www.collegeofsmart.com
H.d.a.V. llc
10600 46th St. N. Pinellas
Park, FL 33762
813-245-3357
hdavllc@gmail.com
www.hdavllc.com
Home theater Gallery
by stram electronics, Inc.
3300 South Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33629
813-831-8551
Fax: 813-837-9427
Mike@HomeTheater
Gallery.com
www.HomeTheater
Gallery.com
HW automation, Inc.
Palm Beach County:
561-347-9677
Broward County:
954-322-0136 &
954-322-6236
Statewide Toll Free:
1-866-4HWA-HELP
sales@hwautomation.com
www.hwautomation.com
Integrated Home, llc
Serving the Greater
Delaware Valley
DE 19807
302-656-1624
Fax: 302-504-6006
jbrooks@ihomellc.com
www.ihomellc.com
Media design
associates, Inc.
5450 NW 33 Ave., Ste. 103
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
954-334-0000
michael.wohl@mda-usa.com
www.mda-usa.com
simple solutions digital
1140 Holland Dr., Ste. 9
Boca Raton, FL 33487
561-999-4360
info@simplesolutions
digital.com
www.simplesolutions
digital.com
sounds at Home
1818 Sunset Pt. Rd., Unit N
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-667-5114
Fax: 727-894-2159
robharvey@soundsat
home.com
www.soundsathome.com
EHInstallers.com
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Total Control Systems
P.O. Box 2180
Land of Lakes, FL 34639
813-713-6520
Fax: 813-996-7518
pmicech@gmail.com
www.tcstheaters.com
Wireless Home, Inc.
660 9th Street North
Naples, FL 34102
800-995-9434
239-774-9434
Fax: 866-328-0708
info@wireless-home.com
www.wireless-home.com
GeorGia
Atlanta Digital Homes, llc.
950 Herrington Rd.
Ste. C-147
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
404-720-0942
info@adhllc.com
www.adhllc.com
Georgia Home Theater
20 Years Designing
Home Automation and
Lighting Control
2516 Cobb Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30080
770-955-8909
sales@GHTNet.com
www.GHTNet.com
Horizon Home Theater &
Automation, Inc.
The Automation Specialists
321 Westminster Dr.
Canton, GA 30114
770-490-2676
horizonhometheater@
comcast.net
Link Your House, Inc.
3475 Holcomb Bridge
Ste. 202
Atlanta, GA 30092
770-209-0086
Fax: 678-302-9327
info@linkyourhouse.com
www.linkyourhouse.com
Partner Technology
Grand Home
182 Ben Burton Circle
Automation, Inc.
Ste. 800
866-377-2010 (toll free)
Bogart, GA 30622
sales@grandhome.com
706-425-0474
www.grandhome.com
Fax: 706-425-0175
chris@partnertechnology.net Procom Enterprises, Ltd.
www.partnertechnology.net 6615 W. Irving Park Rd.
Ste. 201
Sight & Sound Contracting Chicago, IL 60634
298 Whitfield Rd.
773-545-0101
Hogansville, GA 30230
jzaworski@procom
706-302-2812
automation.com
dtses@charter.net
www.procomautomation.com
www.sightandsound
Electronic House 2010
contracting.com
Home of the Year Winner
Hawaii
Westside Electric, LLC
P.O. Box 1747
Kailua Kona, HI 96745
808-325-1832
westsideelectric@
hawaiiantel.net
Remote Audio/Video, LLC
12515 Rhea Dr.
Plainfield, IL 60585
815-254-1660
kris@remote-av.com
www.remote-av.com
Trage Brothers Inc.
7440 Madison St.
Ellehcor Home
Forest Park, IL 60130
Automation & Design
708-366-4200
Country Club Hills, IL 60478 Fax: 708-366-4788
888-636-8099
GreggS@trage.com
Fax: 888-289-6882
www.trage.com
rhoward@ellehcor.net
www.ellehcor.net
illinois
Visually Sound
1510 Lakeview Dr.
Darien, IL 60561
630-395-9919
Fax: 630-395-9919
info@visually-sound.com
visually-sound.com
iowa
Automated Lifestyles, Inc.
