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Crestron’s Adagio Entertainment System With New AMS Processor Wins Awards at CEDIA

September 29, 2006 by

Crestron’s Adagio Entertainment System (AES), an integrated audio distribution system for multiroom and whole-house audio installations, has been awarded CEDIA’s Electronic Lifestyles Award as one of the year’s 5 top new products.

At the CEDIA show, held earlier this month in Denver, CO, Crestron introduced the newest addition to the Adagio line, the Adagio Media System (AMS). AMS is a processor/controller that adds sophisticated surround sound processing and video for home theater, alongside complete whole house audio distribution. The AMS-AIP model goes a step further, to provide professional-quality video scaling up to 1080p and on-screen display.

Crestron's new AMS controller/processor brings home theater surround sound processing and pro-quality video scaling to the multi-room Adagio Entertainment System (AES) line.

Crestron describes Adagio Entertainment System as the first fully-integrated audio distribution system with plug-and-play connectivity. System components already available include Adagio Audio Expander (AAE), Adagio Audio Server (AAS), CEN-IDOC iPod® interface, 12-button keypads and APAD LCD room controllers. Adagio is the only audio distribution system that provides seamless expansion to whole house automation including lighting, HVAC and shade control.

Along with the prestigious top-5 product recognition, Crestron won three Excite Awards at this year’s CEDIA show. Adagio was honored as the “Most Exciting Product,” and Crestron was named “Most Exciting Home Automation System.”

The new AMS component features Adagio’s signature integrated architecture including built-in tuners, amplifier, multi-room processors, Crestron 2-Series control system, e-Control web browser, Ethernet connectivity and front panel control.

It also offers the plug-and-play connectivity, out-of-the-box functionality, and seamless expansion options that makes Adagio the easiest home entertainment system to install and the most versatile to expand.

The AMS features a state-of-the-art surround sound processor and powerful 100w 7-channel amplifier designed to drive any 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 theater speaker system. DTS 96/24 decoding achieves superlative sound quality from the latest generation of DVD titles. Audyssey MultEQ equalization corrects time and frequency response problems, effectively removing sound distortion at every listening position, to create the optimum listening experience.

The AMS accommodates a full range of audio and video sources. It has 10 analog stereo inputs, and one analog 7.1 surround input. Built-in high-definition video switching handles 3 HDMI, 6 HDTV/component, 4 S-Video, and 4 composite sources.

AMS also includes stereo audio distribution to support 4 to 6 rooms. The integrated multi-room amplifier delivers a robust 45 watts per channel to each of 4 rooms, while a fifth stereo room or up to 2 mono rooms can be supported using one or two of the surround amplifier channels. Each room includes independent volume, bass, and treble controls. The AMS may be expanded to accommodate additional rooms simply via Adagio Audio Expanders (AAE).

The enhanced AMS-AIP model adds the latest generation high-definition scaling and de-interlacing. True 10-bit video processing in the AIP supports displays with resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 and HDMI, DVI, RGB, or component connectivity. AMS-AIP also offers DVI for connecting multimedia computers and a wide range of professional video source components. With PIP and PBP, the AMS-AIP enables dual video source display or video and graphics, simultaneously.

The AMS front panel with backlit LCD display provides a powerful, yet simple user-interface for system set-up, or to control a home theater or distributed whole house AV system. Plug-and-play connectivity with Crestron 12-button keypads or the advanced APAD Wall Mount LCD Controller enables versatile control of the AMS in every room. The APAD extends the many functions of the AMS front panel to each room, providing true feedback display of audio sources, CD titles, artists, and songs, plus audio settings and many other parameters. The optional TPMC-4X Handheld WiFi Touchpanel provides an enhanced user interface to control the AMS home entertainment system. Out of the box, the TPMC-4X includes numerous control screens for setting up and controlling the AMS, AAS and Apple® iPod®.

Plug-and-play compatibility with Crestron’s Adagio Audio Server (AAS), CEN-IDOC iPod® interface, and plug-in dual-tuner cards for AM/FM, XM and Sirius delivers instant access to additional music sources and entire libraries of music from any room in the house with full capability for browsing by album, artist, and song title.

At the heart of the AMS is the powerful 2-Series control engine featuring both Cresnet and Ethernet connectivity. The AMS allows nearly limitless expansion and customization using Crestron’s entire line of products such as touchpanels, infiNET™ dimmers and thermostats. The built-in Web server with native e-Control®2 XPanel support enables remote control over IP.

Crestron Website

Filed Under: Home Theater

U.S. Automakers Play Catch-Up With iPod In-Car Integration

August 4, 2006 by

Germany’s BMW did it two years ago. Acura, Ferrari, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen and other import car-makers followed suit in 2005. Now Ford and General Motors plan to get with the program. Apple Computer is teaming up with GM, Ford, and Mazda, to add built-in integration of its iPod digital audio player to most American-made car models in 2007.