1737 State St.
Bettendorf, IA 52722
866-828-2719
Fax: 563-355-8505
franco@automated
lifestyles.tv
www.automatedlifestyles.tv
Kansas
Digital Solutions LLC
1642 Butternut Dr.
Wichita, KS 67230
316-259-0579
Fax: 866-334-6513
info@homedigital
solutions.com
www.homedigital
solutions.com
KentucKy
Cornerstone Technologies
8056 Production Dr.
Florence, KY 41042
859-331-4333
cnichols@cornerstone
right.com
www.thedigiteam.com.com
louisiana
Acadian Custom
Installations
11670 Cedar Park Ave., Ste. A
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-906-2589
Fax: 225-906-2594
bryan@aciexperts.net
www.aciexperts.com
Maine
Custom Home Theater
Systems & Automation
99 Pleasant St., Ste #1
Brunswick, ME 04011
207-373-1147
Fax: 207-729-4252
info@customhometheater.biz
www.customhometheater.biz
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Installer dIrectory
Maryland
Massachusetts Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
leading edge
design & systems
510 McCormick Dr., Ste. A
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
410-787-7036
Fax: 410-787-9462
info@Leds.com
www.Leds.com
audio Video design
170 Needham St.
Newton, MA 02464-1508
617-965-4600
info@avdesigns.com
www.avdesigns.com
enhanced Home systems,Inc.
9940 Hamilton Rd.
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
952-941-5289
Fax: 952-941-5436
phirschey@ehsystemsinc.com
ehsystemsinc.com
Palmer electric
technology energy
services, Inc. (P.e.t.e.s)
2407 Harve Ave.
Missoula, MT 59801
406-543-3086
petes@peteselec.com
www.peteselec.com
Qrs automation services
3103 Magnolia Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-355-6010
Fax: 410-355-5602
mrautomate@starpower.net
smarttoUcH aV
Serving the Washington
D.C., Bethesda and
Potomac Region
301-340-7200
Smart@Smarttouchusa.com
www.smarttouchusa.com
Home smart Home
140 Chestnut St.
North Attleboro, MA 02760
508-809-6014
Fax: 508-809-6016
sales@homesmart
home.net
www.homesmarthome.net
Interactive Home systems
P.O. Box 1270
Concord, MA 01742
978-369-4937
sales@ihomesys.com
www.ihomesys.com
automation design &
entertainment, Inc.
865 Lenox, Ste. A
Portage, MI 49024
269-324-6072
Fax: 269-324-6081
peter@automationdesign.com
www.automationdesign.com
Grand Home
Automation, Inc.
866-377-2010 (toll free)
sales@grandhome.com
www.grandhome.com
the sound Vision
By Appointment Only
1668 Telegraph Rd.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
248-804-8011
info@thesoundvision.com
www.thesoundvision.com
Start Here.
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sensory environment
design — s.e.d.
1325 Winter St. NE, Ste. 106
Minneapolis, MN 55413
612-746-1800
Fax: 612-435-2248
info@sedexperience.com
www.sedexperience.com
WeBco security, Inc.
14015 Sunfish Lake Blvd.
Ste. 100
Ramsey, MN 55303
763-767-7229
Fax: 763-767-7234
sales.webco@webco-mn.com
www.WEBCO-MN.com
nevada
Holm electric
1008 Tahoe Blvd.
Incline Village, NV 89451
775-831-3781
Fax: 775-831-2132
kevinh@holmelectric.com
www.holmelectric.com
Progressive Home
6280 S Valley View Blvd.
Ste. 722
Las Vegas, NV 89118
702-263-7357
info@progressivehome.com
www.progressivehome.com
sierra Integrated
systems, Inc.
8060 Double R Blvd., Ste. 500
Reno, NV 89511
775-853-4800
Fax: 775-853-5122
info@ihs-sierra.com
www.ihs-sierra.com
Electronic House 2010
Home of the Year Winner
new Jersey
1 one sound choice, llc
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
973-316-0678
Sales@OneSoundChoice.com
www.OneSoundChoice.com
Electronic House 2010
Home of the Year Winner
aggressive Home
automation & design, Inc.