The new alliances with North America’s No. 1 (GM) and No. 2 (Ford) automakers mean the wildly popular iPod will now be compatible with more than 70 per cent of all new 2007 model vehicles sold in the United States, Apple announced today.

According to Apple, GM and Mazda will offer built-in iPod options on all new models, and Ford will offer it on many of its Ford and Lincoln Mercury models later this year.

The partnership with Apple is part of a growing effort by Ford and other car companies to make it easier on drivers to access a variety of gadgets, such as cellphones, GPS navigation systems and digital audio players, while on the road.

“Consumers are listening to music, they’re messaging each other, and they want to engage in all those activities in their vehicles,” says Doug VanDagens, director of Ford’s product and business development in the electronics group.

Ford says it will offer the iPod integration as a dealer-installed option called TripTunes Advanced. List price will be $200 (US) plus installation. An adapter that doubles as a battery-charging station will go in either the glove compartment or the center storage console. Users will be able to control the iPod through buttons on the steering wheel or the radio. Playlists, artists, and other song information will also show on the car audio deck’s display screen.

Ford also plans to add auxiliary audio input jacks on nearly half of its lineup, starting this fall, to accommodate additional audio playback devices.

GM says it will offer its iPod-only setup called Personal Audio Link (PAL) at dealerships for all 56 of its models. The PAL will sell for less than $160 (US) plus installation.

“We know our music-loving customers have been clamouring for a system like this, but we were determined not to go into the market with one unless it was truly integrated, easy to use and affordable,” comments Nancy Philippart, executive director of GM accessories. “I think this system will be music to our customers’ ears.”

Both GM and Ford hope the iPod integration will help bolster their mindshare with younger car buyers. Both carmakers have struggled to attract young consumers in recent years.

Filed Under: Mobile

Cadac Will Launch Its First Digital Mixing Console in September

July 31, 2006 by

Live sound console maker Cadac Electronics has chosen the PLASA 2006 exhibition, coming up September 10-13 in London, to introduce the S-Digital Console, the company’s first digital mixer.

Well known and highly regarded for a full line-up of analog consoles for sound reinforcment applications, Cadac has also dabbled in the digital arena with ancillary rack-mount devices such as the D-16 Digital Mix Matrix, and the X16 MADI Merge Unit.

The S-Digital will be Cadac’s first full digital mixer.

The Cadac S-Digital is designed primarily for live theatre applications, building on the company’s 20-year history at the forefront of theatre sound. In a major departure from conventional paradigms in digital console design, the S-Digital is specifically conceived to reflect the surface architecture of Cadac’s industry standard J-Type analogue console.

By presenting the familiar profile and operating surface of an analog console, the S-Digital offers sound designers, producers and theatre owners a user-friendly digital alternative to the Cadac J-Type analog console, and sets a new benchmark in digital console design for live sound applications.

Cadac says the new digital mixer will also carry the top-notch build quality, sound, ease of operation, and reliability that are the hallmarks of a Cadac console.

The Cadac S-Digital is scheduled to enter production in October 2006, and its full specification and technical details, including pricing, will be announced at PLASA 2006.

Also on show at PLASA 2006 is Cadac’s 19″ Digital Series range, with the spotlight on the Digital Series Stage Rack. Combining the M16 Remote Controlled Microphone Amplifier and the X16 MADI Merge Unit, the Digital Series Stage Rack provides a unique solution to applications requiring a comprehensive multi-channel audio distribution system, across both analogue and digital domains, for live sound, TV and radio broadcast, fixed installations and recording applications.

The M16/X16 combination underlines its application flexibility by providing an alternative front-end option for remote and fixed recording systems. The X16 can also operate independently to provide up to four 1 in/2 out distribution amplifiers. This feature enables four independent optical MADI streams (of up to 64 channels each) to be made available on both an optical and coaxial output connector, and is an ideal choice for any installation that requires multiple MADI interface conversions or additional routing capability.

Cadac Web Site

Filed Under: Tech

Integra NVS-7.7 Is a Media Center PC Engineered For Custom Audio Installations

July 25, 2006 by

Media Center PCs have a troubled reputation as practical home entertainment devices. Installation, configuration, and chronic customer service issues have been common to open-platform PC-focused systems and software.

Integra has developed its new NVS-7.7 integrated media center and content server to tackle the issue head-on. It’s a purpose-built multimedia PC, engineered from the ground up for custom installers who want to avoid the hassles that have plagued the Media Center PC platform, in home theater and whole-house audio installations.

Integra’s designers worked with custom installers and programmers to make the NVS-7.7 much easier to set up, operate, and maintain in order to reduce the number of hours lost to customer support issues. The company says its new box provides a seamless, streamlined solution for the custom installation community. It retails for $3,000 (US).

The Integra NVS-7.7 provides a powerful suite of features for integration with home theater and audio installations. It offers 400 GB of storage for audio and video media, and proprietary Integra-designed audio circuitry. The electronics features Intel’s ViiV™ technology, plus high-end Wolfson DACs and the company’s acclaimed Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC).