Green Technology Specialists
Serving NY, NJ & CT
973-344-4616
Info@AggressiveHome.com
www.AggressiveHome.com
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Allwired Technologies
Serving NJ, NY & Eastern PA
1263 River Ave.
Lakewood, NJ 08701
732-370-1914
info@allwired
technology.com
www.allwired
technology.com
Digital Realm A/V, LLC
Red Bank, NJ
732-213-2505
www.digitalrealmav.com
Electronics Design
Group, Inc.
Serving New Jersey,
Metropolitan New York,
Southern Connecticut and
Eastern Pennsylvania
60 Ethel Rd. West, Ste. 4
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-650-9800
Fax: 732-650-1250
askedg@edgusa.com
www.edgonline.com
Electronic House 2010
Home of the Year Winner
eInteractive Homes
288 Greve Dr.
New Milford, NJ 07646
201-575-4401
Fax: 201-591-7980
dan@einteractivehomes.com
Intra Home Systems
231 West Parkway, Ste. B
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
973-248-1501
Fax: 973-248-1502
info@intrahomesystems.com
www.intrahomesystems.com
Sawyers Control Systems
133 County Rd. 513
Frenchtown, NJ 08825
908-996-6903
Fax: 908-996-6958
tcallahan@sawyerscontrols.com
www.sawyerscontrols.com
New HampsHire
Xtreme Audio & Video
7 Rita Ave.
Pelham, NH 03076
888-XTRM AV1
Fax: 603-635-7102
info@xtreme-av.com
www.xtreme-av.com
New mexico
A Sound Look
502 Cerrillos Rd.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-983-550
Fax: 505-983-5642
leonard_pascual@
asoundlook.com
www.asoundlook.com
New York
Adirondack Audio &
Video, LLC.
1048 State Rte. 9
Signature Sound & Video, Inc. Queensbury, NY 12804
7 Autumn Ridge Dr.
518-792-3528
Glassboro, NJ 08028
Fax: 518-792-3527
877-EZ4MYTV
jmiller@adkav.com
Fax: 610-717-0010
www.adkav.com
info@sigsv.com
www.sigsv.com
Ambiance Systems
1650 Route 9
Clifton Park, NY 12065
800-694-0770
Fax: 518-373-0871
marc.leidig@ambiance
systems.com
www.ambiancesystems.com
Audio Video Excellence, LLC
17 Gramercy Place
Thornwood, NY 10594
914-747-1411
Fax: 914 747-5171
mespo@audiovideoex.com
www.audiovideoex.com
HTE (Home
Technology Experts)
1152 Montauk Hwy., Ste. D
P.O. Box 1353
Watermill, NY 11976
631-771-3199
Fax: 631-771-3106
info@hteny.com
www.hteny.com
InnerSpace Electronics
74 Fox Island Rd.
Port Chester, NY 10573
914-937-9700
Fax: 914-937-3374
www.innerspace
electronics.com
Cyber Home Networks, Inc. Electronic House 2010
P.O. Box 10
Home of the Year Winner
Stormville, NY 12582
845-223-1628
INSTALLS Inc., LLC
Fax: 845-223-7030
241 Main Street, Ste. 500
info@cyberhomeinc.com
Buffalo, NY 14203
www.cyberhomeinc.com
716-332-1460
Fax: 716-852-2488
john.nettina@installs.com
www.installs.com
Integrated Electronic
Solutions
731 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603
914-422-0071
Fax: 914-422-0075
info@iesav.net
www.iesav.net
Intelligent Systems
150 Motor Pkwy., Ste. 401
Hauppauge, NY 11788
877-4-Fun-Tek
Fax: 631-928-7846
sales@intelligentsystems.us
www.intelligentsystems.us
Prestige Custom Integrators
17 Roosevelt Blvd., Ste. 1
Massapequa, NY 11758
516-729-3906
Fax: 516-798-1480
mtyzeidy@aol.com
www.prestigeintegrators.com
ElEctronicHouse.c om
77
worldmags
Installer dIrectory
North
CaroliNa
custom electrical
systems, Inc.
3625 Stratford Blvd.
Wilmington, NC 28403
910-793-3006
Fax: 910-794-1820
ces@ec.rr.com
www.customelectrical
systems.com
electronic Home
solutions, llc
572 N. Seascape Blvd. SW
Holden Beach, NC 28462
910-880-0412
ehsoln@attglobal.net
e-home-solutions.com
Harmony Interiors
235 Montford Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
800-942-5955
Fax: 828-232-1500
svarn@harmonyinteriors.com
www.harmonyinteriors.com
ohio
Integrated Home
solutions Inc.
Serving North Carolina
211 S. Tradd St.
Statesville, NC 28677
704-872-3133
Fax: 704-973-9624
sales@integratedhome
solutions.net
www.integratedhome
solutions.net
Electronic House 2010
Home of the Year Winner
audio Video Interiors, Inc.
2753-L Medina Rd.
Medina, OH 44256-8284
330-723-6696
Fax: 330-722-6548
info@audiovideointeriors.net
www.audiovideointeriors.net
Electronic House 2010
Home of the Year Winner
MHs technologies
430 Pineola St.
Newland, NC 28657
828-733-0141
Fax: 828-733-9064
techinfo@mhs
technologies.com
www.mhstechnologies.com
custom automation
technologies, Inc.
1267 Bayboro Drive
New Albany, OH 43054
614-939-4228
Fax: 614-939-0614
dan@customautomation
tech.com
www.customautomation
tech.com
the Integrated Home
2401 Whitehall Park Dr.
Ste. 850
Charlotte, NC 28273
866-535-0908
Fax: 866-535-0908
info@integratedhomellc.com
www.integratedhomellc.com
elite systems solutions
19879 Gant Road
Waynesfield, OH 45896
419-741-0776
Fax: 419-741-0813
Cincinnati (Mason)
Area Office: 513-445-5070
Installer@EliteSystems
Solutions.com
www.EliteSystems
Solutions.com
Electronic House 2010
Home of the Year Winner
PeNNsylvaNia
current concepts—Home
automation specialists
4610 Pleasant View Dr.
Coopersburg, PA 18036
610-791-4458
Fax: 610-791-6539
glen@cchas.com
www.currentconceptshas.com
Kozi Media design, Inc.
201 Penn Center Blvd., Ste. 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
877-PHN-KOZI
(877-746-5694)
724-334-4695
Fax: 724-334-4696
www.kozimediadesign.com
Statement showing the Ownership, Management, and Circulation of Electronic House published 8x
frequency with double issues in Jan/Feb, March/April. May/June and July/Aug for October 1, 2010. ISSN
0886-6643. Annual subscription price: Requester.
Location of known office of Publication is 111 Speen St. Ste. 200, Framingham, MA 01701-2000.
Location of the Headquarters of General Business is 111 Speen St. Ste. 200, Framingham, MA 01701-2000
Publisher: Kevin McPherson, EH Publishing, 111 Speen St. Ste. 200, Framingham, MA 01701-2000
Editor: Lisa Montgomery, EH Publishing, 8245 Date Road, Bridgman, MI 49106
Managing Editor: Arlen Schweiger, EH Publishing, 111 Speen St., Ste. 200, Framingham, MA 01701-2000
The Owners are: Kenneth D. Moyes, Patti A. Moyes, Gary Schroeder, Julie Jacobson, Ashley E. Moyes
Trust, Michael G. Moyes Trust, EH Publishing, 111 Speen St. Ste. 200, Framingham, MA 01701-2000.
Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 percent or more of
total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None
Pittsburgh custom
Home theater
4928 Somerville St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412-362-1273
Fax: 412-362-1273
info@pghcustomht.com
www.pghcustomht.com
Publication Title: Electronic House
yeager services
P.O. Box 20267
York, PA 17402
717-757-6714
Fax: 717-840-1945
kevin@yeagerservices.com
Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: October 2010
Extent and Nature of Circulation:
Average No.Copies
Each Issue During
Preceding 12 Months
A. Total Number of Copies
B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution
1. Outside County Paid/Requested
Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541
3. Sales Through Dealers and
Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and
Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS
4. Requested Copies Distributed by
Other Mail Classes Through the USPS
C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circ.
D. Nonrequested Distribution
1. Outside County Nonrequested
Copies Stated on PS Form 3541
3. Non requested Copies Distributed
by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS
4. Nonrequested Copies Distributed
Outside the Mail
E. Total Nonrequested Distribution
F. Total Distribution
G. Copies not Distributed
H. Total
J. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circ.