“The power, flexibility, all-in-one capabilities, and high storage capacity of media center PCs have made them an essential tool for custom installers,” says Integra Marketing and Product Planning Manager Paul Wasek.”However, these systems are first and foremost PCs, with all the attendant configuration and support issues that can add up to a customer service nightmare for small to medium sized installers. Integra’s solution to this problem was to design a system that is first and foremost an AV component – it just happens to be built on a PC Platform.”

The Integra NVS-7.7 features Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition™ 2005 operating system running on a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 Dual 820 processor and 1 GB of DDR memory. A 400 GB hard drive is included for storage of a complete library of audio and video files. It includes Intel’s VIIV™ technology to capture, store, and distribute a complete range of media formats throughout the home, including WMV HD, MPEG -1/-2/-4, DivX, JPEG, WMA, MP3, AAC, and PCM.

For Audio reproduction, the NS-V7.7 features an exclusive Integra-designed audio card that includes high quality Wolfson 192kHz/24-bit DACs with the company’s acclaimed Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC) for smoother and more detailed stereo analog output. It is also the world’s first media server product to include Dolby Master Studio technology suite for complete 7.1-channel surround sound processing, including Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Live, ProLogic IIx, Dolby Headphone, and Dolby Virtual Speaker processing.

“Our goal was to make it as easy to set up and use as any of our other AV components,” continues Wasek. “With the NVS-7.7, Integra tames the convoluted configuration and programming process, giving installers a complete product that delivers the most powerful source and integration features ever available, yet is no more difficult to set-up, install, and maintain than a high end A/V receiver. And with Integra’s acclaimed dealer support and training programs behind them, dealers can feel confident about specifying media servers into every job they do.”

The NSV-7.7 includes both digital ATSC and analog NTSC tuners for recording and playback of TV broadcasts, and an FM tuner for radio broadcasts. The front-loading DVD/CD tray can be used to capture video recorded on DVD, DVD +/-R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD and data based optical discs. Additionally, a multi-format front-panel 8-in-1 card reader is included for use with portable storage media, including SD/MS, MS-Pro, and Smart/Flash memory cards. For further expansion and integration, there are four USB 2.0 ports, and high speed Serial ATA-II port for support of storage transfer speed up to 1.5 GB/second.

Integra has designed the NVS-7.7 to be fully compatible with RS-232 and IP-based control systems, making it much easier for installers to offer media PC integration with their whole-house system installations. The NSV-7.7 includes DVI, VGA and component video outputs that are compatible with high definition video. There are also S-Video, and composite video outputs for connection to complete range of video displays. For network distribution, the media center is compatible with all Integra Net-Tune Clients for streaming audio, and content can be shared with other Windows MCE platform devices via a standard Ethernet network.

Integra Web Site

Filed Under: Home Theater

Multiroom Audio and Home Theater Systems Installation Business is Booming

July 21, 2006 by

Residential Sales through Home Systems Integrators/Installers Grew 18% in 2005

Sales of Multiroom Audio and Home Theater Systems surpassed dealer expectations during 2005, according to the 1st Quarter 2006 Installing Dealer Survey released today by Parks Associates.

Consumer demand for multiroom audio, home theater, and associated control systems was largely responsible for the strong growth in business for the Installing Dealers channel. Audio systems were the single largest product category is 2005, generating more than $2.1 billion in residential sales, with Russound and Denon as the top brands for audio components and SpeakerCraft as the most popular brand of speakers.

Installing dealers had total sales of $7.3 billion to residential customers in 2005, an 18% increase over 2004’s $6.2 billion, according to Parks Associates’ 1Q06 Installing Dealer Survey.

“Multiroom audio exceeded our estimates by nearly 9%, and home theater sales beat expectations by about 8%,” said Bill Ablondi, director of home systems research at Parks Associates. “There are several factors driving this demand. More affordable systems are broadening the market to include more midrange homes, more builders are aggressively marketing entertainment amenities, and, most importantly, more home buyers want to incorporate entertainment systems into the infrastructure of their home.”

Installing dealers are also optimistic about the potential for growth in 2006, according to 1Q06 Installing Dealer Survey. Nearly 40% of dealers expect to see their businesses grow by more than 20% in 2006, and 30% project growth of 11-20%. Only 4% expect to see a decline in business in 2006.

“The installing dealer channel is expanding, both in numbers of integrators/installers and in the sales each firm generates annually,” Ablondi said. “We’re seeing the evolution from a custom-only channel to one which is beginning to embrace pre-packaged systems in an effort to expand its reach in the market.”

The 1Q06 Installing Dealer Survey is part of Parks Associates’ Installing Dealer ePanel Program, which collects regular feedback from electronic systems integrators, designers, and installing dealers across the U.S. Surveys are conducted online, and each client assists in developing the questionnaire. The ePanel program is an affordable, efficient, and accurate way to increase understanding of the installing dealer channel.

Filed Under: Biz
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