No. Copies of Single issue
Single Issue Published
Nearest to Filing Date
74,145
76,861
33,845
24,535
32,269
43,901
93
77
66,207
68,513
4,878
1,077
7
5
738
—
5,623
71,830
2,315
74,145
92.2%
1,082
69,595
7,266
76,861
98.4%
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.
(Signed) Kevin McPherson, Publisher
78
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ElEctronic HousE No vember 2010
elifespaces
1799 Meeting St.
P.O. Box 21750
Charleston, SC 29405
843- 577-5644
Fax: 843- 577-5645
info@elifespaces.com
www.elifespaces.com
dominion design &
Integration
16161 College Oak
San Antonio, TX 78249
210-404-9838
Fax: 210-493-8228
info@dominiontx.com
www.dominiontx.com
legends security
& sound, Inc.
2500 Decker Blvd., Ste. A-5
Columbia, SC 29206
803-788-1299
contact@legends
security.com
www.legendssecurity.com
Krunal audio Video llc
8229 Sutherland Lane
Plano, TX 75025
972-757-7860
sales@krunalaudio.com
www.krunalaudio.com
teNNessee
Kdaudio/Gent electric
525 Springdale Dr.
Bristol, TN 37620
423-646-3532
kdaudio@btes.tv
kdaudio.net
Phoenix Unequaled
Home entertainment
6949 Appling Farms Pkwy.
Ste. 101
Memphis, TN 38133
901-624-0940
Fax: 901-624-0583
Scott@phoenixcomm
corp.com
www.phoenixcomm
corp.com
texas
act one
2317 Valley View Dr.
Cedar Hill, TX 75104
214-212-9071
info@act1home.com
www.act1home.com
advanced Home
theater systems
3209 Premier, Ste. 112
Plano, TX 75075
Wasserson design
972-516-1849
1433 Flat Rock Rd.
800-414-1849
Narberth, PA 19072
info@advancedhome
610-668-8000
theater.com
Fax: 610-667-7373
www.advancedhome
wasserson@comcast.net
www.wassersondesign.com theater.com
south
CaroliNa
audio Perfection, Inc.
701 Gervais St., Ste. 150
PMB #201
Columbia, SC 29201
803-926-4878
joe@audioperfectioninc.com
www.audioperfectioninc.com
austin’s connection
company
9632 New Foundland Circle
Austin, TX 78758
512-490-2222
connect@austin.rr.com
www.austinsconnection.com
Home theater Gallery
2625 Old Denton Rd #330
Carrollton, TX 75007
972-956-0000
matthew.mathis@
gmail.com
www.thehometheater
gallery.com
Premier Home technologies
11707 South Sam Houston
Parkway west, Ste. A
Houston, TX 77301
281-530-7900
Fax: 281-530-7930
workorders@premier
hometechnologies.com
www.premierhome
technologies.com
utah
aHt technologies
Serving Utah
472 N 2150 W, Ste. 7
Cedar City, UT 84721
866-381-7657
Fax: 866-775-0788
info@AHTInc.us
www.AHTInc.us
virgiNia
audio sound
12418 Cedar Lakes Dr.
Fairfax, VA 22033
703-740-0543
sales@audiosoundusa.com
www.audiosoundusa.com
executive 411
5799F Burke Centre Pkwy.
Burke, VA 22015
(Showroom by Appointment)
703-239-1500
Fax: 703-652-3889
justin@executive411.com
www.executive411.com
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worldmags
sciFihomes, inc.
P.O. Box 308
Middletown, VA 22645
540-868-1044
info@scifihomes.com
www.scifihomes.com
sight and sound
systems, inc
23430 Rock Haven Way
Ste. 150
Dulles, VA 20166
703-802-6443
Fax: 703-631-6443
2sales@sightandsound
systems.com
www.Sightandsound
systems.com
theatron
15967 Wenner Farm Lane
Purcellville, VA 20132
703-883-0970
rick@thtva.com
www.gethometheater.com
Washington
streamline integration, inc.
P.O. Box 852
Bothell, WA 98041
800-976-9193
Fax: 800-969-7035
sales@streamlinenw.com
www.streamlinenw.com
Wisconsin
digitek digital
Serving Southeastern
Wisconsin
Pewaukee, WI 53072
262-264-0574
info@digitekdigital.com
www.digitekdigital.com
Future technologies, inc.
By Appointment Only
4218 Willow Brook Rd.
De Pere, WI 54115
920-337-9058
sales@future
technologiesinc.com
www.futuretechnologies
inc.com
innovative systems, inc.
9880 S. Ridgeview Dr.
Oak Creek, WI 53154
414-761-7350
Fax: 414-761-7355
richj@innovative1.com
www.innovative1.com
Logical home
technology, LLC
N1465 Wieckert Ct.
Greenville, WI 54942
920-757-1300
Fax: 920-757-5756
info@logicalhome
technology.com
www.logicalhome
technology.com
smart innovations
164 E Fairfield Ct.
Milwaukee, WI 53154
800-206-4743
Info@WeAreSmart.net
www.WeAreSmart.net
canaDa
showcase home theater
& automation inc.
3412 114th Ave. S.E.
Calgary, Alberta, Ontario
Canada T2Z 3V6
403-254-5820
Fax: 403-254-5821
info@showcaseav.ca
www.showcaseav.ca
vivid F/X Custom
install services
2021 Grantham Court
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5T 6V7
sales@vividfx.ca
www.vividfx.ca
international
techWorX
119/3 Moo1
Samui Town Centre
Bophut, Koh Samui
Surt Thani, 84320
Thailand
+ 66 (0) 8444 39863
Fax: + 66 (0) 77 961 913
info@techworx-projects.com
www.techworx-projects.com
guide to the
advertisers
ConnectHome is the nation’s premier installing dealer
network for the professional sales and installation of
residential networking, control and entertainment
systems. Take the risk out of choosing a dealer, and
make your life easier. Call to talk to a ConnectHome
dealer near you...the brand name you can trust.
aLabama
Kansas
Home Integration
Digital Solutions LLC
Technology Specialists massaChusetts
CaLiFornia
Interactive Home Systems
ATSS Automated
neW jersey
Technologies
eInteractive Homes
Convenient Systems, Inc. Signature Sound &
Elite Entertainment SysVideo, Inc.
tems, Inc.
neW meXiCo
Nanlow-Dunn, Inc.
A Sound Look
Parijs Communication
Integrators, Inc.
Sound Environments
Twilight Solutions
neW yorK
Intelligent Systems
IFC
anthem
www.anthemAV.com
43
auton motorizeD systems
661-257-9282, www.auton.com
1
Bell’o international corp.
732-972-1333, www.bello.com
35
the cinema shop
866-243-1001, CinemaShop.com
45
connecthome
800-422-4024, www.connecthome.com
5
control4
www.control4.com/infinity
8
csa auDio Design
973-744-0600, www.csaaudiodesign.com
15
Dish netWork
888-557-6433, dish.com/vip922
41
Dnp
714-545-2711, www.dnp.dk
25
elan
gbyelan.com
CoLorado
HomeTalk
north CaroLina
Integrated Home
Solutions, Inc.
deLaWare
Beyond The Studs
pennsyLvania
Yeager Services
9
FLorida
Atlantic Smart
Technologies
Autogy, Multi-Room
Music & Movies
H.D.A.V. LLC
Total Control Systems
utah
AHT Technologies
elite screens inc.
www.elitescreens.com
75
virginia
Executive 411
SciFiHomes, Inc.
Fortress seating
800-873-2828, www.fortresseating.com
IBC
geFen
www.gefentoolbox.com
Washington
Streamline Integration, Inc.
BC,23 lutron
877-258-8766, www.lutron.com
georgia
WisConsin
Link Your House, Inc.
Sight & Sound Contracting Innovative Systems, Inc.
Logical Home Technology
haWaii
Westside Electric, LLC
57
omnimount
omnimount.com
77
oppo Digital, inc.
650-961-1118, www.oppodigital.com
ioWa
Automated Lifestyles, Inc.
3
panasonic
panasonic.com/viera
See individual state listings in the Installer Directory
for contact information.
26-27 panasonic
List your company in
the Installer Directory!
call ellen cotton today
at 508-663-1500 x240
or email
ecotton@ehpub.com
7
salamanDer Designs
www.salamanderdesigns.com
21
sanus
sanus.com
6
straight Wire
800-683-4434, www.straightwire.com
13
toshiBa
toshibatv.com
11
yamaha
yamaha.com/aventage
Electronic House provides this index as a service to
advertisers. We assume no responsibility for errors
or omissions.
worldmags
Parting ShotS
worldmags
{
}
Midnight
Snack?
Cookies, chips and crackers aren’t the only goodies
you’ll find inside this kitchen pantry. There are also a lot
of black boxes and blinking lights, as it’s been stuffed
with a rack of sophisticated audio and video equipment
that distributes music and video throughout the house.
e
for
Be
Sure, a rack like this might eat up some of the space
you’ve saved for double-stuffed Oreos, but it’ll also give
you a feast of music and video.
The kitchen pantry rates right up there as the last
place you’d ever put your amps, receivers and other
gear, but in this case, it was about the only option, according to Brian Amideo, owner of Audio Video Rescue,
Mesa, Ariz. A closet he had hoped to use measured
only 15 inches deep, “So guess what? None of this stuff
would fit,” Amideo recalls. “We brainstormed to get the
top shelf of the [adjacent] pantry, figuring that would get
it done. It’s never what we wanted to do to begin with,
but it was more a matter of having stuff done at the time
and leaving the homeowner with a working system, or
rescheduling the project.”
With the blessing of the homeowner, Amideo stuffed
two A/V receivers, two DVD players and two satellite boxes
onto that top shelf, along with two Panamax strip-style
surge protectors and multiswitch for the satellite boxes.
Not happy with that quick fix, Amideo eventually came
back to the house, reconfigured the pantry and added an
OmniMount equipment rack to create a cleaner, tidier solution that seems right at home next to the homeowners’
supply of movie-time snacks.
er
Aft
g
rin
Du
Those electronics
better not melt the
Nutter Butters.
Pringles!
Now those are
some chips I can
process.
These people
really need to
watch more HGTV.
Electronic House (ISSN 0886-6643), volume 25 issue 7, 111 Speen St. Ste. 200, PO Box 989, Framingham, MA 01701-2000, is published 8 times per year with combined issues in Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June and Jul/Aug by EH Publishing
Inc. 508-663-1500. © 2010. Annual subscription rate is $24.95 in the US. Canada remit $39.95 in USD for print and digital editions and $14.95 in USD for digital editions only. All other international remit $14.95 in USD for digital editions only.
Periodicals postage paid at Framingham, MA and additional mailing offices. Canadian GST registration #R132182866. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Electronic House, PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Electronic House
is a registered trademark of EH Publishing Inc. All reproduction, including photocopying, is prohibited without written permission. Printed in USA.
worldmags
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RadioRA 2
®
Save energy with wireless total home control
RadioRA 2 can save energy used in your home from lighting, HVAC and the power used by
appliances by using a combination of dimmers, switches, and sensors. Lutron helps you to
save energy while adding convenience and style.
ELV Dimmer
•
•
Plug-in Appliance Module
Controls ELV and some
energy-saving CFL and
LED light fixtures
Controlled from system
keypads using wireless
technology
•
•
•
Turn off power to
vampire loads
SoftSwitch® technology
ensures superior reliability
Controlled from system keypads
using wireless technology
ELV, CFL, LED
Occupancy Sensors
•
•
•
worldmags
Sensors automatically turn lights
off when a room is vacant
Easy to retrofit with wireless
communication and 10-year battery life
Can provide up to 20% lighting
energy savings
occupied: on
iPhone Application1
•
•
Whole-home control from
your Apple iPhone, iPod
touch, and now—your
iPad mobile digital device
A hassle-free way to save
energy by monitoring and
controlling the lights and
shades from anywhere
vacant: off
1 The RadioRA 2 app is available on the iTunes® Store SM
For help saving energy—call Lutron today at 1.877.2LUTRON or visit
www.lutron.com/radiora2.
This product may qualify for utility rebates in commercial applications.
Go to www.lutron.com/incentives for more information.
©2010 Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. | P/N 368-2015 REV B
iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple® Inc.